Date | November 2018 | Marks available | 2 | Reference code | 18N.3.sl.TZ0.9 |
Level | SL | Paper | 3 | Time zone | TZ0 |
Command term | Explain | Question number | 9 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
The Sun’s energy is produced by the fusion of hydrogen nuclei.
Uranium-238 produces plutonium-239, which is used as fuel in breeder reactors.
Explain fusion reactions with reference to binding energy.
Outline why the term breeder is used for the reactors.
Deduce the fission reaction when 239Pu is bombarded with a neutron to produce 133Xe and 103Zr.
Nuclear disasters release radioactive caesium into the atmosphere, which presents serious health risks.
Cs-137 has a half-life of 30 years.
Calculate the percentage of Cs-137 remaining in the atmosphere after 240 years.
Markscheme
small/lighter nuclei combine to form larger/heavier nuclei ✔
product has higher binding energy «per nucleon» ✔
Accept binding energy curve with explanation.
converts non-fissile «238U» material into fissile «239Pu» material
OR
produces more fissile material than it consumes ✔
239Pu + 1n → 133Xe + 103Zr + 41n ✔
Accept equation with correct atomic numbers included.
Accept notation for neutrons of “n”.
Accept a correctly described equation in words.
ALTERNATIVE 1:
«» 8 /8 half-lives «required» ✔
% remaining = «0.508 × 100 =» 0.39 «%» ✔
ALTERNATIVE 2:
λ = «» 0.023 ✔
% remaining = «100 × e–0.023 × 240 =» 0.39 «%» ✔
Award [2] for correct final answer.