UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATE

Joint Examination for the School Certificate

and General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

PHYSICS 5054/1
PAPER 1 Multiple Choice
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER SESSION 2001 1 hour

Additional materials:
Multiple Choice answer sheet
Soft clean eraser
Soft pencil (type B or HB is recommended)

TIME 1 hour

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Do not open this booklet until you are told to do so.

Write your name, Centre number and candidate number on the answer sheet in the spaces provided
unless this has already been done for you.
There are forty questions in this paper. Answer all questions. For each question, there are four
possible answers, A, B, C and D. Choose the one you consider correct and record your choice in
soft pencil on the separate answer sheet.
Read very carefully the instructions on the answer sheet.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

Each correct answer will score one mark. A mark will not be deducted for a wrong answer.
Any rough working should be done in this booklet.

This question paper consists of 15 printed pages and 1 blank page.

SP (ND/OI) S09089/4
© UCLES 2001 [Turn over
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1 A pupil uses a ticker-timer to investigate the movement of a trolley.

ticker paper tape moving trolley

timer

Every second, the ticker-timer puts 60 dots on the piece of tape. The tape looks like this.

X Y

What length of time corresponds to the distance between X and Y on the tape?

A 0.10 s B 0.11 s C 0.17 s D 0.18 s

2 The graph shows the speed of two cars over a period of time.
speed

car X

car Y

0
0 time

From the information in the graph, which statement is correct?

A Car X accelerates at the same rate as car Y.
B Car X and car Y always travel at constant speed.
C Car X is more powerful than car Y.
D Car X starts at a faster speed than car Y.

3 A truck takes 20 s to travel the first 80 m, and another 10 s to travel a further 70 m.

What is the average speed?

A 0.20 m/s B 2.3 m/s C 4.0 m/s D 5.0 m/s

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4 A heavy lorry has high inertia.

How difficult is it to start it moving and to stop it moving?

to start to stop

A difficult difficult
B difficult easy
C easy difficult
D easy easy

5 A hollow ball is released from the bottom of a pool. After a short time it rises at a constant speed.

Which statement best describes the resultant force then acting on the ball?
A upwards and equal to the ball’s weight
B upwards and greater than the ball’s weight
C upwards and less than the ball’s weight
D zero

6 The diagram shows a light rod with two weights hanging from it.

0.6 m 1.3 m

pivot
5.5N 1N

A third weight is to be added to bring the system into equilibrium so that the rod is balanced.

What weight is required and where should it be placed?

weight position

A 1N 2 m to the left of the pivot

B 1N 3 m to the right of the pivot
C 2N 1 m to the left of the pivot
D 2N 1 m to the right of the pivot

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7 A force of 3.0 N and a force of 4.0 N act on an object at the same time.

Which of the following forces cannot be the resultant force on the object?

A 0.5 N B 3.5 N C 4.0 N D 5.0 N

8 A crane uses a petrol engine to lift a heavy girder.

What is the overall energy conversion in the system when the girder is moving at a steady rate?
A chemical into kinetic
B chemical into potential
C kinetic into potential
D potential into kinetic

9 A person exerts a horizontal force of 500 N on a box, which also experiences a friction force of
100 N.

100 N 500 N

3m

How much work is done against friction when the box moves a horizontal distance of 3 m?

A 300 J B 1200 J C 1500 J D 1800 J

10 Some gas is trapped in a cylinder which is fitted with a gas-tight piston.

force F on piston

gas
pressure G

surface area S of piston

The gas of pressure G exerts a force F on the piston of surface area S.

Which is the correct relationship between G, F and S ?
A FxS=G
B GxS=F
C S÷F=G
D S÷G=F
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11 The height of the column of mercury in a mercury barometer on a particular day is measured at
75 cm.

What is the value of the atmospheric pressure?

(density of mercury = 13 600 kg/m 3, g = 10 N/kg)

A 1810 Pa B 10 200 Pa C 102 000 Pa D 181 000 Pa

12 The diagram shows two flasks which are connected by a closed tap. One flask contains helium
and the other contains nitrogen. The gases are at the same pressure and temperature.

helium

tap

nitrogen

What happens when the tap is opened?

A Both gases diffuse into each other.
B Nothing happens because nitrogen is denser than helium.
C Only helium diffuses.
D Only nitrogen diffuses.

13 The outlet on a bicycle pump is blocked.

pump handle air blocked

outlet

The pump handle is pushed in slowly. The temperature remains constant.

Why does the pressure of the air in the pump increase?

A The air molecules have a greater average speed.
B The air molecules all travel towards the outlet.
C The air molecules hit the walls of the pump more frequently.
D There are now more air molecules to hit the walls of the pump.

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14 What is a unit of specific latent heat?

A J B J/g C J/ °C D J/(g °C)

15 A student puts the bulb of an unmarked liquid-in-glass thermometer into melting ice, then into
steam above boiling water and finally into sea-water. Each time she waits until the liquid level is
steady, and then marks the level.

The diagram shows the liquid levels measured from the bulb.

steam

12 cm

sea-water

4 cm ice
2 cm

What is the approximate temperature of sea-water?

A 2 °C B 20 °C C 33 °C D 40 °C

16 A small cork is fixed with wax to a metal plate. An electric heater is placed close to the plate.
After a time, the wax melts and the cork drops off.

metal plate
electric heater

cork

wax

How does heat reach the wax?

A by conduction only
B by conduction and convection
C by radiation and conduction
D by radiation and convection

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17 The diagram shows waves set up in a rope by a student moving the free end up and down at a
steady rate.

wall

2.00 m
free end fixed end

What is the wavelength of the waves shown, and what will be the wavelength when the student
doubles the frequency at which the free end is moved up and down?

wavelength as shown wavelength when frequency doubled

A 0.50 m 1.00 m
B 0.50 m 0.50 m
C 1.00 m 1.00 m
D 1.00 m 0.50 m

18 A set of straight water ripples in a ripple tank travels over a thick, triangular perspex sheet.

Which diagram shows the wave pattern?

A B

C D

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19 A swimming pool is lit by a lamp in the bottom of the pool. The directions of three rays from the
lamp are shown.

Which of the marked angles is the critical angle for the light?

C
air

A
D
B

water

lamp

20 Which type of image is produced by a converging lens on a screen?

A inverted and real
B inverted and virtual
C upright and real
D upright and virtual

21 Which set of information about sound waves is correct?

nature of wave speed in glass/ m/s

A longitudinal 5 000
B longitudinal 300 000 000
C transverse 5 000
D transverse 300 000 000

22 A child plays a note on a trumpet. She then plays a louder note of higher pitch.

How do the amplitude and frequency of the second sound compare with the first?

amplitude of frequency of
second sound second sound

A larger larger
B larger smaller
C smaller larger
D smaller smaller

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23 The diagram shows a magnet being used to pick up a steel needle. The north pole of the magnet
is close to the centre Y of the needle.

S
magnet

X Y Z needle

What are the poles induced in the needle at X, Y and Z?

pole induced at X pole induced at Y pole induced at Z

A N N N
B N S N
C S N S
D S S S

24 A charged sphere is suspended by an insulating thread inside a metal can. The outside of the
can is earthed.

Which diagram shows the resulting charges on the sphere and on the can?

A B C D

+ +
– –– – –– – ++ – + – ++ – +
– – + – – + + + + +
– – – – –+ +– + –+ +– +
– – – – – + – – +
– – –
– – – + + + + + +

25 The voltage-current graphs for four electrical devices are shown.

Which graph shows the resistance increasing as the current increases?

A B C D
voltage

voltage

voltage

voltage

0 0 0 0
0 current 0 current 0 current 0 current

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26 Which of the following changes to a wire doubles its resistance?

cross-sectional area length

A double double
B double no change
C halve halve
D halve no change

27 A circuit consists of a battery connected in series with resistors R1 and R2 and a pair of resistors,
R3 and R4, connected in parallel. The p.d.s across the resistors are V1, V2, V3 and V4.

V3
V1 V2
R3

R1 R2

R4

V4

What is the p.d. supplied by the battery?

A V1 + V2
B V1 + V2 + V3
C V1 + V2 + V3 + V4
D V1 + V2 + 1 + 1
V3 V4

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28 Some students set up the circuit shown to investigate how a variable resistor affects an electrical
circuit.

variable A
resistor

How will the readings on the meters change as the resistance of the variable resistor is
increased?

ammeter reading voltmeter reading

A decreases decreases
B decreases increases
C increases decreases
D increases increases

29 The extract shown is part of a Safety Officer’s report on how electrical items were being used in
a house.

‘The hair-dryer had a plastic case with double insulation, so only the live and neutral leads were
connected to the plug. When not in use, the dryer was kept in a metal cabinet but it was taken
into the bathroom to be used.’

Which underlined comment indicates an electrical hazard?

A plastic case with double insulation
B only the live and neutral leads were connected to the plug
C kept in a metal cabinet
D taken into the bathroom to be used

30 Which statement is true for an electrical transformer?

A It will only work if a.c. is used.
B It will work with either a.c. or d.c.
C It is always used to increase voltage.
D It should give out more energy than it receives.

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31 Two parallel wires are carrying equal currents I in the same direction.

Which diagram shows the forces F acting on the wires due to the magnetic effect of these
currents?

A B C D

F F

F F F F F F

32 A compass needle is placed near one end of a coil of wire at position 1. When a current is
passed through the coil, the compass needle points in the direction shown.

magnetic
north
2 1

The needle points closer to magnetic north if

A the current through the coil is increased.
B the current through the coil is decreased.
C the compass is moved nearer to the coil.
D the compass is moved to position 2.

33 Which component should be used in a time-delay circuit?

A capacitor
B light-dependent resistor
C reed relay
D thermistor

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34 The diagram shows some of the important parts of a cathode-ray tube.

+ +
V3 V4
top

spot
+
electron beam
V1
–
screen

bottom
– +
V2

Which change of voltage makes the spot move towards the top of the screen?
A decreasing V1
B increasing V2
C decreasing V3
D increasing V4

35 Which of the following statements about alpha particles is not true?

A They can be deflected by a magnetic field.
B They can be deflected by an electric field.
C They can be detected by a spark counter.
D They are radioactive.

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36 Which graph shows how the count rate for a radioactive substance varies with time?

400 400
A B
count rate

count rate
200 200

100 100
0 0
0 time 0 time

400 400
C D
count rate

count rate
200 200

100 100
0 0
0 time 0 time

37 A radioactive nucleus emits a beta particle.

What is the change in its nucleon (mass) number?

A It decreases by 2.
B It decreases by 1.
C It does not change.
D It increases by 1.

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38 Geiger and Marsden performed an experiment in which alpha particles were fired at a piece of
gold foil. The alpha particles took a variety of paths when approaching the gold nuclei
(represented by dots in the diagrams).

Which of the following does not represent a possible path?

A B C D

39 In which of the following is a force of friction necessary?

A When a ball is bouncing off a wall.
B When a car is accelerating.
C When a drum skin is vibrating.
D When a rocket is taking off.

40 P and Q are two blocks of different metals. They have the same volume but block P has twice the
mass of block Q. When given identical quantities of energy, their temperatures rise by the same
amount.

Which one of the following statements is true?

A The density of P is half that of Q.
B The density of P is the same as that of Q.
C The specific heat capacity of P is half that of Q.
D The specific heat capacity of P is the same as that of Q.

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