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

 

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

 

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4. 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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5. 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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6. 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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7. Which of the following radioactive decays can cause the production of a daughter nucleus to be a different element than the parent nucleus?

I. α decay
II. β decay
III. γ decay

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8. Estimate the speed of an alpha particle that has accelerated from rest in a uniform electric field E=50 N C^−1 over a distance of 2.0 m

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9.

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10. 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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11. 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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12. 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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13. In the design of a nuclear fission reactor, which of the following statements are true?

I. Control rods can increase the rate of fission when inserted into the reactor
II. The moderator blocks neutrons to ensure the chain reaction is controlled
III. Enrichment of uranium increases the probability of a chain reaction taking place

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14. The nuclear energy levels of a nucleus are shown below. K, L, and M are transitions between energy levels.

PH0456

Which statements are correct about photons emitted during transitions K, L, and M?

I. The wavelength of the photon emitted by transition K is greater than the wavelength of the photon emitted by transition L.
II. The frequency of the photon emitted by transition K is equal to the frequency of the photon emitted by transition M.
III. The wavelength of the photon emitted by transition L is greater than the wavelength of the photon emitted by transition M.

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15. 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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16.

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17. 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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18. 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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19. 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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20. 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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21. Which of the following is correct for a stable star?

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22. 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. [234/238]v Opposite to the alpha particle
C. [234/238]v Same as the alpha particle
D. [4/234] Opposite to the alpha particle

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23. Which statement describes a possible nuclear fusion reaction?

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24. 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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25. 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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