Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth & Annotto Bay High School

Physics Tutorial #1
June 1996, Paper II, Question #1

a) A teacher asks her students to measure the density of the glass from which marbles are made. Each
group of students is provided with 20 identical marbles.
The students are told that the volume of a sphere is 4/3πr3, where r is the radius. Therefore, the volume
may be calculated if the radius (= diameter) is known.
2
They measure the diameter of one of the marbles with a micrometer. The reading obtained is shown in
the magnified diagram below.

i) What is the reading shown in Figure 2 above?

Diameter = _________________ mm. [Ans. = 9.46 mm] (1 mark)
ii) Express this reading in metres using, standard scientific form.
Diameter = _________________ [Ans. = 9.46 x 10-3 m] (1 mark)
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iii) Find the volume of ONE marble. [Ans. = 4.43 x 10 m ] (2 marks)
iv) If the only available balance is calibrated to measure to the nearest gram, suggest a method, which
students could use, to accurately find the mass of ONE marble? (2 marks)
[Ans. = See Accuracy, Range & Sensitivity]
v) The mass of one marble was found to be 1.1 g. Express the mass in kilograms.
Mass = ___________________________________________kg. [Ans. = 1.1 x 10-3 kg] (1 mark)
vi) Calculate the density of the glass used to make the marbles. [Ans. = 2483 kg m-3] (2 marks)
b) Figure 2 below shows the outline of a girl's shoe heel, drawn on graph paper.

Ace V. Davis JP Revised: 10/27/2019

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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial #1
i) Estimate the area of the heel of her shoe.
Area of heel = ________________________________ (2 marks)
2 -3 2 2
[Ans. ≈ 16 cm or 1.6 x 10 m ± 1 cm ]
ii) The girl's mass is 45 kg. What pressure does she exert on the ground when she is standing on one
heel? (g = 10 N kg-1) [Ans. ≈ 281250 Pa ± 20000] (3 marks)
Total 14 marks
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June 2002, Paper II, Question #2

a) i) Distinguish between density and relative density. (2 marks)

[Ans. = See Density / Relative Density]
ii) Show why relative density has NO units. (2 marks)
[Ans. = See Density / Relative Density]
b) i) A block of wood measures 2 cm x 4 cm x 9 cm. Calculate its volume in SI units.
[Ans. = 72 x 10-6 m3] (2 marks)
ii) Express the result in b) i) above in standard form. [Ans. = 7.2 x 10-5 m3] (1 mark)
iii) If the mass of the block is 57.6 x 10-3 kg, calculate its density. (2 marks)
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[Ans. = 800 kg m ]
iv) Explain how it is possible to predict whether a given object will float or sink in a given liquid.
[Ans. = See Sink or Float] (2 marks)
c) i) State Archimedes Principle. [Ans. = See Archimedes Principle] (1 mark)
ii) Use Archimedes principle to explain why some objects float while others sinks in the same liquid.
[Ans. = See Archimedes Principle] (2 marks)
d) Would the block of part b) float or sink in a liquid of density 810 kg m-3?
[Ans. = See Sink or Float] (1 mark)
Total = 15 marks
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June 2000 & January / June 2002 Specimen Paper, Paper II, Question # 1

A student investigates the properties of a spring and obtains the following results of the variation of the
length of a spring with load.
Load/N 4.0 8.0 12.0 16.0 20.0 24.0 28.0 32.0
Length/mm 18.4 20.5 22.4 24.3 26.4 28.5 31.3 36.4

Ace V. Davis JP Revised: 10/27/2019

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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial #1
a) Use these values to plot a graph of length against load on graph paper.
[Ans. = See Graphs] (10 marks)
b) Find the slope, S, of the graph. [Ans. = 0.50mm / N±0.05] (4 marks)
c) Given that the spring’s constant = 1/S, find the spring’s constant. (2 marks)
[Ans. = 2.0 N / mm±0.05]
d) Use your graph to determine the spring's length when the load is zero. (2 marks)
[Ans. = 16.4 N / mm±0.5]
e) What is the value of the spring's EXTENSION when the load attached is 14 N?
[Ans. = 7 mm] (2 marks)
f) What mass must be placed on the spring to produce an extension of 9 mm?
[Ans. = 1.8 kg] (5 marks)
g) Describe the procedure the student may have used to obtain the results. State the precautions the
student should have taken to ensure the accuracy of the readings and to prevent damage to the spring.
[Ans. = See Elastic Deformation] (5 marks)
Total = 30 marks
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June 2000, Paper III, Question #4

a) i. Define the term moment of a force and state the principle of moments.
[Ans. = See Moment of a Force or Torque, T]
ii. Describe how you would find the centre of gravity of a piece of cardboard of irregular shape.
[Ans. = See Centre of Gravity] (8 marks)
b) The figure below represents a tray held horizontally by a waiter. The tray has a weight of 6 N and
supports a drink of weight 3 N. The waiter provides a force at P. The tray is pivot about point T.

Figure 2
i. Use the information in the figure above to find the force provided by the waiter at P and the upward
force the hand exerts at T. [Ans. = P = 54 N; T = 63 N]
ii. The drink is moved along the tray closer to the hand. Is the force needed at P to keep the tray
horizontal now less, greater or the same? Explain your answer.

Ace V. Davis JP Revised: 10/27/2019

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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial #1
[Ans. = See Moment or Torque, T]
iii. How much work is done by the waiter in lifting the tray and drink through a height of 0.60 m?
[Ans. = 37.8 N m or J] (12 marks)
TOTAL = 20 marks
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May 2012, Paper 11, Question #2, Section A
a) i. Complete Table 2 which relates to the physical quantities and their derived SI Units.

Table 2
Physical Quantity Derived SI Units

Area ____________________

Volume ____________________

_______________________ kg m-3

[Ans. = See Measurements and Units] (3 marks)

ii. State TWO fundamental quantities and their corresponding SI Units.
Fundamental Quantity SI Units
1.
2.
[Ans. = See Measurements and Units] (4 marks)
b) i. Calculate the density of gasoline which occupies 150 cm3 of space and has a mass of 102 g.
[Ans. = 680 kg m-3] (3 marks)
ii. If 325 g of mercury of density 13.6 g cm-3 occupy a certain space, determine the volume of the space.
[Ans. = 23.88 x 10-6 m-3] (3 marks)
iii. Calculate the relative density of gasoline using the density of mercury as the base quantity for the
comparison. [Ans. = 0.05] (2 marks)
Total = 15 marks

Ace V. Davis JP Revised: 10/27/2019

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