*P16*

Pre-Leaving Certiϐicate Examination, 2018

Triailscrúdú na hArdteistiméireachta, 2018

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PčĞĘĎĈĘ – HĎČčĊė LĊěĊđ

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TĎĒĊ: 3 HĔĚėĘ

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Answer three questions from Section A and ϐive questions from Section B.

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Relevant data are listed in the Formulae and Tables booklet, which is available from the Superintendent.

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 S›‘ã®ÊÄ A (120 marks)

Answer three ques ons from this sec on.

Each ques on carries 40 marks.

_____________________________

1. In an experiment to inves gate the rela onship between the accelera on of a body and the
force applied to it, a student recorded the following data.

F/N 0.1 0.25 0.5 0.75 1.0 1.25 1.50

a/m s–2 0.03 0.08 0.17 0.25 0.30 0.42 0.5

Describe the procedure involved in measuring the accelera on of the body. (12)

Using the data obtained, plot a graph to show the rela onship between the accelera on of
the body and the force applied to it.

What does your graph tell you about this rela onship? (16)

Using your graph, find the mass of the body. (6)

While repea ng the experiment, a student found that the graph did not go through the
origin. Suggest a reason for this and describe how the apparatus should be adjusted, so that
the graph would go through the origin. (6)

2. The specific heat capacity of water was found by adding hot copper to water in a copper
calorimeter. The following data were recorded.

Mass of calorimeter 60 g
Mass of calorimeter + water 100 g
Mass of copper + calorimeter + water 128 g
Ini al temperature of water 18 oC
Temperature of hot copper 98 oC
Final temperature of water 22 oC

Explain how the copper was heated and how its temperature was measured. (9)

Using the data, calculate

(i) the energy lost by the hot copper

(ii) the specific heat capacity of water. (16)

Give two precau ons that were taken to minimise heat loss to the surroundings.

Explain why adding a larger mass of copper would improve the accuracy of the experiment. (15)
(specific heat capacity of copper = 390 J kg–1 K–1)

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3. The following is part of a student’s report on an experiment to measure the focal length of
a concave mirror.

“I started with the object 6 cm from the mirror, but couldn’t get an image to form on the screen.
I moved the object back a few cen metres and tried again, but I couldn’t get an image to form
on the screen un l the object was 20 cm from the mirror. From then on I moved the object back
5 cm each me and measured the corresponding image distances. I wrote my results in the
table.”

u/cm 20 25 30 60

v/cm 60 38 30 19.5

Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used. (9)

Give two precau ons that should be taken when measuring the image distance. (6)

Why was the student unable to form an image on the screen when the object was close to
the mirror? (6)

Use all of the data in the table to calculate a value for the focal length of the mirror. (15)

Describe how the student could have found an approximate value for the focal length of
the mirror before star ng the experiment. (4)

4. In an experiment to verify Joule’s law a student passed a current through a hea ng coil in a
calorimeter containing a fixed mass of water and measured the rise in temperature Δθ for
a series of different values of the current I. The student allowed the current to flow for
4 minutes in each case.

I(A) 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.5

∆θ(oC) 3.5 7.0 10.8 15.0 21.2 33.0

Describe, with the aid of a labelled diagram, how the student arranged the apparatus. (12)

Why was a fixed mass of water used throughout the experiment? (6)

Draw a suitable graph using the data above. Explain how this graph verifies Joule’s law. (7)

Given that the mass of water in the calorimeter was 90 g in each case, and assuming that
all of the electrical energy supplied was absorbed by the water, use the graph to determine
the resistance of the hea ng coil. (15)
(the specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J kg–1 K–1)

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 S›‘ã®ÊÄ B (280 MARKS)

Answer five ques ons from this sec on.

Each ques on carries 56 marks.

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5. Answer any eight of the following parts, (a), (b), (c), etc.

(a) Define displacement.

(b) A car moving with a velocity of 20 m s–1 stops in a distance of 50 m.

Calculate the accelera on of the car.

(c) Define the unit of power, i.e. the wa .

(d) Why is high voltage used to transmit electricity over long distances?

(e) What is the photoelectric effect?

(f) The figure below shows a ray of light entering an op cal fibre.
How does light travel through the fibre?

A B

(g) Two long, light wires A and B hang freely, side by side, but not
touching as shown in the figure. I I
Why do the wires move when currents are passed through the wires?

(h) Explain how a fuse protects an electric circuit.

(i) What is the main source of energy in the sun?

23
(j) How many (i) neutrons, (ii) electrons are there in 11 Na?

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6. State Newton’s law of universal gravita on.

Use this law to calculate the accelera on due to gravity at a height above the surface of
the earth, which is twice the radius of the earth. (18)

The SpaceX Dragon Capsule

SpaceX has been approached to fly two private ci zens on a trip around the Moon during 2018.
This will be the first case of lunar tourism.
A er launching from Cape Canaveral and travelling towards the moon, the Dragon Capsule will
cut off its engines.

(i) Explain why the spacecra will con nue on its journey to the moon, even though
the engines are turned off. (6)

(ii) Describe the varia on in the weight of the passengers as they travel to the moon. (6)

(iii) At what height above the earth’s surface will the passengers experience weightlessness?
(12)
(iv) The moon orbits the earth every 27.3 days. What is its velocity, expressed in metres per
second? (9)

(v) Why is there no atmosphere on the moon? (5)

radius of the earth = 6.36 × 106 m

accelera on due to gravity at the earth’s surface = 9.81 m s−2
distance from the centre of the earth to the centre of the moon = 3.84 × 108 m
assume the mass of the earth is 81 mes the mass of the moon.

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7. Define resis vity and give its unit of measurement. (9)

The new Dyson hairdryers dry hair by convec on.

What is the difference between convec on, conduc on and
radia on as a means of heat transfer? (8)

The hairdryer has a power ra ng of 1050 W when it is

connected to the mains supply.
Its hea ng coil is made of nichrome and it has a resistance of
12 Ω. The coil is 40 m long and it has a circular cross-sec on of
diameter 2.2 mm.

Calculate
(i) the resis vity of nichrome
(ii) the heat generated by the hairdryer in
1 minute if it has an efficiency of 95%. (18)
The hairdryer has exposed metal parts. How is the risk of
electrocu on minimised? (9)

During opera on of the hairdryer, the hea ng coils emit red

light.

Explain, in terms of movement of electrons, why light is emi ed

when a metal is heated. (12)

8. What is electromagne c induc on?

State the laws of electromagne c induc on. (18)

A magnet is a ached to a string and allowed to swing as

shown in the diagram.
A copper sheet is then placed underneath the magnet. N

Why does the amplitude of its swing decrease rapidly? (12)

S
What is the main energy conversion that takes place as the
magnet slows down? (6)

A metal loop of wire in the shape of a square of side 5 cm enters a magne c field of flux density 8 T.
The loop is perpendicular to the field and is travelling at a speed of 5 m s–1.
(i) How long does it take the loop to completely enter the field?
(ii) What is the magne c flux cu ng the loop when it is completely in the magne c field?
(iii) What is the average emf induced in the loop as it enters the magne c field? (20)

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9. The diagram shows a ray of light as it leaves a rectangular block of glass. As the ray of light
leaves the block of glass, it makes an angle θ with the inside surface of the glass block and an
angle of 30o when it is in the air, as shown.

30o
θ

(i) What is meant by the refrac on of light? (7)

(ii) If the refrac ve index of the glass is 1.5, calculate the value of θ. (7)
(iii) What would be the value of the angle θ, so that the ray of light emerges parallel to the
side of the glass block? (7)
(iv) Calculate the speed of light as it passes through the glass. (7)
(v) A diamond has a higher refrac ve index of 2.42. What is the speed of light in the
diamond? (7)

Your eye contains a lens system and a re na, which is 2.0 cm from the lens system.

The lens system consists of the cornea, which acts as a fixed lens of power 38 m–1, and
a variable internal lens just behind the cornea. The maximum power of the eye is 64 m–1.
(vi) Is your cornea a converging or diverging lens? (6)
(vii) Calculate
(a) how near an object can be placed in front of the eye and s ll be in focus;
(b) the maximum power of the internal lens. (15)

10. Define electric field strength.

State Coulomb’s law of force between electric charges. (12)

Why is Coulomb’s law an example of an inverse square law? (6)

Give two differences between the gravita onal force and the electrosta c force between two
electrons. (6)

Describe an experiment to show an electric field pa ern. (12)

Calculate the electric field strength at the point B, which is 10 mm from an electron.
B

What is the direc on of the electric field strength at B?

A charge of 5 μC is placed at B. Calculate the electrosta c force exerted on this charge. (20)
(permi vity of free space = 8.9 × 10–12 F m–1; charge on the electron = 1.6 × 10–19 C)

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11. Read the following passage and answer the accompanying ques ons.

Longest synchrotron experiment hits 1000 days at Diamond

Light Source

The longest-running synchrotron experiment has reached

1000 days. The experiment has been taking place at the Long
Dura on Experimental facility at the UK synchrotron Diamond
Light Source. Led by Claire Corkhill from the University of
Sheffield, the experiment inves gates the hydra on of
cement used to store nuclear waste.
The only resource of its kind in the world, the facility
allows scien sts to test complex materials under a range of
condi ons over long periods of me, and then regularly characterize the material with synchrotron X-ray
powder diffrac on. The cement experiment was the first to be set up at and is s ll running 1000 days on,
making it the longest-running experiment to take place at a synchrotron.

More and more cement

Special types of cement are used to encapsulate some radioac ve waste, such as Polonium-209, an alpha
par cle emi er with a half life of 100 years. It is therefore very important to understand how different
types of cement behave over long periods of me. “The cement is being used to safely lock away the
radioac ve elements in nuclear waste for mescales of more than 10,000 years,” explains Corkhill, “so it
is extremely important that we can accurately predict the proper es of these materials in the future.”
This also applies to designing future waste storage. The nuclear industry’s current plan is to create a giant
hole 500 m to 1 km deep and lined with different layers of cement, which will contain a series of isolated
vaults. Once each vault is packed full, it will be closed and backfilled with even more cement. High-level
waste is more of a challenge due to the extreme radia on fields, but will involve more cement.
Corkhill also hopes to encapsulate enriched uranium within cement and record the damage caused by
the radioac vity from the inside out.
www.iop.org/news

(a) What are x-rays?

(b) How are x-rays produced?

(c) Define diffrac on.

(d) A synchrotron is a circular accelerator. Give an advantage of a circular accelerator over a

linear accelerator.

(e) Can a circular accelerator be used to accelerate neutrons? Explain your answer.

(f) Polonium-209 is an alpha par cle emi er. What is the structure of an alpha par cle?

(g) Polonium-209 has a half life of 100 years. What is a half life?

(h) What frac on of a sample of Polonium-209 would be ac ve a er storage for 1000 years?

(87)

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12. Answer any two of the following parts, (a), (b), (c), (d).

(a) What is fric on? (6)

A car of mass 750 kg is travelling east on a level road. Its engine exerts a constant force
of 2.0 kN causing the car to accelerate at 1.2 m s–2 un l it reaches a speed of 25 m s–1.

Calculate (i) the net force and (ii) the force of fric on ac ng on the car. (12)

If the engine is then turned off, calculate how far the car will travel before coming to rest.
(10)
(b) State and define the SI unit of capacitance. (6)

Use the data printed on the capacitor shown above to calculate the maximum energy it
can store. (6)

List the factors that affect the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor. (10)

Give one use for a capacitor (6)

(c) The pitch of a musical note depends on its frequency.

On what does (i) the quality and (ii) the loudness of a musical note depend? (6)

What is the Doppler effect? (6)

A motorbike travelling at 55 m s–1 approaches a sta onary observer.

As the motorbike passes, its engine is emi ng a note with a pitch of 1520 Hz.
What is the change in pitch observed as the motorbike moves away? (12)

Give an applica on of the Doppler effect. (4)

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(d) Answer either part (i) or part (ii).

(i) (a) What is a positron? (4)

(b) When a positron and an electron meet

two photons are produced.
Write an equa on to represent this
interac on. (4)

(c) Why are photons produced in this

interac on? (4)
Cloud chamber photograph by C. D.
Anderson of the first positron ever
(d) Explain why two photons are produced. iden fied (1932). A 6 mm lead plate
(4) separates the upper and lower halves
(e) Calculate the minimum frequency of the of the chamber. The deflec on and
direc on of the par cle’s ion trail
photons produced. (8) indicate the par cle is a positron.

(f) Explain why the photons produced

usually have a greater frequency than
your calculated minimum frequency value.
(4)

(ii) What is a transistor? Describe the structure of a bipolar transistor. (12)

+6 V

1·2 kΩ

V out

Vin
22 kΩ

0V

The circuit diagram represents a voltage inverter.

What is the func on of each resistor in the circuit? (4)

A voltage inverter is also a NOT gate.

Draw the symbol and truth table for a NOT gate. (12)

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