Date | May 2013 | Marks available | 4 | Reference code | 13M.3.SL.TZ1.6 |
Level | Standard level | Paper | Paper 3 | Time zone | Time zone 1 |
Command term | Calculate | Question number | 6 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
This question is about radioactive decay.
Sodium-22 undergoes β+ decay.
Identify the missing entries in the following nuclear reaction.
\[{}_{11}^{22}{\rm{Na}} \to {}_ \ldots ^{22}{\rm{Ne}} + {}_ \ldots ^0e + {}_0^0 \ldots \]
Define half-life.
Sodium-22 has a decay constant of 0.27 yr–1.
(i) Calculate, in years, the half-life of sodium-22.
(ii) A sample of sodium-22 has initially 5.0 × 1023 atoms. Calculate the number of sodium-22 atoms remaining in the sample after 5.0 years.
Markscheme
\({}_{11}^{22}{\rm{Na}} \to {}_{10}^{22}{\rm{Ne}} + {}_{ + 1}^0e + {}_0^0v\)
\({}_{10}^{22}{\rm{Ne}}\);
\({}_{ + 1}^0e\) (accept \({}_ + ^0e\))
\({}_0^0v\); (award [0] for \({}_0^0\bar v\))
time taken for half/50% of the nuclei to decay / activity to drop by half/50%;
(i) \({T_{\frac{1}{2}}} = \frac{{\ln 2}}{\lambda }\);
\(\frac{{0.693}}{{0.27{\rm{y}}{{\rm{r}}^{ - 1}}}}\)=2.6 (years);
Award [2] for a bald correct answer.
(ii) N=5.0 x 1023 x e-0.27x5.0;
N=1.3 x 1023;
Award [2] for a bald correct answer.
Examiners report
This question was well done in general.
Many candidates referred to mass halving rather than activity.