AQA GCSE Physics · Topic 4.4

Atomic structure questions

Practice questions covering atomic structure from this specification. Every question below is the real AQA question as it is printed on the paper, with its mark scheme.

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Questions to attempt

6 questions on Atomic structure, each with its mark scheme and worked method. Reveal the answer when you have had a go.

4.4.1.1 · The structure of an atom
Q1
ORIGINAL
Describe the positions and charges of the three subatomic particles in an atom, and state where nearly all the atom's mass is found.
[4 marks]
Total for this question: 4
4.4.1.2 · Mass number, atomic number and isotopes
Q2
ORIGINAL
For the ion ${}^{27}_{13}\mathrm{Al}^{3+}$ , determine the numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons.
[3 marks]
Total for this question: 3
4.4.1.3 · The development of the model of the atom (common content with chemistry)
Q3
ORIGINAL
In an alpha-scattering investigation, nearly all particles cross a thin metal sheet without changing direction, while a very small fraction turn through large angles. Explain two conclusions that caused the plum pudding model to be replaced.
[4 marks]
Total for this question: 4
4.4.2.1 · Radioactive decay and nuclear radiation
Q4
ORIGINAL
Radiation $P$ is stopped by card, $Q$ crosses card but is stopped by a thin aluminium sheet, and $R$ crosses both but is reduced by thick lead. Identify $P$ , $Q$ and $R$ , then state which has the greatest ionising power.
[4 marks]
Total for this question: 4
4.4.2.2 · Nuclear equations
Q5
ORIGINAL
Complete the beta-minus equation ${}^{131}_{53}X\rightarrow{}^{A}_{Z}Y+{}^{0}_{-1}\beta$ by determining $A$ and $Z$ .
[2 marks]
Total for this question: 2
4.4.2.3 · Half-lives and the random nature of radioactive decay
Q6
ORIGINAL
A detector records $420$ counts per minute beside a source at time zero and $70$ counts per minute $18$ minutes later. Background count rate is $20$ counts per minute. Calculate the source's half-life.
[4 marks]
Total for this question: 4

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Printable question pack — 4.4 Atomic structureAll 121 questions across 12 specification points — 115 more than the 6 above — with the full mark scheme. Guest accessible · browser print.

4.4 Atomic structure revision notes

Real past-paper questions

21 questions shown as printed, 3 reference-only · newest series first

Question and mark-scheme extracts © AQA. Reproduced for educational use; the original paper is linked on every question. Contact hello@oscarsongtutoring.co.uk for removal.

AQA 8463 · June 2025 · Paper 1F · Q3 · 3 marks
3 marks
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Examiner report
[03.1] Almost 70% of the students chose the correct nuclear equation for alpha decay.
Text version
Different radioactive isotopes emit different types of radiation. Scientists have replaced old models of the atom with newer models.
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AQA 8463 · June 2025 · Paper 1H · Q5 · 8 marks
8 marks
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[05.4] Just over 30 % of the students scored the mark for the consequence of an uncontrolled chain reaction. ‘Explosion’ unqualified was insufficient to score the mark.
Text version
Scientists used lasers to start a nuclear fusion reaction by heating a small amount of an isotope of hydrogen.
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AQA 8463 · June 2025 · Paper 1H · Q7 · 10 marks
10 marks
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[07.1] Nearly all of the students chose the correct reason for why scientists change the model used to describe the structure of an atom.
Text version
Some atoms emit radiation. Polonium-210 was one of the first radioactive elements to be discovered.
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AQA 8463 · June 2024 · Paper 1F · Q6 · 9 marks
9 marks
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[06.2] A question that discriminated well, with 27% of students scoring 2 marks and 24% scoring 1 mark. A number of students stated that alpha is stopped by paper but had ticked the wrong box, so scored no marks. Many students were unable to draw the correct conclusion from the given data, perhaps they had learned the fact but not observed the practical demonstration.
Text version
A teacher measured background radiation, then recorded counts in one minute from four rocks with no absorber, paper and thick aluminium: no rock 21/20/22; A 450/448/18; B 385/387/356; C 870/21/20; D 620/473/214.
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AQA 8463 · June 2024 · Paper 1F · Q10 · 10 marks
10 marks
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[10.4] 13% of students scored a mark. ‘Wear protective clothing’ or ‘hazmat suits’ were common incorrect answers. Any idea of burying the radioactive waste was credited, so ‘bury it in a field’ was ok, as was ‘bury it in landfill’, which from a student’s perspective is equivalent to burying it underground. ‘Keeping it away from people’ was insufficient.
Text version
Nuclear fission is used in nuclear power stations.
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AQA 8463 · June 2024 · Paper 1H · Q2 · 10 marks
10 marks
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[02.1] A sentence completion question about nuclear fission which discriminated well between students. 72 % of students scored 3 marks, 21% scored 2 marks and 5% scored 1 mark.
Text version
Nuclear fission is used in nuclear power stations.
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AQA 8463 · June 2024 · Paper 1H · Q9 · 4 marks
4 marks
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[09.1] Students needed to refer to the graph, and factual recall about alpha radiation, to score the 1st and 3rd mark points.,. The 2nd mark point was much more unlikely to score, as students often stated the graph went to zero, rather than being just above zero. A number of students confused the graph with a half-life graph, believing the x-axis showed time, not distance. 8% of students scored 3 marks, while 45% scored 2 marks and 35% scored 1 mark.
Text version
A teacher investigated radiation from sources A and B with a detector at different distances and took dose and contamination precautions.
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AQA 8463 · June 2023 · Paper 1H · Q5 · 17 marks
17 marks
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[05.8] 82% of students scored 3 marks usually for using the first method given in the mark scheme. Some students calculated 144 (days) but thought they had calculated hours so divided by 24 and wrote an answer of 6. They scored 2 marks, as their final answer was treated as a unit error.
Text version
Some isotopes emit nuclear radiation. Table 1 gives the half-life of some radioactive isotopes (isotope / half-life in seconds): Nitrogen-18 / 0.62; Nitrogen-17 / 4.17; Fluorine-17 / 64.37; Fluorine-18 / 6584.34.
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AQA 8463 · June 2023 · Paper 1H · Q8 · 7 marks
7 marks
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[08.6] It wasn’t seen often, but the answer ‘photons’ e was creditworthy for electromagnetic radiation. Another creditworthy answer was ‘lectromagnetic waves’.. If a student stated that the emission / absorption was the wrong way round this was a hysics error and scored zero. Students who hadn’t learned this small part of specification content were predictably vague about how the electron gained / lost energy. 8% of students scored 2 marks, while 4% of students scored 1 mark.
Text version
Scientists developed new models of the atom as new particles were discovered. The nucleus was discovered using an alpha particle scattering experiment, in which alpha particles were directed at a sheet of gold foil.
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AQA 8463 · June 2022 · Paper 1F · Q4 · 11 marks
11 marks
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[04.2] Approximately 40% of students correctly identified what a beta particle is.
Text version
Radioactive isotopes emit alpha, beta and gamma radiation.
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AQA 8463 · June 2022 · Paper 1H · Q7 · 8 marks
8 marks
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[07.3] Students generally made good attempts to answer this question and marking points 1, 2 and 4 were seen most often. To score the 5th marking point students need to make a comparative statement, internal versus external damage. The third marking point was least likely to score, as students rarely referred to dose or the living cells / tissues / organs inside the body. Some students incorrectly thought that ionisation was a process that happened to cells, rather than atoms, so often didn’t score the fifth marking point for this reason. Very few students scored 5 marks and the question discriminated well between students of differing ability.
Text version
A krypton-85 nucleus undergoes beta-minus decay to form rubidium.
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AQA 8463 · November 2021 · Paper 1F · Q5 · 6 marks
6 marks
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Beta radiation is used to control paper thickness: a detector monitors radiation passing through the paper and a computer adjusts roller separation.
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AQA 8463 · November 2021 · Paper 1F · Q10 · 9 marks
9 marks
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Fusion power from deuterium needs a 4.0 g sample heated by 50 000 000 °C. Deuterium has specific heat capacity 5200 J/kg °C.
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AQA 8463 · November 2021 · Paper 1H · Q2 · 9 marks
9 marks
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Examiner report
Question 02.1 was not very well answered, around half the students scored the first marking point, but very few scored the second. The calculation was well answered, the most common mistake was not converting the mass from g to kg. Questions 02.3 and 02.4 were generally well answered due to the numerous options allowed in the mark scheme.
Text version
Fusion power from deuterium needs a 4.0 g sample heated by 50 000 000 °C. Deuterium has specific heat capacity 5200 J/kg °C.
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AQA 8463 · November 2020 · Paper 1F · Q5 · 8 marks
8 marks
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Radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is a man-made source of background radiation. Plutonium-239 decays to uranium-235 and a helium-4 nucleus. Its activity-time curve has approximate anchors (time years, activity Bq): (0,10000), (5000,8700), (10000,7500), (15000,6500), (20000,5600), (24000,5000), (30000,4200), (40000,3200), joined by a smooth decay curve.
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AQA 8463 · November 2020 · Paper 1H · Q5 · 10 marks
10 marks
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[05.4] Only 8% of students scored both marks, with 29% of students scoring 1 mark. Elements fuse or atoms fuse was insufficient. Nuclei fuse was insufficient unless they said to form a larger / heavier nucleus. Very few knew that some of the mass of the nuclei was converted into energy. Some students fell back on their knowledge of chemical reactions and mentioned breaking bonds and exothermic reactions.
Text version
Nuclear power stations use fission; fusion stations are being developed. Both can produce radioactive waste.
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AQA 8463 · June 2019 · Paper 1F · Q2 · 7 marks
7 marks
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[02.1] About 67% of students identified the correct decay equation.
Text version
Polonium-210 is a radioactive isotope that decays by emitting alpha radiation. Figure 3 gives the mass of a polonium-210 sample against time: approximately 460 mg at 50 days, 280 mg at 150 days and 130 mg at 300 days.
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AQA 8463 · June 2019 · Paper 1F · Q4 · 6 marks
6 marks
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[04.1] Over a third of students answered this question correctly.
Text version
Discoveries changed the model of the atom. A: mass concentrated in the nucleus. B: electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances. C: nucleus contains neutrons. D: nucleus contains positively charged protons.
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AQA 8463 · sample1 · Paper 1F · Q7 · 10 marks
10 marks
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Alpha, beta and gamma are nuclear radiations. In a penetration test, one radiation is stopped by paper, a second passes paper but is stopped by 5 mm aluminium, and a third passes paper and aluminium but is stopped by 5 cm lead. Count-rate data are: time (s) 0,40,80,120,160; count rate (counts/s) 400,283,200,141,100.
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AQA 8463 · sample1 · Paper 1F · Q10 · 6 marks
6 marks
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Scientists sometimes replace one scientific model with a different model. For example, in the early 20th century the plum pudding model of the atom was replaced by the nuclear model of the atom.
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AQA 8463 · sample1 · Paper 1H · Q10 · 7 marks
7 marks
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Electricity is generated in a nuclear power station. Nuclear fission releases energy in the reactor. A graph of reactor power output after the control rods are removed rises increasingly steeply from about 600 MW at 0 minutes to 2400 MW at 12 minutes. Around 10 minutes, a tangent can be drawn through approximately (9.0 min, 1190 MW) and (11.0 min, 1700 MW).
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November 20211 question

Paper 1H · Q6Higher · 4 marks · Non-calculator · multi · standardView question in paper (p.20)Mark scheme (p.15)

sample12 questions

Paper 1H: Q2 (p.5, 6 marks), Q9 (p.18, 10 marks)

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Atomic structure questions

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