Physics (AS & A Level) · May / June 2020 · Paper 12 · Question 39

An unstable nucleus goes through successive decays to become a final, stable nucleus. The initial nucleus and the final nucleus are isotopes of each other. How many α and β– particles could have been emitted during the decay sequence?

1. A1 α, 0 β–
2. B1 α, 2 β–
3. C2 α, 0 β–
4. D2 α, 1 β–

As printed in the paper