Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Unit
Radioactivity and Particles
123 practice questions
Topics covered
Practice questions
41–50 of 123
Question 41
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Some isotopes of carbon Isotope Number of protons Number of neutrons Carbon-12 6 6 Carbon-13 6 7 Carbon-14 6 8 Compare the stability of carbon-12 and carbon-14 and give a reason for your answer based on their neutron numbers.
Question 42
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →(a)[1 mark]How does the number of neutrons affect whether an isotope is stable or unstable?
(b)[1 mark]What can happen if an atom has too few neutrons?
Question 43
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Properties of two isotopes of neon Isotope Number of protons Number of neutrons Neon-20 10 10 Neon-22 10 12 Based on the data in the table, explain how Neon-20 and Neon-22 differ in terms of their nuclear stability.
Question 44
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Explain why adding too many neutrons or too few neutrons to a nucleus can make it unstable.
Question 45
1 mark · Normal
Answer and check →Which statement best describes a stable isotope?
- A.It has too many neutrons for its number of protons.
- B.It has no neutrons in its nucleus.
- C.It has a balanced number of protons and neutrons.
- D.It has more electrons than protons.
Question 46
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Explain how the presence of neutrons in the nucleus prevents the protons from repelling and breaking apart the nucleus.
Question 47
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student claims that all isotopes of hydrogen are equally stable. Use your knowledge of isotopes and nuclear forces to explain why this statement is not correct.
Question 48
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Explain why heavy elements like uranium have more neutrons than protons in their most stable isotope.
Question 49
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The table below gives information about three isotopes of lithium.
Properties of lithium isotopes Isotope Protons Neutrons Lithium-6 3 3 Lithium-7 3 4 Lithium-8 3 5 (a)[1 mark]State, for all isotopes of lithium, what determines that they are all lithium atoms.
(b)[3 marks]Explain what effect increasing the number of neutrons has on the stability of the lithium nucleus. Use examples from the table.
Question 50
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A student investigates two isotopes of boron: boron-10 and boron-12. Boron-10 is stable, but boron-12 decays quickly after it is produced.
Explain, in terms of neutrons and protons, why boron-12 is less stable than boron-10.