Cambridge International AS & A Level

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PHYSICS 9702/22
Paper 2 AS Level Structured Questions October/November 2022

1 hour 15 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use a calculator.
● You should show all your working and use appropriate units.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 60.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 16 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (KN/JG) 303278/3
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Data

acceleration of free fall g = 9.81 m s–2

speed of light in free space c = 3.00 × 108 m s–1

elementary charge e = 1.60 × 10–19 C

unified atomic mass unit 1 u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg

rest mass of proton mp = 1.67 × 10–27 kg

rest mass of electron me = 9.11 × 10–31 kg

Avogadro constant NA = 6.02 × 1023 mol–1

molar gas constant R = 8.31 J K–1 mol–1

Boltzmann constant k = 1.38 × 10–23 J K–1

gravitational constant G = 6.67 × 10–11 N m2 kg–2

permittivity of free space ε0 = 8.85 × 10–12 F m–1

1
( = 8.99 × 109 m F–1)
4rf0

Planck constant h = 6.63 × 10–34 J s

Stefan–Boltzmann constant σ = 5.67 × 10–8 W m–2 K–4

Formulae

uniformly accelerated motion s = ut + 12 at 2

v 2 = u 2 + 2as

hydrostatic pressure ∆p = ρg∆h

upthrust F = ρgV

fs v
Doppler effect for sound waves fo = v!v
s

electric current I = Anvq

resistors in series R = R1 + R2 + ...

1 1 1
resistors in parallel = + + ...
R R1 R2

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1 (a) State what is meant by work done.

...................................................................................................................................................

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

(b) Use the answer to (a) to determine the SI base units of power.

SI base units ......................................................... [2]

(c) The maximum useful output power P of a car travelling on a horizontal road is given by

P = v 3 b

where v is the maximum speed of the car and b is a constant.

For the car,

  P = 84 kW ± 5%
and b = 0.56 ± 7% in SI units.

(i) Calculate the value of v.

v = ................................................ m s–1 [2]

(ii) Determine the absolute uncertainty in the value of v.

absolute uncertainty = ................................................ m s–1 [2]

[Total: 7]

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2 A spherical balloon is filled with a fixed mass of gas. A small block is connected by a string to the
balloon, as shown in Fig. 2.1.

balloon

string
block
ground

Fig. 2.1 (not to scale)

The block is held on the ground by an external force so that the string is vertical. The density of
the air surrounding the balloon is 1.2 kg m–3. The upthrust acting on the balloon is 0.071 N. The
upthrust acting on the string and block is negligible.

(a) By using Archimedes’ principle, calculate the radius r of the balloon.

r = ..................................................... m [2]

(b) The total weight of the balloon, string and block is 0.053 N.

The external force holding the block on the ground is removed so that the released block is
lifted vertically upwards by the balloon.

Calculate the acceleration of the block immediately after it is released.

acceleration = ................................................ m s–2 [3]

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(c) The balloon continues to lift the block. The string breaks as the block is moving vertically
upwards with a speed of 1.4 m s–1. After the string breaks, the detached block briefly continues
moving upwards before falling vertically downwards to the ground. The block hits the ground
with a speed of 3.6 m s–1.

Assume that the air resistance on the block is negligible.

(i) By considering the motion of the block after the string breaks, calculate the height of the
block above the ground when the string breaks.

height = ..................................................... m [2]

(ii) The string breaks at time t = 0 and the block hits the ground at time t = T.

On Fig. 2.2, sketch a graph to show the variation of the velocity v of the block with time t
from t = 0 to t = T.

Numerical values of t are not required. Assume that v is positive in the upward direction.

3
v / m s–1
2

0
0 T
–1 t

–2

–3

–4

Fig. 2.2
[2]

[Total: 9]

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3 (a) State what is meant by the centre of gravity of an object.

...................................................................................................................................................

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

(b) A uniform beam AB is attached by a frictionless hinge to a vertical wall at end A. The beam is
held so that it is horizontal by a metal wire CD, as shown in Fig. 3.1.

C
wire
wall
45 N
block
37° D
A B

23 N W
hinge

0.56 m 0.20 m 0.20 m

Fig. 3.1 (not to scale)

The beam is of length 0.96 m and weight 23 N. A block of weight W rests on the beam at a
distance of 0.20 m from end B. The wire is attached to the beam at point D which is a distance
of 0.40 m from end B. The wire exerts a force on the beam of 45 N at an angle of 37° to the
horizontal. The beam is in equilibrium.

(i) Calculate the vertical component of the force exerted by the wire on the beam.

vertical component of the force = ..................................................... N [1]

(ii) By taking moments about A, calculate the weight W of the block.

W = ..................................................... N [3]

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(iii) The hinge exerts a force on the beam at end A.

Calculate the horizontal component of this force.

horizontal component of force = ..................................................... N [1]

(iv) The block is now placed closer to point D on the beam.

State whether this change will increase, decrease or have no effect on the tension in the
wire.

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

(v) The stress in the wire is 5.3 × 107 Pa. The wire is now replaced by a second wire that has
a radius which is three times greater than that of the original wire. The tension in the wire
is unchanged.

Calculate the stress in the second wire.

stress = .................................................... Pa [2]

[Total: 9]

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4 A horizontal spring is fixed at one end. A block is pushed against the other end of the spring so
that the spring is compressed, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

compressed spring

block frictionless
surface

Fig. 4.1

The block is released and accelerates along a horizontal frictionless surface as the spring returns
to its original length. The block leaves the end of the spring with a speed of 2.3 m s–1, as shown in
Fig. 4.2.

speed
spring 2.3 m s–1
block leaving
the spring

Fig. 4.2

The block has a mass of 250 g and the spring has a spring constant of 420 N m–1.

Assume that the spring always obeys Hooke’s law and that all the elastic potential energy of the
spring is transferred to the kinetic energy of the block.

(a) Calculate the kinetic energy of the block as it leaves the spring.

kinetic energy = ...................................................... J [2]

(b) Calculate the compression of the spring immediately before the block is released.

compression = ..................................................... m [2]

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(c) After leaving the spring, the block moves along the surface until it hits a barrier at a speed of
2.3 m s–1. The block then rebounds at a speed of 1.5 m s–1 and moves back along its original
path. The block is in contact with the barrier for a time of 0.086 s.

Calculate:

(i) the change in momentum of the block during the collision

change in momentum = ................................................... N s [2]

(ii) the average resultant force exerted on the block during the collision.

average resultant force = ..................................................... N [1]

(d) The maximum compression x of the spring is now varied in order to vary the kinetic
energy EK of the block as it leaves the spring. Assume that all the elastic potential energy in
the spring is always transferred to the kinetic energy of the block.

On Fig. 4.3, sketch a graph to show the variation with x of EK.

EK

0
0 x

Fig. 4.3
[1]

[Total: 8]

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5 (a) Two progressive sound waves meet to form a stationary wave. The two waves have the
same amplitude, wavelength, frequency and speed.

State the other condition that must be fulfilled by the two waves in order for them to produce
the stationary wave.

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

(b) A stationary wave is formed on a string that is stretched between two fixed points A and B.
Fig. 5.1 shows the string at time t = 0 when each point is at its maximum displacement.

A B

Fig. 5.1

Distance AB is 0.80 m. The period of the stationary wave is 0.016 s.

(i) On Fig. 5.1, sketch a solid line to show the position of the string:

● at time t = 0.004 s (label this line P)

● at time t = 0.024 s (label this line Q).

[2]

(ii) Determine the speed of a progressive wave along the string.

speed = ................................................ m s–1 [3]

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(c) A beam of vertically polarised light of intensity I0 is incident normally on a polarising filter that
has its transmission axis at 30° to the vertical, as shown in Fig. 5.2.

vertically polarised
incident light 30° transmitted transmitted
beam, beam, beam,
intensity I0 intensity I1 intensity I2

polarising filter with second polarising filter

transmission axis at with transmission axis at
30° to the vertical 90° to the vertical

Fig. 5.2

The transmitted light from the first polarising filter has intensity I1. This light is then incident
normally on a second polarising filter that has its transmission axis at 90° to the vertical. The
transmitted light from the second filter has intensity I2.

Calculate:
I1
(i) the ratio
I0

I1
= ......................................................... [2]
I0
I2
(ii) the ratio .
I0

I2
= ......................................................... [2]
I0
[Total: 10]

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6 (a) Define electric potential difference.

...................................................................................................................................................

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

(b) A battery is connected to two resistors X and Y, as shown in Fig. 6.1.

X Y

Fig. 6.1

The resistance of resistor X is greater than the resistance of resistor Y.

State and explain which resistor dissipates more power.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(c) A battery of electromotive force (e.m.f.) 9.0 V and internal resistance r is connected to two
resistors P and Q, as shown in Fig. 6.2.

9.0 V
r

4.5 A

Fig. 6.2

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A total charge of 650 C moves through resistor P in a time interval of 540 s. During this time
resistor P dissipates 4800 J of energy. The current in resistor Q is 4.5 A. Assume that the
e.m.f. of the battery remains constant.

Calculate:

(i) the current in resistor P

current = .......................................................A [2]

(ii) the potential difference across resistor P

potential difference = ...................................................... V [2]

(iii) the internal resistance r of the battery.

r = ..................................................... Ω [2]

[Total: 10]

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238
7 (a) Describe the structure of an atom of uranium-238, 92
U.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

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

(b) The decay of uranium-238 is shown by the equation

238 234
92
U 90
Th + X.

For nucleus X, calculate the ratio, in C kg–1, of

charge
.
mass

ratio = .............................................. C kg–1 [3]

(c) Two particles P and Q each consist of three quarks. These quarks are up (u) or down (d)
quarks.

Particle P has no overall charge.

Particle Q has an overall charge of +2e, where e is the elementary charge.

State the quark composition of:

(i) particle P

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

(ii) particle Q.

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

[Total: 7]

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