Physics 5054/41 — May/June 2015

Cambridge O-Level · Alternative to Practical · worked solutions for every part, with the mark scheme

questions

marks

minutes

Topics Experimental Contexts · Use of Techniques, Apparatus and Materials · Analysis, Conclusions and Evaluation · Observations and Measurements · Planning Experiments and Investigations

Q1Use of Techniques, Apparatus and MaterialsExperimental ContextsAnalysis, Conclusions and EvaluationFree sample

A student investigates a ball bouncing on a bench.

(a)

The student drops the ball from a height $H$ of $100\text{ cm}$ above the bench, as shown in Fig. 1.1a.
He measures the height $h$ of the ball at the top of the first bounce. The motion of the ball is shown in Fig. 1.1a, b and c.

Fig. 1.1a, b and c

(i)

State how the student can check that the metre rule is vertical.

(ii)

State and explain which part of the ball the student should use when measuring $h$ .

(iii)

On Fig. 1.1c, mark and label $h$ .

(iv)

On Fig. 1.1c, draw the position of the student’s eye when measuring $h$ .

(v)

Suggest two reasons why it is difficult for the student to measure $h$ accurately.

______
______

(b)

The student repeats the experiment for different values of $H$ . For each value of $H$ , he takes three readings for $h$ .
He records his results in Fig. 1.2.

Fig. 1.2

$H\text{ / cm}$	$h\text{ / cm}$
100	64	67	69
90	58	61	62
80	52	54	56
60	40	42	39
40	27	25	28
20	14	12	14

(i)

For each value of $H$ , the average value of $h$ is $h_{av}$ .
Complete Fig. 1.2, giving your values of $h_{av}$ to 3 significant figures.

(ii)

On Fig. 1.3, plot a graph of $h_{av}\text{ / cm}$ on the y-axis against $H\text{ / cm}$ on the x-axis.
Start your axes from $(0,10)$ . Draw the straight line of best fit.

Fig. 1.3

(iii)

The quantity $e$ is given by

e = \frac{\sqrt{h_{av}}}{\sqrt{H}}

Theory shows that $e$ is constant.

Using two points from the graph, calculate two values of $e$ .
Comment on whether $e$ is constant for the student’s results.

The rest of this paper

3 more questions

Q2Experimental Contexts · Observations and Measurements · Analysis, Conclusions and Evaluation · Use of Techniques, Apparatus and Materials6M
Q3Planning Experiments and Investigations · Experimental Contexts5M
Q4Use of Techniques, Apparatus and Materials · Experimental Contexts · Observations and Measurements6M

Loading the full paper…