Oct/Nov 2023

Which description refers to a scalar quantity?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Which energy resource is described accurately?

Energy resources

A small motor is rated at an input power of $10\,\text{W}$ and runs for $5.0\,\text{minutes}$. Determine the electrical energy supplied to the motor during this interval.

Power

Liquids X and Y are each poured into beakers of different sizes. Liquid X has a density of $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$, while liquid Y has a density of $900\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. For which beaker is the pressure at the base greatest?

Pressure

A swimmer is positioned on the bottom of a pool. The water in the pool has a density of $1000\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$, and the gravitational field strength is $9.8\,\text{N kg}^{-1}$. Which expression gives the pressure exerted on the swimmer by the water?

Pressure

A quantity of gas is enclosed in a large syringe. The atmospheric pressure is $100\,\text{kPa}$. The gas pressure is $200\,\text{kPa}$ above atmospheric pressure. As the piston moves outwards, the volume of the enclosed gas doubles. The temperature stays constant. What is the new gas pressure?

Particle model

A temperature-time graph is shown for a material that is being heated while it is still solid. Which row correctly shows what is taking place at X, Y and Z?

Melting, boiling and evaporation

During a camping trip, a student cools a sealed bottle of water that is at the same temperature as the surrounding air. Which method cools the water at the highest rate?

Transfer of thermal energy

A student proposes three factors that influence the rate at which a hot object emits thermal energy by radiation. Which of these proposals are correct?

Radiation

A plane mirror fixed on a vertical wall produces an image of an object positioned in front of it. Which features describe the image?

Reflection of light

The diagrams illustrate light moving through air and striking the surface of a glass block. Part of the light is reflected and part is refracted. Which diagram shows the reflection and refraction of the light?

Light

The diagram illustrates a distance-time graph for a car moving along a straight line. In which region is the car slowing down?

Motion

Which of the following statements is correct?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

An object is positioned in front of a converging lens with focal length $4.0\,\text{cm}$. The image height is $6.0\,\text{cm}$. The setup is illustrated in the scale diagram. What is the linear magnification created by the lens?

Thin lenses

Which range of sound frequencies contains only frequencies that a healthy human ear can hear?

Sound

As an aircraft moves through the air, it acquires an electric charge. What is the reason for this?

Electrical charge

Two metal spheres are moved nearer to one another. They push apart from each other. Which statement explains this?

Electrical charge

A student assembles the circuit shown. The lamp remains unlit. What would cause the lamp to light?

Electric circuits

Circuits P and Q each include two identical resistors, with each resistor having resistance $R$. What is the total resistance of circuit P, and what is the total resistance of circuit Q?

Series and parallel circuits

An electric motor carries a current of $2.0\,\text{A}$. In $5.0\,\text{s}$, it transfers $20\,\text{J}$ of energy. What is the potential difference (p.d.) across the motor?

Electromotive force and potential difference

Three students give statements about appliances with double insulation. Student P: Appliances with double insulation do not require an earth wire. Student Q: Double insulation protects the user of the appliance from electric shock. Student R: The circuits in appliances with double insulation do not include fuses. Which of the students are correct?

Electrical safety

A magnet passes through a coil of wire at constant speed. The coil is connected to an oscilloscope. The diagram shows the trace formed on the screen. The experiment is then altered and a different trace is produced. Which statement explains why the new trace differs from the original trace?

Electromagnetic induction

A wooden block is pushed along a table at a steady speed. Which statement is correct?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

A bar magnet is released so that it falls through a vertical solenoid, which is connected to a sensitive ammeter. An induced current flows in the solenoid, and the solenoid acts as an electromagnet. Which row states the polarity of end Y of the solenoid and the force between the solenoid and the bar magnet as the bar magnet emerges from the solenoid?

Electromagnetic induction

Which graph represents the voltage output plotted against time for a simple a.c. generator?

The a.c. generator

In a mobile phone (cellphone) charger, a transformer is used to step the voltage down from $230\,\text{V}$ to $5.0\,\text{V}$. The primary coil of the transformer has $2500$ turns. How many turns are on the secondary coil?

The transformer

In a d.c. motor, the coil is linked to a commutator. As the commutator turns, it joins the coil to the power supply. After each half-turn, the current in the coil reverses. What is the commutator called, and what is the orientation of the plane of the coil at the moment the current reverses?

The d.c. motor

A girl constructs a simple transformer to light a low voltage lamp. The transformer is illustrated. What is the rod made of, and what type of power supply is used?

The transformer

What particles are present in the nucleus of a large atom?

The nucleus

During radioactive decay, alpha $(\alpha)$ particles and beta $(\beta)$ particles are released. Which particle has the lower ionising effect, and which one has the lower penetrating power?

The three types of emission

A beam of beta $(\beta)$ particles enters a magnetic field and then an electric field. Which numbers indicate the beam’s routes through the fields?

Electromagnetic effects

The isotope radon-222 has a half-life of $3.8$ days. Which statement is correct for a sample containing $1.0\,\text{mg}$ of radon-222?

Half-life

What is the initial stage in the life cycle of stars?

Stars

A car starts to move. It increases its speed until it is travelling at a steady speed. What happens to the acceleration, and what happens to the velocity of the car?

Motion

What does redshift mean?

The Universe

The diagram illustrates the way the length of a spring alters when a load of $10\,\text{N}$ is hung from it. The $10\,\text{N}$ load is then changed to a $20\,\text{N}$ load. What is the spring's new length?

Elastic deformation

A force $F$ produces a moment about point $O$ on an L-shaped bar. The force $F$ is applied at point $P$. What is the moment of $F$ about $O$?

Turning effect of forces

A metre rule of uniform mass distribution, with weight $W$, is balanced horizontally by pivoting it at the $25\,\text{cm}$ mark and applying an upward force $F$ at the $100\,\text{cm}$ mark. A vertical force $P$ acts at the pivot to support the rule. What is the magnitude of $P$?

Turning effect of forces

The diagram depicts a fairground ride at rest, carrying four chairs of equal mass. Which chair has the greatest gravitational potential energy?

Energy

Hydroelectric power stations and tidal power stations produce electrical energy. Do they use renewable sources of energy?

Energy resources

The diagram indicates the level of liquid in a measuring cylinder. The scale is labelled in $\text{cm}^3$. What is the volume of the liquid?

Physical quantities and measurement techniques

Which expression represents impulse?

Momentum

A box of mass $4.0\,\text{kg}$ starts from rest and is pulled across a horizontal floor by a constant force $F$. A constant frictional force of $1.0\,\text{N}$ acts opposite the motion on the box. Once the box has moved $1.0\,\text{m}$, its velocity is $1.5\,\text{m s}^{-1}$. The box's kinetic energy is equal to the work done on it. Determine force $F$?

Work

The diagram depicts a curved track, and a ball is let go from the position indicated. At which point is the gravitational potential energy stored in the ball greatest?

Energy

In what way is an oil-fired power station different from a nuclear power station?

Energy resources

An electric motor is employed to raise a load at constant speed. The gravitational potential energy (GPE) stored in the load rises. The moving load also possesses kinetic energy (KE). Which expression is used to calculate the efficiency of the motor while the load is lifted at a constant rate?

Efficiency

A battery transfers $3000\,\text{J}$ of energy to a small $2.0\,\text{W}$ electric motor before the battery can no longer function. For how long does the motor remain switched on?

Power

A man is struggling to drive a wooden post into the soil. How could he make it easier for the post to be pushed in?

Pressure

Which diagram labels the changes of state that match the directions in which the arrows point?

States of matter

A sealed cylinder that contains gas is placed in direct sunlight. After some time, the cylinder bursts. How can this be explained in terms of the motion and behaviour of the gas particles?

Particle model

A gas is enclosed in a cylinder by a movable piston. The gas column has a length of $20\,\text{cm}$ and the pressure in the cylinder is $p$. The piston is drawn out by $30\,\text{cm}$, making the gas column length $50\,\text{cm}$. The temperature of the gas remains unchanged. What is the gas pressure now?

Particle model

The diagram displays a distance-time graph for a car. The car is moving on a straight road uphill. Which quantity for the car is constant and more than zero?

Motion

Pot X and pot Y are both placed in a cool room. Pot X contains hot water, but its temperature is still below the boiling point. Pot Y is identical to pot X except that its water is kept boiling by a hotplate underneath it. What happens to the average kinetic energy of the particles in the liquid water in pot X and to the average kinetic energy of the particles in the liquid water in pot Y?

Kinetic particle model of matter

Solid metals are efficient conductors of thermal energy. How tightly packed are the particles, and do metals contain free electrons?

Conduction

Cotton wool acts as a good thermal insulator. It is made up of many cotton fibres that are twisted together to form a material that can be pulled apart easily or compressed. The diagram shows the structure of cotton wool. Why does cotton wool act as a good thermal insulator?

Conduction

A metal kettle is placed on a grid over red-hot glowing coal and heated. Which are the principal thermal energy transfers through the base of the kettle and inside the water?

Transfer of thermal energy

The diagram illustrates two waveforms. Which arrow indicates the wavelength of a longitudinal wave?

General properties of waves

A bell mounted on the wall outside a classroom sounds. A student is positioned at point X, as shown in the overhead view. The classroom door is shut, and the student inside the room at X hears the bell. The door is then opened, and the sound from the bell heard by the student becomes louder. What causes the sound reaching the student to be louder?

Sound

A boy is standing next to a girl in front of a large vertical plane mirror. As shown, both are the same distance from the mirror. The boy can see an image of the girl. Where is the girl’s image located?

Reflection of light

Light in air strikes a water surface. Water has a refractive index of $1.3$, and the angle of refraction in the water is $40^\circ$. What is the angle of incidence in air?

Refraction of light

The diagram illustrates a ray of light travelling through a triangular glass block. Which angle is the critical angle for light in glass?

Refraction of light

A lens is used to form a magnified image, as shown in the scale diagram. Determine the linear magnification produced by the lens.

Thin lenses

A distance-time graph and a speed-time graph illustrate the motion of an object. How are the object’s speed and acceleration found from these graphs?

Motion

Ultraviolet radiation forms part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Which application makes use of ultraviolet radiation?

Electromagnetic spectrum

A student rubs several rods while holding them in his hand. Which rod acquires a large electrostatic charge?

Electrical charge

Two permanent magnets are positioned side by side in four different set-ups. In which of the set-ups will the magnets repel one another?

Simple magnetism and magnetic fields

Which graph represents how current varies when the voltage across a resistor of fixed resistance is changed?

Resistance

A pair of identical resistors is arranged first in series and then in parallel. The resistors in series are attached to a power supply, producing a current of $I_s$. The parallel arrangement is then attached to the same power supply, and the supplied current is $I_p$. Find the ratio $\frac{I_s}{I_p}$?

Series and parallel circuits

The output from an a.c. generator is connected to a lamp. The generator coil is turned at a steady rate, causing the lamp to flash twice each second. The coil is then turned at half this rotational rate. What happens to the lamp’s maximum brightness, and how many times per second does the lamp flash?

The a.c. generator

Which device makes use of the magnetic effect produced by an electric current?

Magnetic effect of a current

A wire is positioned at right angles to a uniform magnetic field. A current flows through the wire, so it experiences a force. Beams of alpha-particles, beta-particles and neutrons are directed into the magnetic field in the same direction as the conventional current in the wire. Which beams experience a force that is initially in the same direction as the force on the current-carrying wire?

Forces on a current-carrying conductor

The diagram illustrates the waveform seen on the oscilloscope screen as a result of an alternating voltage input. The time-base on the oscilloscope is adjusted to $4\ \text{ms}/\text{cm}$. How will the trace appear when the time base is changed to $2\ \text{ms}/\text{cm}$?

Uses of an oscilloscope

The half-life of a radioactive isotope is $2.5$ minutes. This isotope is the only radioactive isotope present in a radioactive sample. From time $t = 0$ to $t = 7.5$ minutes, the mass of this isotope in the sample falls by $70\,\mu\text{g}$. What is the mass of this isotope at $t = 0$?

Half-life

A student determines that a rock has a mass of $65\,\text{g}$. She pours $30\,\text{cm}^3$ of water into a measuring cylinder. She then lowers the rock into the water until it is fully covered. The water level increases to $55\,\text{cm}^3$. What is the density of the rock?

Density

As seen from the Earth, the light from galaxy X has a lower redshift than the light from galaxy Y. Which galaxy is nearer to the Earth, and which galaxy is moving away from the Earth more quickly?

The Universe

A small submarine with mass $1000\,\text{kg}$ descends through water at a steady speed of $2.0\,\text{m s}^{-1}$. What resultant force acts on the submarine while it is sinking?

Balanced and unbalanced forces

A student releases a light ball from rest in the air. As it falls, the ball is subject to some air resistance. What happens to the ball’s velocity and to its acceleration in the first few seconds after it is released?

Motion

A car’s stopping distance at a given speed is recorded under four conditions: on a dry road with new tyres; on a dry road with old, worn tyres; on a wet road with new tyres; on a wet road with old, worn tyres. The outcomes are shown. Which two outcomes could be the measurements for the dry road with old, worn tyres?

Friction

A spring measures $9.0\,\text{cm}$ in length when a $200\,\text{g}$ mass is attached to it. The graph of extension against mass for the spring is given. The $200\,\text{g}$ mass is changed to a $100\,\text{g}$ mass. What would the spring’s new length be?

Elastic deformation

The International Space Station travels in orbit around the Earth. At point X, which arrow indicates the direction of the force acting on the International Space Station?

Circular motion

Fig. 1.1 illustrates a toy water rocket. It is partly filled with water and linked to a pump by rubber tubing. The labels show: air pump, air, rocket, water, rubber tubing.

Kinetic particle model of matter

A lorry (truck) is stationary on a straight, level road. A steady driving force of $5.4 \times 10^4\,\text{N}$ acts on the lorry, causing it to accelerate forwards.

Work

As the temperature of a liquid rises, its particles gain kinetic energy and the liquid expands.

Specific heat capacity

A narrow beam of red light, with frequency $4.7 \times 10^{14}\,\text{Hz}$, moves through air at a speed of $3.0 \times 10^8\,\text{m s}^{-1}$. Fig. 4.1 depicts this red light hitting the surface of a parallel-sided glass block. The diagram labels red light and glass block, and it shows angles $45^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}$.

Refraction of light

The Sun releases most of its energy across three parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Electromagnetic spectrum

Fig. 6.1 presents a circuit with two identical cells, each having e.m.f. $1.5\,\text{V}$, joined in parallel. It also has two ammeters, a thermistor T and two resistors R and S. Ammeter 1 gives a reading of $0.20\,\text{A}$.

Series and parallel circuits

An a.c. generator is installed in a remote area to provide electricity. Fig. 7.1 illustrates the layout of a simple a.c. generator with the coil drawn horizontally. The diagram labels the output terminals, P, Q, N, S, the horizontal coil and the direction of rotation.

The a.c. generator

Uranium-235 ($^{235}_{92}\text{U}$) is the uranium isotope used as fuel in a nuclear power station.

Fission and fusion

Venus moves around the Sun at a steady speed of $3.5 \times 10^4\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ and needs a time $T_v$ to finish one orbit.

Circular motion

Velocity is a vector quantity, whereas speed is a scalar quantity.

Motion

The isotope iodine-131 gives off two kinds of nuclear radiation. Gamma radiation is one of the emitted forms. A sample of iodine-131 creates a narrow radiation beam that enters a magnetic field.

The three types of emission

A spacecraft with mass $300\,\text{kg}$ is travelling in a straight line through space at $8000\,\text{m s}^{-1}$.

Momentum

An irregular lamina lying in a plane has a mass of $50\,\text{g}$. It is suspended from a nail passing through a small hole H close to the edge of the lamina. The nail serves as a pivot and the lamina is able to swing around it. The lamina is kept in the position shown in Fig. 3.1, a short distance above a horizontal bench. The centre of gravity of the lamina is at G.

Turning effect of forces

Fig. 4.1 shows a tall vertical tube, closed at the lower end and open at the upper end. The tube has a length of $1.0\,\text{m}$. The tube’s cross-sectional area is $4.0 \times 10^{-4}\,\text{m}^2$. It contains a liquid with density $1.4 \times 10^{4}\,\text{kg m}^{-3}$. The atmospheric pressure is $1.0 \times 10^{5}\,\text{Pa}$.

Pressure

Fig. 5.1 shows a device that lowers the temperature of room air by evaporation. Water runs from the container into the sponge block, so it stays damp. Air enters through one grille and leaves through the other. When the air passes through the damp sponge block, the water in the sponge block evaporates.

Melting, boiling and evaporation

The loudspeaker in Fig. 6.1 emits a sound whose frequency is $800\,\text{Hz}$.

Sound

An electric circuit includes a battery, a fixed resistor R, a voltmeter and a thermistor. Fig. 7.1 shows an incomplete circuit diagram of this setup. The thermistor is linked between terminals T$_1$ and T$_2$.

Circuit diagrams and circuit components

Fig. 8.1 illustrates a permanent magnet attached to one end of an unstretched spring and kept stationary just above a solenoid. The solenoid is linked to a sensitive ammeter.

Electromagnetic induction

In space, a cloud of dust and gas in interstellar space collapses to produce a protostar. The cloud includes hydrogen.

Fission and fusion

A learner measures the speed of a wavefront on the water surface. The learner pours water into a dish and uses a dropping pipette so that a single drop falls into the middle of the dish, as illustrated in Fig. 1.1. The wavefront formed then moves out to the edge of the dish and reflects back towards the centre.

General properties of waves

A student is studying the resistance of a resistance wire. The circuit used is shown in Fig. 2.1. The crocodile clip on the flying lead is moved to different positions along the length of the resistance wire.

Resistance

A student examines the indentation produced by a glass ball on the surface of modelling clay.

Pressure

A student carries out an investigation into the factors that influence the bend angle $\theta$ of a metal strip. The student puts a thin, straight metal strip on two supports and hangs a mass with weight $W$ from the strip’s midpoint. The strip bends, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

Elastic deformation

A student determines the spring constant $k$ of a spring by two separate methods. The spring constant $k$ of a spring indicates how stiff the spring is. The greater the spring constant $k$, the harder the spring is to extend. A full-size drawing of the spring appears in Fig. 1.1. The setup of apparatus is shown in Fig. 1.2.

Elastic deformation

A student examines how rapidly water cools near the top and near the bottom of a beaker of hot water. The apparatus setup is shown in Figs. 2.1 and 2.3.

Transfer of thermal energy

A student investigates how the potential difference $V$ across the terminals of a power supply changes when the current $I$ in a circuit changes. Fig. 3.1 shows the circuit.

Electromotive force and potential difference

A student is carrying out an investigation into the average speed of a trolley travelling along a horizontal bench. The trolley is let go from rest at the top of a ramp. The stopping distance is the distance travelled by the trolley from the foot of the ramp until it stops moving.

Motion