Question 1
Topic – 1.1 Physical quantities and measurement techniques
A student investigates the oscillation of a mass suspended from a spring.
The student pulls the mass down from its rest position P and then releases it so that it oscillates vertically.
The student then follows the instructions listed to find the period of the oscillating mass.
- Count 10 complete oscillations.
- Divide the time on the stop-watch by 10.
- Start the stop-watch as the mass passes upwards through point P.
- Stop the stop-watch.
What is the correct order of these instructions?
A) 1 → 3 → 4 → 2
B) 3 → 1 → 4 → 2
C) 3 → 4 → 1 → 2
D) 4 → 3 → 2 → 1
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 2
Topic – 1.2 Motion
A student measures the average speed of a cyclist in a race.
Which quantities must she measure?
A) the total time taken to complete the race and the time taken for the cyclist to reach her highest speed
B) the total time taken to complete the race and the total distance travelled by the cyclist at her highest speed
C) the total time taken to complete the race and the total distance travelled by the cyclist
D) the time taken to reach her highest speed and the total distance travelled by the cyclist
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 3
Topic – 1.2 Motion
The graph shows the motion of a sprinter.
She accelerates steadily from rest to 8.0 m/s in 4.0 s.
How far does she travel in the last three seconds of her acceleration?
A) 9.0 m
B) 15 m
C) 16 m
D) 24 m
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 4
Topic – 1.3 Mass and weight
A person steps onto a bathroom scale.
The bathroom scale records both mass and weight.
Which row shows the readings on the bathroom scale?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 5
Topic – 1.4 Density
Which equation is correct?
A) density = mass × volume
B) density = weight × volume
C) mass = density × volume
D) weight = density × volume
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 6
Topic – 1.5 Forces
The diagrams show four identical objects. Each object is acted on by only the forces shown.
Which diagram shows an object in equilibrium?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 7
Topic – 1.5.2 Turning effect of forces
A uniform wooden ruler is pivoted at its centre. A load of 2.0 N is suspended from each end of the ruler.
The pivot exerts an upward force F on the ruler.
What is F equal to?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 8
Topic – 1.7.1 Energy
The diagram shows part of a rollercoaster ride with the car at different positions.
The car runs freely down from position X to position Y and up the hill on the other side.
What happens to the energy in the kinetic store and the gravitational potential store of the car as it moves from position X to position Y?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 9
Topic – 1.7.1 Energy
In a small power station, biofuel is used to generate electricity.
Which energy store is reduced by this process?
A) chemical
B) kinetic
C) nuclear
D) thermal
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 10
Topic – 1.7.4 Power
An electric car is charged overnight. In 8.0 hours, 180 MJ of energy is transferred.
What is the power of the charger?
A) 6.3 kW
B) 380 kW
C) 23 MW
D) 1400 MW
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 11
Topic – 1.8 Pressure
Tractors have large tyres. These help to prevent the wheels from sinking into soft ground.
Which statement explains this?
A) Larger tyres exert a greater force on the ground.
B) Larger tyres exert a greater pressure on the ground.
C) Larger tyres exert a smaller force on the ground.
D) Larger tyres exert a smaller pressure on the ground.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 12
Topic – 2.1.2 Particle model
Brownian motion is the random motion of particles.
In which states of matter is Brownian motion observed?
A) gases, liquids and solids
B) gases and liquids only
C) gases and solids only
D) liquids and solids only
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 13
Topic – 2.1.3 Gases and the absolute scale of temperature
A student investigates the relationship between the pressure of a gas and its volume at constant temperature. He records his results in the table.
What is the correct conclusion from the experiment?
A) The volume decreases when the pressure increases.
B) The volume increases when the pressure increases.
C) The volume initially increases when the pressure increases, but then decreases.
D) The volume is independent of the pressure.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 14
Topic – 2.2.1 Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases
A wooden wheel can be strengthened by putting a tight circle of iron around it.
Which action would make it easier to fit the circle over the wood?
A) cooling the iron circle only
B) heating the iron circle
C) heating the wooden wheel and cooling the iron circle
D) heating the wooden wheel but not heating or cooling the iron circle
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 15
Topic – 2.1.1 States of matter
Which diagram shows the processes happening during changes of state?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 16
Topic 2.3 – Transfer of thermal energy
A room is heated by a radiator. The diagrams X and Y show two possible circulations of hot air, which heat the room.
Which diagram and reason explain the heating of the room by convection?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 17
3.1 General properties of waves
Which description and example are correct for a transverse wave?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 18
Topic – 3.1 General properties of waves
Straight wavefronts on the surface of a ripple tank approach a gap in a barrier. The diagram shows how the wavefronts change shape as they pass through the gap.
What is the name of this effect?
A) diffraction
B) propagation
C) reflection
D) refraction
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 19
Topic – 3.2.4 Dispersion of light
Red, green and violet lights are part of the visible spectrum of light.
What is the order of colours from shortest to longest wavelength?
A) red → green → violet
B) red → violet → green
C) violet → red → green
D) violet → green → red
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 20
Topic – 3.2.1 Reflection of light
Which diagram shows the image correctly formed by reflection?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 21
Topic – 3.2.3 Thin lenses
A student passes parallel rays of light through four different converging lenses. He measures the distance x and the distance y for each experiment.
Which lens has the longest focal length?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 22
Topic – 3.3 Electromagnetic spectrum
The table shows different types of wave in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Where do all the waves travel at the same speed?
A) in a vacuum
B) in diamond
C) in glass
D) in water
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 23
Topic – 3.4 Sound
Which statement about a sound that can be heard by a person with normal hearing is correct?
A) The sound is a longitudinal wave with a frequency between 2.0 Hz and 20 Hz.
B) The sound is a longitudinal wave with a frequency between 20 Hz and 20 000 Hz.
C) The sound is a transverse wave with a frequency between 2.0 Hz and 2000 Hz.
D) The sound is a transverse wave with a frequency between 2.0 Hz and 20 MHz.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 24
Topic – 4.1 Simple phenomena of magnetism
A hard magnetic material can be used to make a permanent magnet.
A soft magnetic material can be used to make a temporary magnet.
Which row shows whether iron and steel are hard or soft magnetic materials?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 25
Topic – 4.3.2 Series and parallel circuits
A battery is connected to an ammeter and a resistor.
The ammeter reading is 0.20 A.
An electrical insulator is connected in parallel with the resistor.
What is the ammeter reading?
A) 0 A
B) between 0 A and 0.20 A
C) 0.20 A
D) greater than 0.20 A
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 26
Topic – 4.2.3 Electromotive force and potential difference
Which unit is used to measure electromotive force (e.m.f.)?
A) ampere
B) joule
C) volt
D) watt
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 27
Topic – 4.2.4 Resistance
Which equation is correct for resistance R, potential difference (p.d.) V and current I ?
A) \( R=\frac{V}{I}\)
B) R = V + I
C) \( R=\frac{I}{V}\)
D) R = V × I
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 28
Topic – 4.2.1 Electric charge
In the diagram, rod R is suspended from an insulating thread.
When the positively charged rod Q is brought close to rod R, rod R moves away from rod Q.
Which conclusion can be made from this observation?
A) Rod R is charged, but it is not possible to identify the sign of the charge.
B) Rod R must be positively charged.
C) Rod R must be negatively charged.
D) Rod R is uncharged.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 29
Topic – 4.3.3 Action and use of circuit components
In which heating system circuit would thermistors not be useful?
A) to keep different rooms at different temperatures
B) to turn an alarm on if the system overheats
C) to turn a heating system off at a particular temperature
D) to turn a heating system on when a sound is detected
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 30
Topic – 4.4 Electrical safety
Which statement is correct?
A) A fuse is included in a circuit to prevent the current becoming too high.
B) A fuse should be connected to the neutral wire in a plug.
C) An electric circuit will only work if it includes a fuse.
D) An earth wire is needed to prevent the fuse blowing.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 31
Topic – 4.2.2 Electric current
Which graph of current I against time t represents an alternating current (a.c.)?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 32
Topic – 4.5.4 Force on a current-carrying conductor
The diagram shows a wire in the magnetic field between two poles of a magnet.
The current in the wire repeatedly changes between a constant value in one direction and a constant value in the opposite direction, as shown in the graph.
What is the effect on the wire?
A) The force on the wire alternates between one direction and the opposite direction.
B) The force on the wire is constant in size and direction.
C) There is no force acting on the wire at any time.
D) There is only a force on the wire when the current reverses.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 33
Topic – 4.5.6 The transformer
A transformer has \(N_{p}\) turns on its primary coil and \(N_{s}\) turns on its secondary coil. The voltage across the primary coil is \(V_{p}\) and the voltage across the secondary coil is \(V_{s}\).
What is the relationship between these four quantities?
A) \(V_{p}\) × \(V_{s}\) = \(N_{p}\) × \(N_{s}\)
B) \(\frac{V_{p}}{V_{s}} = \frac{N_{p}}{N_{s}}\)
C) \(\frac{V_{p}}{V_{s}} = \frac{N_{s}}{N_{p}}\)
D) \(\frac{V_{p}}{V_{s}} = N_{p}\times N_{s}\)
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 34
Topic – 5.1.1 The atom
The diagrams represent the protons, neutrons and electrons in different atoms and ions.
Which diagram shows a negatively charged ion?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Question 35
Topic – 5.2.3 Radioactive decay
Which row correctly describes an example of radioactive decay?
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 36
Topic – 5.2.4 Half-life
A detector is used to monitor the emissions from a radioactive source over several days.
The table shows the count rate from the source at different times.
What is the half-life of the source?
A) between 1 and 2 days
B) between 2 and 3 days
C) between 3 and 4 days
D) between 4 and 5 days
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 37
Topic – 5.2.5 Safety precautions
What is the most effective precaution to reduce the risk when handling, storing or using a radioactive source that emits γ-rays?
A) Handle the source for the least possible time.
B) Have a fire extinguisher nearby when using the source.
C) Store the source at a low temperature.
D) Wear plastic safety goggles when handling the source.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Question 38
Topic – 6.1.1 The Earth
Approximately how long does the Moon take to orbit the Earth?
A) 1 day
B) 7 days
C) 28 days
D) 365 days
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Question 39
Topic – 3.3 Electromagnetic spectrum
The Sun transfers energy to the Earth through electromagnetic radiation.
What are two of the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to which most of the energy belongs?
A) gamma rays and X-rays
B) infrared radiation and visible light
C) microwaves and visible light
D) radio waves and microwaves
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Question 40
Topic – 6.2.3 The Universe
What provides evidence that the Universe is expanding?
A) Stars in galaxies outside the Milky Way are all red.
B) The Andromeda galaxy is moving toward the Milky Way.
C) Light from distant galaxies is shifted to longer wavelengths.
D) The Universe is 14 billion years old.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C