UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

General Certificate of Education

Advanced Subsidiary Level and Advanced Level
*7714514366*

PHYSICS 9702/21
Paper 2 AS Structured Questions October/November 2010
1 hour
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.

Answer all questions.

You may lose marks if you do not show your working or if you do not use appropriate units.

At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part For Examiner’s Use
question.
1

Total

This document consists of 15 printed pages and 1 blank page.

DC (NF/SW) 23601/3
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Data

speed of light in free space, c = 3.00 × 10 8 m s –1

permeability of free space, μ0 = 4π × 10 –7 H m–1

permittivity of free space, ε0 = 8.85 × 10 –12 F m–1

elementary charge, e = 1.60 × 10 –19 C

the Planck constant, h = 6.63 × 10 –34 J s

unified atomic mass constant, u = 1.66 × 10 –27 kg

rest mass of electron, me = 9.11 × 10 –31 kg

rest mass of proton, mp = 1.67 × 10 –27 kg

molar gas constant, R = 8.31 J K –1 mol –1

the Avogadro constant, NA = 6.02 × 10 23 mol –1

the Boltzmann constant, k = 1.38 × 10 –23 J K –1

gravitational constant, G = 6.67 × 10 –11 N m 2 kg –2

acceleration of free fall, g = 9.81 m s –2

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Formulae

uniformly accelerated motion, s = ut +  at 2

v 2 = u 2 + 2as

work done on/by a gas, W = p ⌬V

Gm
gravitational potential, φ =–
r
hydrostatic pressure, p = ρgh

Nm 2
pressure of an ideal gas, p =  V
<c >

simple harmonic motion, a = – ω 2x

velocity of particle in s.h.m., v = v0 cos ωt

v = ± ω √⎯(x⎯ 0⎯ 2 ⎯ –⎯ x⎯ ⎯ 2⎯ )

Q
electric potential, V =
4πε0r
capacitors in series, 1/C = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + . . .

capacitors in parallel, C = C1 + C2 + . . .

energy of charged capacitor, W =  QV

resistors in series, R = R1 + R 2 + . . .

resistors in parallel, 1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + . . .

alternating current/voltage, x = x0 sin ω t

radioactive decay, x = x0 exp(– λt )

0.693
decay constant, λ =
t 

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Answer all the questions in the spaces provided. For

Examiner’s
Use

1 (a) Two of the SI base quantities are mass and time. State three other SI base quantities.

1. ......................................................................................................................................

2. ......................................................................................................................................

3. ......................................................................................................................................
[3]

(b) A sphere of radius r is moving at speed v through air of density ρ. The resistive force F
acting on the sphere is given by the expression

F = Br 2ρv k

where B and k are constants without units.

(i) State the SI base units of F, ρ and v.

F ..............................................................................................................................

ρ ..............................................................................................................................

v ..............................................................................................................................
[3]

(ii) Use base units to determine the value of k.

k = ................................................ [2]

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BLANK PAGE

Please turn over for Question 2.

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2 A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a building, as shown in Fig. 2.1. For
Examiner’s
Use
8.2 m s–1

60° P
x

Fig. 2.1

The ball is thrown with a horizontal speed of 8.2 m s–1. The side of the building is vertical. At
point P on the path of the ball, the ball is distance x from the building and is moving at an
angle of 60° to the horizontal. Air resistance is negligible.

(a) For the ball at point P,

(i) show that the vertical component of its velocity is 14.2 m s–1,

[2]

(ii) determine the vertical distance through which the ball has fallen,

distance = ............................................ m [2]

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(iii) determine the horizontal distance x. For

Examiner’s
Use

x = ............................................ m [2]

(b) The path of the ball in (a), with an initial horizontal speed of 8.2 m s–1, is shown again in
Fig. 2.2.

8.2 m s–1

Fig. 2.2

On Fig. 2.2, sketch the new path of the ball for the ball having an initial horizontal
speed

(i) greater than 8 .2 m s–1 and with negligible air resistance (label this path G), [2]

(ii) equal to 8.2 m s–1 but with air resistance (label this path A). [2]

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3 (a) State the relation between force and momentum. For

Examiner’s
.................................................................................................................................... [1] Use

(b) A rigid bar of mass 450 g is held horizontally by two supports A and B, as shown in
Fig. 3.1.

ball

45 cm

C A

B
50 cm 25 cm

Fig. 3.1

The support A is 45 cm from the centre of gravity C of the bar and support B is 25 cm
from C.

A ball of mass 140 g falls vertically onto the bar such that it hits the bar at a distance of
50 cm from C, as shown in Fig. 3.1.
The variation with time t of the velocity v of the ball before, during and after hitting the
bar is shown in Fig. 3.2.

4
velocity
downwards
/ m s–1
2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
time / s

–2

–4

–6

Fig. 3.2
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For the time that the ball is in contact with the bar, use Fig. 3.2 For
Examiner’s
(i) to determine the change in momentum of the ball, Use

change = .................................. kg m s–1 [2]

(ii) to show that the force exerted by the ball on the bar is 33 N.

[1]

(c) For the time that the ball is in contact with the bar, use data from Fig. 3.1 and (b)(ii) to
calculate the force exerted on the bar by

(i) the support A,

force = ............................................ N [3]

(ii) the support B.

force = ............................................ N [2]

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4 (a) A uniform wire has length L and constant area of cross-section A. For
The material of the wire has Young modulus E and resistivity ρ. Examiner’s
A tension F in the wire causes its length to increase by DL. Use

For this wire, state expressions, in terms of L, A, F, DL and ρ for

(i) the stress σ,

............................................................................................................................ [1]

(ii) the strain ε,

............................................................................................................................ [1]

(iii) the Young modulus E,

............................................................................................................................ [1]

(iv) the resistance R.

............................................................................................................................ [1]

(b) One end of a metal wire of length 2.6 m and constant area of cross-section 3.8 × 10–7 m2
is attached to a fixed point, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

wire

2.6 m

load
30 N

Fig. 4.1

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The Young modulus of the material of the wire is 7.0 × 1010 Pa and its resistivity For
is 2.6 × 10–8 Ω m. Examiner’s
A load of 30 N is attached to the lower end of the wire. Assume that the area of Use

cross-section of the wire does not change.

For this load of 30 N,

(i) show that the extension of the wire is 2.9 mm,

[1]

(ii) calculate the change in resistance of the wire.

change = ............................................ Ω [2]

(c) The resistance of the wire changes with the applied load.
Comment on the suggestion that this change of resistance could be used to measure
the magnitude of the load on the wire.

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................... [2]

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5 (a) State what is meant by the diffraction of a wave. For

Examiner’s
.......................................................................................................................................... Use

..........................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) Plane wavefronts are incident on a slit, as shown in Fig. 5.1.

slit

Fig. 5.1

Complete Fig. 5.1 to show four wavefronts that have emerged from the slit. [2]

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(c) Monochromatic light is incident normally on a diffraction grating having 650 lines per For
millimetre, as shown in Fig. 5.2. Examiner’s
Use

third order

second order

first order

monochromatic
zero order
light

first order
grating
second order

third order

Fig. 5.2

An image (the zero order) is observed for light that has an angle of diffraction equal to
zero.

For incident light of wavelength 590 nm, determine the number of orders of diffracted
light that can be observed on each side of the zero order.

number = ................................................ [3]

(d) The images in Fig. 5.2 are viewed, starting with the zero order and then with increasing
order number.
State how the appearance of the images changes as the order number increases.

..........................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................... [1]

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6 (a) A lamp is rated as 12 V, 36 W. For

Examiner’s
(i) Calculate the resistance of the lamp at its working temperature. Use

resistance = ............................................ Ω [2]

(ii) On the axes of Fig. 6.1, sketch a graph to show the current-voltage (I–V )
characteristic of the lamp. Mark an appropriate scale for current on the y-axis.

I/A

0 6 12
V/V

Fig. 6.1
[3]

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(b) Some heaters are each labelled 230 V, 1.0 kW. The heaters have constant resistance. For
Examiner’s
Determine the total power dissipation for the heaters connected as shown in each of the Use

diagrams shown below.

(i)

230 V

power = .......................................... kW [1]

(ii)

230 V

power = .......................................... kW [1]

(iii)

230 V

power = .......................................... kW [2]

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7 (a) Uranium (U) has at least fourteen isotopes. For

Explain what is meant by isotopes. Examiner’s
Use

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) One possible nuclear reaction involving uranium is

235U + 10n 141Ba + 92Kr + x 10n + energy.

92 56 Z

(i) State three quantities that are conserved in a nuclear reaction.

1. ...............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

2. ...............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

3. ...............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................
[3]

(ii) For this reaction, determine the value of

1. Z,

Z = ................................................ [1]

2. x.

x = ................................................ [1]

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