Page # 18 MODERN PHYSICS - 2

Exercise - III (Subjective Problems)

Nuclear Physics The atomic masses needed are as follows :

19O 19F
1. Calculate the mass of an -particle. Its binding
energy is 28.2 MeV. 19.003576 u 18.998403 u
25Al 25Mg
2. Find the binding of 5260Fe. Atomic mass of 56Fe
24.990432 u 24.985839 u
is 55.9349 u and that of 1H is 1.00783 u. Mass of
neutron = 1.00867 u. 10. Find the maximum energy that a beta particle
can have in the following decay
3. Find the kinetic energy of the -particle
emitted in the decay 238Pu  234U + . The
176Lu 176Hf + e + v
atomic masses needed are as follows: Atomic mass of 176Lu is 175.942694 u and that
238Pu 234U 4H of 176Hf is 175.941420 u.
238.04955 u 234.04095 u 4.002603 u 11. Consider the beta decay
Neglect any recoil of the residual nucleus. 198Au 196Hg* +  – + v
4. How much energy is released in the following where 198Hg* represents a mercury nucleus in
reaction ? an excited state at energy 1.088 MeV above the
7Li + p  + 
ground state. What can be the maximum kinetic
Atomic mass of 7Li = 7.0160 u and that of 4He =
energy of the electron emitted ? The atomic mass
4.0026 u.
of 198Au is 197.968233 u and that of 198Hg is
5. 32P beta-decays to 32S. Find the sum of the 197.966760 u.
energy of the antineutrino and the kinetic energy
of the -particle. Neglect the recoil of the daughter 12. A uranium reactor develops thermal energy
nucleus. Atomic mass of 32P = 31.974 u and that at a rate of 300 MW. Calculate the amount of
235U being consumed every second. Average
of 32S = 31.972 u.
energy released per fission is 200 MeV.
6. Potassium- 40 can decay in three modes. It
can decay by  – -emission,  + -emission or 13. Calculate the Q-value of the fusion reaction
4He + 4He = 8Be.
electron capture. (a) Write the equations
showing the end products. (b) Find the Q-values Is such a fusion energetically favourable ? Atomic
in each of the three cases. Atomic masses of mass of 8Be is 8.0053 u and that of 4He is 4.0026 u.
40 40 40
18 Ar, 19 K and 20 C are 39.9624 u, 39.9640 u and 14. The binding energies per nucleon for deuteron
39.9626 u respectively. (1H2) and helium (2He4) are 1.1 MeV and 7.0 MeV
respectively. The energy released when two
7. 228Th emits an alpha particle to reduce to deuterons fuse to form a helium nucleus (2He4) is
224Ra. Calculate the kinetic energy of the alpha ____________.
particle emitted in the following decay. 15. Suppose that the Sun consists entirely of
228Th  224Ra* + 
hydrogen atom and releases the energy by the
224Ra*  224Ra + (217 keV).
nuclear reaction, 411H  42 He with 26 MeV of
Atomic mass of 228Th is 228.028726 u, that of
224Ra is 224.020196 u and that of 4He is 4.00260 energy released. If the total output power of the
2
u. Sun is assumed to remain constant at 3.9 × 1026
W, find the time it will take to burn all the
8. Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the hydrogen. Take the mass of the Sun as
beta particle emitted in the following decay 1.7 × 1030 kg.
scheme : 16. To positron is a fundamental particle with
12N  12C* + e+ + v
the same mass as that of the electron and with a
12C*  12C + (4.43 MeV)
charge equal to that of an electron but of opposite
The atomic mass of 12N is 12.018613 u. sign. When a positron and an electron collide,
they may annihilate each other. The energy
9. Calculate the Q-value in the following decays :
corresponding to their mass appears in two
(a) 19O  19F + e + v photons of equal energy. Find the wavelength of
(b) 25Al  25Mg + e+ + v the radiation emitted.

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 MODERN PHYSICS - 2 Page # 19

[Take: mass of electron = (0.5/C2)MeV and hC =

25. Radioactive 131I has a half-life of 8.0 days.
1.2 × 10–12 MeV.m where h is the Plank’s constant
A sample containing 131I has activity 20 µCi at t
and C is the velocity of light in air]
= 0. (a) What is its activity at t = 4.0 days ? (b)
17. When two deutrons (1H2) fuse to from a helium What is its decay constant at t = 4.0 days ?
nucleus 2He4, 23.6 MeV energy is released. Find
the binding energy of helium if it is 1.1 MeV for 26. The decay constant of 238U is 4.9 × 10–18
each nucleon of deutrim. s–1. (a) What is the average-life of 238U ? (b)
What is the half-life of 238U ? (c) By what factor
18. A + meson of negligible initial velocity decays
to a + (muon) and a neutrino. With what kinetic does the activity of a 238U sample decrease in 9
energy (in eV) does the muon move? (The rest × 109 years ?
mass of neutrino can be considered zero. The 27. Carbon (Z = 6) with mass number 11 decyas
rest mass of the + meson is 150 MeV and the to boron (Z = 5). (a) Is it a  +-decay or a  –
rest mass of the muon is 100 MeV.) Take neutrino decay ? (b) The half-life of the decay scheme is
to behave like a photon.
20.3 minutes. How much time will elapse before
Take = 2 = 1.41. a mixture of 90% carbon-11 and 10% born 11
19. Consider the following reaction; converts itself into a mixture of 10 % Carbon-11
2H + 2H = 4He + Q. and 90% Boron-11.
1 1 2
Mass of the deuterium atom = 2.0141u; Mass of 28. 238U decays to 206Pb with a half-life of 4.47
the helium atom = 4.0024 u × 109 y. This happens in a number of steps. Can
This is a nuclear _____ reaction in which the
you justify a single half-life for this chain of
energy Q is released is ______ MeV.
processes ? A sample of rock is found to contain
20. The activity of a radioactive sample falls from 2.00 mg of 238U and 0.600 mg of 206Pb. Assuming
600 s–1 to 500 s–1 in 40 minutes. Calculate its that all the lead has come from uranium. find the
half-life. life of the rock.
21. The number of 238U atoms in an ancient rock 29. Nuclei of radioactive element A are being
equals the number of 206Pb atoms. The half-life produced at a constant rate . The element has
of decay of 238U is 4.5 × 109 y. Estimate the a decay constant . At time t = 0, there are N0
age of the rock assuming that all the 206Pb atoms nuclei of the element.
are formed from the decay of 238U. (a) Calculate the number N of nuclie of A at time t.
(b) If  = 2N0, calculate the number of nuclei of
22. A radioactive decay counter is switched on A after one halflife of A & also the limiting value
at t = 0. A b - active sample is present near the of N as t .
counter. The counter registers the number of b -
particles emitted by the sample. The counter
registers 1 × 105 b - particles at t = 36 s and
1.11 × 105 b - particles at t = 108s. Find T1/2 of
this sample

40
23. An isotopes of Potassium 19 K has a half life
40
of 1.4 × 109 year and decays to Argon 18 Ar which
is stable.
(i) Write down the nuclear reaction representing
this decay.
(ii) A sample of rock taken from the moon contains
both potassium and argon in the ratio 1/7. Find
age of rock
24. At t = 0, a sample is placed in a reactor. An
unstable nuclide is produced at a constant rate R
in the sample by neutron absorption. This nuclide
 - decays with half life . Find the time required
to produce 80% of the equilibrium quantity of
this unstable nuclide.

394,50-Rajeev Gandhi Nagar Kota, Ph. No. : 93141-87482, 0744-2209671

IVRS No : 0744-2439051, 52,53, www. motioniitjee.com, [email protected]