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AQA GCSE · Question 02.5 · Atomic Structure
Nuclear radiation can cause ionisation.
Complete the sentences. Choose answers from the box.
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<table border="1" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; border: 2px solid black;">
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid black;">a negative</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black;">an electron</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black;">a neutron</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black;">a positive</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black;">a proton</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black;">a zero</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br/><br/>
1. An atom becomes an ion when it loses __________.
2. The resulting ion has __________ charge.
Nuclear radiation can cause ionisation.
Complete the sentences. Choose answers from the box.
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How to approach this question
1. Recall the structure of a neutral atom: it has an equal number of positive protons and negative electrons.
2. Consider what happens when an atom loses a particle. To become an ion, it must lose or gain a charged particle. Which particle is on the outside of the atom and easily lost?
3. If a neutral atom loses a negative particle (an electron), what will its overall charge be?
Full Answer
1. an electron
2. a positive
1. **Ionisation** is the process of an atom gaining or losing electrons to become a charged particle, called an ion. Atoms have a central nucleus containing positive protons and neutral neutrons, with negative electrons orbiting the nucleus. Electrons are the particles that are lost or gained during ionisation.
2. A neutral atom has no overall charge because it has an equal number of protons (+) and electrons (-). If it **loses** one or more electrons, it will have more protons than electrons. This results in an overall **positive** charge.
Common mistakes
✗ Thinking an atom loses a proton. Protons are in the nucleus and are not lost during ionisation (that would be a nuclear reaction, changing the element).
✗ Thinking that losing a particle results in a negative charge. Remember that electrons are negative, so losing a negative leaves a positive charge behind.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Physics Foundation Tier Paper 1
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