Please write clearly in block capitals.

Candidate Number Centre Number 2 9 2 4 0

Surname

Forename(s)

Teacher

Candidate signature
I declare this is my own work

AS (AQA 7407)
PHYSICS
Paper 1A – Particles, Waves & Optics

Wednesday 5 May 2021 Morning Time allowed: 45 minutes

Materials
For this paper you must have:
• a pencil and a ruler
• a scientific calculator
• a Data and Formulae booklet.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Fill in the boxes at the top of this page.
• Answer all questions.
• You must answer the questions in the spaces provided. Do not write outside the box around
each page or on blank pages.
• Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want marked.
• Show all your working.
Information
• The marks for a question are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 35
• You are expected to use a scientific calculator where appropriate.
• A Data and Formulae booklet is provided separately.
 2

There are no questions printed on this page

DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE

ANSWER IN THE SPACES PROVIDED

Turn over ►
 3
Do not write
outside the
Section A box

Answer all questions in this section.

0 1 A student places a transparent semicircular block on a sheet of paper and draws

around the block. She directs a ray of light at the centre of the flat edge of the block.

Figure 1 shows the path of the ray through the block.

Figure 1

0 1 . 1 State why the emergent ray does not change direction as it leaves the block.
[1 mark]

0 1 . 2 The student draws an arrow on the paper to mark the incident ray. She marks the
path of the emergent ray with crosses A, B and C.

She removes the block from the paper and places a protractor over the outline of the
block, as shown in Figure 2.

Turn over ►
 4
Do not write
outside the
Figure 2 box

Determine, using Figure 2, the refractive index of the block.

[4 marks]

refractive index =

Question 1 continues on the next page

Turn over ►
 5
Do not write
outside the
The student uses a different method to determine the refractive index of the block. box

She focuses a travelling microscope on some dots on a sheet of paper for each of the
three situations shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Table 1 shows the readings made by the student.

Table 1

R0 / mm R1 / mm R2 / mm

5.74 10.31 20.02

Turn over ►
 6
Do not write
outside the
0 1 . 3 The refractive index n of the block is given by box

R2 − R0
n=
R2 − R1

Determine n.
[1 mark]

n=

0 1 . 4 The absolute uncertainty in each of the readings R0, R1 and R2 is 0.04 mm.

State the absolute uncertainty in R2 – R0.

[1 mark]

absolute uncertainty in R2 – R0 = mm

0 1 . 5 The absolute uncertainty in R2 – R1 is the same as the absolute uncertainty in R2 – R0.

Calculate the percentage uncertainty in n.

[3 marks]

percentage uncertainty in n = % 10

Turn over ►
 7
Do not write
0 2 . 1 Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen. Its nucleus contains one proton and one outside the
box
neutron.

Calculate the specific charge of the deuterium nucleus.

[2 marks]

specific charge = C kg−1

Question 2 continues on the next page

Turn over ►
 8
Do not write
outside the
0 2 . 2 The proton and neutron in the deuterium nucleus are held together by the strong box

nuclear force.

Which is an exchange particle of the strong nuclear force?

Tick () one box.
[1 mark]

muon

photon

pion

W+ boson

0 2 . 3 The deuterium nucleus is stable.

Describe how the variation of the strong nuclear force with distance contributes to the
stability of the deuterium nucleus.
[3 marks]

Question 2 continues on the next page

Turn over ►
 9
Do not write
outside the
0 2 . 4 Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen. Its nucleus contains one proton and two neutrons. box

Tritium undergoes radioactive decay.

Three modes of radioactive decay are

• alpha decay
• beta minus (β−) decay
• electron capture.

Deduce which of these modes could produce the nucleus of another element when
the tritium nucleus decays.
[3 marks]

Turn over ►
 10
Do not write
outside the
There are no questions printed on this page box

DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE

ANSWER IN THE SPACES PROVIDED

Turn over ►
 11 Do not write
outside the
box

0 3 In a discharge tube a high potential difference is applied across hydrogen gas

contained in the tube. This causes the hydrogen gas to emit light that can be used
to produce the visible line spectrum shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

The visible line spectrum in Figure 4 has been used to predict some of the
electron energy levels in a hydrogen atom.

The energy levels predicted from the visible line spectrum are those between
0 and –3.40 eV in the energy level diagram.

Some of the predicted energy levels are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

Turn over ►
 12 Do not write
outside the
box

0 3 . 1 Calculate the energy, in eV, of a photon of light that has the lowest frequency
in the visible hydrogen spectrum shown in Figure 4.
[3 marks]

energy of photon = eV

0 3 . 2 Identify the state of an electron in the energy level labelled 0.

[1 mark]

0 3 . 3 Identify the state of an electron that is in the energy level labelled –13.6 eV.
[1 mark]

0 3 . 4 Explain why the energy levels are negative.

[1 mark]

Question 3 continues on the next page

Turn over ►
 13 Do not write
outside the
box

0 3 . 5 Discuss how the discharge tube is made to emit electromagnetic radiation of

specific frequencies.

In your answer you should:

• explain why there must be a high potential difference across the tube
• discuss how the energy level diagram in Figure 5 predicts the spectrum shown
in Figure 4
• show how one of the wavelengths of light is related to two of the energy levels in
the energy level diagram.
[6 marks]

Turn over ►
 14 Do not write
outside the
box

12

Turn over for next question

Turn over ►
 15
Do not write
outside the
Section B box

Each of Questions 04 to 07 is followed by four responses, A, B, C and D. For

each question select the best response.

Only one answer per question is allowed.

For each question, completely fill in the circle alongside the appropriate answer.

CORRECT METHOD WRONG METHODS

If you want to change your answer you must cross out your original answer as shown.

If you wish to return to an answer previously crossed out, ring the answer you now wish to select
as shown.

You may do your working in the blank space around each question but this will not be marked.
Do not use additional sheets for this working.

0 4 Light of wavelength is incident normally on two parallel slits of separation s.

Fringes of spacing w are seen on a screen at a distance D from the slits.

Which row gives another arrangement that produces a fringe spacing of w?

[1 mark]

Distance between slits

Wavelength Slit separation and screen

A 2 2s 2D

B 2 4s 2D

C 2 2s 4D

D 4 2s 2D

Turn over for next question

Turn over ►
 16
Do not write
outside the
0 5 A particle has a kinetic energy of Ek and a de Broglie wavelength of . box

What is the de Broglie wavelength when the particle has a kinetic energy of 4Ek?
[1 mark]

A
2

B
2

C 2

D 2

0 6 A wave travels along a water surface.

The variation with time of the displacement of a water particle at the surface is shown.

Turn over for next question

What properties of the wave are represented by w and z?

[1 mark]

w z

A phase frequency

B amplitude wavelength

C wavelength phase

D amplitude period

Turn over for next question

Turn over ►
 17
Do not write
outside the
0 7 Two points on a progressive wave are out of phase by 0.41 rad. box

What is this phase difference?

[1 mark]

A 23°

B 47°

C 74°
4
D 148°

END OF QUESTIONS
 18
Do not write
outside the
There are no questions printed on this page box

DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE

ANSWER IN THE SPACES PROVIDED