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9702 · 11.1

Atoms, nuclei and radiation — practice questions

Practice and worked examples for 9702 Atoms, nuclei and radiation. Short previews only — attempt the full question in MarkScheme against the official scheme.

Worked example 1

Calculate the specific charge of a proton, given its charge is 1.60×10−19 C1.60 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C} and its mass is 1.67×10−27 kg1.67 \times 10^{-27} \text{ kg}.

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  1. Recall the formula: Specific Charge = Charge / Mass.
  2. Substitute the given values: Specific Charge = (1.60×10−19 C)/(1.67×10−27 kg)(1.60 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}) / (1.67 \times 10^{-27} \text{ kg}).
  3. Perform the calculation: Specific Charge ≈9.58×107 C kg−1\approx 9.58 \times 10^7 \text{ C kg}^{-1}.

Worked example 2

A nucleus of Carbon-14 (614C^{14}_6C) has a mass of approximately 2.325×10−262.325 \times 10^{-26} kg. Calculate its specific charge. (The elementary charge, e, is 1.60×10−191.60 \times 10^{-19} C).

Show solution outline
  1. Identify the charge: The proton number (Z) for Carbon (614C^{14}_6C) is 6. The nucleus contains 6 protons. The total charge is the number of protons multiplied by the elementary charge: Charge = 6×(1.60×10−19 C)=9.60×10−19 C6 \times (1.60 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}) = 9.60 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}.
  2. Recall the formula: Specific Charge = Charge / Mass.
  3. Substitute and calculate: Specific Charge = (9.60×10−19 C)/(2.325×10−26 kg)(9.60 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}) / (2.325 \times 10^{-26} \text{ kg}).
  4. Final Answer: Specific Charge ≈4.13×107 C kg−1\approx 4.13 \times 10^7 \text{ C kg}^{-1}.
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