Oct/Nov 2023

To find the period of a pendulum, a student measures the time for one full oscillation with an analogue stop-watch that has a second hand. Which modification to the method gives the largest increase in accuracy?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

A pump performs $460\,000\,\text{J}$ of work to lift water and fill a tank. The tank is filled in $7$ minutes. Calculate the power of the pump.

Energy, work and power

As a diver moves downward from the water’s surface to a depth of $10\,\text{m}$, the pressure acting on the diver rises from $100\,000\,\text{N m}^{-2}$ to $200\,000\,\text{N m}^{-2}$. Which statement accounts for this rise in pressure?

Pressure

Why is it possible to compress a gas easily into a smaller volume?

Kinetic particle model of matter

Mercury has a melting point of $-39\,^{\circ}\text{C}$. What is this melting point in kelvin?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

A bimetallic strip is used to regulate the temperature of an electrical appliance. It consists of two different metals joined firmly together. The diagram shows the shape of the bimetallic strip before heating and after heating. Which statement is correct?

Thermal properties and temperature

A student has two metal blocks, X and Y. Block X is at a temperature of $50\,^{\circ}\text{C}$ and block Y is at $0\,^{\circ}\text{C}$. The two blocks are then put into contact with each other. After a period of time, both blocks reach a temperature of $25\,^{\circ}\text{C}$. What has happened to the internal energy of each block?

Transfer of thermal energy

The diagram illustrates the interior of a room that is warmed by a radiator. The arrowed line from X to Y represents the route taken by the convection current in the air. Which row gives the correct air temperature and air density at X and at Y?

Transfer of thermal energy

Which of the following statements about waves are true?

General properties of waves

Which wave quantities for a wave on the surface of water can each be measured in metres?

General properties of waves

Which diagram correctly illustrates the dispersion of white light through a glass prism?

Light

The graph illustrates the speed of a car moving through a town. Which part of the graph shows a time when the car is slowing down?

Motion

A beam of light is reflected from a plane mirror. Which row gives the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection?

Light

A thin converging lens is used to form a real image of an object. Which statement about the real image is always true?

Light

In which medium do all types of electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed?

Electromagnetic spectrum

Dogs are able to detect sounds in the range from $100\,\text{Hz}$ to $45\,\text{kHz}$. Which statement is true?

Sound

Which metal could be used to make a permanent magnet, and which metal could be used for the core of an electromagnet?

Simple phenomena of magnetism

Object 1 is given a negative charge and then placed on a balance. Object 2, which is also charged, is moved near object 1, and the balance reading alters as shown. Which action would cause the reading on the balance to decrease further?

Electrical quantities

Which of these statements about a voltmeter is correct?

Electric circuits

How does the resistance of a metallic wire vary: • when its length becomes greater • when its cross-sectional area becomes smaller?

Electrical quantities

A plastic rod is rubbed using a cloth. The rod ends up with a positive charge because charged particles move. Which row names these charged particles and states the direction of their movement?

Electrical quantities

Two $2.0\,\Omega$ resistors are joined in parallel. What is the resultant resistance of the resistors?

Electric circuits

A body has a weight of $19\,\text{N}$ on a planet where the acceleration of free fall is $3.8\,\text{m s}^{-2}$. What is the object's mass?

Mass and weight

An electric heater is connected to the mains supply by means of a fused plug. The current in the heater is $10\,\text{A}$. The cable fitted to the heater has a rating of $15\,\text{A}$. The fuses that can be chosen are rated at $1.0\,\text{A}$, $3.0\,\text{A}$, $5.0\,\text{A}$ and $13\,\text{A}$. Which fuse should be selected?

Electrical safety

A teacher prepares the apparatus for three demonstrations, P, Q and R. For demonstration P, the magnet is moved towards the right. For demonstration Q, the switch is closed. For demonstration R, the copper rod is raised vertically upwards. Which of these demonstrations could be used to show electromagnetic induction?

Electromagnetic effects

A metal rod PQ is placed on two horizontal metal wires connected to a battery. The rod is positioned between the poles of a magnet. When the switch is closed, the rod moves to the right. What could be changed so that the rod moves to the left?

Electromagnetic effects

A transformer in a computer is used to change the mains voltage of 240 V into 12 V. The secondary coil has 2000 turns. Which statement about the transformer is correct?

Electromagnetic effects

Atom P contains 6 electrons, 6 protons and 6 neutrons. Atom Q contains 6 electrons, 6 protons and 7 neutrons. Which statement is correct?

The nuclear model of the atom

$\alpha$-particles, $\beta$-particles and $\gamma$-rays are given off by radioactive nuclei during decay. Which of these emissions can be deflected by an electric field?

Radioactivity

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

Radioactivity

A scientist is performing an experiment with a sealed source that gives off $\beta$-particles. The distance travelled by the $\beta$-particles through air is approximately 30 cm. Which precaution would give the scientist the greatest protection from the radiation?

Radioactivity

Which planet moves around the Sun between Mars and Saturn?

The Earth and the Solar System

Which of these statements about the Sun is correct?

Stars and the Universe

An object hangs from a spring balance on the Earth. The same object is then hung from that same spring balance on another planet. Which statement accounts for the difference between the two readings?

Mass and weight

What quantity is measured by a light-year?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

A student is given a bottle of cooking oil. She measures the density of the cooking oil. Which apparatus does she require?

Density

Four identical objects each have forces acting on them. The size of each force is shown by the length of its arrow. Which object is in equilibrium?

Forces

The diagram represents a wooden beam $PQ$ fixed to a wall with a pivot at $P$ and held level by a vertical rope fastened at $Q$. A box has been positioned on the beam. Which changes must decrease the tension in the rope at $Q$?

Forces

A cyclist moves downhill from rest at point X without pedalling. The cyclist uses his brakes and the cycle comes to a stop at point Y. Which energy transfers have occurred between X and Y?

Energy, work and power

Which energy resource cannot be renewed?

Energy, work and power

A student examines the vertical oscillation of a mass attached to a spring. The student draws the mass down from its equilibrium position P and then lets it go so that it oscillates vertically. The student then carries out the instructions below to determine the period of the oscillating mass. 1. Time 10 complete oscillations. 2. Divide the reading on the stop-watch by $10$. 3. Start the stop-watch as the mass passes upwards through point P. 4. Stop the stop-watch. What is the correct sequence of these instructions?

Motion

While the electric car is being charged overnight, $180\ \text{MJ}$ of energy is transferred in $8.0\ \text{hours}$. What is the power of the charger?

Energy, work and power

Tractors are fitted with large tyres. These reduce the chance of the wheels sinking into soft ground. Which statement explains this?

Pressure

Brownian motion refers to the random movement of particles. In which states of matter can Brownian motion be observed?

Kinetic particle model of matter

A student carries out an investigation into how the pressure of a gas relates to its volume while the temperature is kept constant. He records the results in a table. Which conclusion is correct from this experiment?

Kinetic particle model of matter

A wooden wheel may be made stronger by placing a tightly fitted iron band around it. Which action would make it simpler to slide the band over the wood?

Thermal properties and temperature

Which diagram illustrates the processes that take place during changes of state?

Kinetic particle model of matter

A radiator warms a room. Diagrams X and Y illustrate two different patterns of hot-air movement that warm the room. Which diagram and which reason describe how the room is heated by convection?

Transfer of thermal energy

Which description and example are right for a transverse wave?

General properties of waves

Straight wavefronts on the surface of a ripple tank move towards an opening in a barrier. The diagram illustrates the way the wavefronts alter their shape as they travel through the opening. What is this effect called?

General properties of waves

Red, green and violet are colours in the visible part of the light spectrum. In order from the shortest wavelength to the longest, what is the colour sequence?

Electromagnetic spectrum

A student determines the average speed of a cyclist in a race. Which quantities does she need to measure?

Motion

Which diagram shows the image produced correctly by reflection?

Light

A student sends parallel beams of light through four different converging lenses. For each trial, he measures the distance $x$ and the distance $y$. Which lens has the greatest focal length?

Light

The table lists several kinds of wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. At which place do all the waves move at the same speed?

Electromagnetic spectrum

Which of these statements about a sound that a person with normal hearing can detect is correct?

Sound

A hard magnetic material may be used to produce a permanent magnet. A soft magnetic material may be used to produce a temporary magnet. Which row indicates whether iron and steel are hard or soft magnetic materials?

Simple phenomena of magnetism

A battery is joined to an ammeter and a resistor. The ammeter shows a reading of $0.20\,\text{A}$. An electrical insulator is then placed in parallel with the resistor. What reading will the ammeter show?

Electric circuits

In which unit is electromotive force (e.m.f.) measured?

Electrical quantities

Which equation is correct for resistance $R$, potential difference (p.d.) $V$ and current $I$?

Electrical quantities

In the diagram, rod R hangs from an insulating thread. When the positively charged rod Q is moved near rod R, rod R moves away from rod Q. What conclusion can be drawn from this observation?

Electrical quantities

In which heating system circuit would thermistors be of no use?

Electric circuits

The graph depicts the motion of a sprinter. She speeds up uniformly from rest to $8.0\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ in $4.0\,\text{s}$. What distance does she cover during the final three seconds of her acceleration?

Motion

Which one of the following statements is correct?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Which graph showing current $I$ plotted against time $t$ corresponds to an alternating current (a.c.)?

Electrical quantities

The diagram illustrates a wire placed in the magnetic field between the two poles of a magnet. The current in the wire keeps switching between a constant value in one direction and a constant value in the opposite direction, as the graph shows. What effect does this have on the wire?

Electromagnetic effects

In a transformer, the primary coil has $N_p$ turns and the secondary coil has $N_s$ turns. The potential difference across the primary coil is $V_p$, while the potential difference across the secondary coil is $V_s$. What link exists between these four quantities?

Electromagnetic effects

The diagrams show the protons, neutrons and electrons present in different atoms and ions. Which diagram indicates a negatively charged ion?

The nuclear model of the atom

Which row gives the correct description of an example of radioactive decay?

Radioactivity

A detector is being used to record the radiation emitted by a radioactive source across several days. The table gives the count rate from the source at various times. What is the half-life of the source?

Radioactivity

Which precaution is the most effective for lowering the risk when a radioactive source that gives out $\gamma$-rays is being handled, stored or used?

Radioactivity

Roughly how long does the Moon take to complete one orbit around the Earth?

The Earth and the Solar System

Energy is transferred from the Sun to the Earth by electromagnetic radiation. Which two regions of the electromagnetic spectrum contain most of this energy?

Electromagnetic spectrum

A person stands on a bathroom scale. The bathroom scale measures both mass and weight. Which row shows the readings on the bathroom scale?

Mass and weight

What gives evidence that the Universe is expanding?

Stars and the Universe

Which equation is the correct one?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

The diagrams illustrate four identical objects. For each object, only the forces that are shown are acting on it. Which diagram represents an object in equilibrium?

Forces

A wooden ruler of uniform mass is supported on a pivot placed at its midpoint. A force of $2.0\,\text{N}$ is attached from each end of the ruler. The pivot provides an upward force $F$ on the ruler. What is $F$ equal to?

Forces

The diagram illustrates part of a rollercoaster track with the car shown at several positions. The car moves without power from position X down to position Y and then climbs the slope on the far side. What occurs to the energy in the kinetic store and the gravitational potential store of the car as it travels from position X to position Y?

Energy, work and power

In a small power station, biofuel is used to produce electricity. Which energy store is decreased by this process?

Energy, work and power

A student measures the total length of six identical table-tennis balls positioned between two wooden blocks using a metre ruler. What is the diameter of a single ball?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

A microwave oven has a power rating of $900\ \text{W}$. Which statement gives the correct meaning of this value?

Energy, work and power

Why is it simpler to push a pointed nail, instead of a blunt nail, into a piece of wood?

Pressure

A closed bottle with fixed volume contains air. The Sun heats the air in the bottle. What happens to the average speed of the air particles in the bottle and to the average separation between them?

Kinetic particle model of matter

Which graph represents the relationship between the pressure $p$ of a fixed mass of gas and its volume $V$ when the temperature remains constant?

Kinetic particle model of matter

What occurs when a metal block is heated?

Thermal properties and temperature

Which statement about the temperature of the solid explains what happens while a solid is melting?

Thermal properties and temperature

A cupboard stands in front of a heater. Air is able to pass through a space beneath the cupboard. Which row shows the temperature and the direction in which the air moves through the space?

Transfer of thermal energy

Which statement regarding waves is correct?

General properties of waves

The diagram illustrates a transverse wave. Which row gives the amplitude and the wavelength of the wave?

General properties of waves

A beam of light from the Sun falls on a prism. The spread-out beam then strikes a white wall between X and Y. Which colours appear at X, Z and Y?

Light

A train travels along a straight track. The graph indicates how the quantity $y$ changes with time. Which statements could be true?

Motion

The diagram shows a ray of light striking a plane mirror. The angle between the ray and the mirror is $35^{\circ}$. The ray is reflected from the mirror. What is the angle of reflection?

Light

As shown, a thin converging lens in a camera forms a real image on a photo-sensitive surface. At which position is the image of the top of the object produced?

Light

The diagram illustrates the electromagnetic spectrum. Which waves are E, F and G?

Electromagnetic spectrum

A sound is made, then an echo is heard when that sound is reflected from a wall. In what way do the echo's properties differ from those of the original sound wave?

Sound

What metal can be attracted by a magnet?

Simple phenomena of magnetism

A student uses an ammeter to measure the current through a resistor. He looks at three different circuit arrangements, as shown. In which circuit does the ammeter measure the current in the resistor?

Electric circuits

Which substances each have a high concentration of free electrons?

Electrical quantities

Which unit is used for resistance?

Electrical quantities

A teacher wants to demonstrate the generation of electrostatic charges. She takes a rod and rubs it with a cotton cloth. A copper rod, a glass rod, a plastic rod and a steel rod are available. Which two rods would both be suitable to use?

Electrical quantities

Resistors with resistances of $2.0\,\Omega$ and $3.0\,\Omega$ are arranged in two separate circuits. What is the overall resistance for each circuit?

Electric circuits

A vehicle designed to investigate the surface of Mars has a mass of $200\,\text{kg}$. The acceleration of free fall on Mars is $3.7\,\text{m s}^{-2}$. Find the weight of the vehicle on Mars.

Mass and weight

An electrical heater has a current of $5.0\,\text{A}$. It is linked to the mains supply using a flexible cable that is able to carry up to $15\,\text{A}$. The mains circuit itself can carry up to $30\,\text{A}$. Several fuses are available for protecting the heater’s cable. Which fuse would be the most suitable choice?

Electrical safety

A generator operates using the principle of electromagnetic induction. Which alteration would increase the induced electromotive force (e.m.f.) in the coil?

Electromagnetic effects

A current flows through a wire positioned between the poles of a permanent magnet. The wire experiences a force because of the magnetic field. What would cause this force to act in the opposite direction?

Electromagnetic effects

What is the purpose of a transformer?

Electromagnetic effects

What are the respective charges of a proton, a neutron and an electron?

The nuclear model of the atom

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5700 years. A freshly formed object that contains carbon-14 has a count rate of 100 counts/minute. The graph indicates how the count rate falls with time. Which point on the graph represents a time 11400 years after the object formed?

Radioactivity

Which type of radioactive decay makes the nucleus of one element become the nucleus of a different element?

Radioactivity

A scientist must use a source of $g$-rays as safely as possible. Which action would not lower the total radiation that reaches the scientist?

Radioactivity

Which time interval is roughly equal to 24 hours?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

The closest star to the Sun is around four light-years from Earth. A student gives three claims about the star. Which of these claims are correct?

Stars and the Universe

A student is writing about mass and weight. Which statement is correct?

Mass and weight

The table lists some elements and some sections of the electromagnetic spectrum. Which row identifies one of the most abundant elements in the Sun and one of the sections of the spectrum in which the Sun emits most of its energy?

Electromagnetic spectrum

A student performs an experiment to find the density of an irregularly shaped solid. The solid is first put on a balance and a reading is recorded. It is then submerged in a liquid inside a measuring cylinder. Which quantities should be used in the calculation?

Density

A uniform rod is balanced on a pivot at its midpoint. The rod is free and not fixed to the pivot. Four different force arrangements are then applied to the rod, as illustrated. The rod’s weight may be neglected. Which diagram shows the rod in equilibrium?

Forces

The diagram represents a beam in equilibrium on a pivot. Two forces, $X$ and $Y$, are acting on the beam. Which calculation gives the moment of the force $Y$ about the pivot?

Forces

A mass moves up and down repeatedly on a steel spring. The diagram shows the mass and the spring at different stages of the motion. At which point is the gravitational potential store of the mass at the least energy and at which point is the elastic store of the spring at the greatest energy?

Energy, work and power

Electrical power can be produced from a range of resources. Some of these resources are shown below: - chemical energy stored in biofuels - chemical energy stored in fossil fuels - energy stored in tides - geothermal resources - hydroelectric resources - light from the Sun - nuclear fuel How many of the resources shown are renewable?

Energy, work and power