Name: Date: Nuclear Physics 3. A student suggests that the following transformation may take place. Measurement of rest masses shows that 7 7 N+ He 8 O+ total rest mass( N 7 + He ) < total rest mass( O 8 + p ) The student concludes that the reaction will A. take place if the helium nucleus has sufficient kinetic energy. B. always take place and the proton will be emitted with kinetic energy. C. always take place but the proton will have zero kinetic energy. p 7 D. never take place because there is no mass defect. (). In a laboratory when aluminium nuclei are bombarded with α-particles, the following reaction may take place. 7 30 He + 3Al 5P + 0 n This reaction is an example of A. nuclear fission. B. nuclear fusion. C. natural radioactive decay. D. artificial transmutation. ()
3. The source of the Sun s energy is A. fission. B. radioactivity. C. fusion. D. ionization. (). The graph below illustrates the variation with nucleon number (mass number) N of the binding energy per nucleon E of nuclei. Which of the labelled nuclei is the most stable? E C B D A N ()
5. The equation of a nuclear reaction is shown below. 3 H + H He + 0 n The reaction is an example of A. artificial transmutation. B. fission. C. natural radioactivity. D. fusion. () 6. This question is about nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. (a) Compare the processes of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. () (b) A nuclear fusion reaction that is being investigated for the production of power is H + 3 H He + 0 n + (.8 0 J) where the energy liberated in each reaction is Determine the rate, in kg s, of production of 00 MW..8 0 J He required for a power output of (Total 6 marks) 3
7. This question is about nuclear binding energy. (a) Define nuclear binding energy. () The axes below show values of nucleon number A (horizontal axis) and average binding energy per nucleon E (vertical axis). (Binding energy is taken to be a positive quantity). E / MeV 9 8 7 6 5 3 0 0 5 50 75 00 5 50 75 00 5 50 A (b) Mark on the E axis opposite, the approximate position of 56 (i) the isotope Fe (label this F). 6 (ii) the isotope H (label this H). 38 (iii) the isotope U (label this U). 9 () () () (c) Using the grid opposite, draw a graph to show the variation with nucleon number A of the average binding energy per nucleon E.
3 (d) Use the following data to deduce that the binding energy per nucleon of the isotope He is. MeV. nuclear mass of mass of proton mass of neutron 3 He = 3.0603 u =.0078 u =.00867 u (3) In the nuclear reaction H + H 3 He + n energy is released. 0 (e) (i) State the name of this type of reaction.... () (ii) Use your graph in (e) to explain why energy is released in this reaction.......... (Total marks) 8. This question is about momentum and the kinematics of a proposed journey to Jupiter. (a) State the law of conservation of momentum. 5
A solar propulsion engine uses solar power to ionize atoms of xenon and to accelerate them. As a result of the acceleration process, the ions are ejected from the spaceship with a speed of 3.0 0 m s. xenon ions speed = 3.0 0 m s spaceship mass = 5. 0 kg (b) The mass (nucleon) number of the xenon used is 3. Deduce that the mass of one ion of xenon is. 0 5 kg. (c) The original mass of the fuel is 8 kg. Deduce that, if the engine ejects 77 0 8 xenon ions every second, the fuel will last for.5 years. ( year = 3. 0 7 s) (d) The mass of the spaceship is 5. 0 kg. Deduce that the initial acceleration of the spaceship is 8. 0 5 m s. (5) The graph below shows the variation with time t of the acceleration a of the spaceship. The 6
solar propulsion engine is switched on at time t = 0 when the speed of the spaceship is. 03 m s. 0.0 9.5 5 a / 0 m s 9.0 8.5 8.0 0.0.0.0 3.0.0 5.0 6.0 7 t / 0 s (e) Explain why the acceleration of the spaceship is increasing with time. (f) Using data from the graph, calculate the speed of the spaceship at the time when the xenon fuel has all been used. () (g) The distance of the spaceship from Earth when the solar propulsion engine is switched on is very small compared to the distance from Earth to Jupiter. The fuel runs out when the 7
spaceship is a distance of.7 0 m from Jupiter. Estimate the total time that it would take the spaceship to travel from Earth to Jupiter. (Total 9 marks) 8