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Figure 8 shows the symbol for the nucleus of an atom of strontium-90 - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 5 - 2020 - Paper 1

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Figure 8 shows the symbol for the nucleus of an atom of strontium-90. (i) How many protons are in the nucleus of an atom of strontium-90? ☐ A 38 ☐ B 52 ☐ C 90 ☐ D ... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Figure 8 shows the symbol for the nucleus of an atom of strontium-90 - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 5 - 2020 - Paper 1

Step 1

How many protons are in the nucleus of an atom of strontium-90?

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Answer

Strontium (Sr) has an atomic number of 38, which indicates that it has 38 protons in its nucleus. Therefore, the answer is 38.

Step 2

How many neutrons are in the nucleus of an atom of strontium-90?

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Answer

To calculate the number of neutrons, use the formula:

Number of neutrons=Mass numberAtomic number\text{Number of neutrons} = \text{Mass number} - \text{Atomic number}

For strontium-90:

Number of neutrons=9038=52\text{Number of neutrons} = 90 - 38 = 52

Thus, there are 52 neutrons in the nucleus.

Step 3

Complete the table in Figure 9.

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Answer

In 29 years, the mass of strontium-90 decreases from 1600 g to 400 g. This suggests that the mass halves every 29 years (the half-life). Completing the table, we have:

mass of strontium-90 in gtime in years
16000
80029
40058

Step 4

State the scientific name for the radioactivity detector shown in Figure 10.

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Answer

The scientific name for the radioactivity detector is 'Geiger-Müller counter'.

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