ECAT Pakistan · Physics

Atomic, Nuclear and Quantum Physics

9 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 9 questions

  1. In Compton scattering, what is the maximum possible wavelength shift (Compton shift delta lambda) when a photon collides with a free stationary electron?
  2. What is the energy required to excite an electron in a hydrogen atom from its ground state (n = 1) to the first excited state (n = 2)?
  3. According to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, if the position of an electron is determined with an uncertainty of delta x = 1.0 x 10^-10 m, what is the minimum uncertainty in its momentum delta p?…
  4. In a nuclear fusion reaction, four protons fuse to form a helium-4 nucleus with a mass defect of delta m = 0.0287 atomic mass units (u). How much energy is released per fusion? (1 u = 931.5 MeV)
  5. What is the velocity of an electron whose de Broglie wavelength is equal to its Compton wavelength (lambda_c = h / (m_e * c))?
  6. What nuclear particle is emitted when cobalt-60 (Z = 27, A = 60) decays into nickel-60 (Z = 28, A = 60)?
  7. Which quantum phenomenon explains alpha particle decay from heavy nuclei despite the alpha particle having less energy than the nuclear Coulomb potential barrier height?
  8. What is the activity of a radioactive sample containing 1.0 x 10^12 nuclei with decay constant lambda = 2.0 x 10^-4 s^-1?
  9. In a Ruby laser, what mechanism achieves the population inversion required for stimulated emission of coherent optical radiation?

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