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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- A. Fast counting
- B. Extremely fast counting
- C. Slow counting
- D. All situations
Explanation: A Geiger counter is useful for ordinary or relatively slow counting because its recovery time, called dead time, prevents it from…
Correct answer: Slow counting- A. Rectilinear
- B. Curved
- C. Zig-zag or erratic
- D. Elliptical
Explanation: An alpha particle moving through matter repeatedly collides with atoms and is deflected, producing a short, zig-zag or erratic track…
Correct answer: Zig-zag or erratic- A. Protons
- B. Electrons
- C. Neutrons
- D. Nothing
Explanation: During an encounter, the positively charged alpha particle attracts an atomic electron and can transfer enough energy to remove it from…
Correct answer: Electrons- A. Fission reaction
- B. Fusion reaction
- C. Chain reaction
- D. Chemical reaction
Explanation: A fission chain reaction occurs when neutrons released by one fission event cause further nuclei to undergo fission.
Correct answer: Chain reaction- A. 3.74 x 10^9 disintegration per sec
- B. 3.70 x 10^10 disintegration per sec
- C. 3.55 x 10^10 disintegration per sec
- D. 3.60 x 10^10 disintegration per sec
Explanation: One curie is defined as 3.70 x 10^10 disintegrations per second, so the correct value is option b.
Correct answer: 3.70 x 10^10 disintegration per sec- A. 224 - 84
- B. 220 - 80
- C. 222 - 86
- D. 226 - 87
Explanation: An alpha particle contains 2 protons and 2 neutrons, so alpha emission reduces the mass number by 4 and the atomic number by 2: A = 226 -…
Correct answer: 222 - 86- A. α-rays
- B. β-rays
- C. γ-rays
- D. All of above have the same speed
Explanation: Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation and travel at approximately 3.0 x 10^8 m/s in vacuum, whereas alpha particles are much slower and…
Correct answer: γ-rays- A. N=Noe-λt
- B. N=Noeλt
- C. N=Noe-λt/2
- D. No=N(1+eλt)
Explanation: Radioactive decay is exponential because the probability of decay per unit time is constant, giving N = N0e^-λt, where N and N0 are…
Correct answer: N=Noe-λt- A. X-rays
- B. B-rays
- C. γ-rays
- D. All have the equal penetrating powe
Explanation: Gamma rays have the greatest penetrating power among alpha, beta and gamma radiation because they are high-energy photons with no charge…
Correct answer: γ-rays- A. Greater than the critical size
- B. Less than the critical size
- C. Equal to the critical size
- D. All of above can build up a change reaction
Explanation: A chain reaction builds up only when the radioactive material is supercritical, which requires a target size greater than the critical…
Correct answer: Greater than the critical size- A. Uranium
- B. Hydrogen
- C. Oxygen
- D. Nitrogen
Explanation: Option A) A centrifuge relies on the principles of centripetal force accelerating molecules so that the particles of different masses are…
Correct answer: Uranium- A. Strong force
- B. Weak force
- C. Electromagnetic force
- D. All of these options are correct
Explanation: Option A) Nuclear forces (also known as nuclear interactions or strong forces) are the forces that act between two or more nucleons.
Correct answer: Strong force- A. protons
- B. neutrons
- C. electrons
- D. atom
Explanation: Isotopes are elements with the same proton and electron number but different neutrons so option B is correct.
Correct answer: neutrons- A. Fission
- B. Fusion
- C. Alpha-decay
- D. A chain reaction
Explanation: Fission occurs when a neutron slams into a larger atom, forcing it to excite and split into two smaller atoms-also known as fission…
Correct answer: Fission- A. C12
- B. C14
- C. C10
- D. None of these
Explanation: Carbon-14, the longest-lived radioactive isotope of carbon, whose decay allows the accurate dating of archaeological artifacts.
Correct answer: C14- A. 194
- B. 202
- C. 200
- D. None of these
Explanation: When a nucleus emits an alpha particle, these changes happen: the mass number decreases by 4, and the atomic number decreases by 2.
Correct answer: 194- A. R=r0A^-1/3
- B. R= r0A"^/3
- C. R= roA^3
- D. None of these
Explanation: Most nuclei are approximately spherical. The average radius of a nucleus with A nucleons is R = R0A1/3, where R0 = 1.2*1015 m.
Correct answer: R= r0A"^/3- A. Protons
- B. Electron
- C. Neutrons
- D. All of them
Explanation: Option C is correct since the isotopes are defined as elements having the same proton number but different nucleon numbers.
Correct answer: Neutrons- A. Atomic number
- B. Proton number
- C. Different mass number
- D. All of these
Explanation: Option D is correct since isotopes have the same atomic number, same proton number, and different mass numbers.Option A is incorrect as it…
Correct answer: All of these- A. Proton
- B. Neutron
- C. Electron
- D. Atom
Explanation: Isotopes of an element have different numbers of neutrons. The number of protons in an atom determines what element it is, but the number…
Correct answer: Neutron