GCSE Combined Science

AQA
Physics – Paper 1
Higher Tier
Predicted Paper 2023

Name ……………………………………………………………………
Date …………………

1 hour 15 minutes allowed.

You may use a calculator and an AQA equation sheet.

Grade boundaries Possible Marks

Question
marks gained
These are VERY rough guesses! Getting a 1 18
7 on this paper does not guarantee you the 2 15
same mark in the exam. 3 17
4 9
5 11
• 9-9 70% Total 70
• 8-8 60%
• 7-7 50%
• 6-6 45%
• 5-5 35%
• 4-4 30%

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 Members of my YouTube channel can get access to a full video walkthrough of the
2023 papers with lots of guidance and advice on how to answer the questions.

Just click the link here:

https://www.primrosekitten.com/pages/predicted-papers-walkthroughs-2023

Not yet a member? You can sign up today!

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01
a) Electricity in the UK is distributed by means of a “National Grid”.
Define the term “National Grid.”
[1 mark]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

b) State the approximate voltage and frequency at which mains

electricity is distributed.
[4 marks]

i. Voltage:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

ii. Frequency:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

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 c) In Britain, mains electricity plugs have a total of three wires.
Describe and explain the wires and the other safety features of the
plug.

[5 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

d) A student wanted to replace a fuse, the original fuse was a 3 amp,

and the replacement was a 13 amp.

A safe current for the device is 2 amps; if the resistance across the
fuse is 2Ω calculate the potential difference.
[3 marks]

__________________Volts

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 e) The fuse contains a thin wire, that allows electricity to flow. Only
current below the rating can flow across the fuse.
Describe how a fuse works.
[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

f) The resistance in the fuse increased to 3Ω and the potential

difference changed to 12V (this is not the answer to part d).
Calculate the current.
[3 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

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02
a) Describe the current model describing the structure of an atom.
[3 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

b) Explain why we use the term ‘model of the atom’.

[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

c) The image shows part of the periodic table, this part is for carbon.
Compare carbon 12 and carbon 14.
[4 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

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 d) The term atom is from the Greek atomon for ‘uncuttable’ since
Democritus an Ancient Greek philosopher came up with the idea of
atoms. We now know that within atoms there are a few sub-atomic
particles.

Explain how the model of the atom has changed over the years, you
should include the names of any scientist involved.
[6 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

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03 A group of students wanted to investigate how the diameter of a wire
affected the resistance of the wire.

a) The ammeter and voltmeter have not been labelled in the diagram,
label them.
[2 marks]

b) Suggest how you could use the values from these reading to
determine the resistance.
[1 mark]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

c) Students attached crocodile clips to either end of a wire and

recorded the resistance. However, the students had trouble
attaching the crocodile clip precisely.
State what kind of error this is and what affect it would have on the
results.
[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

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 d) The diameter of the resistance wire A was 3mm, use Area = Πr2 to
calculate the cross-sectional area of the end of wire A.
Assume Π to be 3.14.
Give your answer to two decimal places.
[3 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

e) As diameter increases the resistance decreases.

i. Describe this relationship.

[1 mark]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

ii. Sketch a graph to show this relationship.

[3 marks]

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 iii. Wire B has a diameter of 4mm, compare the resistance in wires A
and B.
[1 mark]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

iv. Suggest if wire A or wire B would be best for an electrical cable.

[1 mark]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

f) Two groups used the same section of resistance wire A, to measure

resistance.
The second group used the same set up, immediately after the first
group, without turning off the equipment.
Their results were different.

Describe how the results would be different and explain why.

[3 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

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04
a) Draw the circuit symbol for a diode.
[1 mark]

b) Sketch the current/potential difference graph for a diode.

[3 marks]

c) Explain the shape of this graph.

[3 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

d) Give an example of use for a diode and explain how it works.

[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

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05 A student was investigating a complex circuit for 2 minutes and 30
seconds. The student needed to know the charge running through the
circuit, but they could not read that information directly.

They decided to work out the charge using other values they could read.

During this time 67.5kJ of work was done by the circuit and the potential
difference recorded across two points was 180V.

a) Calculate the power that was used.

[4 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

b) Calculate the current in the circuits.

[4 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

c) Thus calculate the charge in the circuit.

[3 marks]
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

END OF QUESTIONS

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 MARKING GUIDANCE
Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
1a - A system of wires and pylons that 1
transmits electricity from a power station to
households
1bi - 230V (Volts) One mark for value, the other for unit. Needs 2
correct capitalisation of letters in units to gain
marks
1bii - 50Hz (Hertz) One mark for value, the other for unit. Needs 2
correct capitalisation of letters in units to gain
marks
1c -insulation covers each wire which prevents One mark for each bullet point up to 5 marks. 5
leakage
- Yellow/green wire is the earth wire
- brown is live
- blue is neutral
- Earth wire protects from shocks
- earth wire prevents appliance becoming
live
-neutral wire completes the circuit
-Live wire carries the potential difference
- Hard plastic casing on plug
-plastic flex on wire, to prevent shocks
- Fuse to break circuit if needed

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1d potential difference = current x resistance One for equation 3

2x2 One for substitution

=4 Volts (V) One mark for answer

1e -fuse completes the circuit 2
-wire in fuse breaks when too much current
flows, breaking circuit
1f potential difference = current x resistance No marks for equation 3

12 = current x 3 One mark for substitution

One mark for rearrangement
12/3 = current One mark for answer

4 Amps (A)
TOTAL 18

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
2a -nucleus in the centre 3
-protons and neutrons in the nucleus
-Electrons in outer shells
2b -based on experimental results not direct 2
observation
-models change with new data
2c -Carbon 12 has a mass number of 12 4
-Carbon 14 has a mass number of 14
-same number of protons and electrons
-carbon 14 has (two) more neutrons OR
carbon 12 has 6 neutrons whilst carbon 14
has 8 neutrons
2d -started off as the idea of a solid sphere 0 marks; no relevant points are made 6
-discovery of electrons first
-plum pudding model as a ball of positive 1-2 marks; some relevant points are made but
charge with electrons throughout the answer is not coherent, and points are not
-Thompson discovered electrons logically linked.
-Rutherford did an alpha particle scattering
experiment (gold foil/described) 3-4 marks; all points made a relevant; the
-idea of mass being centred in the middle of answer is coherent, and the points are
the atom, in the nucleus logically linked.
-Bohr suggested electrons are in shells
-positive nucleus could be divided into 5-6 marks; the answer is fully correct;
protons coherent and logically linked.
-Chadwick showed neutrons were also in the
nucleus
TOTAL 15

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
3a X – Ammeter 2
Y - Voltmeter
3b potential difference = current × resistance 1
3c -zero error 2
-values won’t be accurate
3d Area = Πr2 One mark for calculation 3
= 3.14 x 1.52 On mark for answer and Unit
= 7.07 mm2 One mark for correct to 2 decimal places
3ei Inversely proportional accept negative 1
3eii -x axis labelled diameter Accept straight or curved lines 3
-y axis labelled resistance
-smooth line draw starting in top left and
ending bottom right
3eiii The resistance in wire B will be lower than in 1
wire A
3eiv Wire A would be better as it is thinner Named wire and reason are both required for 1
mark.
OR

Wire B would be better as it has a lower

resistance
3f -wire heats up during use so temperature Allow temperature has an effect on resistance 3
would be different between first and second Allow current would also decrease (due to emf
experiment of the cell decreasing)
-as temperature increases so does resistance
-resistance would be higher for second
group.
TOTAL 17

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
4a 1

4b One mark for label on x axis 3

One mark for label on y axis
One mark for shape of graph

4c -a diode allows current only in one direction 3

-at low potential difference the resistance is
very high so no current can flow
-at a high potential difference, the resistance
is lower so current can flow

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4d -LED light emitting diode 2
-only light under set conditions
-can be used as indicators for on/off eg on
remotes

OR

-converts AC to DC
-only allows one direction of current to pass

TOTAL 9

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
5a Power = work done / time For all of question 5 allow error carried 4
forward for all parts.
= 67500/150
=450 W (Watts) One mark for equation selection

One mark for correct conversion of both work

and time to standard units

One mark for correct substitution

One mark for correct answer AND unit

5b power = potential difference × current One mark for equation selection 4

450 = 180 x current One mark for correct substitution

450/180 = 2.5 A (Amps)
One mark for correct rearrangement

One mark for correct answer AND unit

5c charge flow = current × time One mark for equation selection 3

2.5 x 150 One mark for correct substitution

= 375 C (Coulombs) One mark for correct answer AND unit

TOTAL 11

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