- Every Physics past-paper question on the topic, grouped under the official syllabus numbering
- The official mark scheme shown alongside each question
- Free to browse online — no signup, no download, no paywall
- Cross-linked to the Topical Solved version if you ever want step-by-step worked solutions
Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · Physics
6 Radioactivity Topical Past Papers
Pearson Edexcel GCSE Physics past-paper questions on "Radioactivity" grouped from the official 2026 Edexcel specification. Free to browse.
Pearson Edexcel GCSE Physics topical past papers — Topic: Radioactivity — free, no signup. Original Physics past papers and mark schemes from the official source, compiled for you. This free archive covers 46 past-paper components — questions grouped by topic, mark scheme alongside, no worked solutions. Free to browse online — no signup, no download limits.
What's in your Topic: Radioactivity
Edexcel GCSE Physics topical past papers for the scope you picked — Topic: Radioactivity. Every past-paper question is reproduced with the original wording and paired with the official mark scheme — questions only, no worked solutions on this free archive.
Questions are organised so you can revise systematically without opening a dozen separate session PDFs. If you want step-by-step worked solutions to the same questions, the Topical Solved version is one click away.
How the free Physics archive works
Open this page and every Edexcel GCSE Physics question on the topic is already grouped for you under the official 2026 syllabus numbering — no signup, no download, nothing to buy. Read them in your browser on any device.
Each question sits next to its official mark scheme, so you can attempt it and mark yourself straight away. When you want the full method walked through, the Topical Solved version of the same questions adds a step-by-step worked solution to every one.
- Open the page — the questions are already there, grouped by topic.
- Attempt each one, then check it against the mark scheme alongside.
- Want the full working? Topical Solved covers the same questions with step-by-step solutions.
- Nothing to buy, sign up for, or install — it stays free.
Always current, always free
Edexcel releases new Physics sessions every year, and every session adds new questions to this topical archive. As soon as a session lands, the new questions are filed under the right syllabus topic on this page — so the day after a results day the topic already includes the freshest questions. No stale archive, no waiting.
When Edexcel updates the Physics syllabus mapping or retires a topic, the affected topic pages here are re-checked against the official 2026 syllabus and re-grouped — still free to browse. Stale topic mapping is one of the biggest hidden quality problems with free past-paper sites; this archive is re-checked on every release.
Physics topical past papers — what students search for
Students search for "Physics topical past papers", "Physics topic-wise questions", "Physics chapter-wise past papers", "Physics questions by topic", "free Edexcel Physics past papers by topic", and dozens more variations every day. This free page is the canonical landing spot for every topic-wise variant of Physics — open the topic you need and the questions are right there.
Common searches — "Physics 2026 paper", "Physics recent past papers", "Physics latest questions by topic" — all resolve to questions grouped under their official syllabus topic here, free to browse.
Some students search specifically for "Physics questions only no solutions" or "Physics past papers without answers" — that is exactly what this free archive is. If you actually want "Physics worked solutions" or "Physics step-by-step", the Topical Solved version has the same questions with a teacher-verified worked solution for each.
Subtopics within Radioactivity
Describe an atom as a positively charged nucleus, consisting
Recall the typical size (order of magnitude) of atoms and small
Describe the structure of nuclei of isotopes using the terms
Recall that the nucleus of each element has a characteristic
Recall the relative masses and relative electric charges of
Recall that in an atom the number of protons equals the
Recall that in each atom its electrons orbit the nucleus at
Explain that electrons change orbit when there is absorption or
Explain how atoms may form positive ions by losing outer
Recall that alpha, β– (beta minus), β+ (positron), gamma rays
Recall that alpha, β– (beta minus), β+ (positron) and gamma
Explain what is meant by background radiation
Describe the origins of background radiation from Earth and
Describe methods for measuring and detecting radioactivity
Recall that an alpha particle is equivalent to a helium nucleus
Compare alpha, beta and gamma radiations in terms of their
Describe how and why the atomic model has changed over
Describe the process of β– decay (a neutron becomes a proton 1b, 1c
Describe the process of β+ decay (a proton becomes a 1b, 1c
Explain the effects on the atomic (proton) number and mass 1b, 1c
Recall that nuclei that have undergone radioactive decay often
Use given data to balance nuclear equations in terms of mass 1b, 1c
Describe how the activity of a radioactive source decreases
Recall that the unit of activity of a radioactive isotope is the
Explain that the half-life of a radioactive isotope is the time
Explain that it cannot be predicted when a particular nucleus
Use the concept of half-life to carry out simple calculations on
Describe uses of radioactivity, including:
Describe the dangers of ionising radiation in terms of tissue
Explain how the dangers of ionising radiation depend on half-
Explain the precautions taken to ensure the safety of people
Describe the differences between contamination and
Compare and contrast the treatment of tumours using
Explain some of the uses of radioactive substances in
Explain why isotopes used in PET scanners have to be
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power
Recall that nuclear reactions, including fission, fusion and
Explain how the fission of U-235 produces two daughter nuclei
Explain the principle of a controlled nuclear chain reaction
Explain how the chain reaction is controlled in a nuclear
Describe how thermal (heat) energy from the chain reaction is
Recall that the products of nuclear fission are radioactive
Describe nuclear fusion as the creation of larger nuclei
Explain the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear
Explain why nuclear fusion does not happen at low
Relate the conditions for fusion to the difficulty of making a
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Physics topical archive really free?
Yes. Every Edexcel Physics past-paper question grouped by topic on this page is free to browse online — no signup, no paywall, no download limit. The only paid option is Topical Solved, which adds a step-by-step worked solution to each question.
What's the difference between this and Topical Solved?
This free archive gives you the questions grouped by topic with the official mark scheme alongside — questions only. Topical Solved is the same questions plus a teacher-verified, step-by-step worked solution for each one, so you can see exactly how the marks are earned.
Is the mark scheme included?
Yes — every question is shown next to its official mark scheme, so you can attempt it and mark your own answer without leaving the page.
How up to date is the Physics archive?
As soon as Edexcel releases a new Physics session, the new questions are filed under the right syllabus topic here — so the archive already includes the freshest session the day after results day, still free.