OCR GCSE Combined Science A (Gateway) Physics Paper 5 Foundation June 2025 question paper J250/05

What is the best apparatus to measure the length of a school corridor?

A 30 cm ruler

B Metre ruler

C Protractor

D Tape measure

A box is at rest on flat ground.

Which diagram shows the correct direction of the normal contact force acting on the box?

A runner increases their velocity from 0 m / s to 8 m / s in 2 s.

What is their acceleration?

0.25 m / s² A

0.33 m / s² B

3.0 m / s² C

4.0 m / s² D

What is an ammeter used to measure?

A Charge

B Current

C Potential difference

D Resistance

Density can be calculated using the equation: density = Which row of the table is correct?

A 40 V power supply transfers 10 C of charge.

What is the energy transferred?

Use the equation: energy transferred = charge × potential difference

A 0.25 J

B 4.00 J

C 400 J

D 4000 J

The diagram shows an aeroplane moving forwards, looking from above.

There is a large forward force from its engines. There is also a smaller sideways force from the wind, blowing to the right.

Which is the correct free body force diagram? (Ignore all other forces acting on the aeroplane.)

Quantities such as distance, speed and velocity can be a scalar quantity or a vector quantity.

Which row of this table is correct?

A lamp is turned on for 100 s.

The charge flowing is 12 C.

The current is then doubled. The time the lamp is turned on is doubled.

What is the charge flowing now?

Use the equation: charge flow = current × time

A 6 C

B 12 C

C 24 C

D 48 C

A builder carries bricks to the top of the same ladder on four mornings.

All the bricks have the same mass.

On which morning does the builder use the most power?

A thermistor has a resistance which changes with temperature.

Which symbol is a thermistor?

Tick (✓) one box.

A student determines the resistance of a thermistor using an ammeter and a voltmeter.

Complete the diagram to show a circuit they can use.

Diagram

The student finds the resistance of the thermistor at several different temperatures.

The graph shows their results.

Describe the trend between temperature and resistance. Include data from the graph to support your answer.

A thermistor is to be used in the range 20 °C to 40 °C.

Its resistance must change by at least 10 k over this range.

Explain why this thermistor is not suitable? Include data from the graph.

What component changes resistance when there is a change in light level ?

A student investigates a spring. They set up this apparatus.

Explain how the student finds the extension of the spring.

When the mass is removed, the spring returns to its original length.

This behaviour is called........

The student measures the extension of the spring for four different forces.

They plot a graph of force against extension.

Use any point on the graph to calculate the spring constant for this spring.

Use the equation: force exerted by a spring = spring constant × extension

Spring constant =........ N / m

Another student does the experiment. They use more forces.

Here is a graph of their results.

What extra information about the spring can be found from this graph?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

Cool packs are used to treat injuries by cooling the injured area.

Cool packs are stored in a freezer. The chemical they contain is solid in the freezer, but it melts on contact with warm skin.

When the cool pack melts, the density of the chemical inside decreases.

Explain why the density decreases.

Use ideas about particles.

The cool pack contains 0.125 kg of a chemical with a specific latent heat of 425 000 J / kg.

Calculate the energy needed to completely melt the chemical in the cool pack.

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

Use the Equation Sheet.

The table gives data on three chemicals which could be used in a cool pack.

Explain why most cool packs use chemical C.

14* Some air is in a closed container.

The table shows its pressure at two temperatures.

Explain how the pressure of the air changes.

Use ideas about the movement of particles.

Student A is investigating the question:

‘How does the potential difference across a diode affect the current through it?’

They set up this circuit.

One component is missing from the circuit.

State the name of this component.

Which position should this component be added?

Tick (✓) one box.

A variable resistor is placed next to the battery.

Why is it used in this investigation?

Which potential difference shows an anomalous result?

Tick (✓) one box.

Use the graph to find the current when the potential difference is 2.75 V.

State the maximum potential difference before the diode conducts.

Use the graph.

An iron bar can be magnetised by placing it inside a magnetic field.

What type of magnet is the iron bar?

The diagram shows a dipping compass.

Describe how dipping compasses are used to find the shape of the Earth’s magnetic field.

In the early part of the twentieth century, several scientists developed new ideas about what atoms look like.

Thomson proposed the plum pudding model in 1904.

What are the two main ideas about electric charge in this model?

Give one reason this model was not developed until 1904.

Rutherford fired alpha particles at gold foil. He published his results in a scientific journal.

Suggest two reasons why he published his results in a scientific journal.

Draw one line from one of the physicists to show which change they made to Rutherford’s model.