AQA GCSE Physics Physics Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2024: Question 6
9 marks · Standard Demand difficulty · Short Answer
Identify sources of background radiation, analyse absorption data to determine types of radiation emitted by different rocks, select contamination safety precautions, and relate activity to half-life and risk of harm.
Practise this questionQuestion
Question text
06 A teacher measured the background radiation in a laboratory.
06.1 Which sources of background radiation are natural and which are man-made?
[2 marks]
Tick ( ) one box in each row.
Source of background radiation Natural Man-made
Cosmic rays
Medical X-rays
Nuclear accidents
Radon gas
The teacher measured the radiation emitted by four different types of radioactive rock.
Figure 12 shows the equipment used.
Figure 12
Each radioactive rock was placed below the detector one at a time.
The radiation was recorded as the number of counts in 1 minute.
The experiment was repeated with different materials between each rock and
the detector.
*27* Table 2 shows the results.
Table 2
Number of counts in 1 minute
No material One sheet of paper Thick aluminium sheet
No rock 21 20 22
Rock A 450 448 18
Rock B 385 387 356
Rock C 870 21 20
Rock D 620 473 214
06.2 Which radioactive rock emitted only alpha radiation?
Give a reason for your answer.
[2 marks]
Tick ( ) one box.
Rock A
Rock B
Rock C
Rock D
Reason
06.3 Which radioactive rock emitted only beta radiation?
Give a reason for your answer.
[2 marks]
Tick ( ) one box.
Rock A
Rock B
Rock C
Rock D
Reason
06.4 The teacher took safety precautions during the experiment.
Which precaution would prevent the teacher from becoming contaminated by the
radioactive rocks?
[1 mark]
*29* Tick ( ) one box.
Displaying the radiation hazard symbol
Handling the rocks with clean hands
Wearing protective gloves
06.5 What is the activity of each rock after one half-life?
[1 mark]
Tick ( ) one box.
The activity is a quarter of the original activity.
The activity is half the original activity.
The activity is double the original activity.
The activity is zero. 31
06.6 How does the activity of a radioactive source affect the risk of harm from the source?
[1 mark]
Tick ( ) one box.
The smaller the activity, the greater the risk of harm.
The activity does not affect the risk of harm.
The greater the activity, the greater the risk of harm.
Mark scheme
Show the mark scheme
Question 6
AO /
Question Answers Mark
Spec. Ref.
06.1 2 marks for 4 correct answers 2 AO1
1 mark for 2 or 3 correct answers 4.4.3.1
Source of background radiation Natural Man-made
Cosmic rays ✓
Medical X-rays ✓
Nuclear accidents ✓
Radon gas ✓
AO /
Question Answers Extra information Mark
Spec. Ref.
06.2 rock C 1 AO1
4.4.2.1
(because) alpha is stopped by MP2 dependent on scoring MP1 1
(one sheet of) paper
or
(one sheet of) paper significantly allow alpha is the least
decreased the radiation penetrating
detected
AO /
Spec. Ref.
06.3 rock A 1 AO1
4.4.2.1
(because) beta radiation is MP2 dependent on scoring MP1 1
stopped by (a thick) aluminium
(sheet)
or
the (thick) aluminium (sheet)
significantly decreased the – – –
radiation detected
AO /
Spec. Ref.
06.4 wearing protective gloves 1 AO3
4.4.2.4
AO /
Spec. Ref.
06.5 the activity is half the original 1 AO3
activity 4.4.2.3
AO /
Spec. Ref.
06.6 the greater the activity, the 1 AO1
greater the risk of harm 4.4.3.3
Total Question 6 9
How to answer it
Radioactivity, Background Radiation and Safety
This question assesses your knowledge of background radiation sources, the penetration properties of nuclear radiation (alpha, beta, and gamma), radioactive safety precautions, half-life definitions, and the biological risks associated with radioactive activity.
Part 06.1: Sources of Background Radiation
✅ Correct Answers
- Cosmic rays: Natural
- Medical X-rays: Man-made
- Nuclear accidents: Man-made
- Radon gas: Natural
💡 Key Knowledge
Background radiation is constantly around us. Natural sources include rocks (radon gas), cosmic rays from space, and food. Man-made sources arise from human activities such as medical procedures (X-rays, CT scans) and fallout from nuclear weapon testing or power accidents.
Part 06.2: Identifying Alpha Radiation
✅ Correct Answers
Rock C
Reason: Alpha radiation is stopped by a single sheet of paper (or one sheet of paper significantly decreased the radiation detected from 870 to 21 counts).
🧠 Exam Technique
This is a dependent mark question (MP2 depends on scoring MP1). You must select Rock C correctly first. For the second mark, link the data from the table (drop from 870 to 21 with paper) to the property of alpha particles.
Part 06.3: Identifying Beta Radiation
✅ Correct Answers
Rock A
Reason: Beta radiation is stopped by a thick aluminium sheet (or thick aluminium significantly decreased the radiation detected from 450 to 18 counts, whilst paper had little effect).
❌ Common Errors
Students often mix up the penetration properties of radiation. Remember the order from least to most penetrating: Alpha (stopped by paper) → Beta (stopped by aluminium) → Gamma (stopped by thick lead).
Part 06.4: Contamination Safety Precautions
✅ Correct Answers
Wearing protective gloves
💡 Key Knowledge
Contamination occurs when unwanted radioactive atoms get onto or into an object/person. Wearing gloves prevents radioactive material from transferring directly onto the skin.
Part 06.5: Understanding Half-Life
✅ Correct Answers
The activity is half the original activity.
💡 Key Knowledge
The definition of half-life is the time taken for the activity (or number of radioactive nuclei) of a isotope to reduce to half its initial value.
Part 06.6: Activity and Risk of Harm
✅ Correct Answers
The greater the activity, the greater the risk of harm.
🧠 Exam Technique
Activity measures the number of decays per second (measured in Becquerels, Bq). A higher activity means more radiation particles or rays are being emitted every second, increasing the chance of ionising living cells and causing tissue damage.
Topics
Physics · P4: Atomic Structure
Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Physics examination, Physics Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2024. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.