Cambridge & Pearson Edexcel Past Paper Questions
Browse 35,704 questions from Cambridge O-Level & A-Level and Pearson Edexcel IGCSE & IAL exams. Click any question to practice.
A hinged trapdoor is held closed in the horizontal position by a cable. Three forces act on the trapdoor: the weight W of the door, the tension T i...
What is the definition of force?
A boat moves at a constant velocity v through still water. A constant drag force F acts on the boat. What is the power used by the boat to move thr...
The diagram shows four forces acting on a circular disc. [Figure showing a circular disc with four forces F acting] Each force has magnitude F. Two...
A ball is projected into the air from horizontal ground and follows the path shown in the diagram. [Figure showing a projectile path with points Q,...
The battery of a small tablet computer is initially uncharged. It is connected to a constant 10W power supply for 2.0 hours to charge the battery. ...
An initially stationary firework explodes and splits into two fragments that move horizontally in opposite directions. The total kinetic energy tra...
A spring is fixed at one end and extended by applying force F to the other end. The spring has extension x and elastic potential energy Ep. The spr...
A force-extension graph is produced for a metal wire. What must describe the limit of proportionality of the wire?
A spring has a spring constant of 6.0N cm⁻¹. It is joined to another spring whose spring constant is 4.0 N cm⁻¹. A load of 80 N is suspended from t...
The range of frequencies of sound waves emitted by blue whales is 10 Hz to 40 Hz. The speed of sound in seawater is approximately 1.5kms⁻¹. What is...
A sound wave is detected by a microphone and displayed on the screen of a cathode-ray oscilloscope (CRO). [Figure showing a waveform on a CRO scree...
A source of sound waves with constant frequency moves towards a stationary observer. The observer compares the sound waves arriving at the observer...
Which type of waves cannot be polarised?
A beam of light with power P has an area of cross-section A. The amplitude of the light waves in the beam is X. The beam of light is then changed t...
Two loudspeakers are connected to the same signal generator. The signal generator produces a single frequency. The loudspeakers face each other so ...
Two wave sources emit coherent waves. Which condition must be correct for the coherent waves?
A student sets up an experiment to investigate double-slit interference. The student uses light of a single wavelength from a laser to illuminate a...
What are the definitions of potential difference (p.d.) and electromotive force (e.m.f.), in terms of energy transfer W and charge q?
The diagram shows a network consisting of three resistors. [Figure showing a resistor network with 1.2 kΩ, 2.2 kΩ, 4.7 kΩ] What is the combined res...
A resistor dissipates 25W of power when there is a potential difference (p.d.) of 4.0 V across it. What is the resistance of the resistor?
The diagram shows a cell with internal resistance connected in parallel with a fixed resistor and a variable resistor. [Figure showing a circuit wi...
A radioactive source produces a beam of α-particles in a vacuum. The average current caused by the α-particles in the beam is 1.5 × 10⁻⁹ A. The bea...
The charge carriers in a metal wire are free electrons. Which statement about the charge of each free electron is correct?
Which flavours of quark have charge +⅔ e?
An unstable nucleus of an element decays by emitting an α-particle or a β⁻ particle to become a nucleus of a different element. This nucleus is als...
A nucleus of carbon-10, ¹⁰C, decays by beta-emission to form a nucleus of boron-10, ¹⁰B. For this decay process, what is the change to a nucleon an...
Which quantity is a scalar quantity?
What is the effect of a systematic error on the measurement of a physical quantity?
A car is accelerated by a constant resultant force of 300 N for 5.0 s. The variation with time of the velocity, in cm s⁻¹, of the car is shown. [Fi...
An object is fired upwards from horizontal ground. The object has an initial velocity of 20 m s⁻¹ at an angle of 45° to the horizontal. Air resista...
What is a statement of the principle of conservation of momentum for a system?
Objects P and Q form an isolated system. Object P has mass 6.0 kg and is moving at a speed of 3.0 m s⁻¹. Object Q has mass 2.0 kg and is moving at ...
An astronaut of mass m in a spacecraft experiences a gravitational force F = mg when stationary on the launchpad. What is the gravitational force o...
The diagram shows a child X of mass 20 kg and a child Y of mass 15 kg seated on a uniform plank. [Figure 9.1] The plank has a mass of 7.0 kg and ha...
An object is fully submerged in a liquid. A student determines the ratio upthrust acting on the object weight of the object Which single change w...
A shop sign weighing 75 N hangs from a frame attached to a vertical wall. [Figure 11.1] The frame consists of a horizontal rod XY and a rod YZ that...
A student takes measurements to calculate the density of a liquid in a beaker. The height of the liquid in the beaker is 0.20 m ± 2%. The internal ...
The diagram shows a uniform plank XY of length 4.0 m and weight 300 N. [Figure 13.1] The plank rests on fixed supports at its ends X and Y. A child...
Which relationship is used in the derivation of the equation shown? power = force × velocity
A block is released from rest at the top of a slope inclined at an angle θ to the horizontal. The slope has length L as shown in the diagram. [Figu...
A skateboarder and her skateboard have a total mass of 70 kg. She pushes on the ground with her foot to create a forward force F of 25 N on herself...
A turbine at a hydroelectric power station is situated at a vertical distance of 30 m below the level of the surface of a large lake. The water pas...
A projectile is launched at 45° to the horizontal with initial kinetic energy E. Assuming air resistance to be negligible, what will be the kinetic...
A wire is extended by a tensile force so that its deformation is elastic. What is meant by elastic deformation?
A bolt is subjected to a tensile force, as shown. [Figure 20.1] The bolt has a circular cross-section. At end X, the diameter is 2d. At end Y, the ...
The graph shows the relationship between force acting on a compression spring and change in length of the spring. [Figure 21.1] One of these spring...
Which row correctly identifies the properties of all electromagnetic waves? [Figure 22.1] key ✓ = property of an electromagnetic wave x = not a pro...
What is the approximate range of wavelengths in free space for infrared radiation?
The diagram shows a car travelling at a constant speed in a straight line between person P and person Q from point X to point Y. [Figure 24.1] The ...