Edexcel A Level Physics Paper 2: Advanced Physics II June 2024 question paper 9PH0/02

A Hertzsprung–Russell diagram for stars in our galaxy is shown. V, W, X, Y and Z are positions on the diagram.

Which of the following gives a sequence of positions of the Sun during its lifetime?

A satellite of mass m orbits the Earth with speed v.

What is the speed of a satellite of mass 2m orbiting at the same distance from the Earth?

The isotope²²¹₈₇Fr undergoes a series of alpha and beta decays before forming²⁰⁵₈₁Tl. Which row of the table shows the number of alpha and beta particles emitted during

In an electron diffraction experiment, electrons are accelerated by a potential difference between a hot filament and an anode. The electron beam produced strikes a sample of crystalline material causing a diffraction pattern.

Which of the following would cause the angle of diffraction to increase?

A particle P has charge and mass. The particle causes an electric field and a gravitational field.

Which of the following statements is correct, at a distance r from P?

The graph shows how binding energy per nucleon varies with nucleon number for atomic nuclei. The arrows w, x, y and z represent changes in binding energy per nucleon and nucleon number.

Fission and fusion of nuclei may result in the release of energy.

Which row of the table gives the arrows representing energy release by fission

The diagram shows a ray of light passing from medium X to medium Y to medium Z. The speed of light in medium X is v_X, the speed of light in medium Y is v_Y and the speed of light in medium Z is v_Z.

Which of the following shows the speeds in order of increasing magnitude?

A weight of 2 N is suspended from a spring of spring constant 50 N m^–1.

What is the elastic strain energy stored by the spring in joules?

A mass is suspended from a spring and displaced vertically. The mass performs simple harmonic motion.

The graph shows how the acceleration of the mass varies with time over one oscillation.

Which of the following graphs shows how the velocity v of the mass varies with time t over the same time interval?

A wire of length L and diameter d is fixed at one end. A force F is applied to the wire causing an extension e. A second wire, made of the same material, of length 2L and diameter , is fixed in the same way. A force 2 F is applied to this wire.

What is the extension of the second wire?

A student shone green light from a laser through a diffraction grating, producing a diffraction pattern on a screen. The student determined the angle of the third order maximum.

Calculate the wavelength of the green light.

angle of third order maximum = 73.3° grating spacing = 1.67 × 10^–6m

Study of the photoelectric effect leads to observations that cannot be explained by the wave theory of light.

When ultraviolet light is shone on a charged zinc plate, electrons are released. When visible light is shone on the zinc plate, electrons are not released.

State what is meant by threshold frequency.

Explain why the observation of a threshold frequency is not consistent with the wave theory of light.

The photoelectric effect can be explained using the idea of photons.

State what is meant by the term photon.

Aldebaran is a red giant star.

For a black body radiator of Aldebaran’s surface temperature, the wavelength λ_max at which the intensity is maximum is 7.43 × 10^–7m.

Determine the luminosity of Aldebaran.

radius of Aldebaran = 3.14 × 10¹⁰m

A student used two converging thin lenses in combination to form an image of an object.

Show that the power of the combination of lenses was about 20 D.

focal length of lens 1 = 10 cm focal length of lens 2 = 15 cm

The object was 4 cm in front of the combination of lenses.

Calculate the image distance.

The object height was 1.4 cm.

Calculate the image height.

The object is magnified.

State two other properties of the image.

A student wound a piece of string around the head of an electric toothbrush. The student attached a small mass to the other end of the string, as shown in Photograph 1.

The toothbrush was switched on and the head started to vibrate. The student rotated the toothbrush slowly to unwind the string. At a particular length, large vibrations were observed on the string. The string formed a loop, as shown in Photograph 2.

Explain how the vibrations of the toothbrush head caused the loop to form.

The student continued to unwind the string and the loop disappeared. When the length of the unwound string was twice that shown in Photograph 2 two loops were seen. Three loops were seen when the unwound length was three times that shown in Photograph 2 and so on.

Determine the frequency of vibration of the toothbrush head.

unwound length of string with 4 loops = 0.69 m mass on string = 0.010 kg mass per unit length of string = 9.1 × 10^–4kg m^–1

On the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts measure their mass once a month using a Body Mass Measurement Device (BMMD).

The BMMD is constructed from a large spring attached to the floor of the ISS, with a platform and handles attached to the spring. The spring is compressed and the astronaut puts his body onto the platform and holds onto the handles, as shown.

(Source: https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-astronaut-rick-mastracchio-3)

The spring is released and the astronaut and platform oscillate with simple harmonic motion.

An astronaut used the BMMD. The frequency of oscillation was 0.34 Hz.

Determine the mass of the astronaut.

spring constant = 350 N m^–1 mass of platform = 5.7 kg

The distance between the upper and lower points of the first oscillation is 0.29 m.

Calculate the magnitude of the maximum acceleration of the astronaut.

Calculate the speed of the astronaut 3.5 s after the start of the oscillations.

A hot air balloon consists of a fabric envelope, heaters and a basket, as shown.

When the balloon is set up, the envelope is partly filled with air at 20°C. The air is then heated to 120°C and expands to fill the envelope and becomes less dense.

The air pressure inside the envelope is always equal to the air pressure outside the envelope because the envelope is open at the bottom.

The balloon takes off when the upthrust is more than the total weight of the balloon, the air in the envelope and the passengers.

Deduce whether the balloon can take off.

volume of air at 120°C in inflated envelope = 2800 m³ density of air at 20°C = 1.2 kg m^–3 mass of balloon = 380 kg mass of passengers = 340 kg upthrust when the envelope is full = 33 000 N

State one assumption of the kinetic theory of gases.

Derive an equation to show that, for a gas at temperature T, the mean kinetic energy of the molecules = kT

Calculate the root-mean-square speed of nitrogen molecules at a temperature of 120°C.

mass of nitrogen molecule = 28 u

In 1864, William Huggins and William Miller used dark lines in the spectrum of the Sun to identify elements in the Sun’s atmosphere.

*(a) Explain how gases in the Sun’s atmosphere cause dark lines in the spectrum corresponding to different elements.

In 1868, William Huggins analysed light from the star Sirius A. The wavelength of the hydrogen-alpha line for light from Sirius A was slightly different from the hydrogen-alpha line observed from a source in a laboratory.

Huggins suggested that this difference could be explained using the Doppler effect and could be used to determine the speed and direction of the star’s motion relative to the Earth.

Assess Huggins’s suggestion.

Sirius A has a component of velocity away from the Earth of 5.5 km s^–1.

The wavelength of the hydrogen-alpha line observed from a source in the laboratory is 656.46 nm.

Calculate the wavelength of the hydrogen-alpha line as seen in the spectrum of Sirius A.

Nuclear decay is described as being spontaneous and random.

State what is meant by spontaneous and random in this context.

Explain why the decay constant of an isotope can be determined even though nuclear decay is random.

A radioactive source used in a school laboratory emits alpha and beta radiation.

Describe how the percentage of the activity due to beta radiation may be determined using a Geiger–Müller tube and ratemeter.

Americium‑241 is used in schools as a source of alpha radiation. A pure americium‑241 source was bought 34 years ago by a school.

Determine the percentage of the initial activity that would be expected today for the americium‑241 source.

half-life of americium-241 = 432 years

The decay products of americium are unstable and undergo a series of further decays.

The table shows the first three decays in this sequence.

A student states, “Protactinium‑233 emits beta particles when it decays, so by now the americium‑241 source bought 34 years ago will be emitting a significant amount of beta radiation.”

Discuss the student’s statement.