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NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS
Higher 2

CANDIDATE
NAME

SUBJECT REGISTRATION
CLASS NUMBER

PHYSICS 9646/02
Paper 2 Structured Questions 20 September 2010
Candidate answers on the Question 1 hour 45 minutes
Paper.

No Additional Materials are required.

For Examiner’s Use

READ THE INSTRUCTION FIRST
Write your subject class, registration number and name on all 1
the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the paper. 2
You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough
working. 3
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction
fluid. 4
Answers all questions.
5
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each
question or part question. 6

Total

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Data
8 -1
speed of light in free space, c = 3.00 x 10 ms
µ0 = 4π x 10 Hm
-7 -1
permeability of free space,
ε0 = 8.85 x 10
-12 -1
permittivity of free space, Fm
-19
elementary charge, e = 1.60 x 10 C
-34
the Planck constant, h = 6.63 x 10 Js
-27
unified atomic mass constant, u = 1.66 x 10 kg
-31
rest mass of electron, me = 9.11 x 10 kg
-27
rest mass of proton, mp = 1.67 x 10 kg
-1 -1
molar gas constant, R = 8.31 JK mol
23 -1
the Avogadro constant, NA = 6.02 x 10 mol
-23 -1
the Boltzmann constant, k = 1.38 x 10 JK
-11 2 -2
gravitational constant, G = 6.67 x 10 Nm kg
-2
acceleration of free fall, g = 9.81 ms
Formulae
1 2
uniformly accelerated motion, s = ut + at
2
W == p∆V+
2 2
work done on/by a gas,

hydrostatic pressure p = ρgh

Gm
gravitational potential, φ=−
r
displacement of particle in s.h.m., x = x0 sin ωt
v = v0 cos ωt and v = ±ω x0 − x 2
2
velocity of particle in s.h.m.,

resistors in series, R = R1 + R2 + …
1 1 1
resistors in parallel, = + + ...
R R1 R2
Q
electric potential, V =
4πε 0 r
alternating current/voltage, x = x0 sin ωt
T = ex p(-2kd) Where k = 8π m(U2 − E )
2
Transmission coefficient
h
radioactive decay, x = x0 exp (-λt)
0 . 693
λ =
decay constant, t1
2

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Answer all questions in the spaces provided

1 (a) Distinguish between systematic and random errors.

[2]

(b) There are two possible methods of measuring the volume of a cylindrical
container. The first method is by measuring the inner diameter and the
height of the container and calculating the volume. The readings are as
follows:

Inner diameter = 2.57 ± 0.01 cm

Height = 7.8 cm ± 0.1 cm

The second method is by filling the container with water, and then pouring
the water out into a measuring cylinder. The measuring cylinder can read
to the nearest cm3. With the aid of suitable calculations, explain which
method would give more precise value of the volume.

[3]

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2 Fig. 2.1 shows an improved water collection system.

dirty water from roof
pulley

clean water tipping gutter

bucket Water tank

Fig. 2.1
The uniform tipping gutter of mass 50.0 g is supported by the edge of the water
tank and by a rope that passes over a pulley. The other end of the rope is
attached to a bucket. By trial and error, the set-up is adjusted so that, when the
bucket is empty, the tipping gutter slopes down towards the bucket and all
parts remain at rest. The empty bucket is 30 cm tall and is about 10 cm
underneath the left end of the gutter.

A simplified diagram when the bucket is empty is as shown below.

5 cm
10 cm
30 cm

(a) (i) Indicate the all the forces acting on the gutter in a free body diagram
when the bucket of base area = 0.10 m2 is empty. Identify and label
the forces. [1]

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(ii) Assuming the gutter measures 1.5 m long, determine the mass of
the empty bucket. [2]

Mass =…………………kg
(b) (i) When the rain starts to fall, dirty water from the roof flows into the
suspended bucket. Explain how this system enables clean water to
be collected in the water tank.
Assume that the roof and gutter are cleaned up when the gutter is at [1]
a horizontal position.

(ii) In practice, the pulley is not frictionless which offers an advantage.

Suggest what this can be. [1]

(c) In a downpour, the rainwater is flowing from the roof into the gutter at a
rate of 50 cm3 s-1 and has a speed of 0.50 ms-1 when it leaves the gutter.
Density of rainwater = 1000 kgm-3.

(i) Determine the vertical resultant force on the water when it first falls
into the bucket. [3]

Force = …………………….N

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(ii) In 2c (i), you may have made assumption about the final speed of
the water upon contact with the bucket. State and explain what
would happen to your answer in 2c (i) if the assumption fails.
[2]

3 -2q

-q +4q

-q

Fig. 3.1
Fig. 3.1 shows three negative point charges (-q, -q, -2q) and one positive
point charge (+4q), along with some electric field lines drawn between the
charges. The 3 negative charges are at the same distance from the positive
charge.

(i) Identify and explain any 2 of the mistakes in this figure.

[2]

(ii) In the space below, draw the correct distribution of electric field lines
[2]

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(iii) If the distance from the +4q charge in fig.3.1 to all the other 3 charges is
x, determine in terms of q and x the work done by the external agent in
order to bring the +4q charge to infinity. [2]

Work done = ………………………………..

4 (a) State the laws of electromagnetic induction.

[2]

(b) An accelerometer in a vehicle consists of a steel bar mounted on two flexible

blades. The bar passes through two coils, as shown in Fig. 4.1. An alternating
voltage is applied to the primary coil.

Fig. 4.1

(i) Explain why a voltage is induced in the secondary coil.

[2]

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(ii) Explain why the bar is displaced from its equilibrium position when the
vehicle accelerates in a direction parallel to the axis of the bar, as shown
in Fig. 4.2.

Fig. 4.2

[2]

(iii) Explain why the amplitude of the secondary voltage changes when the
bar is displaced from its equilibrium position in a direction along the axis
of the bar.

[2]

5 One of the reasons why earthquakes can cause such devastation is that they can
cause buildings to resonate. For a multi-storey building, it is found that the natural
period of oscillation is approximately 0.10 s multiplied by the number of storeys.

(a) A typical earthquake oscillation has a frequency of 2.5 Hz.

(i) Estimate the number of storeys that a building would have in order
to resonate at this frequency. [1]

Number = ………………

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(ii) Sketch a well-labeled graph showing how the horizontal

displacement of the building might be expected to change with time
just after the earthquake had finished. Assume that the building
was not damaged. Show three complete cycles of oscillation in
your graph.
[2]

(iii) Explain with appropriate calculations why a building of 10 storeys

more than that in part (a)(i) would be less likely to be damaged by
the earthquake. [1]

(iv) The diagram below shows two buildings of different heights

situated close together. Explain why the two buildings are more
likely to suffer damage than if they were built further away from
each other. [1]

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(b) Buildings in earthquake-prone region are not closely built to minimize

damage due to collision of buildings. When a tall building vibrates at
1.5 Hz, the maximum acceleration of the top of the building is 107 ms-2.
Assuming that the vibration is simple harmonic, calculate the minimum
separation between the buildings in regions where the typical
earthquake frequency is 1.5 Hz. [2]

Minimum separation = ………………………m

6 With the help of the energy level diagrams given below, describe how the He-Ne
laser produces a continuous red laser output.

E3*
E2
632.8 nm laser

Excitation by Excitation E2*

electric current through
collision with
He atoms

E1 E1*

Helium Energy Levels Neon Energy Levels

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[5]

7 This question asks you to consider the force a space cabin exerts on an astronaut from take
off until the cabin is docked alongside the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is in a
permanent orbit of radius 6.71 × 106 m around the Earth. The radius of the Earth is
6.37 × 106 m. The graph in Fig. 7.1 shows how the magnitude of the force the cabin exerts
on the astronaut varies over a period of time from just before blast off until docking takes
place. Fig. 7.2 shows how the gravitational field strength, g, of the Earth varies with distance
from the Earth’s surface.

Fig.7.1 Fig.7.2

(a) Use the graphs to determine

(i) the mass of the astronaut [1]

mass =................... kg

(ii) the maximum force applied to the astronaut [1]

force =.................... N

(iii) the pull of the Earth on the astronaut when 200 km from the Earth’s surface. [1]

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pull of Earth at 200 km =................... N

(b) Explain why
(i) the rocket does not produce a constant acceleration even when the thrust is constant.

[2]

(ii) the area under the force–time graph, of Fig. 7.1, will not equal the increase in the
momentum of the astronaut.

[1]

(c) Show that the value of the centripetal acceleration of the ISS is 8.83 m s–2.
[2]

(d) Calculate

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(i) the speed of the ISS [2]

speed = ................ ms–1

(ii) the kinetic energy of the astronaut as she circles the Earth in the ISS. [1]

kinetic energy = ................ J

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(e) In the weightless conditions of space astronauts on long missions in the ISS may lose
mass due to muscle deterioration. Scientists investigated a model of a spring system (see
Fig.7.3) which will operate in such conditions and could be used to monitor changes in
mass.

~0.4 m

Fig. 7.3

It has been suggested that the relationship between the period of oscillation T and the
mass M is given by:

1 p
2
= +q
T M
p is a constant for a fixed number of springs and q is a constant.

The experimental results obtained are shown below in Fig.7.4. The time taken for the
oscillation was measured using a stopwatch.

Time taken for 20

oscillations
M/kg t1/s t2/s T/s 1/T2/ S-2 1/M/kg-1

0.100 10.34 10.38 0.5180 3.727 10.0

0.150 12.07 11.93 0.6000 2.778 6.67

0.200 13.39 13.43 0.6705 2.242 5.00

0.250 14.34 14.32 0.7165 1.948 4.00
Fig. 7.4
0.300 15.23 15.23 0.7615 1.724 3.33
0.350 15.70 15.64 0.7835 1.629 2.86

The corresponding values of 1/T2 and 1/M for the data in Fig. 7.4 are plotted on the graph
of Fig. 7.5.
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Fig. 7.5

(i) On Fig. 7.5, draw the best-fit line for all the plotted points. [1]

(ii) Determine the values of p and q. [3]

p = …………………………

q = …………………………

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(iii) Hence comment on the validity of the relation given in 7(e). Explain your answer.

[1]

(iv) According to medical opinion a mass loss of 10% is considered serious. It has been
2 pT 3
suggested that ∆T = x (percentage mass loss). Determine the variation of
M
period ∆T corresponding to such a percentage loss in a mass of 0.5 kg. Discuss
whether this experiment is accurate enough to detect this variation.

[3]

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8 Under normal conditions, air is a poor conductor of electricity. However, when

the electric field in the air reaches a breakdown value, the electrons are stripped
or ‘ionised’ from the air molecules. This ionised air allows the sudden and
massive flow of electric current. The enormous amount of heat associated with
this current forms a spark.

Design an experiment to investigate how the minimum voltage needed to

generate a spark across a fixed gap of air varies with temperature of the air in a
chamber. You should appreciate that the breakdown voltage of air is affected by
the thickness, pressure and temperature of air.

You may assume that the following equipment is available, together with any
other apparatus which may be found in a college science laboratory.

Air chamber which is not resistant to flame.

High voltage power supply
Electrodes
Vacuum or Air Pump

You should draw diagrams to show the arrangement of the apparatus. In your
account, you should pay particular attention to
(a) how the temperature of the air can be varied and the pressure of the air in
the chamber could be monitored.
(b) the procedure to be followed
(c) the control of variables
(d) any safety precautions you would take. [12]

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Diagram

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