May/June 2016

The diagram illustrates arrows that represent two vector quantities. Which diagram shows the resultant $R$ formed by these two vectors?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

Four table lamps are illustrated, together with the position M of the centre of mass in each case. Which lamp is the most stable?

Centre of gravity

A child descends a slide. The child’s weight is 250 N. The slide has a height of 7.0 m. As the child moves down the slide, 1300 J of work is done against friction. What is the change in gravitational potential energy and what is the child’s final kinetic energy?

Energy

What uses energy from non-renewable sources?

Energy resources

Which process inside the Sun generates energy?

The Sun as a star

A 300 N force acts on a box to move it up a ramp, as shown. How much work is done by this force as the box moves from X to Y?

Work

Each of the four beakers holds the same liquid. At which point is the pressure largest?

Pressure

A body of water with a depth of 10 m creates a pressure equal to atmospheric pressure. A bubble of air moves upward to the surface of a lake that is 20 m deep. When the bubble arrives at the surface, its volume is 6.0 cm$^3$. What is the volume of the air bubble at the bottom of the lake?

Pressure

A gas in a container with constant volume is heated. What happens to the gas molecules?

Particle model

Which statement relating to thermal radiation is correct?

Radiation

For a transverse wave, what do we mean by a wavefront?

General properties of waves

Which group of quantities are all vectors?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

A longitudinal wave travels along a spring. The coils of the spring move from side to side. The diagram shows the positions of the coils at one moment. Which positions are separated by one wavelength?

General properties of waves

A ray of light strikes a mirror and is reflected by it. The angle of incidence is $i$ and the angle of reflection is $r$. Which diagram shows $i$ and $r$ correctly?

Reflection of light

Which measurement is the focal length of the lens shown in the diagram?

Thin lenses

Light travels from air into a glass block with refractive index $1.5$, as illustrated. What is the angle of refraction in the glass and what is the critical angle?

Refraction of light

Microwaves are used for sending television signals to and from a satellite. Which statement about microwaves is correct?

Electromagnetic spectrum

In which applications are gamma-rays used?

Radioactivity

An intruder alarm is altered so that it produces a quieter sound without changing the pitch of the note. How are the amplitude and the frequency of the sound affected?

Sound

Four plotting compasses are arranged close to a bar magnet. You can disregard any influence from the Earth’s magnetic field. One compass is shown below. Which position could it be in?

Simple magnetism and magnetic fields

The diagram depicts an uncharged ball covered with metallic paint. The ball hangs on an insulating thread. It is brought close to a positively charged rod. Which diagram indicates the charge distribution on the ball?

Electrical charge

A car headlamp carries a current of $2.0\,\text{A}$. The headlamp remains switched on for $4.0\,\text{minutes}$. How much charge flows through the headlamp?

Electrical current

A student measures the circumference of a golf ball. Which instrument provides a reading equal to the golf ball’s circumference?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

In what other form can one volt be written?

Electromotive force and potential difference

The cells, lamps and resistors in the circuits are the same. In which circuit is the lamp brightest?

Series and parallel circuits

The graph shows the voltage-current relationship for two resistance wires P and Q. Both wires are made of the same material and have the same length. However, their resistances and cross-sectional areas are not the same. Which wire has the larger resistance, and which wire has the greater cross-sectional area?

Resistance

A lamp is linked to the a.c. mains supply in series with a switch and a fuse. Which circuit shows these components connected correctly?

Circuit diagrams and circuit components

A student is carrying out an investigation into resistance with the circuit diagram shown. The resistance of $R$ is about $5\,\Omega$. Which ranges are the most suitable for the voltmeter and the ammeter?

Action and use of circuit components

A split-ring commutator is fitted in a simple d.c. motor. It changes the direction of the current in the coil. How many times does it reverse the current?

The d.c. motor

Which component, when placed in a circuit, permits current to flow in only one direction?

Action and use of circuit components

A potential divider contains a thermistor and a light-dependent resistor (LDR). Under which conditions is the voltage $V$ across the LDR the smallest?

Electric circuits

Which type of radiation is formed from electrons?

The three types of emission

A sample of a radioactive isotope gives a count rate of $10\,000$ counts per minute. The half-life of the isotope is one day. What was the count rate of the sample two days ago?

Radioactive decay

The graph illustrates the way the speed of a car changes over time. Which statement about the car's acceleration from $10\,\text{s}$ to $20\,\text{s}$ is correct?

Motion

Which one of the following statements about the nucleus of $^{15}_{7}\text{N}$ is correct?

The nucleus

A man hauls a sledge with mass $25\,\text{kg}$ over level ground using a horizontal force of $60\,\text{N}$. A frictional force of $20\,\text{N}$ acts constantly on the sledge. What is the acceleration of the sledge?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

A car is travelling round a circle at constant speed. In what direction does the resultant force on the car act?

Circular motion

A brick is put first on a newton meter and then on a beam balance. What does each instrument measure?

Mass and weight

A force is applied to a body. Which list contains only quantities that the force can alter?

Forces

A beam of uniform density is horizontal and pivoted at its right-hand end, and it is in equilibrium. As shown, a force of 60 N acts vertically upwards on the beam. The beam has distances marked as 20 cm and 30 cm. What is the weight of the beam?

Turning effect of forces

A student measures the circumference of a golf ball. Which instrument provides a reading equal to the golf ball’s circumference?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Four beakers hold the same liquid. At which point is the pressure largest?

Pressure

A block with weight $W$ is placed on a face of area $A$. The gravitational field strength is $g$. What pressure does the block apply to the ground?

Pressure

A column of water with depth $10\,\text{m}$ produces a pressure that is the same as atmospheric pressure. An air bubble moves up to the surface of a lake that is $20\,\text{m}$ deep. At the surface, the bubble has a volume of $6.0\,\text{cm}^3$. What is the volume of the air bubble at the bottom of the lake?

Pressure

A gas is heated inside a container with a fixed volume. What effect does this have on the gas molecules?

Kinetic particle model of matter

The diagram illustrates two liquid-in-glass thermometers $P$ and $Q$. Other than the fact that $Q$ has a capillary tube with a larger internal diameter than $P$, the thermometers are the same. Which thermometer has the larger range and which thermometer has the greater sensitivity?

Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases

A piece of bread is put beneath a red-hot electric grill so that it becomes toast. By what process does heat energy get to the bread?

Radiation

The diagram illustrates the interior of a refrigerator. When the refrigerator is turned on for the first time, what occurs to the air close to the cooling unit?

Convection

A water wave in a ripple tank is refracted as it moves from deep water into shallow water. Which properties are altered as the wave is refracted?

General properties of waves

The diagram depicts light striking a plane mirror. Which row states the angle of reflection and the name of line $PQ$?

Reflection of light

Which distance represents the focal length of the lens in the diagram?

Thin lenses

A man drags a sledge with mass $25\,\text{kg}$ along level ground by applying a horizontal force of $60\,\text{N}$. A frictional force of $20\,\text{N}$, acting constantly, opposes the motion of the sledge. What is the acceleration of the sledge?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

Light rays from a ray-box travel through three lenses positioned at $1$, $2$ and $3$. What kind of lens is fitted at each position?

Thin lenses

A ray of light travels from air into a glass block, as shown. Which expression gives the refractive index of the glass?

Refraction of light

A sound wave moves through air. The lines in the diagram indicate the positions of layers of air at one specific moment. Which distance represents the wavelength of the wave?

General properties of waves

There are four plotting compasses positioned near a bar magnet. Any effect of the Earth’s magnetic field can be disregarded. One compass is shown in this way. What could be a possible location for this compass?

Simple magnetism and magnetic fields

A polythene rod is rubbed using a cloth, and the cloth ends up positively charged. Which statement describes how the charge was transferred?

Electrical charge

A total charge of $45\ \text{C}$ passes through an electric appliance over $3.0\ \text{minutes}$. What is the average current in the appliance?

Electrical current

In what other form can one volt be written?

Electromotive force and potential difference

The diagram represents a battery made from three $1.5\ \text{V}$ cells. What advantage does this cell arrangement have?

Electromotive force and potential difference

Which diagram illustrates how the ammeter and voltmeter are arranged so that readings can be taken to determine the power of a lamp?

Circuit diagrams and circuit components

A $6.0\ \text{V}$ battery is linked to a circuit network that includes five identical resistors. One voltmeter lead is attached to point K, as shown. To which point should lead L be joined so that the voltmeter shows $3.0\ \text{V}$?

Electric circuits

A car travels around a circle at constant speed. In which direction does the resultant force on the car act?

Circular motion

The diagram illustrates the wiring of a three-pin mains plug. It contains an error in the diagram. What is the error?

Electrical safety

A $100\ \text{W}$ lamp is turned on for five hours each day over a period of three weeks. The price of one unit of electricity is $\$0.24$. What is the cost of running the lamp for this period?

Power

The diagram shows a basic d.c. motor. The switch is switched on and the coil turns. Which change causes the coil to turn in the opposite direction and at a higher rate?

The d.c. motor

The diagram illustrates a wire PQ positioned between the N-pole and the S-pole of a magnet. A current flows in the wire in the direction shown by the arrow. In which direction does the force act on wire PQ?

Forces on a current-carrying conductor

Electrical power is sent through cables over long distances at very high voltages. What effects result from using a high-voltage transmission system?

Electrical quantities

The diagram shows thermionic emission from a metal filament. The particles are attracted towards a charged plate. Which row indicates the charge on the plate and the temperature of the metal filament?

Electrical charge

A potential divider is connected across the terminals of a $6.0\,\text{V}$ supply. When $R$ is set to $6.0\,\Omega$, the voltmeter readings $V_1$ and $V_2$ are the same. What changes in the readings if the resistance of $R$ is then increased?

Action and use of circuit components

Which nucleus is formed when americium-241 ($^{241}_{95}\text{Am}$) emits an alpha-particle?

The three types of emission

Which lists the three types of radiation given off by radioactive isotopes, arranged from the greatest ionising effect to the least?

The three types of emission

Which statement is correct about the half-life of a radioactive isotope?

Half-life

Which property of a body opposes a change from rest or from motion?

Mass and weight

The diagrams show the nuclei of three atoms. Which of them are isotopes of the same element?

The nucleus

A brick is first put on a newton meter and then on a beam balance. What quantity does each instrument measure?

Mass and weight

A uniform plank is supported on a pivot at its mid-point. Two weights are placed on the plank, with one weight on each side of the pivot in the positions shown. A vertical force is then applied at point X so that the plank is in equilibrium. What are the magnitude and direction of this force?

Turning effect of forces

Which quantity is classed as a vector?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Which process inside the Sun generates energy?

Fission and fusion

A force of $300\,\text{N}$ is used to push a box up a ramp, as illustrated. How much work is done by the force as the box is moved from X to Y?

Work

A sky-diver leaps out of a balloon that is stationary. At the start, his downward acceleration is $10\,\text{m s}^{-2}$. Fig. 1.1 indicates the directions of the sky-diver’s weight and the air resistance. The sky-diver has a mass of $60\,\text{kg}$ and a weight of $600\,\text{N}$.

Balanced and unbalanced forces

State what melting point means.

Melting, boiling and evaporation

Describe how you would show that an induced current is created in a coil of wire. Sketch and label the apparatus arrangement.

Electromagnetic induction

A cyclist’s total stopping distance has two components: the distance covered while the cyclist reacts (the thinking distance) and the distance covered after the brakes are used (the braking distance).

Motion

A student suspends a range of masses from the free end of a spring and measures the extension that results. Fig. 2.1 shows the spring hanging vertically by itself, and then again with an unknown mass X attached at one end.

Elastic deformation

Fig. 3.1 presents a very thin plastic sheet. A student attempts to find the sheet's thickness with a ruler, but the sheet is too thin for an accurate reading. The student measures the mass of the sheet and records $0.12\,\text{g}$.

Density

When equal volumes of air, copper and water are heated from $20\,^\circ\text{C}$ up to $80\,^\circ\text{C}$, each expands by a different amount.

Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases

Light is a transverse wave because the vibrations act at right angles to the direction of energy transfer.

General properties of waves

Explain the meaning of critical angle.

Refraction of light

Fig. 7.1 shows a section of a loudspeaker. A coil is fixed to a paper cone and hangs freely inside a cylindrical magnet.

Forces on a current-carrying conductor

Figure 8.1 illustrates a circuit containing a battery, one fixed resistor with resistance $1000\,\Omega$, and a variable resistor R.

Series and parallel circuits

Fig. 9.1 shows a cathode-ray oscilloscope (c.r.o.). An alternating-voltage supply is connected to the input, and the trace obtained is shown.

Uses of an oscilloscope

Fig. 1.1 shows the speed-time graph for a car moving along a horizontal road.

Motion

Fig. 10.1 illustrates the fundamental arrangement of a cathode-ray oscilloscope (c.r.o.). Electrons land on the centre of the screen, creating a bright spot. A microphone is attached to a c.r.o. so that a sound wave can be shown. Fig. 10.2 presents the trace on the c.r.o. The c.r.o. settings are: Y-gain $0.5\,\text{V/division}$; time base $2.0\,\text{ms/division}$.

Uses of an oscilloscope

Fig. 11.1 shows a nuclear fusion reaction. At an extremely high temperature, the nuclei of the two isotopes $^{2}_{1}\text{H}$ and $^{3}_{1}\text{H}$ join together. Energy is released and two new particles are produced, particle A and particle B.

Radioactivity

Fig. 2.1 illustrates an electric motor lifting a load. The load, which has a weight of $5.0\,\text{N}$, is lifted vertically through $3.5\,\text{m}$ at constant speed. The efficiency of the electric motor is $0.65$ (65%).

Efficiency

A student has three springs, A, B and C. He measures the length of each spring in turn while different weights are hung from the end of each one. The results are listed in Fig. 3.1.

Elastic deformation

A beaker containing water is set on a hot-plate until it boils, as illustrated in Fig. 4.1. The hot-plate sits on a balance that records the mass of water in the beaker. The liquid remains boiling for a long period. Bubbles are seen in the boiling water.

Melting, boiling and evaporation

Distant objects can be seen sharply, whereas nearby objects look blurred. Fig. 5.1 shows three rays from one point on a near object as they travel through the person’s eye. Refraction of the light as it enters the eye is ignored.

Thin lenses

Fig. 6.1 shows several colours from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue.

Electromagnetic spectrum

A metal piece P with no charge is placed on an insulator. A positively charged rod is brought near P, as shown in Fig. 7.1.

Electrical charge

A transformer and a diode are employed to charge a battery. Fig. 8.1 illustrates the transformer, which has a soft-iron core and two coils. The primary coil is joined to the 240 V a.c. mains supply. The secondary coil is connected in series with the diode and the battery.

The transformer

Fig. 9.1 shows a circuit diagram. The battery has an electromotive force (e.m.f.) of 12 V.

Circuit diagrams and circuit components

A student constructs an electromagnet by winding a length of wire round a piece of soft iron and linking it into a circuit, as illustrated in Fig. 1.1. He then closes the switch and determines the greatest number of paperclips that remain attached to one end of the soft iron.

Electrical current

A learner constructs a pendulum from paperclips. He links 14 matching paperclips end to end. He hangs them vertically from a pin fixed firmly to a bench, as shown in Fig. 2.1 (not to scale). He pulls the lowest paperclip to one side and lets it go. The paperclip pendulum then oscillates from side to side. With a stopwatch, he records the time $t$ for 10 full swings of the pendulum.

Motion

A student carries out an investigation into the density of several liquids. Fig. 3.1 gives a table of her results.

Density

A student examines whether black surfaces or silver surfaces are more effective at emitting infra-red radiation. The student is supplied with two identical test tubes, one having a silver surface and the other a black surface, together with hot water.

Radiation

A student studies the oscillations of a metre rule.

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

A student studies the route followed by a ray of light as it passes through a triangular prism.

Refraction of light

A set of bathroom scales is used by a group of students to measure forces.

Mass and weight

Fig. 4.1 shows a large empty reel that was used for ribbon. The central cylinder has a diameter of about $3\,\text{cm}$. Two students use different methods to determine the diameter of the central cylinder.

Physical quantities and measurement techniques