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The Nucleus

Class 12th Concepts Of Physics Part 2 HC Verma Solution
Short Answer
  1. If neutrons exert only attractive forces, why don’t we have a nucleus containing neutrons…
  2. Consider two pairs of neutrons. In each pair, the separation between the neutrons is the…
  3. A molecule of hydrogen contains two protons and two electrons. The nuclear force between…
  4. Is it easier to take out a nucleon (a)from carbon or from iron (b)from iron or from lead?…
  5. Suppose we have 12 protons and 12 neutrons. We can assemble them to form either a 24Mg…
  6. What is the difference between cathode rays and beta rays? When the two are travelling in…
  7. If the nucleons of a nucleus are separated from each other, the mass is increased. Where…
  8. In beta decay, an electron (or a positron) is emitted by a nucleus. Does the remaining…
  9. When a boron nucleus (10B) is bombarded by a neutron, an α-particle is emitted. Which…
  10. Does a nucleus loss mass when it suffers gamma decay?
  11. Typically, in a fission reaction, the nucleus split into two middle-weight nuclei of…
  12. If three helium nuclei combine to form a carbon nucleus, energy is liberated. Why can’t…
Objective I
  1. The mass of a neutral carbon atom in ground state is:
  2. The mass number of a nucleus is equal to
  3. As compared to 12C atom, 14C atom has,
  4. The mass number of a nucleus is
  5. The graph of ln(R/R₀) vs ln A (R=radius of nucleus and A=its mass number) is…
  6. Let Fpp, Fpn and Fnn denote the magnitude of the nuclear force by a proton on a proton, by…
  7. Let Fpp, Fpn and Fnn denote the magnitudes of the net force by a proton on a proton,…
  8. Two protons are kept at a separation of 10nm.Let Fn and Fe be the nuclear force and…
  9. As the mass number A increases, the binding energy per nucleon in a nucleus…
  10. Which of the following the wrong description of the binding energy of the nucleus?…
  11. In one average-life,
  12. In a radioactive decay, neither the atomic number nor the mass number changes. Which of…
  13. During a negative beta decay,
  14. A freshly prepared radioactive source of half-life 2h emits radiation of intensity which…
  15. The decay constant of a radioactive sample is λ. The half-life and the average-life of the…
  16. An α-particle is bombarded on 14N. As a result, a 17O nucleus is formed and a particle is…
  17. Ten grams of 57Co kept in an open container beta-decays with a half-life of 270 days. The…
  18. Free 238U nuclei kept in a train emit alpha particles. When the train is stationary and a…
  19. During a nuclear fission reaction,
Objective Ii
  1. As the mass number A increases, which of the following quantities related to a nucleus do…
  2. The heavier nuclei t end to have larger N/Z ratio because
  3. A free neutron decays to a proton but a free proton does not decay to a neutron. This is…
  4. Consider a sample of a pure beta-active material.
  5. In which of the following decays the element does not change?
  6. In which of the following decays the atomic number decreases?
  7. Magnetic field does not cause deflection in
  8. Which of the following are electromagnetic waves?
  9. Two lithium nuclei in a lithium vapour at room temperature do not combine to form a carbon…
  10. For nuclei with A 100,
Exercises
  1. Assume that the mass of a nucleus is approximately given by M = Amp where A is the mass…
  2. A neutron star has a density equal to that of the nuclear matter. Assuming the star to be…
  3. Calculate the mass of an α-particle. Its binding energy is 28.2 MeV.…
  4. How much energy is released in the following reaction:7Li + p → α + α.Atomic mass of 7Li =…
  5. Find the binding energy per nucleon of if its atomic mass is 196.96 u.…
  6. (a) Calculate the energy released if 238U emits an α-particle.(b) Calculate the energy to…
  7. Find the energy liberated in the reaction223Ra → 209Pb + 14C.The atomic masses needed are…
  8. Show that the minimum energy needed to separate a proton from a nucleus with Z protons and…
  9. Calculate the minimum energy needed to separate a neutron from a nucleus with Z protons…
  10. 32P beta-decays to 32S. Find the sum of the energy of the antineutrino and the kinetic…
  11. A free neutron beta-decays to a proton with a half-life of 14 minutes.(a) What is the…
  12. Complete the following decay schemes.(a) 226Ra → α +(b) 19O → {19}/{9} f + (c)…
  13. In the decay 64Cu → 64Ni + e+ + v, the maximum kinetic energy carried by the positron is…
  14. Potassium -40 can decay in three modes. It can decay by β–-emission, β+-emission or…
  15. Lithium (Z = 3) has two stable isotopes 6Li and 7Li. When neutrons are bombarded on…
  16. The masses of 11C and 11B are respectively 11.0114 u and 11.0093 u. Find the maximum…
  17. 228Th emits an alpha particle to reduce to 224Ra. Calculate the kinetic energy of the…
  18. Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the beta particle emitted in the following decay…
  19. : The decay constant of {197} {80} hg (electron capture to ) is 1.8 × 10–4 s–1.(a) What…
  20. The half-life of 198Au is 2.7 days.(a) Find the activity of a sample containing 1.00 μg of…
  21. Radioactive 131I has a half-life of 8.0 days. A sample containing 131I has activity 20 μ…
  22. The decay constant of 238U is 4.9 × 10–18 s–1.(a) What is the average-life of 238U?(b)…
  23. A certain sample of a radioactive material decays at the rate of 500 per second at a…
  24. The count rate from a radioactive sample falls from 4.0 × 106 per second to 1.0 × 106 per…
  25. The half-life of 226Ra is 1602 y. Calculate the activity of 0.1g of RaCl2 in which all the…
  26. The half-life of a radioisotope is 10 h. Find the total number of disintegrations in the…
  27. The selling rate of a radioactive isotope is decided by its activity. What will be the…
  28. 57Co decays to 57Fe by β+-emission. The resulting 57Fe is in its excited state and comes…
  29. Carbon (Z = 6) with mass number 11 decays to boron (Z = 5).(a) Is it is β+-decay or a…
  30. 4 × 1023 tritium atoms are contained in a vessel. The half-life of decay of tritium nuclei…
  31. A point source emitting alpha particles is placed at a distance of 1m from a counter which…
  32. 238U decays to 206Pb with a half-life of 4.47 × 109 y. This happens in a number of steps.…
  33. When charcoal is prepared from a living tree, it shows a disintegration rate of 15.3…
  34. Natural water contains a small amount of tritium ( {3} {1} ) . This isotope beta-decays…
  35. The count rate of nuclear radiation coming from a radioactive sample containing 128I…
  36. The half-life of 40K is 1.30 × 109 y. A sample of 1.00 g of pure KCl gives 160 counts s–1.…
  37. decays to through electron capture with a decay constant of 0.257 per day.(a) What other…
  38. A radioactive isotope is being produced at a constant rate dN/dt = R in an experiment. The…
  39. Consider the situation of the previous problem. Suppose the production of the radioactive…
  40. In an agricultural experiment, a solution containing 1 mole of a radioactive material…
  41. A vessel of volume 125 cm3 contains tritium (3H, t1/2 = 12.3 y) at 500 kPa and 300 K.…
  42. can disintegrate either by emitting an α-particle or by emitting a β–-particle.(a) Write…
  43. A sample contains a mixture of 110Ag and 108Ag isotopes each having an activity of 8.0 ×…
  44. A human body excretes (removes by waste discharge, sweating, etc.) certain materials by a…
  45. A charged capacitor of capacitance C is discharged through a resistance R. A radioactive…
  46. Radioactive isotopes are produced in a nuclear physics experiment at a constant rate dN/dt…
  47. Calculate the energy released by 1g of natural uranium assuming 200 MeV is released in…
  48. A uranium reactor develops thermal energy at a rate of 300 KW. Calculate the amount of…
  49. A town has a population of 1 million. The average electric power needed per person is…
  50. Calculate the Q-values of the following fusion reactions:(a) _{1}^{2}h+_{1}^{2}h…
  51. Consider the fusion in helium plasma. Find the temperature at which the average thermal…
  52. Calculate the Q-value of the fusion reaction4He + 4He = 8Be.Is such a fusion energetically…
  53. Calculate the energy that can be obtained from 1 kg of water through the fusion reaction2H…

Short Answer
Question 1.

If neutrons exert only attractive forces, why don’t we have a nucleus containing neutrons alone?


Answer:

Neutrons exert attractive forces, but are neutral in nature. So there will be no charge inside the nucleus and hence electrons will not face any attraction. Thus the atom in overall will become unstable.



Question 2.

Consider two pairs of neutrons. In each pair, the separation between the neutrons is the same. Can the force between the neutrons have different magnitudes for the two pairs?


Answer:

The answer can be yes as well as no. The fact is that if the neutrons have the same spin, then the force will be of same magnitude (repulsive) and if they have opposite spin, then force will be of different magnitude(attractive). Such forces are often referred to as tensor forces.



Question 3.

A molecule of hydrogen contains two protons and two electrons. The nuclear force between these two protons is always neglected while discussing the behavior of a hydrogen molecule. Why?


Answer:

Generally, when we talk about nuclear forces, we restrict our measurement to femtometer(fm)which is a small unit of measurement. But when we discuss of the forces between molecules, we make our measurement in Å which is quite larger than fm. Thus we neglect the nuclear forces between the protons in a H-molecule.



Question 4.

Is it easier to take out a nucleon (a)from carbon or from iron (b)from iron or from lead?


Answer:

It will be easier to take out nucleon from carbon and lead as iron is most stable among them because it has the highest binding energy per nucleon and thus it is difficult to remove nucleon from the nucleus of iron.



Question 5.

Suppose we have 12 protons and 12 neutrons. We can assemble them to form either a 24Mg nucleus or two 12C nuclei. In which of the two cases more energy will be liberated?


Answer:

More energy will be liberated in case of 24Mg because it has more binding energy per nucleon as shown in the graph as compared to 12C nuclei.





Question 6.

What is the difference between cathode rays and beta rays? When the two are travelling in space, can you make out which is the cathode ray and which is the beta ray?


Answer:



We will not be able to distinguish between them as they are not visible to human eye because both of the rays consists of electrons.



Question 7.

If the nucleons of a nucleus are separated from each other, the mass is increased. Where does this mass come from?


Answer:

This appears to be because of mass defect which is commonly known as Einstein’s mass defect theory whose proof is yet to be done.



Question 8.

In beta decay, an electron (or a positron) is emitted by a nucleus. Does the remaining atom gets oppositely charged?


Answer:

The answer is yes. This is because in case of beta decay an electron comes out from the atom and thus the atom gets oppositely charged as it becomes an ion.



Question 9.

When a boron nucleus (10B) is bombarded by a neutron, an α-particle is emitted. Which nucleus will be formed as a result?


Answer:

- When boron having atomic no.5 and atomic mass 10 is bombarded with neutron, the atomic no. decreases by 2 i.e.5-2=3 and the atomic mass decreases by 2 times of atomic no. i.e.4. Thus Lithium with atomic no.3 and mass number 6.



Question 10.

Does a nucleus loss mass when it suffers gamma decay?


Answer:

The answer is no. This is because in a gamma decay, neither the proton number nor the neutron number changes. Only the quantum numbers of nucleons changes.



Question 11.

Typically, in a fission reaction, the nucleus split into two middle-weight nuclei of unequal masses. Which of the two (heavier or lighter) has greater kinetic energy? Which one has greater linear momentum?


Answer:

-The lighter part will have more kinetic energy.

There can be 2 cases, if the nucleus is at rest, then the two parts will have same linear momentum. If the nucleus is not at rest, then the heavier one will have more linear momentum (as kinetic energy is inversely proportional to momentum).



Question 12.

If three helium nuclei combine to form a carbon nucleus, energy is liberated. Why can’t helium nuclei combine on their own and minimize the energy?


Answer:

-Since the initial separation between helium nuclei are large (in terms of Å), thus nuclear reaction cannot start on their own.




Objective I
Question 1.

The mass of a neutral carbon atom in ground state is:
A. exact 12u.

B. less than 12 u.

C. more than 12 u.

D. depends on the form of graphite

such as graphite or charcoal.


Answer:

This is because the unit which is widely used in describing mass in nuclear as well as atomic physics is unified atomic mass unit(amu).


This amu is equal to 1/12th of the mass of a carbon-12 isotope. Thus for a carbon atom in the ground state, the mass will be equal to 12amu.


Option(b) is not appropriate as because the mass will not be less than 12u (as it is exactly equal to 12 u).


Option(c) is also not appropriate as the mass cannot be more than 12u (as it is exactly equal to 12 u).


Option(d) is not appropriate as the definition describes that the mass is equal to 1/12th of carbon-12 isotope. So, it will not depend upon graphite or charcoal.


Question 2.

The mass number of a nucleus is equal to
A. the number of neutrons in the nucleus.

B. the number of protons in the nucleus.

C. the number of nucleons in the nucleus.

D. none of them.


Answer:

This is because in a nucleus, the mass number is the sum of the total numbers of protons and neutrons together.


Thus (c) will be the correct answer as number of nucleons refers to the total number of protons and neutrons.


Question 3.

As compared to 12C atom, 14C atom has,
A. two extra protons and two extra electrons

B. two extra protons but no extra electron

C. two extra neutrons and no extra electron

D. two extra neutrons and two extra electrons


Answer:

12C and 14C are the isotopes of carbon. An isotope of an element has the same atomic number but the mass number is different.


The number 12 and 14 in the carbon atom refers to the mass number i.e. the total number of neutrons and protons.


Thus the mass number will increase when the number of neutrons increases. So, the answer is (c).


Option (a) is incorrect as increase in the number of electrons does not change the mass number.


Option (b) is also incorrect. If the number of protons increases but not the number of electrons, then the atomic number of the element will change.


Option (d) is not correct as increasing the number of electrons does not change the mass number.


Question 4.

The mass number of a nucleus is
A. always less than its atomic number

B. always more than its atomic number

C. equal to its atomic number.

D. sometimes more than and sometimes equal to its atomic number.


Answer:

The fact is that the atomic number is the number of protons and electrons in an atom and mass number is the number of neutrons and electrons, so it can be sometimes more or sometimes less than the atomic number. For example - Hydrogen atom has 1 proton and 1 electron and thus has atomic and mass number as equal.


Option(a) is not correct as it can’t be less than the atomic number because atomic number is the number of protons and mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons.


Option(b) is not appropriate as it can’t be always greater than its atomic number as because sometimes the number of the number of protons is less as compared to the electrons that is in case of anion.


Option (c) is not appropriate as mass number is not always equal to its atomic number.


Question 5.

The graph of ln(R/R₀) vs ln A (R=radius of nucleus and A=its mass number) is
A. a straight line

B. a parabola

C. an ellipse

D. none


Answer:

As we know that the radius of a nucleus is



Applying log on both the sides, we have,



Or


Thus the above equation gives us an equation of a straight line



Here, y=ln(R/R₀) and x=ln(A).


Since in the above equation, c=0.Therefore, the graph obtained will be a straight line passing through the origin.



Thus (a) is the correct answer.


(b) is not the correct answer as the equation of a parabola is



(c) is not correct as the equation of ellipse is



Question 6.

Let Fpp, Fpn and Fnn denote the magnitude of the nuclear force by a proton on a proton, by a proton on a neutron and by a neutron on a neutron respectively. When the separation is 1fm,
A. Fpp>Fpn=Fnn

B. Fpp=Fpn=Fnn

C. Fpp>Fpn>Fnn

D. Fpp<Fpn=Fnn.


Answer:

As the distance of separation is equal, so the forces that will act between the particles will be same as because


Mass of neutron=Mass of proton=


Thus, the forces can be represented as,


Fpp=Fnn=Fpn=



Therefore, as the distance of separation is equal, thus they will have same magnitude of forces.


So, (b) is the correct answer.


Question 7.

Let Fpp, Fpn and Fnn denote the magnitudes of the net force by a proton on a proton, proton on a neutron and neutron on a neutron. Neglect gravitational force. When the separation is 1fm,
A. Fpp>Fpn=Fnn

B. Fpp=Fpn=Fnn

C. Fpp>Fpn>Fnn

D. Fpp<Fpn=Fnn.


Answer:

Nuclear forces are much stronger as compared to gravitational and electromagnetic forces.


As neutrons does not have any charge, thus the force between 2 neutron and between a proton and a neutron will be zero as


Also, the force between 2 protons is columbic in nature. This coulomb force is weaker as compared to the nuclear forces between proton-proton and neutron-proton. Therefore, option (d) is the correct option.


Option (a) is not correct as the force between proton-proton can’t be greater than those of neutron-neutron and proton-neutron.


Option (b) is not correct as the forces can’t be same because coulomb force and nuclear force are not equal in magnitude.


Option (c) also can’t be correct as because force between proton-neutron and neutron-neutron are all nuclear force.


Question 8.

Two protons are kept at a separation of 10nm.Let Fn and Fe be the nuclear force and electromagnetic force between them.
A. Fe=Fn

B. Fe>>Fn

C. Fe<<Fn

D. Fe and Fn differ only slightly.


Answer:

The correct answer will be (b).This is because electromagnetic force is .Whereas nuclear force is


Option (a) is not correct as nuclear forces and electromagnetic forces can’t be equal because electromagnetic force is much stronger than nuclear force.


Option (c) is not correct as nuclear force is not stronger than electromagnetic force.


Option (d) is also not correct as they differ by a large margin.


Question 9.

As the mass number A increases, the binding energy per nucleon in a nucleus
A. increases

B. decreases

C. remains the same

D. varies in a way that depends on the actual value of A


Answer:


Question 10.

Which of the following the wrong description of the binding energy of the nucleus?
A. It is the energy required to break a nucleus into its constituent nucleons.

B. It is the energy made available when free nucleons combine to form a nucleus

C. It is the sum of the rest mass energies of its nucleons minus the rest mass energy of the nucleus.

D. It is the sum of kinetic energies of all the nucleons in the nucleus.


Answer:

The correct answer is (d). All the other options are correct about binding energy per nucleon.


This is because inside the nucleus, the nucleons are in rest. So, there is no question of kinetic energy for those particles at rest.


Question 11.

In one average-life,
A. half the active nuclei decay.

B. less than half the active nuclei decay.

C. more than half the active nuclei decay.

D. all the nuclei decay.


Answer:

The correct answer is (c). This is because, the formula for average life calculation is,



So the decay will be more than half as dividing the half-life with 0.693 will give the result to be more than half of the active nuclei will decay.


Question 12.

In a radioactive decay, neither the atomic number nor the mass number changes. Which of the following particles is emitted in the decay?
A. Proton

B. Neutron

C. Electron

D. Photon


Answer:

Atomic number is the number of protons while atomic mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons. The particles emitted will not be proton, electron or neutron since there is no change in the atomic number and mass number. Hence, the emitted particle must be photon.


Question 13.

During a negative beta decay,
A. an atomic electron is ejected

B. an electron which is already present within the nucleus is ejected.

C. a neutron in the nucleus decays emitting an electron

D. a proton in the nucleus decays emitting an electron.


Answer:

Negative beta decay is a process in which an unstable nucleus, formed with more number of neutrons than needed for stability, tries to go towards stability by converting a neutron to a proton. In this process, the unstable nucleus emits an electron and an antineutrino i.e. . Thus, we can say that a neutron in the nucleus decays, emitting an electron.


Question 14.

A freshly prepared radioactive source of half-life 2h emits radiation of intensity which is 64 times the permissible safe level. The minimum time after which it would be possible to work safely with this source is
A. 6 h

B. 12 h

C. 24 h

D. 128 h


Answer:

The intensity of radiation emitted by radioactive source also decreases with time. Half-life of the given material is 2 hours. Let the radiation starts at t=0. Initial intensity of radiation is 64 times the safe intensity level.


At t=2 hour, the intensity of radiation will be half (due to half-life) which is now 32 times the safe intensity level.


At t=4 hour, the intensity of radiation will be 16 times the safe level.


Doing this, t=6 h 8 times; t=8 h 4 times; t=10 h 2 times and t=12 h 1 times the safe intensity level. In other words, and thus the time will be 6*2 hour= 12 hour. Therefore, the minimum time is 12 hours after which the intensity of radiation is equal to the permissible safe level and we can work safely with the material.


Question 15.

The decay constant of a radioactive sample is λ. The half-life and the average-life of the sample are respectively.
A. 1\λ and (ln 2\λ)

B. (ln 2\λ) and 1\λ

C. λ (ln 2) and 1\λ

D. λ/ (ln 2) and 1\λ


Answer:

The half-life of a radioactive material is given by



The average life of a radioactive material is given by



Question 16.

An α-particle is bombarded on 14N. As a result, a 17O nucleus is formed and a particle is emitted. This particle is a
A. neutron

B. proton

C. electron

D. positron


Answer:

An -particle is . is bombarded on and thus is formed with an emission of a particle given by following equation



The particle emitted is which is equal to a proton since .


Question 17.

Ten grams of 57Co kept in an open container beta-decays with a half-life of 270 days. The weight of the material inside the container after 540 days will be very nearly.
A. 10g

B. 5g

C. 2.5g

D. 1.25g


Answer:

A neutron is converted to a proton with creation of an electron and an antineutrino during beta-decay. The rest mass of antineutrino is approximately zero (though unknown in physics till now) while the rest mass of an electron is kg. Thus the mass of a beta particle is much less when compared to the mass of Co atom. Hence even after 540 days in a container, the weight of the material will be approximately equal to 10g.


Question 18.

Free 238U nuclei kept in a train emit alpha particles. When the train is stationary and a uranium nucleus decays, a passenger measures that the separation between the alpha particle and the recoiling nucleus becomes x in time t after the decay. If a decay takes place when the train is moving at a uniform speed v, the distance between the alpha particle and the recoiling nucleus at a time t after the decay, as measured by the passenger will be
A. x + vt

B. x – vt

C. x

D. depends on the direction of the train.


Answer:

The separation between the alpha particle and the recoiling nucleus is measured as x in time t when uranium atom is kept in a stationary train. If decay takes place in a moving train, the distance between the alpha particle and the recoiling nucleus is now measured, will remain x in time t. This is because the decay process and the passenger are in same time frame.


Question 19.

During a nuclear fission reaction,
A. a heavy nucleus breaks into two fragments by itself

B. a light nucleus bombarded by thermal neutrons breaks up

C. a heavy nucleus bombarded by thermal neutrons breaks up

D. two light nuclei combine to give a heavier nucleus and possible other products.


Answer:

The reaction in which the nuclear energy is obtained by breaking a heavy nucleus into two or more light nuclei is called as nuclear fission reaction. Highly fissionable material like are not found in nature. However, the natural Uranium contains 0.7% of which has high probability of absorbing a slow neutron and thus forming. Thus, a heavy nucleus is bombarded by thermal neutrons which results in formation of. This highly fissionable material now breaks up and nuclear fission reaction occurs.



Objective Ii
Question 1.

As the mass number A increases, which of the following quantities related to a nucleus do not change?
A. Mass

B. Volume

C. Density

D. Binding energy


Answer:

The average radius of a nucleus is given by



Where is the mass number and m.


The Volume of the nucleus is given by (Putting equation (1))



Since, the number of protons and neutrons are nearly same, say , the Mass is approximately equal to



Density is given by



The above equation of density says that it is independent of A. So as mass number A increases, density do not change.


Question 2.

The heavier nuclei t end to have larger N/Z ratio because
A. a neutron is heavier than a proton

B. a neutron is an unstable particle

C. a neutron does not exert electric repulsion

D. Coulomb forces have longer range compared to the nuclear forces.


Answer:

Heavier nuclei having large mass number has large nuclei radius. Attractive nuclear force, which has small range, is not effective in heavier nuclei due to the large nuclei radius. Repulsive Coulomb forces between protons will be now effective since these forces have longer range. Repulsive force causes instability of nuclei.


Stability is achieved by having more neutrons than protons in the nuclei. More neutrons (not exerting electric repulsion) in the nuclei or larger N/Z ratio do make the range between the nucleon-pairs comparable to the nuclear forces. Hence, attractive nuclear forces dominate over repulsive coulomb forces and thus stability is achieved. Therefore, Option C and D both are correct.


Question 3.

A free neutron decays to a proton but a free proton does not decay to a neutron. This is because
A. neutron is a composite particle made of a proton and an electron whereas proton is a fundamental particle

B. neutron is an uncharged particle whereas proton is a charged particle

C. neutron has larger rest mass than the proton

D. weak forces can operate in a neutron but not in a proton.


Answer:

When a free neutron decays to a proton, an electron and an antineutrino are created i.e. . The rest mass of neutron is larger than that of proton and thus the Q-value is positive. If we consider a free proton decays to a neutron, a positron and a neutrino are created i.e. . The Q-value is thus negative which is impossible. Also, a lower mass particle cannot be decayed into a large mass particle. Hence, a free proton does not decay to a neutron.


Question 4.

Consider a sample of a pure beta-active material.
A. All the beta particles emitted have the same energy.

B. The beta particles originally exist inside the nucleus and are ejected at the time of beta decay.

C. The antineutrino emitted in a beta decay has zero mass and hence zero momentum.

D. The active nucleus changes to one of its isobars after the beta decay.


Answer:

Since an electron and an antineutrino are emitted from a pure beta-active material, these particles do not have same energy due to their different masses. The beta particles are ejected when a neutron is converted into a proton and thus we can’t say that beta particles were already present in the nucleus. The mass of antineutrino is unknown. Hence, Option A, B and C are not correct. Nuclei with same mass number but different atomic number are called isobars. The beta decay process is. It is prevalent that, (Before beta decay) while (after beta decay). Thus we say that the active nucleus changes to one of its isobars after the beta decay.


Question 5.

In which of the following decays the element does not change?
A. α-decay

B. β+-decay

C. β-decay

D. γ-decay


Answer:

-decay: Element changes.


-decay: Element changes.


-decay: Element changes.


-decay: This decay is a radioactive process in which the excited nucleus comes down to its ground energy level by emitting photons. The element does not change in this process.


Question 6.

In which of the following decays the atomic number decreases?
A. α-decay

B. β+-decay

C. β-decay

D. γ-decay


Answer:

-decay: Atomic number decreases by 2.


-decay: Atomic number decreases by 1.


-decay: Atomic number increases by 1.


-decay: This decay is a radioactive process in which the excited nucleus comes down to its ground energy level by emitting photons. Atomic number does not change.


Question 7.

Magnetic field does not cause deflection in
A. α-rays

B. beta-plus rays

C. beta-minus rays

D. gamma rays


Answer:

Magnetic field gets deflected when there is charge/current within its surroundings.


-decay: causes deflection in magnetic field.


-decay: causes deflection in magnetic field.


-decay: causes deflection in magnetic field.


-decay: This decay is a radioactive process in which the excited nucleus comes down to its ground energy level by emitting photons. Photons are not deflected by magnetic field.


Question 8.

Which of the following are electromagnetic waves?
A. α-rays

B. Beta-plus rays

C. Beta-minus rays

D. Gamma rays


Answer:

Photons constitute electromagnetic waves. Since gamma rays are photons emitted during nuclear transitions, they are electromagnetic waves.


Question 9.

Two lithium nuclei in a lithium vapour at room temperature do not combine to form a carbon nucleus because
A. a lithium nucleus is more tightly bound than a carbon nucleus

B. carbon nucleus is an unstable particle

C. it is not energetically favorable

D. Coulomb repulsion does not allow the nuclei to come very close.


Answer:

In a lithium vapor at room temperature, the distance between two lithium nuclei is larger when compared to the short-range attractive nuclear forces. Thus, repulsive coulomb forces will be effective and this does not allow the two nuclei to come very close to form a carbon nucleus. If we want to combine two lithium nuclei to form a carbon nucleus, we need a temperature of the order of K.


Question 10.

For nuclei with A > 100,
A. the binding energy of the nucleus decreases on an average as A increases

B. the binding energy per nucleon decreases on an average as A increases

C. if the nucleus breaks into two roughly equal parts, energy is released

D. if two nuclei fuse to form a bigger nucleus, energy is released.


Answer:

For A=50 to A=80, the binding energy per nucleon increases on an average. For A>80, the binding energy per nucleon decreases on an average. Therefore, Option B is correct. For heavy nuclei with A>100, the unstable nucleus can break into two roughly equal parts with release of energy to attain stability. Therefore, option C is correct. For heavy nuclei with A>100, it is impossible to combine two nuclei to form a bigger nucleus. Lighter nuclei with A<100 can be combined to form a bigger nucleus with release of energy. Therefore, option D is not correct for A>100.



Exercises
Question 1.

Assume that the mass of a nucleus is approximately given by M = Amp where A is the mass number. Estimate the density of matter in kg m–3 inside a nucleus. What is the specific gravity of nuclear matter?


Answer:

Given mass of nucleus(M) = Amp


We know that,


(mass of proton)


where μ is the atomic mass unit ,


Radius of nucleus(R)



Volume(V)



Density(D)



= 3.0000688 × 1017 kg/m3


Specific gravity


= 3.0000688 × 1014.


Hence, the density of matter in kg m–3 inside a nucleus is 3.0000688 × 1017 kg/m3 and its specific gravity is 3.0000688 × 1014.



Question 2.

A neutron star has a density equal to that of the nuclear matter. Assuming the star to be spherical, find the radius of a neutron star whose mass is 4.0 × 1030 kg (twice the mass of the sun).


Answer:

Given mass of star(M) = 4 × 1030 kg


We know,


Density of nuclear matter(D) = 2.3 × 1017 kg/m3






Again, Volume [As the star is assumed to be a sphere]


[ R = Radius of the neutron star]


So equating the expressions of volume we can say,







Hence radius of the star is 16.07 km



Question 3.

Calculate the mass of an α-particle. Its binding energy is 28.2 MeV.


Answer:

We know that an alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons.

Mass of proton = 1.007276 u


Mass of neutron = 1.008665 u


Where u = 1.6605402 × 10-27 kg (Atomic mass unit)


Let the mass of the alpha particle be M


∴ Mass defect is ΔM,




Given, Binding energy = 28.2 MeV


Binding energy is also equal to


So,



[Note ]






Hence, the mass of an alpha particle is 4.0016u



Question 4.

How much energy is released in the following reaction:

7Li + p → α + α.

Atomic mass of 7Li = 7.0160 u and that of 4He = 4.0026 u.


Answer:

Given,


Atomic mass of 7Li = 7.0160 u


Mass of proton = 1.007276 u


Atomic mass of 4He = Mass of α particle = 4.0026 u




So, ΔM = 0.018076u


Binding Energy [Where ]




Hence, the binding energy for the reaction is 16.83 MeV



Question 5.

Find the binding energy per nucleon of if its atomic mass is 196.96 u.


Answer:

, here X = element
A = Mass Number[No. of protons + neutrons]

Z = Atomic Number [No. of protons]


Therefore, Number of neutrons(N)= A – Z


Now coming to the problem,


means that A = 197 and Z = 79


N = A – Z = 197 – 79 = 118


Binding energy , mp = mass of proton


mn= mass of neutron


M = Atomic Mass


c2 = (Speed of light)2


= 931.5 MeV/u




Number of nucleons = No. of protons + neutrons = A = 197


Binding energy per nucleon


Hence, the binding energy per nucleon = 7.741



Question 6.

(a) Calculate the energy released if 238U emits an α-particle.

(b) Calculate the energy to be supplied to 238U if two protons and two neutrons are to be emitted one by one. The atomic masses of 238U, 234Th and 4He are 238.0508 u, 234.04363 u and 4.00260 u respectively.


Answer:

a) [Reaction for emitting α-particle]


2He4 = alpha particle



,


Mu = mass of Uranium


Mα = mass of α-particle


Mth = mass of Thorium


c2= (Speed of light)2 = 931.5 MeV/u




The energy released is 4.2569 MeV


b)




Mp = mass of proton=


Mn = mass of neutron=




The energy released is 23.019 MeV



Question 7.

Find the energy liberated in the reaction

223Ra → 209Pb + 14C.

The atomic masses needed are as follows.

223Ra 209Pb 14C

223.018 u 208.981 u 14.003 u


Answer:





MPb = mass of Pb209=208.981 u


MC = mass of C14 =14.003 u


MRa = mass of Ra223=223.018 u




The energy released is 31.671 MeV



Question 8.

Show that the minimum energy needed to separate a proton from a nucleus with Z protons and N neutrons is

ΔE = (Mz–1, N +MH –MZ, N) c2

Where MZ, N = mass of an atom with Z protons and N neutrons in the nucleus and MH = mass of a hydrogen atom. This energy is known as proton-separation energy.


Answer:

, X = element under consideration

[Note: Hydrogen has no neutrons in the nucleus]


Now from the above equation we can easily write the energy equation:



Hence




Question 9.

Calculate the minimum energy needed to separate a neutron from a nucleus with Z protons and N neutrons in terms of the masses MZ, N, MZ, N–1 and the mass of the neutron.


Answer:



Energy released = Mass difference × c2


c2 = (speed of light)2 = 931.5 MeV/u






Question 10.

32P beta-decays to 32S. Find the sum of the energy of the antineutrino and the kinetic energy of the β-particle. Neglect the recoil of the daughter nucleus. Atomic mass of 32P = 31.974 u and that of 32S = 31.972 u.


Answer:



Sum of energy of antineutrino and β-particle is must be equal to the energy difference between the P32 and S32 nuclei



Energy


where c2= (Speed of light)2 = 931.5 MeV/u





Hence, the of sum of energy of antineutrino and β-particle is 1.863 MeV



Question 11.

A free neutron beta-decays to a proton with a half-life of 14 minutes.

(a) What is the decay constant?

(b) Find the energy liberated in the process.


Answer:

a) Given, half-life = 14 minutes = 840 seconds


We know, half life , where λ = decay constant


= 8.25×10-4 s-1


b)


[equation of neutron undergoing β decay]



Energy


Mn = mass of Neutron


Mp = mass of proton


Mβ = mass of β-particle


c2= (Speed of light)2 = 931.5 MeV/u




= 782.83 KeV



Question 12.

Complete the following decay schemes.

(a) 226Ra → α +

(b) 19O →

(c)


Answer:

a) As one alpha particle is produced so the mass number will decrease by 4 and the atomic number by 2,

Resultant reaction:



b) As fluorine is produced so the atomic number increases by 1, which suggests β-decay and usually β decay occurs with a loss of an antineutrino



c) A similar reaction as the previous one, atomic number decreases by one so β+ emission occurs





Question 13.

In the decay 64Cu → 64Ni + e+ + v, the maximum kinetic energy carried by the positron is found to be 0.650 MeV.

(a) What is the energy of the neutrino which was emitted together with a positron of kinetic energy 0.150 MeV?

(b) What is the momentum of this neutrino in kg ms–1? Use the formula applicable to a photon.


Answer:


a) Maximum energy of positron refers to zero K.E of the neutrino


So when the energy of positron is 0.150 MeV as energy is conserved,


Energy of neutrino




b) For a photon,


, where c = speed of light


Energy of neutrino in SI = 0.500 × 106 × 1.6 × 10-19 J


Momentum kgms-1


= 2.67 × 10-22 kgms-1



Question 14.

Potassium -40 can decay in three modes. It can decay by β-emission, β+-emission or electron capture.

(a) Write the equations showing the end products.

(b) Find the Q-value in each of the three cases. Atomic masses of are 39.9624 u, 39.9640 u and 39.9626 u respectively.


Answer:

a) Equations:


1) - emission]


2) + emission]


3) [electron capture]


b)


,


where c2 = 931.5 MeV/u


case 1:




case 2:




Case 3:




Note: For energy calculations we use the masses of the nuclei of the reactions but as we are given atomic masses we add and subtract appropriate number of electrons to get the above expressions. For more details, one should look through the derivation of Q value for the three cases.



Question 15.

Lithium (Z = 3) has two stable isotopes 6Li and 7Li. When neutrons are bombarded on lithium sample, electrons and α-particles are ejected. Write down the nuclear processes taking place.


Answer:

Considering the data given in the question only 2 isotopes are stable




So ejects and electron to convert to more stable Be and which in turn ejects two α particles





Question 16.

The masses of 11C and 11B are respectively 11.0114 u and 11.0093 u. Find the maximum energy a positron can have in the β+-decay of 11C to 11B


Answer:



The maximum energy for the positron will be equal to the energy due to the mass defect (ΔM)


ΔM = [11.0114-11.0093] ×931 MeV


= 1.955 MeV



Question 17.

228Th emits an alpha particle to reduce to 224Ra. Calculate the kinetic energy of the alpha particle emitted in the following decay:

228Th → 224Ra* + α

224Ra* → 224Ra + γ (217 keV).

Atomic mass of 228Th is 228.028726u, that of 224Ra is 224.020196 u and that of is 4.00260 u.


Answer:

Energy equation for the reaction 224Ra* → 224Ra + γ will be






Now for the first equation:


228Th → 224Ra* + α


K.E of α particle






Question 18.

Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the beta particle emitted in the following decay scheme:

12N → 12C* + e+ + v

12C* → 12C + γ (4.43 MeV).

The atomic mass of 12N is 12.018613 u.


Answer:

Given:12N → 12C* + e+ + v


12C* → 12C + γ


Adding the two reactions:



Max K.E of β-particle ={[mass of12N – mass of 12C] × c2} –4.43Mev




Note: for max K.E β-particle, K.E of ν is considered zero



Question 19.

: The decay constant of (electron capture to ) is 1.8 × 10–4 s–1.

(a) What is the half-life?

(b) What is the average-life?

(c) How much time will it take to convert 25% of this isotope of mercury into gold?


Answer:

a) Half-life





b) Average-life





c) We know,



where A= Activity of the substance


A0 = Initial activity


N = number of half lives


According to the problem,


Present activity = (1-0.25) A0


= 0.75A0


So,







Question 20.

The half-life of 198Au is 2.7 days.

(a) Find the activity of a sample containing 1.00 μg of 198Au.

(b) What will be the activity after 7 days? Take the atomic weight of 198Au to 198 g mol-1.


Answer:

a) 198 g of Au contains 6.023×1023 atoms (Avogadro’s Number)


So 1μg of Au contains atoms


= 3.041 × 1015 atoms


Activity = λN , λ = decay constant =





b) We know,



where A= Activity of the substance


A0 = Initial activity


N = number of half lives


Here







Question 21.

Radioactive 131I has a half-life of 8.0 days. A sample containing 131I has activity 20 μ Ci at t = 0.

(a) What is its activity at t = 4.0 days?

(b) What is its decay constant at t = 4.0 days?


Answer:

Given,

Half-life = 8 days, A0 = 20μCi


a) We know that,




Where,


A= Activity of the substance


A0 = Initial activity


t = time


λ = decay constant


So,







b) Decay constant in per second s-1




Question 22.

The decay constant of 238U is 4.9 × 10–18 s–1.

(a) What is the average-life of 238U?

(b) What is the half-life of 238U?

(c) By what factor does the activity of a 238U sample decrease in 9 × 109 years?


Answer:

Given,

The decay constant of 238U is 4.9 × 10–18 s–1


a) Average life




b) Half life




c) 9 × 109 years = 2 half-lives(approximately)


We know



where A= Activity of the substance


A0 = Initial activity


N = number of half lives


N = 2, in this case.


So it is evident that the sample activity will decrease by a factor of 4



Question 23.

A certain sample of a radioactive material decays at the rate of 500 per second at a certain time. The count rate falls to 200 per second after 50 minutes.

(a) What is the decay constant of the sample?

(b) What is its half-life?


Answer:

Initial Activity = 500

Final activity = 200


a) We know that,




Where,


A= Activity of the substance


A0 = Initial activity


t = time=50 mins


λ = decay constant


so,







b) Half life





Question 24.

The count rate from a radioactive sample falls from 4.0 × 106 per second to 1.0 × 106 per second in 20 hours. What will be the count rate 100 hours after the beginning?


Answer:

We know that,



Where,


A= Activity of the substance=1 × 106 s-1


A0 = Initial activity=4 × 106 s-1


t = time=20h


λ = decay constant


So according to the problem,




Now we have to evaluate activity after 100 hours





A = 3.9× 103 disintegrations per second


Hence, the activity after 100 hours is 3.9× 103 disintegrations per second.



Question 25.

The half-life of 226Ra is 1602 y. Calculate the activity of 0.1g of RaCl2 in which all the radium is in the form of 226Ra. Taken atomic weight of Ra to be 226 g mol–1 and that of Cl to be 35.5 g mol–1.


Answer:

Molecular weight of RaCl2


So, 297 g of RaCl2 contains 6.023×1023 atoms


0.1 g contains



Now for decay constant(λ)



Activity = λA


where


A= no. of atoms


λ = decay constant





Question 26.

The half-life of a radioisotope is 10 h. Find the total number of disintegrations in the tenth hour measured from a time when the activity was 1 Ci.


Answer:

We know that,



Where,


A= Activity of the substance


A0 = Initial activity


t = time


λ = decay constant


Given,


Half-life = 10h, A0=1 Ci


Activity after 9 hours


= 0.536 Ci


Number of atoms left after 9 hours




Activity after 10 hours = 0.5 Ci [As 10h is half-life]


Number of atoms left after 10 hours




Hence, net disintegrations at the 10th hour = (1.03×1015-9.60×1014)


= 6.92×1013 atoms



Question 27.

The selling rate of a radioactive isotope is decided by its activity. What will be the second-hand rate of a one month old 32P (t1/2 = 14.3 days) source if it was originally purchased for 800 rupees?


Answer:

Given, t1/2 = 14.3 days

⇒The disintegration rate, s-1


t = 1 month = 30 days


A˳ = 800 disintegrations/sec


According to Law of Radioactivity, rate of disintegration of a radioactive isotope at time t will decay exponentially with rate of disintegration initially.


So,



disintegrations/sec


Hence, selling rate will be 187 rupees.



Question 28.

57Co decays to 57Fe by β+-emission. The resulting 57Fe is in its excited state and comes to the ground state by emitting γ-emission is 10–8 s. A sample of 57Co gives 5.0 × 109 gamma rays per second. How much time will elapse before the emission rate of gamma rays drops to 2.5 × 109 per second?


Answer:

Given, 57Co decays by β+ and γ- emission. Rate of emission of gamma rays is 5.0 × 109.

As the emission rate reduce to half of the given value. So the amount of 57Co by β+-emission should reduce to half of the original amount.


∵ Time elapsed for drop of emission rate to half is half life of the β+-emission.



Question 29.

Carbon (Z = 6) with mass number 11 decays to boron (Z = 5).

(a) Is it is β+-decay or a β-decay?

(b) The half-life of the decay scheme is 20.3 minutes. How much time will elapse before a mixture of 90% carbon-11 and 10% boron-11 (by the number of atoms) converts itself into a mixture of 10% carbon-11 and 90% boron-11?


Answer:

Given, 6C decays to 5B.

(a) 116C → 115B + β+


So, it is β+ decay.


(b) t1/2 = 20.3 min.


λ = min-1


Ci = 0.9C˳, Cf = 0.1C˳



So,



Taking loge both sides, we get




So,




Question 30.

4 × 1023 tritium atoms are contained in a vessel. The half-life of decay of tritium nuclei is 12.3 y. Find

(a) the activity of the sample,

(b) the number of decays in the next 10 hours

(c) the number of decays in the next 6.15 y.


Answer:

Given, t1/2 = 12.3 y

(a) Activity



(b)




= 2.57 1019 atoms will decay in next 10 hours.


(c) No. of atoms initially,



atoms remained


So, No. of atoms decayed




Question 31.

A point source emitting alpha particles is placed at a distance of 1m from a counter which records any alpha particle falling on its 1 cm2 window. If the source contains 6.0 × 1016 active nuclei and the counter records a rate of 50000 counts/second, find the decay constant. Assume that the source emits alpha particles uniformly in all directions and the alpha particles fall nearly normally on the window.


Answer:

Given, Count received at 1m from source = 50000 counts/cm2sec

As it is a point source, total nuclei radiated from the source


= Counts received per unit area × total area



So,



No. of active nuclei


Now,





Question 32.

238U decays to 206Pb with a half-life of 4.47 × 109 y. This happens in a number of steps. Can you justify a single half-life for this chain of processes? A sample of rock is found to contain 2.00 mg of 238U and 0.600 mg of 206Pb. Assuming that all the lead has come from uranium, find the life of the rock.


Answer:

Half-life of any decay means the time taken to reduce the no. of atoms to half of the initial value. So, even for chain of the processes, half-life will be a unique value for a particular decay.

No. of atoms of 238U


No. of atoms of 206Pb


Total no. of 238U atoms initially




Now,



Taking loge on both sides, we get





Question 33.

When charcoal is prepared from a living tree, it shows a disintegration rate of 15.3 disintegrations of 14C per gram per minute. A sample from an ancient piece of charcoal shows 14C activity to be 12.3 disintegrations per gram per minute. How old is this sample? Half-life of 14C is 5730 y.


Answer:

Given, activity

Initial activity


Half-life of 14C


Disintegration rate


According to Law of Radioactivity,


No. of radioactive sample at time t,



So,


Taking ln on both sides, we get



So,




Question 34.

Natural water contains a small amount of tritium . This isotope beta-decays with a half-life of 12.5 years. A mountaineer while climbing towards a difficult peak finds debris of some earlier unsuccessful attempt. Among other things he finds a sealed bottle of whisky. On return 1.5 per cent of the radioactivity as compared to a recently purchased bottle marked ‘8 years old’. Estimate the time of that unsuccessful attempt.


Answer:

Let initial activity of the bottle = A˳

Activity of the bottle found on the mountain, A = A˳ⅇ-λt


Also,


Comparing both we get,







Question 35.

The count rate of nuclear radiation coming from a radioactive sample containing 128I varies with time as follows.


(a) Plot ln(R0/R) against t.

(b) From the slope of the best straight line through the points, find the decay constant λ.

(c) Calculate the half-life t1/2.


Answer:

We take R˳ at time t=t˳ i.e. R˳= 30× 109 s-1

(a)







(b) As ln(R0/R) = λt


So, slope of this curve will give the value of λ



(c)



Question 36.

The half-life of 40K is 1.30 × 109 y. A sample of 1.00 g of pure KCl gives 160 counts s–1. Calculate the relative abundance of 40K (fraction of 40K present) in natural potassium.


Answer:

Given, t1/2= 1.3× 109 y

Activity, A= 160 counts s–1



As



As 6.023×1023 atoms are present in 40g




∴ The relative abundance of 40K in natural potassium= (2×0.00063×100) % = 0.12%



Question 37.

decays to through electron capture with a decay constant of 0.257 per day.

(a) What other particle or particles are emitted in the decay?

(b) Assume that the electron is captured from the K shell. Use Mosley’s law √v = α (Z – b) with α = 4.95 × 107 s–1/2 and b = 1 to find the wavelength of the Kα X-ray emitted following the electron capture.


Answer:

19780Hg19779Au

(a) A proton is converted to a neutron; a neutrino is emitted.


(b) As given: By Mosley’s law,






Question 38.

A radioactive isotope is being produced at a constant rate dN/dt = R in an experiment. The isotope has a half-life t1/2. Show that after a time t >> t1/2, the number of active nuclei will become constant. Find the value of this constant.


Answer:

Given, rate of radioactive isotope production= R

Rate of decay= λN (∵ According to law of Radioacivity)


As activity decreases exponentially and after a time t >> t1/2, the number of active nuclei will become constant and rate of decay will also become constant.


So, (dN/dt) produce=(dN/dt) decay=R


R= λN


⇒ N= =



Question 39.

Consider the situation of the previous problem. Suppose the production of the radioactive isotope starts at t = 0. Find the number of active nuclei at time t.


Answer:

Let N˳ is the radioactive isotope present at time t=0

N be the radioactive isotope present at time t


And λ be the disintegration constant.


By Law of Radioactivity,



No. of particles decay = N˳-N= N˳ (1- ⅇ-λt)


As the production starts at t=0.


So,


Activity





Question 40.

In an agricultural experiment, a solution containing 1 mole of a radioactive material (t1/2 = 14.3 days) was injected into the roots of a plant. The plant was allowed 70 hours to settle down and then activity was measured in its fruit. If the activity measured was 1 μCi, what per cent of activity is transmitted from the root to the fruit in steady state?


Answer:

n= 1mole = 6× 1023 atoms=N˳

Given, λ =


According to Law of Radioactivity,


No. of radioactive sample at time t,


N= 5.2× 1023 atoms


According to law of Radioactivity, activity of a radioactive isotope at time t is the no. of active nuclei at that time times disintegration constant of the decay process.


As



Activity transmitted




Question 41.

A vessel of volume 125 cm3 contains tritium (3H, t1/2 = 12.3 y) at 500 kPa and 300 K. Calculate the activity of the gas.


Answer:

Given: Pressure P= 500000 Pa= 5 atm


Volume V= 0.125L


Temperature T= 300K


Assuming the gas to be ideal, according to ideal gas equation,


(R be universal gas constant equal to 0.082atmLmol-1K-1, P is the pressure, V is the volume, T is the temperature)


So,




Activity,





Question 42.

can disintegrate either by emitting an α-particle or by emitting a β-particle.

(a) Write the two equations showing the products of the decays.

(b) The probabilities of disintegration by α-and β-decays are in the ratio 7/13. The overall half-life of 212Bi is one hour. If 1g of pure 212Bi is taken at 12.00 noon, what will be the composition of this sample at 1 p.m. the same day?


Answer:

(a) 21283Bi20881Ti +


21283Bi21284Bi + -


(b) t1/2= 1h


After 1h, 21283Bi will be half decayed


So, 21283Bi is 0.5g present


20881Ti and 21284Bi will be formed in the ratio 7/13 and total mass of the sample should be 1g. So, total mass of 20881Ti and 21284Bi is 0.5g.


⇒ Mass of 20881Ti will be ratio of mass present × total mass=


And mass of 21284Bi will be of mass present × total mass=



Question 43.

A sample contains a mixture of 110Ag and 108Ag isotopes each having an activity of 8.0 × 108 disintegrations per second. 108Ag is known to have larger half-life than 110Ag. The activity A is measured as a function of time and the following data are obtained.


(a) Plot ln(A/A0) versus time.

(b) See that for large values of time, the plot is nearly linear. Deduce the half-life of 108Ag from this portion of the plot.

(c) Use the half-life of 108Ag to calculate the activity corresponding to 110Ag in the first 50 s.

(d) Plot ln(A/A0) versus time for 110Ag for the first 50 s.

(e) Find the half-life of 108Ag.


Answer:

At time t=0, A˳= 8.0 × 108 dis/s

(a)











(b) For large values of time, the value of λ will be the slope negative of the slope of the curve.


∴ λ = 0.028s-1


So, t1/2= 24.4 s


(c)


(d)



(e) The half-life of 108Ag from the graph is 144s.



Question 44.

A human body excretes (removes by waste discharge, sweating, etc.) certain materials by a law similar to radioactivity. If technetium is injected in some form in a human body, the body excretes half the amount in 24 hours. A patient is given an injection containing 99Tc. This isotope is radioactive with a half-life of 6 hours. The activity from the body just after the injection is 6 μCi. How much time will elapse before the activity falls to 3 μCi?


Answer:

Given, t1=24h and t2=6h.

As both reactions are occurring parallel,


So,



A˳= 6 μCi and A=3 μCi






Question 45.

A charged capacitor of capacitance C is discharged through a resistance R. A radioactive sample decays with an average-life τ. Find the value of R for which the ratio of the electrostatic field energy stored in the capacitor to the activity of the radioactive sample remains constant in time.


Answer:

Let charge at time t be Q and initial charge be q. Q is given by Q= q

And according to Law of Radioactivity,


A= A˳e-λt


So, =


(where C is the capacitance, R is the resistance, t is the time, q is the charge, λ is the decay constant)


As the ratio should be independent of time,



R=



Question 46.

Radioactive isotopes are produced in a nuclear physics experiment at a constant rate dN/dt = R. An inductor of inductance 100 mH, a resistor of resistance 100 Ω and a battery are connected to form a series circuit. The circuit is switched on at the instant the production of radioactive isotope starts. It is found that i/N remains constant in time where i is the current in the circuit at time t and N is the number of active nuclei at time t. Find the half-life of the isotope.


Answer:

Given, Resistance R= 100Ω

Inductance L= 100mH


Let initial current be i˳


After time t,


Current at time t is given by



(where R is the resistance, L is the inductance)


So,


As the ratio should be independent of time,






Question 47.

Calculate the energy released by 1g of natural uranium assuming 200 MeV is released in each fission event and that the fissionable isotope 235U has an abundance of 0.7% by weight in natural uranium.


Answer:

Given, 1g of sample contains 0.007g 235U

And 235g of 235U contains 6.023× 1023 atoms


0.007g contains × 0.007 atoms


1 atom releases 200MeV energy


So, total energy= Energy released per atom× total no. of atoms




Question 48.

A uranium reactor develops thermal energy at a rate of 300 KW. Calculate the amount of 235U being consumed every second. Average energy released per fission is 200 MeV.


Answer:

Let n atoms consume per sec.

Total energy released per sec= No. of atoms consumed per sec × Energy released per atom


J



n= 9.375× 1015


235g of 235U contains 6.023× 1023 atoms


9.375× 1015 atoms are present in = 3.65× 10-6g



Question 49.

A town has a population of 1 million. The average electric power needed per person is 300W. A reactor is to be designed to supply power to this town. The efficiency with which thermal power is converted into electric power is aimed at 25%.

(a) Assuming 200 MeV of thermal energy to come from each fission event on an average, find the number of events that should take place every day.

(b) Assuming the fission to take place largely through 235U, at what rate will the amount of 235U decrease? Express your answer in kg per day.

(c) Assuming that uranium enriched to 3% in 235U will be used, how much uranium is needed per month (30 days)?


Answer:

(a) Energy radiated per fission


Usable energy or efficient energy per fission


Total energy needed


No. of fission per sec


No. of fissions per day


(b) No. of atoms disintegrated per day


235g of 235U contains 6.023× 1023 atoms


324×1022 contains


(c) 235U needed= 1.264kg/day that is 3% of uranium sample.


So, uranium needed per day


Uranium needed per month



Question 50.

Calculate the Q-values of the following fusion reactions:

(a)

(b)

(c)

Atomic masses are = 2.014102 u, = 3.016049 u, = 3.016029 u, = 4.002603 u.


Answer:

(a)

Q value




(b)


Q value




(c)


Q value





Question 51.

Consider the fusion in helium plasma. Find the temperature at which the average thermal energy 1.5 kT equals the Coulomb potential energy at 2 fm.


Answer:

According to electrostatic potential energy,

(where k is 9 × 109 N m2 C-2, r is the distance, Z is the charge)







Question 52.

Calculate the Q-value of the fusion reaction

4He + 4He = 8Be.

Is such a fusion energetically favorable? Atomic mass of 8Be is 8.0053 u and that of 4He is 4.0026 u.


Answer:

4He + 4He = 8Be.

Q value= [2m(4He)- m(8Be)]u


= [2×4.0026 – 8.0053] × 931MeV


=-93.1KeV


Negative sign indicates that the energy has to be provided to proceed this reaction. So, this fusion is not favorable.



Question 53.

Calculate the energy that can be obtained from 1 kg of water through the fusion reaction

2H + 2H →3H + p.

Assume that 1.5 × 10–2% of natural water is heavy water D2O (by number of molecules) and all the deuterium is used for fusion.


Answer:

Given, 18g of molecules contain 6.023× 1023atoms

1kg of molecules contain atoms


% of deuterium atoms=No. of atoms in 1kg of water× % of deuterium



Energy of deuterium



= 1507mJ