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Compile QP 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023

5054/21/M/J/20/Q4

4 Glass and iron are both conductors of heat. However, glass is a poor conductor of heat and iron is a good
conductor of heat.
(a) Describe, using ideas about particles, how the conduction of heat takes place in glass and in iron. You
should make it clear why iron is a better conductor of heat. [4]
(b) Fig. 4.1 shows apparatus used to show expansion.

Fig. 4.1
The glass flask, full of water, is heated. A student is surprised when the liquid level X in the glass tube
falls for a few seconds before it rises.
(i) Suggest why the liquid level falls and why it then rises. [2]
(ii) Describe how heat is transferred throughout the water in the glass flask. [2]
[Total: 8]

5054/21/M/J/20/Q5

5 (a) Use the relationship between pressure, force and area to explain why it is harder to cut something
with a blunt knife than with a sharp knife. [2]
(b) Experimental measurements on gas pressures were made by Robert Boyle.
He showed that p1V1 = p2V2 where p1 and p2 are the initial and final pressures of a gas, and V1 and
V2 are the initial and final volumes of the gas.
(i) State two quantities that must remain constant when this equation is used. [2]
(ii) Fig. 5.1 shows the molecules of a gas as the volume of the gas is halved.

Fig. 5.1 (not to scale)

The equation suggests that when the volume of a gas halves the pressure doubles. Using ideas
about molecules, explain why this happens. [2]
[Total: 6]
5054/21/O/N/20/Q8

8 The density of water in a lake is 1000 kg / m3.

At a depth of 25 m beneath the surface of the lake, the total pressure is 3.5 × 105 Pa.
(a) State what is meant by pressure. [1]
(b) The gravitational field strength is 9.8 N / kg.
Determine:
(i) the pressure due to 25 m of water [2]
(ii) the atmospheric pressure. [1]
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(c) An underwater depth gauge contains a small cylinder as shown in Fig. 8.1. Gas is trapped inside the
cylinder by a piston. The piston is free to move.

Fig. 8.1

The outer face of the piston is in contact with the water. As the depth gauge is lowered into the water,
the piston moves into the cylinder. This moves a needle on a dial to indicate the depth of the gauge in
the water.
(i) Explain why the piston moves into the cylinder. [3]
(ii) The temperature of the gas does not change as the piston moves into the cylinder. Explain, in terms
of molecules, what happens to the pressure of the trapped gas as the piston moves into the cylinder.
[3]
(iii) At the surface of the water, the volume of the trapped gas in the depth gauge is V0.
On Fig. 8.2, sketch a graph to show how the volume of trapped gas decreases as the gauge is
lowered into the water.

Fig. 8.2
[2]

(iv) The instructions for the depth gauge state that, each time it is used, the needle of the dial must be
re-set to zero at the surface of the water. Suggest one reason for this. [1]
(v) The density of the air trapped in the depth gauge increases. The density of the water remains
constant. Explain, in terms of the molecules of the water, why the density of the water remains
constant. [2]
[Total: 15]

5054/22/O/N/20/Q2

2 The total mass of a wheelbarrow and its load is 90 kg. A worker pushes the wheelbarrow and load up a
plank of length 2.0 m on to a platform, as shown in Fig. 2.1. The platform is at a height of 0.60 m above
the ground.

Fig. 2.1
The worker exerts a force of 290 N on the wheelbarrow in the direction in which the wheelbarrow moves.
 3

(a) The gravitational field strength g is equal to 10 N / kg.

(i) Calculate the gravitational potential energy gained by the wheelbarrow and its load. [2]
(ii) The worker pushes the wheelbarrow 2.0 m along the plank. Calculate the work done on the
wheelbarrow by the worker. [2]
(iii) Suggest one reason why the answer to (a)(ii) is not equal to the answer to (a)(i). [1]

(b) The worker finds that walking up the plank pushing the wheelbarrow is even more inefficient than the
answers in (a) suggest.
(i) State what is meant by efficiency. [1]
(ii) Suggest one reason why this method of lifting the load onto the platform is so inefficient. [1]
[Total: 7]

5054/22/O/N/20/Q3

3 Fig. 3.1 shows a hot water tank that contains two electric heaters X and Y.

Fig. 3.1
Heater X is used during the daytime but heater Y is only used at night when electricity is cheaper.
(a) The tank is full of cold water and X is switched on. The temperature of all the water above X
increases very quickly but the temperature of the water below X increases much more slowly.
(i) Explain the process that causes the water above X to increase in temperature. [3]
(ii) Heater Y remains switched off. Explain why the temperature of the water below heater X
increases much more slowly than the temperature of the water above heater X. [2]
(b) The hot water tank is covered in a thick layer of insulating material. The material is a plastic that
contains a large number of small pockets of trapped air. Explain why this material is a good insulator.
[2]
[Total: 7]
5054/22/ O/ N/20

4 (a) Describe, in terms of molecules, the structure of a solid. [3]

(b) A metal-worker heating a horseshoe to a high temperature before shaping it.
The metal-worker then cools the horseshoe by dropping it into 8.0 kg of water at 18 °C. The final
temperature of the water is 43 °C. The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J / (kg °C).
(i) Calculate the thermal energy transferred to the water as the horseshoe cools. [2]
(ii) The heat capacity of the horseshoe is 850 J / °C. Calculate the temperature of the horseshoe
immediately before it is dropped into the water. [3]
[Total: 8]
5054/21/M/J/21

2 Fig. 2.1 shows a hollow metal cube filled with boiling water. The temperature of the four vertical surfaces
are equal but each surface has a different colour or texture.

Fig. 2.1
A thermal radiation sensor is placed the same distance from each surface and the meter reading
measures the thermal radiation emitted from each surface.
(a) The results are shown in Fig. 2.2.
 4

Draw a line linking each type of surface with the appropriate meter reading. One line has been drawn
for you.

Fig. 2.2
[2]
(b) The hot surfaces produce a convection current in the air outside the metal cube. Describe how the
convection current is produced. [3]
[Total: 5]

5054/21/M/J/21

3 A hot steel rod is cooled by plunging it into cold water

(a) The steel rod has a mass of 2.0 kg and is initially at a temperature of 500 °C. It cools to 50 °C when
placed in the water. The specific heat capacity of steel is 460 J / (kg °C). Calculate the thermal energy
(heat) lost by the steel rod as it cools to 50 °C. [3]
(b) A small mass of water boils when the rod is placed in the water. The remaining water then cools to
room temperature and some of it evaporates. In both boiling and evaporation, water molecules escape
into the air.
(i) State one way in which boiling is different from evaporation. [1]
(ii) The rate of evaporation decreases as the water cools. Explain why this happens, using ideas about
molecules. [2]
[Total: 6]
5054/22/M/J/21

9 (a) Fig. 9.1 represents the conversion of energy in a mobile phone.

Fig. 9.1
(i) State the form of energy stored in the battery. [1]
(ii) State the useful form of output energy from the battery. [1]
(iii) State two useful forms of output energy from the mobile phone. [2]
(b) When the battery is in use, the average current is 1.3 mA. Determine the charge that passes through
the battery in a time of 2.0 minutes. [2]
(c) A student estimates the thermal energy produced in the battery when the mobile phone is used and uses
this value to estimate the efficiency of the battery. He measures a temperature rise of 5.0 °C within the
battery in a period of time when the useful energy output from the battery is 5200 J. The mass of the
battery is 110 g and its specific heat capacity is 830 J / (kg °C).
(i) Calculate the thermal energy (heat) needed to raise the temperature of the battery by 5.0 °C. [3]
(ii) State what is meant by efficiency. [2]
(iii) Calculate the efficiency of the battery. [2]
(iv) Suggest and explain one reason why the value for the efficiency calculated in (iii) is larger than the
actual efficiency of the battery. [2]
[Total: 15]
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5054/21/O/N/21

4 In a coal-fired power station, coal is burnt and electrical energy is produced.

(a) State the form of energy in the coal that is transferred to electrical energy. [1]
(b) (i) State the principle of the conservation of energy. [2]
(ii) The quantity of electrical energy produced by the power station is much less than the quantity of
energy in the coal that is burnt to generate the electricity. Explain why this is so. [2]
(c) State one environmental consequence of generating electricity in coal-fired power stations. [1]
[Total: 6]
5054/21/O/N/21

9 (a) Fig. 9.1 shows the molecular structure of a solid and a gas.

Fig. 9.1
(i) In the middle box of Fig. 9.1, sketch a diagram to show the molecular structure of a liquid. [2]
(ii) Explain why it is easier to compress a gas than to compress a solid. [2]

5054/21/M/J/22

2 Fig. 2.1 shows a wind turbine.

Fig. 2.1
(a) The wind blows directly towards the turbine with a speed of 12 m / s. In one second, 60 000 kg of air
passes through the circular area swept out by the blades. Calculate the kinetic energy of this mass of
air. [3]
(b) A wind turbine releases no carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while generating electricity.
Compared with a coal-fired power station, this is an advantage of using a wind turbine.
(i) State one reason why it is important to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced. [1]
(ii) Suggest one advantage of using a coal-fired power station compared with a wind turbine. [1]

5054/22/M/J/22

3 Fig. 3.1 shows a syringe mounted vertically in a block of wood and sealed at one end. A plunger is free to
move inside the syringe. There is trapped air in the syringe.

Fig. 3.1
The air inside the syringe exerts a pressure on the walls of the syringe.
(a) Define the term pressure. [1]
(b) Explain how the air molecules in the cylinder of the syringe create a pressure. [3]
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(c) A 10 N weight is placed on top of the plunger. The plunger moves down slowly so that the
temperature of the air inside the syringe does not change.
Before the weight is placed on top of the plunger:
• the pressure of the air inside the syringe is 1.0 × 105 Pa
• the volume of the air is 50 cm3.
The cross-sectional area of the plunger is 1.2 × 10−4 m2.
(i) Calculate the pressure of the air in the syringe after the plunger stops moving. [2]
(ii) Calculate the volume of air inside the syringe after the plunger stops moving. [2]
[Total: 8]

5054/21/M/J/23

2 In a safety test, a car of mass 1100 kg travels at a speed of 10 m / s and collides with a stationary
van of mass 3000 kg. After the collision the car and the van move together with a velocity v.
Fig. 2.1 shows the car and van before and after the collision.

Fig. 2.1
The total momentum of the car and van is conserved during the collision.
(a) (i) Define ‘momentum’. [1]
(ii) State the unit of momentum. [1]
(b) Calculate the velocity v of the car and van after the collision. [2]
(c) (i) Calculate the total kinetic energy of the car and van after the collision. [2]
(ii) State the transfer of energy that occurs in the collision. [1]
[Total: 7]
5054/21/M/J/23

4 (a) A student pushes a drawing pin into a wooden board, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

Fig. 4.1
The area of the pin in contact with the finger is 5.0 × 10−5 m2. The student pushes downwards with a
force of 26 N. The mass of the drawing pin is very small.
(i) Calculate the pressure exerted by the finger on the drawing pin. [2]
(ii) Compare the force exerted by the finger on the drawing pin with the force exerted by the drawing
pin on the wooden board. [1]
(iii) Explain why the drawing pin goes into the wooden board but not into the finger. [2]
(b) Fig. 4.2 shows water emerging from a plastic bag that contains a number of small holes.

Fig. 4.2
(i) Explain why the water emerges from each hole in a direction at right angles to the surface of the
bag. [2]
(ii) The holes at A and B are the same size. Explain why the water emerges faster from the hole at A
than from the hole at B. [1]
[Total: 8]