Cambridge Past Paper Questions
Browse 23,045questions from 25 years of O-Level & A-Level exams. Click any question to practice.
A rubber band is stretched by hanging weights on it and the force-extension graph is plotted from the results. [Figure 21.1] What is the best estim...
When sound travels through air, the air particles vibrate. A graph of displacement against time for a single air particle is shown. [Figure 23.1] W...
Which statement describes a situation when polarisation could not occur?
A stationary sound wave is produced in a tube. Which statement describes the wave speed?
Two identical loudspeakers are connected in series to an a.c. supply, as shown. [Figure 26.1] Which graph best shows the variation of the intensity...
A diffraction grating experiment is set up using yellow light of wavelength 600 nm. The grating has a slit separation of 2.00 μm. [Figure 27.1] Wha...
The diagram shows two parallel horizontal metal plates. There is a potential difference V between the plates. [Figure 28.1] A small charged liquid ...
The diagram shows two metal plates connected to a constant high voltage. [Figure 29.1] Which graph shows the variation of the electric field streng...
B₁, B₂ and B₃ are three identical lamps. They are connected to a battery with zero internal resistance, as shown. [Figure 30.1] Initially the switc...
A battery is marked 9.0 V. What does this mean?
A pencil is used to draw a line of length 30 cm and width 1.2 mm. The resistivity of the material in the pencil is 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ Ω m and the resistanc...
The graph shows how the electric current I through a conducting liquid varies with the potential difference V across it. [Figure 34.1] At which poi...
The combined resistance R_T of two resistors of resistances R₁ and R₂ connected in parallel is given by the formula shown. 1/R_T = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂ Whic...
In the potentiometer circuit shown, the reading on the ammeter is zero. [Figure 36.1] The light-dependent resistor (LDR) is then covered up and the...
Six resistors, each of resistance R, are connected as shown. [Figure 37.1] The combined resistance is 66 kΩ. What is the value of R?
Which statement about α-particles is correct?
The isotope ²²²₈₆Rn decays in a sequence of emissions to form the isotope ²⁰⁶₈₂Pb. At each stage of the decay sequence, it emits either an α-partic...
What is the approximate mass of a nucleus of uranium?
Which list shows increasing lengths from beginning to end?
Which equation contains only scalar quantities?
The time T taken for a satellite to orbit the Earth on a circular path is given by the equation T² = kr³ / M where r is the radius of the orbit, M ...
Which row gives reasonable estimates for the mass and the speed of an adult running?
A student measures the time T for one complete oscillation of a pendulum of length l. Her results are shown in the table. l/m: 0.420 ± 0.001, T/s: ...
A boy throws a ball vertically upwards. It rises to a maximum height, where it is momentarily at rest, and then falls back to his hands. Which row ...
The curved line PQR is the velocity-time graph for a car starting from rest. [Figure showing a velocity-time graph]
A ball is released from rest above a horizontal surface. It strikes the surface and bounces several times. The velocity-time graph for the first tw...
A bus takes a time of 25s to reach a constant speed while travelling in a straight line. A graph of speed v against time t is shown. [Figure showin...
A single horizontal force F is applied to a block X which is in contact with a separate block Y as shown. [Figure showing force F applied to block ...
A mass of 0.20 kg is suspended from the lower end of a light spring. A second mass of 0.10 kg is suspended from the first mass by a thread. The arr...
An object of mass m travelling with speed v has a head-on collision with another object of mass m travelling with speed v in the opposite direction...
Two identical spheres X and Y approach each other with the speeds shown and undergo a head-on elastic collision. [Figure showing sphere X approachi...
Which pair of forces acts only as a couple on the circular object?
A car of mass 500 kg is at rest at point X on a slope, as shown. The car's brakes are released and the car rolls down the slope with its engine swi...
In which situation is no work done?
The diagram shows the cross-section of an Olympic-size swimming pool filled with water. It is not drawn to scale. The density of the water is 1000 ...
A force acts on a wire to produce extension e. The same force then acts on a second wire of the same material, but of half the diameter and three t...
Which statement about elastic and plastic deformation is correct?
What is meant by the ultimate tensile stress of a ductile metal?
A 0.80 m length of steel wire and a 1.4 m length of brass wire are joined together. The combined wires are suspended from a fixed support and a for...
Which of the following wave motions may be used to demonstrate the phenomenon of polarisation?
The diagram shows the screen of a cathode-ray oscilloscope (c.r.o.) displaying a wave. [Figure showing a sine wave on a CRO screen with a grid] The...
P is a source emitting infra-red radiation and Q is a source emitting ultra-violet radiation. The figures in the table are suggested values for the...
The diagram shows a tuning fork above a tube of air of length 25 cm. [Figure showing a tuning fork above a tube of air, length 25 cm, sealed at the...
White light consists of many wavelengths. The wavelength of red light R is approximately twice the wavelength of violet light V. When white light i...
To produce a stationary wave, two waves must travel in opposite directions through the same space. Which statement about the properties of the two ...
A potential difference is applied between two metal plates that are not parallel. Which diagram shows the electric field between the plates?
A particle situated between two parallel metal plates carries a charge of 8 × 10⁻¹⁹ C. The potential difference (p.d.) between the plates is 2000 V...
Which unit is equivalent to a coulomb (C)?
The graph shows the I-V characteristic of an electrical component. [Figure showing a current-voltage graph] What is the component?
The diagram shows an arrangement of resistors. [Figure showing an arrangement of four 10 Ω resistors connected in a bridge-like structure between p...