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HomeAQA GCSE PhysicsHalf-life and activity of radioactive sources
AQA · GCSE · Physics

Half-life and activity of radioactive sources
Practice Questions

20 AQA GCSE Physics questions on Half-life and activity of radioactive sources, each with instant feedback and a full examiner-style mark scheme.

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Try 2 sample questions on Half-life and activity of radioactive sources

Question 1 · 1 mark · Difficulty 1/3

What is meant by the 'activity' of a radioactive source?

  1. The number of nuclear decays per second in the source
  2. The time taken for half the atoms to decay
  3. The energy released by the source each second
  4. The number of radioactive atoms present in the source
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: AThe number of nuclear decays per second in the source
Activity is defined as the number of nuclear decays (disintegrations) per second, measured in becquerels (Bq). Option A describes the count of atoms, not the rate of decay. Option C describes power output, which is not activity. Option D is the definition of half-life, a related but distinct concept.
Question 2 · 1 mark · Difficulty 1/3

Which of the following correctly describes what happens to the half-life of a radioactive isotope when it is heated to a high temperature?

  1. The half-life decreases because atoms decay faster when hot
  2. The half-life stays the same because it is unaffected by physical conditions
  3. The half-life increases because the atoms have more energy
  4. The half-life changes depending on the type of radiation emitted
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: BThe half-life stays the same because it is unaffected by physical conditions
The half-life of a radioactive isotope is a fixed property of that isotope and is not affected by temperature, pressure, chemical state, or any other physical or chemical condition. Options A and B incorrectly suggest temperature changes the decay rate. Option D is wrong because the type of radiation emitted is also a fixed nuclear property and does not cause half-life to vary.
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AQA GCSE Physics: Half-life and activity of radioactive sources FAQ

How many AQA GCSE Physics questions on Half-life and activity of radioactive sources are there on Kramizo?
Kramizo currently has 20 exam-board-aligned practice questions on Half-life and activity of radioactive sources for AQA GCSE Physics, with new questions added every week. Each question gives you instant feedback and a full examiner-style mark scheme that tells you exactly what would earn marks on a real AQA paper. The questions span the full difficulty range — from straightforward recall (level 1) right up to multi-step reasoning and evaluation (level 3) — so the bank works for first-pass revision and final exam-week stress testing alike.
Is Kramizo free for AQA GCSE students preparing for Physics?
Yes — completely free. Every student gets 45 questions a day on the free plan, with no card required and no trial countdown. That free quota works across every subject and every topic in our bank, so you can mix Half-life and activity of radioactive sources practice with other Physics topics or even switch to a totally different AQA subject without paying anything. Kramizo's optional Pro plan removes the daily cap and adds detailed progress analytics, but the free tier is the real product — used by thousands of GCSE, IGCSE and CSEC students.
Are the Half-life and activity of radioactive sources questions aligned to the official AQA GCSE Physics syllabus?
Every question is written against the published AQA GCSE Physics specification, including the exact command words (state, describe, explain, calculate, evaluate, etc.), mark allocations, and difficulty tier you'd see on a real AQA paper. Explanations are written in the style of official examiner mark schemes — they tell you what is being awarded marks and why distractors are wrong, not just whether you got it right. The bank is continually refined to match the latest syllabus updates from AQA.
How is Half-life and activity of radioactive sources typically tested on AQA GCSE Physics papers?
Half-life and activity of radioactive sources appears across multiple question types on real AQA GCSE Physics papers — most commonly as multiple-choice questions in the objective section, structured short-answer questions in the main paper, and occasionally as part of an extended response. Kramizo's practice bank reflects that mix: 4-option MCQs, true/false statements, fill-in-the-blank key terms, multi-select questions, and ordering questions. Working through the bank gives you exposure to every question style examiners actually use.

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