Edexcel A Level Physics Paper 2: Advanced Physics II June 2025 question paper 9PH0/02

Which of the following gives the SI base units of stress?

Which of the following provides evidence for the particle nature of electromagnetic radiation?

Light enters a semicircular glass block, as shown. The ray of light reaches the straight edge of the block at an angle of incidence θ.

The critical angle for glass is c.

Which of the following statements for light incident at the straight edge of the block is correct?

Scientists believe that our universe is currently expanding. One possible fate is for the universe to reach a maximum size and then start to contract.

Which of the following descriptions of a universe with this fate is correct?

X and Y are identical stars. When viewed from Earth the intensity of star X is four times the intensity of star Y.

Which of the following explanations is possible?

A trolley is attached to two springs and set into horizontal oscillation, as shown.

The kinetic energy of the trolley is E_k, and the potential energy of the trolley is E_p. Which row of the table is correct?

A small ball bearing falls slowly through a liquid at terminal velocity. The temperature of the liquid is increased.

Which row of the table shows the change in viscosity of the liquid and the change in

Some rocks contain polonium. The polonium is radioactive, and decays to a stable isotope of lead.

Which of the following graphs shows how the number N of lead atoms produced from the decay of polonium varies with time?

Light from a lamp passes through two polarising filters, P₁ and P₂, as shown. The light intensity is recorded by a detector.

The filters initially have their planes of polarisation parallel.

Both filters are rotated in the same direction.

Which row of the table gives the changes that result in the minimum intensity of light at

The diagram shows how displacement varies with distance for two waves, X and Y, at a particular instant. The waves are travelling to the right.

Which of the following statements describes the phase relationship between the two waves?

A spectral line with wavelength 655.88 nm is detected on Earth from the Triangulum Galaxy. The wavelength of this spectral line measured using a laboratory source is 656.28 nm.

Calculate the velocity of the Triangulum Galaxy relative to the Earth.

A teacher demonstrated the photoelectric effect by illuminating a zinc plate with electromagnetic radiation.

When ultraviolet radiation of wavelength 320 nm was incident upon the zinc plate, electrons were emitted from the zinc surface.

When visible light of wavelength 420 nm was incident upon the zinc plate, no effect was observed.

Explain these observations. Your answer should include calculations.

work function of zinc = 3.74 eV

*14 Air molecules are trapped in a container by a piston, as shown.

The position of the piston is adjusted so that the volume available to the air molecules is reduced. The temperature of the air stays constant.

Explain how the pressure exerted by the air changes. You should refer to the motion of the air molecules.

A pulsar is a rotating neutron star. The pulsar emits electromagnetic radiation as it rotates.

Scientists have recently detected the highest ever energy gamma ray photons received from a pulsar.

The energy of one of these gamma ray photons was determined to be 2.0×10¹³eV.

Calculate the wavelength of these gamma rays.

The pulsar is estimated to be travelling away from the Earth with a velocity

State why this motion away from the Earth does not significantly affect the wavelength of radiation received at the Earth.

The closest distance from the eye where light from an object can be brought to a focus is known as the near point distance. The near point distance for a human eye is taken to be 25 cm.

A long‑sighted eye has a near point distance greater than 25 cm. This may cause problems with focusing on near objects.

A converging lens can be used to correct this problem. The converging lens forms an image of a near object at the actual near point distance of the long‑sighted eye.

State the type of image formed by the converging lens when used to correct a long‑sighted eye.

The near point distance for a long‑sighted eye is 65 cm.

Calculate the power, in dioptres, of the converging lens required.

A diverging lens can also be used to correct problems with eyesight.

Draw a ray diagram on the axes below to show the formation of the image of a distant object by a diverging lens. F marks the position of each principal focus of the lens.

The asteroid Bennu is in an approximately circular orbit around the Sun. Scientists consider that Bennu may collide with Earth within the next century.

In 2060 Bennu will be 7.49×10⁸m from the Earth.

Show that the mass of Bennu is about 7.810¹⁰kg.

mean radius of Bennu = 245 m average density of Bennu = 1260 kg m^–3

Calculate the magnitude of the force F between Bennu and Earth in 2060.

mass of Earth = 5.9810²⁴kg

The orbital time of Bennu around the Sun is 1.17 years.

Calculate the mass of the Sun.

average distance of Bennu from the Sun = 1.7010¹¹m

Glaciers are massive bodies of slowly moving ice. Over time, a fine sediment forms on the surface of a glacier. The sediment contains radioactive isotopes.

Caesium‑137,¹³⁷Cs, is a common radioisotope found in the sediment.

The concentration of¹³⁷Cs on a Norwegian glacier was investigated.

half‑life of¹³⁷Cs = 9.510⁸s

The activity of¹³⁷Cs was determined to be 2.510⁴Bq per kg of sediment.

Calculate the number of atoms of¹³⁷Cs in 1 kg of sediment.

Number of atoms of¹³⁷Cs =_........

Calculate the time taken for 10% of the¹³⁷Cs atoms to have decayed.

Show that the mass of the ice sculpture is about 2.210⁵kg.

density of ice = 920 kg m^–3

Give two reasons why your analysis of the situation may be incorrect.

The photograph shows the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, which are the world’s tallest twin buildings.

Each tower is supported by 16 cylindrical concrete columns.

Calculate the stress at the base of each cylindrical concrete column.

mass of each tower = 3.010⁸kg diameter of each column = 2.4 m

Tall buildings sway in the wind. The design of the Petronas Towers permits safe movement of the towers.

The towers were designed to permit a maximum horizontal displacement of 0.90 m at the top of the towers. The natural frequency of each tower is 0.17 Hz.

Calculate the maximum velocity at the top of one of the towers when the tower is oscillating at its natural frequency.

The twin towers were linked together to improve the response of the building to strong winds.

The graph below shows how the maximum displacement x varies with the frequency f for a single tower and for two linked towers.

Explain the behaviour of a single tower compared with the behaviour of the linked towers.

All objects with a temperature above absolute zero emit a spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.

State what is meant by absolute zero.

The graph shows how the intensity of radiation emitted by the Earth varied with wavelength in 2020.

Explain the differences between this graph and a graph representing the emission of radiation by the Earth in 2050. Assume that the average global temperature increases over time.

At the end of the 19th century, Wien investigated the radiation emitted by hot objects and formulated a law.

The table shows data for some stars.

Deduce whether Wien’s law is confirmed by this data.

The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram below shows part of the main sequence of stars. The star Sirius A is marked on the diagram.

On a website it states that the radius of Sirius A is twice the radius of the Sun. Deduce whether this statement is correct. radius of the Sun = 6.96×10⁸m surface temperature of the Sun = 5800 K