1.

The frequency f of waves of wavelength λ travelling on the surface of deep water is given by

g
f= 2π λ

where g is the acceleration of free fall.

Which of the following will yield a straight-line graph?

y-axis x-axis

2 1
A. f
λ
2
B. f λ
C. f λ
1
D. f
λ
(1)

2. The volume V of a cylinder of height h and radius r is given by the expression

2
V = π r h.

In a particular experiment, r is to be determined from measurements of V and h. The

uncertainties in V and in h are as shown below.

V ± 7%

h ± 3%

The approximate uncertainty in r is

A. 10%.

B. 5%.

C. 4%.

D. 2%.
(1)

1
3. When a voltage V of 12.2 V is applied to a DC motor, the current I in the motor is 0.20 A.
Which one of the following is the output power VI of the motor given to the correct appropriate
number of significant digits?

A. 2W

B. 2.4 W

C. 2.40 W

D. 2.44 W
(1)

4. A particle is moving in a circular path of radius r. The time taken for one complete revolution is
T. The acceleration a of the particle is given by the expression

4π 2 r
2
.
a= T

Which of the following graphs would produce a straight-line?

A. a against T
2
B. a against T

1
C. a against T

1
2
D. a against T
(1)

2
 M
ρ=
5. The density of a metal cube is given by the expression V where M is the mass and V is the
volume of the cube. The percentage uncertainties in M and V are as shown below.

M 12%

V 4.0%

The percentage uncertainty in the calculated value of the density is

A. 3.0%.

B. 8.0%.

C. 16%.

D. 48%.
(1)

6. The sides of a cube are each of length 1.00 m. Each side is measured with an uncertainty of 2%.
The absolute uncertainty in the volume of the cube is

3
A. ± 0.02 m .

3
B. ± 0.06 m .

3
C. ± 0.2 m .

3
D. ± 0.6 m .
(1)

7. The resistive force F that acts on an object moving at speed v in a stationary fluid of constant
density is given by the expression
2
F = kv

where k is a constant.

3
 (a) State the derived units of

(i) force F.

...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) speed v.

...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) Use your answers in (a) to determine the derived units of k.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 3 marks)

T = 2π m ,
8. The period T of oscillation of a mass m attached to the end of a spring is given by k
where k is an accurately known constant. The mass is measured as 0.500 ± 0.045 kg.

What is the percentage uncertainty in the calculated value of the period?

A. 3.0%

B. 4.5%

C. 9.0%

D. 18%
(1)

4
9. The speed of sound v in a gas is related to the pressure P of the gas by the expression

v = kP

where k is a constant.

Which variables should be plotted in order to produce a straight-line graph with the slope equal
to k?

2 2
A. v against P

2
B. v against P

C. v against P

D. v against P
(1)

10. Which one of the following quantities is a vector?

A. Work

B. Temperature

C. Electric field

D. Pressure
(1)

5
11. The length of a rod is measured using part of a metre rule that is graduated in millimetres, as
shown below.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
c m

Which one of the following is the measurement, with its uncertainty, of the length of the rod?

A. 5 ± 0.1 cm

B. 5 ± 0.2 cm

C. 5.0 ± 0.1 cm

D. 5.0 ± 0.2 cm
(1)

12. Which one of the following includes three vector quantities?

A. velocity weight field strength

B. weight mass field strength

C. velocity energy weight

D. mass energy field strength

(1)

6
13. An object falls from rest with an acceleration g. The variation with time t of the displacement s
of the object is given by

1
s = gt 2 .
2

The uncertainty in the value of the time is ± 6% and the uncertainty in the value of g is ± 4%.
The best estimate for the uncertainty of the position of the object is

A. ± 5%.

B. ± 8%.

C. ± 10%.

D. ± 16%.
(1)

14. Sub-multiples of units may be expressed using a prefix. Which one of the following lists the
prefixes in decreasing order of magnitude?

A. centi- micro- milli- nano-

B. milli- centi- nano- micro-

C. centi- milli- micro- nano-

D. milli- micro- centi- nano-

(1)

15. Which of the following represents two vector quantities?

A. distance, acceleration

B. kinetic energy, work

C. force, momentum

D. electric field strength, electric potential

(1)

7
16. Which one of the following contains three fundamental units?

A. Metre Kilogram Coulomb

B. Second Ampere Newton

C. Kilogram Ampere Kelvin

D. Kelvin Coulomb Second

(1)

17. Which one of the following is a fundamental unit in the SI system?

A. Ampere

B. Volt

C. Ohm

D. Tesla
(1)

8
18. The frequency f of an oscillating system is given by

1 g
f=
2π l

where g and π are constants.

The frequency f is measured for different values of l and a graph is plotted.

Which one of the following will produce a straight-line graph?

x-axis y-axis

A. f l

B. f l

2 1
C. f
l

2
D. f l

(1)

19. The diagram below shows the position of the meniscus of the mercury in a mercury-in-glass
thermometer.

2 4 6 8 1 0
T / ° C

Which of the following best expresses the indicated temperature with its uncertainty?

A. (6.0 ± 0.5)°C

B. (6.1 ± 0.1)°C

C. (6.2 ± 0.2)°C

D. (6.2 ± 0.5)°C
(1)

9
20. The kWh is equal to

3
A. 1.0 × 10 J.

3
B. 3.6 × 10 J.

4
C. 6.0 × 10 J.

6
D. 3.6 × 10 J.
(1)

21. The radius of a loop is measured to be (10.0 ± 0.5) cm. Which of the following is the best
estimate of the uncertainty in the calculated area of the loop?

A. 0.25%

B. 5%

C. 10%

D. 25%
(1)

10
22. The volume V of a cylinder of height h and radius r is given by the expression

2
V = πr h.

In a particular experiment, r is to be determined from measurements of V and h. The

uncertainties in V and in h are as shown below.

V ± 7%

h ± 3%

The approximate uncertainty in r is

A. 10%.

B. 5%.

C. 4%.

D. 2%.
(1)

11
23. Two objects X and Y are moving away from the point P. The diagram below shows the velocity
vectors of the two objects.

V e l o c i t y v e c t o r f o r o b j e c t Y

P
V e l o c i t y v e c t o r f o r o b j e c t

Which of the following velocity vectors best represents the velocity of object X relative to
object Y?

A . B .

C . D .

(1)

12
24. An object of mass m is hung from a spring. When the object is pulled downwards and then
released, the frequency f of oscillation of the object is given by the expression

1 m
= 2π
f k

where k is a constant.

Which one of the following graphs would produce a straight-line for the variation with mass m
of frequency f?

x-axis y-axis
A. m f

B. m 1
f

C. 1 1
m2 f
m 2
D. f
(1)

25. Which one of the following is a fundamental unit?

A. Coulomb

B. Ohm

C. Volt

D. Ampere
(1)

13
26. The diagram below shows a boat that is about to cross a river in a direction perpendicular to the
–1 –1
bank at a speed of 0.8 m s . The current flows at 0.6 m s in the direction shown.

B a n k

– 1
0 . 8 m s
– 1
0 . 6 m s

B o a t
B a n k

The magnitude of the displacement of the boat 5 seconds after leaving the bank is

A. 3 m.

B. 4 m.

C. 5 m.

D. 7 m.
(1)

27. Which of the following is the best estimate, to one significant digit, of the quantity shown
below?

π × 8.1
(15.9)

A. 1.5

B. 2.0

C. 5.8

D. 6.0
(1)

14
28. Which one of the following units is a unit of energy?

A. eV
–1
B. Ws
–1
C. Wm
–1
D. Nms
(1)

29. A student measures two lengths as follows:

T = 10.0 ± 0.1 cm
S = 20.0 ± 0.1 cm.

The student calculates:

FT, the fractional uncertainty in T

FS, the fractional uncertainty in S
FT–S, the fractional uncertainty in (T – S)
FT+S, the fractional uncertainty in (T + S).

Which of these uncertainties has the largest magnitude?

A. FT

B. FS

C. FT–S

D. FT+S
(1)

15
30. The resistive force F acting on a sphere of radius r moving at speed v through a liquid is given
by

F = cvr

where c is a constant. Which of the following is a correct unit for c?

A. N

–1
B. Ns

2 –1
C. Nm s

–2
D. Nm s
(1)

31. Which one of the following lists a fundamental unit and a derived unit?

A. ampere second

B. coulomb kilogram

C. coulomb newton

D. metre kilogram
(1)

32. When a force F of (10.0 ± 0.2) N is applied to a mass m of (2.0 ± 0.1) kg, the percentage
F
uncertainty attached to the value of the calculated acceleration m is

A. 2%.

B. 5%.

C. 7%.

D. 10%.
(1)

16
33. Natalie measures the mass and speed of a glider. The percentage uncertainty in her
measurement of the mass is 3% and in the measurement of the speed is 10%. Her calculated
value of the kinetic energy of the glider will have an uncertainty of

A. 30%.

B. 23%.

C. 13%.

D. 10%.
(1)

34. Which one of the following is a fundamental unit?

A. Coulomb

B. Ohm

C. Volt

D. Ampere
(1)

35. Which one of the following is a scalar quantity?

A. Pressure

B. Impulse

C. Magnetic field strength

D. Weight
(1)

17
36. The time period T of oscillation of a mass m suspended from a vertical spring is given by the
expression

m
T = 2π k

where k is a constant.

Which one of the following plots will give rise to a straight-line graph?

2
A. T against m

B. T against m

C. T against m

D. T against m
(1)

37. Which one of the following is a vector quantity?

A. Electric power

B. Electrical resistance

C. Electric field strength

D. Electric potential difference

(1)

2
38. The power dissipated in a resistor of resistance R carrying a current I is equal to I R. The value
of I has an uncertainty of ±2% and the value of R has an uncertainty of ±10%. The value of the
uncertainty in the calculated power dissipation is

A. ±8%.

B. ±12%.

C. ±14%.

D. ±20%.
(1)

18
39. A student measures the current in a resistor as 677 mA for a potential difference of 3.6 V. A
calculator shows the resistance of the resistor to be 5.3175775 Ω. Which one of the following
gives the resistance to an appropriate number of significant figures?

A. 5.3 Ω

B. 5.32 Ω

C. 5.318 Ω

D. 5.31765775 Ω
(1)

40. Two forces of magnitudes 7 N and 5 N act at a point. Which one of the following is not a
possible value for the magnitude of the resultant force?

A. 1N

B. 3N

C. 5N

D. 7N
(1)

41. The unit, the electron-volt is equivalent to

19
A. 1.6 × 10 J.

B. 1.0 J.

–19
C. 1.6 × 10 J.

–31
D. 9.1 × 10 J.
(1)

19
42. A student measures a distance several times. The readings lie between 49.8 cm and 50.2 cm.
This measurement is best recorded as

A. 49.8 ± 0.2 cm.

B. 49.8 ± 0.4 cm.

C. 50.0 ± 0.2 cm.

D. 50.0 ± 0.4 cm.

(1)

20