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Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 2 - 2019 - Paper 1

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Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon. Nuclei of carbon-13 and carbon-14 can be represented by these symbols \(^{13}_{6}C\) and \(^{14}_{6}C\) Complete th... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon - Edexcel - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 2 - 2019 - Paper 1

Step 1

Complete the table for carbon-13

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Answer

For carbon-13:

  • Number of neutrons in the nucleus = 7 (The atomic mass is 13, and carbon has an atomic number of 6; therefore, neutrons = 13 - 6 = 7).
  • Number of electrons in orbit around the nucleus = 6 (A neutral atom has equal numbers of protons and electrons).

Step 2

Complete the table for carbon-14

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Answer

For carbon-14:

  • Number of neutrons in the nucleus = 8 (The atomic mass is 14; therefore, neutrons = 14 - 6 = 8).
  • Number of electrons in orbit around the nucleus = 6.

Step 3

State the name of an instrument that can be used to measure radioactivity.

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Answer

The instrument that can be used to measure radioactivity is a Geiger (Müller) counter.

Step 4

State two sources of background radiation.

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Answer

  1. Cosmic rays from outer space.
  2. Natural sources, such as rocks or nuclear power stations.

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