AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

MID-TERM EXAMINATION – NOVEMBER 2022

IBDP YEAR 1

PHYSICS SL – PAPER 2

SCHOOL CODE: ……………………………………………….

CANDIDATE NAME: .......................................................................................

Day & Date: Thursday 1 December 2022 Time: 10:00AM – 11:15AM Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes

Instructions to candidates
 Do not open this examination paper until instructed to do so.
 Answer all the questions.
 Answers must be written within the answer boxes provided.
 A calculator is required for this paper.
 A clean copy of the physics data booklet is required for this paper.
 The maximum mark for this examination paper is [50 marks].

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y 1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 1 of 14

1. To determine the acceleration due to gravity, a small metal sphere is dropped from rest and
the time it takes to fall through a known distance and open a trapdoor is measured.

not to scale
point of release
sphere

trapdoor

The following data are available.

Diameter of metal sphere =   12.0 ! 0.1 mm

Distance between the point of release and the trapdoor = 654 ! 2 mm
Measured time for fall =   0.363 ! 0.002 s

(a) Determine the distance fallen, in m, by the centre of mass of the sphere including an
estimate of the absolute uncertainty in your answer. [2 marks]

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MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 2 of 14

 (b) Using the following equation

2 × distance fallen by centre of mass of sphere

acceleration due to gravity =
(measured time to fall)2

calculate, for these data, the acceleration due to gravity including an estimate of
the absolute uncertainty in your answer. [4 marks]

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MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 3 of 14

2. A student carries out an experiment to determine the variation of intensity of the light with
distance from a point light source. The light source is at the centre of a transparent spherical
cover of radius C. The student measures the distance x from the surface of the cover to a
sensor that measures the intensity I of the light.

C x

cover

light sensor

point light source

The light source emits radiation with a constant power P and all of this radiation is
transmitted through the cover. The relationship between I and x is given by

P
I=
4π (C + x )2

(a) This relationship can also be written as follows.

1
= K x + KC
I

π
Show that K = 2 . [1 marks]
P

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MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 4 of 14

 (b) The student obtains a set of data and uses this to plot a graph of the variation of
1
with x.
I

45

40

35

30

25
1 −1
/W 2m
I 20

15

10

0
–5 0 5
5 10
10 15 20
20 25
25
x / cm

(i) Estimate C. [2 marks]

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MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 5 of 14

 (ii) Determine P, to the correct number of significant figures including its unit. [3 marks]

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1
(c) Explain the disadvantage that a graph of I versus 2 has for the analysis in
x
(b)(i) and (b)(ii). [2 marks]

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MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 6 of 14

3. A chicken’s egg of mass 58 g is dropped onto grass from a height of 1.1 m. The
egg comes to rest in a time of 55 ms. Assume that air resistance is negligible and
that the egg does not bounce or break.

a. Determine the magnitude of the average decelerating force that the [4 marks]
ground exerts on the egg.

b. Explain why the egg is likely to break when dropped onto concrete from [2 marks]
the same height.

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 7 of 14

4. An elastic climbing rope is tested by fixing one end of the rope to the top of a
crane. The other end of the rope is connected to a block which is initially at
position A. The block is released from rest. The mass of the rope is negligible.

The unextended length of the rope is 60.0 m. From position A to position B, the
block falls freely.

a. At position B the rope starts to extend. Calculate the speed of the block [2 marks]
at position B.

At position C the speed of the block reaches zero. The time taken for the block to
fall between B and C is 0.759 s. The mass of the block is 80.0 kg.

b. Determine the magnitude of the average resultant force acting on the [2 marks]
block between B and C.

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 8 of 14

c. Sketch on the diagram the average resultant force acting on the block [2 marks]
between B and C. The arrow on the diagram represents the weight of the
block.

d. Calculate the magnitude of the average force exerted by the rope on the [2 marks]
block between B and C.

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 9 of 14

 For the rope and block, describe the energy changes that take place

e. between A and B. [1 mark]

f. between B and C. [1 mark]

g. The length reached by the rope at C is 77.4 m. Suggest how energy [2 marks]
considerations could be used to determine the elastic constant of the
rope.

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 10 of 14

5. A small metal pendulum bob of mass 75 g is suspended at rest from a fixed point
with a length of thread of negligible mass. Air resistance is negligible. The bob is
then displaced to the left.
At time t = 0 the bob is moving horizontally to the right at 0.8 m s–1. It collides
with a small stationary object also of mass 75 g. Both objects then move together
with motion that is simple harmonic.

a. Calculate the speed of the combined masses immediately after the [1 mark]
collision.

b. Show that the collision is inelastic. [3 marks]

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 11 of 14

c. Describe the changes in gravitational potential energy of the oscillating [1 mark]
system from t = 0 as it oscillates through one cycle of its motion.

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 12 of 14

 6. A company designs a spring system for loading ice blocks onto a truck. The ice block is
placedin a holder H in front of the spring and an electric motor compresses the spring
by pushing H tothe left. When the spring is released the ice block is accelerated towards
a
ramp ABC. When the spring is fully decompressed, the ice block loses contact with the
spring atA. The mass of the ice block is 55 kg.

Assume that the surface of the ramp is frictionless and that the masses of the spring
and theholder are negligible compared to the mass of the ice block.

−1
a. (i) The block arrives at C with a speed of 0.90ms . Show that the elastic [4 marks]
energystored in the spring is 670J.
(ii) Calculate the speed of the block at A.

b. Describe the motion of the block [4 marks]

(i) from A to B with reference to Newton's first law.
(ii) from B to C with reference to Newton's second law.

On the axes, sketch a graph to show how the displacement of the block varies with

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 13 of 14

 c. On the axes, sketch a graph to show how the displacement of the block
varies with time from A to C. (You do not have to put numbers on the axes.) [3 marks]

d. The spring decompression takes 0.42s. Determine the average force that the [2 marks]
spring exerts on the block.

MID-TERM EXAM_NOV 2022 IB DP Y1_PHYSICS_SL_P-2 Page 14 of 14