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PAPER 5 REVISION QUESTIONS

1) An electric motor may be used to lift loads. The efficiency  of a motor is given by

mechanical power output

¿
electrical power supplied

It is suggested that the efficiency  of a motor is related to the angular velocity  of the
motor by the equation¿ k ❑n, where k and n are constants.
You are provided with a low voltage electric motor. You may also use any of the other
equipment usually found in a physics laboratory.
Design an experiment to determine the value of n.

2) A student wishes to investigate how the magnetic field strength of a magnet depends on
the temperature of the magnet.
It is suggested that the magnetic field strength B of a magnet decreases linearly as
temperature T of the magnet increases from 0 C to 200 C.
Design a laboratory experiment to test the relationship between B and T in the range of 0 C
to 200 C.

∆E
3) A student wishes to investigate how the rate of energy loss varies with the thickness x
∆t
of a specific type of insulation.
∆E ∆E
It is suggested that is related to x by the equation =a e−kx, where a and k are
∆t ∆t
constants.
Design a laboratory experiment using a suitable heat insulation to find out whether this
equation is correct.

4) 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 form a spark.
It is suggested that the minimum voltage V needed to generate a spark across a fixed gap of
air varies with temperature of the air by the equationV =k θn, where k and n are constants.
Design a laboratory experiment to test the relationship between V and  and determine a
value for k.

5) A student wishes to investigate how magnetic flux density B affects the angle.
through which beta particles are deflected when they pass through a uniform magnetic field.
It is suggested that ¿ k Bn, where k and n are constants.
Design a laboratory experiment to find out whether this equation is correct.

6) It is thought that the output voltage V from a microphone varies with the frequency f of
the sound waves it receives by the equation V =k √ f , where k is constant. Design a laboratory
experiment to test the relationship between V andf .
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7) A catapult is an example of a system where energy is stored and then released from an
elastic band; the diagrams show a catapult at rest (left), storing maximum energy (centre) and
releasing energy (right).

kinetic energy of projectile

The efficiency of the catapult may be defined as ¿
potential energy of elastic band
It is thought to depends on the distance x by the equation ¿ k x n. Design a laboratory
experiment to test the relationship between  and x and determine a value for n.

8) It is known that a typical filament lamp rated 12 V, 24 W can be inverted with the bulb
placed in a beaker containing water, provided certain safety precautions are taken.
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The efficiency of the lamp is given by the ratio of light energy emitted by the lamp to the
electrical energy supplied to the lamp. Design a laboratory experiment to determine the
efficiency of the filament lamp.

9) A photovoltaic cell is a device which converts light energy into electrical energy. It is
proposed that a number of these cells be fitted to the roof of a house to make use of the
energy from sunlight. The angle which the Sun’s rays make with the normal to the surface of
a photovoltaic cell changes during daylight hours.

Pout
The efficiency of a photovoltaic cell is given by¿ , where Pout is the output electrical
P ¿ cosθ
power, Pin is the input light energy and  is the angle between the incident light and the
normal to the surface of the cell. Design a laboratory experiment to determine the efficiency
of the photovoltaic cell.

10) Many musical instruments contain wires which are stretched between two fixed supports.
These wires are often made to resonate in their fundamental mode of vibration, as shown
below.

It is suggested that the resonant frequency f of the wire vibrating in its fundamental mode is
related to the tension T in the wire by the equation f =k √ T
Design a laboratory experiment to test the relationship between f and T and determine a value
for k.

11) A simple air-spaced capacitor can be made by

placing two metal plates close to each other.
When the capacitor is charged the plates have
equal and opposite charges as shown below.

The plates attract each other because they have

opposite charges. This force of attraction can
be small and therefore difficult to measure.
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It is suggested that the force of attraction F between the plates is related to the p.d V between
the plates by the equation F=kV 2, where k is a constant. Design a laboratory experiment to
investigate the relationship between F and V and determine a value for k.

12) An air rifle can be used to fire small cylindrical metal pellets at a speed of about 150 ms-1
on leaving the rifle.
When an absorbent material is placed some distance from the rifle , the pellets are observed
to create a hole in the material and penetrate it to a depth d of 3 cm to 4 cm.
It is suggested that depth d of penetration is related to the speed v of the pellet by the
equation d=k v n.
Design a laboratory experiment to test the relationship between d and v and determine a value
for n.

13) Piezoelectric effect describes an effect that converts a mechanical effect to an electrical
signal or vice versa. For example, a piezoelectric crystal such as quartz can produce
electricity when compressed or stretched. It is thought that the p.d 𝑉 induced across a
piezoelectric crystal is related to the force 𝐹 applied to the crystal by the equation 𝑉=𝑘𝐹.
Design a laboratory experiment to test the relationship between V and F and determine a
value for k.

14) The figure illustrates a bow used in archery

competitions

A designer of bows is attempting to maximise the

efficiency of his bow. This means that as much of the
potential energy stored in the bow as possible is
converted to the kinetic energy of an arrow.

Some preliminary experiments are carried out with the

bow when the centre of the string is moved through a
distance x by a force F as shown. These experiments
indicate that x is not proportional to F.

The efficiency of the bow may be defined as

kinetic energy of anarrow

¿
potential energy of the bow

The efficiency of a bow is thought to depend on the

distance x. The relation between the efficiency and the distance xmay be written in the form
¿ a x bwhere a and b are constants.
Design an experiment to test the relationship between and x and determine the value of b.

15) The resistance of a metal wire increases with temperature.

The variation with temperature θ of the resistance Ris thought to be R=R 0 ( 1+ αθ ) where R is
the resistance at a temperature of θ (in C) and R0the resistance at 0 C. The constant 
depends on the type of metal
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Design an experiment to determine value of 