Edexcel GCSE Physics Paper 1 Foundation November 2021 question paper 1PH0/1F

The Sun is at the centre of our Solar System.

The planets orbit the Sun.

Which planet is nearest to the Sun?

The Moon orbits the Earth.

Which of these describes the Moon?

Any object weighs less on the Moon than it does on the Earth.

The gravitational field strength on the Moon is different from the gravitational field strength on the Earth.

Suggest two reasons why the gravitational field strength on the Moon is different from the gravitational field strength on the Earth.

The gravitational field strength on the Moon is 1.6 N/kg. The mass of a rock on the Moon is 6.0 kg.

Calculate the weight of this rock on the Moon.

State the unit of weight.

Use the equation

weight = mass gravitational field strength

Figure 1 shows the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Which row of the table names the parts J, K and L of the electromagnetic spectrum?

All electromagnetic waves can travel in a vacuum.

Which of these is the same for all electromagnetic waves travelling in a vacuum?

X-rays can be useful and harmful to humans.

State one way that x-rays are useful to humans.

State one way that x-rays are harmful to humans.

A person warms their hands in front of a hot fire as shown in Figure 2.

Use words from the box to complete the following sentences.

chemical infrared radio thermal ultraviolet

The electromagnetic waves that the fire mostly emits are_........ waves.

These waves transfer_........ energy to the hands.

This question is about nuclear reactions.

When a uranium-235 (U-235) nucleus absorbs a neutron, the nucleus splits into smaller parts.

This reaction is called nuclear fission.

How many daughter nuclei are produced from the fission of one nucleus of uranium-235 (U-235)?

When a uranium-235 (U-235) nucleus splits, neutrons are also emitted.

The neutrons may start a chain reaction.

Describe what is meant by a chain reaction.

You may draw a diagram to help with your answer.

In the nuclear reactor of a power station, the chain reaction has to be controlled.

Explain the action of a moderator in a nuclear reactor.

In a nuclear reactor there are 2.010¹⁷ fission reactions each second.

Each fission reaction releases 4.010^–11J of energy.

Calculate the energy released in 1 second.

Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction that takes place in the Sun.

Describe what happens during a nuclear fusion reaction.

A cyclist has a mass of 64 kg.

The cyclist rides from a flat road to the top of a hill.

The top of the hill is 24 m above the flat road.

Calculate the gain in gravitational potential energy, ∆ GPE, of the cyclist.

Use g = 10 N/kg

Use the equation

The cyclist returns to the flat road.

The mass of the cyclist is 64 kg.

Calculate the kinetic energy of the cyclist when the cyclist is travelling at 6.0 m/s.

Use the equation

The cyclist then uses the brakes on the bicycle to stop.

Explain what happens to the kinetic energy of the cyclist.

A different cyclist uses a motorised bicycle.

The motorised bicycle is powered by an electric motor.

Figure 3 is an energy diagram for the motor.

Calculate how much energy is wasted.

Calculate the efficiency of the electric motor.

Use the equation:

A car is travelling at 10 m/s.

The driver sees a danger and stops the car.

The stopping distance for the car would be smaller if the car

Figure 4 shows a speed-time graph for the driver stopping the car.

Use the graph to find the driver’s reaction time.

Figure 5 shows the apparatus a student uses to investigate how the stopping distance of a toy car depends on the type of surface that it is stopping on.

toy car

Describe an experiment to find out how the stopping distance depends on the surface that stops the toy car.

Figure 6 shows a set of results used to find the average stopping distance of the toy car on a surface.

State the anomalous value of stopping distance given in the table in Figure 6.

Use the results in Figure 6 to calculate the average stopping distance.

State one way the student could increase the speed of the car as it reaches the flat surface.

A car is travelling down a slope at 2.0 m/s.

The car accelerates for 4.0 s.

The speed of the car increases to 12 m/s.

Calculate the acceleration of the car.

Use the equation

acceleration of the car =_........ ²

Quantities can be either scalar or vector.

Which of these is a vector quantity?

Figure 7 shows a ball bearing as it falls slowly through a clear, dense liquid.

The apparatus in Figure 7 is used to find the average speed of the ball bearing as it falls.

Devise an experiment to determine the average speed of the ball bearing as it falls through the liquid.

You should include:

• any extra apparatus you would use to take measurements

• the measurements you would take

• how you would calculate the speed.

A student thinks that the ball bearing falls through the liquid at a constant speed.

Explain how you could develop this experiment to determine if the ball bearing falls through the liquid at constant speed.

You may draw a diagram to help your answer.

The ball bearing is now dropped through air.

The initial velocity of the ball bearing is zero.

The acceleration of the ball bearing is 10m/s².

The ball bearing falls 1.5 m.

Calculate the velocity of the ball bearing when it has fallen 1.5 m.

Use the equation

This question is about light.

White light includes all the colours in the visible spectrum.

A beam of white light is the only light that shines on a book. The book appears green. A red filter is placed between the source of white light and the book.

What colour does the book appear now?

Figure 8 shows a shiny metal ball.

A clear image of a building can be seen on the surface of the ball.

This clear image is an example of

Explain why the surface of the metal ball gives a clear image. You may draw diagrams to help with your answer.

Figure 9a and Figure 9b show rays of light before and after passing through different lenses.

State one similarity and one difference in the way the rays of light pass through the lenses.

Figure 10 shows two glass lenses P and Q.

State how the power of P is different from the power of Q.

*(d) Figure 11a shows refraction of light at a boundary between glass and air. Figure 11b shows total internal reflection of light at a boundary between glass

Use Figure 11a and Figure 11b to explain refraction and total internal reflection.

You may add to Figure 11a and Figure 11b to help with your answer.

Figure 12 shows part of a wave.

Use data from Figure 12 to calculate the wavelength of the wave.

Figure 13 shows a student sitting on the shore of a lake watching ripples on the surface of the water moving past a toy boat.

The student has a stopwatch.

Describe how the student could determine the frequency of the ripples on the lake.

The speed of a water wave is 1.5 m/s.

The frequency of the wave is 0.70 Hz.

Calculate the wavelength of this wave.

Use the equation

v = f × λ

Water waves are transverse waves.

Describe the difference between transverse waves and longitudinal waves.

Sound waves travel at 330 m/s in air.

A student sees a flash of lightning.

The student hears the sound of thunder 4.0 s later.

Calculate the distance from the student to the flash of lightning.

Use the equation

x = v × t

This question is about radioactivity.

Alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ) are three types of radioactive emissions.

Which statement describes all of these radioactive emissions?

Fluorine-19 is a stable isotope of the element fluorine.

The element fluorine also has several radioactive isotopes.

Describe one similarity and one difference between the numbers of particles in one nucleus of fluorine-19 and one nucleus of a radioactive isotope of fluorine.

Figure 14 shows a Geiger-Muller (G-M) tube attached to a counter. The G-M tube is used to measure the activity of a source of beta (β) radiation. There is an aluminium sheet between the beta source and the G-M tube. The counter is switched on and after 1 minute shows a count of 268.

The aluminium sheet is taken away. The counter is reset to zero and then switched on again. A new count is taken for 1 minute.

Explain why the new count is greater than 268.

The beta source is then also taken away. The counter is reset to zero and switched on again. A new count is taken for 1 minute.

Give a reason why there would now be a reading on the counter.

State the SI unit for the activity of a radioactive source.

*(d) Exposing people to radioactive sources can be dangerous.

Describe the dangers of exposure to radioactive sources and what can be done to protect hospital staff when they are working with radioactive sources.

The Big Bang theory is one theory for the origin of the Universe.

The Big Bang theory suggests:

• the Universe had a beginning

• the Universe is still expanding.

Which of these provides evidence that the Universe had a beginning?

Evidence that the Universe is still expanding comes from observations of light from distant galaxies.

Describe how light from distant galaxies shows that the Universe is still expanding.

The Steady State theory is also a theory about the origin of the Universe.

Give one similarity and one difference when comparing the Big Bang theory with the Steady State theory.

Observations of the expanding Universe have shown that the further away a galaxy is from the Earth, the faster the galaxy is moving away from the Earth.

Figure 15 shows how the velocity of galaxies is related to their distance from the Earth.

Mpc is a unit of distance used for large distances in space.

Use Figure 15 to estimate the velocity of a galaxy that is 15 Mpc away from the Earth.

Calculate the gradient of the line shown in Figure 15.

State the unit.

The gradient of the line in Figure 15 can be used to estimate the age of the Universe.

Explain why the gradient of the line in Figure 15 can only provide an estimate of the age of the Universe.

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