User interface language: English | Español

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.

\[{}_{11}^{22}{\rm{Na}} \to {}_ \ldots ^{22}{\rm{Ne}} + {}_ \ldots ^0e + {}_0^0 \ldots \]

 

[3]
a.

Define half-life.

[1]
b.

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.

[4]
c.

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 \({}_0^0\bar v\))

 

a.

time taken for half/50% of the nuclei to decay / activity to drop by half/50%;

b.

(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.

c.

Examiners report

 This question was well done in general.

a.

Many candidates referred to mass halving rather than activity.

b.

 

c.

Syllabus sections

Additional higher level (AHL) » Topic 12: Quantum and nuclear physics » 12.2 – Nuclear physics
Show 77 related questions

View options