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Date May 2018 Marks available 1 Reference code 18M.2.HL.TZ2.9
Level Higher level Paper Paper 2 Time zone Time zone 2
Command term Suggest Question number 9 Adapted from N/A

Question

Rhodium-106 (\(_{\,\,\,45}^{106}{\text{Rh}}\)) decays into palladium-106 (\(_{\,\,\,46}^{106}{\text{Pd}}\)) by beta minus (β) decay. The diagram shows some of the nuclear energy levels of rhodium-106 and palladium-106. The arrow represents the β decay.

M18/4/PHYSI/HP2/ENG/TZ2/09.d

Bohr modified the Rutherford model by introducing the condition mvr = n\(\frac{h}{{2\pi }}\). Outline the reason for this modification.

[3]
b.

Show that the speed v of an electron in the hydrogen atom is related to the radius r of the orbit by the expression

\[v = \sqrt {\frac{{k{e^2}}}{{{m_{\text{e}}}r}}} \]

where k is the Coulomb constant.

[1]
c.i.

Using the answer in (b) and (c)(i), deduce that the radius r of the electron’s orbit in the ground state of hydrogen is given by the following expression.

\[r = \frac{{{h^2}}}{{4{\pi ^2}k{m_{\text{e}}}{e^2}}}\]

[2]
c.ii.

Calculate the electron’s orbital radius in (c)(ii).

[1]
c.iii.

Explain what may be deduced about the energy of the electron in the β decay.

[3]
d.i.

Suggest why the β decay is followed by the emission of a gamma ray photon.

[1]
d.ii.

Calculate the wavelength of the gamma ray photon in (d)(ii).

[2]
d.iii.

Markscheme

the electrons accelerate and so radiate energy

they would therefore spiral into the nucleus/atoms would be unstable

electrons have discrete/only certain energy levels

the only orbits where electrons do not radiate are those that satisfy the Bohr condition «mvrn\(\frac{h}{{2\pi }}\)»

[3 marks]

b.

\(\frac{{{m_{\text{e}}}{v^2}}}{r} = \frac{{k{e^2}}}{{{r^2}}}\)

OR

KE = \(\frac{1}{2}\)PE hence \(\frac{1}{2}\)mev2 = \(\frac{1}{2}\frac{{k{e^2}}}{r}\)

«solving for v to get answer»

 

Answer given – look for correct working

[1 mark]

c.i.

combining v = \(\sqrt {\frac{{k{e^2}}}{{{m_{\text{e}}}r}}} \) with mevr = \(\frac{h}{{2\pi }}\) using correct substitution

«eg \({m_e}^2\frac{{k{e^2}}}{{{m_{\text{e}}}r}}{r^2} = \frac{{{h^2}}}{{4{\pi ^2}}}\)»

correct algebraic manipulation to gain the answer

 

Answer given – look for correct working

Do not allow a bald statement of the answer for MP2. Some further working eg cancellation of m or r must be shown

[2 marks]

c.ii.

« r = \(\frac{{{{(6.63 \times {{10}^{ - 34}})}^2}}}{{4{\pi ^2} \times 8.99 \times {{10}^9} \times 9.11 \times {{10}^{ - 31}} \times {{(1.6 \times {{10}^{ - 19}})}^2}}}\)»

r = 5.3 × 10–11 «m»

[1 mark]

c.iii.

the energy released is 3.54 – 0.48 = 3.06 «MeV»

this is shared by the electron and the antineutrino

so the electron’s energy varies from 0 to 3.06 «MeV»

[3 marks]

d.i.

the palladium nucleus emits the photon when it decays into the ground state «from the excited state»

[1 mark]

d.ii.

Photon energy

E = 0.48 × 106 × 1.6 × 10–19«7.68 × 10–14 J»

λ«\(\frac{{hc}}{E} = \frac{{6.63 \times {{10}^{ - 34}} \times 3 \times {{10}^8}}}{{7.68 \times {{10}^{ - 14}}}}\) =» 2.6 × 10–12 «m»

 

Award [2] for a bald correct answer

Allow ECF from incorrect energy

[2 marks]

d.iii.

Examiners report

[N/A]
b.
[N/A]
c.i.
[N/A]
c.ii.
[N/A]
c.iii.
[N/A]
d.i.
[N/A]
d.ii.
[N/A]
d.iii.

Syllabus sections

Core » Topic 7: Atomic, nuclear and particle physics » 7.1 – Discrete energy and radioactivity
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