Physics 9702/41 — October/November 2023

Cambridge A-Level · A Level Structured Questions · worked solutions for every part, with the mark scheme

questions

100

marks

120

minutes

Topics Gravitational Fields · Temperature · Thermodynamics · Ideal Gases · Astronomy and Cosmology · Oscillations · +7 more

Q1Gravitational FieldsFree sample

(a)

(i)

State what is indicated by the direction of the gravitational field line at a point in a gravitational field.

(ii)

Explain, with reference to gravitational field lines, why the gravitational field near the surface of the Earth is approximately constant for small changes in height.

(b)

A large isolated uniform sphere has mass $M$ and radius $R$ .

Point P lies on a straight line passing through the centre of the sphere, at a variable displacement $x$ from the centre, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.2 shows the variation with $x$ of the gravitational field $g$ at point P due to the sphere for the values of $x$ for which P is inside the sphere.

Fig. 1.2

The magnitude of the gravitational field at the surface of the sphere is $Y$ .

(i)

Determine an expression for $Y$ in terms of $M$ and $R$ . Identify any other symbols that you use.

(ii)

Explain why, at the surface of the sphere, $g$ always has the opposite sign to $x$ .

(iii)

Complete Fig. 1.2 to show the variation of $g$ with $x$ for values of $x$ , up to $\pm 3R$ , for which point P is outside the sphere.

The rest of this paper

9 more questions

Q2Temperature · Thermodynamics12M
Q3Ideal Gases · Astronomy and Cosmology13M
Q4Oscillations9M
Q5Electric Fields8M
Q6Magnetic Fields · Motion in a Circle12M
Q7Alternating Currents8M
Q8Quantum Physics10M
Q9Nuclear Physics10M
Q10Medical Physics8M

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