Practice exam-style paper

Paper 6 Alternative to Practical [1 hour]

Write your answers on the question paper.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

1 A student is measuring the volume of a cylindrical piece of wood by immersing it

in water. The wood is less dense than water so that it floats.

100 cm3 100 cm3

50 cm3 50 cm3

0 cm3 0 cm3

Fig. 1.1 Fig. 1.2

a In Fig. 1.1, a small stone has been submerged in water in a measuring cylinder.
i Record the volume of the water + stone V1 as shown by the measuring cylinder.

V1 =
ii On Fig. 1.1, show how you would position your eye to obtain an accurate
reading from the scale of the measuring cylinder. [2]
b In Fig. 1.2, the wood is immersed in the water and is held in position by the stone.
i Record the new level of the water, V2.

V2 =
ii Calculate the volume of the wood VW using the equation VW = V2 – V1

VW =

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 1
 iii Assuming that the experiment has been carried out correctly and carefully,
suggest two reasons why the value VW may be inaccurate.

Reason 1

Reason 2

[2]

c Fig. 1.3 shows the second method used by the student. The piece of wood is attached to
the stone using a length of string. The wood floats upwards but remains submerged.

100 cm3

50 cm3

0 cm3

Fig. 1.3

i Record the new level of the water, V3.

V3 =
V3 is greater than V2 because the string also displaces water. Estimate the volume
of the string.

Volume of string =
ii Suggest how this could be taken account of when determining the volume of
the wood by this method.

[2]
[Total: 6]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 2
2 A student is trying to find the length of a pendulum which will have a period of
exactly 1.00 s. Fig. 2.1 shows the apparatus used for this.
The pendulum consists of a string, tightly clamped at the top, and with a heavy
spherical weight at the other end. The weight is called the pendulum bob.

Fig. 2.1

a The length of the pendulum L is the distance from the top of the string to
the centre of gravity of the bob.
Use a ruler to measure the length of the pendulum shown in Fig. 2.1.

length of pendulum =
i Fig. 2.1 is drawn one fifth actual size. Calculate the true length L of the pendulum.

L=
ii Suggest one way in which measuring the length of a pendulum can be difficult.

[3]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 3
 b The student times 20 complete oscillations of the pendulum. Fig. 2.2 shows
the reading on the student’s digital stopwatch.

025.71s

Fig. 2.2

i Calculate the time T for a single oscillation.

T=
ii The student timed 20 oscillations rather than a single oscillation. Give two
reasons why it is difficult to time a single oscillation with precision.

Reason 1

Reason 2

[3]
c Suggest one way in which the voltage across the resistor could be varied.
d The student makes several measurements of L and T. The results are shown in the table.

L/ T/
14.6 0.80
18.0 0.86
22.0 0.94
35.7 1.25
44.8 1.35

Complete the headings in the table.

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 4
 On the grid below, draw a graph of T (on the y-axis) against L. You do not need to
include the origin (0,0) on your graph.

Draw a smooth curve through the points.

From your graph, deduce a value for the length of the pendulum which will have
a period T of 1.00 s.
length of ‘one-second pendulum’ =
On the graph, mark a section where it would have been useful to have another
data point in order to make your answer more reliable. [4]
[Total: 10]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 5
3 A student is investigating the resistance of a light bulb.
The student uses the circuit shown in Fig. 3.1 to measure the resistance of
a single bulb. A resistor R is included in the circuit to limit the current in
the bulb so that it does not burn out.
6V

Fig. 3.1

a The ammeter shows that the current in the circuit is 0.25 A. The voltmeter shows
that the p.d. across the bulb is 4.8 V.
Calculate the resistance of the bulb. Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

resistance = [2]
b The student now connects two identical bulbs in series with each other. In the space
below, draw the circuit you would use to make measurements which would allow
you to determine the combined resistance of the two bulbs.

The student predicts that the combined resistance of the two bulbs in series
will be twice the resistance of a single bulb. Calculate their combined resistance.

combined resistance = [3]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 6
 c The student now investigates the resistance of the resistor on its own. To do this,
the voltage across the resistor must be varied.
Suggest one way in which the voltage across the resistor could be varied.

[1]

d The graph (Fig. 3.2) shows the student’s results.

P.d./v 6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 Current / A

Fig. 3.2

Determine the gradient G of the graph. This is equal to the resistance of the resistor.
Show clearly on the graph how you obtained the necessary information.

G= [3]
[Total: 9]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 7
4 A student is investigating the cooling of a beaker of warm water when a lump
of ice is added to it. The apparatus is shown in Fig. 4.1.

°C
110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

–10

Fig. 4.1

a Fig. 4.1 shows the water before the ice has been added to it. Determine
the temperature of the water.

temperature = °C [1]
b The student drops the ice in the water and records the temperature of the water
at intervals of 5 minutes. The readings are 40 °C, 33 °C, 30 °C and 30 °C.
Record these results in the table.

time / minutes temperature / °C

0
5
10
15
20

At the end of the experiment, the student noticed that all of the ice had melted.
From the results in the table, estimate the time at which the last of the ice melted.

time =

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 8
 Explain how you deduced this answer from the data in the table.

[4]

c Suggest one precaution the student should have taken in this experiment to ensure that
the water was at a uniform temperature when each thermometer reading was taken.

The water in the beaker became colder because the ice melted. The student thinks
that the water might also have been cooling because of convection. Suggest how the
experiment could have been altered to prevent this.

[3]
[Total: 8]
5 A student is determining the mass of a load L using a balancing method.
Fig. 5.1 shows the apparatus.
50.0 cm
mark
200 g load L
X Y
mass

pivot metre rule

Fig. 5.1

The student places the load L at a distance from the pivot and then moves
the 200 g mass until the rule is balanced. For each position of the load,
the distances X and Y are measured.
The readings are shown in the table.

X / cm Y / cm
42.0 23.3
36.0 19.8
24.6 13.6
18.2 9.5

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 9
 a From the diagram, deduce whether the mass of L is greater than 200 g or less than
200 g. Tick the box.

greater than 200 g

less than 200 g

State one difficulty in measuring the distances X and Y and suggest how this might
be overcome.

Difficulty

How to overcome it

[3]

b The student plotted a graph of X against Y. A sketch of the graph is shown in Fig. 5.2.
Y / cm

X / cm

Fig. 5.2

Explain how the graph shows that X is proportional to Y.

The Principle of Moments suggests that the mass of L is given by:

X
mass of L = Y × 200 g

Select the largest pair of values of X and Y from the table and use them to calculate a
value for the mass of L.

mass of L = g

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 10
 Suggest a method the student could have used to get a more reliable result for the mass
of L using all of the values of X and Y obtained, rather than just one pair of values.

[3]
[Total: 6]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Physics Practice exam-style paper 6 – Alternative to Practical 11