Cambridge IGCSE Physics Paper 61 June 2014

Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education

* 7 1 7 7 3 6 6 1 4 5 *

0625/61

PHYSICS

May/June 2014

Paper 6 Alternative to Practical

1 hour
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required.
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.
Answer all questions.
Electronic calculators may be used.
You may lose marks if you do not show your working or if you do not use appropriate units.
At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

The syllabus is approved for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate.

This document consists of 12 printed pages.
DC (SJF/KN) 81312/3
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1

The IGCSE class is investigating the motion of a mass hanging on a spring.
Fig. 1.1 shows the apparatus clamp holding spring

l0

spring

clamp holding cork pin in cork

bench
Fig. 1.1
(a) On Fig. 1.1, measure the length l 0 of the unstretched spring, in mm. l 0 = ........................................ mm [1]
(b) The diagram is drawn one tenth of actual size. Write down the actual length L0 of the unstretched spring, in mm.
L0 = .........................................mm [1]
A student hangs a 300 g mass on the spring and measures the new length L of the spring.
255 mm
L = ....................................................
(i)

Calculate the extension e of the spring using the equation e = (L – L0 ).

e = ..............................................mm
(ii)

F
Calculate a value for the spring constant k using the equation k = , where F = 3.0 N. e Include the appropriate unit.

k = ....................................................
[2]
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(c) The student adjusts the position of the lower clamp so that the pin is level with the bottom of the mass when the mass is not moving. She pulls the mass down a short distance and releases it so that it oscillates up and down. Fig. 1.2 shows one complete oscillation. position of pin

highest position of mass position of mass when stationary one complete oscillation

lowest position of mass
Fig. 1.2
She measures the time t taken for 20 complete oscillations.
26.84 s t = ....................................................
Calculate the time T taken for one complete oscillation.

T = ............................................... [1]
(d) She replaces the 300 g mass with a 500 g mass. She repeats the timing as described in part
(c).
34.48 s t = ....................................................
(i)

Calculate the time T taken for one complete oscillation.

T = ....................................................
(ii)

The student suggests that the time taken for the oscillations of the spring should not be affected by the change in mass.
State whether her results support this suggestion and justify your answer by reference to the results. statement .......................................................................................................................... justification ........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

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(e) Explain briefly how you avoid a line-of-sight (parallax) error when measuring the length of a spring in this type of experiment. You may draw a diagram.

...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................[1]
[Total: 8]

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2

A student carries out an experiment to compare how quickly thermal energy is conducted along rods made from different metals. Each rod is heated at one end with a Bunsen burner flame.
Each rod carries a marker held on the rod with a little wax. When the wax melts, the marker falls. wax rod

marker

heat tripod bench
Fig. 2.1
(a) One other piece of equipment is required to compare how quickly thermal energy is conducted.
Name this piece of equipment.
...............................................................................................................................................[1]
(b) Suggest three possible variables that the student should keep constant in order to make a fair comparison between the different metals.
1. ...............................................................................................................................................
2. ...............................................................................................................................................
3. ...............................................................................................................................................
[3]
(c) Another student suggests that it would be helpful to measure the temperatures at both ends of the rod. He suggests using a liquid-in-glass thermometer, normally used for measuring the temperature of hot water.
Suggest two reasons why a liquid-in-glass thermometer is not suitable.
1. ...............................................................................................................................................
2. ...............................................................................................................................................
[2]
[Total: 6]

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3

The IGCSE class is investigating the cooling of a thermometer bulb under different conditions.

50

60

70

80

90

100

110 °C

A student places a thermometer in a beaker of hot water, as shown in Fig. 3.1.

–10

0

10

20

30

40

thermometer

water

Fig. 3.1

Fig. 3.2

(a) Write down the temperature θH of the hot water, as shown on the thermometer in Fig. 3.2.

θH ............................................... [1]
(b) The student removes the thermometer from the beaker of water. He immediately starts a stopclock. He records the temperature θ every 30 s. The readings are shown in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1

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without insulation

with insulation

t/

θ/

θ/

30

78

84

60

71

79

90

67

76

120

65

74

150

63

73

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He replaces the thermometer in the beaker of hot water and records its temperature.
90 °C θH ....................................................
He removes the thermometer from the beaker of hot water and places it in a beaker containing only dry cotton wool. The thermometer bulb is completely surrounded by cotton wool. He immediately starts a stopclock, and records the temperature θ every 30 s. The readings are shown in Table 3.1.
(i)

Complete the column headings in the table.

(ii)

State whether the cotton wool insulation increases, decreases, or has no significant effect on the rate of cooling of the thermometer bulb, compared with the rate of cooling with no insulation. Justify your answer by reference to the results.

[1]

statement .......................................................................................................................... justification ........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
[2]
(c) Suggest two conditions that should be kept constant when this experiment is repeated.
1. ...............................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
2. ...............................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
[2]
[Total: 6]

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4

The IGCSE class is investigating the resistance of a lamp filament.
The circuit is shown in Fig. 4.1. power supply

Z

Y

X

A

S resistance wire
V
Fig. 4.1
(a) A student connects the sliding contact S to point X in the circuit. She measures the potential difference V across the lamp and the current I in the circuit. The meters are shown in Fig. 4.2.

2

3

4

5

1
0

6

7

0.6

0.4
8

0.8

0.2
9

V

10

0

A

1.0

Fig. 4.2
(i)

Write down the readings shown on the meters in Fig. 4.2.
V = ....................................................
I = ....................................................
[2]

(ii)

V
Calculate the resistance R of the lamp filament using the equation R = .
I

R = ............................................... [2]

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(b) The student repeats the steps in (a) with the sliding contact S at point Y and then at point Z.
Comment on the effect, if any, on the brightness of the lamp that you would expect to see when the sliding contact is moved from X to Y to Z.
...................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................[1]
(c) The student moves the sliding contact S back to point X.
Suggest one practical reason why the new meter readings might be slightly different from those shown in Fig. 4.2.
...................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................[1]
(d) Another student carries out the experiment using a different lamp. He takes readings using various lengths of resistance wire in the circuit. He plots a graph of V / V against I / A.
Fig. 4.3 is a sketch of the graph.

V/V

0

0

I/A
Fig. 4.3

State whether the graph shows that the resistance increases, decreases or remains constant as the current increases. Justify your conclusion by reference to the graph.
The resistance ............................................... . justification ................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
[2]
[Total: 8]

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5

The IGCSE class is investigating reflection using a plane mirror.
Fig. 5.1 shows a student’s ray-trace sheet with a line MR drawn on it. In the experiment the reflecting face of a mirror is placed vertically on the line MR. The additional dashed line shows a second mirror position. ray-trace sheet

N

M

B

ș

R

P3

P4

L

Fig. 5.1
(a) NL is a normal to line MR. Draw a line 8.0 cm long from B at an angle of incidence i = 30° to the normal, below MR and to the left of the normal. Label the end of this line A.
[1]
(b) The student places two pins, P1 and P2, on line AB a suitable distance apart for this ray tracing experiment. He views the images of pins P1 and P2 in the mirror and places two pins
P3 and P4 so that pins P3 and P4, and the images of P2 and P1, all appear exactly one behind the other. The positions of P3 and P4 are shown in Fig. 5.1.
(i)

Draw the line joining the positions of P3 and P4. Extend the line until it meets NL.

(ii)

Measure the angle α0 between NL and the line joining the positions of P3 and P4. At this stage the angle θ between the mirror and line MR is 0°.

α0 = ....................................................
[2]
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(c) The student draws lines at angles θ = 10°, 20°, 30°, and 40° to MR. The first line, at 10° to
MR, is shown in Fig. 5.1. He repeats the procedure described in part (b), placing the mirror on each of the new lines in turn. The readings are shown in Table 5.1.
Table 5.1

θ/°

α/ °

10

51

20

69

30

90

40

111

50

130

Plot a graph of α / ° (y-axis) against θ / ° (x -axis).

[5]

(d) Determine the gradient G of the graph. Show clearly on the graph how you obtained the necessary information.

G = ............................................... [2]
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(e) In this experiment, when the mirror is moved though an angle θ, the reflected ray moves through an angle (α – α0).
Table 5.2

θ/°

α/ °

10

51

20

69

30

90

40

111

50

130

(α – α0)/°

(i)

Complete Table 5.2.

(ii)

Suggest the relationship between (α – α0) and θ. You may express the relationship in words or as an equation.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
[1]

(f)

State one precaution, to improve accuracy, which you would take in this experiment.
...................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................[1]
[Total: 12]

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