Cambridge IGCSE® & O Level

Essential
Physics
Workbook
Third Edition

e nt mate r i a l
Sampl e stu d

Sarah Lloyd

Oxford excellence for Cambridge IGCSE® & O Level

Language lab Motion 1.1 Making measurements

Anagrams: unjumble the key words.

love mu

insincerely mud rag

muter reel

pock colts [4]

1. In international athletics competitions, such as the Olympics, it is essential to time races as accurately and precisely
as possible.

a. How are the races timed?

  [2]

b. Why is this method of timing particularly important for short races such as the 100 metres?

  [2]

c. Why would it be difficult to time a 100 metres race using a stop clock?

  [1]

2. a. You are asked to find, as accurately as possible, the volume of a pebble with approximate volume 30 cm3, using a
water displacement method. Which size measuring cylinder would you choose to measure the displaced water?

10 ml           50 ml           100 ml           1000 ml [1]

b. i. 
A student is given a block of wood with approximate dimensions 2 cm by 1 cm by 6 cm. Describe how he can
find the volume of the block using a metre rule.

   [3]

ii. Name a measuring instrument he could use to improve the precision of his measurements.

  [1]

2
Language lab Motion 1.2 Distance–time graphs

Match the beginnings of the sentences to their endings.

Beginnings: Endings:
If an object moves at a steady speed it covers by dividing the total distance by the time taken.
The average speed for a journey can be found to the speed of the object.
The gradient of a distance–time graph is equal the same distance every second. [3]

1. a. Use the data to plot a distance–time graph for a person’s journey.

time / s 0 100 200 300 400 500

distance / m 0 160 320 480 640 640

b. Use the graph to find the distance travelled in 150 s.

  [1]

c. What physical quantity is given by the gradient of a

distance–time graph?

  [1]

[4]

d. i. Describe the motion of the person between 0 and 200 s.

   [1]

ii. Describe the motion of the person between 400 s and 500 s.

  [1]

2. Describe the journeys represented by the following distance–time graphs.

a. 
distance

  [3]
time
b. 


distance

  [3]
time

3
Language lab Motion 1.3 More about speed

Describe your journey home from school or college. Include these key words: speed, distance, and time.

  [3]

1. a. Using symbols, write down the equation for calculating speed.  [1]

b. i. Calculate the speed of a girl walking if she travels 100 m in 50 s.

speed =  m/s  [1]

ii. Calculate the average speed of a car that travels 2 km in 2 minutes.

speed =  km/h  [2]

iii. An athlete moving at 4.5 m/s travels a distance of 0.09 km. How long does this take?

time =  s  [2]

c. On a particular journey, a cyclist travels at a speed of 10 m/s for 35 minutes, rests for 5 minutes, and then travels
at a speed of 8 m/s for 55 minutes.

i. What was the total time for his journey?

time =  minutes  [1]

ii. What distance did he travel?

distance =  m  [3]

4
Language lab Motion 1.4 Acceleration

Anagrams: unjumble the key words.

conceal irate insect ad

city love emit

elected ear deeps [6]

1. a. Write down the equation for calculating acceleration. [1]

b. Calculate the acceleration of a cyclist, who increases her velocity from 5 m/s to 7 m/s in 0.5 s.

acceleration =   [3]

c. How long does it take for a train to increase its velocity from 10 m/s to 40 m/s if it accelerates at 3 m/s2?

time =   [3]

d. A car, initially travelling at 6 m/s, accelerates at 4 m/s2 for 2.5 s. What is its final velocity?

velocity =   [3]

2. A girl throws a ball in the air with a velocity of 4 m/s. The acceleration due to gravity is −10 m/s2.

a. What is the velocity of the ball when it reaches its highest point?   [1]

b. Calculate the time it takes for the ball to reach its highest point.

time =   [3]

5
Language lab Motion 1.5 More about acceleration

Match the beginnings of the sentences to their endings.

Beginnings: Endings:

If the velocity of a car is increasing this means will decelerate (slow down).

When a cyclist applies his brakes the bicycle to the distance travelled.

The area under a velocity–time graph is equal it is accelerating.

1. a. i. What physical quantity is given by the area under a velocity–time graph?

  [1]

ii. What is the difference between velocity and speed?

  [2]

b. For the following velocity–time graph:

velocity / m/s

10

A B C

0
0 100 250 400
time / s

i. Calculate the acceleration in sections A, B, and C.

Section A  [3]  Section B  [2]  Section C  [3]

ii. Find the distance travelled in each section.

Section A  [3]  Section B  [2]  Section C  [2]

iii. Calculate the total distance travelled.

distance =   [1]

6
Language lab Motion 1.6 Free fall

Complete the crossword. 1

2
Across 3

3. Used to measure length 4

4. Used to measure the volume of a liquid 5

5. The unit of length

7. The unit of force 6 7 8

8. Calculated by multiplying length by width

10
10. Calculated by multiplying length by width by height
11. Used to measure time 11

14. Used to measure force 12

13
Down
1. The smallest measurement on a metre rule
2. The unit of acceleration 12. Used to measure mass 14

4. The unit of speed 13. The unit of energy

6. The unit of time [14 ]

1. Two IGCSE students are carrying out an experiment to double interrupt

card
measure the acceleration due to gravity by dropping a
double interrupt card through a light gate. The light gate widths
measured
automatically starts a timer as the card interrupts the light by student
beam and stops the timer when the beam is no longer
interrupted. The students input the width of the two sides of
the card into the data logger. light gate
to data logger
a. Explain how, using the two widths and the times for
which they interrupt the beam, the data logger is able to
calculate the acceleration due to gravity.

  [4]

b. Student A says that as the height of drop of the double interrupt card is increased, the acceleration will increase.
Student B disagrees and says that the height of drop will not matter and the acceleration will remain constant.
Who is correct? Explain your answer.

  [3]
7
 Motion Multiple-choice questions

1. What is the SI unit of length?

A mm B cm

C m D km

2. What is the SI unit of time?

A milliseconds B seconds

C minutes D hours

3. Which of the following is not an instrument used to measure length?

A Vernier callipers B micrometer screw gauge

C balance D metre rule

4. What is the area of a piece of paper of dimensions 11.2 cm by 15.4 cm?

A 172.48 m2 B 172.48 cm2

C 0.17248 m2 D 172.48 cm3

5. What is the volume in cm3 of a block of height 0.23 m, length 0.06 m, and width 0.15 m?

A 2007 B 0.00207

C 2070 D 0.0207

6. A toy car of volume 54 cm3 is placed into a 500 ml measuring cylinder, containing 250 ml of water. What is the new
reading on the measuring cylinder?

A 554 ml B 446 ml

C 304 ml D 354 ml

7. A water wave takes 5.02 s to travel the length of a tank three times. What is the speed of the water wave if the tank
is 1.5 m long?

A 8.96 m/s B 0.299 m/s

C 0.299 cm/s D 0.896 m/s

8. Which of the following is the correct formula for calculating acceleration?

A velocity = acceleration × time

B acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time

C acceleration = change in velocity × time

D acceleration = time ÷ change in velocity

9. What is the acceleration of a runner who increases her velocity from 2 m/s to 8 m/s in 3 s?

A 3.33 m/s2 B 18 m/s2

C 2.67 m/s2 D 2 m/s2