Oct/Nov 2022

Three forces act on a block, as shown in the diagram. The resultant force is $6\,\text{N}$ to the right. Which extra force would give a resultant force of $3\,\text{N}$ to the left?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

The graph illustrates how a spring’s extension varies with the masses hung from it on planet X and on planet Y. What conclusion can be drawn from these graphs?

Elastic deformation

A beam of uniform mass is hinged at its midpoint. Two weights are positioned on the beam as shown, and an upward force $F$ keeps the beam in equilibrium. What is the magnitude of $F$?

Turning effect of forces

Four objects with equal mass are placed on a table and remain at rest. For each object, the centre of mass is marked $G$. Which object is the least stable?

Centre of gravity

The contact area of each tyre of a car with the ground is $100\,\text{cm}^2$. The car’s mass is $1600\,\text{kg}$. Its weight is shared equally by the four tyres. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. Calculate the pressure acting on the ground.

Pressure

The pressure $P$ of a sample of trapped air is changed. The mass and temperature of the trapped air stay constant. Which graph shows the way the volume $V$ of the air changes with pressure $P$?

Pressure

A constant force $F$ drags a block of weight $W$ up the slope shown. What amount of work is carried out by $F$ in moving the block up the slope?

Work

X and Y are both $40\,\text{W}$, $240\,\text{V}$ lamps. Lamp X is more efficient than lamp Y. Which statement gives the correct comparison between X and Y?

Efficiency

The diagram illustrates a radiator heating the air in a room. What is this process called?

Convection

Which process of heat transfer can occur in a vacuum?

Radiation

The diagrams show four thermometers. Which thermometer is the most sensitive and which one has the largest range?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Velocity is defined as the displacement change divided by the time change. How many vector quantities are mentioned in this statement?

Motion

A piece of iron with mass $m$ is put into a mixture of ice and water. Its temperature falls from $\theta_1$ to $\theta_2$. How much thermal energy is lost by the piece of iron?

Specific heat capacity

A 1 kg sample of a substance keeps a definite shape. When thermal energy is added to it, the attractive forces between its molecules become weaker. What is taking place?

Melting, boiling and evaporation

Under which conditions does a liquid evaporate at the fastest rate?

Melting, boiling and evaporation

Which of the following statements is correct?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

A mirror is positioned in the path of a light ray. By what angle does the ray's direction change?

Reflection of light

An oscilloscope is used to display a sound. Which aspect of the oscilloscope trace is influenced by the quality (timbre) of the sound?

Uses of an oscilloscope

Four plotting compasses are arranged near a bar magnet. Any influence from the Earth's magnetic field should be ignored. One compass is shown like this. What could be a possible position of this compass?

Simple magnetism and magnetic fields

A plastic rod and a cloth are both initially uncharged. The rod is then rubbed against the cloth, and the cloth becomes positively charged. What sign does the charge on the plastic rod have, and why does the rod become charged?

Electrical charge

Which equation represents the electromotive force (e.m.f.) of a battery?

Electromotive force and potential difference

An electric circuit has two cells and two lamps. The cells are new and fully charged. In which arrangement of the cells and lamps do the cells discharge fastest?

Series and parallel circuits

A car with mass $1000\,\text{kg}$ is moving downhill on a very steep slope. Its brakes fail, so the driver uses a horizontal safety road filled with sand to bring the car to a halt. The car reaches the sand at a speed of $10\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ and is acted on by a constant stopping force of $2500\,\text{N}$. How far does the car move through the sand before it stops?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

A lamp is joined in series to a battery and a variable resistor. The resistance of the variable resistor is slowly reduced. Which statement is correct?

Series and parallel circuits

In the circuits shown, every cell is the same and each lamp is also the same. The switches are closed. In which circuit are both lamps at their brightest?

Series and parallel circuits

What is the purpose of a fuse in an electrical appliance?

Electrical safety

Which statement concerning a transformer is correct?

The transformer

The diagram illustrates the output from an a.c. generator as it appears on an oscilloscope screen. The generator is then rotated more slowly. The oscilloscope control settings are left unchanged. Which diagram shows the new output?

The a.c. generator

A note produces a sound wave, which is shown on the screen of a cathode-ray oscilloscope. The time-base is set to $5\,\text{ms}$ per division. Determine the frequency of the note.

Sound

Unstable nuclei give out three forms of radiation: helium nuclei, short wavelength electromagnetic waves and electrons. What are the names of these three types of radiation?

The three types of emission

An electron beam is directed into a uniform magnetic field, as illustrated. The magnetic field points into the page. Which route do the electrons take?

Magnetic effect of a current

Which statement about all three kinds of radioactive emissions is correct?

The three types of emission

What does the term half-life of a radioactive substance mean?

Half-life

Which section of the distance-time graph indicates the greatest constant speed?

Motion

Radioactive isotopes which give out alpha-particles, beta-particles and gamma rays are kept in wooden boxes lined with a substance that stops most radiation from leaving the box. Which substance is used for the lining?

Safety precautions

An object accelerates along a straight, horizontal track with uniform acceleration. Which speed-time graph shows this motion?

Motion

What makes the frictional effects experienced by a cyclist increase?

Friction

The diagram shows a car at the instant the driver notices a hazard in front. Which expression gives the stopping distance?

Motion

A planet travels around the Sun in a circular orbit at constant speed, yet it is accelerating because its direction is changing. In what direction does the resultant force act to produce this acceleration?

Circular motion

$X$ is obtained by dividing $Y$ by $Z$. What are $X$, $Y$ and $Z$?

Motion

The diagram illustrates three forces acting on a block. The resultant force is $6\,\text{N}$ to the right. Which extra force would give a resultant force of $3\,\text{N}$ to the left?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

The graph illustrates how a spring’s extension varies with the masses hanging from it, both when the spring is on planet X and when it is on planet Y. Which conclusion may be drawn from these graphs?

Mass and weight

A student determines the density of an object with an irregular shape. He selects his apparatus from this list: 1 stop-watch 2 measuring cylinder 3 balance Which apparatus does the student have to use?

Density

A uniform beam is supported on a pivot at its midpoint. Two weights are fixed to the beam at the positions shown, and an upward force $F$ keeps the beam balanced. What is the size of $F$?

Turning effect of forces

Four objects with the same mass are at rest on a table. The centre of mass of each object is marked $G$. Which object is the least stable?

Centre of gravity

The contact area of each tyre with the ground is $100\,\text{cm}^2$. The car’s mass is $1600\,\text{kg}$. Its weight is shared equally between the four tyres. The gravitational field strength $g$ is $10\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. Calculate the pressure applied to the ground.

Pressure

A gas syringe holds a gas volume $V_1$ at pressure $p_1$. Its volume is decreased to $V_2$ with no change in temperature. What expression gives the change in pressure?

Particle model

A constant force $F$ is used to pull a block of weight $W$ up the slope illustrated. What amount of work is done by $F$ as the block is pulled up the slope?

Work

A motor receives an input power of $12\,\text{W}$. Over $1.0\,\text{min}$, it loses $590\,\text{J}$ of energy. Calculate the efficiency of the motor.

Efficiency

Electric motors have an efficiency of about $90\%$ when they are used in an electric train. What forms of wasted energy are generated?

Efficiency

What does the term unit of power mean?

Power

A teacher measures the length of her classroom. Which instrument would be the most suitable to use?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

The diagrams show four thermometers. Which thermometer has the highest sensitivity and which thermometer has the largest range?

Thermal properties and temperature

Air is sealed inside a metal cylinder by a piston. The piston can move freely and the trapped air is at atmospheric pressure. The cylinder is placed in hot water. It is then removed from the water and allowed to cool. What happens to the mass of the air in the cylinder and to its pressure as it cools?

Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases

A mirror is positioned in the path of a ray of light. By what angle does the ray’s direction change?

Reflection of light

A light ray travelling in water is refracted at the boundary into air. Which diagram indicates the angle of incidence $i$ and the angle of refraction $r$?

Refraction of light

A thin converging lens produces a real, sharply focused image of an object, as shown. Which distance is the same as the focal length of the lens?

Thin lenses

Which ray diagram illustrates the action of a diverging lens?

Thin lenses

Several devices emit electromagnetic waves when they are in use. Which device emits electromagnetic waves with the greatest frequency?

Electromagnetic spectrum

Which two frequencies lie outside the audible range for a healthy human ear?

Sound

Sound waves appear as a trace on the screen of an oscilloscope. Which trace represents a sound that gets quieter as its pitch increases?

Sound

The N pole of a permanent magnet is brought one after another near a piece of iron, the S pole of a different magnet, and a piece of copper. Which of these objects are attracted to the N pole of the permanent magnet?

Simple magnetism and magnetic fields

What value is equal to one-thousandth of a metre?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Four plotting compasses are positioned close to a bar magnet. Any influence from the Earth’s magnetic field should be ignored. One compass is shown as follows (diagram). Which location could this compass be in?

Simple magnetism and magnetic fields

Two plastic rods carrying opposite charges are positioned near each other. Which row states and explains their motion?

Electrical charge

A meter used to measure the rate at which charge flows through a resistor is inserted into a circuit. What is this meter called, and in what way is it connected to the resistor?

Electrical current

Which device is used to change electrical energy into kinetic energy?

The d.c. motor

For what reason is a fuse fitted in an electrical appliance?

Electrical safety

A wire coil is turned at a steady speed between the poles of a U-shaped magnet. Each end of the coil is joined to a separate slip ring. Which graph shows the way the voltage $V$ between the slip rings changes with time $t$?

The a.c. generator

Which statement concerning a transformer is correct?

The transformer

The three forms of radiation produced by unstable nuclei are helium nuclei, short-wavelength electromagnetic waves and electrons. What are these three forms of radiation?

The three types of emission

The diagram illustrates a relay used to turn on an electric motor. A student writes five statements to describe how the relay turns on the electric motor. The statements are not arranged in the correct sequence. What is the correct order of the statements?

Magnetic effect of a current

Various types of radioactive emissions possess different properties. A student gives the following properties for an alpha-particle. Which of these properties are correct?

The three types of emission

A car with mass $1000\,\text{kg}$ is moving downhill on a very steep slope. When the brakes do not work, the driver uses a horizontal sand trap to bring the car to a stop. The car enters the sand at $10\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ and is acted on by a constant force of $2500\,\text{N}$ that slows it down. What distance does the car cover in the sand before it comes to rest?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

A wooden item is thought to be 6000 years old. Which isotope, present in the item, is used to find its age?

Half-life

A ball is released from rest and rolls down a steep slope. It then continues rolling over rough horizontal ground. Which graph represents the ball’s speed at different times?

Motion

A wooden block rests on a table. Several external forces act on the block, yet it does not move. A student proposes three requirements for the block to stay at rest. Which of these requirements are needed for the block to stay stationary?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

A car is moving along a straight road at $60\,\text{km h}^{-1}$. The road surface is dry. The driver then brakes sharply. The table gives the thinking distance, the braking distance and the stopping distance. The same car, driven by the same driver at $60\,\text{km h}^{-1}$ on the same road, is now on a wet surface. Once again, the driver brakes sharply. What effect does the wet road have on the thinking distance, the braking distance and the stopping distance?

Friction

A car moves at constant speed along a horizontal road while rounding a bend. In which direction does the resultant force on the car act?

Circular motion

A student gives two statements about mass and weight. Which statements are correct?

Mass and weight

Fig. 1.1 illustrates a steel spring.

Elastic deformation

This child’s toy is made up of a flexible track and a model car. Fig. 2.1 is a diagram of the toy. At first, the child holds the car still at point A, which is 0.45 m above the horizontal parts of track BC and FG. The car has a mass of 0.12 kg. The child then lets the car go and it moves towards point B. Air resistance and friction between the car and the track are both negligible. The gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg.

Energy

One end of a curved glass tube is open, while the other end is sealed. A dense liquid is poured into the tube, which traps air at the closed end. Figure 3.1 shows the tube, the liquid and the trapped air.

Pressure

X-rays are transverse waves that belong to a spectrum of waves.

Electromagnetic spectrum

Fig. 5.1 presents a diagram showing how many particles are in a beryllium (Be) ion, which is a charged atom.

The atom

An electromagnet is used to sort magnetic objects from non-magnetic ones. Fig. 6.1 shows the electromagnet hanging from the arm of a crane.

Electrical quantities

Fig. 7.1 depicts a child seated on a sledge on a snow-covered hill with a constant slope. At time $t = 0$, the child and the sledge start moving straight down the hill. When the child notices a wall ahead, he applies the brake. The child and sledge keep travelling in a straight line until they stop just before reaching the wall. Fig. 7.2 gives the speed-time graph for the journey. The brake is applied at $t = 26\,\text{s}$.

Motion

A parallel beam of light moving through air falls on a glass lens. As shown in Fig. 8.1, the beam is at right angles to the lens. The dashed line P shows where the lens is placed. The lens centre is marked by dot C.

Thin lenses

The electric circuit is powered by a battery with electromotive force (e.m.f.) 12 V.

Forces on a current-carrying conductor

A train moves on a straight, level track. When $t = 0$, it goes past station P at a steady speed and does not come to a stop. The driver starts braking 70 s before the train reaches station Q, so the train slows down. Fig. 1.1 shows the train's speed-time graph from $t = 0$ until it comes to rest at station Q.

Motion

The supports beneath a building are long concrete cylinders with a pointed end. A pile-driver is a machine used to drive these pointed concrete cylinders into the ground. Fig. 2.1 shows a pile-driver. A heavy block with a mass of $2.9 \times 10^4\,\text{kg}$ is raised into the air and then released onto the top of a concrete cylinder. This makes the cylinder sink into the ground. Fig. 2.2 shows the heavy block. The block has a height of 2.0 m and a cross-sectional area of $1.8\,\text{m}^2$.

Density

Fig. 3.1 shows a man standing below an outdoor heater on a cold evening. The gas in the cylinder at the bottom of the heater is the fuel for the heater. When the heater is in use, the gas moves up to the top of the heater, where it burns.

Radiation

A sound wave in air or water is made up of compressions and rarefactions.

Sound

The circuit’s power supply is formed from several cells, all with the same electromotive force (e.m.f.), and the cells are connected in parallel.

Electromotive force and potential difference

The transformer’s primary coil is joined to the mains supply. The a.c. mains voltage is 240 V. Fig. 6.1 shows the layout.

The transformer

Copper is occasionally selected as the material for pans used to heat liquids. A copper pan has water at room temperature in it.

Transfer of thermal energy

A plastic rod that is initially uncharged is rubbed with an uncharged woollen cloth. The rod then becomes negatively charged.

Electrical charge

Protactinium-234 ($^{234}_{91}\text{Pa}$) is one radioactive isotope of protactinium, and it decays into uranium-234 ($^{234}_{92}\text{U}$).

Radioactivity

A student is determining the refractive index of oil. The oil is poured into a semi-circular transparent plastic container, as illustrated in Fig. 1.1. The container is set on top of a $360^{\circ}$ protractor, as shown in Fig. 1.2.

Refraction of light

A student carries out an investigation into how water cools. The apparatus is shown in Fig. 2.1.

Transfer of thermal energy

A student determines the density of a sample of modelling clay. The clay is shaped into a cube, as illustrated in Fig. 3.1.

Density

A student is examining the current in a resistor that has a fixed resistance. The apparatus available includes an ammeter, electrical connecting leads, a resistor of fixed resistance, a lamp, a switch, a variable resistor, a $6\,\text{V}$ battery, an LED, and a voltmeter.

Circuit diagrams and circuit components

A student investigates how the resistance R of a lamp changes for different values of the potential difference V across it. The circuit in Fig. 1.1 is connected by the student. The student: • closes the switch • places the crocodile clip at a length l = 10.0\,\text{cm} on the resistance wire • notes the potential difference V across the lamp • notes the current I in the lamp • opens the switch. Fig. 1.2 shows the voltmeter and ammeter readings. The student repeats the method for other lengths l of the resistance wire. The results are listed in Table 1.1.

Resistance

A student works out the acceleration of free-fall by timing the oscillations of a pendulum. Fig. 2.1 shows the pendulum.

Motion

A student employs a ray box to explore how a ray of red light is refracted as it travels through a semi-circular glass block. He arranges the apparatus on a sheet of paper as shown in Fig. 3.1. The ray is incident at $M$, the mid-point of the flat surface of the semi-circular glass block.

Refraction of light

A student uses a thermometer to measure the temperature of hot water as it cools in a beaker. Explain why he carries out the following steps so that the readings are accurate.

Thermal properties and temperature