Feb/March 2020

The diagram depicts a rectangular metal sheet placed near two rulers. What is the area of the metal sheet?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Which row gives one advantage and one disadvantage of wind turbines?

Energy, work and power

A box with mass $m$ and weight $W$ is taken up a flight of stairs whose total height is $x$ and whose total width is $y$. Which quantities determine the work done against gravity on the box?

Energy, work and power

Diagram 1 depicts a tube closed at one end and partly dipped into mercury. The tube’s diameter is $d$. The top of the mercury inside the tube is at a height $h$ above the mercury reservoir. Diagram 2 shows a similar setup using a tube with diameter $2d$. What is the relationship between $h$ and $x$?

Pressure

A skier is motionless on a level patch of snow. The skier has a weight of $550\,\text{N}$. The combined area of contact between the skis and the ground is $0.015\,\text{m}^2$. Calculate the pressure exerted on the ground by the skier?

Pressure

The particles of a substance in one state of matter are moving about freely in random directions. Their mean speed is rising. What is being described?

Kinetic particle model of matter

A student records the mass of warm water in an open container for two minutes. The container is maintained at a constant temperature. The findings are shown in the table. Why does the mass of the water alter?

Kinetic particle model of matter

Which points are the fixed points of the liquid-in-glass thermometer shown?

Thermal properties and temperature

Four separate metal blocks are supplied with the same amount of thermal energy. Which block has the largest thermal capacity?

Thermal properties and temperature

A solid is warmed from room temperature. The graph shows how its temperature changes with time while it is heated at a constant rate. At what time has it just changed fully into a liquid?

Thermal properties and temperature

Rods that all have the same shape and size are pushed through corks into a tank containing hot water. Each rod is coated with a layer of solid wax with a low melting point. After some time, part of the wax has melted. On which rod does the wax melt first?

Transfer of thermal energy

The graph illustrates how the speed of a car varies with time during part of a journey. Which section of the graph represents acceleration and which section of the graph represents deceleration?

Motion

A boy dives into an indoor swimming pool. He notices that the water seems colder the deeper he moves below the surface. This happens because of convection. Which statement is correct?

Transfer of thermal energy

The diagrams illustrate examples of wave motion. Identify the waves that are longitudinal.

General properties of waves

Waves at the surface of water move from deep water into shallow water. Which diagram shows the waves taking the correct path in the shallow water?

General properties of waves

Which diagram illustrates how light from a candle is reflected by a mirror, and indicates the position of the image that is formed?

Light

The diagram shows an image produced by a converging lens. Which statement correctly describes the image that is formed?

Light

The horn of a ship is sounded. The captain hears an echo from a cliff $4.0\,\text{s}$ later. The speed of sound is $340\,\text{m s}^{-1}$. How far from the ship is the cliff?

Sound

Bats emit ultrasound waves in order to navigate. What frequency range could these waves have?

Sound

The table sets out the forces acting between magnetic poles. Which row is the correct one?

Simple phenomena of magnetism

The diagrams present three different metal rods P, Q and R, positioned inside coils of wire. Small iron nails are arranged on a wooden bench beneath the rods. Diagram 1 illustrates the arrangement when electric currents flow in the wires. Diagram 2 illustrates the arrangement after the currents have been switched off. Which row correctly identifies the metal rods?

Simple phenomena of magnetism

A polythene rod gains a negative charge when it is rubbed against a cloth. Which statement accounts for this?

Electrical quantities

A steel ball is released from the top floor of a building. Air resistance may be ignored. Which statement best describes the ball’s motion?

Motion

The diagram shows the value indicated on an ammeter. What reading does it show?

Electrical quantities

A student wants to find the resistance of resistor $R$. She sets up a circuit that contains a voltmeter and an ammeter. Which circuit should be used?

Electric circuits

The diagram depicts a battery joined to two resistors. Three ammeters $M_1$, $M_2$ and $M_3$ are included in the circuit. Ammeter $M_1$ shows $1.0\,\text{A}$. What readings do $M_2$ and $M_3$ show?

Electric circuits

The lamps in the circuit are arranged in parallel. What benefit does this arrangement have?

Electric circuits

The diagram illustrates a relay used to switch a buzzer. What is the function of the circuit?

Electric circuits

An appliance circuit contains a $5\,\text{A}$ fuse. What is the function of the fuse, and in which wire is it connected?

Electrical safety

The diagram illustrates a transformer with an output voltage of $12\,\text{V}$. How many turns of wire are present in the secondary coil?

Electromagnetic effects

A wire carrying a current is positioned between two magnetic poles. Because of the current, a force acts on the wire. Three further setups, P, Q and R, showing the wire and the magnetic poles, are arranged as shown. Which setups produce a force in the direction opposite to that shown in the diagram?

Electromagnetic effects

A radioactive carbon nuclide is represented by the symbol $^{14}_{6}\text{C}$. How many neutrons does its nucleus contain?

The nuclear model of the atom

A student determines the rate at which ionising radiation is emitted by a radioactive substance. He positions a detector at several different distances from the radioactive source. The table shows how the counter reading changes with distance $d$. The counter readings have been corrected to allow for background radiation. Which type of ionising radiation is being emitted by the substance?

Radioactivity

Diagram 1 shows a piece of flexible material containing many air pockets. Diagram 2 shows the same piece of flexible material after compression, so that its volume is reduced. What happens to the mass and to the weight of the flexible material when it is compressed?

Mass and weight

The graph plots the count rate from a radioactive source as time passes. What is the half-life of the source?

Radioactivity

The Moon has a gravitational field strength $g$ of $1.6\,\text{N}\,\text{kg}^{-1}$. A body with mass $2.0\,\text{kg}$ is placed there. Calculate its weight on the Moon.

Mass and weight

A measuring cylinder has $40\,\text{cm}^3$ of water in it. A solid metal ball is placed into the water, and the water level increases to $56\,\text{cm}^3$. The ball has a mass of $80\,\text{g}$. What is the density of the metal from which the ball is made?

Density

A car moves on a horizontal road at a constant speed. There are three horizontal forces acting on the car. The diagram shows two of these forces. What are the magnitude and direction of the third horizontal force acting on the car?

Forces

A force $F$ acts on a spanner, as shown. Which change increases the moment of $F$ about the centre of the nut?

Forces

A ball is let go from rest and rolls down a track from the position shown. Which is the farthest point that the ball can possibly reach?

Energy, work and power

The diagram shows a rectangular metal sheet positioned near two rulers. What is the area of the metal sheet?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

An air pistol propels a pellet forwards. What motion does the air pistol have?

Momentum

Which row identifies one advantage and one disadvantage of wind turbines?

Energy, work and power

An electric motor delivers $900\,\text{J}$ of useful output energy. Its efficiency is $60\%$. What electrical energy is provided to the motor?

Energy, work and power

It takes a crane $2.0\,\text{minutes}$ to raise a $500\,\text{kg}$ load to the roof of a building that is $12\,\text{m}$ high. Calculate the useful power developed against gravity by the crane.

Energy, work and power

A skier is at rest on a level patch of snow. The skier’s weight is $550\,\text{N}$. The combined area of the skis touching the ground is $0.015\,\text{m}^2$. What is the pressure exerted on the ground by the skier?

Pressure

A vertical cylinder is partly full of two liquids that do not mix. The liquids have different densities. A student measures the pressure caused by the liquids at various depths. Which graph shows how the liquid pressure changes between positions P and Q?

Pressure

When pollen grains suspended in water are observed under a microscope, they are seen moving continuously and quickly in random directions. What makes a pollen grain move like this?

Kinetic particle model of matter

A student records the mass of warm water in an open container for a period of two minutes. The container is maintained at a steady temperature. The data are shown in the table. Why does the mass of the water change?

Transfer of thermal energy

Which points shown are the fixed points of the liquid-in-glass thermometer?

Thermal properties and temperature

The specific heat capacities of aluminium, iron, ethanol and water are provided. $1\,\text{kg}$ of each metal is placed into $5\,\text{kg}$ of each liquid. The initial temperature of each metal is $60^{\circ}\text{C}$. The initial temperature of each liquid is $10^{\circ}\text{C}$. Which case gives the greatest final temperature?

Thermal properties and temperature

A ball is released from rest and drops through the air towards the ground. The diagram shows two forces acting on the ball. While the ball is falling, the air resistance increases. Which statement is correct?

Forces

Metals are good thermal conductors. Insulators are poor thermal conductors. Which statement about the mechanism of thermal conductivity is correct?

Transfer of thermal energy

A teacher presents his class with a polystyrene cup. The cup is formed from thick plastic containing many tiny pockets of air. He asks the class why the cup is so effective at keeping a hot drink warm. Three ideas are put forward. 1. It has air inside, and air is a poor thermal conductor. 2. The air is held in small bubbles, so very little convection can take place. 3. The plastic is a poor thermal conductor. Which ideas are correct?

Transfer of thermal energy

A boy dives into an indoor swimming pool. As he moves further below the water surface, he observes that the water seems colder. This happens because of convection. Which statement is correct?

Transfer of thermal energy

Four students A, B, C and D investigate how water waves diffract as they pass through a gap. Each student chooses a different gap width and a different wavelength for the water waves. Which student generates the waves with the greatest diffraction?

General properties of waves

The diagrams illustrate examples of wave motion. Which of the waves are longitudinal?

General properties of waves

Which diagram illustrates the reflection of light from a candle by a mirror and indicates the location of the image that is produced?

Light

A converging lens may serve as a magnifying glass. What is the nature of the image?

Light

The wavelength of blue light changes from $4.7 \\times 10^{-7}\\,\\text{m}$ to $3.5 \\times 10^{-7}\\,\\text{m}$ when it moves from air into water. What is the speed of this light in water?

Light

The diagram illustrates compressions and rarefactions in air while a sound wave travels from left to right. A sound of the same frequency but lower loudness is produced. What change will occur in the number of particles in a rarefaction and in a compression?

Sound

The diagrams illustrate three different metal rods P, Q and R placed inside wire coils. Small iron nails are set on a wooden bench below the rods. Diagram 1 shows the arrangement when electric currents flow in the wires. Diagram 2 shows the arrangement when the currents are turned off. Which row correctly names the metal rods?

Simple phenomena of magnetism

A ball is launched horizontally by a compressed spring inside a vacuum chamber. On Earth, the ball lands on the chamber floor $4.0\,\text{m}$ from the spring. The same experiment is repeated on the Moon. The gravitational field strength on the Moon is less than it is on Earth. The Moon results are then compared with the Earth results. Which statement is correct?

Motion

Which row shows conventional current and electron flow in a circuit that includes a cell?

Electrical quantities

A student produces four resistors from separate lengths of wire. These wires have different diameters and different lengths. Each wire is made from the same material. Which wire would produce the resistor with the greatest resistance?

Electrical quantities

A student wants to measure the resistance of resistor R. She sets up a circuit with both a voltmeter and an ammeter. Which circuit should be used?

Electric circuits

The diagram presents a battery linked to two resistors. Three ammeters $M_1$, $M_2$ and $M_3$ are placed in the circuit. Ammeter $M_1$ shows $1.0\,\text{A}$. What readings do $M_2$ and $M_3$ show?

Electric circuits

A cell is linked to a parallel arrangement of a $2.0\,\Omega$ resistor and a $4.0\,\Omega$ resistor. The current through the $4.0\,\Omega$ resistor is $1.0\,\text{A}$. What current flows in the cell?

Electric circuits

The two inputs to a NAND gate are connected together. Which truth table shows how this gate works?

Electric circuits

The diagram illustrates a transformer with an output voltage of $12\,\text{V}$. How many turns of wire are there in the secondary coil?

Electromagnetic effects

The diagrams illustrate different particles travelling through a magnetic field. Which particle is acted on by a magnetic force directed upwards, out of the plane of the paper?

Electromagnetic effects

In Rutherford’s experiment using thin gold foil, some $\alpha$-particles were scattered through large angles. Which statement accounts for this observation?

The nuclear model of the atom

The diagram illustrates the path taken by $\alpha$-particles as they move between two charged plates. Their path bends downwards. What occurs to $\beta$-particles passing through the same electric field?

Radioactivity

Diagram 1 shows a piece of flexible material that contains many pockets of air. Diagram 2 shows the same piece of flexible material after it has been compressed so that its volume decreases. What happens to the mass and to the weight of the flexible material when it is compressed?

Mass and weight

The graph displays how the count rate from a radioactive source varies with time. What is the half-life of the source?

Radioactivity

The graph illustrates how the strength of the Earth’s gravitational field changes as the distance above the Earth’s surface increases. Which row shows the effect this has on the mass and on the weight of an object as it moves farther from the Earth’s surface?

Mass and weight

A measuring cylinder is holding $40\,\text{cm}^3$ of water. A solid metal ball is placed into the water, and the volume reading increases to $56\,\text{cm}^3$. The ball has a mass of $80\,\text{g}$. What is the density of the metal that the ball is made from?

Density

A car moves at constant speed along a horizontal road. There are three horizontal forces acting on the car, and the diagram shows two of them. What are the magnitude and direction of the third horizontal force acting on the car?

Forces

A car moves around a bend in the road at constant speed. In what direction does the resultant force act on the car as it goes round the bend?

Motion

An athlete of mass $70\,\text{kg}$ is training by doing press-ups while carrying a load on his back. The diagram indicates the perpendicular distances concerned. The athlete’s centre of mass is $C_M$ and the centre of mass of the load he carries is $C_L$. The load has a mass of $6.0\,\text{kg}$. What upward force is exerted by his two arms?

Forces

Calculate the average thickness of a single coin.

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Fig. 10.1 illustrates an arrangement used to make an electromagnet.

Electromagnetic effects

Fig. 11.1 presents lamps connected in series, while Fig. 11.2 presents lamps connected in parallel. All the lamps are identical 6.0 V lamps. Each circuit contains three ammeters A1, A2 and A3.

Electric circuits

The nuclide notation for a nucleus of americium-241 is $^{241}_{95}\text{Am}$.

Radioactivity

A 50 cm rule is balanced with its midpoint as the support point. A force of 8.0 N acts 10 cm from one end of the rule. Fig. 2.1 illustrates the arrangement.

Forces

A ball is released from a high window by a student.

Motion

Fig. 4.1 illustrates an electric circuit. Energy is transferred from the battery to the filament lamp by an electric current.

Electric circuits

Fig. 5.1 illustrates a wind turbine.

Energy, work and power

Place one tick in each row to show whether the statement describes a gas or a solid.

Kinetic particle model of matter

State which substance shows the greatest rise in volume.

Thermal properties and temperature

Fig. 8.1 illustrates a travelling wave at a single instant.

General properties of waves

On Fig. 9.1, draw the normal at the point where ray X meets the mirror.

Light

A rocket is fired straight up from the ground. It moves with uniform acceleration starting from rest. After 8.0 s, its speed is 120 m/s.

Motion

Describe the magnetic effect of this alternating current.

Electromagnetic effects

Hydrogen-1 is the isotope with proton number 1 and nucleon number 1. The helium isotopes are helium-3 and helium-4. For helium-3, the proton number is 2 and the nucleon number is 3. For helium-4, the nucleon number is 4.

Radioactivity

Fig. 2.1 depicts an athlete going across the finishing line in a race. At the moment she crosses the finishing line, her speed is 10.0 m/s. She then reduces her speed to 4.0 m/s.

Momentum

Fig. 3.1 presents a model wind turbine that is used to show how wind energy can be converted into electricity. The wind is shown blowing towards the model.

Energy, work and power

Define what is meant by the specific latent heat of fusion of a substance.

Thermal properties and temperature

Fill in the blanks with words that name the main process of thermal energy transfer in each case. A man goes for a walk on a cold day. He touches a metal gate, which removes thermal energy from his hands by [BLANK]. He holds the sides of a cup containing a hot drink. His hands gain thermal energy by [BLANK]. Some farm workers have lit a fire. The man warms his hands by the side of the fire. His hands gain thermal energy by [BLANK].

Transfer of thermal energy

On Fig. 6.1, add three more crests on the right-hand side of point A.

General properties of waves

On Fig. 7.1, draw two rays to find the position of the object. Draw the object and label it O.

Light

Fig. 8.1 depicts a circuit. The lamp’s resistance is 3.0 Ω, and line XY is a uniform resistance wire with resistance 6.0 Ω.

Electric circuits

State the name of the logic gate represented by the symbol in Fig. 9.1.

Electric circuits