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
Thursday 11 NOVEMBER 1999 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 12 printed pages.

SB (SLC / JB) QK94120/3
© UCLES 1999 [Turn over
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1 The diagram shows part of the vernier scale on a pair of calipers.

0 10

3 cm 4 cm

Which reading is correct?

A 2.74 cm B 3.10 cm C 3.26 cm D 3.64 cm

2 Why does an object falling in the Earth’s gravitational field reach a steady velocity?

A Air resistance increases with increase of velocity.

B The Earth’s gravitational field decreases as the object falls.
C The mass of the object remains constant.
D The weight of the object increases as it falls.

3 A car starts from rest and is uniformly accelerated to a speed of 30 m/s in 6 s.

30
speed
m/s
20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
time
s

What is the distance travelled by the car?

A 5m B 30 m C 90 m D 180 m

4 What causes a moving body to resist a change in its state of motion?

A its acceleration
B its inertia
C its speed
D its weight

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5 The gravitational field strength on the surface of the Moon is 1.6 N/kg.

Which values of mass and weight are correct for an object placed on the Moon’s surface?

mass / kg weight / N
A 10 1.6
B 10 16
C 16 10
D 16 160

6 Which set of equipment could be used in an experiment to determine the density of an irregularly
shaped pebble?

A mass balance and measuring cylinder

B mass balance and micrometer
C measuring cylinder and vernier calipers
D newton-meter and vernier calipers

7 The diagram shows a metre rule pivoted off-centre but kept in equilibrium by a suspended mass

;
of 240 g.

0 5 20 50 100 cm

pivot
240 g

The centre of mass of the rule is at the 50 cm mark.

What is the mass of the rule?

A 12 g B 24 g C 45 g D 120 g

8 Which row correctly describes force, mass and acceleration as vector or scalar quantities?

force mass acceleration

A scalar scalar scalar
B scalar vector scalar
C vector scalar vector
D vector vector vector

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9 A tennis ball is dropped on to a horizontal surface. As the ball bounces up and down, the height of
each bounce gradually decreases.

During the motion of the ball,

A the kinetic energy of the ball is constant.

B the potential energy of the ball is constant.
C the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of the ball is constant.
D the total energy of the ball, ground and air is constant.

;;;
10 The height of a mercury barometer is h when the atmospheric pressure is 100 000 Pa.

;;; h

;;;
X
h
5

What is the pressure at X?

A 20 000 Pa B 80 000 Pa C 120 000 Pa D 180 000 Pa

11 When the Brownian motion of smoke particles in air is observed with a microscope, moving points
of light are seen.

These points of light are reflections from

A air particles only, moving randomly.

B smoke particles only, moving randomly.
C smoke particles only, vibrating.
D both smoke and air particles, moving randomly.

12 Why do people feel cool if they do not dry themselves after swimming in the sea?

A Water evaporates and causes cooling.

B Water insulates them from the warm air.
C Water is a good conductor of heat.
D Water is colder than the air.
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13 Which of the following expands most when its temperature is raised by 10 K (°C)?

A 10 cm3 of air
B 10 cm3 of copper
C 10 cm3 of ice
D 10 cm3 of water

14 A thermometer reads 1°C in pure melting ice and 101°C in steam above boiling water. It is used to
measure the temperature of water before and after it is heated.

What is the error when the temperature rise is calculated?

A 2°C too low

B 1°C too low
C zero
D 1°C too high

15 Which material is the best absorber of infra-red radiation?

A dark animal fur

B shiny metal
C window glass
D white paper

;;;
16 The diagram shows a metal saucepan containing water and placed on a hot plate. After some

;;
time, the air at point X also becomes hot.

;;;
X

metal saucepan water

hot plate

What are the main ways by which heat travels from the hot plate through the base of the metal
saucepan, through the water and through the air to point X?

through the base

of the saucepan through the water through the air
A conduction convection convection
B conduction radiation convection
C convection convection conduction
D radiation convection conduction
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17 Which of the following is a correct example of a transverse wave and of a longitudinal wave?

transverse longitudinal
wave wave
A ripples on water light
B ripples on water sound
C sound light
D sound ripples on water

18 The diagram shows the waves in a ripple tank in which the water in parts P and Q is of different depths.

V1 V2

P Q

How do the wavelengths and the speeds V1 and V2 of the waves compare in P and in Q?

wavelength speed
A greater in P V1 is greater
B greater in P V2 is greater
C greater in Q V1 is greater
D greater in Q V2 is greater

19 When a narrow beam of white light passes through a prism, it produces a spectrum.

Which diagram correctly shows the refraction and dispersion produced by the prism?

A B key
V V = violet
R
R R = red
V

C D

V R
R V
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20 The focal length of a thin converging lens is 10 cm.

What is the maximum distance from the lens that the object can be placed so that the lens acts as
a magnifying glass?

A 5 cm B 10 cm C 15 cm D 20 cm

21 A microphone is connected to an oscilloscope. The diagram shows the trace on the screen when
the microphone receives a pure note.

Which trace can be obtained when a musical instrument produces a note of the same pitch but of
a different quality?

;
D

22 A piece of thin card is held against the teeth of a cog wheel.

thin card in clamp

cog wheel

When the wheel is turned at high speed, a note is heard.

How can the pitch of the note be raised?

A by pressing the card against the teeth with a greater force

B by turning the wheel more quickly
C by using a thicker card
D by using a wheel with fewer teeth
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23 Which of the following is the most effective way to demagnetise a magnetised steel needle?

A Drop it on the floor.

B Leave it inside a solenoid carrying direct current.
C Leave it next to another strong magnet.
D Slowly pull it out of a solenoid carrying alternating current.

24 A length of copper wire, coiled around a core, is used as an electromagnet.

Which combination produces the strongest electromagnet?

number of turns core

A few soft-iron
B few steel
C many copper
D many soft-iron

25 Which diagram correctly shows the forces F that act on two charged spheres suspended close to
each other?

A F F

B F F

C F F

D F F

26 What is the current in a 5.0 Ω resistor when the potential difference between the ends of the
resistor is 2.5 V?

A 0.50 A B 2.0 A C 2.5 A D 12.5 A

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27 The diagram shows an electrical circuit.

ammeter
reading 2 A
A

3X

3X

What is the current at point X?

A 1A B 2A C 3A D 4A

28 A circuit contains a low voltage supply in series with 2 bulbs.

An ammeter in the circuit measures the current in the bulbs and a voltmeter measures the voltage
of the supply.

Which diagram shows the correct circuit?

A B C D
A
V

low low low low

V
V
voltage V voltage voltage A voltage
supply supply supply supply

A A

29 What happens when a 250 V, 2500 W water heater is connected to a mains supply using a plug
fitted with a 5 A fuse?

A The fuse in the plug melts.

B The heater burns out.
C The heater runs at half power.
D The heater works normally.

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30 The diagram shows a resistor connected to a cell of e.m.f. 2 V.

5X
2V

How much heat energy is produced in the resistor in six seconds?

A 2.5 J B 4.8 J C 10 J D 60 J

31 Why is the core of a transformer made of iron?

A Iron is a good electrical conductor.

B Iron is cheaper than copper.
C Iron is easily magnetised and demagnetised.
D Iron makes a good permanent magnet.

32 A small coil is connected to a meter as shown.

S N

When a magnet is pushed into the coil, the pointer of the meter kicks to the right of zero.

What happens to the pointer of the meter when the magnet is pulled back from the coil?

A The pointer gives a continuous reading to the left.

B The pointer gives a continuous reading to the right.
C The pointer kicks to the left.
D The pointer kicks to the right.

33 What is emitted by the hot metal filament in a cathode-ray tube?

A α-particles
B electrons
C protons
D X-rays
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34 The diagram shows how the e.m.f. of a simple generator varies with time.

+2
e.m.f. / V

0
0 5 time / ms

–2

What is the frequency and the maximum value of the e.m.f.?

frequency / Hz maximum e.m.f. / V

A 200 2.0
B 200 4.0
C 400 2.0
D 400 4.0

35 An α-particle is the same as

A a helium nucleus.
B a high speed electron.
C a hydrogen nucleus.
D electromagnetic radiation of short wavelength.

36 The half-life of a given radioactive isotope is 10 years. The original mass of the isotope is 12 g.

What mass of this isotope remains undecayed after 20 years?

A 0.6 g B 1.2 g C 3.0 g D 6.0 g

37 Geiger and Marsden performed an experiment in which they fired α-particles at a thin sheet of
gold foil.

What did the results of this experiment show about gold atoms?

A They are mostly empty space but with a negative nucleus.

B They are mostly empty space but with a positive nucleus.
C They are spaced far apart.
D They are smaller than α-particles.

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38 The table shows the composition of the nuclei of three nuclides, X, Y and Z.

nuclide number of protons number of neutrons

X 12 12
Y 13 12
Z 13 13

;;
Which nuclides are isotopes of the same element?

A X and Y only B X and Z only C Y and Z only D X, Y and Z

;;
39 The path of a beam of electrons becomes circular as it enters the shaded region on the diagram.

beam of
electrons

What does the shaded region contain?

A a magnetic field at right-angles to the beam

B an electric field in the plane of the beam
C light waves in the plane of the beam
D γ-rays at right-angles to the beam

40 A quantity of gas in a sealed balloon is cooled down.

No gas is allowed to enter or leave the balloon.

How do the listed properties of the gas change?

mass volume density

A decreases stays the same increases
B increases stays the same decreases
C stays the same decreases increases
D stays the same increases decreases

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