Edexcel IGCSE Physics Physics Paper 2 January 2020 question paper 4PH1/2P

This question is about energy resources.

The table lists some methods of generating electricity using energy resources.

Place ticks () in the table to show if each method uses a renewable energy resource. One has been done for you.

Solar cells can be used to generate electricity.

How is energy transferred from the Sun to a solar cell?

State one disadvantage of using solar cells to generate electricity.

The photograph shows a brass mass.

State the formula linking density, mass and volume.

The brass mass has a mass of 454 g.

The density of brass is 8.46 g/cm³.

Calculate the volume of the brass mass.

Give the unit.

Curling is a sport played on ice.

A player slides stone A across the ice towards a scoring zone.

The ice reduces friction so that there is negligible friction when the stone is sliding.

Stone A leaves the player’s hand with a velocity of 2.90 m/s.

The mass of stone A is 17 kg.

State the formula linking momentum, mass and velocity.

Show that the momentum of stone A is approximately 50 kg m/s.

Stone A slides towards the scoring zone.

In the scoring zone, stone A collides with a stationary stone, B.

After the collision, both stones move in the same direction as the initial direction of stone A.

The velocity of stone A after the collision is 0.40 m/s.

Calculate the velocity of stone B after the collision.

[mass of stone B = 19 kg]

When the stones collided, they were in contact for a time of 25 ms.

Calculate the magnitude of the force stone A exerted on stone B in this collision.

A student uses this apparatus to demonstrate the effect of electric charge.

He pours some fine powder into a funnel.

The fine powder moves through a length of plastic tubing and falls into a metal can.

The metal can rests on a metal cap.

The metal cap is connected to a thin piece of metal via a metal rod.

When the powder lands in the can, the thin piece of metal moves away from the metal rod.

Explain why the thin piece of metal moves away from the metal rod.

A coulombmeter measures electric charge.

The student connects a coulombmeter to the metal can.

When all the powder has landed in the can, the coulombmeter shows a reading of –9.410^–9 C.

Which statement is true for the metal can?

State the formula linking charge, current and time.

It takes a time of 12 s from when the powder starts landing in the metal can until all the powder has landed in the can.

Calculate the mean charging current.

A sonometer is a piece of equipment used to investigate the frequency of waves on a string.

The photograph shows a sonometer.

The string is under tension. When the string is plucked it vibrates to produce a sound wave.

Describe how an oscilloscope should be used to measure the frequency of the sound wave from the sonometer.

A student investigates how the frequency of sound from the sonometer varies with the length of the string.

This is the student’s method.

● apply a constant tension force to the string

● pluck the string and measure the frequency of the sound wave produced

● move the bridge to change the length of the string

● pluck the string and measure the new frequency of the sound wave produced

Repeat the method for different lengths of string.

Give a control variable for the student’s investigation.

The table shows the student’s results.

Calculate the mean frequency for a string length of 60 cm.

Plot a graph of the mean frequency and string length data on the grid.

Draw the curve of best fit.

Determine the string length needed to produce a sound wave of frequency 75 Hz.

The student cannot hear the sound from the sonometer for some of the string lengths tested.

Explain which of the string lengths produce sounds that humans cannot hear.

This question is about stars.

Astronomers measure the absolute magnitude of stars.

State what is meant by the term absolute magnitude.

The evolution of stars can be shown on a Hertzsprung‑Russell diagram (HR diagram).

Complete the HR diagram by

● labelling the x‑axis

● completing the absolute magnitude scale

● drawing the main sequence, red giant and white dwarf regions

The photograph shows a glass plate made from uranium glass.

Uranium oxide is used to give the glass a green colour.

State what information the numbers 92 and 238 give about the nucleus of this isotope of uranium.

Uranium‑238 decays by alpha emission.

Describe how the nucleus of a uranium‑238 atom changes as a result of alpha emission.

The table gives some information about the uranium glass plate.

Calculate the number of uranium‑238 atoms in the plate.

Uranium‑238 is an alpha emitter and has a half‑life of 4.5 billion years.

Explain why it is safe to eat food from the uranium glass plate.

This question is about magnetic fields.

Diagram 1 shows a positively charged proton moving downwards in a uniform magnetic field.

magnetic field

Diagram 1

The proton experiences a force to the right.

What is the direction of the magnetic field?

When a current passes through a flat circular coil, a magnetic field is produced.

Complete diagram 2 by drawing the magnetic field of the flat circular coil.

Diagram 2

A wireless charging base uses a magnetic field to charge the battery of a mobile phone.

There is an alternating current in a coil of wire in the charging base.

There is another coil of wire connected to the battery in the mobile phone.

Explain how the wireless charging base charges the battery of the mobile phone.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a high current in the wireless charging base.