Centre Candidate

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GCE A LEVEL

A420U10-1 S19-A420U10-1

PHYSICS – A level component 1

Newtonian Physics

MONDAY, 20 MAY 2019 – AFTERNOON

2 hours 15 minutes
For Examiner’s use only
Maximum Mark
Question
Mark Awarded
1. 9

A 42 0 U101
2. 6

01
3. 10
Section A 4. 14
5. 16
6. 15
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS 7. 10
In addition to this examination paper, you Section B 8. 20
will require a calculator and a Data Booklet.
Total 100

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page.
Answer all questions.
Write your answers in the spaces provided in this booklet. If you run out of space, use the
continuation page at the back of the booklet, taking care to number the question(s) correctly.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

This paper is in 2 sections, A and B.
Section A: 80 marks. Answer all questions. You are advised to spend about 1 hour 35 minutes on
this section.
Section B: 20 marks. Comprehension. You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this section.
The number of marks is given in brackets at the end of each question or part-question.
The assessment of the quality of extended response (QER) will take place in question 7(b)(ii).

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SECTION A

Answer all questions.

1. (a) In an investigation of projectile motion, a student throws a stone. It is moving horizontally

when it leaves his hand (at point P). It reaches the ground at point Q.

P NOT TO SCALE

path of stone

2.2 m

6.0 m Q

(i) By analysing a video of the stone’s flight, its horizontal velocity component, vh, is
found to be almost constant. Discuss whether or not this is to be expected. [2]

(ii) The approximate value of vh obtained from the video was 9.0 m s–1. Determine whether
this value is consistent with the measured distances recorded in the diagram. Show
your reasoning clearly. [3]

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(b) Calculate the magnitude and direction of the stone’s velocity just before it hits the ground.
[4]

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2. The diagram shows the dwarf planet, Eris, at one point in its orbit.

2.00 × 1012 m

B A
64°

2.15 × 1016 N

Sun

(a) Explain why the moment (about the centre of the Sun) of the Sun’s force on Eris is zero.
[1]

(b) Calculate the work done by the Sun’s gravitational force on Eris as Eris moves from
A to B. The mean values of the force and the angle at which it acts are shown on the
diagram. [2]

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(c) Showing your reasoning clearly, determine whether your answer to (b) is consistent with
these data:

Mass of Eris = 1.66 × 1022 kg

Speed of Eris at A = 3 460 m s–1
Speed of Eris at B = 3 770 m s–1 [3]

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3. (a) State the principle of conservation of momentum. [2]

(b) A trolley, X, travels towards a stationary trolley, Y. See diagram.

X Y

The trolleys collide head-on. A momentum-time graph is given for trolley X.

Momentum / N s

trolley X

0 Time / ms
0 100 200 300

–5

(i) Trolley Y has a mass of 2.4 kg. Determine its velocity after the collision. [3]

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(ii) Using the same graph grid (opposite) carefully sketch a graph of Y’s momentum
between 0 and 300 ms. [3]

(iii) Use the momentum-time graph for X to estimate the mean force on X during the
collision. [2]

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4. (a) A fairground ride rotates at a rate of 8.20 revolutions per minute.

(i) Calculate:

I. the angular velocity in radians per second; [2]

II. the time taken to travel an arc of length 10.0 m for a point P on the ride at
3.80 m from the central axis around which the ride is rotating; [2]

III. the acceleration of point P. [2]

(ii) Annushka has been given permission to tie a simple pendulum from the ceiling of
the rotating ride. She finds that, when the pendulum has stabilised, it hangs at 16°
to the vertical, with its bob at 3.80 m from the central axis (see diagram).

8.20 revolutions
per minute

16°
thread

bob 3.80 m

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I. The mass of the bob is 0.270 kg. By considering the vertical force components
on the bob, calculate the tension in the thread. [2]

II. State what provides the centripetal force on the bob and show clearly whether
or not this is consistent with the acceleration calculated in (a)(i)III. [3]

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(b) Discuss one way in which our knowledge of the magnitude of centripetal force has been
applied in the design of roads or railways or a domestic appliance. [3]

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5. (a) Define simple harmonic motion. [2]

(b) A metal sphere of mass 0.175 kg hangs from a spring whose top end is clamped. The
sphere is set oscillating up and down, and a displacement-time graph is plotted.

0.05

x/m

0
0 1.0 2.0
t/s

– 0.05

Kinetic
energy

0
0 1.0 2.0
t/s

GRID FOR (b)(iii)

(i) Calculate the stiffness constant, k, of the spring. [3]

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(ii) Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the sphere. [3]

(iii) Carefully sketch a graph of the sphere’s kinetic energy against time on the axes
provided on the opposite page. A vertical scale is not needed. [3]

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(c) Over several oscillations it is clear that the amplitude of the sphere’s motion is decreasing.
Evgeniya suspects that the amplitude is decreasing exponentially, according to the
equation:

A = A0 e – λt

To check this idea she uses readings of the amplitude, A, taken at regular intervals to plot
ln (A / mm) against time, t.

3.0

ln (A / mm)

2.8

2.6

2.4

2.2

2.0
0 20 40 60 80 100
t/s
Evgeniya claims that the points she has plotted support the exponential decrease of
amplitude. Justify her claim and determine a value for λ. [5]

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6. (a) Vadim uses a ruler to measure the sides of a copper block. He records the measurements
as:

length = 50 ± 1 mm, breadth = 42 ± 1 mm, height = 36 ± 1 mm.

Using an electronic balance he measures the mass of the block as 670.85 ± 0.01 g.

Use Vadim’s data to answer the following.

(i) Determine a value for the density of copper in kg m–3 and the absolute uncertainty
in this value. [4]

(ii) Determine the number of atoms per m3 of copper. The uncertainty is not required.
The atomic mass of copper is 63.5 u. [2]

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(b) (i) I. Calculate the number of molecules per m3
for a gas (assumed to be ideal) at
a temperature of 15 °C and a pressure of 101 kPa. [3]

II. When asked why there are far fewer gas molecules per m3 than atoms
per m3 in the copper block, a student replies, “Each molecule of the gas takes
up much more space.” Discuss whether or not he is right. [2]

(ii) I. Two gases have molecular masses m(1) and m(2). Show clearly that when
the gases are at the same temperature, the ratio of the rms speeds of their
molecules is: [2]

crms(1) m(2)
=
crms(2) m(1)

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II. Calculate the percentage difference in the rms speeds of nitrogen and oxygen
molecules in the same sample of air. Take the percentage difference to be
defined as:

rms speed for nitrogen – rms speed for oxygen

× 100%
rms speed for oxygen

[Molecular mass for nitrogen = 28.0 u. Molecular mass for oxygen = 32.0 u.]
[2]

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7. (a) State what is meant by the heat, Q, entering a system. [2]

(b) A gas (assumed ideal) is contained in a cylinder with a moveable, leak-proof piston. The
gas is taken through the cycle ABC shown on the graph. The stage BC takes place at
constant temperature.

piston 400
Pressure / kPa
cylinder C
300

200

100
A B

0
0 5 10 15 20
Volume / 10 –3 m3

(i) Calculate the work done by the gas in the stage AB. [2]

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(ii) For each of the stages AB, BC and CA separately, and for the cycle as a whole, use
the first law of thermodynamics to explain whether heat flows into the system or out
of the system. Calculations are not required. [6 QER]

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SECTION B

Answer all questions.

8. Read through the following article carefully. Paragraph

A little bit of information about stars by Ignasi Lluis Marxuach

Figure 1 shows the three different routes for the life cycle of different sized stars, from small
stars, through medium (Sun-like) stars to explosive high mass stars. For some reason, 1
exam boards tend to ignore the smallest category of stars (red dwarfs) because their cores
never become hot enough to produce red giant stars.

Massive star Red supergiant

Mid-sized
star
Protostar

Red giant
Red
dwarf
Supernova
Blue
dwarf

Star-forming nebula
Planetary
nebula Neutron star
White Black
dwarf dwarf
Black hole

Figure 1

Stars are formed from the gravitational collapse of gas clouds called nebulae. Gravitational
potential energy is converted to internal energy of hot gases which then emit radiation. 2
This means that the search for new stars usually involves the use of infra-red telescopes in
space.

The images on the next page show the same gas clouds but the image on the right
(Figure 3) is taken with visible light while the image on the left (Figure 2) is taken with
infra-red. Notice how the gas clouds are transparent to infra-red so that stars behind the 3
gas clouds become visible at infra-red wavelengths. The areas where stars are forming are
those areas of the gas cloud that appear to be emitting radiation at both infra-red and visible
wavelengths.

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Paragraph

Figure 2 (infra-red image) Figure 3 (visible light image)

Once the core of a young star is hot enough to initiate hydrogen fusion it is called a main
sequence star. Such stars are stable, lasting for millions or billions of years and account
for around 90% of all stars. They are stable because the outward pressures due to hot
gases and electromagnetic radiation are balanced by the inward pressure due to gravity. 4
Larger main sequence stars have denser cores which means that the rate of fusion and the
temperature are also greater. A graph of luminosity against temperature for main sequence
stars is rather useful, although slightly less useful than it should be because astronomers,
apparently, don’t realise that values should increase going to the right on normal graphs.

10 000
5M
1 000
Luminosity / solar units (L )

100 3M M = mass of the Sun

L = solar unit (luminosity
10 of the Sun)
1 1M
Graph 1
0.1 Main sequence
stars
0.01
0.2 M
0.001
0.0001

30 000 10 000 6 000 3 000

Surface temperature / K

Notice that nearly all main sequence stars have surface temperatures in the range 3 000 K 5
to 20 000 K. This makes them suitable for analysing using visible light.

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Paragraph
Another thing to note from the luminosity against surface temperature graph is that these
factors seem to depend on the mass of the star. It turns out that there is only one factor that 6
determines a star’s position on the graph – its mass. The relationship between mass and
luminosity for a star is quite complicated and comes in four parts.

L = 0.23 M 2.3 for M < 0.43 Equation 1

Note that these equations have
L = M4 for 0.43 < M < 2 Equation 2 been simplified by having the
mass of the star (M ) in units
L = 1.5 M 3.5 for 2 < M < 20 Equation 3 of the solar mass (M ), and
luminosity in units of the solar
L = 3 200 M for M > 20 Equation 4 luminosity (L ).

These relationships are rather useful and should explain why large mass stars can be found
more easily using ultraviolet telescopes, but they can do so much more when combined 7
with Einstein’s equation.

E = ∆mc2 Equation 5

You might, in the first instance, be excused for thinking that a 10 M star will burn 10 times
longer than the Sun. This, however, could not be further from the truth. Use of Equation
3 should tell you that a 10 M star will burn approximately 5 000 times brighter. By using 8
Einstein’s equation and making a few simplifying assumptions, we find the expected lifetime
of a 10 M star to be, in fact, approximately 500 times less than that of the Sun. Some might
say that a large star “burns the candle at both ends” but it’s more accurate to say that it
burns the candle at 5 000 ends simultaneously.

It should be reasonably clear that there is a negative correlation between the mass of a star
and its lifetime. Another two star variables that are (bizarrely) negatively correlated are the 9
mass of a white dwarf and its radius. However, that is a completely different story which is
beyond the remit of this 2019 Space Odyssey.

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Answer the following questions in your own words. Extended quotes from the original article will
not be awarded marks.

(a) Write down the complete life cycle of a mid-sized star (see Figure 1). [1]

Star-
forming
nebula

(b) Suggest an advantage of placing telescopes in space to observe new stars (see
Paragraph 2). [1]

(c) In Figure 2 or 3 below, mark with an X one area where new stars are forming
(see Paragraph 3 and Figures 2 & 3). [1]

Figure 2 (infra-red image) Figure 3 (visible light image)

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(d) Explain, using Newton’s 2nd
law, how electromagnetic radiation exerts pressure inside a
main sequence star (see Paragraph 4). [3]

(e) Explain why a more massive star has a higher density in its core and why this leads to a
higher temperature (see Paragraph 4). [3]

(f) (i) Show that the wavelength of maximum emission for the hottest main sequence
stars is approximately 150 nm (see Paragraph 5 or Graph 1). [2]

(ii)
Discuss whether or not it is appropriate to analyse the hottest main sequence stars
using visible light when their wavelength of maximum emission is 150 nm
(see Paragraph 5). [2]

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(g) Determine whether or not the star of mass 0.2 M is plotted at approximately the correct
luminosity in Graph 1 (see Equations 1–4 and Graph 1). [2]

(h) Explain why a 10 M star has a lifetime that is 500 times shorter than that of the Sun,
including any simplifying assumptions (see Paragraph 8 and Equations 1–5). [4]

(i) Explain briefly what the author means when he states that a white dwarf’s mass and
radius are negatively correlated (see Paragraph 9). [1]

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For continuation only.

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