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IGCSE Sample Examination Paper

PHYSICS PAPER 2 Core 1 hour 15 minutes

Answer questions on the Question Paper.

Answer all questions.

The questions in this sample were taken from Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 2.

Question 1: May 2009 Q1

Question 2: November 2007 Q2
Question 3: May 2009 Q3
Question 4: May 2007 Q4
Question 5: May 2007 Q7
Question 6: November 2008 Q5
Question 7: November 2008 Q4
Question 8: May 2008 Q9
Question 9: May 2009 Q9
Question 10: May 2007 Q10
Question 11: November 2008 Q11
Question 12: May 2007 Q12

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1 A schoolteacher is concerned about the large number of vehicles passing along the busy road next to
the school. He decides to make a measurement to find the number of vehicles per minute. Using the
school clock he notes the following readings.

12
11 1
10 2

appearance of clock at beginning of investigation 9 3

8 4
7 5
6

12
11 1
10 2

appearance of clock at end of investigation 9 3

8 4
7 5
6

vehicles counted travelling left to right 5 472

vehicles counted travelling right to left 5 228

a Calculate the time for which the schoolteacher was counting vehicles, in minutes. [1]

b Calculate the total number of vehicles passing the school per minute. [3]

 [Total: 4]

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2 A theatre measures 100 m  80 m  25 m. The air inside it has a density of 1.3 kg/m3
when it is cool.
a Calculate the volume of the air in the theatre, in m3 [1]

b Calculate the mass of the air. State the equation you are using. [4]

c Some time after the doors are opened, the heating in the theatre is switched on.
State and explain what happens to the mass of the air in the theatre as it warms up.

[2]

d Suggest why the temperature of the air in the balcony of the theatre (nearer the ceiling)
is likely to be greater than that lower down in the theatre.

[1]

 [Total: 8]

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3 The car in the diagram is on a level road.

500 N 2000 N force

frictional forces propelling car forwards

a Calculate the magnitude of the resultant force on the car, in N. [1]

b Copy the statement below that describes the motion of the car.

travels forward at constant speed

travels forward with increasing speed

travels forward with decreasing speed

travels backward at constant speed

travels backward with increasing speed

travels backward with decreasing speed

remains at rest

[1]

c The frictional forces increase to 2000 N when the car is moving. What happens to the car?

[1]

d Suggest two things that might have caused the frictional forces in (c) to increase.

[2]

 [Total: 5]

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4 In the diagram below, a small bird, a large bird and a squirrel are on the ground under a tree.

A loud noise scares the two birds. They both fly up to the top of the tree.
a i Which bird does the most work raising itself to the top of the tree?

[1]

ii Explain your answer to (a)(i).

[1]

b A squirrel has the same weight as the large bird. It climbs the tree, to the same height
as the birds.
How does the increase in the squirrel’s gravitational potential energy compare with
that of each of the two birds? Answer the question by copying and completing the
sentences below.

Compared with that of the small bird, the increase of the squirrel’s potential energy is

Compared with that of the large bird, the increase of the squirrel’s potential energy is

. [2]
c Which creature has the least gravitational potential energy when they are at the
top of the tree?

[1]

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d The small bird flies back down to the ground. What happens to the gravitational potential
energy it had at the top of the tree?

[2]

[Total: 7]

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5 An electric soldering iron is used to melt solder, for joining wires in an electric circuit. A soldering
iron is shown in the diagram below.

metal cylinder plastic handle

with heater coil
copper tip
inside
lead to

electricity
supply

Solder is a metal which melts easily. The heater coil inside the metal cylinder heats the
copper tip.
a i Suggest why the tip is made of copper.

[1]

ii Suggest why the handle is made of plastic.

[1]

b The heater coil is switched on. When the tip is put in contact with the solder, some of
the heat is used to melt the solder.
i State the process by which the heat is transferred from the copper tip to the solder.

[1]

ii By which process or processes is the rest of the heat transferred to the surroundings?
Write down as many of the following that you think are correct.

conduction

convection

evaporation

radiation

[2]

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c A short time after switching on the soldering iron, it reaches a steady temperature, even
though the heater coil is constantly generating heat.
The soldering iron is rated at 40 W.
What is the rate at which heat is being lost from the soldering iron? Write down one of
the following.

greater than 40 W

equal to 40 W

less than 40 W

[1]

[Total: 6]

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6 a Copy the following sentences about sound echoes, choosing the correct alternative in each case.
An example has been given to help you.
large
(example question) An echo is caused when a sound wave hits a small obstacle.
thin
(example answer) An echo is caused when a sound wave hits a large obstacle.
reflected
i An echo is a sound wave which is refracted by an obstacle.
dispersed

[1]

ii An echo from a stationary obstacle has

a greater frequency than
the same frequency as
a smaller frequency than
the sound hitting the obstacle.

[1]

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b Two students, A and B, are trying to use echoes to enable them to measure the speed of
sound. Student A has two blocks of wood that make a loud sound when banged together.
Student B has a stopwatch. They stand 240 m from the school wall, as shown in the
diagram below.

school
wall

B A
240 m

Student A bangs the blocks together and, at the same time, B starts the stopwatch. B stops
the stopwatch when he hears the echo. The watch then reads 1.6 s.
i How far, in m, did the sound travel during the 1.6 s?

[1]

ii Calculate the speed of sound, in m/s. [3]

iii The students expected that the value for the speed of sound would be closer to 330 m/s.
Suggest two reasons that might explain why the students’ value was different from what
was expected.

[2]

[Total: 8]

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7 The diagram below represents the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, with an enlargement
of the visible light part of the spectrum.

micro- infra visible X-rays γ -rays

waves -red

visible

M N

a Two of the regions have not been named in the diagram. They are marked S and T
Write down the name of region S and the name of region T.

[2]

b In the diagram above, which is the long wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum,
end A or end B?

[1]

c State one use for the radiation of each of the following regions.

microwaves 

infrared 

-rays [3]

d State the colour you would expect to find

i at end M of the visible spectrum. 

ii at end N of the visible spectrum. [2]

[Total: 8]

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8 Fuses are often included in circuits.

a Draw the circuit symbol for a fuse. [1]

b When the statements in the boxes below are put in the correct order, they describe how a
fuse protects a circuit.

fuse wire heats up

circuit is broken,
so current stops

fuse wire melts

current becomes
too high

List the letters of the four boxes in the correct order. [2]

c By mistake, a fuse with too high a rated value is put in the fuse-holder in a circuit.
State two possible outcomes of this mistake.

[2]

[Total: 5]

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9 The diagram below shows a simple circuit.

6V

reading
A
50 mA

a What is the value of

i the e.m.f. of the battery? [1]

ii the current in the circuit? [1]

b Calculate the resistance R of the resistor. [3]

c State how the circuit could be changed to

i halve the current in the circuit.

[2]

ii reduce the current to zero.

[1]

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d A student wishes to include a switch in the circuit, but mistakenly connects it as shown
in the diagram below.

6V

student’s
A incorrect
connection

i Comment on the size of the current in the circuit if the student closes the switch.

[1]

ii What effect would this current have on the circuit?

[2]

[Total: 11]

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10 Your teacher gives you a length of wire, a sensitive millivoltmeter and a powerful magnet. You are
asked to demonstrate the induction of an e.m.f. in the wire.
a Describe what you would do.

[2]

b How would you know that an e.m.f. has been induced?

[1]

c Name a device which makes use of electromagnetic induction.

[1]

[Total: 4]

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11 The diagram below shows a transformer being used to operate a 6 V lamp from a 240 V mains
supply.

240V 6V
mains lamp

8000 turns iron

a What name is given to the piece of iron that links the two coils?

[1]

b For the transformer to operate, must the mains supply be a.c., d.c., or doesn’t it matter?

[1]

c Using the information on the diagram, calculate the number of turns on the secondary coil.

[3]

d State why it would not be wise to connect a 1.5 V lamp between A and B.

[1]

[Total: 6]

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12 Three particles you have learned about are protons, neutrons and electrons.
a How many of each of these particles
i are found in an -particle?
Answer by copying and completing the following:

number of protons 5

number of neutrons 5

number of electrons 5 [1]

ii are found in a -particle?

Answer by copying and completing the following:

number of protons 5

number of neutrons 5

number of electrons 5  [1]

24
b Sodium-24 can be represented as  
​ ​N
  a
11
How many of each of these particles are there in a neutral atom of 24
 
​ ​N
11
  a?

Answer by copying and completing the following:

number of protons 5 ....................................

number of neutrons 5 ....................................

number of electrons 5 .................................... [3]

c A nucleus of sodium-24 decays to become magnesium-24, by the emission of one particle.

The equation below describes this change.

24
 
​11​N
  a 24
® 
​12​M ​ x
  g 1 __
y ​  

i State the value of x. [1]

ii State the value of y. [1]

iii What type of particle is θ? [1]

[Total: 8]

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