CAPE Physics Unit 2 · 2006 · Paper 1

38 questions and parts from this paper. Open one to see it in full, then practise it on Quelpr and get it marked against the mark scheme.

1. 1(a)(i)1 markGive the physical reason why copper is a better conductor than a material such as nichrome.
2. 1(a)(ii)1 markSketch a graph on the provided axes showing how the resistance per unit length of a wire varies with its cross-sectional area.
3. 1(a)(iii)1 markWrite an equation relating the resistance per unit length to the cross-sectional area of the wire.
4. 1(b)(i)3 marksDetermine the resistance of the heater.
5. 1(b)(ii)4 marksThe length of nichrome wire required is 42 cm. Calculate the resistivity of nichrome, stating the correct unit.
6. 2(a)4 marksComplete the circuit diagram to show how a slide-wire potentiometer is connected to compare the p.d. across PQ with the switch open to the p.d. when the switch is closed.
7. 2(b)(i)2 marksWith the switch open, the balance length is 54.2 cm. Calculate the e.m.f. of cell X.
8. 2(b)(ii)4 marksWhen the switch is closed, the balance length changes to 36.6 cm. Given that resistor R has a resistance of 5.00 Ω, calculate the internal resistance of cell X.
9. 3(a)2 marksDescribe briefly, with the aid of a diagram, a practical application of electrostatics.
10. 3(b)2 marksState why gowns worn in a hospital operating theatre are never made of synthetic materials such as nylon.
11. 3(c)(i)1 markComplete the diagram in Figure 3 to show the electric field between the plates.
12. 3(c)(ii)2 marksExplain the process by which sparks pass through the air between the plates when the electric field is sufficiently strong.
13. 3(c)(iii)3 marksCalculate the maximum voltage that can be applied to the plates without causing electrical breakdown, given the breakdown field strength of dry air is 3 x 10^6 V m^-1.
14. 4(a)(i)2 marksWrite the formula for the gain of amplifier A and amplifier B.
15. 4(a)(ii)1 markMark with an X any point or points on the circuit diagram that act as a virtual earth.
16. 4(a)(iii)3 marksIf the input voltage is 0.3 V, determine the output voltage V_out.
17. 4(b)4 marksDesign a circuit using an operational amplifier and resistors with values between 15 kΩ and 200 kΩ to combine three signals V_1, V_2, and V_3 to yield V_out = -2V_1 - 8V_2 - V_3.
18. 5(a)3 marksDraw a circuit diagram to show how a half-adder is constructed using three logic gates, and complete the truth table for its operation.
19. 5(b)2 marksComplete the block diagram to show how two half-adders and an additional logic gate are interconnected to form a full-adder.
20. 5(c)(i)3 marksComplete the truth table for the circuit shown in Figure 5 consisting of gates W, X, and Y.
21. 5(c)(ii)2 marksState the name and draw the standard symbol of the single logic gate that is equivalent to this circuit.
22. 6(a)(i)1 markDetermine the frequency of the signal.
23. 6(a)(ii)1 markDetermine the period of the signal.
24. 6(a)(iii)2 marksFind the r.m.s. voltage of the signal.
25. 6(a)(iv)3 marksDraw the graph showing the variation of voltage with time on the axes in Figure 6.
26. 6(b)3 marksDraw a graph on the axes in Figure 8 showing how the output voltage varies with time, indicating the vertical scale clearly.
27. 7(a)3 marksComplete the nuclear equations for the alpha decay of Thorium-232 to Radium-228 and the beta decay of Radium-228 to Actinium.
28. 7(b)(i)3 marksDerive an expression for the radius R of the circular path of a particle with mass m and charge q travelling at speed v perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field of flux density B.
29. 7(b)(ii)3 marksAn alpha particle and a beta particle move at the same speed perpendicular to the same magnetic field. If the radius of the alpha particle's path is 0.40 m, calculate the radius of the beta particle's path.
30. 7(c)1 markExplain why the deflection diagram shown in Figure 9 is unrealistic.
31. 8(a)2 marksShow on the screen of Figure 10 the diffraction pattern observed when electrons pass through the graphite sheet.
32. 8(b)3 marksCalculate the speed of the electrons after being accelerated through a potential difference of 3000 V.
33. 8(c)3 marksCalculate the de Broglie wavelength of the electrons emitted from the anode.
34. 8(d)2 marksDescribe what changes would be observed in the diffraction pattern on the screen if the accelerating voltage were decreased.
35. 9(a)(i)2 marksDraw a diagram of the experimental apparatus used in the alpha particle scattering experiment.
36. 9(a)(ii)1 markState why the experiment was carried out in a vacuum.
37. 9(b)3 marksComplete the table by writing the conclusions that correspond to each of the three listed observations from the Rutherford scattering experiment.
38. 9(c)4 marksCalculate the wavelength of the photon emitted when an electron in a mercury atom makes a transition from Level n = 3 (-3.7 eV) down to Level n = 2 (-5.5 eV).