Free Nuclear Physics MCQs with Answers

1,254 Nuclear Physics MCQs from Physics, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Atomic nuclei contain protons and neutrons, with nuclear size, mass defect and binding energy describing their stability. The work covers alpha, beta and gamma decay, decay equations, half-life and decay rate, along with radiation safety and medical applications such as imaging, radiotherapy and tracers.

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1,254 questions · page 12 of 63

  • A. Inaccurate measurement of mass of nucleons
  • B. Mass annihilated to produce energy to bind the nucleus.
  • C. Packing fraction
  • D. Difference in number of neutron and protons in the nucleus

Explanation: The mass defect is a measure of the energy released when a nucleus is formed, and it is related to the binding energy that holds the…

Correct answer: Mass annihilated to produce energy to bind the nucleus.
  • A. Physical or chemical reaction
  • B. Temperature
  • C. Pressure
  • D. All

Explanation: Radioactive decay is a process that occurs in the nucleus of an unstable atom, and it is not influenced by external factors such as…

Correct answer: All
  • A. 10α and 6β
  • B. 4 proton and 8 neutrons
  • C. 6 electron and 8 protons
  • D. 8α and 6β

Explanation: The change in mass number is given by the difference in the mass numbers of the parent and daughter nuclei:238-206=32Each alpha particle…

Correct answer: 8α and 6β
  • A. 1 ms
  • B. Less than 1μs
  • C. More than 1 μs
  • D. None of these

Explanation: The time taken in a Geiger-Muller tube for an entire electron pulse to reach the anode depends on various factors, including the specific…

Correct answer: None of these
  • A. Range of ionizing particle
  • B. Mass of ionizing particle
  • C. Charge of ionizing particle
  • D. None

Explanation: A Geiger-Muller counter is a type of radiation detector that can measure the ionizing radiation and provide information about the range of…

Correct answer: Range of ionizing particle
  • A. atomic number only
  • B. Mass number only
  • C. atomic number, mass number and energy
  • D. Energy only

Explanation: Conservation of atomic number:The atomic number represents the number of protons in an atomic nucleus.In a nuclear reaction, the total…

Correct answer: atomic number, mass number and energy
  • A. λT =1
  • B. λT =0.693
  • C. T/λ =0.693
  • D. λ/T =0.693

Explanation: This relation is derived from the decay law for radioactive substances, which states that the rate of decay R is proportional to the…

Correct answer: T/λ =0.693
  • A. 1.6×10^-19
  • B. 931 MeV
  • C. 6.02×10^23
  • D. 9.31 MeV

Explanation: B is the right option because The energy equivalent of one atomic mass unit (u) is approximately 931.5 MeV (mega-electron volts).

Correct answer: 931 MeV
  • A. electrostatic and nuclear
  • B. electrostatic and gravitational
  • C. gravitational and nuclear
  • D. only nuclear

Explanation: D is the right option because Neutrons do not possess electric charge, so they do not experience electrostatic forces.

Correct answer: only nuclear
  • A. increases continuously
  • B. decreases continuously
  • C. remains constant
  • D. first increases and then decreases with an increase in mass number

Explanation: D is the right option because In atomic nuclei, the binding energy per nucleon initially increases with an increase in mass number until…

Correct answer: first increases and then decreases with an increase in mass number
  • A. double
  • B. half
  • C. remain same
  • D. four times

Explanation: B is the right option because The energy of continuous X-rays is directly proportional to the voltage applied across the X-ray tube…

Correct answer: half
  • A. negatively charged particles
  • B. helium nuclei
  • C. hydrogen nuclei
  • D. Deutrons

Explanation: B is the right option because Alpha rays emitted from a radioactive substance consist of helium nuclei, each composed of two protons and…

Correct answer: helium nuclei
  • A. electrons
  • B. thermions
  • C. photoelectrons
  • D. all of these

Explanation: A is the right option because Beta rays, or beta particles, are high-energy electrons (β⁻) or positrons (β⁺) emitted from the nucleus…

Correct answer: electrons
  • A. Y(A,Z-2)
  • B. Y(A-4,Z)
  • C. Y(A-4,Z-2)
  • D. Y(A,Z+2)

Explanation: C is the right option because When a radioactive element X emits an alpha particle, it loses 2 protons and 2 neutrons.

Correct answer: Y(A-4,Z-2)
  • A. U238
  • B. U235
  • C. U239
  • D. He4

Explanation: B is the right option because Uranium-235 (U235) is normally fissionable.

Correct answer: U239
  • A. to control the energy released in the reactor
  • B. to absorb neutrons and stop the chain reaction
  • C. to cool the reactor
  • D. to slow down the neutrons to thermal energies

Explanation: D is the right option because : The function of a moderator in a nuclear reactor is to slow down the fast neutrons produced by nuclear…

Correct answer: to slow down the neutrons to thermal energies
  • A. 1:10^5
  • B. 1:10^4
  • C. 10^5:1
  • D. 1:10^6

Explanation: A is the right option because The ratio of the lifetime of the metastable excited state to the normal state in lasers is typically of the…

Correct answer: 1:10^5
  • A. formation of barium and krypton from uranium
  • B. formation of helium from hydrogen
  • C. formation of plutonium-235 from uranium-235
  • D. formation of water from hydrogen and oxygen

Explanation: B is the right option because Nuclear fusion involves the combining of lighter atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus.

Correct answer: formation of helium from hydrogen
  • A. protons and positrons
  • B. neutrons
  • C. alpha particles
  • D. protons and alpha particles

Explanation: B is the right option because In nuclear fission, when a uranium nucleus absorbs a neutron, it becomes unstable and splits into two…

Correct answer: neutrons
  • A. energy of gamma rays
  • B. intensity of gamma rays
  • C. half-life
  • D. radioactivity

Explanation: D is the right option because: The Curie (Ci) is a unit of radioactivity, named after Marie and Pierre Curie, pioneers in the field of…

Correct answer: radioactivity