Physics Nuclear Physics MDCAT 2009
PMDC Verified Question 95 of 98
The emission of \(\gamma\)-radiations from the nucleus is generally represented by the equation:
A
\( _{Z}\text{X}^{A} \rightarrow _{Z}\text{X}^{A} + \gamma\)-radiations
B
\( _{Z}\text{X}^{A} \rightarrow _{Z}\text{X}^{A} + \beta\)-particles
C
\( _{Z}\text{X}^{A} \rightarrow _{Z+1}\text{X}^{A} + \gamma\)-radiations
D
\( _{Z}\text{X}^{A*} \rightarrow _{Z}\text{X}^{A} + \gamma\)-radiations
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option D: \( _{Z}\text{X}^{A*} \rightarrow _{Z}\text{X}^{A} + \gamma\)-radiations


Concept:

Gamma (\(\gamma\)) radiation is the emission of high-energy electromagnetic photons from a nucleus transitioning from an excited energy state to a lower, more stable state.

Solution:

  • An excited nucleus is denoted by an asterisk (\(\text{X}^{*}\)).


  • Because a gamma ray is a photon (mass = 0, charge = 0), emitting it does not change the atomic number (\(Z\)) or the mass number (\(A\)).


  • The valid representation is: $$ _{Z}\text{X}^{A*} \rightarrow _{Z}\text{X}^{A} + \gamma $$


Why other options are incorrect:

Option A lacks the asterisk denoting the excited parent state. Option B represents a physically incorrect process. Option C incorrectly shows \(Z\) increasing, which occurs during beta decay, not gamma emission.

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

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