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MOCK EXAMS

Form 5 - PHYSICS PAPER 2 Theory

1hour 45 minutes

SECTION A (45 marks)

Answer all the questions in this section

1: A shuttle spacecraft is launched into space. During the first eight minutes of the launch the
average acceleration of the Shuttle is 17.5 m/s2.

(a) Calculate the speed of the Shuttle after the first 8 minutes.

Speed=……..………..ms-1 [2]
(b) Calculate how far the Shuttle travels in the first 8 minutes.

Distance=…………….……….m [3]

(c) In fact the acceleration of the Shuttle is increasing. Suggest a reason for this. Explain
your answer.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[2]

2: (a) The diagram shows a screwdriver being used to lever off the lid of a paint tin.
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The resistance force, R, of the lid is 500 N.

Calculate the minimum downward push which is needed to lever off the lid.

Minimum downward push = ...................................................N [3]

(b) The drawing shows a toy balanced on the end of someone’s finger. The toy is
made of wire with a metal ball at the bottom end.
(i) On the drawing, mark with an X, the point where you think the toy’s centre of
mass is.

[1]

(ii) Explain why you have chosen this point.

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

3: The diagram shows a bicycle pump which can be used for pumping air into a bicycle tyre.
The volume of the air in the barrel is 18 cm3 and the air pressure is 105 Pa.

A finger is placed over the end of the pump. The piston is moved very slowly to the
position shown below so that the volume of the air trapped in the barrel is 6 cm3.
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(a) (i) Calculate the new air pressure in the pump, assuming that the temperature of the air
does not change

new air pressure =……………………….Pa [2]

(ii) State one other assumption that you have made in your calculation.

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

(b) What, if anything, has happened to the size of the diameter of the air molecules in the
trapped air as a result of changing the volume of the air in the pump?

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

4: A tray containing 0.20 kg of water at 20 C is placed in a freezer.

The temperature of the water drops to 0 C in 10 minutes.
The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 Jkg-1 K-1 and the specific latent heat of fusion of
water is 3.3 105Jkg-1.
(a) Calculate the average rate at which the water is losing energy, in Js-1.

average rate=……………. Js-1. [3]

(b) (i) Estimate the time taken for the water at 0 C to turn completely into ice.

time taken=………..…………s.[2]
(ii) State any assumptions you make.

…………………………………………………………………………….…………………[1]
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5: Fig. 5.1 shows a section through a ripple tank. The dipper is made to bounce up and
down by the rotation of a motor mounted on a pair of rubber bands. For each rotation of
the motor one new wave is sent out.

Fig. 5.1

(a) A series of alternate bright and dark lines can be seen on the screen below the tank.
Suggest how this pattern is formed.

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(b) Explain how you would measure the wavelength of the wave.

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(c) The waves travel at a speed of 2.5 cm/ s and their wavelength is 4.2 cm.
Calculate how many times the motor must rotate in a minute.
Write down the equation that you use and show your working.

number of rotations per minute = ................... [3]

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6: Fig. 6.1 shows a coil of copper wire wound on a cardboard tube. The ends of the coil
are connected to a cathode ray oscilloscope (c.r.o.) and a magnet is released so that it
falls vertically down the tube.

Fig. 6.2 shows the trace seen on the c.r.o., along with its y-gain and time-base settings.

(a) Write down the voltages at A and B.

voltage at A = .....................V
voltage at B = .....................V
[2]
(b) Explain why these voltages are produced.

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.................................................................................................................................................[2]
(c) State and explain two things about the shape of the trace.

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7: Fig. 7.1 shows a transformer and a rectifier used in a battery charging circuit for a 12 V
battery.

Fig. 7.1

(a) The transformer produces an output of 15 V across the secondary coil.

Calculate a suitable turns ratio for the transformer.

turns ratio = ................................ [1]

(b) Fig. 7.2 shows the 15 V output across the secondary coil.

Fig. 7.2

(i) How can you tell from the graph that the transformer produces an alternating
output voltage?
.................................................................................................................................................[1]

(ii) On the same axes in Fig.7.2, sketch the graph of the potential difference across the
terminals T1 and T2 before the battery is connected. [1]

(c) Explain how the circuit converts an a.c. supply into a d.c. output.

......................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................ [2]
(d) On Fig.7.1, draw in a battery connected so that it may be charged. [1]
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Section B (30marks)
Answer two questions from this section.

8. (a) Sound is a longitudinal wave. Explain, with the aid of a diagram, what is meant by this
statement.
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(b) Sounds can be used to produce waveforms on the screen of a cathode-ray oscilloscope
(CRO). Sound from a simple whistle produces the waveform shown in Fig 8.1.

Fig. 8.1

Describe how you would use a CRO and other apparatus

(i) to produce such a display from a whistle,
(ii) to measure the time of one oscillation of the sound emitted by the whistle.
In your account, you should
state the audible frequency of the whistle to be used,
draw a diagram of the apparatus,
explain how to adjust the CRO to display the waveform,
state the readings to be taken,
explain how the time for one oscillation is found from these readings.

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(c) (i) Fig 8.2 shows the waveform produced on an oscilloscope screen by a sound.

Fig. 8.2

State how you can tell from the waveform that

1. the loudness of the sound is decreasing,
2. the frequency of the sound is constant.

1..............................................................................................................................................
2.........................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) The separate waveforms of two whistles of different frequencies are obtained on the
oscilloscope screen at the same time. Draw the two waveforms you would expect to
see. Label the waveform that has the higher frequency. [2]

9 Fig. 9.1 shows a car with a dummy driver before and after a collision test.

(a) The body of the dummy is thrown upon impact due to its inertia. Define inertia.

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.................................................................................................................................................[1]
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(b) The mass of the dummy is 90 kg.

The impact time to reduce the dummy’s speed from 45 m/s to zero is 1.2 s.
(i) Calculate the deceleration of the dummy just after the impact.

deceleration =......................[2]

(ii) Calculate the average force on the dummy during impact.

average force =...........................[2]

(iii) State the main energy change during the collision.

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

(iv) Calculate how much of the dummy’s energy is changed during the collision.

energy changed =.................................[3]

(c) To reduce the effect of impact of the dummy and the dashboard, an air-bag is now fitted,
as shown in Fig. 9.2.

(i) The air-bag is inflated by a gas. Explain how the gas inflates the air-bag.
......................................................................................................................................................
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(ii) The pressure exerted by the dummy is greatly reduced by the air-bag.
State one way how this pressure is reduced.

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(d) Sodium azide powder in a small tank connected to the air-bag rapidly produces a large
amount of gas upon activated by impact. The gas produced in the reaction builds up in the
tank and then is released into the air-bag. The volume of this tank is 500 cm3 while the
volume of an inflated air-bag is 35 000 cm3.
(i) In an impact test, 1.4 × 107 Pa gas pressure was recorded in the tank.
Calculate the pressure in the air-bag assuming the temperature is constant.

pressure=..........................[2]

(ii) The pressure inside the cylinder decreases as the air-bag inflates. Using ideas about
molecules, explain why the pressure decreases.
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11 (a) The decay of radium nucleus leads to the emission of one α-particle and leaves
behind a radon (Rn) nucleus. Write an equation to show this decay.

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

(b) A scientist conducts an experiment to deduce the range of α-particles, using the
apparatus in Fig. 11.1.

The results of the experiment are shown below.

count rate/(counts/minute) 681 562 441 382 317 20 19 21 19

distance from source to detector/cm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
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(i) State what creates the count rate 9 cm from the source.

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(ii) Estimate the count rate, due to the source, at a distance of 2 cm.

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(iii) Suggest the maximum distance that α-particles can travel from the source.

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(iv) Justify your answer to (iii).

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(v) Suggest how the experiment may be modified to find the penetrating power of α-
particle.

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(c) The decay curve of radium is shown on Fig. 11.2.

(i) Use the graph on Fig. 11.2 to find the half-life of radium.

half-life =..................................[1]
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(ii) Complete Fig. 11.2 as far as time = 8000 years, by working out the values of a
number of points and plotting them. Show your working. [2]

(iii) The decay product, Rn, is not radioactive. Explain why the sample of the radioactive
isotope is safer after 8000 years than after 1 year. Support your answer to Fig. 11.2.

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(d) Radium-226 and Radium-230 are isotopes. Explain what is meant by isotopes.

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(e) The scientist has two other radioactive nuclei, one to be chosen to coat an underground
pipe just below a pavement. A detector is to be used on the pavement to detect any leak
on the pipe. The information of these nuclei is shown on Fig. 11.3.

(i) State which radioactive nucleus is best to coat the pipe.

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(ii) State two advantages of using the nucleus you have chosen in (i).

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