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PHYSICS THEORY

PAPER 3
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Section A
Answer all questions in this section. Answer in the spaces provided

1 Fig. 3.1 shows a helium cylinder being used at a funfair to inflate balloons that float in the air.

Initially, all the helium is stored in the cylinder at a pressure of 2.0 × 107 Pa.

When no more balloons can be filled, all the helium occupies a total volume of 1.8 m3 and is at a
pressure of 1.0 × 105 Pa. The temperature of the helium has not changed.

(a) Calculate, stating the formula used, the initial volume of the helium in the cylinder.

volume = ...........................................................[3]

(b) The balloon seller takes the cylinder back to the helium supplier and it is refilled. The mass of
helium in the cylinder is 0.30 kg.

(i) Calculate the density of helium in the cylinder.

density = ...........................................................[2]
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(ii) The mass of the empty cylinder is 16 kg.

Suggest why weighing the cylinder is not an accurate method of determining the amount of
helium supplied.

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[Total: 6]
2 Fig. 4.1 shows a black car going up a hill on a bright, sunny day.

(a) State

(i) one way in which the car is gaining thermal energy,

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(ii) one way in which the car is losing thermal energy

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(b) The car accelerates up the hill. In addition to the changes in the thermal energy of the car, there
are other energy changes taking place.

Describe the other energy changes occurring as the car moves.

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3 A copper saucepan with a wooden handle contains cold water. The saucepan is placed on a red-hot
heating element that is a part of an electric cooker.

Fig. 4.1 shows the saucepan on the heating element.

(a) Explain why wood is a suitable material for the handle of the saucepan.

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(b) (i) Describe and explain, in terms of free electrons, how thermal energy is transferred through the
copper base of the saucepan.

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(ii) Describe and explain how thermal energy is transferred upwards through the water.

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[Total:7]
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4 A solid, rectangular concrete block is lying horizontally on flat ground with one of its largest sides in
contact with the ground. Fig. 3.1 shows the dimensions of the block.

The weight of the block is 240N.

(a) Calculate the pressure on the ground caused by the block.

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

(b) State why the total pressure on the ground underneath the block is larger than the value obtained
in (a)

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(c) The block is of uniform density.

(i) State the height of the centre of mass of the block above the ground.

height = ...........................................................[1]
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(ii) The block is rotated about its lower, left-hand edge so that it comes to rest on one of its
smallest sides.

This is shown in Fig. 3.2.

Explain why work is done as the block is rotated.

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[Total:6]
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5 Two small tugboats are pulling a large ship in a harbour. Fig. 1.1 represents the view from above and
shows the directions of the forces on the ship.

Each of the tugboats is exerting a force of 49kN on the ship.

(a) Determine by a graphical method the resultant of these two forces and state the scale used.

Scale ...............................................................

Resultant = ...............................................................

[3]
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(b) The engines of the ship are not operating and the water in the harbour is stationary. The ship is
moving in a straight line in the direction of the total force exerted by the tugboats. It is travelling at
a constant speed.

Explain, in terms of the forces acting, why the ship is moving in a straight line at constant speed.

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[Total: 5]
6 A sports car is designed to be very stable when turning a corner at high speed.

Fig. 2.1 shows the position of the centre of mass of the car.

(a) State what is meant by centre of mass.

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(b) State two features of the design that make the car in Fig. 2.1 stable.

1. ........................................................................................................................................................

2. ........................................................................................................................................................
[2]
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(c) Fig. 2.2 shows an irregularly shaped piece of card.

Describe how to determine the position of the centre of mass of the piece of card.

You may draw on Fig. 2.2 or in the blank space.

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[Total: 6]
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7 Fig. 1.1 shows a satellite travelling at a constant speed in a circular orbit around the Earth.

(a) State how speed differs from velocity.

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(b) As it orbits the Earth, the satellite is experiencing an acceleration.

(i) Explain, in terms of its velocity, why the satellite is accelerating.

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(ii) On Fig. 1.1, draw an arrow, starting on the satellite, to show the direction of the satellite’s
acceleration. [1]

(c) As the satellite orbits the Earth, it experiences a force due to gravitational attraction.

State and explain whether this force does work on the satellite and state whether the energy of the
satellite is affected.

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[Total: 6]
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8 Fig. 3.1 shows part of a hydraulic press that is used to compress waste paper into a brick for burning.

A force of 20 N is exerted downwards on the end of the handle.

(a) The force on the handle creates a moment about the pivot.

(i) Define the moment of a force.

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(b) Explain how the hydraulic press enables a greater force to be exerted on piston Q than is exerted
on piston P.

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[Total: 4]
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Section B

9 A children’s ride consists of a steel cable that runs between two posts of different heights, as shown in
Fig. 9.1.

A girl starts and finishes the ride at rest. Her horizontal motion can be taken as
• an initial uniform acceleration for 3.0 s, followed by
• a constant speed of 2.4 m / s for a further 5.0 s and
• a final uniform deceleration that lasts for 1.0 s

(a) On Fig. 9.2, draw a speed-time graph of the horizontal motion.

(b) Explain what is meant by uniform acceleration.

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(c) The final deceleration is larger in size than the initial acceleration.

Explain how the data shows this.

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(d) Calculate the horizontal distance travelled by the girl in the first 8.0 s.

distance = .......................................................... [3]

(e) (i) The girl has a mass of 30 kg and falls a vertical distance of 1.6 m during the ride.

The gravitational field strength g is 10 N / kg.

Calculate the decrease in gravitational potential energy of the girl.

decrease in potential energy = .......................................................... [2]

(ii) The gain in kinetic energy of the girl is less than the decrease in her potential energy.
Suggest one reason for this.

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(f) A group of pupils make measurements to show that the girl’s speed is constant during the middle
section of the ride.

Suggest what measurements are made and how they show that the speed is constant.

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10 A spring is taken from a drawer in a physics laboratory.

(a) Fig. 8.1 is the extension-load graph for the spring.

(i) Using Fig. 8.1, determine the load on the spring when its extension is 4.9cm.

load = ...........................................................[1]

(ii) The point X on Fig. 8.1 is the limit of proportionality for the spring.

On Fig. 8.1, sketch a line to show how the extension-load graph might continue after X. [2]
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(b) A rectangular, plastic block is suspended from the lower end of the spring. Fig. 8.2 shows that the
bottom 3.5cm of the plastic block is in the water in a beaker.

The density of water is 1000kg/m3 and the gravitational field strength g is 10N/kg. The base of the
plastic block is a square with sides of 4.0cm.

(i) Calculate the pressure due to the water at a depth of 3.5cm below the surface of the water.

pressure = ...........................................................[3]

(ii) Calculate the upward force on the base of the block due to the pressure of the water.

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

(iii) In Fig. 8.2, the extension of the spring is 4.9cm.

Using the answer from (a)(i) and the answer from (b)(ii), determine the weight of the block.

weight = ...........................................................[1]
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(c) In the equipment shown in Fig. 8.2, the pressure of the atmosphere is transmitted through the
water. The total pressure in the water at a depth of 3.5cm is larger than the pressure due to the
water alone.

(i) Explain why, in this experiment, atmospheric pressure does not affect the position of the plastic
block in the water.

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(ii) Force is a vector quantity and pressure is a scalar quantity.

State how a vector quantity differs from a scalar quantity.

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(d) The beaker in Fig. 8.2 is gradually moved upwards so that more of the plastic block is in the water.

Explain what happens to the forces that act on the block.

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[Total: 15]
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