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Physics - Nuclear Physics

Practise 81 NEET previous year questions on Nuclear Physics, compiled from papers spanning 2002 to 2026. Each question is pulled directly from the actual exam paper it appeared in, so you're practising in the exact style and difficulty NEET tests.

Nuclear Physics has been asked in 24 of the 39 years of NEET papers analysed (1988–2026), with 81 questions in all. 52% of them were easy, 41% moderate and 7% tough. Most of its questions came from 2011, with 6 questions that year. In the last three years (2024–2026) it had 6 questions across 13 papers, about 0.5 per paper.

The chapter's 4 topics are not weighted equally: Radioactivity (40 questions, 49%), Nuclear energy (15 questions, 19%), and Nuclear reactions (13 questions, 16%) have been asked the most. Radioactivity has also led over the last five years, with 5 questions. Nuclear energy has produced the most tough questions (3).

  1. 1Four statements are given (A is mass number) : A. The volume of a nucleus is proportional to . B. The volume of a nucleus is proportional to2026 (Cancelled)Nuclear structure
  2. 2An unknown nucleus has a nuclear density of kg/m and mass of kg. Its mass number is approximately : (Take m; )2026 (Cancelled)Nuclear structure
  3. 3Consider the following nuclear reaction : Take masses of , and as u, u and u, respectively. The Q value for the reaction, in keV, is : [Give2026 (Re-NEET)Nuclear energy
  4. 4In the nuclear emission stated above, the mass number and atomic number of the product respectively, are2024Radioactivity
  5. 5Water is used as a coolant in a nuclear reactor because of its2024 (Re-NEET)Nuclear reactions
  6. 6Select the correct statements among the following : A. Slow neutrons can cause fission in than fast neutrons. B. -rays are Helium nuclei. C.2024 (Re-NEET)Radioactivity
  7. 7The half life of a radioactive substance is 20 minutes. In how much time, the activity of substance drops to 1 16 t h of its initial value?2023 (All India)Radioactivity
  8. 8In the given nuclear reaction, the element X is Na 11 22 X + e + + v2022 (Phase 1)Nuclear reactions
  9. 9A nucleus of mass number 189 splits into two nuclei having mass number 125 and 64 . The ratio of radius of two daughter nuclei respectively 2022 (Phase 1)Nuclear structure
  10. 10Given below are two statements: Statement I: The law of radioactive decay states that the number of nuclei undergoing the decay per unit tim2022 (Phase 2)Radioactivity
  11. 11At any instant, two elements and have same number of radioactive atoms. If the decay constant of and are and respectively. Then the time whe2022 (Phase 2)Radioactivity
  12. 12A radioactive nucleus A Z X undergoes spontaneous decay in the sequence A Z X Z - 1 B Z - 3 C Z - 2 D , where Z is the atomic number of elem2021Radioactivity
  13. 13The half-life of a radioactive nuclide is 100 hours. The fraction of original activity that will remain after 150 hours would be :2021Radioactivity
  14. 14A nucleus with mass number 240 breaks into two fragments each of mass number 120 , the binding energy per nucleon of unfragmented nuclei is 2021Nuclear energy
  15. 15When a uranium isotope U 92 235 is bombarded with a neutron, it generates Kr 36 89 , three neutrons and:2020 (Phase 1)Nuclear reactions
  16. 16The energy equivalent of 0.5 g of a substance is:2020 (Phase 1)Nuclear energy
  17. 17What happens to the mass number and atomic number of an element when it emits -radiation2020 (Phase 2)Radioactivity
  18. 18The half life of radioactive sample undergoing -decay is 1 . 4 10 17 s . If the number of nuclei in the sample is 2 . 0 10 21 , the activity2020 (Phase 2)Radioactivity
  19. 19-particle consists of2019 (All India)Radioactivity
  20. 20The rate of radioactive disintegration at an instant for a radioactive sample of half life is . The number of radioactive atoms in that samp2019 (Odisha)Radioactivity
  21. 21For a radioactive material, the half-life is 10 minutes . If initially there are 600 number of nuclei, the time taken (in minutes ) for the 2018Radioactivity
  22. 22Radioactive material A has decay constant 8 and material B has decay constant . Initially they have the same number of nuclei. After what ti2017Radioactivity
  23. 23When an -particle of mass m moving with a undefined velocity bombards on a heavy nucleus of charge Ze , its distance of the closest approach2016 (Phase 1)Nuclear reactions
  24. 24The half-life of a radioactive substance is 30 min . The time (in minutes) taken between 40 % decay and 85 % decay of the same radioactive s2016 (Phase 2)Radioactivity
  25. 25If radius of the A 13 27 l nucleus is taken to be R A l then the radius of T e 53 125 nucleus is nearly2015 (Phase 1)Nuclear structure
  26. 26A nucleus of uranium decays at rest into nuclei of thorium and helium. Then:2015 (Phase 2)Nuclear reactions
  27. 27The Binding energy per nucleon of L i 3 7 and H e 2 4 nucleon are 5.60 M e V and 7.06 M eV , respectively. In the nuclear reaction 3 7 L i +2014Nuclear energy
  28. 28A radio isotope X with a half life 1.4 10 9 years decays to Y which is stable. A sample of the rock from a cave was found to contain X and Y2014Radioactivity
  29. 29The half-life of a radioactive isotope is . It decays to another element which is stable. The two elements and were found to be in the ratio2013 (All India)Radioactivity
  30. 30A certain mass of hydrogen is changed to helium by the process of fusion. The mass defect in fusion reaction is . The energy liberated per i2013 (All India)Nuclear reactions
  31. 31How does the Binding Energy per nucleon vary with the increase in the number of nucleons?2013 (Karnataka)Nuclear energy
  32. 32-particle, -particle and -rays are all having same energy. Their penetrating power in a given medium in incresing order will be:2013 (Karnataka)Radioactivity
  33. 33The half life of a radioactive nucleus is 50 days. The time interval between the time when of it has decayed and the time when of it had dec2012 (Mains)Radioactivity
  34. 34If the nuclear radius of is , the approximate nuclear radius of in Fermi is2012 (Screening)Nuclear structure
  35. 35A mixture consists of two radioactive materials and with half lives of and respectively. Initially the mixture has of and of . The amount of2012 (Screening)Radioactivity
  36. 36Two radioactive nuclei and , in a given sample decay into a stable nucleous . At time , number of species are and that of are . Half-life of2011 (Mains)Radioactivity
  37. 37A radioactive nucleus of mass emits a photon of frequency and the nucleus recoils. The recoil energy will be2011 (Screening)Nuclear energy
  38. 38The power obtained in a reactor using disintegration is . The mass decay of per hour is2011 (Screening)Radioactivity
  39. 39The half-life of a radioactive isotope is . It decays to another element which is stable. The two elements and were found to be in the ratio2011 (Screening)Radioactivity
  40. 40Fusion reaction takes place at high temperature because2011 (Screening)Nuclear reactions
  41. 41A nucleus emits one -particle and two particles. The resulting nucleus is2011 (Screening)Radioactivity
  42. 42The decay constant of a radio isotope is . If and are its activities at times and respectively, the number of nuclei which have decayed duri2010 (Mains)Radioactivity
  43. 43The binding energy per nucleon in deuterium and helium nuclei are and , respectively. When two deuterium nuclei fuse to form a helium nucleu2010 (Mains)Nuclear energy
  44. 44The mass of a nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of all its nucleons. The binding energy per nucleon of nucleus is nearly2010 (Screening)Nuclear energy
  45. 45The activity of a radioactive sample is measured as counts per minute at and counts per minute at . The time (in minute) at which the activi2010 (Screening)Radioactivity
  46. 46In the nuclear decay given below : The particles emitted in the sequence are :2009 (Mains)Radioactivity
  47. 47The number of beta particles emitted by a radioactive substance is twice the number of alpha particles emitted by it. The resulting daughter2009 (Mains)Radioactivity
  48. 48Which of the following hormones contains iodine?2009 (Mains)Radioactivity
  49. 49In the nuclear decay given below the particles emitted in the sequence are2009 (Screening)Radioactivity
  50. 50The number of beta particles emitted by a radioactive substance is twice the number of alpha particles emitted by it. The resulting daughter2009 (Screening)Radioactivity

Frequently Asked Questions

1.How many questions are available for Nuclear Physics?

This chapter includes 81 questions compiled from NEET papers spanning 2002 to 2026.

2.Are these questions only from NEET, or from other exams too?

These are NEET questions specifically for the Nuclear Physics chapter. Questions from other exams like AIIMS or JIPMER are organised separately under their respective exam sections.

3.Is Nuclear Physics an important chapter for NEET Physics?

Nuclear Physics has appeared in 24 of the 25 years of NEET papers covered here, with 81 questions across 37 papers - about 2 per paper it appears in.

4.What is the difficulty level of Nuclear Physics questions in NEET?

Of the 81 questions analysed for this chapter, 52% are easy, 41% moderate and 7% tough. 2011 had the most, with 6 questions.

5.Which topics in Nuclear Physics should I focus on?

These topics have carried the most weightage in Nuclear Physics:

  • Radioactivity - 40 questions (49%)
  • Nuclear energy - 15 questions (19%)
  • Nuclear reactions - 13 questions (16%)
  • Nuclear energy has produced the most tough questions (3).
6.Is Nuclear Physics's weightage in NEET going up or down?

Across all 37 papers analysed, Nuclear Physics has averaged about 2.2 questions per paper. In the last three years (2024–2026), that average has fallen, at about 0.5 questions per paper. Use the year-wise numbers on this page for the exact trend before you decide how much time to give it.