Centre Candidate

Surname
Number Number
First name(s) 2

GCE A LEVEL

A420U20-1 Z22-A420U20-1

FRIDAY, 10 JUNE 2022 – AFTERNOON

PHYSICS – A level component 2

Electricity and the Universe
2 hours For Examiner’s use only
Maximum Mark
Question
Mark Awarded
1. 10
2. 11

A 420U201
3. 13

01
4. 19
5. 15
6. 10
7. 10
8. 12
Total 100
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
In addition to this examination paper, you will require a calculator and a Data Booklet.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Do not use gel pen or correction fluid.
You may use a pencil for graphs and diagrams only.
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
additional page(s) at the back of the booklet, taking care to number the question(s) correctly.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

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 2(a).

JUN22A420U20101 © WJEC CBAC Ltd. BE/JS*(S22-A420U20-1)

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Answer all questions.

1. (a) Point P represents a junction in an electric circuit where five current-carrying conductors
are joined.

0.6 A
I = ...............A
0.8 A
P Q

1.2 A 0.4 A

(i) Determine the value of I and indicate its direction with an arrow on the diagram.
[1]

(ii) Calculate the number of electrons passing point Q in one second. [1]

(b) Charlotte is investigating circuits involving combinations of buzzers. In the circuit below,
buzzers P, Q, S and T can be controlled using switches X and Y. The buzzers are
identical and their resistances remain constant.

6.0 V

A X
Switches X and Y are
P S shown open. In this
arrangement all four
buzzers are ON.
Y
Q T

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(i) With X and Y open (as shown), the ammeter reads 18.2 mA. Calculate the
resistance of each buzzer. [2]

(ii) Charlotte predicts that the ammeter reading increases when X is closed and
increases further when X and Y are closed. Determine whether or not she is
correct. [3]

A 420U201
(iii)
Charlotte uses a decibel meter to measure the loudness of the sound emitted

03
by the buzzers. She records that the sound emitted is twice as loud when only
two buzzers are operating compared to when all 4 buzzers are operating. By
determining the power, show that Charlotte’s measurements are to be expected.
[3]

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2. (a) The diagram shows the I-V characteristic for the filament of a lamp. Describe and
explain in detail the shape of the graph referring to the motion of free electrons. [6 QER]

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(b) Megan uses the following circuit to determine the emf and internal resistance, r, of a
cell. By adjusting the variable resistor, R, a series of current and pd readings are taken
and plotted as shown.

1.6

pd / V

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Current / A

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(i) Determine the emf and the internal resistance of the cell. (Uncertainties are not
required.) [4]

(ii) As part of her experimental write-up, Megan makes the following statement:

Readings of V and I will be taken quickly with the switch closed. I will ensure

the switch is open between readings.

State the importance of this technique when carrying out this experiment. [1]

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3. (a) A physics student wishes to construct a capacitor which will store 31 nC of charge when
connected to an 8.0 V power supply. He carries out some calculations and determines
that placing two square aluminium plates of side length 21 cm a distance of 0.10 mm
from each other (as shown) would be suitable. The diagram is not to scale.

8.0 V

21 cm

21 cm
0.10 mm

(i) Determine whether or not this capacitor set-up will store the required charge. [3]

(ii) State how the student could increase the charge stored without changing any of
the dimensions of the capacitor, or the power supply to it. [1]

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(b) The diagram shows a combination of capacitors, C1, C2 and C3 connected to a 6.0 V
power supply.

C1 = 2.0 μF

C3 = 8.0 μF

C2 = 2.0 μF

6.0 V

Determine the charges on each of the capacitors and the potential differences across
them. [6]

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(c) Two identical capacitors, A and B, are charged to a pd V. Capacitor A is connected to a
R
resistor of value R and capacitor B is connected to a resistor of value .
2
The time taken for the charge on capacitor A to decrease from 16 nC to 8 nC is given by t.
The time taken for the charge on capacitor B to decrease from 16 nC to 2 nC is given by T.
3t
Show that T = . [3]
2

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4. (a) In the production of steel alloy, atoms of carbon are added to iron. The resulting alloy is only
less ductile than pure iron. State the meaning of the term ductile, and describe, on an
atomic scale, why the addition of carbon atoms can make steel less ductile than iron. [2]

l
(b) Two wires, one of copper and one of steel, each of the same length , and each with
2
the same cross-sectional area, A, are attached end to end and suspended from a rigid
support. A force, F, is applied as shown.

rigid (i) The strain energy, W, in the wire combination due to the stretching
support force, F, can be given by 1 FΔx, where Δx represents the total
2
extension in the wire combination. Show that: [3]

( )
2
W=F l
1 1
+
4A Ecopper Esteel
copper
l
2

l
steel
2

(ii) Calculate W when F = 45.0 N, given that A = 0.6 × 10 –6 m2 and

l = 3.8 m, [Ecopper = 120 GPa and Esteel = 180 GPa]. [2]

(iii) A student measures the total extension of the combination to be approximately

2 mm when F = 45.0 N. Determine whether or not her measurement is consistent
with your answer to (b)(ii). [2]

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(c) (i) Jasmine wishes to determine the Young modulus of a metal in the form of a wire.
She makes the following measurements, along with uncertainties.

Diameter = 0.32 ± 0.01 mm

Initial length = 2.825 ± 0.005 m
Tension = 7.8 ± 0.1 N
Extension = 1.8 mm ± 0.2 mm

Determine the Young modulus of the metal, along with the absolute uncertainty in
its value. Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures. [6]

(ii)
Jasmine repeats her experiment by using a wire made of the same metal and
original length, but with a larger diameter. Without further calculation, discuss
how this change might affect the uncertainty in her result for the Young modulus.
[4]

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5. (a) Define electric potential, VE, at a point in an electric field. [1]

(b) The graph shows the variation of electric potential with distance, r, from an isolated
positive point charge, Q.

10
Potential
/ MV

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
r / cm

(i) Use the graph to calculate the charge Q. [3]

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(ii) Calculate the work done to move a charge of +4.0 μC from 9.0 cm to 2.0 cm from
the point charge. [2]

(iii) The electric field strength at 3.0 cm from the charge is calculated to be
1.0 × 108 V m –1. Use the graph to confirm this value. [2]

(c) The diagram shows the principle behind a velocity selector. An electric field is produced
between two charged plates placed a distance, d, apart, having a potential
difference, V, between them. The plates are placed within a magnetic field of flux
density, B, which is directed into the paper, at right angles to the electric field. Protons,
moving at various speeds, are directed into the combined fields as shown.

region of
magnetic field
(into paper)
+V

protons moving
at various speeds

d
–V
electric field
between
parallel plates

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(i) The magnitude and direction of the force due to the electric field on a proton is
given by:

FE = Eq directed downwards

Write down an expression for the magnitude and direction of the force, FB , due to
the magnetic field on a proton. [1]

(ii) Protons travel through the region of the combined fields in a straight line when
FE = FB.
Show that, under these conditions, the speed, v, of the protons can be given by:

v= V [2]
Bd

(iii) With B = 3.2 mT and d = 20 mm, determine the value of V, which would ‘select’
(allow) those protons with a speed of 6.0 × 106 m s–1 to travel through the fields
undeflected. [2]

(iv) Describe and explain the motion of a proton travelling at less than 6.0 × 106 m s–1
through these fields. [2]

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6. (a) The black body spectrum for a star is shown. Describe how it can be used to determine
the temperature of the surface of the star. [2]

Spectral intensity

Wavelength

(b) A website gives the following information about another star.

Intensity of radiation from

Black body
Radius of star / m the star at
temperature / K
Earth’s surface / W m –2
4.9 × 1010 12 100 5.2 × 10 –7

(i) Use this information to calculate the distance of the star from the Earth. [4]

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(ii) The star is observed to be blue. Explain how the data supports this observation.
[2]

(c) In early 2020 the red supergiant star, Betelgeuse, underwent a period of rapid and
unexpected dimming. Initially, one group of astronomers postulated that the dimming
was due to the ejection of a large amount of gas from the surface, which in turn cooled
to form a dust cloud, partially blocking the star’s light as seen from the Earth (illustrated
in Image A).

Later, a different group of astronomers suggested that the dimming was in fact due
to temperature variations in the photosphere, the luminous surface of the star. High
resolution images indicated huge star spots of lower temperature covering between
50% and 70% of the visible surface (illustrated in Image B). According to this study,
their result isn’t compatible with the presence of dust.

Image A Image B

Suggest how the scientific community should proceed to evaluate these claims. [2]

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1
7. (a) (i) Stating an assumption, show that the age of the universe can be given by
H0
where H0 is the Hubble constant. [2]

(ii) Quasars are extremely bright objects in the night sky. 3C48 is a quasar
discovered in 1960 which is 4.60 × 109 light years from Earth and has a
Δλ
red shift, = 0.36. Use this information to estimate the age of the universe. [4]
λ
(1 light year = 9.46 × 1015 m.)

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(b) (i) Astronomers studying a spiral galaxy estimate from their observations that its
mass is 4 × 1040 kg. Calculate the theoretical orbital speed of dust particles
orbiting at a distance of 1.2 × 1021 m from the centre of the galaxy. [2]

(ii) The measured velocity of the dust particles is found to be greater than the
theoretical value calculated in (b)(i). Explain how astronomers account for this
discrepancy. [2]

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8. (a) The gravitational field strength on the surface of the Moon is 1.62 N kg , and its
radius is 1.74 × 106 m. Use this information to show that the mass of the Moon is
approximately 7 × 1022 kg. [2]

(b) An object’s escape velocity is the speed at which it needs to travel away from a body
such as a planet or moon for it to break free from the gravitational pull of that body.

(i) Use the principle of conservation of energy to derive an expression for the escape
velocity, v, of a small body of mass, m, from a sphere of mass M and radius r. [2]

(ii) Hence, calculate the escape velocity from the Moon. [2]

(c) (i) The Moon’s surface can reach a temperature as high as 400 K in direct sunlight.
Show that the rms speed of oxygen molecules at this temperature is greater than
500 m s–1. (The relative molecular mass of oxygen is 32.) [4]

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(ii) The sketch graph below shows the speed distribution of oxygen molecules
at 400 K. Referring to the graph, suggest why the Moon does not have an
atmosphere. [2]

Number
of particles

0 500 1 000 1 500 2 000

rms speed / m s–1

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END OF PAPER

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Question Additional page, if required. Examiner

number Write the question number(s) in the left-hand margin. only

24 © WJEC CBAC Ltd. (A420U20-1)