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Question 21N.2.SL.TZ0.5b.i

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Date November 2021 Marks available [Maximum mark: 3] Reference code 21N.2.SL.TZ0.5b.i
Level SL Paper 2 Time zone TZ0
Command term Show that Question number b.i Adapted from N/A
b.i.
[Maximum mark: 3]
21N.2.SL.TZ0.5b.i

Plutonium-238 (Pu) decays by alpha (α) decay into uranium (U).

The following data are available for binding energies per nucleon:

plutonium          7.568 MeV

uranium             7.600 MeV

alpha particle     7.074 MeV

(b.i)

Show that the energy released in this decay is about 6 MeV.

[3]

Markscheme

correct mass numbers for uranium (234) and alpha (4) ✓

234×7.600+4×7.074-238×7.568 «MeV» ✓

energy released 5.51 «MeV» ✓

 

Ignore any negative sign.

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