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RADIOACTIVITY
▢ Radioactivity:
❖ Definition: Spontaneous disintegration of unstable nucleus with emission of radioactive radiations
❖ Nature: Nuclear process, not atomic process
❖ Order: First order reaction
❖ Important Points:
- •Discovered by Becquerel
- •Radioactivity is spontaneous and random
- •Independent of external physical and chemical conditions
- •Fusion is not mode of radioactive decay
- •Radioactive substance decays exponentially
- •Lead is heaviest stable nucleus
▢ Types of Radioactive Radiations:
Table 1: Alpha, Beta and Gamma Rays
Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Nature | Helium nucleus | Fast electron / positron | Electromagnetic photon |
Symbol | |||
Charge | +2e | -e / +e | 0 |
Mass | 4 amu | Nearly zero compared to alpha | 0 |
Ionising power | Maximum | Medium | Minimum |
Penetrating power | Minimum | Medium | Maximum |
Magnetic deflection | Least | Maximum | No deflection |
Spectrum | Line spectrum | Continuous spectrum | Line spectrum |
❖ Order:
◉ Ionising Power:
◉ Penetrating Power:
◉ Magnetic Deflection:
▢ Radioactive Displacement Law:
❖ Discovered By: Soddy and Fajans, 1913
Table 1: Displacement Laws
Emission | Mass number change | Atomic number change | Periodic table shift |
|---|---|---|---|
Two places left | |||
No change | One place right | ||
No change | No change | No displacement |
❖ Equations:
- •
- •
- •
▢ Radioactive Series:
Table 1: Natural Radioactive Series
Series | Mass number type | Parent nucleus | Stable end product | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thorium | 6 | 4 | |||
Neptunium | 7 | 3 | |||
Uranium | 8 | 6 | |||
Actinium | 7 | 4 |
▢ Decay Law:
❖ Statement: Rate of disintegration at any instant is directly proportional to number of undecayed nuclei present
Table 1: Radioactive Decay Formulae
Quantity | Formula |
|---|---|
Decay rate | |
Activity | |
Number left | |
Fraction left | |
Fraction decayed |
❖ Graph: Decay curve is exponential
▢ Decay Constant:
❖ Symbol:
❖ Meaning: Probability of decay per unit time
Table 1: Decay Constant Relations
Relation | Formula |
|---|---|
Activity | |
Half-life relation | |
Mean life relation | |
Half-life | |
Mean life |
❖ Depends On: Nature of radioactive substance
❖ Independent Of: Temperature, pressure, physical state and chemical state
▢ Half Life and Mean Life:
Table 1: Half Life and Mean Life
Quantity | Meaning / Formula |
|---|---|
Time in which 50% of original atoms decay | |
Average life of radioactive atoms | |
Mean life relation | |
Mean life comparison | Mean life > half-life |
Number of half-lives | |
Mass left | |
Activity left |
▢ Radioactive Equilibrium:
❖ Condition: Activity of parent nuclide equals activity of daughter nuclide
❖ Formula:
❖ Relation:
❖ Equivalent:
▢ Simultaneous Decay:
❖ Condition:
Table 1: Effective Decay Constant and Half-Life
Quantity | Formula |
|---|---|
Effective decay constant | |
Using half-life | |
Effective half-life | |
Result |
▢ Activity Units:
Table 1: Radioactivity Units
Unit | Value |
|---|---|
Becquerel | 1 disintegration per second |
Curie | |
Rutherford | |
1 Curie |
▢ Uses of Radioisotopes:
Table 1: Radioisotope Uses
Radioisotope | Use |
|---|---|
Determination of age of fossils and plants | |
Treatment of cancer | |
Treatment of thyroid gland | |
Detection/remedy of blood circulation defects |
▢ Nuclear Stability:
Table 1: Stability Rules
Condition | Result |
|---|---|
Stable light nuclei | |
Radioactive / unstable nuclei | |
Most stable elements | Even protons and even neutrons |
❖ Lead: Heaviest stable nucleus
▢ Alpha Decay:
❖ Definition: Emission of helium nucleus from radioactive nucleus
❖ Equation:
Table 1: Alpha Decay Effects
Quantity | Change |
|---|---|
Mass number | Decreases by 4 |
Atomic number | Decreases by 2 |
Periodic table | Two places left |
Product type | Isodiaphers |
Explanation | Tunnel effect |
❖ Energy Distribution:
◉ Daughter Energy:
◉ Alpha Particle Energy:
▢ Beta Decay:
❖ Beta Minus:
❖ Beta Plus:
Table 1: Beta Decay Effects
Emission | Mass number | Atomic number | Product |
|---|---|---|---|
No change | Increases by 1 | Isobar | |
No change | Decreases by 1 | Isobar |
❖ Important Points:
- •
- •
- •
▢ Gamma Decay:
❖ Definition: Emission of high-energy electromagnetic photon from excited nucleus
Table 1: Gamma Decay
Feature | Answer |
|---|---|
Mass number | No change |
Atomic number | No change |
Energy of nucleus | Decreases |
Product | Isomer |
Direct production | Generally not direct; follows alpha or beta decay |
Spectrum | Line spectrum |
▢ Geiger Muller Counter:
❖ Also Called: GM counter
❖ Use: Measures/detects radioactivity
❖ Detects:
- •
- •
▢ Cloud Chamber:
❖ Use: Detecting radioactive radiation and determining path, range and energy
▢ Penetrating and Ionising Power:
Table 1: Power Relations
Quantity | Relation |
|---|---|
Ionising power | Directly proportional to mass and energy |
Penetrating power | |
Penetrating order | |
Ionising order |
▢ Nuclear Reactions and Fission:
❖ Fission: Splitting of heavy nucleus into lighter nuclei with release of large energy
Table 1: Fission Facts
Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
About 200 MeV | |
Best nuclear fuel | |
Mass-energy relation | |
▢ Read and Digest:
❖ _*table:
▢ Objective Answer Key:
❖ _*table:
▢ High-Yield Recall:
Table 1: Radioactivity One-Liners
Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
Radioactivity | Spontaneous nuclear disintegration |
Radioactivity order | First order |
Decay law | |
Activity | |
Half-life | |
Mean life | |
Curie | |
Rutherford | |
Alpha particle | |
Alpha decay | |
Beta minus decay | |
Gamma decay | |
Penetrating power | |
Ionising power | |
Most deflected | |
Least penetrating | |
Most penetrating | |
GM counter | Measures radioactivity |
Cloud chamber | Detects path/range/energy of radiations |
C-14 | Age of fossils and plants |
Co-60 | Cancer treatment |
I-131 | Thyroid treatment |
Na-24 | Blood circulation defect |
Alpha decay product | Isodiapher |
Beta decay product | Isobar |
Gamma decay product | Isomer |
About 200 MeV per atom | |
Mass-energy |
Q1.
During alpha emission, which statement about kinetic energy is true?
📅CEE MBBS 2025
Q2.
A sample with half life 2 hr is 64 times stronger than the safe amount. After how much time, it is safe to work with this sample?
📅CEE Nursing 2024
Q3.
Half life of C-14 isotope is:
📅CEE Nursing 2024
Q4.
In a radioactive disintegration, if mother nuclei ᶻXᴬ undergoes β⁺ decay, then daughter nuclei will be:
📅CEE Nursing 2024
Q5.
Radioactive disintegration is an example of:
📅CEE Nursing 2024
Q6.
📅CEE MBBS 2024B
Q7.
Penetrating power is maximum for:
📅CEE MBBS 2024B
Q8.
During gamma emission:
📅CEE MBBS 2024B
Q9.
In a radioactive disintegration, if the mother nucleus ᴬ_ZX undergoes β⁺ decay, then the daughter nucleus will be:
📅CEE MBBS 2024a
Q10.
When β-decay of an atom occurs, the parent and daughter elements are:
📅CEE MBBS 2022
Q11.
Half-life of carbon-14 is:
📅CEE MBBS 2022
Q12.
Half-life of a radioactive substance is 15 years. What fraction is decayed in 30 years?
📅CEE MBBS 2022
Q13.
Radioactivity of one disintegration per second is equivalentnt to:
📅CEE MBBS 2021
Q14.
Wilson cloud chamber is used for:
📅CEE MBBS 2021
Q15.
Which one is a radioactive element?
📅CEE BDS 2024
Q16.
Number of beta particles released from ⁹⁰Th²³² → ⁸²Pb²⁰⁸ + β is:
📅CEE BDS 2024
Q17.
If the radioactive substance decomposes to 25% and half life of the radioactive substance is 4 years, then what is the total time in which it decomposes to 25%?
📅CEE BDS 2024
Q18.
Which of the following has lowest penetrating power?
📅CEE BDS 2024
Q19.
Which has most penetrating power?
📅CEE BDS 2021
Q20.
The mass of a radioactive salt of half life 2 days is 10 gm. What amount of the salt will be left after 10 days?
📅CEE BDS 2021
Q21.
Approximately what fraction of the initial rest mass is converted into energy in a typical heavy-nucleus fission event?
📅IOM 2011
Q22.
📅IOM 2011
Q23.
Thorium (Atomic mass 232 and atomic no-90) is converted to lead (Atomic mass-208 & atomic no-82) then no. of α & β particles emitted is
📅IOM 2009
Q24.
75% of substance decays in 32 min, then 50% decays in
📅IOM 2009
Q25.
The half life of a radioactive substance is 2 months then the amount of substance left after 1 year is
📅IOM 2009
Q26.
Two protons and one deuteron fuse to form a nucleus, a positron and an electron neutrino. The product nucleus is:
📅MOE 2013
Q27.
📅MOE 2012
Q28.
Energy released by the fission of 1kg of U-235 is approx
📅MOE 2012
Q29.
A nucleus with mass number 220 initially at rest emits an α-particle. If Q-value of the reaction is 5.5 MeV, K.E. of an α particle is
📅MOE 2012
Q30.
📅MOE 2063
Q31.
📅MOE 2010
Q32.
Initial mass of a radioactive sample of half-life 6 hours is 0.8kg. The amount of sample left after 1 day (24 hrs) is
📅MOE 2009
Q33.
If the half life of radioactive radium is 1600yrs. Then find the radium left after 4800 yrs
📅KU 2013/2016
Q34.
The half life of a radioactive substance is 20 min. Difference between the points of time when it is 33% disintegrated and 67% disintegrated is approximately
📅KU 2012
Q35.
A radioactive substance has a half life of one hour. The fraction of substance that would remain un-decayed in three hours will be:
📅KU 2011
Q36.
The rate of disintegration of radioactive substance at a certain instant of time is directly proportional to
📅KU 2010
Q37.
Half life of radioactive substance is 10yrs and time taken for 99.9% decay is
📅BP 2011
Q38.
What fraction of a radioactive substance of initial mass is left after 4 days if its half life time is 8 days?
📅BP 2012
Q39.
1 curie of radioactivity is equal to how many Rutherford's
📅BP 2013/2016
Q40.
A radioactive substance decays to 1/16th of initial activity in 2 hours. The half-life of the radioactive substance expressed in minute is
📅BP 2013
Q41.
The half life of radium is 1600 years. When will the 100gm of the substance reduces to 25gm?
📅I.E. 2012
Q42.
📅I.E. 2010
Q43.
📅I.E. 2011
Q44.
A radioactive substance has a half life of 5 minutes. The amount of substance decayed in 20 minutes is
📅J.E. 2011
Q45.
📅MOE 2014
Q46.
📅MOE
Q47.
Q48.
The fraction of the radioactive substances decayed in a time equal to the average life is
Q49.
What percentage of original radioactive atoms is left after four half lives
Q50.
A radioactive sample is 33% decayed at one instant and 67% decayed at a later instant. Its half-life is 2 minutes. What is the time between these instants?
Q51.
The mass number of a nucleus is
Q52.
Q53.
75% of substance decay in 32 min, then 50% decay in
📅IOM
Q54.
One Curie is the activity of 1 gram of
Q55.
Q56.
📅IOM
Q57.
Q58.
A radioactive element has a half-life of 7 years. Approximately what fraction of the original nuclei remains after 150 years?
📅BPKIHS
Q59.
A radioactive source had decayed to 1/64 of its initial activity in 60 days. The half life of source is
Q60.
N-atoms of a radioactive substance emits n α-particles/sec on decaying. The half life of the radioactive substance is
Q61.
One end A of a conducting wire gains positive charge while its other end B gains negative charge. What is the direction of conventional current during charge redistribution?
Q62.
A radioactive source has a half life of 3hr. A freshly prepared sample of the same emits radiation 16 times the permissible safe value. The minimum time after which it would be possible work safely with source is
Q63.
A radioactive isotope has a half life of T yr. After how much time is its activity reduced to 6.25% of its original activity?
Q64.
Compared with an ordinary photoelectron, the magnitude of the charge-to-rest-mass ratio of an emitted beta-minus particle is:
Q65.
There are two radioactive nuclei A and B. A is an alpha emitter and B is a beta emitter. Their disintegration constant is in the ratio of 1:2. What should be the ratio of number of atoms of A and B at any time so that probabilities of getting alpha and beta particle are same at that instance.
Q66.
A sample contains 16 gm of a radioactive material, the half life of which is two days. After 32 days, the amount of radioactive material left in the sample is
Q67.
At a certain instant two radioactive substances have amounts in the ratio 2:1 and half-lives 12 hours and 16 hours, respectively. What is the ratio of their amounts after 48 hours?
Q68.
The half life of a radioactive substance is 6 h. After 24 h, its activity is 0.01 μCi. What was its initial activity?
Q69.
In a sample of radioactive material, what fraction of initial number of active nuclei will remain undisintegrated after half of a half life of the sample
Q70.
Two radioactive sources A and B of half live 1 hr and 2 hr respectively initially contain the same number of radioactive atoms. At the end of two hr, their rates of disintegration are in the ratio of
Q71.
The half life of a radioactive substance is 30 days what is the time taken for 3/4 of original mass to disintegrate
Q72.
Initial mass of a radioactive sample of half-life 6 hours is 0.8kg. The amount of the sample left after 1 day (24 hours) is
📅MOE 2009
Q73.
If the half life of a radioactive specimen is 1600 years. Then find the specimen left after 6400 years.
📅KU 2010
Q74.
📅Bangladesh 09
Q75.
The mass of a radioactive salt of half life 2 days is 10 gm. What amount of the salt will be left after 10 days?
📅IOM 05
Q76.
A radioactive sample has half-life of 5 days. What time is taken by 7/8 of the sample to decay.
📅MOE 066
Q77.
Which of the following does not belong to the electromagnetic spectrum
📅MOE 2063
Q78.
50% of a radioactive substance decomposes in 5 years. What is the time for the 99.9% decomposition?
📅MOE 2062/10M
Q79.
In most stable elements the number of proton and neutron is
📅MOE 2062
Q80.
What is the average life of a radioactive substance having half-life period of 1600 years
📅MOE 2053
Q81.
The % of radioactivity remained after 5 half-life time periods is:
📅MOE
Q82.
📅IE-01
Q83.
A nuclei having maximum number of neutrons emits
📅IE-02
Q84.
📅IE-06
Q85.
📅IE-07
Q86.
A nucleus with an excess of neutrons may decay radioactivity with the emission of:
📅IE-07
Q87.
Naturally occurring radioactive atoms can spontaneously emit:
📅IE-07
Q88.
📅BPKIHS-09
Q89.
📅BPKIHS 02
Q90.
Which of the following is the best nuclear fuel?
📅BPKIHS-07
Q91.
A radioactive source has decayed to 1/64th after 60 days. The half life of the source is:
📅BPKIHS 05
Q92.
One sixteenth of the initial amount of radioactive isotope remains undecayed after two hours. The half life of isotope is
📅BPKIHS-06
Q93.
Which listed type can include particles with exceptionally high individual energies, often exceeding energies of typical X-rays or gamma rays?
📅BPKIHS-06
Q94.
For an isolated radioactive sample, the activity as a function of time:
📅BPKIHS-97
Q95.
Maximum ionization is exhibited by which rays
📅BPKIHS 98/IOM
Q96.
Q97.
Q98.
Q99.
Q100.
Q101.
Q102.
Q103.
Q104.
At time t = 0, activity of radioactive substance is 1600 Bq and becomes 100 Bq at 8 sec. Then the activity of the substance at 2 sec is
Q105.
At time t = 0, number of atoms of radioactive substance is 100 and becomes 90 at 1s. Then number of atom left at 2s is
Q106.
If 200 MeV of energy is released in disintegration (fission) of 1 nucleus of Uranium. Then, how many nuclei must be disintegrated per sec to produce a power of 1KW.
Q107.
Percentage of atom disintegrated in 5 days is 10%. Then, the percentage of atom left after 20 days will be
📅BPKIHS/IOM/MOE
Q108.
A radioactive sample has a half-life of 2 hours and an initial activity 64 times the specified limit. How long until its activity first reaches that limit?
📅KU 2016