Describe β⁻ decay in terms of quarks and exchange particles. Include an equation for the decay of a neutron.
1(b)3 marks
Show that K⁺ → μ⁺ + ν_μ conserves charge and lepton number, and explain why it must be a weak interaction.
1(c)3 marks
Calculate the maximum wavelength of a photon that can produce an electron–positron pair. (rest energy of electron = 0.511 MeV)
2(a)4 marks
Explain why the photoelectric effect cannot be explained by a wave theory of light.
2(b)3 marks
Light of wavelength 250 nm falls on a metal with work function 4.3 eV. Calculate the stopping potential.
3(a)4 marks
Explain how a stationary wave forms on a string fixed at both ends and why nodes form at fixed positions.
3(b)3 marks
A guitar string of length 0.65 m has tension 60 N and mass per unit length 4.0 × 10⁻⁴ kg m⁻¹. Calculate the frequency of the first harmonic.
3(c)3 marks
An optical fibre has a core of refractive index 1.50 and cladding of refractive index 1.45. Calculate the critical angle at the core–cladding boundary and give one reason for using cladding.
4(a)4 marks
A 1200 kg car travelling at 25 m s⁻¹ brakes uniformly and stops in 40 m. Calculate the deceleration, the stopping time and the braking force.
4(b)4 marks
A uniform 4.0 m plank of weight 200 N rests on supports at each end. A person of weight 500 N stands 1.0 m from the left end. Calculate the force from each support.
4(c)3 marks
Explain why a skydiver reaches a terminal velocity.
5(a)4 marks
Describe how to determine the Young modulus of copper using a long wire.
5(b)3 marks
A copper wire of length 2.5 m and diameter 0.40 mm extends by 6.6 mm under a load of 40 N. Calculate the Young modulus.
6(a)*6 marks
Describe how to determine the emf and internal resistance of a cell. Include a circuit description, how the data are analysed and how to make the results accurate.
6(b)4 marks
A 12 V battery of negligible internal resistance is connected to a 4.0 Ω resistor in series with a parallel combination of 6.0 Ω and 12 Ω. Calculate the current in the 6.0 Ω resistor and the power in the 4.0 Ω resistor.
75 marks
A 0.40 kg mass oscillates vertically on a spring of stiffness 25 N m⁻¹ with amplitude 0.060 m. Calculate the period and the maximum speed, and state where the maximum speed occurs.
81 mark
Which is the volt expressed in SI base units?
91 mark
What is the specific charge of a proton?
101 mark
Which particle is a lepton?
111 mark
Which quark combination is a neutron?
121 mark
What is the energy of a photon of wavelength 500 nm?
131 mark
Photons of 3.1 eV hit a metal with work function 2.3 eV. What is the maximum kinetic energy of the electrons?
141 mark
What is the de Broglie wavelength of an electron moving at 2.0 × 10⁶ m s⁻¹?
151 mark
Two points on a wave are a quarter of a wavelength apart. What is their phase difference?
161 mark
A string 0.80 m long vibrates at its third harmonic. What is the wavelength?
171 mark
Light of wavelength 600 nm passes through slits 0.40 mm apart onto a screen 2.0 m away. What is the fringe spacing?
181 mark
A grating has 300 lines per mm. What is the highest order visible for 600 nm light?
191 mark
What is the critical angle for light going from glass (n = 1.5) to air?
201 mark
A ball is thrown horizontally at 12 m s⁻¹ from a height of 20 m. How far does it travel horizontally before landing?
211 mark
A 2.0 kg trolley at 3.0 m s⁻¹ collides with and sticks to a stationary 1.0 kg trolley. What is their final speed?
221 mark
A 50 kg mass is lifted 4.0 m in 8.0 s. What is the useful power?
231 mark
A spring obeying Hooke's law stretches 0.040 m under a 20 N force. How much elastic energy is stored?
241 mark
A wire of length 2.0 m and cross-sectional area 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ m² has resistance 20 Ω. What is its resistivity?
251 mark
What is the combined resistance of 6.0 Ω and 3.0 Ω in parallel?
261 mark
A battery of emf 12 V and internal resistance 0.50 Ω supplies 4.0 A. What is the terminal pd?
271 mark
A 9.0 V supply is connected across 2.0 kΩ and 1.0 kΩ in series. What is the pd across the 1.0 kΩ resistor?
281 mark
An oscillator has amplitude 0.050 m and frequency 2.0 Hz. What is its maximum acceleration?
291 mark
What is the period of a simple pendulum of length 1.0 m?
301 mark
A length of 25.0 mm is measured with an uncertainty of ±0.5 mm. What is the percentage uncertainty in the area of a square with this side?
311 mark
Which is conserved in the strong interaction but not in the weak interaction?
321 mark
An electron in hydrogen falls from −3.40 eV to −13.6 eV. The emitted photon is in the:
Finished?
Answer every question to finish (41 left), or finish when the time’s up.
Score 0 / 85 · 0 of 41 marked
This paper is written by Plasmo in the style of the AQA A-Level Physics exam. It is not a past paper and is not produced or endorsed by the exam board.