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SL - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

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

DP IB SL 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. Consider the following statements about nuclear binding energy:

The nuclear binding energy is:

  • I. proportional to the mass defect from nucleus formation.
  • II. the energy released when a nucleus is formed from its nucleons.
  • III. the energy required to remove a proton from the nucleus.

Which of the statements are correct?

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4. An electron in a hydrogen atom is excited from the ground state of n=1to the n=4 level. What is the total number of frequencies that can be observed from the emission spectrum as the electron returns to ground state?

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5. A 1.20  sample of a radioactive isotope decaying via beta decay with a half-life of 30 minutes is observed in a closed container in a laboratory. The decay results in a daughter nucleus that is also a solid. What is the approximate total mass measured after 90 minutes?

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6. Which of the following is incorrectly matches a component of a nuclear power plant with its function?

Component Function
A. Heat Exchanger Prevents overheating
B. Moderator Slows down electrons
C. Control rods Absorbs neutrons
D. Shielding Prevents any leakage of radiation

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7. 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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8. A source of radiation is near a magnetic field that is directed into the page. A sheet of paper is placed in the path of the radiation before it enters the magnetic field.

PH0357

The gamma radiation is not deflected when entering the magnetic field. Which of the following is correct about the other type of radiation that penetrates the paper sheet and the direction of its deflected path in the magnetic field?

Type of radiation Direction of deflected path
A. α Upwards
B. α Downwards
C. β^− Upwards
D. β^ Downwards

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9. Which of the following correctly shows the change in total binding energy per nucleon in nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?

 Nuclear fission  Nuclear fusion
A. increases increases
B. decreases increases
C. decreases decreases
D. increases decreases

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10. 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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11. A star with a mass similar to the Sun, a temperature hotter than the Sun, and a radius similar to the Earth would be found in which region of the usual Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

PH0713B

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12. 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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13. The parallax angles of Star A and Star B are 0.250 arcseconds and 0.500 arcseconds respectively. What is the shortest possible distance, in parsec, between Star A and Star B?

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14. Which of the following is correct for a stable star?

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15. Some of the energy levels of electrons of a mercury atom are as shown.

PH0233

Electrons and photons are incident on a mercury vapour causing energy level transitions. Emitted photons due to the transition of electrons between energy levels from the vapour have an energy of 4.9 eV.

Which of the following could be incident into mercury vapour?

I. An electron with an energy of 5.1eV
II. A photon with an energy of 4.9 eV
III. A photon with an energy of 5.1eV

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16. Which of the following is the most suitable method for managing nuclear waste?

 

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17. A student uses the arrangement shown below to ascertain the type of radiation emitted by a given sample of radioactive material.

PH0339

When the sheet of paper is in the position shown, a count rate of 720  is recorded. When she lowers the thick sheet of paper so as to obstruct the direct path between the source and the detector, the count rate drops to 18 . Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the data collected?

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18.

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19. A student investigates the scattering of alpha particles. Initially, she uses a gold foil (Z = 79) and next she repeats the experiment using an aluminum (Z = 13) foil of the same thickness. The scattered alpha particles are observed on a detector that fluoresces.
Which of the following will be true as she switches from the gold foil to the aluminum foil?
I. The alpha particles deflect more from the gold nucleus than the aluminum.
II. The alpha particles approach the gold nucleus closer than the aluminum nucleus.
III. There is no change in the observed scattering pattern.

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20. In a nuclear fission reaction, a nucleus of element  absorbs a neutron and decays into a nucleus of element  and a nucleus of element .

X+n→Y+Z+2n

Which of the following statements are true about the binding energies are likely true:

  • I. Binding energy per nucleon of Y is greater than the binding energy per nucleon of .
  • II. Total binding energy of  and Z is less than the total binding energy of .
  • III. Total binding energy of  and  is greater than the total binding energy of .
  • IV. Binding energy per nucleon of  is less than the binding energy per nucleon of .

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21.

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22. The activity of a 100% pure radioactive sample is 10^6 Bq. The activity of the sample after 20% of nuclei have decayed is:

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

 

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24. The luminosity of the Sun is . A main sequence star with twice the radius of the sun and twice the temperature of the sun has a luminosity of . What is the ratio of L/L⊙?

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25. Some regions on the H-R diagram are labelled.

PH0718

A main sequence star with a mass of three times the Sun will evolve through a series of stages. Which of the following sequences of stages could correctly represent the path of the evolution of this star?

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