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HL - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

25 MCQ from 2025 Question Bank Nuclear & Quantum Physics (all topics)

DP IB HL Physics Quiz

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1. A star with a mass of twice the mass of the sun is a main sequence star. The time the sun is expected to spend in the main sequence is . Which of the following is correct for the time the star is expected to spend in the main sequence and the next stage in its evolution?

Time Stage
A. More than T Red giant
B. More than T Supergiant
C. Less than T Red giant
D. Less than T Supergiant

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2. A main sequence star has a mass greater than 4 times the mass of the Sun. Which of the following is correct about the possible the fate of the star?

I. White dwarf
II. Neutron star
III. Black hole

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3.

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4. A stationary nucleus of uranium-238 undergoes alpha decay to form thorium-234. The initial speed of the alpha particle is . What is correct about the magnitude of the thorium-234 velocity and its direction?

Magnitude Direction
A. 4v/234 Same as the alpha particle
B. 234v/238 Opposite to the alpha particle
C. 234v/238 Same as the alpha particle
D. 4v/234 Opposite to the alpha particle

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5. A nuclear reactor converts nuclear energy into electrical energy. Which of the following reactions best describes the primary nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor?

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6.

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7. In the core of a star, a proton-proton chain reaction takes place.

After the initial stage of the reaction, two positrons annihilate with electrons present in the surroundings. Which of the following correctly shows the nature of the chain reaction and the energy released due to annihilation?

Nature of the chain reaction Energy released
A. Fusion (2)(0.511)MeV
B. Fusion (4)(0.511)MeV
C. Fission (2)(0.511)MeV
D. Fission (4)(0.511)MeV

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8. The electron in the ground state of a hydrogen atom absorbs a certain amount of energy. The diagram shows some of the energy levels of the hydrogen atom. At which state would the electron be if it absorbs 12.09  of energy?

PH0341

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9. An element  is bombarded with alpha particles and a new element  is formed with a neutron emitted. The following equation can be written for the nuclear reaction.

PH0234

The atomic numbers of  and  are  and  respectively. Which of the following is correct for  and ?

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10. Alpha particles of kinetic energy  are fired at nuclei of proton number .

The number of particles scattered at different angles are in agreement with the prediction of Rutherford's scattering model.

Which of the following changes to the values of  and  will result in a significant deviation from Rutherford's model?

Value of   Value of 
A. Decrease Increase
B. Decrease Decrease
C. Increase Increase
D. Increase Decrease

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11. Which of the following correctly states the conclusion drawn from the Rutherford-Geiger-Marsden experiment?

 

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12. During experiments observing beta decays, it was seen that the energy spectrum of the beta particles is continuous and momentum conservation was violated in beta decays. This provided evidence for the existence of:

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13. Which value below gives the closest approximation for the diameter of a uranium-238 nucleus?

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14. The nucleon numbers of elements X and  are  and  respectively. Their radii are  and , and their densities are  and .

Which of the following shows the correct values of the ratios RY/RX and ρY/ρX?

RY/RX ρY/ρX
A.  2  1
B. 8 2
C. 2 2
D. 8 1

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15. No electrons are emitted when metal plate  is irradiated by an electromagnetic radiation of wavelength , and intensity . Which of the following could result in emission of photoelectrons?

I. Decreasing the wavelength λ of incident light.
II. Increasing the intensity of electromagnetic radiation at the same wavelength.
III. Replacing metal X, with a metal of smaller threshold frequency.

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16. The activity of a 100% pure radioactive sample is . The activity of the sample after 20% of nuclei have decayed is:

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17. Which of the following physical quantities has the same SI unit as the radioactive decay constant?

 

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18. In a nuclear reactor, what is the name given to the material used to slow down neutrons in order to cause successful fissions?

 

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19. In the absence of the strong nuclear force, a large nucleus would be even more unstable than a small nucleus. Which one of the following is the best explanation?

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20. The diagram shows atomic energy levels of an element, and wavelengths are labeled corresponding to emission for electron transition between certain energy levels.

PH0299

Which of the following shows these wavelengths in decreasing order?

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21. Light from a sodium lamp of wavelength is directed towards a metal surface and electrons until a stopping potential of  is applied. The wavelength of the incident light is halved. Which of the following corresponds to the new value of the required stopping potential?

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22. The graph below shows the graph of the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons against incident frequency () plotted by a student investigating the work function for a particular metal.

PH0110

Which of the following can be used by the student to get an approximate value for the work function of the metal in question?

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23. Which statement describes a possible nuclear fusion reaction?

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24. The diagram below shows the graph of binding energy per nucleon vs. the mass (nucleon) number of some elements.

PH0332

Which is the most stable nucleus?

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25. Which of the following is correct about a red giant star?

I. The orbits of the inner planets of the solar system and could fit into the volume of it
II. Cooler than the Sun
III. Have higher luminosity than the Sun

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