Nuclear Transmutation: Objective Type Questions

1) Which reaction converts an atom of one element to an atom of another element?

a) combustion                                    b) polymerisation          

c) transmutation                                d) Saponification

2) Radioactive Cobalt-60 is used in radiation therapy treatment. Cobalt-60 undergoes beta decay. This type of nuclear reaction is called __________

a) artificial transmutation        b) natural transmutation

c) nuclear fission                     d) nuclear fusion

3) Which is most effective for artificial transmutation?

a) Proton                         b) Deuteron           

c) Helium nuclei             d) Neutron

Answer: Neutrons possess no charge at all and are considered to be the best projectiles.

4) For artificial transmutation of nuclei, the least effective one is

a) Proton                          b) Deuteron           

c) Alpha particles           d) Neutron

Answer: Due to heavy mass, alpha particles cannot easily pass through matter.

5) The given nuclear reaction is X + ₀n¹ → ₃Li⁷ + ₂He⁴. The particle represented by X is __________

a) ₄Li⁹          b) ₅B¹⁰         c) ₅Be¹⁰        d) ₆C¹⁰

Answer: ₅B¹⁰+ ₀n¹ → ₃Li⁷ + ₂He⁴   Here Z and A are balanced.

6) ₁₃Al²⁸ is transferred into ₁₅P³¹ and neutron when it is bombarded with suitable projectile. The projectile used is _________

a) Proton                         b) Deuteron           

c) Alpha particle            d) Neutron

Answer: ₁₃Al²⁸ + ₂He⁴   → ₁₅P³¹ + ₀n¹ Here Z and A are balanced.

7) Artificial elements have been prepared by bombardment reactions in high energy accelerators. Find the mass number of element X produced in the given reaction. 

₉₅Cf²⁴⁹ + ₇N¹⁵   → ₁₀₅X + 4 ₀n¹

a) 261         b) 260         c) 264          d) 257

Answer: A= (249+15-4) = 260

8) (JEE 2011 Question) Bombardment of aluminium by alpha particle leads to its artificial disintegration in two ways, (i) and (ii) as shown below. Products X, Y and Z respectively are: 

a) Proton, Neutron, Positron           b) Neutron, Positron, Proton

c) Proton, Positron, Neutron              d) Positron, Proton, Neutron

 Answer:     For X, ₁₃Al²⁷ + ₂He⁴   → ₁₄Si³⁰ + ₁H¹

For Y, ₁₃Al²⁷ + ₂He⁴   → ₁₅P³⁰ + ₀n¹

                   For Z, ₁₅P³⁰ → ₁₄Si³⁰ + ₁e⁰

9) (JEE 2013 Question) 

In the nuclear transmutation, ₄Be⁹ + X → ₄Be⁸ + Y. 

(X,Y) is (are)

a) (γ,n)        b) (P,D)       c) (n,D)        d) (γ,D)

Answer: A and B

₄Be⁹ + γ → ₄Be⁸ + ₀n¹

₄Be⁹ + ₁H¹ → ₅B¹⁰ → ₄Be⁸ + ₁H²

10) (JEE 2012 Question) The periodic table consists of 18 groups. An isotope of copper, on bombardment with protons, undergoes a nuclear reaction yielding element X as shown below. The group to which, element X belongs in the periodic table is ______

₂₉Cu⁶³ + ₁H¹ → 6 ₀n¹ + ₂He⁴ + 2 ₁H¹ + X

Answer: Group 8 element : ₂₆Fe⁵²

Element X : Atomic number Z = (29+1)-(0+2+2)=26

                   Mass number A = (63+1)-(6+4+2)=52

Hence X is ₂₆Fe⁵². It belongs to group 8.