AQA GCSE Synergy Paper 4: Physical sciences Foundation June 2025 question paper 8465/4F

Energy resources are either renewable or non-renewable.

What is meant by a ‘renewable energy resource’?

Tick () one box.

The energy resource can be burnt.

The energy resource can be destroyed.

The energy resource can be replenished.

Figure 1 shows the percentage of electricity generated by different energy resources on one day in 2024.

Figure 1

Calculate the percentage of electricity generated using wind.

Use Figure 1.

A wind turbine generated 200 000 W of electrical power in a time of 300 seconds.

Calculate the energy transferred by the wind turbine.

Use the equation:

energy transferred = power × time

Why do wind turbines have a small environmental impact when generating electricity?

Tick () one box.

Wind turbines do not burn fuel to produce electricity.

Wind turbines have no moving parts.

Wind turbines occupy large areas of land.

Which two of the following emit carbon dioxide when used to generate electricity?

Tick () two boxes.

Biofuel

Gas

Hydroelectric

Nuclear

Solar

Give one environmental problem caused by carbon dioxide emissions.

A student investigated how the acceleration of a glider on an air-track varies with the resultant force on the glider.

Figure 2 shows the apparatus used.

The air blower allows the glider to move along the air-track with almost no friction.

The resultant force acting on the glider is caused by the weight of the masses on the mass holder.

The datalogger calculates the velocity of the glider as the glider passes through the light gate.

This is the method used.

1. Release the glider from rest at the end of the air-track.

2. Record the velocity of the glider from the datalogger.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 two more times.

4. Record the resultant force acting on the glider.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 using different values of resultant force.

The student should enter the length of the card into the datalogger so that the datalogger can calculate velocity.

Which measuring instrument should the student use to measure the length of the card?

Tick () one box.

Measuring cylinder

Metre rule

Newtonmeter

Stopclock

The light gate measures the time taken for the card to pass through the light gate as 0.043 seconds.

What is the resolution of the light gate?

Tick () one box.

0.001 s
0.003 s
0.043 s

Table 1 shows the values for velocity when the resultant force was 0.50 N.

What is the range of the values for velocity shown in Table 1 ?

_ From ________________ m/s to ________________ m/s

The glider accelerated from rest for a distance of 0.98 m.

Calculate the acceleration of the glider when the velocity was 2.24 m/s.

Use the equation:

The student plotted a graph of the acceleration of the glider against the resultant force.

Figure 3 shows some of the results.

The student concluded:

‘The acceleration is directly proportional to the resultant force because the graph has a constant gradient.’

What other feature on a graph is needed to show a directly proportional relationship?

Tick () one box.

The line should curve upwards.

The line should have a negative gradient.

The line should pass through the origin.

Figure 3 is repeated below.

Calculate the gradient of the line in Figure 3.

Use the equation:

Alkanes are used as fuels.

Butane is an alkane.

Figure 4 shows butane being used to heat a copper kettle.

The use of butane as a fuel involves a combustion reaction.

What gas in the air does butane react with during combustion?

Why is copper a suitable material for a kettle?

Tick () one box.

Copper can be shaped.

Copper has a low melting point.

Copper reacts with water.

Figure 5 represents a butane molecule.

Enlarge

What is the type of bonding in a butane molecule?

Use Figure 5.

Tick () one box.

Covalent

Ionic

Metallic

What type of structure does butane have?

Use Figure 5.

Tick () one box.

Giant structure

Polymer

Small molecule

Table 2 shows the melting points and boiling points of three alkanes.

Which alkane is a liquid at − 185 °C?

Tick () one box.

Ethane

Propane

Butane

Figure 6 shows a student about to launch a toy aeroplane horizontally.

The student pulls on the aeroplane to stretch the spring.

The student then releases the aeroplane and the spring gets shorter.

How does the elastic potential energy of the spring change just after the aeroplane is released?

Tick () one box.

The elastic potential energy decreases.

The elastic potential energy stays the same.

The elastic potential energy increases.

How does the kinetic energy of the aeroplane change just after the aeroplane is released?

Tick () one box.

The kinetic energy decreases.

The kinetic energy stays the same.

The kinetic energy increases.

As the aeroplane is launched, the mean force of the spring on the aeroplane is 8.0 N.

The distance moved by the aeroplane during the launch is 0.25 m.

Calculate the work done on the aeroplane.

Use the equation:

work done = force × distance

Choose the unit from the box.

After launching, the aeroplane detached from the spring and glided until it reached the ground.

Table 3 shows how the horizontal distance travelled varied with the extension of the spring when the aeroplane was released.

Complete Figure 7.

You should:

plot the data from Table 3 on Figure 7

draw a line of best fit.

Which two changes would make the aeroplane fly a greater horizontal distance?

Tick () two boxes.

Decrease the length of the wings of the aeroplane.

Increase the launch speed of the aeroplane.

Increase the mass of the aeroplane.

Launch the aeroplane vertically upwards.

Make the aeroplane more streamlined.

Hydrocarbons in crude oil are separated into fractions using fractional distillation.

Figure 8 shows a fractional distillation column.

What is the name of the process that produces the diesel oil fraction at Z on Figure 8 ?

Tick () one box.

Condensing

Freezing

Melting

Different hydrocarbons have different-sized molecules.

Enlarge

Crude oil contains different percentages of each fraction.

Table 4 shows information about petrol and heavy fuel oil.

The supply of petrol is not enough to meet the demand for petrol.

The additional petrol needed can be produced by cracking other fractions.

Cracking breaks down larger molecules into smaller molecules.

Give two reasons why heavy fuel oil is a suitable fraction to be cracked to produce petrol.

The products of cracking include another type of hydrocarbon called alkenes.

Small alkene molecules can join together to produce long-chain molecules.

What type of reaction produces long-chain molecules?

Tick () one box.

Decomposition

Oxidation

Polymerisation

Plastics are produced from alkenes.

Drinks can be sold in plastic bottles or glass bottles.

Table 5 shows information about some plastic bottles and some glass bottles.

Explain why less energy is used to transport the same volume of liquid in plastic bottles than in glass bottles.

Some plastic bottles are disposed of as waste in landfill sites.

Suggest two ways that people can reduce the environmental impact of plastic bottles.

A student investigated how the current in a filament lamp varies with the potential difference across the lamp.

Figure 9 shows the circuit used.

Figure 10 shows the results.

Describe a method the student could have used to obtain the results in Figure 10.

How does an increase in the temperature of a filament lamp affect the resistance of the filament lamp?

Tick () one box.

The resistance of the filament lamp decreases.

The resistance of the filament lamp stays the same.

The resistance of the filament lamp increases.

The results for other components are different from the filament lamp.

Draw one line from each component to the correct graph.

A student investigated how the surface area of magnesium affects the rate of the reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid.

Figure 11 shows the apparatus.

This is the method used.

1. Add 50 cm³ of hydrochloric acid to the conical flask.

2. Add 0.05 g of magnesium ribbon to the hydrochloric acid.

3. Insert the stopper into the conical flask as quickly as possible.

4. Start a stopclock.

5. Record the volume of gas collected in the gas syringe every 20 seconds for 100 seconds.

6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 with 0.05 g of magnesium powder.

Magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce magnesium chloride and hydrogen.

Balance the equation for the reaction.

What was the independent variable in the investigation?

Tick () one box.

Surface area of magnesium

Time interval

Volume of hydrochloric acid

Why was the stopper inserted into the conical flask as quickly as possible in step 3?

Figure 12 shows the results for magnesium ribbon.

Enlarge

Explain the trend for the volume of gas collected after 80 seconds.

Use Figure 12.

Figure 13 shows the results for magnesium ribbon.

The student then used 0.05 g of magnesium powder instead of 0.05 g of magnesium ribbon.

Draw a line on Figure 13 to show the expected results for the magnesium powder.

Figure 14 shows how the extension of three different springs varies with the force applied to each spring.

Describe the relationship between force and extension for spring A.

Which spring in Figure 14 has the greatest spring constant?

Give a reason for your answer.

Tick () one box.

Spring A Spring B Spring C

Reason

Figure 15 shows a baby in a ‘baby-bouncer’.

The baby sits in a harness which is held by a spring.

When the baby jumps, the baby bounces up and down.

The spring of the baby-bouncer is extended by 0.60 m.

The elastic potential energy stored by the spring is 75.6 J.

Calculate the spring constant of the spring.

Use the Physics Equations Sheet.

Choose the unit from the box.

The spring does not extend past the limit of proportionality when the baby is in the baby-bouncer.

How does the work done to stretch the spring compare with the elastic potential energy stored in the spring?

Tick () one box.

Work done is less than elastic potential energy stored.

Work done is equal to elastic potential energy stored.

Work done is greater than elastic potential energy stored.

This question is about acids and alkalis.

Universal indicator is used to measure the pH of solutions.

Figure 16 shows the colours of universal indicator at different pH values.

A student added universal indicator to nitric acid in a beaker.

The student added drops of potassium hydroxide solution to the nitric acid until pH 7 was reached.

The student could not be sure that the pH of the mixture was 7

Give one reason why.

Use Figure 16.

Name a piece of equipment that could be used to give a more accurate measurement of pH.

Name the type of reaction when potassium hydroxide solution reacts with nitric acid.

The formula of nitric acid is HNO₃

Calculate the relative formula mass (M_r) of nitric acid.

Relative atomic masses (A_r): H = 1 N = 14 O = 16

Potassium hydroxide is an alkali.

Which ion do all alkalis contain?

Tick () one box.

H⁺ K⁺ O²⁻ OH⁻

The concentration of the solution of potassium hydroxide was 5.6 g/dm³.

Calculate the mass of potassium hydroxide in 5 cm³ of the solution.

1 dm³ = 1000 cm³

Figure 17 shows solar panels in a field on a small remote island.

The solar panels provide electricity to a small village.

Use the Physics Equations Sheet to answer questions 10.2 and 10.3.

Which equation links efficiency, total power input and useful power output?

Tick () one box.

efficiency = total power input × useful power output

On a cloudy day, the total power input to the solar panels is 250 000 W.

The efficiency of the solar panels is 0.20

Calculate the useful power output of the solar panels.

Figure 18 shows during one day:

the electrical power demand of the village

the electrical power output of the solar panels.

Determine for how much time the electrical power demand was greater than the electrical power output.

A large battery is used to store excess energy from the solar panels.

The battery transfers power to the village when the power output of the solar panels is less than the demand.

The village is not connected to the National Grid.

Explain why the village needs the solar panels and the battery for a continuous electricity supply.

Use information from Figure 18.