Question

The mass number of He is 4 and that of sulphur is 32. The radius of sulphur nucleus is larger than that of helium by the factor of

• A. 4
• B. 2
• C. 8
• D. $\sqrt 8$

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The question involves comparing the size of atomic nuclei, specifically helium (He) and sulfur (S). The size of an atomic nucleus is often related to its mass number (\(A\)), and the radius of a nucleus (\(R\)) is approximated using the formula:

\(R = R_0 \times A^{1/3}\) 

where \(R_0\) is a constant approximately equal to 1.2-1.3 femtometers.

1. The mass number of helium (He) is 4, and that of sulfur (S) is 32.
2. According to the formula, the radius of the helium nucleus is given by:
3. For sulfur, the radius is:
4. Now, we need to find by what factor the radius of sulfur is larger than that of helium:

Therefore, the radius of the sulfur nucleus is larger than that of the helium nucleus by a factor of 2. Hence, the correct answer is the second option, 2.