AQA GCSE Physics Physics Paper 1 (Higher), November 2020: Question 5
10 marks · Standard Demand difficulty · Short Answer
Describe nuclear fission and fusion processes, name a nuclear fuel, and explain the advantages of radioactive waste with shorter half-lives.
Practise this questionQuestion
Question text
05 Radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is a man-made source of background
radiation.
05.1 Give one other man-made source of background radiation.
[1 mark]
Nuclear power stations use the energy released by nuclear fission to generate
electricity.
05.2 Give the name of one nuclear fuel.
[1 mark]
05.3 Nuclear fission releases energy.
Describe the process of nuclear fission inside a nuclear reactor.
[4 marks]
05.4 A new type of power station is being developed that will generate electricity using
nuclear fusion.
Explain how the process of nuclear fusion leads to the release of energy.
[2 marks]
05.5 Nuclear fusion power stations will produce radioactive waste. This waste will have a
much shorter half-life than the radioactive waste from a nuclear fission power station.
Explain the advantage of the radioactive waste having a shorter half-life.
[2 marks]
Mark scheme
Show the mark scheme
Question 5
AO /
Question Answers Extra information Mark
Spec. Ref.
05.1 Any one from: 1 AO1
• (medical) x-rays allow CT scans 4.4.3.1
• radiotherapy
• nuclear weapons (testing) allow nuclear fallout
• named nuclear disaster
eg Chernobyl / Fukushima /
Three Mile Island.
ignore radioactive / nuclear
waste
05.2 uranium / plutonium ignore any number given 1 AO1
4.4.4.1
allow thorium
05.3 neutron absorbed by a uranium 1 AO1
nucleus 4.4.4.1
nucleus splits into two parts allow an atom splits into two 1
parts if 1st marking point doesn’t
score
and (2 / 3) neutrons (are 1
released)
and gamma rays (are emitted) 1
05.4 lighter nuclei join to form heavier allow specific examples 1 AO1
nuclei 4.4.4.2
some of the mass (of the nuclei) 1
is converted to energy (of
radiation)
05.5 activity decreases quickly allow nuclei / waste will decay at 1 AO3
a greater rate 4.4.2.3
ignore waste is radioactive for
less time
risk of harm decreases quickly allow burial site doesn’t need to 1
be monitored for as long
or
doesn’t need to be buried
underground for as long
or
may not need to be buried
underground
Total 10
How to answer it
Nuclear Radiation, Fission, and Fusion
What this question tests
This question assesses your knowledge of background radiation sources, nuclear fuel, the step-by-step process of nuclear fission, the definition of nuclear fusion, and the practical implications of radioactive waste half-lives.
Man-Made Sources of Background Radiation
✅ Correct Answer
Any one from:
- (Medical) X-rays (allow CT scans)
- Radiotherapy
- Nuclear weapons testing (allow nuclear fallout)
- Named nuclear disaster (e.g. Chernobyl, Fukushima, Three Mile Island)
💡 Key Knowledge
Background radiation comes from natural sources (like rocks, cosmic rays, and radon gas) and man-made activities. You must be able to distinguish between them.
❌ Common Errors & Examiner Notes
Students often lose this mark by writing vague terms like "nuclear waste" when the question stem already states that radioactive waste is a source, or confusing medical treatments with natural background sources.
Nuclear Fuel
✅ Correct Answer
Uranium or plutonium (allow thorium).
🧠 Exam Technique
Keep it simple. Do not overcomplicate by adding isotope numbers (like Uranium-235) unless asked, though numbers are ignored if the core element name is correct.
Describing Nuclear Fission
✅ Correct Answer (4 Marking Points)
- A neutron is absorbed by a uranium (or large) nucleus.
- The nucleus splits into two (smaller) parts.
- 2 or 3 neutrons are released.
- Gamma rays (or energy) are emitted.
💡 Key Knowledge
Fission is a chain reaction. To describe it fully for 4 marks, you must follow the sequence: absorption -> splitting -> release of neutrons -> release of energy/gamma rays.
❌ Common Errors
A frequent error is stating that the atom "explodes" rather than "splits". Examiners strictly look for scientific terminology: nucleus absorbs a neutron and nucleus splits.
Nuclear Fusion and Energy Release
✅ Correct Answer (2 Marking Points)
- Lighter nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus.
- Some of the mass of the nuclei is converted into energy (of radiation).
🧠 Exam Technique
Do not confuse fusion with fission. Fusion is joining small nuclei (like hydrogen isotopes), whereas fission is splitting a large nucleus.
Advantages of a Shorter Half-Life
✅ Correct Answer (2 Marking Points)
- The activity decreases quickly (nuclei decay at a greater rate).
- The risk of harm decreases quickly (so burial sites/underground storage do not need to be monitored for as long).
💡 Key Knowledge
Half-life is the time taken for the radioactivity of a specified isotope to fall to half its original value. A shorter half-life means radiation drops to safe levels much sooner.
❌ Common Errors
Students often lose the second mark by vaguely stating "it is radioactive for less time" (which is ignored by examiners). You must explicitly link the shorter half-life to a decrease in risk or less monitoring needed.
Topics
Physics · P4: Atomic Structure
Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Physics examination, Physics Paper 1 (Higher), November 2020. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.