2016 Physics Questionbank - Book

IB QUESTIONBANK
PHYSICS
HL and SL
CONTENTS
IB Questionbank Physics Page 2
TOPIC 1: MEASUREMENT AND UNCERTAINITIES page
Multiple choice questions .........................................................................................................5
Long questions ..............................................................................................................................9
TOPIC 2: MECHANICS
Kinematics - Multiple choice questions .............................................................................29
Kinematics - Long questions ...................................................................................................37
Newton’s Law - Multiple choice questions .......................................................................39
Newton’s Law - Long questions .............................................................................................45
Work, Energy and Power - Multiple choice questions..................................................62
Work, Energy and Power - Long questions ......................................................................67
Momentum and Impulse - Multiple choice questions..................................................80
Momentum and Impulse - Long questions........................................................................ 83
Circular Motion - Multiple choice questions....................................................................89
Circular Motion - Long questions...........................................................................................94
Gravitation - Multiple choice questions......................................................... ....................98
Gravitation - Long questions...................................................................................................100
TOPIC 3: THERMAL PHYSICS
Multiple choice questions ........................................................................................................103
Long questions .............................................................................................................................111
OPTION B : ENGINEERING PHYSICS – Thermodynamics (SL and HL)
Multiple choice questions ........................................................................................................124
Long questions ..............................................................................................................................131
TOPIC 4: WAVES
Multiple choice questions .........................................................................................................142
Long questions .............................................................................................................................159

TOPIC 9: WAVE PHENOMENA (HL) page
Multiple choice questions ..........................................................................................................202
Long questions ..............................................................................................................................210
OPTION B : ENGINEERING PHYSICS - Forced Oscillations And Resonance (HL)
Multiple choice questions…………………………………...........................................................230
Long questions ……………………………………………………………...........................................232
TOPIC 5: ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
Multiple choice questions………………………………………………………..............................234
Long questions …………………………………………………..........................................................254
TOPIC 11: ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION (HL)
Multiple choice questions…………………………………………………………..........................283
Long questions ……………………………………………………………...........................................291
TOPIC 10 : FIELDS (HL)
Long Questions …………………………………………………………………………………………….313
TOPIC 7 : ATOMIC, NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS
Long questions …………………………………………………………………………………….………348
TOPIC 12: QUANTUM AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS (HL)
Long questions …………………………………………………………………………………………....428

TOPIC 1: MEASUREMENT AND UNCERTAINITIES
Multiple Choice Questions
1.Which of the following contains one fundamental and one derived unit?
A. ampere kilogram
B. ampere coulomb
C. joule newton
D. joule coulomb
2. Which of the following will reduce random errors in an experiment?
A. Using an instrument having a greater precision
B. Checking the calibration of the instrument used
C. Checking for zero error on the instrument used
D. Repeating readings
3. A body accelerates from rest with a uniform acceleration a for a time t. The
uncertainty in a is 8 % and the uncertainty in t is 4 %. The uncertainty in the speed is
A. 32 %. B. 12 %. C. 8 %. D. 2 %.
4. Which of the following lists two scalar quantities?
A. emf, momentum
B. emf, weight
C. impulse, kinetic energy
D. magnetic flux, kinetic energy
5. The length of each side of a sugar cube is measured as 10 mm with an uncertainty of

±2 mm.
Which of the following is the absolute uncertainty in the volume of the sugar cube?
A. ±6 mm3 B. ±8 mm3
C. ±400 mm3 D. ±600 mm3

6. The current in a resistor is measured as 2.00 A ± 0.02 A. Which of the following
correctly identifies the absolute uncertainty and the percentage uncertainty in the
current?
Absolute uncertainty Percentage uncertainty

A. ± 0.02 A ±1 %
B. ± 0.01 A ± 0.5 %
C. ± 0.02 A ± 0.01 %
D. ± 0.01 A ± 0.005 %
7. The best estimate for the time it takes light to cross the nucleus of the hydrogen atom
is
A. 10–23 s. B. 10–20 s. C. 10–15 s. D. 10–7 s.
8. The time taken for a stone dropped from rest to fall vertically through 16 m is 2.0 s.
Based on these measurements, what is the best estimate for the acceleration of free
fall?
A. 4.0 m s–2 B. 8.0 m s–2 C. 9.8 m s–2 D. 10 m s–

2
9. Which of the following lists only two vector quantities?
A. mass, energy, work
B. momentum, work, speed
C. weight, force, acceleration
D. momentum, energy, displacement
10. Which of the following is equivalent to the joule?
A. N m2 B. N m–2 C. kg m s–2 D. kg m2
s–2
11. An object falls for a time of 0.25 s. The acceleration of free fall is 9.81 m s–2. The
displacement is calculated. Which of the following gives the correct number of
significant digits for the calculated value of the displacement of the object?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

12. The current, I, through a resistor is measured with a digital ammeter to be 0.10 A.
The uncertainty in the calculated value of I2 will be
A. 1 %. B. 2 %. C. 5 %. D. 20 %.
13. The masses and weights of different objects are independently measured. The graph
is a plot of weight versus mass that includes error bars.
These experimental results suggest that the
A. measurements show a significant systematic error but small random error.
B. measurements show a significant random error but small systematic error.
C. measurements are precise but not accurate.
D. weight of an object is proportional to its mass.
14. The magnitude of the mass of the universe is of the order of
A. 1020 kg. B. 1030 kg. C. 1040 kg. D. 1050 kg.
15. A volume is measured to be 52 mm3. This volume in m3 is
A. 5.2 × 103 m3.
B. 5.2 × 101 m3.
C. 5.2 × 10–1 m3.
D. 5.2 × 10–8 m3.

16. In an experiment to measure the acceleration of free fall at the surface of the Earth
the following results were obtained.
Acceleration of free fall / m s–2

7.69
7.70
7.69
7.68
7.70
The results are
A. accurate and precise.
B. inaccurate but precise.
C. accurate but imprecise.
D. inaccurate and imprecise.
17. The time elapsed since the beginning of the universe is of the order of
A. 108 s. B. 1018 s. C. 1028 s. D. 1038 s.
18. The order of magnitude of the weight of an apple is
A. 10–4 N. B. 10–2 N. C. 1 N. D. 102 N.
M
19. The density of a metal cube is given by the expression ρ  where M is the mass
V
and V is the volume of the cube. The percentage uncertainties in M and V are as
shown below.
The percentage uncertainty in the calculated value of the density is
A. B. C. D.

Long Questıons
1. Data analysis question.
The photograph below shows a magnified image of a dark central disc surrounded by
concentric dark rings. These rings were produced as a result of interference of
monochromatic light.
The graph below shows how the ring diameter D varies with the ring number n.
The innermost ring corresponds to n = 1. The corresponding diameter is labelled in
the photograph. Error bars for the diameter D are shown.
(a) State one piece of evidence that shows that D is not proportional to n.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) On the graph above, draw the line of best-fit for the data points.
(2)
(c) Theory suggests that D2 = kn.
A graph of D2 against n is shown below. Error bars are shown for the first and
last data points only.
(i) Using the first graph, calculate the percentage uncertainty in D2, of the
ring n = 7.
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(2)
(ii) Based on the second graph, state one piece of evidence that supports the
relationship D2 = kn.
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(1)

(iii) Use the second graph to determine the value of the constant k, as well as
its uncertainty.
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(4)
(iv) State the unit for the constant k.
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(1)
(Total 11 marks)
The speed v of waves on the surface of deep water depends only on the wavelength λ
of the waves. The data gathered from a particular region of the Atlantic Ocean are
plotted below.

The uncertainty in the speed v is ±0.30 m s–1 and the uncertainty in λ is too small to
be shown on the diagram.
(a) State, with reference to the graph,
(i) why v is not directly proportional to λ.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) the value of v for λ = 39 m.
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) It is suggested that the relationship between v and λ is of the form
v= a 
where a is a constant. To test the validity of this hypothesis, values of v2

against λ are plotted below.

(i) Use your answer to (a)(ii) to show that the absolute uncertainty in v2 for
a wavelength of 39 m is ±5 m2 s–2.
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(3)
(ii) The absolute uncertainty in v2 for a wavelength of 2.5 m is ±1 m2 s–2.

Using this value and the value in (b)(i), construct error bars for v2 at the
data points for
λ = 2.5 m and 39 m.
(1)
(iii) State why the plotted data in (b)(ii) suggest that it is likely that v is
proportional to  .
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(1)
(iv) Use the graph above to determine the constant a.
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k
(v) Theory shows that a = . Determine a value for k.
2π
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(1)
(Total 11 marks)

3. This question is about electrical resistance.
The graph shows the variation with temperature T of the resistance R of an electrical
component.
(a) A student hypothesizes that the resistance is inversely proportional to the

temperature.
Use data from the graph to show whether the hypothesis is supported.
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...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
b) A second student suggests that the relationship is of the form
b
lg R = a +
T
where a and b are constants.

The student plots the graph below. Error bars have been included for the sake
of clarity.
(i) Explain how the graph drawn could be used as evidence to support the
student’s suggestion.
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(2)
(ii) Use the graph to determine the constants a and b.
b: ............................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................

a: ............................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
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(4)
(iii) Using your answers to (b)(ii), determine a value for the resistance of the
component at a temperature of 260 K.
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(2)
(Total 11 marks)
Gillian carried out an experiment to investigate the craters formed when steel balls
are dropped into sand. To try and find the relationship between the diameter of the
crater and the energy of impact of steel balls of the same diameter, she dropped a
steel ball from different heights h into sand and measured the resulting diameter d of
the crater. The data are shown plotted below.

(a) The uncertainty in the measurement of d is ±0.40 cm; the uncertainty in h is too
small to be shown. Draw error bars for the data point (0.2, 0.047) and the data
point (2.0, 0.10).
(2)
(b) Draw a best-fit line for the data points.

(2)
(c) The original hypothesis, made by Gillian, was that the diameter of the crater is
directly proportional to the energy of impact of the steel balls. Explain why the
data does not support this hypothesis.
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...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) Since Gillian’s data did not support her hypothesis, she researched to find
alternative hypotheses. She found that there are two theories used to predict a
relationship between d and h. In order to find which theory is best supported by
the data, she processed the data in two separate ways. The processed data are
shown below.

A student performs an experiment with a paper toy that rotates as it falls slowly
through the air. After release, the paper toy quickly attains a constant vertical speed
as measured over a fixed vertical distance.
The aim of the experiment was to find how the terminal speed of the paper toy varies
with its weight. The weight of the paper toy was changed by using different numbers
of paper sheets in its construction.
The graph shows a plot of the terminal speed v of the paper toy (calculated from the
raw data) and the number of paper sheets n used to construct the toy. The uncertainty
in v for n = 1 is shown by the error bar.

(a) The fixed distance is 0.75 m and has an absolute uncertainty of 0.01 m. The
percentage uncertainty in the time taken to fall through the fixed distance is 5
%.
(i) Calculate the absolute uncertainty in the terminal speed of the paper toy
for n = 6.
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(3)
(ii) On the graph, draw an error bar on the point corresponding to n = 6.

(1)
(b) On the graph, draw a line of best-fit for the data points.
(1)
(c) The student hypothesizes that v is proportional to n. Use the data points for n =
2 and n = 4 from the graph opposite to show that this hypothesis is incorrect.
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(3)

(d) Another student hypothesized that v might be proportional to n . To verify
this hypothesis he plotted a graph of v2 against n as shown below.
Explain how the graph verifies the hypothesis that v is proportional to n.
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(3)
(Total 11 marks)

6. This question is about electrical resistance of the metal mercury.
The resistance R of a sample of mercury was measured as a function of the

temperature T of the sample. The sample was cooled and data points were taken at
temperature intervals of 0.2 K. The uncertainties in R and T are too small to be
shown on the graph.
The hypothesis is that resistance is proportional to absolute temperature for

temperatures greater than 4.5 K.
(a) (i) Suggest whether the data supports the hypothesis.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Draw a line of best fit through the data.

(2)
(b) State the value of R for which the rate of change of resistance of the sample
with temperature is least.
...............................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) At a temperature TC the resistance suddenly becomes zero.
(i) Use the graph to determine the possible range of the temperature TC.
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......................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) State, to the correct number of significant figures, the value of TC and its
uncertainty.
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(2)
(iii) Outline how the temperature TC could be measured more precisely.
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(1)
(d) Outline two reasons why you could not use the data to determine an accurate
value for R at room temperature.
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(2)
(Total 10 marks)
7. This question is about liquid flow.
The diagram shows a storage container for liquids.
The container is filled from above. The distance between the base of the container
and the ground is h0.

The container, which is initially empty, is then filled at a constant rate. The height h
of the liquid surface above the ground is measured as a function of time t. The results
of the measurements are shown plotted below.
(a) Draw a best-fit line for the data.

(1)
(b) It is hypothesized that h is directly proportional to t. State and explain whether

this hypothesis is correct for the periods
(i) t = 0 to t = 120 s.
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(1)
(ii) t > 120 s.
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(1)

(c) Use data from the graph to determine the value of h0.
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(2)
(d) The area of the base of the container is 1.8 m2. Deduce that the volume of
liquid entering the storage container each second is approximately 0.02 m3 s–1.
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(3)
(e) The container is completely filled after 850 s. Calculate the total volume of the
container.
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...............................................................................................................................
(1)

(f) The empty container is now filled at half the rate in (d). Using the axes, sketch
a graph to show the variation of h with t in the range t = 0 to t = 900 s.
(2)
(Total 11 marks)
The frequency f of the fundamental vibration of a standing wave of fixed length is

measured for different values of the tension T in the string, using the apparatus
shown.
In order to find the relationship between the speed v of the wave and the tension T in the
string, the speed v is calculated from the relation
v=2fL
where L is the length of the string.
The data points are shown plotted on the axes below. The uncertainty in v is ±5 m s–
1 and the uncertainty in T is negligible.

(a) Draw error bars on the first and last data points to show the uncertainty in
speed v.
(1)
(b) The original hypothesis is that the speed is directly proportional to the tension
T.
Explain why the data do not support this hypothesis.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) It is suggested that the relationship between speed and tension is of the form
v=k T
where k is a constant.
To test whether the data support this relationship, a graph of v2 against T is

plotted as shown below.

The best-fit line shown takes into account the uncertainties for each data point.
The uncertainty in v2 for T = 3.5 N is shown as an error bar on the graph.
(i) State the value of the uncertainty in v2 for T = 3.5 N.
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(1)
(ii) At T = 1.0 N the speed v = 27 ± 5 m s–1. Calculate the uncertainty in v2.
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(3)
(d) Use the graph in (c) to determine k without its uncertainty.
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(Total 11 marks)
TOPIC 2: MECHANICS
KINEMATICS - Multiple choice questions
1. Joseph runs along a long straight track. The variation of

his speed v with time t is shown below.
After 25 seconds Joseph has run 200 m. Which of the

following is correct at 25 seconds?
Instantaneous speed / m Average speed / m s–1

s–1
A. 8 m s–1 8 m s–1
B. 8 m s–1 10 m s–1
C. 10 m s–1 8 m s–1
D. 10 m s–1 10 m s–1
2. The graph shows the variation with time t of the acceleration a of an object.
Which of the following is the change in velocity of the object in the time interval 0 to
4 s?
A. –8 m s–1 B. –4 m s–1 C. +4 m s–1 D. +8 m s–

1

3. A car accelerates from rest. The acceleration increases with time. Which graph shows
the variation with time t of the speed v of the car?
4. Which of the following quantities can be determined from a speed-time graph of a

particle travelling in a straight line?
A. Only the magnitude of the acceleration at a given instant
B. Both the velocity and the acceleration at a given instant
C. Only the distance travelled in a given time
D. Both the distance travelled in a given time and the magnitude of the
acceleration at a given instant
5. Samantha walks along a horizontal path in the direction shown. The curved part of
the path is a semi-circle.
The magnitude of her displacement from point P to point Q is approximately
A. 2 m. B. 4 m. C. 6 m. D. 8 m.

6. Which of the following may be determined from a speed-time graph?
A. Displacement
B. Distance
C. Power
D. Force
7. A raindrop falling from rest at time t = 0 reaches terminal velocity. Which graph best
represents how the speed v varies with time t?
8. The graph shows how the displacement d of an object varies with time t. The tangent
to the curve at time t1 is also shown.
Which of the following gives the speed of

the object at point P?
A. the gradient at P
B. the shaded area
1
C.
gradient at P
d1
D.
t1

9. The graph is a speed versus time graph for an object that is moving in a straight line.
The distance travelled by the object during the first 4.0 seconds is
A. 80 m. B. 40 m. C. 20 m. D. 5 m.
10. A ball, initially at rest, is dropped in the air from a great height. Air resistance is not
negligible.
Which of the following graphs best shows the variation with time t of the
acceleration a of the ball?

11. The graph below shows the variation with time t of the velocity v of an object
moving along a straight line.
The displacement of the object between t = 0 s and t = 6.0 s is
A. 2.0 m. B. 12 m. C. 20 m. D. 24 m.
12. Two balls of different mass are dropped from the top of a tall building one after the
other. The distance between the balls
A. increases with time.
B. depends on the initial velocity only.
C. remains constant.
D. depends on the mass of the balls.

13. The graph shows how the velocity of a particle varies with time.
Which of the following graphs correctly shows how the acceleration of the particle
varies with time?

14. A ball is thrown vertically upwards from the ground. The graph shows the variation
with time t of the vertical displacement d of the ball.
Which of the following gives the final displacement after time T and the average
speed between time t = 0 and time t = T?
Displacement Average speed
A. 0 0
0 2D
B.
T
2D 2D
C.
T
D. 2D 0

15. The graph below shows the variation with time t of the velocity v of an object
moving on a straight-line.
Which of the graphs below best represents the variation with time t of the
acceleration a of the object?

KINEMATICS - Long questions
1. In 1997 a high-speed car of mass 1.1 × 104 kg achieved the world land speed record.
The car accelerated uniformly in two stages as shown in the table. The car started
from rest.
Time / s Speed attained at end of stage / m

s–1
Stage 1 0.0 – 4.0 44
Stage 2 4.0 – 12 280
Use the data to calculate the
(a) average acceleration of the car in stage 1.
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(1)
(b) average net force required to accelerate the car in stage 2.
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(3)
(c) total distance travelled by the car in 12 s.
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(2)
(Total 6 marks)
2. This question is about kinematics.
Lucy stands on the edge of a vertical cliff and throws a stone vertically upwards.
The stone leaves her hand with a speed of 15 m s–1 at the instant her hand is 80 m
above the surface of the sea. Air resistance is negligible and the acceleration of free
fall is 10 m s–2.
(a) Calculate the maximum height reached by the stone as measured from the point
where it is thrown.
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(2)
(b) Determine the time for the stone to reach the surface of the sea after leaving
Lucy’s hand.
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(3)
(Total 5 marks)

FORCES- Multiple choice questions
1. A skydiver of mass 80 kg falls vertically with a constant speed of 50 m s–1. The

upward force acting on the skydiver is approximately
A. 0 N. B. 80 N. C. 800 N. D. 4000 N.
2. A car of mass 1000 kg accelerates on a straight, flat, horizontal road with an

acceleration
a = 0.3 m s–2.
The driving force F on the car is opposed by a resistive force of 500 N.
The net (resultant) force on the car is
A. 200 N. B. 300 N. C. 500 N. D. 800 N.
3. Which of the following is the condition for a body to be in translational equilibrium?
A. The resultant force on the body in any direction is zero.
B. The velocity of the body in any direction is zero.
C. No external force is acting on the body.
D. No work is done on the body.
4. A force F is applied to a body moving along a straight line. A resistive force f acts on
the body.
Both forces act along the same straight line as the motion of the body. The rate of
change of momentum of the body is equal to
A. F – f. B. F. C. F + f. D. f.

5. A wooden block is sliding down an inclined plane at constant speed. The magnitude
of the frictional force between the block and the plane is equal to
A. zero.
B. the magnitude of the weight of the block.
C. the magnitude of the component of weight of the block parallel to the plane.
D. the magnitude of the component of the normal reaction parallel to the plane.
6. Which of the following is a correct statement of Newton’s second law of motion?
A. A force acting on a body is proportional to the mass of the body.
B. The rate of change of momentum of a body is equal to the net external force
acting on the body.
C. The momentum of a body is proportional to the net external force acting on the
body.
D. A force acting on a body is proportional to the acceleration of the body.
7. Stephen pushes two boxes P and Q, that stay in contact, along a rough table, with a
force F of 30 N.
Box P has a mass of 2.0 kg and box Q has a mass of 4.0 kg. Both boxes move with
constant speed.
The resultant force on box Q is
A. 0 N. B. 5.0 N. C. 15 N. D. 30 N.

8. A ball moves along the inside of a horizontal semi-circular ring as shown. The
diagram is a view from above.
Which arrow represents the direction of the average force on the ball?
9. A cart of mass M is on a horizontal frictionless table.
The cart is connected to an object of weight W via a pulley. Which of the following is
the acceleration of the cart?
W
M
g
A.
W
W
B.
W
M
g
Mg
C.
W
D. 0
10. Two steel balls, of mass M and 2M, fall at constant speeds in a tube filled with oil.

Which of the following correctly compares the magnitudes of the net force and of the
drag (resistance) force on the two balls?
Net force Drag force

A. same same
B. same different
C. different same
D. different different
11. A skydiver jumped out of an airplane. On reaching a terminal speed of 60 m s–1, she
opened her parachute. Which of the following describes her motion after opening her
parachute?
A. She went upwards for a short time, before falling to Earth at a speed of 60 m s–1.
B. She continued downwards at 60 m s–1, but hit the ground with less force.
C. She continued to fall but reached a new terminal speed of less than 60 m s–1.
D. She went upwards for a short time, before falling to Earth at a speed of less
than 60 m s–1.
12. The diagram shows a girl attempting (but failing) to lift a heavy suitcase of weight
W. The magnitude of the vertical upwards pull of the girl on the suitcase is P and the
magnitude of the vertical reaction of the floor on the suitcase is R.
Which equation correctly relates W, P and R?
A. W=P+R
B. W>P+R
C. W<P+R
D. W=P=R

13. Objects A and B collide together. They end up joined together and stationary. During
the collision, a force +F is exerted on object A by object B. According to Newton’s
third law, there will also be a force of
A. –F acting on object B.
B. –F acting on object A.
C. +F acting on object B.
D. +F acting on object A.
14. A student is sitting on a chair. One force that is acting on the student is the pull of
gravity. According to Newton’s third law, there must be another force which is
A. the upward push of the chair on the student.
B. the downward force on the student.
C. the downward push of the chair on Earth.
D. the upward force on Earth.
15. A lamp of weight W is suspended by a wire fixed to the ceiling. With reference to
Newton’s third law of motion, the force that is equal and opposite to W is the
A. tension in the wire.
B. force applied by the ceiling.
C. force exerted by the lamp on the Earth.
D. force exerted by the Earth on the lamp.
16. If a moving object is subject to a constant force, which of the following can be
correctly deduced from Newton’s first law?
A. The object continues to move with a changing velocity.
B. The object continues to move with a constant velocity.
C. The object continues to move with a changing direction.
D. The object continues to move in the same direction.

17. A general expression for Newton’s second law of motion is
p
F .
t
What condition is applied so that the law may be expressed in the form F = ma?
A. The mass m is constant.
B. The acceleration a is constant.
C. The force F is constant.
D. The direction of the force F is constant.
18. Mandy stands on a weighing scale inside a lift (elevator) that accelerates vertically
upwards as shown in the diagram below. The forces on Mandy are her weight W and
the reaction force from the scale R.
The reading of the scale is
A. R + W.
B. W.
C. R.
D. R – W.
19. A frictionless trolley of mass m moves down a slope with a constant acceleration a.
A second similar frictionless trolley has mass 2m. The acceleration of the second
trolley as it moves down the slope is
1
A. a. B. a. C. 2a. D. 4a.
2
20. A spacecraft orbits Earth. An astronaut inside the spacecraft feels “weightless”
because
A. the gravitational field in the spacecraft is negligible.
B. the Earth exerts equal forces on the spacecraft and the astronaut.
C. the spacecraft and the astronaut have the same acceleration towards the Earth.
D. the spacecraft and the astronaut exert equal and opposite forces on each other.

FORCES - Long questions (*Newton’s Laws , Work, Power and Energy)
1. This question is about mechanics and thermal physics.
The graph shows the variation with time t of the speed v of a ball of mass 0.50 kg,
that has been released from rest above the Earth’s surface.
The force of air resistance is not negligible. Assume that the acceleration of free fall
is
g = 9.81 m s–2.
(a) State, without any calculations, how the graph could be used to determine the
distance fallen.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) (i) In the space below, draw and label arrows to represent the forces on the
ball at
2.0 s.
(1)

(ii) Use the graph opposite to show that the acceleration of the ball at 2.0 s is
approximately 4 m s–2.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) Calculate the magnitude of the force of air resistance on the ball at 2.0 s.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(iv) State and explain whether the air resistance on the ball at t = 5.0 s is
smaller than, equal to or greater than the air resistance at t = 2.0 s.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) After 10 s the ball has fallen 190 m.
(i) Show that the sum of the potential and kinetic energies of the ball has
decreased by 780 J.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(3)

(ii) The specific heat capacity of the ball is 480 J kg–1 K–1. Estimate the
increase in the temperature of the ball.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) State an assumption made in the estimate in (c)(ii).
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 14 marks)
2. This question is about power and efficiency.
A bus is travelling at a constant speed of 6.2 m s–1 along a section of road that is
inclined at an angle of 6.0° to the horizontal.
(a) (i) The bus is represented by the black dot shown below. Draw a labelled
sketch to represent the forces acting on the bus.
(4)

(ii) State the value of the rate of change of momentum of the bus.
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The total output power of the engine of the bus is 70 kW and the efficiency of
the engine is 35 %. Calculate the input power to the engine.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The mass of the bus is 8.5 × 103 kg. Determine the rate of increase of
gravitational potential energy of the bus.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) Using your answer to (c) and the data in (b), estimate the magnitude of the
resistive forces acting on the bus.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)

(e) The engine of the bus suddenly stops working.
(i) Determine the magnitude of the net force opposing the motion of the bus
at the instant at which the engine stops.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Discuss, with reference to the air resistance, the change in the net force as
the bus slows down.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 17 marks)
3. This question is about kicking a football.
A ball is suspended from a ceiling by a string of length 7.5 m. The ball is kicked
horizontally and rises to a maximum height of 6.0 m.
(a) Assuming that the air resistance is negligible, show that the initial speed of the
ball is 11 m s–1.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) The mass of the ball is 0.55 kg and the impact time of the kicker’s foot with the
ball is 150 ms. Estimate the average force exerted on the ball by the kick.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) (i) Explain why the tension in the string increases immediately after the ball
is kicked.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Calculate the tension in the string immediately after the ball is kicked.
ssume that the string is vertical.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)

4. This question is about momentum, energy and power.
(a) In his Principia Mathematica Newton expressed his third law of motion as “to
every action there is always opposed an equal reaction”. State what Newton
meant by this law.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A book is released from rest and falls towards the surface of Earth. Discuss
how the conservation of momentum applies to the Earth-book system.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) A large swinging ball is used to drive a horizontal iron spike into a vertical
wall.
The centre of the ball falls through a vertical height of 1.6 m before striking the
spike in the position shown.
The mass of the ball is 3.5 kg and the mass of the spike is 0.80 kg. Immediately
after striking the spike, the ball and spike move together. Show that the
(i) speed of the ball on striking the spike is 5.6 m s–1.
......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) energy dissipated as a result of the collision is about 10 J.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(4)
(d) As a result of the ball striking the spike, the spike is driven a distance 7.3 × 10–
2 m into the wall. Calculate, assuming it to be constant, the friction force F
between the spike and wall.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(e) The machine that is used to raise the ball has a useful power output of 18 W.
Calculate how long it takes for the machine to raise the ball through a height of
1.6 m.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 15 marks)

5. This question is about motion of a ball falling in oil.
(a) Distinguish between average speed and instantaneous speed.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) A small steel ball of mass M is dropped from rest into a long vertical tube that
contains oil.
The sketch graph shows how the speed v of the ball varies with time t.
Explain how you would use the graph to find the average speed of the ball
between t = 0 and t = t1.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) The gradient of the graph at t = t1 is k. Deduce an expression in terms of k, M

and g, the acceleration of free fall, for the magnitude of the frictional force F
acting on the ball at t = t1.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) State and explain the magnitude of the frictional force acting on the ball at t =
t2.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 11 marks)
6. This question is about dynamics and energy.
A bullet of mass 32 g is fired from a gun. The graph shows the variation of the force
F on the bullet with time t as it travels along the barrel of the gun.

The bullet is fired at time t = 0 and the length of the barrel is 0.70 m.
1 2
(a) State and explain why it is inappropriate to use the equation s = ut + at to
2
calculate the acceleration of the bullet.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Use the graph to
(i) determine the average acceleration of the bullet during the final 2.0 ms of
the graph.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) show that the change in momentum of the bullet, as the bullet travels
along the length of the barrel, is approximately 9 N s.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) Use the answer in (b)(ii) to calculate the
(i) speed of the bullet as it leaves the barrel.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) average power delivered to the bullet.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) Use Newton’s third law to explain why a gun will recoil when a bullet is fired.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 15 marks)

7. This question is about force and energies.
(a) A system consists of a bicycle and cyclist travelling at a constant velocity along
a horizontal road.
(i) State the value of the net force acting on the cyclist.
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) On the diagram draw labelled arrows to represent the vertical forces
acting on the bicycle.
(2)
(iii) With reference to the horizontal forces acting on the system, explain why
the system is travelling at constant velocity.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The total resistive force acting on the system is 40 N and its speed is 8.0 m s–1.
Calculate the useful power output of the cyclist.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) The cyclist stops pedalling and the system comes to rest. The total mass of the
system is 70 kg.

(i) Calculate the magnitude of the initial acceleration of the system.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Estimate the distance taken by the system to come to rest from the time
the cyclist stops pedalling.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) State and explain one reason why your answer to (c)(ii) is only an
estimate.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 12 marks)
8. Mechanical power
(a) A car drives up a straight incline that is 4.8 km long. The total height of the
incline is 0.30 km.
The car moves up the incline at a steady speed of 16 m s–1. During the climb,
2 N. The total weight of
4 N.

(i) Determine the time it takes the car to travel from the bottom to the top of
the incline.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Determine the work done against the gravitational force in travelling
from the bottom to the top of the incline.
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) Using your answers to (a)(i) and (a)(ii), calculate a value for the
minimum power output of the car engine needed to move the car from
the bottom to the top of the incline.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(4)
(b) From the top of the incline, the road continues downwards in a straight line. At
the point where the road starts to go downwards, the driver of the car in (a),
stops the car to look at the view. In continuing his journey, the driver decides to
save fuel. He switches off the engine and allows the car to move freely down
the hill. The car descends a height of 0.30 km in a distance of 6.4 km before
levelling out.
2 N.

Estimate
(i) the acceleration of the car down the incline.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(5)
(ii) the speed of the car at the bottom of the incline.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) In fact, for the last few hundred metres of its journey down the hill, the car
travels at constant speed. State the value of the frictional force acting on the car
whilst it is moving at constant speed.
...............................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 15 marks)
9. This question is about forces.
An athlete trains by dragging a heavy load across a rough horizontal surface.
The athlete exerts a force of magnitude F on the load at an angle of 25° to the
horizontal.

(a) Once the load is moving at a steady speed, the average horizontal frictional
force acting on the load is 470 N.
Calculate the average value of F that will enable the load to move at constant
speed.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The load is moved a horizontal distance of 2.5 km in 1.2 hours.
Calculate
(i) the work done on the load by the force F.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) the minimum average power required to move the load.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The athlete pulls the load uphill at the same speed as in part (a).
Explain, in terms of energy changes, why the minimum average power required
is greater than in (b)(ii).
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

WORK, ENERGY AND POWER - Multiple choice questions
1. A brother and sister take the same time to run up a set of steps. The sister has a
greater mass than her brother. Which of the following is correct?
Has done the most Has developed the greatest

work power
A. brother brother
B. brother sister
C. sister brother
D. sister sister
2. A nuclear power station produces 10 GW of electrical power. The power generated

by the nuclear reactions in the core of the reactor is 25 GW. The efficiency of the
power station is
A. 15 %. B. 35 %. C. 40 %. D. 60 %.
3. A particle of mass m is moving with constant speed v in uniform circular motion.

What is the total work done by the centripetal force during one revolution?
mv2
A. Zero B. C. mv2 D. 2πmv2
2
4. Which of the following is equivalent to the principle of energy conservation?
A. Newton’s first law
B. The first law of thermodynamics
C. Newton’s second law
D. The second law of thermodynamics
5. The graph shows the variation with force F of the extension s of a spring.

The work done in changing the extension of the spring from 3.0 cm to 6.0 cm is
A. 15 N cm. B. 30 N cm. C. 45 N cm. D. 60 N cm.
6. Two objects undergo an inelastic collision. Which of the following is correct in

respect of both the conservation of momentum and the conservation of total energy
of the system?
Momentum Total energy

A. conserved not conserved
B. conserved conserved
C. not conserved not conserved
D. not conserved conserved
7. Which of the following is a correct definition of work?
A. Product of force and distance
B. Product of force and distance moved in the direction of the force
C. Product of power and time
D. Product of force and displacement
8. A ball is thrown vertically upwards and comes down again. Air resistance is
negligible. Which of the following graphs shows how the gravitational potential
energy EP varies with time t?

9. A pump extracts water from a well of depth h at a constant rate of R kg s–1. What is
the power required to raise the water?
R Rg hg
A. B. Rgh C. D.
gh h R
10. A ball falls vertically and bounces off the ground. Immediately before impact with
the ground the speed of the ball is u. Immediately after leaving the ground the speed
is v.
Which of the following expressions is the ratio of

kineticenergy lost on collision
?
kineticenergy immediately before collision
2 2
v v v v
A. B. 1 C.   D. 1  
u u u u
11. A railway engine of mass m moves along a horizontal track with uniform speed v.
The total resistive force acting on the engine is F.
Which of the following is the power of the engine?
F mv v
A. B. Fv C. D.
mv F F
12. A lift (elevator) is operated by an electric motor. It moves between the 10th floor and
the 2nd floor at a constant speed. One main energy transformation during this
journey is
A. gravitational potential energy → kinetic energy.
B. electrical energy → kinetic energy.
C. kinetic energy → thermal energy.
D. electrical energy → thermal energy.

13. A lift (elevator) is operated by an electric motor. It moves between the 10th floor and
the 2nd floor at a constant speed. One main energy transformation during this
journey is
A. gravitational potential energy → kinetic energy.
B. electrical energy → kinetic energy.
C. kinetic energy → thermal energy.
D. electrical energy → thermal energy.
14. A constant force acts on a mass that is initially at rest. Which of the following graphs
best shows how the kinetic energy EK of the mass changes with the work W done on
the mass? Friction is negligible.
15. For a particle moving at constant speed in a horizontal circle, the work done by the
centripetal force is
A. zero.
B. directly proportional to the particle mass.
C. directly proportional to the particle speed.
D. directly proportional to the (particle speed)2.

16. A vehicle is driven up a hill at constant speed. Which of the following best describes
the energy changes involved?
A. Chemical energy is converted into gravitational potential energy.
B. Chemical energy is converted into gravitational potential energy, sound and

thermal energy.
C. Gravitational potential energy is converted into chemical energy.
D. Gravitational potential energy is converted into chemical energy, sound and

thermal energy.
17. A vehicle is driven up a hill at constant speed. Which of the following best describes
the energy changes involved?
A. Chemical energy is converted into gravitational potential energy.
B. Chemical energy is converted into gravitational potential energy, sound and

thermal energy.
C. Gravitational potential energy is converted into chemical energy.
D. Gravitational potential energy is converted into chemical energy, sound and

thermal energy.
18. The variation with time of the vertical speed of a ball falling in air is shown below.
During the time from 0 to T, the ball gains kinetic energy and loses gravitational
Ep. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Ep is equal to the gain in kinetic energy.
B. Ep is greater than the gain in kinetic energy.
C. Ep is equal to the work done against air resistance.
D. Ep is less than the work done against air resistance.

WORK, ENERGY AND POWER - Long questions
1. This question is about momentum, energy and power.
(a) In his Principia Mathematica Newton expressed his third law of motion as “to
every action there is always opposed an equal reaction”. State what Newton
meant by this law.
...............................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A book is released from rest and falls towards the surface of Earth. Discuss
how the conservation of momentum applies to the Earth-book system.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) A large swinging ball is used to drive a horizontal iron spike into a vertical
wall.
The centre of the ball falls through a vertical height of 1.6 m before striking the
spike in the position shown.
The mass of the ball is 3.5 kg and the mass of the spike is 0.80 kg. Immediately
after striking the spike, the ball and spike move together. Show that the

(i) speed of the ball on striking the spike is 5.6 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) energy dissipated as a result of the collision is about 10 J.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(d) As a result of the ball striking the spike, the spike is driven a distance 7.3 × 10–
2 m into the wall. Calculate, assuming it to be constant, the friction force F
between the spike and wall.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(e) The machine that is used to raise the ball has a useful power output of 18 W.
Calculate how long it takes for the machine to raise the ball through a height of
1.6 m.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 15 marks)
2. This question is about a simple pendulum.
(a) A pendulum consists of a bob suspended by a light inextensible string from a

rigid support. The pendulum bob is moved to one side and then released. The
sketch graph shows how the displacement of the pendulum bob undergoing
simple harmonic motion varies with time over one time period.
On the sketch graph above,
(i) label with the letter A a point at which the acceleration of the pendulum
bob is a maximum.
(1)
(ii) label with the letter V a point at which the speed of the pendulum bob is a
maximum.
(1)
(b) Explain why the magnitude of the tension in the string at the midpoint of the
oscillation is greater than the weight of the pendulum bob.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) The pendulum bob is moved to one side until its centre is 25 mm above its rest
position and then released.

(i) Show that the speed of the pendulum bob at the midpoint of the
oscillation is 0.70 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The mass of the pendulum bob is 0.057 kg. The centre of the pendulum
bob is 0.80 m below the support. Calculate the magnitude of the tension
in the string when the pendulum bob is vertically below the point of
suspension.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) The point of suspension of the pendulum bob is moved from side to side with a
small amplitude and at a variable driving frequency f.

For each value of the driving frequency a steady constant amplitude A is
reached. The oscillations of the pendulum bob are lightly damped.
(i) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show the variation of A with f.
(2)
(ii) Explain, with reference to the graph in (d)(i), what is meant by

resonance.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(e) The pendulum bob is now immersed in water and the variable frequency
driving force in (d) is again applied. Suggest the effect this immersion of the
pendulum bob will have on the shape of your graph in (d)(i).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 16 marks)

3. This question is about collisions.
(a) State the principle of conservation of momentum.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) In an experiment, an air-rifle pellet is fired into a block of modelling clay that
rests on a table.
(not to scale)
The air-rifle pellet remains inside the clay block after the impact.
As a result of the collision, the clay block slides along the table in a straight
line and comes to rest. Further data relating to the experiment are given below.
Mass of air-rifle pellet = 2.0 g

Mass of clay block = 56 g
Velocity of impact of air-rifle pellet = 140 m s–1
Stopping distance of clay block = 2.8 m
(i) Show that the initial speed of the clay block after the air-rifle pellet
strikes it is 4.8 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) Calculate the average frictional force that the surface of the table exerts
on the clay block whilst the clay block is moving.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(c) The experiment is repeated with the clay block placed at the edge of the table
so that it is fired away from the table. The initial speed of the clay block is 4.3
m s–1 horizontally. The table surface is 0.85 m above the ground.
(not to scale)
(i) Ignoring air resistance, calculate the horizontal distance travelled by the
clay block before it strikes the ground.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)

(ii) The diagram in (c) shows the path of the clay block neglecting air
resistance. On the diagram, draw the approximate shape of the path that
the clay block will take assuming that air resistance acts on the clay
block.
(3)
(Total 15 marks)
4. This question is about motion in a magnetic field.
An electron, that has been accelerated from rest by a potential difference of 250 V,
enters a region of magnetic field of strength 0.12 T that is directed into the plane of
the page.
(a) The electron’s path while in the region of magnetic field is a quarter circle.
Show that the
(i) speed of the electron after acceleration is 9.4 × 106 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) radius of the path is 4.5 × 10–4 m.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) The diagram below shows the momentum of the electron as it enters and leaves
the region of magnetic field. The magnitude of the initial momentum and of the
final momentum is 8.6 × 10–24 N s.
(i) On the diagram above, draw an arrow to indicate the vector representing
the change in the momentum of the electron.
(1)
(ii) Show that the magnitude of the change in the momentum of the electron
is
1.2 × 10–23 Ns.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) The time the electron spends in the region of magnetic field is 7.4 × 10–
11 s.
Estimate the magnitude of the average force on the electron.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 7 marks)

A solid iron ball of mass 770 kg is used on a building site. The ball is suspended by a
rope from a crane. The distance from the point of suspension to the centre of mass of
the ball is 12 m.
(a) Calculate the tension in the rope when the ball hangs vertical and stationary.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1
(b) The ball is pulled back from the vertical and then released. It falls through a
vertical height of 1.6 m and strikes a wall.
(i) Calculate the speed of the ball just before impact.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Calculate the tension in the rope just before impact.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) The ball is brought to rest in 0.15 s. The sketch graph below shows how the
force the ball exerts on the wall varies with time.

(i) State what quantity is represented by the area under the graph.
......................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Determine the maximum force Fmax exerted by the ball on the wall.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)
6. Mechanical power
(a) Define power.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A car is travelling with constant speed v along a horizontal straight road. There
is a total resistive force F acting on the car.
Deduce that the power P to overcome the force F is P = Fv.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) A car drives up a straight incline that is 4.8 km long. The total height of the
incline is 0.30 km.
The car moves up the incline at a steady speed of 16 m s–1. During the climb,
2 N. The total weight of
4 N.
(i) Determine the time it takes the car to travel from the bottom to the top of
the incline.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Determine the work done against the gravitational force in travelling
from the bottom to the top of the incline.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) Using your answers to (c)(i) and (c)(ii), calculate a value for the
minimum power output of the car engine needed to move the car from
the bottom to the top of the incline.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(4)

(d) From the top of the incline, the road continues downwards in a straight line. At
the point where the road starts to go downwards, the driver of the car in (c),
stops the car to look at the view. In continuing his journey, the driver decides to
save fuel. He switches off the engine and allows the car to move freely down
the hill. The car descends a height of 0.30 km in a distance of 6.4 km before
levelling out.
2 N.
Estimate
(i) the acceleration of the car down the incline.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(5)
(ii) the speed of the car at the bottom of the incline.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(e) In fact, for the last few hundred metres of its journey down the hill, the car travels at
constant speed. State the value of the frictional force acting on the car whilst it is
moving at constant speed.
...................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 18 marks)

MOMENTUM AND IMPULSE – multiple Choice Questions
1. A tennis ball of mass m moving horizontally with speed u strikes a vertical tennis
racket. The ball bounces back with a horizontal speed v.
The magnitude of the change in momentum of the ball is
A. m(u + v).
B. m(u – v).
C. m(v – u).
D. zero.
2. A force F is applied to a body moving along a straight line. A resistive force f acts on
the body.
Both forces act along the same straight line as the motion of the body. The rate of
change of momentum of the body is equal to
A. F – f. B. F. C. F + f. D. f.
3. A ball of weight W is travelling horizontally towards a vertical wall. It strikes the

wall and rebounds horizontally. The change in the magnitude of the momentum of
the ball is ∆p. Which of the following is the magnitude of the impulse that the ball
imparts to the wall?
A. W + ∆p B. W – ∆p C. W D. ∆p

4. Two objects undergo an inelastic collision. Which of the following is correct in
respect of both the conservation of momentum and the conservation of total energy
of the system?
Momentum Total energy

A. conserved not conserved
B. conserved conserved
C. not conserved not conserved
D. not conserved conserved
5. A gas atom strikes a wall with speed v at an angle θ to the normal to the wall. The
atom rebounds at the same speed v and angle θ.
Which of the following gives the magnitude of the momentum change of the gas
atom?
A. zero
B. 2mv sinθ
C. 2mv
D. 2mv cosθ
6. A constant force of magnitude F is applied to a mass m for a time interval ∆t. The
magnitude of the impulse given to the mass equals
F
A. .
m
F
B. .
t
C. F∆t.
Ft
D. .
m

7. Two carts of different mass m and M are connected by a spring. They are pushed
together such that the spring is compressed.
After the carts are released, the cart of mass m moves with velocity v. The change in
the momentum of mass M is
A. mv. B. –mv. C. Mv. D. –Mv.
8. A rubber ball, travelling in a horizontal direction, strikes a vertical wall. It rebounds

at right angles to the wall. The graph below illustrates the variation of the ball’s
momentum p with time t when the ball is in contact with the wall.
Which of the following statements is true?
A. The shaded area is equal to the force exerted by the wall on the ball.
B. The shaded area is equal to the force exerted by the ball on the wall.
C. The gradient is equal to the force exerted by the wall on the ball.
D. The gradient is equal to the force exerted by the ball on the wall.
9. A general expression for Newton’s second law of motion is
p
F .
t
What condition is applied so that the law may be expressed in the form F = ma?
A. The mass m is constant.
B. The acceleration a is constant.
C. The force F is constant.
D. The direction of the force F is constant.

10. Two spheres of masses m1 and m2 are moving towards each other along the same
straight-line with speeds v1 and v2 as shown.
The spheres collide. Which of the following gives the total change in linear
momentum of the spheres as a result of the collision?
A. 0
B. m1v1 + m2v2
C. m1v1 − m2v2
D. m2v2 − m1v1
MOMENTUM AND IMPULSE – Long Questions
1. This question is about impulse.
(a) A net force of magnitude F acts on a body. Define the impulse I of the force.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A ball of mass 0.0750 kg is travelling horizontally with a speed of 2.20 m s–1.
It strikes a vertical wall and rebounds horizontally.
Due to the collision with the wall, 20 % of the ball’s initial kinetic energy is
dissipated.

(i) Show that the ball rebounds from the wall with a speed of 1.97 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Show that the impulse given to the ball by the wall is 0.313 N s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The ball strikes the wall at time t = 0 and leaves the wall at time t = T.
The sketch graph shows how the force F that the wall exerts on the ball is
assumed to vary with time t.
The time T is measured electronically to equal 0.0894 s.
Use the impulse given in (b)(ii) to estimate the average value of F.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 9 marks)
2. This question is about collisions.
(a) State the principle of conservation of momentum.
...............................................................................................................................
.......
...............................................................................................................................
.......
...............................................................................................................................
.......
(2)
(b) In an experiment, an air-rifle pellet is fired into a block of modelling clay that
rests on a table.
(not to scale)
The air-rifle pellet remains inside the clay block after the impact.
As a result of the collision, the clay block slides along the table in a straight
line and comes to rest. Further data relating to the experiment are given below.
Mass of air-rifle pellet = 2.0 g

Mass of clay block = 56 g
Velocity of impact of air-rifle pellet = 140 m s–1
Stopping distance of clay block = 2.8 m
(i) Show that the initial speed of the clay block after the air-rifle pellet
strikes it is
4.8 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) Calculate the average frictional force that the surface of the table exerts
on the clay block whilst the clay block is moving.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(c) Discuss the energy transformations that occur in the clay block and the air-rifle
pellet from the moment the air-rifle pellet strikes the block until the clay block
comes to rest.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) The clay block is dropped from rest from the edge of the table and falls
vertically to the ground. The table is 0.85 m above the ground. Calculate the
speed with which the clay block strikes the ground.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

3. This question is about dynamics and energy.
A bullet of mass 32 g is fired from a gun. The graph shows the variation of the force
F on the bullet with time t as it travels along the barrel of the gun.
The bullet is fired at time t = 0 and the length of the barrel is 0.70 m.
(a) State and explain why it is inappropriate to use the equation s = ut + 1

2
at 2 to
calculate the acceleration of the bullet.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Use the graph to
(i) determine the average acceleration of the bullet during the final 2.0 ms of
the graph.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) show that the change in momentum of the bullet, as the bullet travels
along the length of the barrel, is approximately 9 N s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) Use the answer in (b)(ii) to calculate the
(i) speed of the bullet as it leaves the barrel.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) average power delivered to the bullet.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) Use Newton’s third law to explain why a gun will recoil when a bullet is fired.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 15 marks)

CIRCULAR MOTION - Multiple Choice Questions
1. A cyclist rides around a circular track at a uniform speed. Which of the following
correctly gives the net horizontal force on the cyclist at any given instant of time?
Net horizontal force along Net horizontal force normal

direction of motion to direction of motion
A. zero zero
B. zero non zero
C. non zero zero
D. non zero non zero
2. A particle of mass m is moving with constant speed v in uniform circular motion.

What is the total work done by the centripetal force during one revolution?
mv2
A. Zero B. C. mv2 D. 2πmv2
2
3. A stone attached to a string is moving in a horizontal circle. The constant speed of

the stone is v.
The diagram below shows the stone in two different positions, X and Y.
Which of the following shows the direction of the change of velocity of the stone
when moving from position X to position Y?

4. A particle P is moving anti-clockwise with constant speed in a horizontal circle.
Which diagram correctly shows the direction of the velocity v and acceleration a of
the particle P in the position shown?
5. A ball moves along the inside of a horizontal semi-circular ring as shown. The
diagram is a view from above.
Which arrow represents the direction of the average force on the ball?

6. A ball is tied to a string and rotated at a uniform speed in a vertical plane. The
diagram shows the ball at its lowest position. Which arrow shows the direction of the
net force acting on the ball?
7. A car moves from X to Y along a semicircular path. The radius of the path is 250 m
and the time taken to complete the trip is 50 s.
Which of the following correctly shows the magnitude of the average velocity and
the magnitude of the average speed?
Average Average
velocity speed
A. 10 m s–1 10 m s–1
B. 10 m s–1 16 m s–1
C. 16 m s–1 10 m s–1
D. 16 m s–1 16 m s–1
8. A ball is tied to a string and rotated at a uniform speed in a vertical plane. The
diagram shows the ball at its lowest position. Which arrow shows the direction of the
net force acting on the ball?

9. A communications satellite is moving at a constant speed in a circular orbit around
Earth. At any given instant in time, the resultant force on the satellite is
A. zero.
B. equal to the gravitational force on the satellite.
C. equal to the vector sum of the gravitational force on the satellite and the
centripetal force.
D. equal to the force exerted by the satellite’s rockets.
11. An aircraft is flying at constant speed in a horizontal circle. Which of the following
diagrams best illustrates the forces acting on the aircraft in the vertical plane?
12. For a particle moving at constant speed in a horizontal circle, the work done by the
centripetal force is
A. zero.
B. directly proportional to the particle mass.
C. directly proportional to the particle speed.
D. directly proportional to the (particle speed)2.

13. A brick is placed on the surface of a flat horizontal disc as shown in the diagram
below. The disc is rotating at constant speed about a vertical axis through its centre.
The brick does not move relative to the disc.
Which of the diagrams below correctly represents the horizontal force or forces
acting on the brick?

CIRCULAR MOTION - Long Questions
1. This question is about circular motion.
A ball of mass 0.25 kg is attached to a string and is made to rotate with constant
speed v along a horizontal circle of radius r = 0.33 m. The string is attached to the
ceiling and makes an angle of 30° with the vertical.
(a) (i) On the diagram above, draw and label arrows to represent the forces on
the ball in the position shown.
(2)
(ii) State and explain whether the ball is in equilibrium.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Determine the speed of rotation of the ball.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

3. This question is about circular motion and global warming.
(a) A car is travelling at constant speed of 18 m s–1 around a horizontal bend in

the road.
The mass of the car is 1.5 × 103 kg and the bend forms part of a circle of radius
2.0 × 103 m.
(i) State why the car is accelerating.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Determine the frictional force between the tyres of the car and the surface
of the road that produces the acceleration.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) It is suggested that the use of fossil fuels to power cars has led to an
enhancement of the greenhouse effect.
(i) State the reason for this suggestion.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Outline one mechanism by which the enhanced greenhouse effect may
lead to an increase in global warming.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

A solid iron ball of mass 770 kg is used on a building site. The ball is suspended by a
rope from a crane. The distance from the point of suspension to the centre of mass of
the ball is 12 m.
(a) Calculate the tension in the rope when the ball hangs vertical and stationary.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The ball is pulled back from the vertical and then released. It falls through a
vertical height of 1.6 m and strikes a wall.
(i) Calculate the speed of the ball just before impact.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Calculate the tension in the rope just before impact.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) The ball is brought to rest in 0.15 s. The sketch graph below shows how the
force the ball exerts on the wall varies with time.

(i) State what quantity is represented by the area under the graph.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Determine the maximum force Fmax exerted by the ball on the wall.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)

GRAVITATION -Multiple Choice Questions
1. A spherical planet of uniform density has three times the mass of the Earth and twice
the average radius. The magnitude of the gravitational field strength at the surface of
the Earth is g.
What is the gravitational field strength at the surface of the planet?
2 3 3
A. 6g B. g C. g D. g
3 4 2
2. A spacecraft travels away from Earth in a straight line with its motors shut down. At
one instant the speed of the spacecraft is 5.4 km s–1. After a time of 600 s, the speed
is 5.1 km s–1. The average gravitational field strength acting on the spacecraft during
this time interval is
A. 5.0 × 10–4 N kg–1
B. 3.0 × 10–2 N kg–1
C. 5.0 × 10–1 N kg–1
D. 30 N kg–1
3. The weight of an object of mass 1 kg at the surface of Mars is about 4 N. The radius
of Mars is about half the radius of Earth. Which of the following is the best estimate
of the ratio below?
mass of Mars
mass of Earth
A. 0.1 B. 0.2 C. 5 D. 10
4. Which of the following is true about gravitational field lines?
A. They are always tangential to equipotential surfaces.
B. They are always perpendicular to equipotential surfaces.
C. They can be both tangential or perpendicular to equipotential surfaces.
D. They can have any angle to the equipotential surfaces.

5. Which of the following is true about the gravitational potential V due to a point mass
at a distance r from the point mass?
1
A. V and always positive
r
1
B. V and always negative
r
1
C. V and always positive
r2
1
D. V and always positive
r2
6. An astronaut in orbit around Earth is said to be “weightless”. This is due to the fact
that the
A. gravitational force on the astronaut is zero.
B. astronaut and the spacecraft experience the same acceleration.
C. astronaut and the spacecraft experience the same gravitational force.
D. gravitational field at the position of the spacecraft is zero.
7. The mass of a planet is twice that of Earth. Its radius is half that of the radius of
Earth. The gravitational field strength at the surface of Earth is g. The gravitational
field strength at the surface of the planet is
1
A. g. B. g. C. 2g. D. 8g.
2
8. The mass of Earth is ME, its radius is RE and the magnitude of the gravitational field
strength at the surface of Earth is g. The universal gravitational constant is G. The
g
ratio is equal to
G
ME R E2
A. B. C. MERE D. 1
R E2 ME
9. A small sphere X of mass M is placed a distance d from a point mass. The

gravitational force on sphere X is 90 N. Sphere X is removed and a second sphere Y
of mass 4M is placed a distance 3d from the same point mass. The gravitational force
on sphere Y is
A. 480 N. B. 160 N. C. 120 N. D. 40 N.

10. In Newton’s universal law of gravitation the masses are assumed to be
A. extended masses.
B. masses of planets.
C. point masses.
D. spherical masses.
GRAVITATION - Long Questions
1. This question is about gravitational fields.
(a) Define gravitational field strength.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The gravitational field strength at the surface of Jupiter is 25 N kg–1 and the
7 m.
(i) Derive an expression for the gravitational field strength at the surface of a
planet in terms of its mass M, its radius R and the gravitational constant
G.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Use your expression in (b)(i) above to estimate the mass of Jupiter.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 6 marks)
2. This question is about the gravitational field of Mars.
(a) Define gravitational potential energy of a mass at a point.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The graph shows the variation with distance r from the centre of Mars of the
gravitational potential V. R is the radius of Mars which is 3.3 Mm. (Values of V
for r < R are not shown.)
A rocket of mass 1.2 × 104 kg lifts off from the surface of Mars. Use the graph
to
(i) calculate the change in gravitational potential energy of the rocket at a

distance 4R from the centre of Mars.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................(3)

(ii) show that the magnitude of the gravitational field strength at a distance
4R from the centre of Mars is 0.23 N kg–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Use the answer to (b)(ii) to show that the magnitude of the gravitational field
strength at the surface of Mars is 3.7 N kg–1.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The gravitational potential at the surface of Earth is –63 MJ kg–1. Without any
further calculation, compare the escape speed required to leave the surface of
Earth with that of the escape speed required to leave the surface of Mars.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

TOPIC 3: THERMAL PHYSICS
1. A solid piece of tungsten melts into liquid without a change in temperature. Which of
the following is correct for the molecules in the liquid phase compared with the
molecules in the solid phase?
Kinetic energy Potential energy

A. same greater
B. same same
C. greater greater
D. greater same
2. What is the mass of carbon-12 that contains the same number of atoms as 14 g of
silicon-28?
A. 6g B. 12 g C. 14 g D. 24 g
3. A heater of constant power heats a liquid of mass m and specific heat capacity c. The
graph below shows how the temperature of the liquid varies with time.
The gradient of the graph is k and no energy is lost to the surroundings. What is the
power of the heater?
k mc 1
A. kmc B. C. D.
mc k kmc
4. The energy of the molecules of an ideal gas is
A. thermal only.
B. thermal and potential.
C. potential and kinetic.
D. kinetic only.
5. Oil with volume V has specific heat capacity c at temperature T. The density of oil is
ρ.
Which of the following is the thermal capacity of the oil?
cV cV
A. ρcV B. C. ρcVT D.
 T
6. The volume of an ideal gas in a container is increased at constant temperature. Which

of the following statements is/are correct about the molecules of the gas?
I. Their speed remains constant.
II. The frequency of collisions of molecules with unit area of the container
wall decreases.
III. The force between them decreases.
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
7. Two objects are in thermal contact with each other. Which of the following will
determine the direction of the transfer of thermal energy between the bodies?
A. The mass of each body
B. The area of contact between the bodies
C. The specific heat capacity of each body
D. The temperature of each body
8. The mole is defined as
1
A. the mass of an atom of the isotope carbon-12.
12
B. the amount of a substance that contains as many elementary entities as the

number of atoms in 12 g of the isotope carbon-12.
C. the mass of one atom of the isotope carbon-12.
D. the amount of a substance that contains as many nuclei as the number of nuclei
in 12 g of the isotope carbon-12.

9. A gas is contained in a cylinder by a piston.
The gas is compressed rapidly by moving the piston in the direction shown. The best
explanation for the resulting increase in temperature of the gas is that the molecules
of the gas gain kinetic energy
A. from the moving piston.
B. by colliding more frequently with each other.
C. by being pushed closer together.
D. by colliding more frequently with the walls of the cylinder.
10. Water at a temperature of 0 °C is kept in a thermally insulated container. A lump of

ice, also at 0 °C, is placed in the water and completely submerged.
Which of the following is true in respect of both the net amount of ice that will melt
and the change in temperature of the water?
Net amount of ice Change in

that melts temperature of
water
A. all will melt no change
B. some will melt decrease
C. none will melt no change
D. all will melt decrease

11. A box that is at rest with respect to horizontal ground contains a fixed quantity of an
ideal gas. The internal energy of the gas is U and its temperature is T. The box is now
made to move at constant speed with respect to the ground. Which of the following
gives the change, if any, in the internal energy and the temperature of the gas after
the box has been moving for some time?
Internal energy Temperature

A. no change no change
B. no change increase
C. increase no change
D. increase increase
12. Object P has a mass mP and specific heat capacity cP. Object Q has a mass mQ and
specific heat capacity cQ. The temperature of each object increases by the same
amount. Which of the following gives the ratio
thermalenergy transferred to object P

?
thermalenergy transferred to object Q
mP cQ mP cP mQ cQ mQ c P
A. B. C. D.
mQ c P mQ cQ mP cP mP cQ
13. For two objects to be in thermal equilibrium they must
A. be in contact with each other.
B. radiate equal amounts of power.
C. have the same thermal capacity.
D. be at the same temperature.

14. A system consists of an ice cube placed in a cup of water. The system is thermally
insulated from its surroundings. The water is originally at 20 °C. Which graph best
shows the variation of total internal energy U of the system with time t?
15. Thermal energy is added at a constant rate to a substance which is solid at time t = 0.
The graph shows the variation with t of the temperature T.
Which of the statements are correct?
I. The specific latent heat of fusion is greater than the specific latent heat of
vaporization.
II. The specific heat capacity of the solid is less than the specific heat
capacity of the liquid.
A. I only
B. I and II
C. II only
D. Neither I nor II

16. Which of the following is an assumption made in the kinetic model of ideal gases?
A. Molecules have zero mass.
B. Forces between molecules are attractive.
C. Collisions between molecules are elastic.
D. Molecules move at high speed.
17. An ice cube and an iceberg are both at a temperature of 0 °C. Which of the following
is a correct comparison of the average random kinetic energy and the total kinetic
energy of the molecules of the ice cube and the iceberg?
Average random kinetic Total kinetic

energy energy
A. same same
B. same different
C. different same
D. different different
18. A temperature of 23 K is equivalent to a temperature of
A. –300 °C. B. –250 °C. C. +250 °C. D. +300 °C.
19. The ratio
thermalcapacityof a sample of copper

specific heat capacityof copper
A. does not have any unit.
B. has unit J kg–1 K–1.
C. has unit J kg–1.
D. has unit kg.

20. In the kinetic model of an ideal gas, it is assumed that
A. the forces between the molecules of the gas and the container are always zero.
B. the intermolecular potential energy of the molecules of the gas is constant.
C. the kinetic energy of a given molecule of the gas is constant.
D. the momentum of a given molecule of the gas is constant.
21. Two objects near each other are at the same temperature. Which of the following
statements has to be true?
A. The objects have the same internal energy.
B. The objects have the same thermal capacity.
C. No thermal energy is exchanged between the objects.
D. The net thermal energy exchanged between the objects is zero.
22. The temperature of an ideal gas is a measure of the molecules’ average
A. velocity.
B. momentum.
C. kinetic energy.
D. frequency of collisions..
24. In the table below, which row shows the correct conversion between the Kelvin and
Celsius temperature scales?
Kelvin temperature / K Celsius temperature / °C

A. 0 373
B. 100 –173
C. 173 100
D. 373 –100
25. Carbon has a relative atomic mass of 12 and oxygen has a relative atomic mass of 16.
A sample of 6 g of carbon has twice as many atoms as
A. 32 g of oxygen. B. 8 g of oxygen.
C. 4 g of oxygen. D. 3 g of oxygen.

26. Tanya heats 100 g of a liquid with an electric heater which has a constant power
output of 60 W. After 100 s the rise in temperature is 40 K. The specific heat
capacity of the liquid in J kg–1 K–1 is calculated from which of the following?
60  100 60 0.1 0.1 40 60

A. B. C. D.
0.1 40 40 60 40
27. The internal energy of a solid substance is equal to the
A. average kinetic energy of the molecules.
B. total kinetic energy of the molecules.
C. total potential energy of the molecules.
D. total potential and total kinetic energy of the molecules.
28. A gas is contained in a cylinder fitted with a piston as shown below.
When the gas is compressed rapidly by the piston its temperature rises because the
molecules of the gas
A. are squeezed closer together.
B. collide with each other more frequently.
C. collide with the walls of the container more frequently.
D. gain energy from the moving piston.
29. The specific heat capacity c of a solid block of mass m is determined by heating the
block and measuring its temperature. The graph below shows the variation of the
temperature T of the block with the thermal energy Q transferred to the block.
The gradient of the line is equal to
c m 1
A. . B. . C. mc. D. .
m c mc

30. The internal energy of a solid substance is equal to the
A. average kinetic energy of the molecules.
B. total kinetic energy of the molecules.
C. total potential energy of the molecules.
D. total potential and total kinetic energy of the molecules.
Long Questıons
1. This question is about mechanics and thermal physics.
The graph shows the variation with time t of the speed v of a ball of mass 0.50 kg,
that has been released from rest above the Earth’s surface.
The force of air resistance is not negligible. Assume that the acceleration of free fall
is
g = 9.81 m s–2.
(a) State, without any calculations, how the graph could be used to determine the
distance fallen.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) (i) In the space below, draw and label arrows to represent the forces on the
ball at 2.0 s.
(1)
(ii) Use the graph opposite to show that the acceleration of the ball at 2.0 s is
approximately 4 m s–2.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) Calculate the magnitude of the force of air resistance on the ball at 2.0 s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iv) State and explain whether the air resistance on the ball at t = 5.0 s is
smaller than, equal to or greater than the air resistance at t = 2.0 s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) After 10 s the ball has fallen 190 m.
(i) Show that the sum of the potential and kinetic energies of the ball has
decreased by 780 J.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) The specific heat capacity of the ball is 480 J kg–1 K–1. Estimate the
increase in the temperature of the ball.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) State an assumption made in the estimate in (c)(ii).
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 14 marks)
2. This question is about heating a liquid.
(a) Suggest why, in terms of the molecular model, the energy associated with
melting is less than that associated with boiling.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Milk in a cup is heated to boiling point by passing steam through it. Whilst
cooling subsequently, some milk evaporates.
(i) Distinguish between evaporation and boiling.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The cup contains 0.30 kg of milk at an initial temperature of 18 °C.

Estimate the minimum mass of steam at 100 °C that is required to heat
the milk to 80 °C.
Specific latent heat of vaporization of water = 2.3 × 106 J kg–1

Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J kg–1 K–1
Specific heat capacity of milk = 3800 J kg–1 K–1
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) State two reasons, other than evaporation, why the answer to (b)(ii) is
likely to be different from the actual mass of condensed steam.
1: .......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
2: .......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 10 marks)

3. This question is about internal energy and thermal energy (heat).
(a) Distinguish between internal energy and thermal energy.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) Describe, with reference to the energy of the molecules, the difference in
internal energy of a piece of iron and the internal energy of an ideal gas.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) A piece of iron is placed in a kiln until it reaches the temperature θ of the kiln.
The iron is then quickly transferred to water held in a thermally insulated
container. The water is stirred until it reaches a steady temperature. The
following data are available.
Thermal capacity of the piece of iron = 60 J K–1

Thermal capacity of the water = 2.0 × 103 J K–1
Initial temperature of the water = 16 °C
Final temperature of the water = 45 °C
The thermal capacity of the container and insulation is negligible.
(i) State an expression, in terms of θ and the above data, for the energy
transfer of the iron in cooling from the temperature of the kiln to the final
temperature of the water.
......................................................................................................................
.....
(1)
(ii) Calculate the increase in internal energy of the water as the iron cools in
the water.

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) Use your answers to (c)(i) and (c)(ii) to determine θ.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 9 marks)
4. This question is about change of phase of a liquid and latent heat of vaporization.
(a) State the difference between evaporation and boiling with reference to
(i) temperature.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) surface area of a liquid.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A liquid in a calorimeter is heated at its boiling point for a measured period of
time.
The following data are available.
Power rating of heater = 15 W

Time for which liquid is heated at boiling point = 4.5 × 102 s
Mass of liquid boiled away = 1.8 × 10–2 kg

Use the data to determine the specific latent heat of vaporization of the liquid.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) State and explain one reason why the calculation in (b) will give a value of the
specific latent heat of vaporization of the liquid that is greater than the true
value.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
5. This question is about internal energy, heat and ideal gases.
(a) The internal energy of a piece of copper is increased by heating.
(i) Explain what is meant, in this context, by internal energy and heating.
Internal energy: ................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
Heating: ............................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) The piece of copper has mass 0.25 kg. The increase in internal energy of
the copper is 1.2 × 103 J and its increase in temperature is 20 K. Estimate

the specific heat capacity of copper.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) One mole of an ideal gas is heated at constant pressure. The increase in
temperature of the gas is 30.0 K. The energy transferred to the gas is 623 J and
the work done is 249 J.
Determine
(i) the change in internal energy of the gas.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) the thermal capacity of the gas.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Another mole of the same gas is heated at constant volume starting from the
same state as that in (b). Suggest whether the thermal capacity in this case is
equal to, greater than or less than the answer in b(ii).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 13 marks)
6. This question is about thermal energy transfer.
(a) A piece of copper is held in a flame until it reaches thermal equilibrium. The
time it takes to reach thermal equilibrium will depend on the thermal capacity
of the piece of copper.
(i) Define thermal capacity.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Outline what is meant by thermal equilibrium in this context.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The piece of copper is transferred quickly to a plastic cup containing water.
The thermal capacity of the cup is negligible. The following data are available.
Mass of copper = 0.12 kg

Mass of water = 0.45 kg
Rise in temperature of water = 30 K
Final temperature of copper = 308 K
Specific heat capacity of copper = 390 J kg K–1
Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J kg K–1
(i) Use the data to calculate the temperature of the flame.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Explain whether the temperature of the flame is likely to be greater or

less than your answer to (b)(i).
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 7 marks)
7. Specific heat and a domestic shower
(a) Define specific heat capacity.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Equal masses of two different solid substances A and B are at the same
temperature. The specific heat capacity of substance A is greater than the
specific heat capacity of substance B. The two substances now have their
temperatures raised by the same amount.
Explain which substance will have the greater increase in internal energy
assuming both remain in the solid phase.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The diagram below shows part of the heating circuit of a domestic shower.
Cold water enters the shower unit and flows over an insulated heating element.
The heating element is rated at 7.2 kW, 240 V. The water enters at a
capacity of water is
3 J kg–1 K–1.

(i) Estimate the flow rate of the water.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(4)
(ii) Suggest one reason why your answer to (c)(i) is only an estimate.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 8 marks)
8. Domestic shower
(a) The diagram below shows part of the heating circuit of a domestic shower.
Cold water enters the shower unit and flows over an insulated heating element.
The heating element is rated at 7.2 kW, 240 V. The water enters at a
t
3 J kg–1 K–1.
(i) Define specific heat capacity.
.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Estimate the flow rate of the water.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) Suggest two reasons why your answer to (a)(ii) is only an estimate.
1. ...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
2. ...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
(2)
(iv) Calculate the current in the heating element when the element is
operating at 7.2 kW.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(v) Explain why, when the shower unit is switched on, the initial current in
the heating element is greater than the current calculated in (a)(iv).
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) In some countries, shower units are operated from a 110 V supply. A heating
element operating with a 240 V supply has resistance R240 and an element
operating from a 110 V supply has resistance R110.
Show that for heating elements to have identical power outputs
R110
 0.21.
R240
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 14 marks)

OPTION B : ENGINEERING PHYSICS – Thermodynamics (SL and HL)
Multiple choice questions
1. Which of the following is equivalent to the principle of energy conservation?
A. Newton’s first law
B. The first law of thermodynamics
C. Newton’s second law
D. The second law of thermodynamics
2. An ideal gas undergoes the thermodynamic changes represented in the P –V diagram

below
(P → Q → R → P).
3
Volume / m
Which of the following is the net work done by the gas in a cycle?
A. 4.5 × 105 J B. 3.0 × 105 J C. 1.0 × 105 J D. Zero
3. The volume of an ideal gas in a container is increased at constant temperature. Which

of the following statements is/are correct about the molecules of the gas?
I. Their speed remains constant.
II. The frequency of collisions of molecules with unit area of the container
wall decreases.
III. The force between them decreases.
A. I only B. I and II only
C. I and III only D. II and III only

4. During an adiabatic expansion, a gas does 50 J of work against the surroundings. It is
then cooled at constant volume by removing 20 J of energy from the gas. The
magnitude of the total change in internal energy of the gas is
A. 70 J. B. 50 J. C. 30 J. D. 20 J.
5. The diagram shows the pressure volume relationship for a fixed mass of an ideal gas
that undergoes a cycle XYZ.
In which part(s) of the cycle is external work done on the gas?
A. Y → Z only
B. Y → Z and Z → X only
C. X → Y and Z → X only
D. X → Y only
6. The behaviour of a monatomic gas such as helium will approximate to that of an

ideal gas when it is kept at
A. a temperature close to absolute zero.
B. low pressure.
C. very high pressure.
D. very high temperature.

7. The diagram shows the pressure p and volume V relationship for one cycle of
operation of an engine.
Which of the labelled parts of the cycle identify isobaric changes and adiabatic
changes of state?
Isobaric Adiabatic
A. IV only I and II only
B. I and III only II and IV only
C. II and III only IV only
D. I and III only II only
8. An ideal gas has pressure p0 and volume V0. The number of molecules of the gas is
doubled without changing the temperature. What is the new value of pressure times
volume?
p 0V 0 p 0V 0
A. B. C. p0V0 D. 2p0V0
4 2
9. The diagram shows the pressure–volume (PV) relationship for a gas.
Which of the following area(s) is/are equal to the work done by the gas as it
expands?
A. area I B. area II
C. area I + area II D. area I – area II

10. An ideal gas expands isothermally from a state X to a new state of volume V. The
work done by the gas is W. Which of the following is correct for an adiabatic
expansion of the gas from state X to a new state of volume V?
Change in internal Work done

energy
A. ∆U > 0 greater than W
B. ∆U < 0 greater than W
C. ∆U > 0 less than W
D. ∆U < 0 less than W
11. The graph shows the variation with absolute temperature T of the pressure p of a
fixed mass of an ideal gas.
Which of the following is correct concerning the volume and the density of the gas?
Volume Density
A. constant constant
B. constant increasing
C. increasing constant
D. increasing increasing
12. A positive amount of thermal energy Q is transferred to an ideal gas from its
surroundings. The internal energy of the gas increases and the gas does a positive
amount of work W on its surroundings. The change of state of the gas is
A. isochoric (isovolumetric).
B. isobaric.
C. isothermal.
D. adiabatic.

13. Which of the following correctly describes the entropy changes of the water
molecules and the universe when a sample of water freezes?
Water Universe
molecules
A. increases increases
B. decreases increases
C. increases decreases
D. decreases decreases
14. For an ideal gas of constant mass the pressure is always proportional to
A. density and volume.
B. density and temperature.
C. volume and temperature.
D. volume only.
15. Which of the following statements is in agreement with the second law of
thermodynamics?
A. It is possible to continuously convert thermal energy fully into work.
B. In natural processes, local entropy must increase.
C. Thermal energy will not flow by itself from cold to hot bodies.
D. The entropy in a closed system tends to decrease.
16. The behaviour of real gases is different from that predicted for ideal gases. Which of
the following statements about real gases is not correct?
A. Gas molecules have potential energy.
B. Forces between gas molecules are always negligible.
C. Gas molecules have volume.
D. Real gases can liquefy.

17. The graph below shows the variation of the pressure p with volume V of an ideal gas
during one cycle of an engine.
Which of the following correctly names the thermodynamic process associated with
the parts Y→Z and Z→X of the cycle?
Y→Z Z→X
A. isobaric isochoric
B. isobaric isothermal
C. isochoric isobaric
D. isochoric isothermal
18. An operating refrigerator with its door open is placed in a thermally insulated room.
The refrigerator operates for a long period of time. Which of the following correctly
gives the change in temperature and the entropy of the air in the room?
Temperature Entropy
A. increases increases
B. increases decreases
C. decreases decreases
D. decreases increases

19. The diagram shows the pressure/volume (p/V) diagram for one cycle PQRS of an
engine.
In which sections of the cycle is work done on the engine?
A. SP only
B. PQ only
C. SP and PQ only
D. RS and SP only

Long questions
1. This question is about gases and thermodynamic processes.
(a) State one way in which a real gas differs from an ideal gas.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The diagram shows how the pressure p varies with volume V of an ideal gas
that undergoes a cyclic change of state.
AB and CD are adiabatic changes of state. The pressure at point B is 1.8 × 105
Pa and the change in volume of the gas between B and C is 4.8 ×10–4 m3.
(i) State what is meant by an adiabatic change of state.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) The change in volume of the gas between B and C takes 0.020 s.
Determine the power developed during this change of state.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) State during which part of the cycle thermal energy is transferred from
the gas to the surroundings.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) The energy transferred is degraded. Explain what is meant by degraded energy.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) Discuss how your answer to (c) relates to the second law of thermodynamics.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)
2. This question is about ideal gases.
(a) The atoms or molecules of an ideal gas are assumed to be identical hard elastic
spheres that have negligible volume compared with the volume of the
containing vessel.
(i) State two further assumptions of the kinetic theory of an ideal gas.
1. .......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
2. .......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Suggest why only the average kinetic energy of the molecules of an ideal
gas is related to the internal energy of the gas.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) An ideal gas is contained in a cylinder by means of a frictionless piston.
At temperature 290 K and pressure 4.8 × 105 Pa, the gas has volume 9.2 ×10–4
m3.
(i) Calculate the number of moles of the gas.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The gas is compressed isothermally to a volume of 2.3 × 10–4 m3.

Determine the pressure p of the gas.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) The gas is now heated at constant volume to a temperature of 420 K.

Show that the pressure of the gas is now 2.8 × 106 Pa.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) The gas in (b)(iii) is now expanded adiabatically so that its temperature and
pressure return to 290 K and 4.8 × 105 Pa respectively. This state is shown
below as point A.

(i) Using the axes above sketch a pressure-volume (p-V) diagram for the
changes in (b)(ii), (b)(iii) and (c).
(3)
(ii) On your diagram in (c)(i), identify with the letter H any change or
changes where the gas does external work on its surroundings.
(1)
(iii) Describe how a p-V diagram may be used to estimate a value for the
useful work done in one cycle of operation of an engine.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 16 marks)
3. This question is about thermodynamics.
(a) The first law of thermodynamics can be written as the following equation.
Q = ∆U + W
Identify the symbols in this equation.
Q ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
∆U ...............................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
W .................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................(3)

(b) A fixed mass of an ideal gas is contained in a cylinder by a piston. The friction
between the piston and cylinder wall is negligible.
Two procedures are carried out on the gas. The thermal energy input to the gas
is the same in both procedures.
Procedure 1 The gas is heated and expands at constant pressure with the
piston free to move. The temperature of the gas increases by 21
K.
Procedure 2 The gas is now brought back to its initial state and again heated
with the piston fixed in position. The temperature of the gas
increases by 35 K.
(i) State the name of the process in procedure 2.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Explain why the temperature change is greater in procedure 2 than in

procedure 1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) In procedure 1, ∆U changes by 120 J. Use the first law of

thermodynamics to calculate the missing values in the table below.
∆U / J W/J Q/J
Procedure +120 +200
1
Procedure +200
2
(3)
(Total 11 marks)

4. This question is about thermodynamics.
The P–V diagram shows the expansion of a fixed mass of an ideal gas, from state A
to state B.
The temperature of the gas in state A is 400 K.
(a) Calculate the temperature of the gas in state B.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) (i) Calculate the work done by the gas in expanding from state A to state B.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Determine the amount of thermal energy transferred during the expansion
from state A to state B.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The gas is isothermally compressed from state B back to state A.
(i) Using the P–V diagram axes above, draw the variation of pressure with
volume for this isothermal compression.
(1)

(ii) State and explain whether the magnitude of the thermal energy
transferred in this case would be less than, equal to or greater than the
thermal energy transferred in (b)(ii).
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 8 marks)
5. This question is about changes of state of a gas.
(a) A cylinder fitted with a piston contains 0.23 mol of helium gas.
The following data are available for the helium with the piston in the position
shown.
Volume = 5.2 × 10–3 m3

Pressure = 1.0 × 105 Pa
Temperature = 290 K
(i) Use the data to calculate a value for the universal gas constant.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) State the assumption made in the calculation in (a)(i).
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) The gas is now compressed isothermally by the piston so that the volume of the
gas is reduced. Explain why the compression must be carried out slowly.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) After the compression, the gas is now allowed to expand adiabatically to its
original volume. Use the first law of thermodynamics to explain whether the
final temperature will be less than, equal to or greater than 290 K.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 9 marks)
6. This question is about an ideal gas.
(a) The graph shows a pressure-volume (P–V) relationship for a fixed mass of an
ideal gas.

The gas undergoes a three-stage cycle AB, BC and CA.
(i) Identify the isochoric (isovolumetric) change of state.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Use data from the graph to show that the change AB is isothermal.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(iii) State the two changes for which thermal energy is transferred from the
gas.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iv) Calculate the work done by the gas in the change BC.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The amount of gas in part (a) is 0.74 mol.
Calculate the maximum temperature of the gas during the cycle in part (a).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(c) The fixed mass of gas is heated from temperature T1 to T2 at constant volume.
Explain why, if this fixed mass of gas is heated from T1 to T2 at constant
pressure, the amount of energy required is different.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 14 marks)
7. This question is about an ideal gas.
(a) The pressure P of a fixed mass of an ideal gas is directly proportional to the
kelvin temperature T of the gas. That is,
P T.
State the relation between the
(i) pressure P and the volume V for a change at constant temperature.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) volume V and kelvin temperature T for a change at a constant pressure.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The ideal gas is held in a cylinder by a moveable piston. The pressure of the
gas is P1, its volume is V1 and its kelvin temperature is T1. The pressure,
volume and temperature are changed to P2, V2 and T2 respectively. The
change is brought about as illustrated below.
heated at constant volume to heated at constant pressure to

pressure P2 and temperature T ′ volume V2 and temperature T2
State the relation between
(i) P1, P2, T1 and T
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) V1, V2 T2.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) Use your answers to (b) to deduce, that for an ideal gas
PV = KT,
where K is a constant.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(4)(Total 8 marks)

TOPIC 4: WAVES
1. A transverse wave travels from left to right. The diagram below shows how, at a
particular instant of time, the displacement of particles in the medium varies with
position. Which arrow represents the direction of the velocity of the particle marked
P?
2. The graph shows how the displacement varies with time for an object undergoing
simple harmonic motion.
Which graph shows how the object’s acceleration a varies with time t?

3. Light travels from air into glass as shown below.
What is the refractive index of glass?
sin P sin Q sin P sin Q

A. B. C. D.
sin S sin R sin R sin S
4. Which of the following electromagnetic waves has a frequency greater than that of
visible light?
A. Ultraviolet
B. Radio
C. Microwaves
D. Infrared
5. Light travels from air into glass as shown below.
The refractive index of the glass is
sin 30 sin 80 sin 60 sin 10

A. B. C. D.
sin 80 sin 30 sin 10 sin 60

6. A particle oscillates with simple harmonic motion with period T.
At time t = 0, the particle has its maximum displacement. Which graph shows the
variation with time t of the kinetic energy Ek of the particle?
8. The graph shows measurements of the height h of sea level at different times t in the
Bay of Fundy.
Which of the following gives the approximate amplitude and period of the tides?
Amplitude Period
A. 6.5 m 6 hours
B. 13 m 12 hours
C. 6.5 m 12 hours
D. 13 m 6 hours


9. Two waves meet at a point. The waves have a path difference of . The phase
4
difference between the waves is
π π π
A. rad. B. rad. C. rad. D. π rad.
8 4 2
10. A string vibrates with fundamental frequency f. The wavelength of the sound
produced in air is λ. Which of the following correctly gives the frequency of
vibration of the fourth harmonic of the string and the wavelength of the sound in air?
Frequency Wavelength
f 
A.
2 4
B. 4f 4λ
f
C. 4λ
2

D. 4f
4

11. The graph shows how the velocity v of an object undergoing simple harmonic motion
varies with time t for one complete period of oscillation.
Which of the following sketch graphs best shows how the total energy E of the object
varies with t?
12. A force that varies sinusoidally is applied to a system that is lightly damped. Which
of the following must be true of the force for resonance to occur?
A. It must always be in anti-phase with the oscillations of the system.
B. Its direction must always be in the direction of motion of the oscillations of the
system.
C. Its frequency must be equal to the frequency of oscillation of the system.
D. Its amplitude must be equal to the amplitude of oscillation of the system.

13. Which of the following is a value of wavelength that is found in the visible region of
the electromagnetic spectrum?
A. 4 × 10–5 m
B. 4 × 10–7 m
C. 4 × 10–9 m
D. 4 × 10–11 m
14. Two waves meet at a point in space. Which of the following properties always add
together?
A. Displacement
B. Amplitude
C. Speed
D. Frequency
16. The graphs show how the acceleration a of four different particles varies with their
displacement x.
Which of the particles is executing simple harmonic motion?

17. The diagram below is a snapshot of wave fronts of circular waves emitted by a point
source S at the surface of water. The source vibrates at a frequency f = 10.0 Hz.
The speed of the wave front is
A. 0.15 cm s–1. B. 1.5 cm s–1. C. 15 cm s–1. D. 30 cm s–

1.
18. Two coherent point sources S1 and S2 emit spherical waves.
Which of the following best describes the intensity of the waves at P and Q?
P Q
A. maximum minimum
B. minimum maximum
C. maximum maximum
D. minimum minimum

19. The shock absorbers of a car, in good working condition, ensure that the vertical
oscillations of the car are
A. undamped.
B. lightly damped.
C. moderately damped.
D. critically damped.
20. An object at the end of a spring oscillates vertically with simple harmonic motion.
The graph shows the variation with time t of the displacement x. The amplitude is x0
and the period of oscillation is T.
Which of the following is the correct expression for the displacement x?
2
A.  x 0 cos t
T
2
B. x 0 cos t
T
2
C.  x 0 sin t
T
2
D. x 0 sin t
T

21. An object at the end of a spring oscillates vertically with simple harmonic motion.
The graph shows the variation with time t of the displacement x. The amplitude is x0
and the period of oscillation is T.
Which of the following is the correct expression for the maximum acceleration of the
object?
2 2 4 2 4 2
A. x0 B. x0 C. x0 D. x0
T T2 T2 T
22. One end of a horizontal string is fixed to a wall. A transverse pulse moves along the
string as shown.
Which of the following statements are correct for the reflected pulse compared to the
forward pulse?
I. It moves more slowly.
II. It has less energy.
III. It is inverted.
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III

23. Monochromatic light travels from air into water. Which of the following describes
the changes in wavelength and speed?
Wavelength Speed
A. increases decreases
B. increases increases
C. decreases increases
24. Which of the following graphs shows the variation with displacement x of the speed
v of a particle performing simple harmonic motion.
25. A particle performs simple harmonic oscillations. Which of the following quantities
will be unaffected by a reduction in the amplitude of oscillations?
A. The total energy
B. The maximum speed
C. The maximum acceleration
D. The period
26. Monochromatic light travels from air into water. Which of the following describes
the changes in wavelength and speed?
Wavelength Speed
A. increases decreases
B. increases increases
C. decreases increases

27. Which graph correctly shows how the acceleration, a of a particle undergoing SHM
varies with its displacement, x from its equilibrium position?
29. In which of the following regions of the electromagnetic spectrum is radiation of

wavelength 600 nm located?
A. microwaves
B. radio waves
C. visible light
D. X-rays
30. What is the best estimate for the refractive index of a medium in which light travels
at a speed of 2.7 × 108 m s–1?
A. 0.9 B. 1.0 C. 1.1 D. 2.7
32. For a system executing simple harmonic motion, the restoring force acting on the
system is proportional to the
A. displacement of the system from equilibrium.
B. amplitude of oscillation.
C. elastic potential energy.
D. frequency of oscillation.

33. A cart, connected to two identical springs, is oscillating with simple harmonic motion
between two points X and Y that are equidistant from point O.
The cart is in equilibrium at
A. all points between X and Y.
B. point O only.
C. points X and Y only.
D. points O, X and Y only.
34. During one complete oscillation, the amplitude of a damped harmonic motion
changes from 1.5 cm to 0.30 cm. The total energy at the end of the oscillation is E2
E2
and the total energy at the beginning of the oscillation is E1. The ratio is
E1
1 1
A. . B. . C. 5. D. 25.
5 25
35. Plane wavefronts are incident on a boundary between two media labelled 1 and 2 in
the diagram.
The diagram of the wavefronts is drawn to scale.
The ratio of the refractive index of medium 2 to that of medium 1 is
A. 0.50. B. 0.67. C. 1.5. D. 2.0.

36. A wave pulse is travelling to the right along a string.
Which of the following best represents the direction of the velocity of the point P?
A. ↑ B. ↓ C. → D. ←
37. For a system executing simple harmonic motion, the restoring force acting on the
system is proportional to the
A. displacement of the system from equilibrium.
B. amplitude of oscillation.
C. elastic potential energy.
D. frequency of oscillation.
38. A ray of light is incident on a boundary between glass and air.
Which of the following is the refractive index of glass?
sin  1 sin  1 sin  3 sin  4

A. B. C. D.
sin  3 sin  4 sin  2 sin  1
39. The graph below shows how the displacement x of a particle undergoing simple
harmonic motion varies with time t. The motion is undamped.
Which of the following graphs correctly shows how the velocity v of the particle
varies with t?
40. The graph below shows how the displacement x of a particle undergoing simple
harmonic motion varies with time t. The motion is undamped.
Which of the following graphs shows how the total energy E of the particle varies
with time t?

41. An orchestra playing on boat X can be heard by tourists on boat Y, which is situated
out of sight of boat X around a headland.
The sound from X can be heard on Y due to
A. refraction.
B. reflection.
C. diffraction.
D. transmission.
42. Diagram 1 represents equally spaced beads on a spring. The beads are 1 cm apart.
Diagram 1
A longitudinal wave propagates along the spring. Diagram 2 shows the position of
the beads at a particular instant.
Diagram 2
Which of the following is the best estimate of the wavelength?
A. 2 cm B. 4 cm C. 8 cm D. 16 cm
Long questions
1. This question is about simple harmonic oscillations.
A longitudinal wave travels through a medium from left to right.
Graph 1 shows the variation with time t of the displacement x of a particle P in the
medium.
Graph 1
(a) For particle P,
(i) state how graph 1 shows that its oscillations are not damped.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) calculate the magnitude of its maximum acceleration.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) calculate its speed at t = 0.12 s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
Long questions
1. This question is about simple harmonic oscillations.
A longitudinal wave travels through a medium from left to right.
Graph 1 shows the variation with time t of the displacement x of a particle P in the
medium.
Graph 1
(a) For particle P,
(i) state how graph 1 shows that its oscillations are not damped.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) calculate the magnitude of its maximum acceleration.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) calculate its speed at t = 0.12 s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iv) state its direction of motion at t = 0.12 s.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Graph 2 shows the variation with position d of the displacement x of particles
in the medium at a particular instant of time.
Graph 2
Determine for the longitudinal wave, using graph 1 and graph 2,
(i) the frequency.
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) the speed.
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

Graph 2 – reproduced to assist with answering (c)(i).
(c) The diagram shows the equilibrium positions of six particles in the medium.
(i) On the diagram above, draw crosses to indicate the positions of these six
particles at the instant of time when the displacement is given by graph 2.
(3)
(ii) On the diagram above, label with the letter C a particle that is at the
centre of a compression.
(1)
(Total 14 marks)

2. This question is about simple harmonic motion (SHM), wave motion and polarization.
(a) By reference to simple harmonic motion, state what is meant by amplitude.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A liquid is contained in a U-tube.
Diagram 1 Diagram 2
The pressure on the liquid in one side of the tube is increased so that the liquid is
displaced as shown in diagram 2. When the pressure is suddenly released the liquid
oscillates.
The damping of the oscillations is small.
(i) Describe what is meant by damping.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The displacement of the liquid surface from its equilibrium position is x. The
acceleration a of the liquid in the tube is given by the expression
2g
a=  x
l
where g is the acceleration of free fall and l is the total length of the liquid
column.
Explain, with reference to the motion of the liquid, the significance of the minus
sign.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) The total length of the liquid column in the tube is 0.32 m. Determine the period
of oscillation.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) A wave is travelling along a string. The string can be modelled as a single line of
particles and each particle executes simple harmonic motion. The period of oscillation
of the particles is 0.80 s.
The graph shows the displacement y of part of the string at time t = 0. The distance
along the string is d.
(i) On the graph, draw an arrow to show the direction of motion of particle P at the
point marked on the string.
(1)
(ii) Determine the magnitude of the velocity of particle P.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) Show that the speed of the wave is 5.0 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(iv) On the graph above, label with the letter X the position of particle P at t = 0.40
s.
(1)
(d) The string in (c) is fixed at both ends and is made to vibrate in a vertical plane in its
first harmonic.
(i) Describe how the standing wave in the string gives rise to the first harmonic.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Outline how a travelling wave in a string can be used to describe the nature of
polarized light.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................(3)

(e) James is wearing polarized sunglasses and views the sunlight reflected from the
smooth surface of a lake.
The angle θ is the angle between the surface of the lake and James’s line of sight.
Calculate the value of θ at which the reflected sunlight from the surface is minimized.
The refractive index of the water is 1.3.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 25 marks)
3. This question is about water wave motion.
A small sphere, mounted at the end of a vertical rod, dips below the surface of shallow water
in a tray. The sphere is driven vertically up and down by a motor attached to the rod.
The oscillations of the sphere produce travelling waves on the surface of the water.
(a) The diagram shows how the displacement of the water surface at a particular instant in
time varies with distance from the sphere. The period of oscillation of the sphere is
0.027 s.

Use the diagram to calculate, for the wave,
(i) the amplitude.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) the wavelength.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) the frequency.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iv) the speed.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) The wave moves from region A into a region B of shallower water. The waves move
more slowly in region B. The diagram (not to scale) shows some of the wavefronts in
region A.
i) With reference to a wave, distinguish between a ray and a wavefront.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The angle between the wavefronts and the interface in region A is 60°. The
refractive index AnB is 1.4.
Determine the angle between the wavefronts and the interface in region B.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) On the diagram above, construct three lines to show the position of three
wavefronts in region B.
(2)

(c) Another sphere is dipped into the water. The spheres oscillate in phase. The diagram
shows some lines in region A along which the disturbance of the water surface is a
minimum.
(i) Outline how the regions of minimum disturbance occur on the surface.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) The frequency of oscillation of the spheres is increased.
State and explain how this will affect the positions of minimum disturbance.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 15 marks)

4. This question is about oscillations and waves.
(a) A rectangular piece of wood of length l floats in water with its axis vertical as shown
in diagram 1.
The length of wood below the surface is d. The wood is pushed vertically downwards
a distance A such that a length of wood is still above the water surface as shown in
diagram 2. The wood is then released and oscillates vertically. At the instant shown in
diagram 3, the wood is moving downwards and the length of wood beneath the surface
is d + x.
(i) On diagram 3, draw an arrow to show the direction of the acceleration of the
wood.
(1)
(ii) The acceleration a of the wood (in m s–2) is related to x (in m) by the following
equation.
14
a=  x
l
Explain why this equation shows that the wood is executing simple harmonic
motion.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) The period of oscillation of the wood is 1.4 s. Show that the length l of the
wood is 0.70 m.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) The wood in (a), as shown in diagram 2, is released at time t = 0. On the axes below,
sketch a graph to show how the velocity v of the wood varies with time over one
period of oscillation.
(1)
(c) The distance A that the wood is initially pushed down is 0.12 m.
(i) Calculate the magnitude of the maximum acceleration of the wood.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) On your sketch graph in (b) label with the letter P one point where the
magnitude of the acceleration is a maximum.
(1)
(d) The oscillations of the wood generate waves in the water of wavelength 0.45 m.
The graph shows how the displacement D, of the water surface at a particular distance
from the wood varies with time t.

Using the graph, calculate the
(i) speed of the waves.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) ratio of the displacement at t = 1.75 s to the displacement at t = 0.35 s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) ratio of the energy of the wave at t = 1.75 s to the energy at t = 0.35 s
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)(Total 15 marks)

5. This question is about the simple pendulum.
(a) A pendulum consists of a bob suspended by a light inextensible string from a rigid
support. The pendulum bob is moved to one side and then released. The sketch graph
shows how the displacement of the pendulum bob undergoing simple harmonic
motion varies with time over one time period.
On the sketch graph above,
(i) label with the letter A a point at which the acceleration of the pendulum bob is a
maximum.
(1)
(ii) label with the letter V a point at which the speed of the pendulum bob is a
maximum.
(1)
(b) Explain why the magnitude of the tension in the string at the midpoint of the
oscillation is greater than the weight of the pendulum bob.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) The pendulum bob is moved to one side until its centre is 25 mm above its rest
position and then released.
(i) Show that the speed of the pendulum bob at the midpoint of the oscillation is
0.70 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The mass of the pendulum bob is 0.057 kg. The centre of the pendulum bob is
0.80 m below the support. Calculate the magnitude of the tension in the string
when the pendulum bob is vertically below the point of suspension.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(d) The point of suspension of the pendulum bob is moved from side to side with a small
amplitude and at a variable driving frequency f.
For each value of the driving frequency a steady constant amplitude A is reached. The
oscillations of the pendulum bob are lightly damped.
(i) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show the variation of A with f.
(2)
(ii) Explain, with reference to the graph in (d)(i), what is meant by resonance.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(e) The pendulum bob is now immersed in water and the variable frequency driving force
in (d) is again applied. Suggest the effect this immersion of the pendulum bob will
have on the shape of your graph in (d)(i).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 16 marks)

6. This question is about simple harmonic motion and waves.
(a) A particle of mass m that is attached to a light spring is executing simple harmonic
motion in a horizontal direction.
State the condition relating to the net force acting on the particle that is necessary for it
to execute simple harmonic motion.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The graph shows how the kinetic energy EK of the particle in (a) varies with the
displacement x of the particle from equilibrium.
(i) Using the axes above, sketch a graph to show how the potential energy of the
particle varies with the displacement x.
(2)
(ii) The mass of the particle is 0.30 kg. Use data from the graph to show that the
frequency f of oscillation of the particle is 2.0 Hz.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)

(c) The particles of a medium M1 through which a transverse wave is travelling, oscillate
with the same frequency and amplitude as that of the particle in (b).
(i) Describe, with reference to the propagation of energy through the medium, what
is meant by a transverse wave.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The speed of the wave is 0.80 m s–1. Calculate the wavelength of the wave.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) The diagram shows wavefronts of the waves in (c) incident on a boundary XY
between medium M1 and another medium M2.
The angle between the normal, and the direction of travel of the wavefronts is 30°.
(i) The speed of the wave in M1 is 0.80 m s–1. The speed of the waves in M2 is
1.2 m s–1.
Calculate the angle between the direction of travel of the wavefronts in M2 and
the normal.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) On the diagram, sketch the wavefronts in M2.

(1)
(Total 15 marks)
7. This question is about simple harmonic motion and waves.
An object is vibrating in air. The variation with displacement x of the acceleration a of the
object is shown below.

(a) State and explain two reasons why the graph opposite indicates that the object is
executing simple harmonic motion.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(b) Use data from the graph to show that the frequency of oscillation is 350 Hz.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(c) State the amplitude of the vibrations.
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) The motion of the object gives rise to a longitudinal progressive (travelling) sound
wave.
(i) State what is meant by a longitudinal progressive wave.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) The speed of the wave is 330 m s–1. Using the answer in (b), calculate the
wavelength of the wave.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

8. This question is about simple harmonic motion.
(a) In terms of the acceleration, state two conditions necessary for a system to perform
1. ..................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) A tuning fork is sounded and it is assumed that each tip vibrates with simple harmonic
motion.
The extreme positions of the oscillating tip of one fork are separated by a distance d.
(i) State, in terms of d, the amplitude of vibration.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show how the displacement of one tip of
the tuning fork varies with time.
(1)
(iii) On your graph, label the time period T and the amplitude a.
(2)
(c) The frequency of oscillation of the tips is 440 Hz and the amplitude of oscillation of
each tip is 1.2 mm. Determine the maximum
(i) linear speed of a tip.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................(2)
(ii) acceleration of a tip.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)
9. This question is about simple harmonic motion (SHM), wave motion and polarization.
(a) By reference to simple harmonic motion, state what is meant by amplitude.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A liquid is contained in a U-tube.
Diagram 1 Diagram 2
The pressure on the liquid in one side of the tube is increased so that the liquid is
displaced as shown in diagram 2. When the pressure is suddenly released the liquid
oscillates.
The damping of the oscillations is small.
(i) Describe what is meant by damping.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) The displacement of the liquid surface from its equilibrium position is x. The
acceleration a of the liquid in the tube is given by the expression
2g
a=  x
l
where g is the acceleration of free fall and l is the total length of the liquid
column.
Explain, with reference to the motion of the liquid, the significance of the minus
sign.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) The total length of the liquid column in the tube is 0.32 m. Determine the period
of oscillation.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) A wave is travelling along a string. The string can be modelled as a single line of
particles and each particle executes simple harmonic motion. The period of oscillation
of the particles is 0.80 s.
The graph shows the displacement y of part of the string at time t = 0. The distance
along the string is d.
(i) On the graph, draw an arrow to show the direction of motion of particle P at the
point marked on the string.
(1)
(ii) Determine the magnitude of the velocity of particle P.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) Show that the speed of the wave is 5.0 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(iv) On the graph above, label with the letter X the position of particle P at t = 0.40 s.
(1)
(d) The string in (c) is fixed at both ends and is made to vibrate in a vertical plane in its
first harmonic.
(i) Describe how the standing wave in the string gives rise to the first harmonic.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Outline how a travelling wave in a string can be used to describe the nature of
polarized light.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(e) James is wearing polarized sunglasses and views the sunlight reflected from the
smooth surface of a lake.
The angle θ is the angle between the surface of the lake and James’s line of sight.
Calculate the value of θ at which the reflected sunlight from the surface is minimized.
The refractive index of the water is 1.3.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 25 marks)

10. This question is about microwave radiation.
A microwave transmitter emits radiation of a single wavelength towards a metal plate along
a line normal to the plate. The radiation is reflected back towards the transmitter.
A microwave detector is moved along a line normal to the microwave transmitter and the
metal plate. The detector records a sequence of equally spaced maxima and minima of
intensity.
(a) Explain how these maxima and minima are formed.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(b) The microwave detector is moved through 130 mm from one point of minimum
intensity to another point of minimum intensity. On the way it passes through nine
points of maximum intensity. Calculate the
(i) wavelength of the microwaves.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) frequency of the microwaves.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) Describe and explain how it could be demonstrated that the microwaves are polarized.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 11 marks)
11. This question is about polarization.
(a) State what is meant by polarized light.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Unpolarized light is incident on the surface of a plastic. The angle of incidence is θ.
The reflected light is viewed through an analyser whose transmission axis is vertical.

The variation with θ of the intensity I of the transmitted light is shown in the graph.
(i) Explain why there is an angle of incidence, for which the intensity of the
transmitted light is zero.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Calculate the refractive index of the plastic.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) Unpolarized light from a source is split, so that there is a path difference of half a
wavelength between the two beams.
A lens brings the light to focus at point P on a screen. The lens does not introduce any
additional path difference.
State and explain whether any light would be observed at P, in the case in which the
polarizers have their transmission axes
(i) parallel.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) at right angles to each other.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 9 marks)

12. This question is about standing waves.
(a) State two properties of a standing (stationary) wave.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The diagram shows an organ pipe that is open at one end.
The length of the pipe is l. The frequency of the fundamental (first harmonic) note
emitted by the pipe is 16 Hz.
(i) On the diagram, label with the letter P the position along the pipe where the
amplitude of oscillation of the air molecules is the largest.
(1)
(ii) The speed of sound in the air in the pipe is 330 m s–1. Calculate the length l.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) Use your answer to (b)(ii) to suggest why it is better to use organ pipes that are closed
at one end for producing low frequency notes rather than pipes that are open at both
ends.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 8 marks)
13. This question is about polarized light.
(a) Distinguish between polarized and unpolarized light.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) A beam of plane polarized light of intensity I0 is incident on an analyser. The

direction of the beam is at right angles to the plane of the analyser.
The angle between the transmission axis of the analyser and the plane of polarization
of the light is θ. In the position shown the transmission axis of the analyser is parallel
to the plane of polarization of the light (θ = 0).
On the axes, sketch a graph to show how the intensity I of the transmitted light varies
with θ as the analyser is rotated through 180°.
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

14. This question is about polarization and liquid crystals.
(a) A liquid crystal has the property of being able to rotate the plane of polarization of
light. Explain what is meant by the expression “able to rotate the plane of polarization
of light”.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The diagram below is a representation of a liquid crystal display.
P1 is a polarizer and P2 is an analyser. The transmission axis of P2 is at right angles to

that of P1. E is an electrode. G is a glass plate upon which a shaped electrode is
etched. Unpolarized light is incident on P1.
(i) State, and explain, what the observer would see if the liquid crystal were not
present.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Outline how the application of a potential difference between E and the
electrode etched on G enables the observer to see the shape of the electrode.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

15. This question is about standing (stationary) waves.
(a) Describe two ways that standing waves are different from travelling waves.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) An experiment is carried out to measure the speed of sound in air, using the apparatus
shown below.
A tube that is open at both ends is placed vertically in a tank of water, until the top of
the tube is just at the surface of the water. A tuning fork of frequency 440 Hz is
sounded above the tube. The tube is slowly raised out of the water until the loudness
of the sound reaches a maximum for the first time, due to the formation of a standing
wave.
(i) Explain the formation of a standing wave in the tube.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) State the position in the tube that is always a node.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(iii) The tube is raised a little further. Explain why the loudness of the sound is no
longer at a maximum.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) The tube is raised until the loudness of the sound reaches a maximum for a second
time.
Between the two positions of maximum loudness, the tube has been raised by 36.8 cm.
The frequency of the sound is 440 Hz. Estimate the speed of sound in air.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)
16. This question is about standing (stationary) waves.
The diagram represents a standing wave of wavelength λ set up on a string of length L.
The string is fixed at both ends.
(a) For this standing wave
(i) state the relationship between λ and L.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) label, on the diagram, two antinodes where the string is vibrating in phase.
Label the antinodes with the letter A.
(2)
(b) The standing wave has wavelength λ and frequency f. State and explain, with respect
to a standing wave, what is represented by the product f λ.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)
A string that is fixed at both ends is made to vibrate in the fundamental (first harmonic)
mode.
The fixed ends of the string are at x = 0 and x =L.
Each point on the string oscillates in simple harmonic motion. The displacement y of the
string at a point x at time t is given by the equation
y = Acos(500πt)
 πx 
where A = 12sin   .
 2 
In these formulae x is in metres and t is in seconds. Using this equation,
(a) explain why the amplitude of the standing wave is not constant.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) calculate the frequency of the standing wave.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
c) show that L = 2.0 m.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 4 marks)
(a) A beam of unpolarized light of intensity I0 is incident on a polarizer. The polarization

axis of the polarizer is initially vertical as shown.
The polarizer is then rotated by 180° in the direction shown. On the axes below, sketch
a graph to show the variation with the rotation angle θ, of the transmitted light
intensity I, as θ varies from 0° to 180°. Label your sketch-graph with the letter U.
(2)

(b) The beam in (a) is now replaced with a polarized beam of light of the same intensity.
The plane of polarization of the light is initially parallel to the polarization axis of the
polarizer.
The polarizer is then rotated by 180° in the direction shown. On the same axes in (a),
sketch a graph to show the variation with the rotation angle θ, of the transmitted light
intensity I, as θ varies from 0° to 180°. Label your sketch-graph with the letter P.
(2)
(Total 4 marks)
19. This question is about standing waves and organ pipes.
(a) State one way in which a standing wave differs from a travelling wave.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) An organ pipe of length L is closed at one end. On the diagrams, draw a representation
of the displacement of the air in the pipe when the frequency of the note emitted by the
pipe is the
(i) fundamental (first harmonic) frequency f1.
(1)
(ii) second harmonic frequency f2.
(1)
f1
(c) Use your answer to (b) to deduce an expression for the ratio .
f2
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) State, in terms of the boundary conditions of the standing waves that can be formed in
the pipe, the reason why the ratio of the higher frequencies of the harmonics to that of
the fundamental must always be an integer number.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 7 marks)
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A ray of light is incident on the surface of a lake. The angle of incidence is φ.

The reflected light is completely polarized horizontally.
The refractive index of water is n.
(i) On the diagram above draw the refracted ray.

(1)
(ii) Use the diagram to deduce the relationship between φ and n.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(iii) The refractive index of the water is 1.3. Calculate the value of φ.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 6 marks)
A string is attached between two rigid supports and is made to vibrate at its fundamental
frequency (first harmonic) f.
The diagram shows the displacement of the string at t = 0.
(a) Draw the displacement of the string at time
1
(i) t=
4f
(1)

1
(ii) t=
2f
(1)
(b) The distance between the supports is 1.0 m. A wave in the string travels at a speed of
240 m s–1. Calculate the frequency of the vibration of the string.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) An organ pipe that is open at one end has the same fundamental frequency as the
string in part (b). The speed of sound in air is 330 m s–1. Determine the length of the
pipe.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 6 marks)
(a) State what is meant by unpolarized light.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) A beam of unpolarized light of intensity 1.0 W m–2 is incident on an ideal polarizing
filter.
State the value of the intensity of the transmitted light. Explain your answer.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Outline how polarized light may be used to measure the concentration of a sugar
solution.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)
23. This question is about polarizing filters and sources.
You are given two unlabelled light sources, one of which emits polarized light and the other
does not. You are also given two unlabelled transparent plastic sheets, one of which is a
polarizer and the other is not.
(a) Describe how you would determine which one of the sources emits polarized light and
which sheet is a polarizing filter.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) You are given a glass tube that contains an optically active solution. Explain how you
would use the apparatus in (a) to measure the concentration of the solution.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 6 marks)
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Polarized light of intensity I0 is incident on an analyser. The transmission axis of the
analyser makes an angle with the direction of the electric field of the light.
(i) Calculate, in terms of I0, the intensity of light transmitted through the analyser
when =
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show the variation with angle of the
intensity of the transmitted light.
(2)
(c) Outline how polarizing sunglasses reduce glare from a reflecting surface.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

TOPIC 9: WAVE PHENOMENA (HL)
1. A mass on the end of a horizontal spring is displaced from its equilibrium position by a
distance A and released. Its subsequent oscillations have total energy E and time period T.
An identical mass is attached to an identical spring. The maximum displacement is 2A.

Assuming this spring obeys Hooke’s law, which of the following gives the correct time
period and total energy?
New time period New energy

A. T 4E
B. T 2E
C. 2T 4E
D. 2T 2E
2. During one complete oscillation, the amplitude of a damped harmonic motion changes from
1.5 cm to 0.30 cm. The total energy at the end of the oscillation is E2 and the total energy at
E
the beginning of the oscillation is E1. The ratio 2 is
E1
1 1
A. . B. . C. 5. D. 25.
5 25
3. A wooden block is at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface. A horizontal spring is attached

between the block and a rigid support.
The block is displaced to the right by an amount X and is then released. The period of
oscillations is T and the total energy of the system is E.
X
For an initial displacement of which of the following shows the best estimate for the
2
period of oscillations and the total energy of the system?

Period Total energy
E
A. T
2
E
B. T
4
T E
C.
2 2
T E
D.
2 4
4. Light is diffracted at a single slit. Which of the following graphs best represents how the
intensity I of the diffracted light varies with the diffraction angle θ?
A.
B.
C.
D.

5. Light of wavelength λ is emitted by two point sources. The light passes through a circular
aperture of diameter b and is received by an observer. The angular separation of the sources
from the observer’s position is θ. The sources are not resolved by the observer. Which of the
following mathematical relationships applies?
   
A. θ < 1.22 B. θ > 1.22 C. θ = 1.22 D. θ=
b b b b
6. A radar speed gun is used to measure the speed of a car. The car is moving with speed v
away from the gun.
The radar emits microwaves of frequency f and speed c. Which of the following is the
frequency of the microwaves measured at the gun after reflection by the car?
 2v  v   2v  v 
A. f+  f B.f +  f  C. f–  f D. f–  f
 c  c   c  c 
7. The diagram below shows two identical filament lamps separated by a small distance. Light
from the lamps is incident on a narrow slit behind a green filter. The slit is parallel to the
filament of each lamp.
A photograph is taken of the lamps through the slit. The images of the filaments on the
photograph are just resolved.
The green filter is replaced by a red filter and then by a violet

filter. For each filter a photograph is taken of the lamps through
the slit. Which of the following correctly describes the
resolution of the images using a red and using a violet filter?
Red filter Violet filter

A. resolved resolved
B. resolved not resolved
C. not resolved resolved
D. not resolved not resolved

8. Which of the following wave phenomena is associated with blood flow measurements?
A. Polarization
B. Diffraction
C. Refraction
D. Doppler effect
9. A beam of coherent light is incident on a single slit of width b. After passing through the slit,
the light is incident on a screen at a distance D from the slit.
Which of the following changes, carried out separately, in respect of b and D will result in an
increase in width of the first diffraction maximum formed on the screen?
b D
A. decrease increase
B. increase increase
C. decrease decrease
D. increase decrease
10. The images of two sources are just resolved. Which of the following is a correct statement of
the Rayleigh criterion for this situation?
A. The central maximum of the diffraction pattern of one source must coincide with the
central maximum of the diffraction pattern of the other source.
B. Light from the sources must pass through a circular aperture.
C. Light from the sources must be coherent.
D. The first minimum of the diffraction pattern of one source must coincide with the
central maximum of the diffraction pattern of the other source.

13. A man standing by the shore observes sea waves approaching at a frequency of 0.20 Hz. A
man on a boat observes that waves are approaching the boat at a frequency of 0.50 Hz. The
speed of the waves is 2.0 m s–1. Which of the following gives a possible value for the speed
of the boat and its direction?
Speed / m s–1 Direction
A. 3.0 away from the shore

B. 3.0 towards the shore
C. 1.2 away from the shore
D. 1.2 towards the shore
14. A parallel beam of light with a wavelength 600 nm passes through a single narrow slit and
forms a diffraction pattern on a screen. The angle at which the first diffraction minimum is
formed is 2.0 × 10–3 rad.
What would be the angle of the first diffraction minimum for light of wavelength 400 nm?
A. 3.0 × 10–3 rad B. 2.0 × 10–3 rad
C. 1.3 × 10–3 rad D. 1.2 × 10–3 rad
15. In two separate experiments monochromatic light is incident on a single slit. The diagrams show the
diffraction patterns obtained on a screen far from the slit. In the top diagram the wavelength of light is
λ1 and the slit width is b1. In the bottom diagram the wavelength of light is λ2 and the slit width is b2.
In each experiment the distance between the slit and the screen is the same. Which of the
following may be deduced?
1 2
A. 
b1 b2
1 2
B. 
b1 b2
C. b1 < b2
D. λ1 > λ2

16. A source of sound approaches a stationary observer. The speed of the emitted sound and its
wavelength, measured at the source, are v and λ respectively. Which of the following is the
wave speed and the wavelength, as measured by the stationary observer?
Wave speed Wavelength

A. larger than v larger than λ
B. equal to v larger than λ
C. equal to v less than λ
D. larger than v less than λ
17. During a journey an observer travels at constant speed towards, and then goes beyond, a
stationary emitter of sound.
The frequency of the sound as measured at the emitter is f. The frequency according to the
observer
A. is always greater than f.
B. is always equal to f.
C. is always less than f.
D. varies during the journey.
18. A parallel beam of monochromatic light of wavelength λ passes through a slit of width b.
After passing through the slit the light is incident on a distant screen. The angular width of
the central maximum is

A. 2 radians.
b

B. radians.
b

C. 2 degrees.
b

D. degrees.
b

19. Unpolarized light is shone through two identical polarizers whose axes are parallel.
I
The ratio is
I0
A. 100 %. B. 50 %. C. 25 %. D. 0 %.
20. A siren at rest emits a sound of frequency f0. The speed of sound in air is v. The siren moves
away from an observer at rest relative to the siren in a straight line with constant speed vs.
The observer measures a frequency lower than f0 because the
A. speed at which the sound moves relative to the observer is v – vs.
B. speed at which the sound moves relative to the observer is vs – v.
vs
C. wavelength measured by the observer is smaller by a factor .
v
vs
D. wavelength measured by the observer is greater by a factor .
v
21. In an electron microscope, high energy electrons are used in order to increase the
A. interference effects.
B. diffraction effects.
C. resolving power of the microscope.
D. magnifying power of the microscope.
22. Two galaxies with an angular separation at the observer of 5.0 × 10–4 radians are observed
with a radio telescope. Both galaxies emit radio waves of wavelength 2.5 × 10–2 m.
The images of the galaxies are just resolved by the telescope. The diameter of the circular
collecting dish of the telescope is
A. 61 m. B. 50 m. C. 30 m. D. 25 m.
23. A source S, moving at constant speed, emits a sound of constant frequency. The source
passes by a stationary observer O, as shown below.
Which of the following shows the variation with time t of the frequency f observed at O as
the source S approaches and passes by the observer?
24. −2 m. The waves are received by

a radio telescope whose collecting dish has a diameter of 120 m. The two stars are just
resolved if their minimum angular separation in radians is of the order of
A. 4. B. 2. C. –2. D. 5
–4.

Long questions
1. Simple harmonic motion and the greenhouse effect
(a) A body is displaced from equilibrium. State the two conditions necessary for the body
to execute simple harmonic motion.
1. .........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
2. .........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) In a simple model of a methane molecule, a hydrogen atom and the carbon atom can
be regarded as two masses attached by a spring. A hydrogen atom is much less
massive than the carbon atom such that any displacement of the carbon atom may be
ignored.
The graph below shows the variation with time t of the displacement x from its
equilibrium position of a hydrogen atom in a molecule of methane.
–27 kg. Use data from the graph above
(i) to determine its amplitude of oscillation.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) 13 Hz.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)

(iii) –18
J.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) On the grid below, sketch a graph to show the variation with time t of the velocity v of
the hydrogen atom for one period of oscillation starting at t = 0. (There is no need to
add values to the velocity axis.)
(d) Assuming that the motion of the hydrogen atom is simple harmonic, its frequency of
oscillation f is given by the expression
1 k
f ,
2 mp
where k is the force per unit displacement between a hydrogen atom and the carbon
atom and mp is the mass of a proton.
(i) Show that the value of k is approximately 560 N m–1.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(ii) Estimate, using your answer to (d)(i), the maximum acceleration of the
hydrogen atom.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................

(e) Methane is classified as a greenhouse gas.
(i) Describe what is meant by a greenhouse gas.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(ii) 13 Hz is in the infrared region

of the electromagnetic spectrum. Suggest, based on the information given in
(b)(ii), why methane is classified as a greenhouse gas.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 17 marks)
2. This question is about radio waves.
A satellite is travelling directly away from a space shuttle with a speed of 7.9 km s–1.
The satellite is transmitting radio waves of frequency 150.000 000 MHz.
(a) (i) Calculate the frequency to which an astronaut on the shuttle will need to set a
receiver in order to receive the signal from the satellite.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) The satellite now passes close to a second space shuttle. Describe the changes
that will need to be made to the setting of the receiver as the satellite approaches
and moves away from the second shuttle.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(iii) Suggest why the formula used in the calculation in (a)(i) would not be suitable
for radiation from a distant galaxy moving away from the Earth at 90 % of the
speed of light.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A space shuttle orbits at a height of 300 km above the surface of the Earth. It carries
two panels separated by a distance of 24 m. The panels reflect light of wavelength 500
nm towards an observer on the Earth’s surface.
The observer views the panels with a telescope of aperture diameter 85 mm. The
panels act as point sources of light for the observer.
(i) Describe what is meant by the Rayleigh criterion.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Determine whether the images of the panels formed by the telescope will be
resolved.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 11 marks)
3. This question is about diffraction and resolution.
(a) Plane wavefronts of monochromatic light of wavelength λ are incident on a narrow

slit.
After passing through the slit they are incident on a screen placed a large distance
from the slit.
The width of the slit is b and the point X is at the centre of the slit. The point M on the
screen is the position of the first minimum of the diffraction pattern formed on the
screen.
The path difference between light from the top edge of the slit and light from the
bottom edge of the slit is l.
Use the diagram to explain why the distance l is equal to λ.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)

The wavefronts in (a) are from a monochromatic point source S1. Diagram 1 is a sketch of
how the intensity of the diffraction pattern formed by the single slit varies with angle θ. The
units on the vertical axis are arbitary.
Diagram 1
Another identical point source S2 is placed close to S1 as shown in diagram 2.
Diagram 2
(b) The diffraction patterns formed by each source are just resolved.
On diagram 1 sketch the intensity distribution of the light from source S2.
(2)
(c) Outline how the Rayleigh criterion affects the design of radio telescopes.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(d) The dish of the Arecibo radio telescope has a diameter of 300 m. Two distant radio
sources are 2.0 × 1012 m apart. The sources are 3.0 × 1016 m from Earth and they
emit radio waves of wavelength 21 cm. Determine whether the radio telescope can
resolve these sources.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)
4. This question is about the diffraction of light.
(a) (i) Describe what is meant by the diffraction of light.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) A parallel beam of monochromatic light from a laser is incident on a narrow

slit.
The diffracted light emerging from the slit is incident on a screen.
(not to scale)
The centre of the diffraction pattern produced on the screen is at C. On the axes
sketch a graph to show how the intensity I of the light on the screen varies with
the distance d from C.

(3)
(iii) The slit width is 0.40 mm and it is 1.9 m from the screen. The wavelength of the
light is 620 nm. Determine the width of the central maximum on the screen.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) (i) When two separate lasers are used as sources, the images of the slit formed by
the light from each laser are resolved. State what is meant by the term resolved
in this context.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) A car, with its two headlights switched on, is approaching an observer who has
good eyesight. Outline why, at a long distance from the observer, the images of
the headlights of the car are not resolved by the observer.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 13 marks)
5. This question is about microwaves.
(a) Radiation from a microwave transmitter passes through a single narrow slit. A receiver
is placed several metres beyond the slit. The receiver can be moved between point A
and point B along a line parallel to the slit.
(i) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show the variation of intensity of the
microwave radiation with distance along line AB. The graph has been started
for you.

(3)
(ii) The width of the narrow slit is reduced. State and explain two effects on the
intensity distribution you have shown in (a)(i).
Effect: ...............................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
Explanation: ......................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
Effect: ...............................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
Explanation: ......................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(b) Standing waves are formed in microwave ovens. Suggest why it is desirable that food
is rotated while being cooked in the microwave.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)(Total 10 marks)

6. This question is about optical resolution.
The two point sources shown in the diagram below (not to scale) emit light of the same
frequency. The light is incident on a rectangular narrow slit and, after passing through the
slit, is brought to a focus on the screen.
(a) Point source B is covered. Using the axes below, sketch a graph to show how the
intensity I of the light from point source A varies with distance along the screen. Label
the curve you have drawn A.
(2)
(b) Point source B is now uncovered. The images of A and B on the screen are just
resolved. Using the axes above, sketch a graph to show how the intensity I of the light
from point source B varies with distance along the screen. Label this curve B.
(1)
(c) The bright star Sirius A is accompanied by a much fainter star, Sirius B. The mean
16 m. Under ideal atmospheric conditions,
a telescope with an objective lens of diameter 25 cm can just resolve the stars as two
separate images.
Assuming that the average wavelength emitted by the stars is 500 nm, estimate the
apparent, linear separation of the two stars.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(3)(Total 6 marks)

7. This question is about the Doppler effect.
The sound emitted by a car’s horn has frequency f, as measured by the driver. An observer
moves towards the stationary car at constant speed and measures the frequency of the sound
to be f ′.
(a) Explain, using a diagram, any difference between f ′ and f.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) The frequency f is 3.00 × 102 Hz. An observer moves towards the stationary car at a
constant speed of 15.0 m s–1. Calculate the observed frequency f ′ of the sound.
The speed of sound in air is 3.30 ×102 m s–1.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

8. This question is about optical resolution and accommodation.
A woman is walking along a straight path, which is at right angles to a telephone line, as
shown in the diagram below. Two birds are perched on the line, 0.40 m apart.
(diagram not to scale)
The diameter of the pupil of the woman’s eye is 2.5 mm and the average wavelength of
visible light is 550 nm.
(a) Use the Rayleigh criterion to estimate the distance D at which the woman will just be
able to see two separate birds.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) The woman looks down at her watch and is able to focus on it clearly. Explain how
her eyes are able to focus on near objects as well as far objects.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

9. This question is about the eye and resolution.
A student measures the aperture of the iris of one of her eyes as 2.0 mm in sunlight and 7.0
mm in moonlight. The intensity at her eye of sunlight is 106 times greater than the intensity
of moonlight.
(a) (i) Determine the following ratio.
power of light enteringtheeye in sunlight

power of light enteringtheeye in moonlight
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Suggest why your answer in (a)(i) indicates that the change in diameter of the
iris is not the principal mechanism by which the eye is able to adjust to different
light intensities.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................(1 )
(b) (i) State the Rayleigh criterion.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Suggest, with reference to the Rayleigh criterion, whether the ability of the eye
to resolve the image of two objects is greater in sunlight or in moonlight.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(c) Outline the different functions of the rods and the cones on the retina of the eye in
their response to sunlight and to moonlight.
Rods: ...........................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Cones: ..........................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 14 marks)
(a) Light from a monochromatic point source S1 is incident on a narrow rectangular slit.
After passing through the slit, the light is incident on a screen some distance away
from the slit. The graph shows how the intensity distribution on the screen varies with
the angle θ shown in the diagram.

(i) The width of the slit is 4.0 × 10–4 m. Use data from the graph to calculate the
wavelength of the light.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) An identical source S2 is placed close to S1 as shown.
The images of the two sources on the screen are just resolved according to the
Rayleigh criterion. On the graph above, draw the intensity distribution of the
second source.
(1)
(b) The Very Large Array (VLA) is used to analyse radio signals from distant galaxies.
The combined diameter of the VLA is 36 km. A region of linear size L inside the radio
galaxy M87 emits radio waves with a frequency of 43 GHz. The galaxy is a distance
4.7 × 1023 m from Earth. The VLA can just resolve the radio emitting region.
Estimate the value of L.

......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)
(a) A parallel beam of monochromatic light is incident on a narrow rectangular slit. After
passing through the slit, the light is incident on a distant screen.
Point X is the midpoint of the slit.
(i) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show how the intensity of the light on the
screen varies with the angle θ shown in the diagram.
(3)

(ii) The wavelength of the light is 520 nm, the width of the slit is 0.04 mm and the
screen is 1.2 m from the slit. Show that the width of the central maximum of
intensity on the screen is about 3 cm.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Points P and Q are on the circumference of a planet as shown.
By considering the two points, outline why diffraction limits the ability of an
astronomical telescope to resolve the image of the planet as a disc.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 8 marks)

12. This question is about the Doppler effect.
A stationary loudspeaker emits sound of frequency of 1000 Hz. Nadine attaches the
loudspeaker to a string. She moves the loudspeaker in a horizontal circle above her head at a
speed of
30 m s–1. The speed of sound in air is 330 m s–1.
An observer is standing well away from Nadine.
(a) Explain why the sound heard by the observer changes regularly.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) Determine the maximum frequency of the sound heard by the observer.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)
13. This question is about optical resolution.
(a) The separation of two objects on the surface of Earth is d. The objects are
photographed by a camera in a spy satellite orbiting Earth. The photographic images
of the objects are just resolved. Use the following data to determine d.
Wavelength of light emitted by the objects = 500 nm

Distance of satellite above surface of Earth = 4.0 × 105 m
Diameter of camera lens = 0.10 m
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)

(b) State one way in which the resolution of the camera could be improved.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 4 marks)
14. This question is about the Rayleigh criterion.
(a) Light from two monochromatic distant point sources, S1 and S2, is incident on a
narrow slit. After passing through the slit, the light is incident on a screen.
On the axes below, draw the intensity distribution of the diffracted light on the screen
from each source when the images of S1 and S2 are just resolved according to the
Rayleigh criterion.
(3)
(b) A woman views an approaching car at night. The apertures of her eyes are each of
diameter 3.0 mm. The headlamps of the car are separated by a distance of 1.2 m and
emit light of wavelength 400 nm.
Calculate the distance of the car from the woman at which the images of the two
headlamps are just resolved.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................(3)
(Total 6 marks)

OPTION B – HL – ENGINEERING PHYSICS - Forced Oscillations And Resonance
1. An object is undergoing simple harmonic motion with light damping. The natural
frequency of oscillation of the object is f0. A periodic force of frequency f is applied
to the object. Which of the following graphs best shows how the amplitude a of
oscillation of the object varies with f?
2. A force that varies sinusoidally is applied to a system that is lightly damped. Which
of the following must be true of the force for resonance to occur?
A. It must always be in anti-phase with the oscillations of the system.
B. Its direction must always be in the direction of motion of the oscillations of the
system.
C. Its frequency must be equal to the frequency of oscillation of the system.
D. Its amplitude must be equal to the amplitude of oscillation of the system.
A. undamped.
B. lightly damped.

A. undamped.
B. lightly damped.
5. The graph below represents the variation with time of the displacement of an
oscillating particle.
The motion of the object is
A. over damped.
B. critically damped.
C. lightly damped.
D. not damped.

Long Questions
1. This question is about simple harmonic motion.
(a) In terms of the acceleration, state two conditions necessary for a system to perform
1. ..........................................................................................................................
2. ......................................................................................................................(2)
(b) A tuning fork is sounded and it is assumed that each tip vibrates with simple harmonic
motion.
The extreme positions of the oscillating tip of one fork are separated by a distance d.
(i) State, in terms of d, the amplitude of vibration.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) On the axes below, sketch a graph to show how the displacement of one tip of
the tuning fork varies with time.
(1)
(iii) On your graph, label the time period T and the amplitude a.
(2)
(c) The frequency of oscillation of the tips is 440 Hz and the amplitude of oscillation of
each tip is 1.2 mm. Determine the maximum

(i) linear speed of a tip.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) acceleration of a tip.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The sketch graph below shows how the velocity of a tip varies with time.
On the axes, sketch a graph to show how the acceleration of the tip varies with time.
(2)
(e) In practice, the motion of the tips of the tuning fork is damped.
(i) Describe what is meant by damped motion.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Suggest one reason why the motion of the tips is damped.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 14 marks)

TOPIC 5: ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
1. A positively charged particle follows a circular path as shown below.
Which of the following electric fields could have caused the charged particle to follow the
above path?
2. Two isolated point charges, –7 μC and +2 μC, are at a fixed distance apart. At which point is
it possible for the electric field strength to be zero?
(not to scale)
3. The diagram below shows a uniform electric field of strength E. The field is in a vacuum.
An electron enters the field with a velocity v in the direction shown. The electron is moving
in the plane of the paper. The path followed by the electron will be
A. parabolic. B. in the direction of E.
C. in the direction of v. D. circular.

4. Three positive point charges of equal magnitude are held at the corners X, Y and Z of a
right-angled triangle. The point P is at the midpoint of XY. Which of the arrows shows the
direction of the electric field at point P?
5. The diagram shows two parallel metal plates X and Y.
Plate X is at Earth potential (0 V) and the potential of plate Y is V0.
Which of the following is correct in respect of the magnitude and the direction of the electric
field between the plates?
Magnitude Direction
A. constant X→Y
B. increasing Y→X
C. constant Y→X
D. increasing X→Y

6. The radius of a charged spherical conductor is R. Which of the following graphs best shows
how the magnitude of the electrical field strength E varies with distance r from the centre of
the sphere?
7. Which of the following gives the acceleration of an electron of electric charge e and mass m
in a uniform electric field of strength E?
Ee m
A. E B. Ee C. D.
m Ee
8. Which arrangement of three point charges at the corner of an equilateral triangle will result
in a zero electric field strength at the centre of the triangle, point P?

9. Which diagram best represents the electric field due to a negatively charged conducting
sphere?
10. Which of the following diagrams illustrates the electric field pattern of a negatively charged
sphere?
11. Four point charges of magnitudes +q, +q, –q, and –q are held in place at the corners of a
square of side r.
The Coulomb constant is k. Which of the following is the electrical potential at the centre of
the square O?
4kq 4kq 2  4kq 2

A. 0 B. C. D.
r r r2
12. The diagram below shows a particle with positive charge q accelerating between two
conducting plates at potentials V1 and V2.
Which of the following is the kinetic energy gained by the charge in moving between the
plates?
A. V2q
B. V1q
C. (V1 – V2)q
D. (V2 – V1)q
13. A test charge is a
A. charged object with a very small mass.
B. charged object with a very small charge.
C. point charge which has no effect on the electric field in which it is placed.
D. point charge which slightly changes the electric field in which it is placed.
14. The electric field strength at a point may be defined as
A. the force exerted on unit positive charge placed at that point.
B. the force per unit positive charge on a small test charge placed at that point.
C. the work done on unit positive charge to move the charge to that point from infinity.
D. the work done per unit positive charge to move a small test charge to that point from
infinity.
15. One electronvolt is equal to
A. 1.6 × 10–19 C.
B. 1.6 × 10–19 J.
C. 1.6 × 10–19 V.
D. 1.6 × 10–19 W.

16. A battery of internal resistance 2 Ω is connected to an external resistance of 10 Ω. The
current is 0.5 A.
What is the emf of the battery?
A. 1.0 V B. 5.0 V C. 6.0 V D. 24.0 V
17. In the circuit below, which of the following will cause the greatest increase in the reading of
the voltmeter?
A. An increase in temperature
B. An increase in light intensity
C. A decrease in temperature
D. A decrease in light intensity

18. A light-dependent resistor (LDR) and a fixed resistor are connected in the potential divider
circuit shown below.
The voltmeter reads 3.0 V. Which of the following changes would cause the reading on the
voltmeter to increase?
A. Swapping the positions of the LDR and the fixed resistor
B. Increasing the resistance of the fixed resistor
C. Increasing the amount of light shining on the LDR
D. Decreasing the amount of light shining on the LDR
19. Two electrodes, separated by a distance d, in a vacuum are maintained at a constant potential
difference. An electron, accelerated from one electrode to the other, gains kinetic energy Ek.
1
The distance between the electrodes is now changed to d.
3
What is the gain in kinetic energy of an electron that is accelerated from one electrode to the
other?
Ek
A. B. Ek C. 3 Ek D. 9 Ek
3
20. The graph shows the I–V characteristics of two resistors.
When resistors X and Y are connected in series, the current in the resistors is 2.0 A. What is
the resistance of the series combination of X and Y?
A. 7.0 Ω B. 1.3 Ω C. 1.1 Ω D. 0.14 Ω

21. Two resistors, of resistance R1 and R2, are connected in series with a cell of emf ε and
negligible internal resistance.
Which expression gives the potential difference across the resistor of resistance R1?
 R1 
A.  
 R1  R 2 
 R1  R 2 
B.  
 R1 
 R2 
C.  
 R1  R 2 
 R1  R 2 
D.  
 R2 
22. A point charge of magnitude 2.0 μC is moved between two points X and Y. Point X is at a
potential of +6.0 V and point Y is at a potential of +9.0 V. The gain in potential energy of the
point charge is
A. 0.20 μJ. B. 1.5 μJ. C. 6.0 μJ. D. 30 μJ.
23. A resistor of resistance 12 Ω is connected in series with a cell of negligible internal

resistance. The power dissipated in the resistor is P. The resistor is replaced with a resistor of
resistance 3.0 Ω. What is the power dissipated in this resistor?
A. 0.25 P B. P C. 2.0 P D. 4.0 P
24. The electromotive force (emf) of a cell is defined as
A. the power supplied by the cell per unit current from the cell.
B. the force that the cell provides to drive electrons round a circuit.
C. the energy supplied by the cell per unit current from the cell.
D. the potential difference across the terminals of the cell.

25. A copper wire, of electric resistance R, has a length L and
S a cross-section area S. Another
copper wire has a length 2L and a cross-section area of 2 . Which of the following is the
resistance of this wire?
R R
A. B. C. 2R D. 4R
4 2
26. The circuit shows a light-dependent resistor (LDR) in series with a resistor and a cell. The
emf of the cell is ε. The internal resistance of the cell is negligible.
When light shines on the LDR, the potential difference across the resistor will
A. stay the same.
B. decrease.
C. increase but always be less than ε.
D. increase and exceed ε.
27. The graph shows how the current I in a resistor varies with the voltage V applied across it.
Which of the following gives the resistance of the resistor, when I = I1?
V1
A.
I1
B. The slope of the curve at the point (V1, I1)
I1
C.
V1
D. The inverse of the slope of the curve at the point (V1, I1)

28. Two 10 Ω resistors are connected as shown.
What is the resistance across PQ?
A. 0Ω B. 5Ω C. 10 Ω D. 20 Ω
29. Two resistors, made of the same material, are connected in series to a battery. The length of
resistor X is twice that of resistor Y, and X has twice the cross-sectional area of Y.
resistanceof X
Which of the following gives ?
resistanceof Y
1 1
A. B. C. 1 D. 4
4 2
30. The circuit shows a resistor R connected in series with a battery and a resistor of resistance
10 Ω. The emf of the battery is 20 V and it has negligible internal resistance. The current in
the circuit is 1.0 A.
Which of the following is the resistance of R?
A. 1.0 Ω B. 2.0 Ω C. 10 Ω D. 20 Ω

31. Three identical resistors are connected to a battery as shown.
Which of the following is a correct statement?
A. The current through X is greater than that through Z.
B. The potential difference across Z is greater than that across Y.
C. The potential difference across resistor X and Y together is the same as that across Z.
D. The current through Z is less than the total current through X and Y.
32. Two rectangular blocks, X and Y, of the same material have different dimensions but the
same overall resistance. Which of the following equations is correct?
A. resistivity of X × length of X = resistivity of Y × length of Y
length of X length of Y
B. 
cross sectionalarea of X cross sectionalarea of Y
C. resistivity of X × cross sectional area of X = resistivity of Y × cross sectional area of Y
length of X length of Y
D. 
cross sectionalarea of Y cross sectionalarea of X
33. Two 6 Ω resistors are connected in series with a 6 V cell. A student incorrectly connects an
ammeter and a voltmeter as shown below.

The readings on the ammeter and on the voltmeter are
Ammeter reading / A Voltmeter reading / V

A. 0.0 0.0
B. 0.0 6.0
C. 1.0 0.0
D. 1.0 6.0
34. The diagram shows a potential divider circuit.
In order to increase the reading on the voltmeter the
A. temperature of R should be increased.
B. temperature of R should be decreased.
C. light intensity on R should be increased.
D. light intensity on R should be decreased.
35. The tungsten filament of a lamp has a cross-sectional area A and length L. For a potential
difference V across the filament, the current in the filament is I. The resistivity of the
tungsten equals
VA IL VL IA
A. . B. . C. . D.
IL VA IA VL
36. Which of the following is a correct unit of electromotive force (emf)?
A. A Ω–1 B. Ω A–1 C. C J–1 D. J C–1

37. Which of the following correctly gives the resistance of an ideal ammeter and resistance of
an ideal voltmeter?
Ammeter Voltmeter
A. infinite infinite
B. zero zero
C. zero infinite
D. infinite zero
38. The electronvolt is a unit of
A. force.
B. potential difference.
C. energy.
D. electric field strength.
39. A cell of emf ε and internal resistance r delivers current to a small electric motor.
450 C of charge flows through the motor and 9000 J of energy are converted in the motor.
1800 J are dissipated in the cell. The emf of the cell is
A. 4.0 V. B. 16 V. C. 20 V. D. 24 V.
40. A cylindrical conductor of length l, diameter D and resistivity ρ has resistance R. A different
cylindrical conductor of resistivity 2 ρ, length 2l and diameter 2D has a resistance
R R
A. 2R. B. R. C. . D. .
2 4

41. In the circuits below the cells have the same emf and zero internal resistance. The resistors
all have the same resistance.
power dissipated in X
Which of the following gives the ratio ?
power dissipated in Y
1 1
A. B. C. 2 D. 4
4 2
42. A cylindrical conductor of length l, diameter D and resistivity ρ has resistance R. A different
cylindrical conductor of resistivity 2ρ, length 2l and diameter 2D has a resistance
R R
A. 2R. B. R C. . D. .
2 4
43. In the circuit below, the battery has negligible internal resistance. Three identical lamps L, M
and N of constant resistance are connected as shown.
The filament of lamp N breaks. Which of the following shows the subsequent changes to the
brightness of lamp L and lamp M?
Lamp L Lamp M
A. stays the same decreases
B. increases stays the same
C. increases decreases
D. decreases increases

44.
internal resistance and emf 6 V.
The reading on the voltmeter is
A. 0 V. B. 2 V. C. 3 V. D. 4 V.
45. In the circuit shown below, the cell has negligible internal resistance.
Which of the following equations is correct?
A. I1 = 2I2 B. I1 = 2I3 C. I2 = 2I3 D. I3 = 2I1
46. An electron passes the north pole of a bar magnet as shown below.
What is the direction of the magnetic force on the electron?
A. Into the page
B. Out of the page
C. To the left
D. To the right

47. A long straight wire carries an electric current perpendicularly out of the paper. Which of the
following represents the magnetic field pattern due to the current?
48. An electron travelling in the direction shown by the arrow X, enters a region of uniform
magnetic field. It leaves the region of field in the direction shown by the arrow Y.
The direction of the magnetic field is
A. in the direction of X.
B. into the plane of the paper.
C. in the opposite direction to X.
D. out of the plane of the paper.
49. A particle, of mass m and charge q, moves with velocity v perpendicularly to a magnetic
field. The magnitude of the magnetic force acting on the particle at a particular point is F.
Which of the following gives the magnitude of the magnetic field strength at that point?
F F F F
A. B. C. D.
q m  q

50. A current is established in a coil of wire in the direction shown.
The direction of the magnetic field at point P is
A. out of the plane of the paper.
C. to the left.
D. to the right.
51. An electron enters the vacuum between two oppositely charged plates with velocity v. The
electron is followed by an alpha particle moving with the same initial velocity as the
electron. A uniform magnetic field is directed out of the plane of the paper.
The electron’s path is undeflected. The path of the alpha particle will be
A. deflected out of the plane of the paper.
B. undeflected.
C. deflected upward.
D. deflected downward.

52. A point mass carries a positive charge +Q and is at rest in a magnetic field. The field is in the
direction shown.
The magnetic force acting on the charge is
A. from left to right in the plane of the page.
B. from top to bottom in the plane of the page.
C. into the plane of the page.
D. zero.
53. A current carrying wire is in the same plane as a uniform magnetic field. The angle between
the wire and the magnetic field is θ.
The magnetic force on the current carrying wire is
A. zero.
C. out of the plane of the paper.
D. at an angle θ to the direction of the magnetic field.

54. In the diagram, a long current-carrying wire is normal to the plane of the paper. The current
in the wire is directed into the plane of the paper.
Which of the arrows gives the direction of the magnetic field at point P?
A. W B. X C. Y D. Z
55. A positively charged particle enters the space between two charged conducting plates, with a
constant velocity directed parallel to the plates, as shown.
The top plate is positively charged and the bottom plate is negatively charged. There is a
magnetic field in the shaded region PQRS. The particle continues to move in a horizontal
straight line between the plates. Which of the following correctly describes the magnetic
field direction?
A. Into plane of paper
B. Out of plane of paper
C. Up
D. Down

56. An electron is moving in air at right angles to a uniform magnetic field. The diagram below
shows the path of the electron. The electron is slowing down.
Which of the following correctly gives the direction of motion of the electron and the
direction of the magnetic field?
Direction of motion Direction of magnetic field
A. clockwise into plane of paper
B. clockwise out of plane of paper
C. anti-clockwise into plane of paper
D. anti-clockwise out of plane of paper

Long Questions
2. This question is about electric charge and resistance.
(a) A plastic rod XY is held at end X. The end Y is rubbed with a piece of cloth and, as a
result, the end Y becomes electrically charged.
The procedure is now repeated using a copper rod and it is found that the copper rod
remains electrically neutral. Explain these observations in terms of the properties of
conductors and insulators.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(5)
(b) Two plastic rods each have a positive charge +q situated at one end. The rods are
arranged as shown.

Assume that the charge at the end of each rod behaves as a point charge. Draw, in the
shaded area on the diagram
(i) the electric field pattern due to the two charges.

(2)
(ii) a line to represent an equipotential surface. Label the line with the letter V.
(1)
(c) A resistor of resistance 1.5 Ω is made from copper wire of radius 0.18 mm. The
resistivity of copper is 1.7 × 10–8 Ω m. Determine the length of copper wire used to
make the resistor.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The manufacturer of the resistor in (c) guarantees that the resistance is within 10 % of
1.5 Ω , provided that the power dissipation in the resistor does not exceed 1.0 W.
(i) Suggest why the resistance of the resistor might be greater than 1.65 Ω if the
power dissipation in the resistor is greater than 1.0 W.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Show that, for a power dissipation of 1.0 W, the current in a resistor of
resistance 1.5 Ω is 0.82 A.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(iii) The 1.5 Ω resistor is connected in series with a variable resistor and battery of
emf 6.0 V and internal resistance 1.8 Ω.
Estimate the resistance R of the variable resistor that will limit the current to
0.82 A.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 16 marks)
3. This question is about electric fields and electrical resistance.
(a) State, in terms of electrons, the difference between a conductor and an insulator.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Suggest why there must be an electric field inside a current-carrying conductor.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) The magnitude of the electric field strength inside a conductor is 55 N C–1. Calculate
the force on a free electron in the conductor.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) Define resistance.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(e) A resistor made from a metal oxide has a resistance of 1.5 Ω. The resistor is in the
form of a cylinder of length 2.2 × 10–2 m and radius 1.2 × 10–3 m. Calculate the
resistivity of the metal oxide.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(f) The manufacturer of the resistor in (e) guarantees its resistance to be within ±10 % of
1.5 Ω provided the power dissipation in the resistor does not exceed 1.0 W. Calculate
the maximum current in the resistor for the power dissipation to be equal to 1.0 W.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(g) Three of the resistors in (f) are connected in the circuit below.

The cell has an emf of 2.0 V and negligible internal resistance.
(i) Define emf.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Determine the minimum and the maximum power that could be dissipated in
this circuit.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 14 marks)
4. This question is about electric fields and electric circuits.
(a) Two parallel, charged metal plates A and B are in a vacuum.
At a particular instant an electron is at point P.
On the diagram, draw
(i) the electric field pattern due to the plates.

(3)
(ii) an arrow to represent the direction of the force on the electron at P.

(1)
(b) The acceleration of the electron at P is 8.8 × 1014 m s–2. Determine the magnitude of
the electric field strength at the point P.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................(3)
(c) The electric potential energy of the electron changes by 1.9 × 10–17 J as it moves
from one plate to the other. Show that the potential difference between the plates is
120 V.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) A resistor R and a filament lamp L are connected in series with a battery. The battery
has an emf of 12 V and internal resistance 4.0 Ω. The potential difference across the
filament of the lamp is 3.0 V and the current in the filament is 0.25 A.
(i) Define emf and describe the concept of internal resistance.
emf:
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
Internal resistance:
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Calculate the total power supplied by the battery.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) Calculate the power dissipated in the external circuit.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................(2)
(iv) Determine the resistance of the resistor R.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 16 marks)
5. This question is about motion of a charged particle in an electric field.
(a) An α-particle of mass 4u and charge +2e is accelerated from rest in a vacuum through
a potential difference of 2.4 kV. Show that the final speed of the α-particle is
4.8 × 105 m s–1.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The α-particle is travelling in a direction parallel to and mid-way between two parallel
metal plates.
(not to scale)
The metal plates are of length 2.4 cm and their separation is 0.80 cm. The potential
difference between the plates is 600 V. The electric field is uniform in the region
between the plates and is zero outside this region.

(i) Calculate the magnitude of the electric field between the plates.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Show that the magnitude of the acceleration of the α-particle by the electric
field is 3.6 × 1012 m s–2.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) (i) Calculate the time taken for the α-particle to travel a horizontal distance of 2.4
cm parallel to the plates.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Use your answers in (b)(ii) and (c)(i) to deduce whether, as the α-particle passes
between the plates, it will hit one of the plates.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)

6. This question is about electric circuits.
(a) Define
(i) electromotive force (emf ) of a battery.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) electrical resistance of a conductor.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) A battery of emf ε and negligible internal resistance is connected in series to two
resistors. The current in the circuit is I.
(i) State an equation giving the total power delivered by the battery.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) The potential difference across resistor R1 is V1 and that across resistor R2 is
V2.
Using the law of the conservation of energy, deduce the equation below.
ε = V1 + V2
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) The graph shows the I-V characteristics of two conductors, X and Y.
On the axes below, sketch graphs to show the variation with potential difference V of
the resistance of conductor X (label this graph X) and conductor Y (label this graph
Y).
You do not need to put any numbers on the vertical axis.
(3)
(d) The conductors in (c) are connected in series to a battery of emf ε and negligible
internal resistance.
The power dissipated in each of the two resistors is the same.
Using the graph given in (c),

(i) determine the emf of the battery.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) calculate the total power dissipated in the circuit.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 12 marks)
(a) A resistor of resistance 1.5 Ω is made from copper wire of radius 0.18 mm. The
resistivity of copper is 1.7 × 10–8 Ω m. Determine the length of copper wire used to
make the resistor.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The manufacturer of the resistor in (a) guarantees that the resistance is within 10 % of
1.5 Ω , provided that the power dissipation in the resistor does not exceed 1.0 W.
(i) Suggest why the resistance of the resistor might be greater than 1.65 Ω if the
power dissipation in the resistor is greater than 1.0 W.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) Show that, for a power dissipation of 1.0 W, the current in a resistor of
resistance 1.5 Ω is 0.82 A.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) The 1.5 Ω resistor is connected in series with a variable resistor and battery of
emf 6.0 V and internal resistance 1.8 Ω.
Estimate the resistance R of the variable resistor that will limit the current to
0.82 A.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 8 marks)

9. This question is about an electrical heater.
An electrical heater consists of two heating elements E1 and E2. The elements are connected
in parallel. Each element has a switch and is connected to a supply of emf 240 V. The supply
has negligible internal resistance.
Element E1 is made from wire that has a cross-sectional area of 6.8 × 10–8 m2. The
resistivity of the wire at the operating temperature of the element is 1.1 × 10–6 Ωm.
(a) (i) The total length of wire is 4.5 m. Show that the resistance of E1 is 73 Ω.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Calculate the power output of E1 with only this element connected to the
supply.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) Element E2 is made of wire of the same cross-section and material as E1. The
length of wire used to make E2 is 1.5 m. Determine the total power output when
both E1 and E2 are connected to the supply.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(iv) With reference to the power output, explain why it would be inappropriate to
connect the heating elements in series.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) Each element in the electrical heater is wound as a coil as shown.
Each turn of the coil may be considered to act as a current-carrying long straight wire.
(i) On the diagram, draw the magnetic field around a current-carrying long straight
wire. The arrow shows the direction of the current.
(3)
(ii) State and explain whether the turns of wire will attract or repel one another.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)(Total 15 marks)
11. This question is about electrical resistance and electric circuits.
(a) Define resistance and state Ohm’s law.
Resistance: ...................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Ohm’s law: ..................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) A resistor made from a metal oxide has a resistance of 1.5 Ω. The resistor is in the
form of a cylinder of length 2.2 × 10–2 m and radius 1.2 × 10–3 m. Calculate the
resistivity of the metal oxide.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The manufacturer of the resistor in (b) guarantees its resistance to be within ±10 % of
1.5 Ω provided the power dissipation in the resistor does not exceed 1.0 W. Calculate
the maximum current in the resistor for the power dissipation to be equal to 1.0 W.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The resistance of each of the resistors in the circuit below is measured to be 1.5 Ω with
an accuracy of ±10 %.

The cell has an emf of 2.0 V and negligible internal resistance.
(i) Define emf.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Determine the minimum and the maximum power that could be dissipated in
this circuit.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)
12. This question is about electric circuits
The components shown below are to be connected in a circuit to investigate how the current
I in a tungsten filament lamp varies with the potential difference V across it.
(a) Construct a circuit diagram to show how these components should be connected
together in order to obtain as large a range as possible for values of potential
difference across the lamp.
(4)

(b) On the axes, sketch a graph of I against V for a filament lamp in the range V = 0 to its
normal working voltage.
(2)
(c) The lamp is marked with the symbols “1.25 V, 300 mW”. Calculate the current in the
filament when it is working normally.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) The resistivity of tungsten at the lamp’s working temperature is 4 × 10–7 Ωm. The
total length of the tungsten filament is 0.80 m. Estimate the radius of the filament.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(e) The cell is connected to two identical lamps connected in parallel. The lamps are rated
at 1.25 V, 300 mW. The cell has an emf of 1.5 V and an internal resistance of 1.2 Ω.
Determine whether the lamps will light normally.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 15 marks)
13. (a) Draw the complete diagram of the circuit that uses a potential divider, ammeter,
voltmeter and cell to measure the current-voltage characteristics for component X.
(3)
(b) The graph shows the current-voltage characteristics for the component X.

Component X is now connected across the terminals of a cell of emf 2.0 V and negligible
internal resistance. Use the graph to show that the resistance of X is 0.83 Ω.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) A resistor of constant resistance 1.0 Ω is connected in series with the cell in (b) and
with X. Use the graph to deduce that the current in the circuit is 1.3 A.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 8 marks)
(a) A heating coil is to be made of wire of diameter 3.5 × 10–4 m. The heater is to
dissipate 980 W when connected to a 230 V d.c. supply. The material of the wire has
resistivity
1.3 × 10–6 Ω m at the working temperature of the heater.
(i) Define electrical resistance.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Calculate the resistance of the heating coil at its normal working temperature.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(iii) Show that the length of wire needed to make the heating coil is approximately 4
m.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Three identical electrical heaters each provide power P when connected separately to a
supply S which has zero internal resistance. On the diagram below, complete the
circuit by drawing two switches so that the power provided by the heaters may be
either P or 2P or 3P.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
16. This question is about an electric circuit.
A particular filament lamp is rated at 12 V, 6.0 mA. It just lights when the potential
difference across the filament is 6.0 V.
A student sets up an electric circuit to measure the I-V characteristic of the filament lamp.
In the circuit, shown below, the student has connected the voltmeter and the ammeter into
the circuit incorrectly.

The battery has emf 12 V and negligible internal resistance. The ammeter has negligible
resistance and the resistance of the voltmeter
(a) Explain, without doing any calculations, whether there is a position of the slide S at
which the lamp will be lit.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) Estimate the maximum reading of the ammeter.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Complete the circuit diagram below showing the correct position of the voltmeter and
of the ammeter in order to determine the I-V characteristic of the filament lamp.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
17. Domestic shower
(a) The diagram below shows part of the heating circuit of a domestic shower.

Cold water enters the shower unit and flows over an insulated heating element. The
J kg–1 K–1.
(i) Define specific heat capacity.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Estimate the flow rate of the water.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) Suggest two reasons why your answer to (a)(ii) is only an estimate.
1. ...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
2. ...............................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................
(2)
(iv) Calculate the current in the heating element when the element is operating at 7.2
kW.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)

(v) Explain why, when the shower unit is switched on, the initial current in the
heating element is greater than the current calculated in (a)(iv).
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) In some countries, shower units are operated from a 110 V supply. A heating element
operating with a 240 V supply has resistance R240 and an element operating from a
110 V supply has resistance R110.
Show that for heating elements to have identical power outputs
R110
 0.21.
R240
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 14 marks)

18. This question is about motion in a magnetic field.
An electron, that has been accelerated from rest by a potential difference of 250 V, enters a
region of magnetic field of strength 0.12 T that is directed into the plane of the page.
(a) The electron’s path while in the region of magnetic field is a quarter circle. Show that
the
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(2)
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(2)

(b) The diagram below shows the momentum of the electron as it enters and leaves the
region of magnetic field. The magnitude of the initial momentum and of the final
momentum is 8.6 × 10–24 N s.
(i) On the diagram above, draw an arrow to indicate the vector representing the
change in the momentum of the electron.
(1)
(ii) Show that the magnitude of the change in the momentum of the electron is
1.2 × 10–23 Ns.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) The time the electron spends in the region of magnetic field is 7.4 × 10–11 s.
Estimate the magnitude of the average force on the electron.
...........................................................................................................................
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(1)
(Total 7 marks)

19. This question is about force fields.
(a) Outline what is meant by a field of force.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Five particles A to E are each placed in a different type of field. Complete the table to
identify the nature of the field in which each particle is situated.
Charge on Initial direction of Direction of

Particle Type of field
particle motion of particle force on particle
in direction of
A uncharged stationary
field .....................................
along direction of opposite to
B negative
field direction of field .....................................
normal to direction normal to
C positive
of field direction of field .....................................
normal to direction in direction of
D positive
of field field .....................................
opposite to direction in direction of
E uncharged
of field field .....................................
(5)
(Total 7 marks)
20. This question is about force fields.
(a) Outline what is meant by a field of force.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Three particles A, B, and C are each placed in a different type of field. Complete the
table to identify the nature of the field in which each particle is situated.
Charge on Initial direction of Direction of

Particle Type of field
particle motion of particle force on particle
in direction of
A uncharged stationary
field .....................................
along direction of opposite to
B negative
field direction of field .....................................
normal to direction normal to
C positive
of field direction of field .....................................
(3)
(Total 5 marks)
21. This question is about motion in a magnetic field and electromagnetic induction
the
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(2)
(iii) time the electron spends in the region of magnetic field is 7.5 × 10–11 s.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
momentum is 8.6 × 10–24 Ns.
(1)
1.2 × 10–23 Ns.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(iii) Estimate the magnitude of the average force on the electron.
...........................................................................................................................
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(1)
(c) A square loop of conducting wire is placed near a straight wire carrying a constant
current I. The wire is in the same plane as the loop.
The loop is made to move with constant speed v towards the wire.
(i) Explain, by reference to Faraday’s and Lenz’s laws of electromagnetic

induction, why work must be done on the loop.
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...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Suggest what becomes of the work done on the loop.
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...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 12 marks)

TOPIC 11: ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION (HL)
1. A coil of wire has a large number of turns. It is moved relative to a fixed magnetic field. The
emf generated will be equal to the
A. rate of change of magnetic flux linkage.
B. rate of change of the magnetic flux through the coil.
C. change of magnetic flux linkage.
D. change of the magnetic flux through the coil.
2. A sinusoidal ac power supply has rms voltage V and supplies rms current I. What is the
maximum instantaneous power delivered?
VI
A. 2VI B. 2 VI C. VI D.
2
3. The graph shows the variation with time t of the magnetic flux φ through a coil that is
rotating in a uniform magnetic field.
The magnitude of the emf induced across the ends of the coil is maximum at time(s)
A. t1 and t3.
B. t2 and t4.
C. t3 only.
D. t4 only.
4. The rms current rating of an electric heater is 4 A. What direct current would produce the
same power dissipation in the electric heater?

4
A. A B. 4A C. 4 2A D. 8A
2
5. A copper sheet is suspended in a region of uniform magnetic field by an insulating wire

connected to a horizontal support. The sheet is pulled to one side so that it is outside the
region of the field, and then released.
The uniform magnetic field is directed into the plane of the paper.
Which of the following is true for both the direction of the induced current in the sheet and
the change in amplitude of the oscillations of the sheet with time?
Direction of induced current Change in amplitude

A. stays the same no change
B. changes decreases
C. stays the same decreases
D. changes no change
6. An alternating current supply of negligible internal resistance is connected to two resistors

that are in parallel.
The resistance of each resistor is R and the peak voltage of the ac supply is V0. Which of the
following is the average power dissipated in the circuit?
A. B. C. D.

11. A permanent bar magnet is moved towards a coil of conducting wire wrapped around a non-
conducting cylinder. The ends of the coil, P and Q are joined by a straight piece of wire.
The induced current in the straight piece of wire is
A. alternating.
B. zero.
C. from P to Q.
D. from Q to P.
12. In order to reduce power losses in the transmission lines between a power station and a
factory, two transformers are used. One is located at the power station and the other at the
factory. Which of the following gives the correct types of transformer used?
Power station Factory

A. step-up step-up
B. step-up step-down
C. step-down step-up
D. step-down step-down
13. A disc of radius r is placed in a uniform magnetic field. The magnitude of the field strength
is B and it makes an angle θ to the plane of the disc.
The magnetic flux linking the disc is
A. πr2B.
B. πr2B sin θ.
C. πr2B cos θ.
D. πr2B tan θ.

14. A magnetic flux linking a wire loop changes sinusoidally with time. The emf induced in the
loop changes sinusoidally
A. in phase with the changing flux.
B. out of phase with the changing flux by a quarter period.
C. out of phase with the changing flux by a third of a period.
D. out of phase with the changing flux by half a period.
15. The maximum output voltage of a generator is V0. The frequency of rotation of the generator
coil is doubled. What is the new maximum output voltage?
A. V0 B. 2 V0 C. 2 V0 D. 4 V0
16. A magnetic field of strength B links a coil. The direction of the field is normal to the plane of
the coil.
The graph shows how B varies with time t.
Which of the following graphs shows how the induced emf ε in the coil varies with t?

17. Raoul suggests that power losses in a transformer may be reduced by the following.
I. Constructing the core from a solid block of steel.
II. Using large diameter wire in the coils.
III. Using wire of low resistivity.
Which of the above suggestions would reduce power loss?
A. I only
B. II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III
18. An AC generator produces a voltage of peak value V. The frequency of rotation of the coil
of the generator is doubled. The rms value of the voltage produced is
V V
A. . B. . C. V 2. D. 2V 2 .
2 2 2
19. A power station generates electrical energy at a potential difference V and current I. The
resistance of the transmission lines between the power station and the consumer is R.
The power lost in the transmission lines is
V2
A. 0. B. . C. RI2. D. VI.
R

Long Questions
the
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(2)
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(2)

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(1)
(1)
1.2 × 10–23 Ns.
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(1)
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(1)

The loop is made to move with constant speed v towards the wire.
(i) Explain, by reference to Faraday’s and Lenz’s laws of electromagnetic

induction, why work must be done on the loop.
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(3)
(ii) Suggest what becomes of the work done on the loop.
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(1)
(Total 12 marks)

2. This question is about the generation of electrical energy and global warming.
(a) The diagram, not to scale, shows a pumped-storage power station used for the
generation of electrical energy.
Water stored in the tank is allowed to fall through a pipe to a lake via a turbine. The
turbine is connected to an electrical generator. The pumped-storage ac generator
system is reversible so that water can be pumped from the lake to the tank.
The tank is 50 m deep and has a uniform area of 5.0 × 104 m2. The height from the
bottom of the tank to the turbine is 310 m. The density of water is 1.0 × 103 kg m–3.
(i) Show that the maximum energy that can be delivered to the turbine by the
falling water is about 8 × 1012 J.
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(3)
(ii) The flow rate of water in the pipe is 400 m3 s–1. Calculate the power delivered
by the falling water.
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(2)

(b) The energy losses in the power station are shown in the following table.
Source of energy loss Percentage loss of energy

friction and turbulence of water in pipe 27
friction in turbine and ac generator 15
electrical heating losses 5
(i) Calculate the overall efficiency of the conversion of the gravitational potential
energy of water in the tank into electrical energy.
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(1)
(ii) Sketch a Sankey diagram to represent the energy conversion in the power
station.
(2)
(c) An ac generator is connected to the turbine used in the pumped-water power station.
The diagrams show two positions of one winding of the coil in the generator. The
magnetic field acts horizontally in the direction shown. The coil rotates clockwise.
(i) By considering the motion of XY, explain why the emf induced between X and
Y has a maximum value in position 2.
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...........................................................................................................................(3)

(ii) In position 2 the vertical speed of XY is 160 m s–1. The magnetic field strength
is 0.015 T and XY = 1.5 m. Determine the induced emf between X and Y at this
position.
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(2)
(iii) Side XY is part of the rectangular generator coil that has 1500 windings
connected in series. Calculate the total emf across the ends of the coil at the
moment when XY moves vertically downwards at 90° to the magnetic field
direction.
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(2)
(d) The electrical power produced at the power station is transmitted by cables to the
consumer.
(i) Outline how the energy losses in transmission are minimized.
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(3)
(ii) State one advantage and one disadvantage that a pumped-storage system has
compared to a tidal water storage system.
Advantage: ........................................................................................................
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Disadvantage: ....................................................................................................
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(2)

(e) One effect of global warming is to melt the Antarctic ice sheet. The following data are
available for the Antarctic ice sheet and the Earth’s oceans.
Area of ice sheet = 1.4 × 107 km2

Average thickness of ice = 1.5 × 103 m
Density of ice = 920 kg m–3
Density of water = 1000 kg m–3
Area of Earth’s oceans = 3.8 × 108 km2
Using the data, determine the
(i) mass of the Antarctic ice.
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(2)
(ii) change in mean sea level if all the Antarctic ice sheet were to melt and flow into
the oceans.
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(3)
(Total 25 marks)
3. This question is about the emf induced in a coil.
(a) Define magnetic flux.
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......................................................................................................................................

(2)
(b) A coil is rotated at constant speed in a region of uniform magnetic field.
The graph shows the variation with time t of the emf ε induced in the coil for one
cycle of rotation.
(i) On the graph label, with the letter T, a time at which the flux linkage in the coil
is a maximum.
(1)
(ii) Use the graph to determine the rate of change of flux at t = 4.0 ms. Explain your
answer.
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(2)
(iii) Calculate the root mean square value of the induced emf.
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(1)
(Total 6 marks)

4. This question is about a generator.
(a) Define electromotive force.
......................................................................................................................................
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(1)
(b) The graph shows the variation with time of electromotive force (emf) for a generator.
(i) Calculate the rms value of the emf of the generator.
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(2)
(ii) The speed of rotation of the generator is halved with no other changes being
made.
On the graph, sketch the variation of emf with time.

(2)
(iii) Explain why the graph you drew in (ii) is different from the original graph.
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(2)
(Total 7 marks)
5. This question is about induced emf and transformers.
(a) One of the coils of a particular transformer is connected in series with a switch and a
battery. The coil has low resistance. On closing the switch it is observed that the
current takes a certain amount of time to reach its final constant value. Explain this
observation with reference to Faraday’s law and Lenz’s law.
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(3)
(b) In a particular power station the voltage generated is stepped up by a transformer.

The root mean square voltage is increased by a factor of 2 × 103. The output power of
the transformer is transmitted to a town by cables.
(i) Outline what is meant by the root mean square value of a time-varying voltage.
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(2)
(ii) State the best estimate for the factor by which the power loss in the cables is
reduced as a result of stepping up the voltage.
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(1)
(Total 6 marks)

6. This question is about electromagnetic induction.
(a) In order to measure the rms value of an alternating current in a cable, a small coil of
wire is placed close to the cable.
The plane of the small coil is parallel to the direction of the cable. The ends of the
small coil are connected to a high resistance ac voltmeter.
Use Faraday’s law to explain why an emf is induced in the small coil.
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(3)
(b) The graph below shows the variation with time t of the current in the cable.
On the axes below, draw a sketch graph to show the variation with time of the emf
induced in the small coil.
(2)

(c) Explain how readings on the high resistance ac voltmeter can be used to compare the
rms values of alternating currents in different cables.
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(3)
(Total 8 marks)
7. This question is about alternating current.
(a) The graph shows the variation with time t of the output voltage V of an ac generator of
negligible internal resistance.
A resistor of resistance 25 Ω is connected across the output of the generator.
Calculate
(i) the rms value of the current in the resistor.
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(2)
(ii) the average power dissipated in the resistor.
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(1)
(iii) the power dissipated in the resistor at 0.40 ms.
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(2)
(b) The frequency of rotation of the generator coil is now doubled. Sketch, using the axes
in (a), the variation with t of the new output voltage V.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
8. Electromagnetic induction
(a) State Lenz’s law.
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(1)
(b) A long solenoid is connected in series with a battery and a switch S. Several loops of
wire are wrapped around the solenoid close to its midpoint as shown below.
The ends of the wire are connected to a high resistance voltmeter V that has a centre
zero scale (as shown in the inset diagram). The switch S is closed and it is observed
that the needle on V moves to the right and then drops back to zero.

Describe and explain, the deflection on the voltmeter when the switch S is re-opened.
Description: ...........................................................................................................
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Explanation: ...........................................................................................................
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(4)
(Total 5 marks)

10.TOPIC 10 : FIELDS (HL)
1. A stone is thrown from a cliff and it lands in the sea as shown below. Air resistance is
negligible.
Which of the following statements is correct whilst the stone is in motion?
A. The vertical component of the stone’s displacement is constant.
B. The horizontal component of the stone’s displacement is constant.
C. The vertical component of the stone’s velocity is constant.
D. The horizontal component of the stone’s velocity is constant.
2. Which of the diagrams below best represents the equipotential surfaces around two identical
point masses?

3. Which of the following graphs represents how the total energy E of an orbiting satellite
varies with orbital radius r?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4. A spacecraft moves from point X to point Y in the gravitational field of Earth. At point X,
the gravitational potential is –14 MJ kg–1. At point Y, the gravitational potential is –2 MJ
kg–1. Which of the following describes the direction of the motion of the spacecraft relative
to Earth and the change in gravitational potential?
Direction of Motion Change in gravitational potential

A. towards Earth +12 MJ kg–1
B. towards Earth –12 MJ kg–1
C. away from Earth +12 MJ kg–1
D. away from Earth –12 MJ kg–1

5. A spacecraft is in orbit at a distance r from the centre of the Earth. The engine of the
spacecraft is fired and it moves to a new orbit of radius 2r. Which of the following describes
the variations in kinetic energy and total energy of the spacecraft?
Kinetic energy Total energy

A. decrease increase
B. decrease decrease
C. increase increase
D. increase decrease
6. Gravitational potential at a point is defined as the work done
A. per unit mass in moving a small mass from infinity to the point.
B. in moving a unit mass from infinity to the point.
C. in moving a small mass from infinity to the point.
D. per unit mass in moving a unit mass from infinity to the point.
7. The escape speed from the surface of a planet depends on
A. both the radius and the mass of the planet.
B. only the radius of the planet.
C. only the mass of the planet.
D. only the gravitational field strength at the surface of the planet.
8. The diagram shows the path of a projectile that is launched with velocity v. Air resistance is
negligible.
A second projectile has double the mass of the first projectile and is launched with the same
velocity. Air resistance is still negligible. Which of the following paths best represents the
path of the projectile? (The original path is shown as a dotted line)

9. The diagram shows equipotential lines due to two objects.
The two objects could be
A. electric charges of the same sign only.
B. masses only.
C. electric charges of opposite sign only.
D. masses or electric charges of any sign.

10. Two positive and two negative point charges of equal magnitude are placed at the vertices of
a square as shown. The origin of the axes is at the centre of the square.
The electric potential is zero
A. at the origin of the axes only.
B. along both the x-axis and the y-axis.
C. along the y-axis only.
D. along the x-axis only.
11. An object moves in the x-y plane. The graphs

below show how the component of its velocity Vx
in the x-direction and the component of its velocity
Vy in the y-direction, vary with time t.
The particle is moving
A. in a parabola.
B. with simple harmonic motion.
C. with constant velocity in a straight line.
D. in a circle.
12. The mass of a planet is M and its radius is R. In order for a body of mass m to escape the
gravitational attraction of the planet, its kinetic energy at the surface of the planet must be at
least
GMm GMm GM GM
A. B. 2
C. D.
R R R R2
13. The two graphs below represent the variation with distance, d, for d = r to d = 2r of the
electric field and the electric potential around an isolated point charge.
The work done by an external force in moving a test charge +q from d = 2r to d = r is equal
to q multiplied by the
A. shaded area under graph 1.
B. shaded area under graph 2.
C. average value of the electric field.
D. average value of the electric potential.
14. A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a cliff with an initial speed v.
The time of flight of the stone is t and its range R. Air resistance is negligible.
For a stone that is thrown horizontally from the top of the cliff with an initial speed 3v,
which of the following is correct?
Time of flight Range
A. t R
B. 3t 3R
C. t 3R
D. 3t R
15. A charged particle is moved at constant speed between two points in an electric field. The
work done between the two points is determined by the
A. value of the charge and the path taken.
B. value of the charge.
C. path taken.
D. speed.
16. The diagram below represents equipotential lines of a gravitational field.
Which of the following is the direction and strength of the field at point P?
Direction Strength
A. ← 5.0 N kg–1
B. → 5.0 N kg–1
C. ← 13 N kg–1
D. → 13 N kg–1

17. A football is kicked with an initial velocity u at an angle θ to the horizontal and reaches the
ground t seconds later.
Ignoring air resistance what is the range R of the football?
A. ut
B. ut cos θ
C. ut sin θ
D. ut tan θ
18. A satellite is in orbit about Earth. The satellite moves to an orbit closer to Earth. Which of
the following correctly gives the change in the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the
satellite?
change in potential energy change in kinetic energy
A. decreases increases
B. decreases decreases
C. increases increases
D. increases decreases
19. Which of the following diagrams best represents the gravitational equipotential surfaces due
to two equal spherical masses?

Long Questions
1. Gravitational potential
(a) Define gravitational potential at a point in a gravitational field.
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(3)
(b) The graph below shows the variation with distance R from the centre of a planet of the
gravitational potential V. The radius R0 6 m. Values of V are
not shown for R R0.
Use the graph to determine the magnitude of the gravitational field strength at the
surface of the planet.
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...................................................................................................................................(3)

(c) 3 kg is launched from the surface of the planet. Use the
graph to determine the minimum launch speed that the satellite must have in order to
7 m above the surface of the planet. (You may assume that it
reaches its maximum speed immediately after launch.)
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(4)
(Total 10 marks)
2. This question is about a probe in orbit.
A probe of mass m is in a circular orbit of radius r around a spherical planet of mass M.
(diagram not to scale)
(a) State why the work done by the gravitational force during one full revolution of the
probe is zero.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) Deduce for the probe in orbit that its
GM
(i) speed is v = .
r
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(2)
GMm
(ii) total energy is E =  .
2r
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(2)
(c) It is now required to place the probe in another circular orbit further away from the
planet.
To do this, the probe’s engines will be fired for a very short time.
State and explain whether the work done on the probe by the engines is positive,
negative or zero.
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(2)
(Total 7 marks)

3. This question is about throwing a stone from a cliff.
Antonia stands at the edge of a vertical cliff and throws a stone vertically upwards.
The stone leaves Antonia’s hand with a speed v =8.0 m s–1. Ignore air resistance, the
acceleration of free fall g is 10 m s–2 and all distance measurements are taken from the point
where the stone leaves Antonia’s hand.
(a) Determine,
(i) the maximum height reached by the stone.
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(2)
(ii) the time taken by the stone to reach its maximum height.
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(1)
(b) The time between the stone leaving Antonia’s hand and hitting the sea is 3.0 s.
Determine the height of the cliff.
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(3)
(Total 6 marks)

the
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(2)
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(2)
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(1)

(1)
1.2 × 10–23 Ns.
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(1)
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(1)

(i) explain whether the kinetic energy of the particle at the surface of M1 is less
than, equal to, or larger than EK.
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(2)
(ii) determine the distance x at which the gravitational field strength due to the two
stars is zero.
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(2)
M1
(iii) determine the ratio .
M2
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)
10. This question is about motion of a charged particle in an electric field.
(a) An α-particle of mass 4u and charge +2e is accelerated from rest in a vacuum through
a potential difference of 2.4 kV. Show that the final speed of the α-particle is
4.8 × 105 m s–1.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................(2)

(b) The α-particle is travelling in a direction parallel to and mid-way between two parallel
metal plates.
(not to scale)
The metal plates are of length 2.4 cm and their separation is 0.80 cm. The potential
difference between the plates is 600 V. The electric field is uniform in the region
between the plates and is zero outside this region.
(i) Calculate the magnitude of the electric field between the plates.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Show that the magnitude of the acceleration of the α-particle by the electric
field is 3.6 × 1012 m s–2.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) (i) Calculate the time taken for the α-particle to travel a horizontal distance of 2.4
cm parallel to the plates.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Use your answers in (b)(ii) and (c)(i) to deduce whether, as the α-particle passes
between the plates, it will hit one of the plates.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)
11. This question is about electric charge.
(a) A plastic rod XY is held at end X. The end Y is rubbed with a piece of cloth and, as a
result, the end Y becomes electrically charged.
The procedure is now repeated using a copper rod and it is found that the copper rod
remains electrically neutral. Explain these observations in terms of the properties of
conductors and insulators.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(5)
(b) Two plastic rods each have a positive charge +q situated at one end. The rods are
arranged as shown.

Assume that the charge at the end of each rod behaves as a point charge. Draw, in the
shaded area on the diagram, the electric field pattern due to the two charges.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
12. This question is about electric and gravitational fields
(a) State, in terms of electrons, the difference between a conductor and an insulator.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Suggest why there must be an electric field inside a current-carrying conductor.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) The magnitude of the electric field strength inside a conductor is 55 N C–1. Calculate
the force on a free electron in the conductor.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) The electric force between two point charges is a fundamental force as is the
gravitational force between two point masses. State one similarity between these two
forces and one difference (other than the fact that one applies to charge and the other
to mass).
Similarity: ...................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Difference: ..................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(e) The force on a mass of 1.0 kg falling freely near the surface of Jupiter is 25 N. The
radius of Jupiter is 7.0 × 107 m.
(i) State the value of the magnitude of the gravitational field strength at the surface
of Jupiter.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Calculate that the mass of Jupiter is about 1.8 × 1027 kg.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

13. This question is about the gravitational field of Mars.
(a) Define gravitational potential energy of a mass at a point.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The graph shows the variation with distance r from the centre of Mars of the
gravitational potential V. R is the radius of Mars which is 3.3 Mm. (Values of V for r <
R are not shown.)
A rocket of mass 1.2 × 104 kg lifts off from the surface of Mars. Use the graph to
(i) calculate the change in gravitational potential energy of the rocket at a distance
4R from the centre of Mars.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(ii) show that the magnitude of the gravitational field strength at a distance 4R from
the centre of Mars is 0.23 N kg–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Use the answer to (b)(ii) to show that the magnitude of the gravitational field strength
at the surface of Mars is 3.7 N kg–1.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The gravitational potential at the surface of Earth is –63 MJ kg–1. Without any further
calculation, compare the escape speed required to leave the surface of Earth with that
of the escape speed required to leave the surface of Mars.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

14. This question is about gravitational and electric fields.
(a) The equation for the magnitude of the gravitational field strength due to a point mass
may be written as below.
KX
Y=
s2
The equation for the magnitude of the electric field strength can also be written in the
same form.
In the table identify the symbols used in the equation.
Symbol Gravitational field quantity Electrical field quantity

Y
K
X
s
(4)
(b) The magnitude of the electrostatic force between the proton and electron in a hydrogen
atom is FE. The magnitude of the gravitational force between them is FG.
FE
Determine the ratio .
FG
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

TOPIC 7 : ATOMIC, NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS
1. Which of the following gives the correct number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus of
carbon-14 ( 146 C )?
Protons Neutrons
A. 8 6
B. 6 8
C. 14 6
D. 6 14
2. A freshly prepared sample contains 4.0 μg of iodine-131. After 24 days, 0.5 μg of iodine-131
remain. The best estimate of the half-life of iodine-131 is
A. 8 days. B. 12 days. C. 24 days. D. 72 days.
3. Which of the following causes the greatest number of ionizations as it passes through 1 cm
of air?
(The total energy of the ionizing radiation is the same.)
A. An alpha particle
B. A beta particle
C. A gamma-ray
D. An X-ray
4. Different nuclides spontaneously undergo radioactive decay, emitting either α, β or γ

radiation.
Which of the following correctly identifies all the emissions that do not have discrete
energies?
A. α B. β C. γ D. α and γ
5. The half-life of a radioactive isotope is 10 days. What is the percentage of the sample
remaining after 25 days?
A. 0% B.
18 % C. 25 % D. 40 %

6. Which nucleons in a nucleus are involved in the Coulomb interaction and the strong short-
range nuclear interaction?
Coulomb interaction Strong short-range interaction

A. protons protons, neutrons
B. protons neutrons
C. protons protons
D. protons, neutrons neutrons
7. Two samples of radioactive substances X and Y have the same initial activity. The half-life
of X is T and the half-life of Y is 3T. After a time of 3T the ratio
activityof substance X
is
activityof substance Y
1 1
A. 8. B. 4. C. . D. .
4 8
8. The nuclear reaction
1 H  1 H  2 He  0 n
2 3 4 1
is an example of
A. nuclear fission.
B. radioactive decay.
C. nuclear fusion.
D. artificial transmutation.
9. The nuclear equation below is an example of the transmutation of mercury into gold.
1 H  80 Hg 
2 199 197
79 Au +X
The particle X is a
A. gamma-ray photon.
B. helium nucleus.
C. proton.
D. neutron.

10. In a fission reaction, the total mass and the total binding energy before the reaction are Mi
and Ei respectively, where the binding energy is defined as a positive quantity. After the
reaction the total mass is Mf and the total binding energy is Ef. Which of the following
correctly compares the total masses and the total binding energies?
Total mass Total binding energy

A. Mf > Mi Ef < Ei
B. Mf > Mi Ef > Ei
C. Mf < Mi Ef < Ei
D. Mf < Mi Ef > Ei
11. The diagram below shows some of the energy levels available to an electron in a caesium
atom.
Photons of energy 0.9 eV pass through a sample of low pressure caesium vapour. Which of
the following gives the energy transition of the electron when a photon is absorbed?
A. From –3.9 eV to 0
B. From –2.5 eV to –1.6 eV
C. From –1.6 eV to –2.5 eV
D. From 0 to –3.9 eV
12. Which of the following provides evidence for the quantization of nuclear energy levels?
I. Alpha particles have discrete values of kinetic energies
II. Gamma-ray photons have discrete energies
III. Atomic line emission spectra
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. I, II and III

13. Emission and absorption spectra provide evidence for
A. the nuclear model of the atom.
B. natural radioactivity.
C. the existence of isotopes.
D. the existence of atomic energy levels.
14. Which of the following is true in respect of both the Coulomb interaction and the strong
interaction between nucleons in an atom?
Coulomb interaction exists Strong interaction exists

between between
A. protons only neutrons only
B. both protons and neutrons neutrons only
C. protons only both protons and neutrons
D. both protons and neutrons both protons and neutrons
15. Which of the following correctly identifies the three particles emitted in the decay of the
45
nucleus 20 Ca into a nucleus of 45
21 Sc ?
A. α, β–, γ B. β–, γ, v C. α, γ, v D. α, β–, v
16. Which of the following is true in respect of both the Coulomb interaction and the strong
interaction between nucleons in an atom?
Coulomb interaction exists Strong interaction exists

between between
A. protons only neutrons only
B. both protons and neutrons neutrons only
C. protons only both protons and neutrons
D. both protons and neutrons both protons and neutrons
17. A Bainbridge mass spectrometer may be used to measure the mass of
A. an atom.
B. an ion.
C. an isotope.
D. a molecule.

18. A nucleus of the isotope potassium-40 decays to a nucleus of the isotope argon-40. The
reaction equation for this decay may be written as
19 K  Z Ar  X  ν
40 40
Which of the following correctly identifies the proton number of argon-40 and the particle
X?
Z X
A. 18 β–
B. 18 β+
C. 19 β+
D. 19 β–
19. An alpha particle is accelerated through a potential difference of 10 kV. Its gain in kinetic
energy is
A. 10 eV. B. 20 eV. C. 10 keV. D. 20 keV.
20. Which of the following decay sequences would result in the daughter nucleus having the
same proton number as the parent nucleus?
A. Alpha followed by gamma
B. Beta (β– ) followed by gamma
C. Alpha followed by beta (β–) followed by beta (β–)
D. Beta (β–) followed by gamma followed by gamma
21. The difference between the mass of a 126 C nucleus and the sum of the masses of the
individual nucleons is 0.1 u. Which of the following is approximately the binding energy of
the nucleus?
A. 90 MeV
B. 90 MeV c–2
C. 8 MeV
D. 8 MeV c–2

22. The process by which a heavy nucleus splits into two lighter nuclei is known as
A. fission.
B. fusion.
C. radioactive decay.
D. artificial (induced) transmutation.
23. Which of the following decay sequences would result in the daughter nucleus having the
same proton number as the parent nucleus?
A. Alpha followed by gamma
B. Beta (β–) followed by gamma
C. Alpha followed by beta (β–) followed by beta (β–)
D. Beta (β–) followed by gamma followed by gamma
24. A radioactive source emits alpha particles that then travel through air. With reference to the
range of the alpha particles consider the following three quantities.
I. The charge of the alpha particle
II. The kinetic energy of the alpha particle
III. The density of the air
Which of the above determines the range of the alpha particles?
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. I, II and III

25. The diagram shows some of the energy levels of a hypothetical atom.
The atom is excited to the energy level n = 4. Which of the following transitions will produce
a photon of the longest and the shortest wavelength?
Longest wavelength Shortest wavelength

A. 4→3 4→1
B. 4→1 4→3
C. 2→1 4→3
D. 4→3 2→1
26. The energy of α-particles in α-decay and the energy of γ-rays in γ-decay are discrete. This
provides evidence for the existence of
A. nuclear energy levels.
B. neutrinos.
C. atomic energy levels.
D. isotopes.
27. A radioactive isotope has a half-life of two minutes. A sample contains sixteen grams of the
isotope. How much time elapses until one gram of the isotope remains?
A. 6 minutes
B. 8 minutes
C. 10 minutes
D. 12 minutes

28. Data concerning nuclides are plotted using the axes below.
What are the axis labels for this graph?
Y X
A. binding energy per nucleon number of nucleons
B. binding energy number of protons
C. number of protons binding energy per nucleon
D. number of nucleons binding energy
29. Which of the following is true about beta minus (β–) decay?
A. An antineutrino is absorbed.
B. The charge of the daughter nuclide is less than that of the parent nuclide.
C. An antineutrino is emitted.
D. The mass number of the daughter nuclide is less than that of the parent nuclide.
30. The radii of nuclei may be determined by
A. scattering charged particles off the nuclei.
B. injecting the nuclei in a mass spectrometer.
C. measuring the de Broglie wavelength of the nuclei.
D. observing the spectrum of the nuclei.
31. The energies of alpha particles and of gamma-rays emitted in radioactive decay are discrete.
This observation is evidence for
A. atomic energy levels.
B. nuclear energy levels.
C. nuclei having more neutrons than protons.

D. the existence of isotopes.
32. The number of neutrons and the number of protons in a nucleus of an atom of the isotope of
uranium 235
92 U are
Neutrons Protons
A. 92 143
B. 143 92
C. 235 92
D. 92 235
33. The rest mass of a proton is 938 MeV c–2. The energy of a proton at rest is
A. 9.38 J.
B. 9.38 × 108 × (3 ×108)2 J.
C. 9.38 × 108 eV.
D. 9.38 × 108 × (3 × 108)2 eV.
34. The diagram shows four possible electron energy levels in the hydrogen atom.
The number of different frequencies in the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen that arise
from electron transitions between these levels is
A. 0. B. 2. C. 4. D. 6.

35. The rest mass of a proton is 938 MeV c–2. The energy of a proton at rest is
A. 9.38 J
B. 9.38 × 108 × (3 × 108)2 J
C. 9.38 × 108 eV.
D. 9.38 × 108 × (3 × 108)2 eV
36. The radii of nuclei can be estimated from experiments involving
A. the scattering of charged particles.
B. the Bainbridge mass spectrometer.
C. emission spectra.
D. beta particle spectra.
37. When a nucleus undergoes radioactive β+ decay, the change in the number of particles in the
universe is
A. 0. B. 1. C. 2. D. 3.
38. A nuclear reaction is represented by the following equation.
0 n  80 Hg  79 Au  1 H
1 198 197 2
This reaction is an example of
A. fission.
B. fusion.
C. natural transmutation.
D. artificial (induced) transmutation.

39. Which of the following graphs best shows the variation with nucleon number N of the
binding energy per nucleon E?
40. A photon has
A. energy and momentum.
B. no energy.
C. energy only.
D. no momentum.
41. Which of the following lists the particles associated with radioactive decay in order of
increasing ionizing power?
A. α, β, γ
B. γ, α, β
C. β, α, γ
D. γ, β, α

42. The diagram is a schematic representation of the Bainbridge mass spectrometer. Positive
ions are injected between the plates of the speed selector.
Which of the following correctly shows the direction of the magnetic fields B1 and B2?
B1 B2
A. out of the page out of the page
B. into the page into the page
C. out of the page into the page
D. into the page out of the page
43. The binding energy of a nucleus is defined to be the
A. energy released when a nucleus is formed from its individual constituents.
B. energy released when the nucleus is separated into its individual constituents.
C. total energy of the nucleus.
D. total energy of the protons inside the nucleus.
44. The relationship between proton number Z, neutron number N and nucleon number A is
A. A = Z – N.
B. Z = A + N.
C. N = A – Z.
D. N = A +Z.

45. Protons and neutrons are held together in the nucleus by the
A. electrostatic force.
B. gravitational force.
C. weak nuclear force.
D. strong nuclear force.
46. The initial activity of a sample of a radioactive isotope of half-life 10 hours is A. What is the
A
age of the sample when its activity is ?
32
A. 30 hours B. 40 hours
C. 50 hours D. 320 hours
47. When the isotope aluminium-27 is bombarded with alpha particles, the following nuclear
reaction can take place.
4
2 He  27
13 Al  X  neutron
Which of the following correctly gives the atomic (proton) number and mass (nucleon)
number of the nucleus X?
Proton number Nucleon number
A. 15 30
B. 16 31
C. 30 15
D. 31 16
48. Which of the following correctly identifies the mass and momentum of a photon?
Mass Momentum
A. zero zero
B. zero non-zero
C. non-zero zero
D. non-zero non-zero

Long Questions
1. This question is about the unified atomic mass unit and a nuclear reaction.
(a) Define the term unified atomic mass unit.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The mass of a nucleus of rutherfordium-254 is 254.1001 u. Calculate the mass in

GeV c–2.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) In 1919, Rutherford produced the first artificial nuclear transmutation by bombarding
nitrogen with α-particles. The reaction is represented by the following equation.
7 N  8O
14 17
α+ +X
(i) Identify X.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) The following data are available for the reaction.
Rest mass of α = 3.7428 GeV c–2

Rest mass of 14
7N = 13.0942 GeV c–2
Rest mass of 17
8O +X = 16.8383 GeV c–2
The initial kinetic energy of the α-particle is 7.68 MeV. Determine the sum of
the kinetic energies of the oxygen nucleus and X. (Assume that the nitrogen
nucleus is stationary.)
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

2. This question is about radioactive decay and binding energy.
(a) Describe what is meant by radioactive decay.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) A nucleus of potassium-40 (K-40) undergoes radioactive decay to a nucleus of argon-

40 (Ar-40). In the reaction equation below, identify the proton number Z of argon and
the particle x.
19 K  Z Ar 
40 40
 x
Z: .................................................................................................................................
x: .................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The mass of a K-40 nucleus is 37 216 MeV c–2. Determine the binding energy per
nucleon of K-40.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(d) State why the binding energy of Ar-40 is greater than that of K-40.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 9 marks)

3. This question is about nuclear physics.
(a) (i) Define binding energy of a nucleus.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) The mass of a nucleus of plutonium ( 239

94 Pu ) is 238.990396 u. Deduce that the
binding energy per nucleon for plutonium is 7.6 MeV.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) The graph shows the variation with nucleon number A of the binding energy per
nucleon.
239
Plutonium ( 94 Pu ) undergoes nuclear fission according to the reaction given below.
94 Pu  0 n  38Sr  146
56Ba  x0 n
239 1 91 1

(i) Calculate the number x of neutrons produced.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Use the graph to estimate the energy released in this reaction.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Stable nuclei with a mass number greater than about 20, contain more neutrons than
protons. By reference to the properties of the nuclear force and of the electrostatic
force, suggest an explanation for this observation.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 11 marks)

4. This question is about unified atomic mass unit and a nuclear reaction.
(a) Define the term unified atomic mass unit.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The mass of a nucleus of rutherfordium-254 is 254.1001 u. Calculate the mass in GeV
c–2.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) In 1919, Rutherford produced the first artificial nuclear transmutation by bombarding
nitrogen with α-particles. The reaction is represented by the following equation.
7 N 8O
14 17
α+ +X
(i) Identify X.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) The following data are available for the reaction.
Rest mass of α = 3.7428 GeV c–2

Rest mass of 14
7N = 13.0942 GeV c–2
Rest mass of 17
8O +X = 16.8383 GeV c–2
The initial kinetic energy of the α-particle is 7.68 MeV. Determine the sum of
the kinetic energies of the oxygen nucleus and X. (Assume that the nitrogen
nucleus is stationary.)
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(d) The reaction in (c) produces oxygen (O-17). Other isotopes of oxygen include O-19
which is radioactive with a half-life of 30 s.
(i) State what is meant by the term isotopes.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Define the term radioactive half-life.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(e) A nucleus of the isotope O-19 decays to a stable nucleus of fluorine. The half-life of
O-19 is 30 s. At time t = 0, a sample of O-19 contains a large number N0 nuclei of O-
19.
On the grid below, draw a graph to show the variation with time t of the number N of
O-19 nuclei remaining in the sample. You should consider a time of t = 0 to t = 120 s.
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

5. This question is about nuclear decay and ionization.
226
(a) A nucleus of radium-91 ( 91 Ra ) undergoes alpha particle decay to form a nucleus of
radon (Rn).
Identify the proton number and nucleon number of the nucleus of Rn.
Proton number: ............................................................................................................
Nucleon number: .........................................................................................................

(2)
(b) Immediately after the decay of a stationary radium nucleus, the alpha particle and the
radon nucleus move off in opposite directions and at different speeds.
(i) Outline the reasons for these observations.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Show that the ratio
initial kineticenergy of alpha particle

initial kineticenergy of radon atom
is about 56.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) The initial kinetic energy of the alpha particle is 4.9 MeV. As the alpha particle passes
through air, it loses all its kinetic energy by causing the ionization of 1.7 × 105 air
molecules.
(i) State what is meant by ionization.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Estimate, in joules, the average energy needed to ionize an air molecule.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) Outline why a beta particle has a longer range in air than an alpha particle of the same
energy.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 14 marks)

6. This question is about the hydrogen atom.
(a) A parallel beam of visible light is shone through monatomic hydrogen gas.
The radiation emerging from the gas is analysed by comparing the incident and
emerging intensities at various wavelengths. It is found that at a wavelength of 490 nm
the intensity of the emergent beam is greatly reduced.
The diagram shows some of the electron energy states of the hydrogen atom where n
is the quantum number of the energy level.
(i) Calculate the energy, in eV, of a photon of light of wavelength 490 nm.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Use your answer in (a)(i) and the energy level diagram to explain the reduction
in intensity of the emergent beam.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)

(b) Outline how the Schrödinger model of the hydrogen atom leads to the idea of discrete
electron energy states.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)(Total 10 marks)
7. This question is about radioactive decay and binding energy.
(a) Describe what is meant by radioactive decay.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) A nucleus of thallium-206 (Tl-206) undergoes radioactive decay to a nucleus of lead-

206 (Pb-206). In the reaction equation below, identify the proton number Z of lead and
the particle x.
82T  Z Pb 
206 206
 x
Z: .................................................................................................................................
x: .................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) The mass of a Tl-206 nucleus is 191 870 MeV c–2. Determine the binding energy per
nucleon of Tl-206.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(d) State why the binding energy of Pb-206 is greater than that of Tl-206.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 9 marks)
8. This question is about radioactive decay.
(a) The alpha particles produced in alpha decay have discrete energies. Suggest how this
observation provides evidence for the existence of nuclear energy levels.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) A nucleus of the isotope fluorine-18 decays into a nucleus of oxygen-18 by the
emission of a positron and neutrino. Outline how the nature of the β-decay energy
spectrum of fluorine-18 suggests the existence of the neutrino involved in the decay.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) A freshly prepared sample of fluorine-18 has an activity of 1.12 MBq. Its activity four
hours later is 0.246 MBq.
(i) Show that the decay constant for fluorine-18 is 0.379 hr–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) Calculate the half-life of fluorine-18.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) The energy of a beta particle in the decay of the sample in (c) is 8.4 × 10–15 J. Show
that the de Broglie wavelength of this particle is 5.3 × 10–12 m.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 11 marks)

9. This question is about nuclear fission.
(a) A possible fission reaction is
92 U  0 n 92
36 Kr  56 Ba  x 0 n .
235 1 141 1
(i) State the value of x.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Show that the energy released when one uranium nucleus undergoes fission in
the reaction in (a) is about 2.8 × 10–11 J.
Mass of neutron = 1.00867 u

Mass of U-235 nucleus = 234.99333 u
Mass of Kr-92 nucleus = 91.90645 u
Mass of Ba-141 nucleus = 140.88354 u
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) State how the energy of the neutrons produced in the reaction in (a) is likely to
compare with the energy of the neutron that initiated the reaction.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Outline the role of the moderator.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) (i) A nuclear power plant that uses U-235 as fuel has a useful power output of 16
MW and an efficiency of 40 %. Assuming that each fission of U-235 gives rise
to
2.8 × 10–11 J of energy, determine the mass of U-235 fuel used per day.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(ii) Describe how some reactors are used to produce plutonium-239.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) State the importance of plutonium-239.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(d) Some nuclear reactors have a heat exchanger that uses a gas that is kept at constant
volume. The first law of thermodynamics can be represented as Q = ∆U + W.
(i) State the meanings of Q and W.
Q: ......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
W: ......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Describe how the first law of thermodynamics applies in the operation of the
heat exchanger.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(iii) Discuss the entropy changes that take place in the gas and in the surroundings.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 25 marks)

10. This question is about decay of radium-226.
(a) A nucleus of the isotope radium-226 (Ra) undergoes α-decay with a half-life of
1.6 × 103 yr to form a nucleus of radon (Rn).
Define the terms isotope and half-life.
Isotope: ........................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Half-life: ......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Using the grid below, sketch a graph to show how the activity A of a sample of
radium-226 (Ra) would be expected to vary with time t over a period of about 5.0 ×
103 yr.
The activity of the sample at time t = 0 is A0.
(3)
(c) The nuclear reaction equation for the decay of radium-226 (Ra) may be written as
226
88 Ra  Rn  α
(i) State the value of the proton number and neutron number of the isotope of radon
(Rn).
Proton number: .................................................................................................
Neutron number: ...............................................................................................

(1)

(ii) Outline why the binding energy of Ra is less than that of Rn.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The following data are available.
mass of Ra = 226.0254 u
mass of Rn = 222.0175 u
mass of α = 4.0026 u
Show that the energy released in the decay of a Ra nucleus is 4.94 MeV.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)
11. This question is about atomic and nuclear spectra.
Atomic spectra
(a) The diagram represents some of the energy levels of the mercury atom.

Photons are emitted by electron transitions between the levels. On the diagram draw
arrows to represent the transition, for those energy levels that gives rise to,
(i) the longest wavelength photon (label this L).

(1)
(ii) the shortest wavelength photon (label this S).

(1)
(b) Determine the wavelength associated with the arrow you have labelled S.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
Nuclear spectra
(c) A nucleus of the isotope bismuth-212 undergoes α-decay into a nucleus of an isotope
of thallium. A γ-ray photon is also emitted.
Draw a labelled nuclear energy level diagram for this decay.
(2)
(d) The activity of a freshly prepared sample of bismuth-212 is 2.80 × 1013 Bq. After
80.0 minutes the activity is 1.13 × 1013 Bq. Determine the half-life of bismuth-212.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 11 marks)
12. This question is about the decay of radium-226.
(a) The nuclear reaction equation for the decay of radium-226 (Ra) may be written as
226
88 Ra = Rn + α
(i) State the value of the proton number and neutron number of the isotope of radon
(Rn).
Proton number: .................................................................................................
Neutron number: ...............................................................................................

(1)
(ii) Compare, with reference to the nuclear reaction in (a), the binding energy of Ra
with that of Rn.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The following data are available.
mass of Ra = 226.0254 u
mass of Rn = 222.0175 u
mass of α = 4.0026 u
Show that the energy released in the decay of a Ra nucleus is 4.94 MeV.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) An α-particle of energy 4.94 MeV emitted in the decay of a Ra nucleus, travels a
distance d in air before coming to rest.
(i) Show that the initial speed of the α-particle is 1.54 × 107 m s–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) State the relationship between the magnitude of the average force F acting on
the α-particle, the change in kinetic energy ∆EK and the distance d.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) Use your answer to (c)(ii) to calculate F given that d = 4.20 × 10–2 m.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iv) Estimate the time that it takes the α-particle to come to rest.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 15 marks)

13. This question is about nuclear fission and fusion.
(a) The graph shows the variation of binding energy per nucleon for nuclides with a
nucleon number greater than 40.
(i) Define binding energy.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) On the graph, label with the letter S the position of the most stable nuclide.
(1)
(iii) State why the nuclide you have labelled is the most stable.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) In a nuclear reactor, a nucleus of uranium(U)-235 fissions into barium(Ba)-141 and
krypton(Kr)-92. The equation for this fission is
92 U 56 Ba  36 Kr  x 0 n .
235 141 92 1
(i) Use the graph to show that the fission of one nucleus of uranium-235 will
release about 200 MeV of energy.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(ii) State the value of x in the equation.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iii) The mass defect in this reaction is 3.1 × 10–28 kg. Calculate the number of
uranium-235 nuclei that must fission in order to release 1.0 kJ of energy.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iv) Outline how this fission reaction can lead to a chain reaction.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Intensive scientific effort is devoted to developing nuclear fusion as a future energy
source. Discuss what could be the social and environmental benefits of using nuclear
fusion as compared with nuclear fission as an energy source.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 15 marks)
14. Radioactive decay
(a) Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5500 years. It is produced in the
atmosphere by neutron bombardment of nitrogen. The equation for this reaction is
14
7 N  01 n  146 C  X.
(i) Explain what is meant by isotopes.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Identify the particle X.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) 10 atoms of carbon-14.
On the axes below, draw a graph to show the variation with time of the number of
carbon-14 atoms in one gram of wood from a tree. Your graph should indicate the
4 years after the tree has died. (Half-life of
carbon-14 = 5500 years)

(3)
(c) The activity of a radioactive sample is proportional to the number of atoms in the
sample. The activity per gram of carbon from a living tree is 9.6 disintegrations per
minute. The activity per gram of carbon in burnt wood found at an ancient campsite is
1.9 disintegrations per minute.
(i) Estimate the number of atoms of carbon-14 in the burnt wood.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) From the graph you have drawn in (b), estimate the age of the burnt wood.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 7 marks)

15. This question is about mesons.
(a) State what is meant by an exchange particle.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) In 1935, the physicist Hideki Yukawa predicted that the strong interaction between
nucleons was mediated by particles called mesons. Given that the range of the strong
interaction is approximately 1.5 × 10–15 m, calculate a possible value for the rest
mass of a meson.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) A meson called the pion was detected in cosmic ray reactions in 1947 by Powell and
Occhialini. The pion comes in three possible charge states: π+, π– and π0 The
Feynman diagram below represents a possible reaction in which a pion participates.
State and explain whether the meson produced is a π+, π– or a π0.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) State the possible spin numbers of mesons and explain your answer.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(e) Explain why, according to the quark model, it is not possible for a particle to consist
of two up quarks only.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)
17. This question is about accelerating particles.
The diagram below shows the basic structure of a cyclotron.
Charged particles are emitted from a source at the centre. They move in a vacuum through
two D-shaped cavities or “dees”. There is a uniform magnetic field directed into the page,
within the region of the dees.
(a) Outline why the voltage applied across the dees must change polarity every half
revolution.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Show that the frequency, f, of the applied potential difference is given by the
expression
qB
f=
2 πm
where
q = charge of particle
m = mass of particle
B = magnetic field strength.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) State two disadvantages of using a cyclotron rather than a synchrotron to accelerate
particles.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) Explain why it is necessary to accelerate particles to high speeds in order to create new
particles of large mass.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(e) High energy particles are used to probe the nucleus. Explain why alpha particles
would give better resolution than protons moving at the same speed.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
Total 12 marks)
18. This question is about energy and conservation laws.
Two protons moving at the same speed in opposite directions, collide with each other
producing three protons and an anti-proton, as shown below.
p+p→p+p+ p +p
(a) Calculate the minimum possible kinetic energy of one of the colliding protons.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Explain why the following reaction is not possible, even if the colliding particles have
enough energy.
p+n→p+p+ p
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 4 marks)

19. This question is about cosmology and strings.
(a) The binding energy of a helium nucleus is about 28 MeV. Calculate the temperature of
the universe above which helium nuclei could not have existed.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) State two fundamental differences between the standard model and the theory of
strings.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)
20. This question is about quarks.
The quark content of a π+ meson includes an up quark.
The Feynman diagram represents the decay of a π+ meson.
(a) Identify the particles labelled A and B.
A: .................................................................................................................................
B: .................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) State, with reference to their properties, two differences between a photon and a W
boson.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................

2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The approximate range of the weak interaction is 10–18 m. Determine, in kg, the
likely mass of the W boson.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 6 marks)
21. This question is about strangeness.
(a) Outline two properties of strangeness.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The following particle interaction is proposed.
p + π– → K– + π+
In this interaction, charge is conserved.
State, in terms of baryon and strangeness conservation, whether the interaction is

possible.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

23. This question is about a synchrotron.
(a) State and explain how the particles in a synchrotron beam are accelerated.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(b) In a synchrotron, beams of protons and antiprotons attain energies of 1400 GeV.
The radius of the synchrotron is 4.9 km.
(i) The magnetic field strength in the synchrotron is 0.95 T. Determine, stating any
assumptions you make, the mass of a proton in the beam.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(ii) Outline why, even at the very high energies of this particle beam, the collisions
are unlikely to lead to the creation of a single unbound quark.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) Outline two benefits of international cooperation in the construction and use of high-
energy particle accelerators.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 13 marks)
24. This question is about strangeness.
(a) Outline two properties of strangeness.
1. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
2. ..................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The following particle interaction is proposed.
p + π– → K– + π+
In this interaction, charge is conserved.
State, in terms of baryon and strangeness conservation, whether the interaction is

possible.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

25. This question is about deep inelastic scattering.
(a) Outline what is meant by deep inelastic scattering.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Suggest, with reference to asymptotic freedom, why deep inelastic scattering
experiments indicate that quarks behave as free particles within a nucleon.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 3 marks)
6. This question is about conditions in the early universe.
At one moment in the early universe the average particle energy was 500 keV.
Nucleosynthesis is thought to have been the dominant mechanism for particle interaction at
this time.
(a) Show that the temperature of the universe at which nucleosynthesis occurred is
4 × 109 K.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Nucleosynthesis was only dominant for a short time in the early universe. Explain why
the time was short and why nucleosynthesis did not re-occur.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

27. This question is about fundamental interactions.
(a) State an exchange particle for
(i) the weak interaction.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) the electromagnetic interaction.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Comment, with reference to the mass of the exchange particles, on the range of the
weak and electromagnetic interactions.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Describe the process represented by the Feynman diagram below.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) State what is meant by a virtual particle.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................(1)
(e) Explain how the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for energy and time applies to the
interaction in (c).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(f) The uncertainty in the time for the electromagnetic interaction between two electrons
is 1.6 × 10–16 s. Determine the uncertainty in the energy of the virtual photon.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)
29. This question is about particle detection.
(a) Outline how particles produce visible tracks in a bubble chamber.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) State two reasons why wire chambers are now used rather than bubble chambers.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Below is a sketch of the tracks in a bubble chamber of an electron and a positron,
produced by the annihilation of a photon.

There is a magnetic field directed normal to the plane of the paper.
Explain why the tracks of the particles are spirals.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 8 marks)
30. This question is about mesons and baryons.
(a) State the quark content of mesons and baryons.
Mesons: .......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Baryons: ......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Explain why both mesons and baryons can be described as colourless.
Mesons: .......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Baryons: ......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) A negative pion, π–, collides with a stationary proton, producing a neutron and an
unknown particle, X.
π– + p → n + X
(i) State the charge on particle X.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Deduce whether particle X is a meson or a baryon.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
31. This question is about pair production.
(a) Estimate the temperature below which spontaneous pair production of electrons and
positrons cannot occur.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) It is suggested that, in the early universe, there was slightly more matter than anti-
matter.
Using your answer to (a), state why there is currently only stable matter in the
universe.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

The table below gives the electric charge of the three lightest quarks in terms of e, the charge
of the proton.
up down strange
Quark flavour
u d s
2 1 1
Electric charge / e  
3 3 3
(a) Using the data in the table, determine the
(i) quark content of a meson with charge +1 and strangeness 0 and that of a baryon
with charge –1 and strangeness –3.
Meson: ..............................................................................................................
Baryon: .............................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) possible spin values of the meson in (a)(i).
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) State the Pauli exclusion principle.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
3
(c) Explain how the baryon with quark content uuu and spin does not violate the Pauli
2
exclusion principle.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) In the Feynman diagram shown a blue down quark emits a gluon and produces a red
quark.

Deduce the
(i) quark flavour (type) of the produced quark.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) colour quantum numbers of the emitted gluon.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(e) The positive kaon K+ (quark content u s ) decays into an anti-muon and a neutrino
according to the reaction below.
K+ → µ+ + ν
Explain how it may be deduced that this decay is a weak interaction process.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(f) The diagram shows three of the interaction vertices for the weak interaction.
Using the appropriate vertex, draw a Feynman diagram for the decay K+ → µ+ + ν
labelling all particles involved.
(3)
(Total 11 marks)

34. This question is about the bubble chamber.
The diagram is a copy of a bubble chamber photograph of the decay of a neutral pion (π0)
into two photons, π0 → 2γ. Each of the photons produced materializes into an electron–
positron pair. The paths shown belong to the two electron–positron pairs.
(a) State why the tracks of the photons do not show up in the photograph.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) On the diagram above,
(i) draw lines to indicate the path of each of the photons.

(1)
(ii) label with the letter P the point where the pion decayed.
(1)
(c) Outline whether the pion was moving or whether it was at rest when it decayed.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The path of one of the electrons produced is a spiral. Suggest a reason for the shape of
this path.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)(Total 6 marks)
35. This question is about Feynman diagrams and neutral currents.
(a) The diagram shows the interaction vertex of the electromagnetic interaction.
Hadrons may be produced via the electromagnetic interaction in electron–positron

collisions through the reaction
e– + e+ → q + q
where q stands for a quark and q for an antiquark.
(i) Draw a Feynman diagram for the process e– + e+ → u + u where u stands for
the up quark.
(1)
(ii) Outline why the reaction in (a)(i) eventually leads to the production of hadrons
rather than individual quarks.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The diagram shows two vertices for the weak interaction.
The solid lines represent quarks or leptons.

(i) State what is meant by a neutral current.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Draw a Feynman diagram for the process e– + e+ → u + u , where u stands for
an up quark, that is mediated by a neutral current.
(1)
(c) By reference to the weak interaction vertices in (b) suggest how the Z0 may be
detected.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The W– decays according to W– → e– +  . State and explain, whether the

antineutrino in this decay is an electron, muon or tau antineutrino.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)
37. This question is about leptons and mesons.
(a) Leptons are a class of elementary particles and each lepton has its own antiparticle.
State what is meant by an
(i) elementary particle.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) antiparticle of a lepton.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The electron is a lepton and its antiparticle is the positron. The following reaction can
take place between an electron and positron.
e– + e+ → γ + γ
Sketch the Feynman diagram for this reaction and identify on your diagram any virtual
particles.
(3)
(c) Unlike leptons, the π+ meson is not an elementary particle. State the
(i) quark structure of the π+ meson.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) reason why the following reaction does not occur.
ρ+ + ρ+ → ρ+ + π+
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) State the Pauli exclusion principle.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(e) Explain, with reference to your answer to (d), why quarks are assigned the property of
colour.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(f) The pion was suggested to be the mediating particle of the strong interaction between
nucleons. Given that the range of the strong nuclear interaction between nucleons is
about 10–15 m, show that the rest mass of the pion is about 100 MeV c–2.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 13 marks)

38. This question is about particle accelerators.
(a) The diagram (not to scale) represents a view from above of the essential features of a
cyclotron.
The positive particles emitted by the source, travel in an anticlockwise direction

around the Ds.
(i) State the direction of the magnetic field that is used in this cyclotron.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) On the diagram, draw the path of a positive particle between the source and the
detector.
(1)
(iii) Explain why an alternating potential of a particular frequency is applied to the

Ds as shown.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) Outline why much higher energies can be achieved in a synchrotron than in a
cyclotron.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................(3)
(c) In a particular experiment, protons in a synchrotron are accelerated to an energy of 2.0
GeV. Calculate the kinetic energy of the protons in GeV.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) In the Large Hadron Collider, protons can be accelerated to energies of 7 TeV. Deduce
whether this value of energy is sufficient to mimic the temperature of the universe,
1032 K, shortly after the Big Bang.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 12 marks)
39. This question is about the standard model.
(a) State what is meant by the standard model.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Use the conservation of lepton number and charge to deduce the nature of the particle
x in the following reaction.
νe + μ– → e– + x
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) State what is meant by deep inelastic scattering.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)

(d) Outline how deep inelastic scattering experiments provide evidence for asymptotic
freedom.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)
The diagram below shows an interaction vertex of the weak interaction.
(a) (i) Draw a Feynman diagram, for the process e– + e+ → µ– + µ+ using the
information given in the diagram above.
(1)
(ii) Identify the virtual particle in the Feynman diagram that you drew in (a)(i).
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) The closest distance between the electron-positron pair and the muon-antimuon pair in
the reaction e– + e+ → µ– + µ+ is approximately 9 × 10–19 m.
Use this information to estimate the mass of the virtual particle in (a)(ii).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 5 marks)
The diagram below shows two fundamental interaction vertices, one for the electromagnetic
and the other for the weak interactions.
(a) Explain why in both vertices the incoming and the outgoing charged fermions above
must have the same electric charge.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The process e– + e+ → µ– + µ+ occurs mostly via the electromagnetic interaction and
less frequently via the weak interaction.
Draw a Feynman diagram for the process e– + e+ → µ– + µ+ according to
(i) the electromagnetic interaction.

(1)

(ii) the weak interaction.
(1)
(iii) Identify the virtual particles in each of the Feynman diagrams that you drew in
(i) and (ii).
Virtual particle in (i): ........................................................................................
Virtual particle in (ii): .......................................................................................

(1)
(c) State one reason why the process e– + e+ → µ– + µ+ is more likely to involve the
electromagnetic interaction rather than the weak interaction.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d) Electrons are accelerated to a total energy E and then collide with stationary positrons.
Determine the minimum total energy E of the electron for the reaction e– + e+ → µ– +
µ+ to take place.
Electron rest mass = 0.511 MeV c–2.

Muon rest mass = 105 MeV c–2.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

43. This question is about particle dectors.
(a) (i) Describe the operating principle of the bubble chamber.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Outline how two particle properties or characteristics are measured using a
bubble chamber.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The proportional wire spark chamber has now replaced the bubble chamber.
Outline two advantages of this detector compared to the bubble chamber.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

1
The diagram below shows the eight spin baryons made out of the three lightest quarks, the
2
up (u), the down (d) and the strange (s). In this plot baryons belonging to the same horizontal
line have the same strangeness (S) and those along the same slanted line have the same
charge (Q).
(a) (i) On the diagram above draw a circle around the point representing the neutron.
(1)
(ii) State the quark content of the neutron.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The Ξ– baryon is unstable and decays according to the reaction Ξ– → Λ0 + π–.
The quark content of the particles involved is Ξ– = ssd, Λ0 = uds and π– = d u .
State and explain whether the interaction involved in this decay is electromagnetic,
strong or weak.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 5 marks)

45. This question is about cosmology and strings.
(a) It is assumed that in the first 10–2 s after the Big Bang quarks behaved as free
particles that could not bind into nucleons.
Suggest a reason for this.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) At a time of 10–2 s after the Big Bang the average thermal energy per particle in the
universe was approximately 50 MeV.
Estimate the temperature of the universe 10–2 s after the Big Bang.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) In the very early universe it is thought that the total number of particles was only very
slightly larger than the number of antiparticles.
Explain why the matter in the present universe is made predominantly by particles and
not antiparticles.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) Outline why physicists were led to consider string theories.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(e) Many string theories suggest that space is 10 dimensional rather than the usual 3+1
dimensions (3 for space and 1 for time).
Assuming that string theory is correct, explain why we are not aware of the extra
dimensions.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

47. This question is about fundamental interactions and elementary particles.
(a) In the table identify the exchange particle(s) associated with the two fundamental
interactions given.
Interaction Exchange particle(s)

Electro-weak
Strong
(2)
(b) State why the exchange particles are known as elementary particles.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) An exchange particle associated with the weak interaction has a mass of about 90
GeVc–2.
Estimate
(i) the life-time of the particle.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) its range.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The diagram is a Feynman diagram that represents the strong interaction between
quarks.

(i) Identify the exchange particle X.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Explain why the quarks have a colour associated with them.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 11 marks)
Particle accelerators may be used to accelerate protons. If the energy of the accelerated
protons is high enough then, when these protons collide with stationary protons, different
types of particles of large mass may be produced.
(a) Explain why high energies are required to produce particles of large mass.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) The diagram shows the basic structure of a cyclotron in which protons are accelerated.
Add labels to the diagram above to show the
(i) magnets and their polarity.

(1)
(ii) points where the alternating electric potential difference is applied.

(1)
(c) Outline why the frequency of the alternating electric potential difference is made equal
to the frequency of orbit of the protons.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) Explain the effect of the increasing energy of the protons on their frequency of orbit
and state how this effect is dealt with in the cyclotron.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(e) Protons of much higher energy than those produced in a cyclotron can be produced in
a synchrotron. In a particular experiment protons leave a synchrotron with energy 28
GeV. They enter a bubble chamber where some of them collide with stationary
protons. Deduce that the energy available to produce other particles from these

collisions is about 7 GeV.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(f) Suggest, based on the answer to (e) and conservation of momentum, why it is better to
arrange for two protons of total energy 28 GeV, moving in opposite directions, to
collide.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 12 marks)
49. This question is about electrons and positrons.
The Feynman diagram represents the electromagnetic interaction between two electrons.

Another possible interaction between the electrons involves a neutral current.
(a) Describe
(i) with reference to the interaction between the electrons, what is meant by a
neutral current.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) with reference to your answer in (a)(i), how experimental evidence supports the
standard model.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Draw a Feynman diagram to show the production of an electron positron pair.
(1)
(c) According to the Big Bang theory, the production of electron positron pairs became
possible when the universe had cooled to a temperature T. Determine, to the nearest
power of ten, the value of T.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

50. This question is about fermions and bosons.
(a) Distinguish, with reference to the Pauli exclusion principle, the difference between
fermions and bosons.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Identify the boson that mediates the
(i) electromagnetic interaction between electrons.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) strong interaction between nucleons.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) The strong interaction between nucleons has a range of the order of 10–15 m. Show
that the mass of the boson in (b)(ii) is about 100 MeV c–2.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) The Feynman diagram shows the decay of a meson into an anti-muon and a neutrino.
(i) State the charge on the meson and on the anti-muon and explain your answers.
Meson: ..............................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
Anti-muon: ........................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Identify the particle labelled X.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 10 marks)
(a) Different types of particles may be produced by the collision of accelerated protons
with stationary protons. Explain why the accelerated protons must have high energy.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The diagram shows some of the features of a linear particle accelerator used to
accelerate protons.
The vacuum chamber contains a succession of cylindrical anodes of which only four
are shown, anodes 1, 2, 3 and 4.
(i) State why the protons are not accelerated whilst travelling inside the anodes.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................(1)
(ii) Describe the mechanism by which the protons are accelerated by the anodes.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(c) The minimum energy required to produce a K– meson in the collision between a high
energy proton and a stationary proton is 1890 MeV. Determine the minimum kinetic
energy EK that the high energy proton must have in order to produce a K– meson.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) In particle accelerators such as synchrotrons, it can be arranged to have collisions

between protons and antiprotons travelling in opposite directions. State one advantage
and one disadvantage of this arrangement in terms of particle production as compared
with that described in (c).
Advantage: ..................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Disadvantage: ..............................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 12 marks)

The strangeness of the Ω– hadron is –3 and its spin is 

3
(a) .
2
(i) Explain how it is known that the quark structure of the Ω– hadron is sss.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Explain, with reference to the quark structure of the Ω– hadron, why the
concept of the colour of quarks was introduced.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) State why the Ω– hadron has no colour.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) As well as providing evidence for the existence of quarks, deep inelastic scattering
experiments also provide evidence for the existence of gluons.
(i) State what is meant by deep inelastic scattering.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Outline how the experiments provide evidence for the existence of gluons.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 8 marks)

(a) – decay via the weak interaction process.
The exchange particle in this weak interaction is a virtual particle.
(i) State what is meant by a virtual particle.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Determine whether the virtual particle in the process represented by the
Feynman diagram is a W+, a W– or a Z0 boson.
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The order of magnitude of the mass of the W and Z0 bosons is 100 GeV c–2.
Estimate the range of the weak interaction.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)
55. This question is about a proton.
The proton is made out of three quarks.
(a) Explain why the three quarks in the proton do not violate the Pauli exclusion principle.
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
1 1
(b) Quarks have spin . Explain how it is possible for the proton to also have spin .
2 2
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 4 marks)
57. This question is about a proton.
The proton particle is made out of three quarks.
(a) Explain why the three quarks in the proton do not violate the Pauli exclusion principle.
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
1 1
(b) Quarks have spin . Explain how it is possible for the proton to also have spin .
2 2
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)
58. This question is about the synchrotron and particle production.
(a) In a synchrotron ring, a beam of protons and another beam of antiprotons move in
opposite directions through regions of electric and magnetic fields as they circle the
ring.
Describe the purpose of the
(i) electric fields.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) magnetic fields.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Explain why the magnitudes of the magnetic fields in a synchrotron must be increased
as the energy of the accelerated particles increases.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) The neutral lambda baryon  and its antiparticle may be produced in proton-
antiproton collisions according to the following reaction.
p  p   
The minimum energy required to produce the  and the  is 2240 MeV. The rest
mass of the proton is 938 MeV c–2.
Calculate the minimum kinetic energy, EK, of the antiproton, in order to produce the
 and  particles when
(i) the proton and the antiproton are each accelerated to a kinetic energy EK;
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) the antiproton is accelerated to a kinetic energy EK and collides with a

stationary proton.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) By reference to your answers to (c), state an advantage of collisions between protons
and antiprotons in a synchrotron compared with collisions between stationary protons
and moving antiprotons.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 10 marks)
59. (a) Outline
(i) what is meant by a deep inelastic scattering experiment.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) how deep inelastic scattering experiments give evidence in support of the
existence of quarks and gluons.
quarks: .......................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................
gluons: .......................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................
(4)
(b) Deep inelastic scattering experiments indicate that the quarks inside hadrons behave as
free particles. Suggest a reason for this.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) State two fundamental differences between the standard model for quarks and leptons
and the theory of strings.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

TOPIC 12: QUANTUM AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS (HL)
1. The diagram below shows a circuit involving a photoelectric cell. When UV light is shone
onto the metal cathode, electrons are emitted establishing a photocurrent.
Which of the following changes could cause the photocurrent to stop?
A. Increasing the potential difference of the power supply.
B. Increasing the frequency of the UV light.
C. Increasing the intensity of the UV light.
D. Changing the metal surface to one with a smaller work function.
2. Electrons are accelerated from rest through a potential difference V. Their de Broglie
wavelength is λ. The accelerating potential difference is increased to 2 V. Which of the
following gives the new de Broglie wavelength?
 
A. 2λ B. 2 C. D.
2 2

3. Which of the following energy level diagrams best represents the kinetic energy EK of the
“electron in a box” model, where an electron is confined to move in one dimension? The
variable n is an integer (1, 2, 3, 4 etc.).
A.
B.
C.
D.

4. A proton is confined within a nucleus. What is the order of magnitude of the uncertainty in
its momentum?
A. 10–30 Ns B. 10–20 Ns C. 10–10 Ns D. 1 Ns
5. Two samples of radioactive substances X and Y have the same initial activity. The half-life
of X is T and the half-life of Y is 3T. After a time of 3T the ratio
activityof substance X
is
activityof substance Y
1 1
A. 8. B. 4. C. . D. .
4 8
7. Monochromatic light is incident on a metal surface and electrons are released. The intensity
of the incident light is increased. What changes, if any, occur in the rate of emission of
electrons and the kinetic energy of the emitted electrons?
Rate of emission of electrons Kinetic energy of the emitted

electrons
A. increase increase
B. decrease no change
C. decrease increase
D. increase no change
8. An electron is confined to move in one dimension in a box of length L. Which of the

following gives the momentum of the electron in its lowest energy state?
h h h 2h
A. B. C. D.
4L 2L L L
9. The diagram below shows some of the energy levels available to an electron in a caesium
atom.
Photons of energy 0.9 eV pass through a sample of low pressure caesium vapour. Which of
the following gives the energy transition of the electron when a photon is absorbed?

A. From –3.9 eV to 0
B. From –2.5 eV to –1.6 eV
C. From –1.6 eV to –2.5 eV
D. From 0 to –3.9 eV
10. The magnitude of the uncertainty in the position of a particle is equal to the de Broglie
wavelength of the particle. Which of the following is the minimum uncertainty in the
momentum p of the particle?
p 4π h p
A. B. C. D.
4π p p h
11. Which of the following provides evidence for the quantization of nuclear energy levels?
I. Alpha particles have discrete values of kinetic energies
II. Gamma-ray photons have discrete energies
III. Atomic line emission spectra
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. I, II and III
12. A radioactive substance S has a decay constant λS, substance T has a decay constant λT.
Initially, a sample of S contains NS nuclei and a sample of T contains NT nuclei. The initial
activity of both samples is the same.
NS
The ratio is
NT
S T
A. 1 B. C. D. λSλT
T S

13. Light of frequency f is incident on a metal surface. The work function of the metal is φ.
Which of the following is the maximum kinetic energy of the electrons emitted from the
surface?
h h
A. hf –  B. ( f ) C.  – hf D. (  f )
e e
14. An electron is accelerated from rest through a potential difference V.
Which of the following is the de Broglie wavelength of the electron after acceleration?
h
A.
2m eVe
2m e h
B.
V2
h
C.
2m e V 2 e 2
V2
D.
2m e h
15. Which of the following is an assumption of the Schrödinger model of the hydrogen atom?
A. The orbital path of the electron fits a standing wave.
B. The position of the electron is undefined but its momentum is well defined.
C. The momentum of the electron is undefined but its position is well defined.
D. The electron is described by wavefunctions.
16. A Bainbridge mass spectrometer may be used to measure the mass of
A. an atom.
B. an ion.
C. an isotope.
D. a molecule.

17. Photoelectron emission only occurs if the light incident on a metal surface is
A. coherent.
B. above a certain minimum intensity.
C. below a certain minimum frequency.
D. below a certain minimum wavelength.
18. Electrons are accelerating from rest through a potential difference of V. The de Broglie
wavelength λ of the electrons is proportional to which of the following?
1 1
A. V B. C. V D.
V V
19. The diagram shows some of the energy levels of a hypothetical atom.
The atom is excited to the energy level n = 4. Which of the following transitions will produce
a photon of the longest and the shortest wavelength?
Longest wavelength Shortest wavelength

A. 4→3 4→1
B. 4→1 4→3
C. 2→1 4→3
D. 4→3 2→1

20. In the Schrödinger model of the hydrogen atom, it is assumed that electrons
A. are massless particles.
B. are waves.
C. oscillate.
D. can be described by wave functions.
21. The energy of α-particles in α-decay and the energy of γ-rays in γ-decay are discrete. This
provides evidence for the existence of
A. nuclear energy levels.
B. neutrinos.
C. atomic energy levels.
D. isotopes.
22. The graph below shows the number of nuclei N of a radioactive isotope as a function of time
t.
The slope of the curve at any given time is
A. independent of the decay constant.
B. proportional to the half-life of the isotope.
C. proportional to the number of radioactive nuclei remaining at that time.
D. proportional to the number of radioactive nuclei decayed.

23. The Geiger–Marsden experiment provides evidence for
A. the existence of discrete atomic energy levels.
B. the existence of the neutron.
C. a dense positively charged nucleus.
D. the stability of some nuclei.
24. A radioactive isotope has a half-life of two minutes. A sample contains sixteen grams of the
isotope. How much time elapses until one gram of the isotope remains?
A. 6 minutes
B. 8 minutes
C. 10 minutes
D. 12 minutes
25. In the photoelectric effect, the following observations may be made.
I. The kinetic energy of the emitted electrons increases with increasing light
frequency.
II. The electrons are emitted without time delay.
Which of these observations, if any, can be explained in terms of the wave theory of light?
A. Neither I nor II
B. I and II
C. I only
D. II only
26. A proton and an alpha particle have the same de Broglie wavelength.
speed of alpha particle

Which of the following is approximately the ratio ?
speed of proton
1 1
A. B. C. 2 D. 4
4 2

27. The energies of alpha particles and of gamma-rays emitted in radioactive decay are discrete.
This observation is evidence for
A. atomic energy levels.
B. nuclear energy levels.
C. nuclei having more neutrons than protons.
D. the existence of isotopes.
28. The diagrams show the variation with distance x of the wave function ψ of four different
electrons. The scale on the horizontal axis in all four diagrams is the same. For which
electron is the uncertainty in the momentum the largest?
29. A sample contains an amount of radioactive material with a half-life of 3.5 days. After 2
weeks the fraction of the radioactive material remaining is
A. 94 %. B. 25 %. C. 6 %. D. 0 %.

30. Ultra-violet light is shone on a zinc surface and photoelectrons are emitted. The sketch graph
shows how the stopping potential Vs varies with frequency f.
Planck’s constant may be determined from the charge of an electron e multiplied by
A. the x-intercept.
B. the y-intercept.
C. the gradient.
D. the area under the graph.
31. A beam of electrons is accelerated from rest through a potential difference V. The de Broglie
wavelength of the electrons is λ. For electrons accelerated through a potential difference of
2V the de Broglie wavelength is
 
A. 2λ B. 2 C. D.
2 2
32. The diagram shows four possible electron energy levels in the hydrogen atom.
The number of different frequencies in the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen that arise
from electron transitions between these levels is
A. 0. B. 2. C. 4. D. 6.

34. In the Schrödinger model of the hydrogen atom, the probability of finding an electron in a
small region of space is calculated from the
A. de Broglie hypothesis.
B. Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
C. (amplitude of the wavefunction)2.
D. rms value of the wavefunction.
35. The Geiger-Marsden experiment (scattering of alpha particles) provided evidence for
A. the nature of alpha particles.
B. orbital electrons in the atom.
C. very small and relatively massive nucleus.
D. the existence of atomic energy levels.
36. The de Broglie hypothesis applies to
A. nucleons only.
B. electrons only.
C. photons only.
D. all particles.
37. In the Schrödinger model of the hydrogen atom a wavefunction of amplitude A is assigned to
the electron. The probability of locating the electron at a region of space within the atom is
proportional to
A. A–1. B. A. C. A. D. A 2.

38. The diagram is a schematic representation of the Bainbridge mass spectrometer. Positive
ions are injected between the plates of the speed selector.
Which of the following correctly shows the direction of the magnetic fields B1 and B2?
B1 B2
A. out of the page out of the page
B. into the page into the page
C. out of the page into the page
D. into the page out of the page
39. In the Geiger–Marsden experiment α-particles are scattered by gold nuclei. The experimental
results provide evidence that
A. α-particles have discrete amounts of kinetic energy.
B. most of the mass and positive charge of an atom is concentrated in a small volume.
C. the nucleus contains protons and neutrons.
D. gold atoms have a high binding energy per nucleon.
40. A radio-isotope has an activity of 400 Bq and a half-life of 8 days. After 32 days the activity
of the sample is
A. 200 Bq. B. 100 Bq. C. 50 Bq. D. 25 Bq.

41. A radioactive isotope has an initial activity A0 and a half-life of 1 day. The graph shows how
the activity A varies with time.
A0
The ratio is equal to which of the following?
A2
A1 A0 A0 A3
A. B. C. D.
A3 A3 2 3
42. The square of the amplitude of the electron wave function in a hydrogen atom is a measure
of the
A. uncertainty in position of the electron.
B. momentum of the electron.
C. probability of finding an electron at a particular point.
D. uncertainty in the velocity.
43. A particle is accelerated from rest through a potential difference V. Which of the following
graphs best shows how the de Broglie wavelength λ associated with the particle varies with
V?

44. Which of the following is a correct statement associated with the photoelectric effect?
A. Electron emission is instantaneous.
B. Electrons are only emitted if the incident light is above a certain minimum
wavelength.
C. The energy of the emitted electrons depends on the light intensity.
D. The energy of the emitted electrons does not depend on the frequency of the incident
light.
45. Which of the following provides evidence for de Broglie’s hypothesis concerning matter
waves?
A. Electron diffraction
B. Atomic energy levels
C. Nuclear energy levels
D. The photoelectric effect
46.
from the surface of the metal.
EK
of the emitted electrons?

47. A radioactive isotope has a half-life of five minutes. A particular nucleus of this isotope has
not decayed within a time interval of five minutes. A correct statement about the next five
minute interval is that this nucleus
A.
B. will certainly decay.
C.
D.
48. d.
The beam is travelling along the x direction. The height d
After passing through the aperture, the component of momentum in the x direction is px and
the component in the z direction is pz. Which of the following shows the uncertainty in px
and the uncertainty in pz?
px pz
A. 0 0
h
B. 0
4d
h
C. 0
4d
h h
D.
4d 4d

49. A free electron is confined within a one dimensional region of fixed length. Which of the
diagrams below shows the four lowest energy levels of the electron?
Long Questions
1. This question is about the Rutherford model of the atom.
(a) Most alpha particles used to bombard a thin gold foil pass through the foil without a
significant change in direction. A few alpha particles are deviated from their original
direction through angles greater than 90°. Use these observations to describe the
Rutherford atomic model.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(5)

(b) The isotope gold-197 ( 197 199
79 Au ) is stable but the isotope gold-199 ( 79 Au ) is not.
(i) Outline, in terms of the forces acting between nucleons, why, for large stable
nuclei such as gold-197, the number of neutrons exceeds the number of protons.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) A nucleus of 199

79 Au decays to a nucleus of
199
80 Hg . State the two particles, other
than γ-photon, emitted in this decay.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)
2. This question is about quantum aspects of the electron.
The wavefunction ψ for an electron confined to move within a “box” of linear size
L = 1.0 × 10–10 m, is a standing wave as shown.

(a) State what is meant by a wavefunction.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) State the position near which this electron is most likely to be found.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(c) Calculate the momentum of the electron.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) The energy, in joules, of the electron in a hydrogen atom, is given by E =

2.18 10 18
 where n is a positive integer. Calculate the wavelength of the photon
n2
emitted in a transition from the first excited state of hydrogen to the ground state.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(e) The electron stays in the first excited state of hydrogen for a time of approximately
∆t = 1.0 × 10–10 s.
(i) Determine the uncertainty in the energy of the electron in the first excited state.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Suggest, with reference to your answer to (e)(i), why the photons emitted in
transitions from the first excited state of hydrogen to the ground state will, in
fact, have a small range of wavelengths.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(f) Diagram 1 shows the three lowest energy levels for an electron in the hydrogen atom.
Using the energy axis on diagram 2, draw the three lowest energy levels for the
electron in a box model. You do not have to put any numbers on the vertical axis.
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

3. This question is about photoelectric effect and de Broglie wavelength.
The diagram is a representation of apparatus used to study the photoelectric effect.
Light from the monochromatic source is incident on a cathode placed in an evacuated tube.
A variable voltage supply is connected between anode and cathode and the photoelectric
current is registered by the microammeter. The sketch graph shows how the photoelectric
current I varies with the potential difference V between anode and cathode for two sources of
light, A and B, of different frequencies and intensities.
(a) Explain with reference to the Einstein model, which graph, A or B, corresponds to the
light with the greater frequency.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)

(b) The frequency of the light that produces graph A is 8.8 × 1014 Hz. The magnitude of
VA is 1.6 V.
(i) State the value of the maximum energy, in eV, of the electrons emitted from the
cathode.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Determine the work function, in eV, of the surface of the cathode.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) The frequency of the incident light is increased but the intensity remains constant.
Explain why this increase in frequency results in a change to the maximum
photoelectric current (saturation current).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(d) The electrons emitted from the photo-cathode have an associated de Broglie
wavelength.
Describe what is meant by the de Broglie wavelength.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 12 marks)

4. This question is about the de Broglie hypothesis.
(a) Describe the de Broglie hypothesis.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) A beam of electrons is accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 85 V.
Show that the de Broglie wavelength associated with the electrons in the beam is
0.13 nm.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) Electrons with the same kinetic energy as those in (b) are incident on a circular
aperture of diameter 1.1 nm.
The electrons are detected beyond the aperture.
The graph shows the variation with angle θ of the number n of electrons detected per
second after diffraction by the aperture.

Use your answer to (b) above to explain how data from the graph support the de
Broglie hypothesis.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(4)
(Total 9 marks)
6. This question is about α-particle scattering and nuclear processes.
Radium-226 decays with the emission of α-particles to radon (Rn).
(a) Complete the nuclear reaction equation.
226
88 Ra → Rn +
(2)
(b) The decay constant of radium-226 is 1.4 × 10–11 s–1 and each emitted α-particle has
an energy of 7.6 × 10–13 J.
(i) Calculate the half-life of radium-226.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) Determine the rate, in watts, of emission of energy from 1.0 g of radium-226.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(c) Experimental evidence that supports a nuclear model of the atom was provided by α-
particle scattering. The diagram represents the path of an α-particle as it approaches
and then recedes from a stationary gold nucleus.
(i) On the diagram, draw lines to show the angle of deviation of the α-particle.
Label this angle D.
(1)
(ii) The gold nucleus is replaced by another gold nucleus that has a larger nucleon
number. Suggest and explain the change, if any, in the angle D of an α-particle
with the same energy and following the same initial path as in (c)(i).
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(d) Estimate the distance of closest approach to a gold nucleus (Z = 79) of an α-particle
with an initial kinetic energy of 4.0 MeV.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 13 marks)

7. This question is about electrons.
(a) In 1924, Davisson and Germer carried out an experiment in which electrons were
accelerated through a potential difference of 54 V. The electrons were scattered at the
surface of a nickel crystal.
(i) Outline how the results of the experiment suggested that electrons exhibit wave
properties.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Calculate the de Broglie wavelength of the electrons.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) Explain how the de Broglie hypothesis is used with the “electron in a box” model to
understand the origin of atomic energy levels in the atom.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(5)
(Total 10 marks)

8. Photoelectric effect
A metal is placed in a vacuum and light of frequency f is incident on its surface. As a result,
electrons are emitted from the surface. The graph below shows the variation with frequency f
of the maximum kinetic energy EK of the emitted electrons.
(a) The graph above shows that there is a threshold frequency of the incident light below
which no electrons are emitted from the surface. With reference to the Planck constant
and the photoelectric work function, explain how Einstein’s photoelectric theory
accounts for this threshold frequency.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(4)
(b) Use the graph in (a) to calculate the
(i) threshold frequency.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Planck constant.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................(4)

(iii) work function of the metal.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 11 marks)
(a) State an exchange particle for
(i) the weak interaction.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) the electromagnetic interaction.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Comment, with reference to the mass of the exchange particles, on the range of the
weak and electromagnetic interactions.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c) Describe the process represented by the Feynman diagram below.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)

(d) State what is meant by a virtual particle.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(e) Explain how the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for energy and time applies to the
interaction in (c).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(f) The uncertainty in the time for the electromagnetic interaction between two electrons
is 1.6 × 10–16 s. Determine the uncertainty in the energy of the virtual photon.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

Iodine-124 (I-124) is an unstable radioisotope with proton number 53. It undergoes beta plus
decay to form an isotope of tellurium (Te).
(a) State the reaction for the decay of the I-124 nuclide.
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) The graph below shows how the activity of a sample of iodine-124 changes with time.
(i) State the half-life of iodine-124
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Calculate the activity of the sample at 21 days.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(iii) A sample of an unknown radioisotope has a half-life twice that of iodine-124
and the same initial activity as the sample of iodine-124. On the axes opposite,
draw a graph to show how the activity of the sample would change with time.
Label this graph X.
(1)
(iv) A second sample of iodine-124 has half the initial activity as the original sample
of iodine-124. On the axes opposite, draw a graph to show how the activity of
this sample would change with time. Label this graph Y.
(1)
(Total 8 marks)
Nitrogen-13 ( 137 N ) is an isotope that is used in medical diagnosis. The decay constant of
nitrogen-13 is 1.2 × 10–3 s–1.
(a) (i) Define decay constant.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) A sample of nitrogen-13 has an initial activity of 800 Bq. The sample cannot be
used for diagnostic purposes if its activity becomes less than 150 Bq. Determine
the time it takes for the activity of the sample to fall to 150 Bq.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) (i) Calculate the half-life of nitrogen-13
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) Outline how the half-life of a sample of nitrogen-13 can be measured in a
laboratory.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(c) Nitrogen-13 undergoes β+ decay. Outline the experimental evidence that suggests
another particle, the neutrino, is also emitted in the decay.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 9 marks)
(a) The decay constant for a particular isotope is λ = 0.048 s–1. A sample of the isotope
initially contains 2.0 × 1012 nuclei of this isotope.
(i) Define decay constant.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) Estimate the number of nuclei that will decay in the first second.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) The graph shows the variation with time t of the activity A of a sample containing
radioactive material that consists of two different isotopes. Each isotope decays into a
stable daughter isotope.
(i) Use the graph to explain how it may be deduced that the sample contains more
than one isotope.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) One of the isotopes in the sample has a half-life that is shorter than 0.20 s. Use
the graph to estimate the half-life of the other isotope. Explain your working.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)(Total 6 marks)

13. This question is about nuclear physics and radioactive decay.
(a) Define the decay constant of a radioactive nuclide.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) (i) Plutonium-239 (Pu-239) has a half-life of 2.4 × 104 years. Show that the decay
constant of Pu-239 is approximately 3 × 10–5 year–1.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Calculate the time taken for the activity of a freshly-prepared sample of Pu-239
to fall to 0.1 % of its initial value.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)
14. Radioactive decay
(a) Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5500 years. It is produced in the
atmosphere by neutron bombardment of nitrogen. The equation for this reaction is
14
7 N  01 n  146 C  X.
(i) Explain what is meant by isotopes.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) Identify the particle X.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) 10 atoms of carbon-14.
On the axes below, draw a graph to show the variation with time of the number of
carbon-14 atoms in one gram of wood from a tree. Your graph should indicate the
4 years after the tree has died. (Half-life of
carbon-14 = 5500 years)
(3)
(c) The activity of a radioactive sample is proportional to the number of atoms in the
sample. The activity per gram of carbon from a living tree is 9.6 disintegrations per
minute. The activity per gram of carbon in burnt wood found at an ancient campsite is
1.9 disintegrations per minute.
(i) Estimate the number of atoms of carbon-14 in the burnt wood.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) From the graph you have drawn in (b), estimate the age of the burnt wood.
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 7 marks)

15. This question is about the photoelectric effect.
In an experiment to investigate the photoelectric effect, light of frequency f is incident on the

metal surface A, shown in the diagram below. A potential difference is applied between A
and B. The photoelectric current is measured by a sensitive ammeter. (Note: the complete
electrical circuit is not shown.)
When the frequency of the light is reduced to a certain value, the current measured by the
ammeter becomes zero. Explain how Einstein’s photoelectric theory accounts for this
observation.
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
(Total 4 marks)
(a) State what is meant by the photoelectric effect.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) Light of frequency 8.7 × 1014 Hz is incident on the surface of a metal in a photocell.
The surface area of the metal is 9.0 × 10–6 m2 and the intensity of the light is
1.1 × 10–3 W m–2.
(i) Deduce that the maximum possible photoelectric current in the photocell is 2.7
nA.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii) The maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons released from the metal surface
is 1.2 eV. Calculate the value of the work function of the metal.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 5 marks)
(a) In the photoelectric effect, electrons are emitted from a metal surface almost
immediately after light is incident on the surface, i.e. without any time delay. Explain
this observation with reference to Einstein’s theory of the photoelectric effect.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) The graph shows the variation with incident light frequency f of the maximum kinetic
energy EK of the emitted electrons.
Use the graph to
(i) estimate the work function of the metal surface.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) calculate the maximum speed of the emitted electrons for incident light of
frequency 5.0 × 1015 Hz.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 6 marks)
18. This question is about wave–particle duality.
(a) In the photoelectric effect, electrons are not emitted from the surface of a metal if the
frequency of the incident light is below a certain value called the threshold frequency.
(i) Explain, with reference to the Einstein model of the photoelectric effect, the
existence of the threshold frequency.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(ii) State, with reference to your answer in (a)(i), the reason why the threshold
frequency is different for different metals.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(b) Light of frequency 1.0 × 1015 Hz is incident on the surface of a metal. The work
function of the metal is 3.2 × 10–19 J.
(i) Show that the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons is 3.4 × 10–19
J.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii) Determine the de Broglie wavelength of the electrons in (b)(i).
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 10 marks)

(a) In the photoelectric effect, electrons are emitted from a metallic surface only if the
wavelength of the light incident on the surface is below a certain value called the
threshold wavelength.
Explain this observation.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(b) A monochromatic source of power 3.0 W emits light of wavelength 4.60 × 10–7 m.
All of the light is incident on a metal surface and causes electrons to be emitted at a
rate of
4.0 × 1010 s–1. The threshold wavelength of the metal is 5.50 × 10–7 m.
Calculate the
(i) photoelectric current.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) work function of the metal.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(iii) the ratio of the rate of electron emission to the rate at which the photons are
incident on the metal.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................(3)
(c) Light from a different source is incident on the metal in (b). The new source has power
6.0 W and emits light of wavelength 9.00 × 10–7 m.
State the effect of these changes, if any, on your answer to (b)(i).
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 10 marks)
(a) A clean metal surface in a vacuum is illuminated with monochromatic light, resulting
in the emission of electrons from the surface.
(i) On the axes, sketch a graph to show how the maximum kinetic energy K of the
electron varies with the intensity I of the light.
(1)
(ii) Explain the shape of the graph you have drawn.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)

(b) The wavelength of the incident light in (a) is 400 nm. The maximum kinetic energy of
the emitted electrons is 2.1 eV. Determine the work function of the metal.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)
In an experiment to investigate the photoelectric effect, light of frequency f is incident on the

metal surface A shown in the diagram below. A potential difference is applied between A
and electrode B. The photoelectric current is measured by the microammeter. (Note: the
complete electrical circuit is not shown.)
(a) Indicate on the diagram the polarity of A and of B.

(1)
(b) The frequency f of the light is reduced and it is found that there is a frequency f0, the
threshold frequency, below which the microammeter does not indicate a current.
Explain how Einstein’s photoelectric theory accounts for this observation.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(4)

(c) The potential difference between A and B is now reversed. For a particular frequency
of the light, the potential difference is changed until there is zero current in the circuit.
The graph below shows the variation of frequency f of the light with the potential
difference, Vs, for zero current.
Explaining your working, use the graph to determine the
(i) threshold frequency.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii) work function, in eV, of the metal.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

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2016 Physics Questionbank - Book

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IB QUESTIONBANK

Multiple choice questions .........................................................................................................5

Long questions ..............................................................................................................................9

Kinematics - Multiple choice questions .............................................................................29

Kinematics - Long questions ...................................................................................................37

Newton’s Law - Multiple choice questions .......................................................................39

Newton’s Law - Long questions .............................................................................................45

Work, Energy and Power - Multiple choice questions..................................................62

Work, Energy and Power - Long questions ......................................................................67

Momentum and Impulse - Multiple choice questions..................................................80

Momentum and Impulse - Long questions........................................................................ 83

Circular Motion - Multiple choice questions....................................................................89

Circular Motion - Long questions...........................................................................................94

Gravitation - Multiple choice questions......................................................... ....................98

Gravitation - Long questions...................................................................................................100

TOPIC 3: THERMAL PHYSICS

Multiple choice questions ........................................................................................................103

Long questions .............................................................................................................................111

OPTION B : ENGINEERING PHYSICS – Thermodynamics (SL and HL)

Multiple choice questions ........................................................................................................124

Long questions ..............................................................................................................................131

Multiple choice questions .........................................................................................................142

Long questions .............................................................................................................................159

Multiple choice questions ..........................................................................................................202

Long questions ..............................................................................................................................210

OPTION B : ENGINEERING PHYSICS - Forced Oscillations And Resonance (HL)

Multiple choice questions…………………………………...........................................................230

Long questions ……………………………………………………………...........................................232

TOPIC 5: ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

Multiple choice questions………………………………………………………..............................234

Long questions …………………………………………………..........................................................254

TOPIC 11: ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION (HL)

Multiple choice questions…………………………………………………………..........................283

Long questions ……………………………………………………………...........................................291

TOPIC 10 : FIELDS (HL)

Multiple choice questions ..........................................................................................................306

Long Questions …………………………………………………………………………………………….313

TOPIC 7 : ATOMIC, NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS

Multiple choice questions ..........................................................................................................335

Long questions …………………………………………………………………………………….………348

TOPIC 12: QUANTUM AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS (HL)

Multiple choice questions ..........................................................................................................413

Long questions …………………………………………………………………………………………....428

IB Questionbank Physics Page 4

Multiple Choice Questions

2. Which of the following will reduce random errors in an experiment?

A. Using an instrument having a greater precision

B. Checking the calibration of the instrument used

C. Checking for zero error on the instrument used

4. Which of the following lists two scalar quantities?

C. impulse, kinetic energy

D. magnetic flux, kinetic energy

5. The length of each side of a sugar cube is measured as 10 mm with an uncertainty of

C. ±400 mm3 D. ±600 mm3

IB Questionbank Physics Page 5

Absolute uncertainty Percentage uncertainty

A. 10–23 s. B. 10–20 s. C. 10–15 s. D. 10–7 s.

A. 4.0 m s–2 B. 8.0 m s–2 C. 9.8 m s–2 D. 10 m s–

9. Which of the following lists only two vector quantities?