Cambridge Past Paper Questions
Browse 23,045questions from 25 years of O-Level & A-Level exams. Click any question to practice.
The diagram shows a block on a slope. [Figure 19.0] A constant force of 1.8 N in a direction parallel to the slope is exerted on the block. This c...
A platform is supported by a spring. A box is placed onto the platform. The diagram shows the spring before and after the box is placed onto it. [F...
A copper wire has length 1.7 m and uniform diameter 0.64 mm. The Young modulus of copper is 1.2 × 10¹¹ Pa. What is the spring constant of the wire?
The graph shows how the extension of a spring varies with the force used to stretch it. [Figure 23.0] What is the elastic potential energy of the ...
Which row describes a progressive longitudinal wave?
What is the phase difference between points P and Q on the progressive wave shown in the diagram? [Figure 25.0]
The graph shows the variation of displacement with distance for two progressive waves X and Y of the same type in the same medium. [Figure 26.0] T...
A moving source emits sound of frequency 1200 Hz. A stationary observer hears sound of frequency 960 Hz. The speed of the sound is 340 ms⁻¹. What...
A light wave passes through a single slit and a diffraction pattern forms. What happens to the frequency and the speed of the wave when it is diff...
The equation nλ = dsin θ can be used with a diffraction grating to find the wavelength of visible light. Which quantity is not correct for use in ...
Two progressive sound waves move in opposite directions and superpose to form a stationary wave. Which statement describes an antinode of this sta...
A student connects two loudspeakers to a signal generator. [Figure 31.0] As the student walks from P to Q, he notices that the loudness of the sou...
The current in a resistor of constant resistance is 8.0 mA. The power dissipated by the resistor is P. The current in the resistor is increased to...
A piece of wire X has resistivity ρ, length L and cross-sectional area A. Wire X has a resistance R. A second piece of wire Y is made of a differe...
A cell of electromotive force (e.m.f.) E delivers a charge Q to an external circuit. Which statement is correct?
The diagram shows a circuit with a battery of electromotive force (e.m.f.) 60 V and negligible internal resistance, a 20 kΩ resistor, a thermistor ...
A potentiometer circuit is used to determine the electromotive force (e.m.f.) E_X of a cell. The circuit includes a second cell of known e.m.f. E₀ ...
The principles of conservation of which two quantities are associated with Kirchhoff's first and second laws?
An up quark in a hadron changes to a down quark. The elementary charge is e. What is the magnitude of the change in the charge of the hadron?
A nucleus of magnesium-23 decays to form a nucleus of sodium-23, emitting a β⁺ particle and particle X. What is particle X?
A nucleus of ²³⁸₉₂U decays in stages by emitting α-particles and β⁻ particles, eventually forming a nucleus of ²⁰⁶₈₂Pb. How many α-particles and h...
Which device uses the magnetic effect of an electric current?
A wire is placed at right angles to a uniform magnetic field. There is a current in the wire and it experiences a force. Beams of alpha-particles, ...
The diagram shows the trace produced on the screen of an oscilloscope due to an alternating voltage input. The time-base on the oscilloscope is set...
The half-life of a radioactive isotope is 2.5 minutes. This isotope is the only radioactive isotope in a radioactive sample. Between time t = 0 and...
When observed on the Earth, the redshift of the light from galaxy X is smaller than the redshift of the light from galaxy Y. Which galaxy is closer...
Fig. 1.1 shows a toy water rocket. [Figure 1.1] The rocket is half-filled with water and connected by rubber tubing to a pump.
A lorry (truck) is at rest on a straight, horizontal road. A constant driving force of 5.4 × 10⁴ N acts on the lorry and it accelerates forwards.
When the temperature of a liquid increases, the kinetic energy of its particles increases and the liquid expands.
Red light of frequency 4.7 × 10¹⁴ Hz travels in air at a speed of 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s.
Most of the energy emitted by the Sun is in three regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Fig. 6.1 shows a circuit that contains two identical cells, each of e.m.f. 1.5 V, that are connected in parallel. The circuit also contains two amm...
An alternating current (a.c.) generator is used in a remote location to supply electricity.
Uranium-235 (²³⁵₉₂U) is the isotope of uranium that is used as the fuel in a nuclear power station.
The planet Venus orbits the Sun at a constant speed of 3.5 × 10⁴ m/s and takes a time Tv to complete one orbit.
Velocity is a vector quantity but speed is a scalar quantity.
A spacecraft of mass 300kg is moving in a straight line in space, at a speed of 8000m/s.
A plane, irregular lamina has a mass of 50 g. It hangs from a nail that passes through a small hole H near to the edge of the lamina. The nail acts...
Fig. 4.1 shows a long vertical tube, sealed at the base and open at the other end. The tube is 1.0m long. The cross-sectional area of the tube is 4...
Fig. 5.1 shows a device that cools the air in a room by evaporation. [Figure 5.1] Water drips from the container into the sponge block and keeps it...
The loudspeaker shown in Fig. 6.1 produces a sound of frequency 800 Hz. [Figure 6.1]
An electric circuit contains a battery, a fixed resistor R, a voltmeter and a thermistor. Fig. 7.1 is an incomplete circuit diagram of the arrangem...
Fig. 8.1 shows a permanent magnet attached to one end of an unstretched spring and held at rest just above a solenoid. [Figure 8.1] The solenoid is...
In space, an interstellar cloud of dust and gas collapses to form a protostar. The cloud contains hydrogen.
The isotope iodine-131 emits two types of nuclear radiation. Gamma radiation is one of the types emitted. A sample of iodine-131 produces a narrow ...
In this experiment you will determine the speed of a wave on the surface of water. You are provided with: • a plate filled with water • a dropping ...
In this experiment you will investigate the resistance of a resistance wire. You are provided with: • a power source • a length of resistance wire ...
In this experiment you will investigate the indentation made by a glass ball in the surface of some modelling clay. You have been provided with: • ...
A student investigates the factors affecting the bend angle θ of a metal strip. The student places a thin straight metal strip on two supports and ...
In this experiment you will measure the spring constant k of a spring using two different methods. The spring constant k of a spring is a measure o...