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Physics

ATP(3)
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1 A student investigates the use of pulleys to lift a load.

The student uses two pulleys A and B to lift a load W, as shown in Fig. 2.1.

The student uses a newton meter to measure the minimum force F needed to raise the load.

(a) The student raises the load at a slow constant speed by pulling on the newton meter.

(i) Explain why the student uses a constant speed

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(ii) Suggest a reason for using a slow constant speed

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(b) The student measures F for a load W of 0.20 N.

Fig. 2.2 shows the newton meter when the load is raised at a slow steady speed

(i) State the force F shown by the newton meter.

F = ...........................................................[1]

(ii) On Fig. 2.2, mark the position of the eye of the student when taking the reading. [1]

(c) The student takes a series of readings of F for different values of W.

The readings are shown in Fig. 2.3.

On Fig. 2.3, write your value of F from (b)(i)

(i) On Fig. 2.4, plot the graph of F / N on the y-axis against W / N on the x-axis.
Start your axes from the origin.
Draw the straight line of best fit. [4]

(ii) Use your graph to find the value of F when W = 0.

F = ...........................................................[1]
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(iii) Suggest a reason why the line of best fit does not pass through the origin.

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(d) Determine the gradient of the line. Show your working.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

gradient = ...........................................................[2]
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2 A student is to determine the density of a liquid.

She pours the liquid into a measuring cylinder, as shown in Fig. 1.1

(a) (i) State the volume V of the liquid in the measuring cylinder.

V = ................................................... cm³ [1]

(ii) Her friend also measures the same volume of liquid in the measuring cylinder and she records a
larger volume than the correct value in (a)(i).

Suggest how she makes this error.

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(b) (i) State another piece of apparatus that the student needs in order to determine the density of the
liquid.

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(ii) Explain in detail how she uses her apparatus to determine the density.

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(c) Her friend also determines the density using her incorrect value for the volume. State how her
density value compares to that of the student.

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3 A student uses a 30cm ruler graduated in millimetres to estimate the thickness of a sheet of paper by
two different methods.

(a) Method 1

The student:

• takes 1 sheet of paper from a pack of 500 sheets and folds it in half
• folds the paper in half again
• repeats this process until the paper has been folded in half 5 times
• measures and records the thickness of the folded sheet.

Thickness of folded paper = 0.4cm

The folded sheet is now 32 sheets of paper thick.

Calculate the mean thickness of 1 sheet of paper.

mean thickness of 1 sheet = .................................................... cm [1]

(b) Method 2

The student:

• takes the remainder of the pack of paper and measures the thickness of the entire pack
• repeats the measurement twice more at different places around the edge of the pack.

The student’s results are:

4.3cm 4.4cm 4.3cm

(i) Calculate the mean thickness of the pack.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

mean thickness of pack = .................................................... cm [2]

(ii) Calculate the mean thickness of 1 sheet of paper.

mean thickness of 1 sheet = .................................................... cm [1]

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(c) State which method of measuring the mean thickness of a sheet of paper is more accurate.
Give one reason for your answer.

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4 A student investigates the effect of insulation on the rate of cooling of hot water in a beaker.

He pours 250cm³ of hot water into a beaker and places a thermometer in the water, as shown in Fig.
2.1.

He waits for a short time. He then starts a stopwatch as he records the temperature θ of the hot water.
This is at time t = 0.

Fig. 2.2 shows the thermometer at t = 0.

(a) (i) Read the thermometer and record the temperature θ.

θ = .................................................. [1]
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(ii) Explain why the student waits a short time before recording the temperature of the water
at t = 0.

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(b) The student records the temperature of the water in the beaker after 3.0 minutes.

He then pours 250cm³ of hot water into an identical beaker that is insulated with cotton wool, as
shown in Fig. 2.3. He repeats the procedure.

His results are shown in the table in Fig. 2.4.

(i) Complete the column headings in the table in Fig. 2.4. [1]

(ii) Add your value of θ in (a)(i) to the table in Fig. 2.4.

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(iii) State whether the insulation has any significant effect on the rate of cooling in the first 3.0
minutes.

Justify your answer by reference to the results

statement ........................................................................................................................................

justification ......................................................................................................................................

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(c) (i) Initially, the main cause of heat loss from the beaker is evaporation.

Suggest how the student can reduce heat loss by evaporation.

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(ii) State one other modification to the apparatus in Fig. 2.3 that reduces further the loss of heat.

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(d) State one quantity that is kept constant to make a fair comparison between the rate of cooling of
the two beakers.

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