Centre Candidate

Surname
Number Number
Other Names 2

GCE A LEVEL

A420U20-1 S18-A420U20-1

PHYSICS – A level component 2

Electricity and the Universe

FRIDAY, 8 JUNE 2018 – MORNING

2 hours
For Examiner’s use only
Maximum Mark
Question
Mark Awarded
1. 7

A 420U201
2. 14

01
3. 20
4. 13
5. 6
6. 12
7. 16
8. 12
Total 100

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
In addition to this examination paper, you will require a calculator and a Data Booklet.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write your answers in the spaces provided in this booklet.
Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page.
Answer all questions.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The total number of marks is given in brackets at the end of each question or part-question.
The assessment of the quality of extended response (QER) will take place in Q5.

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Answer all questions.

1. (a) An engineer investigates the use of a light dependent resistor (LDR) as a light sensor in a
potential divider circuit. He designs the following sensing circuit to operate a 230 V lamp
in the dark.

Fixed resistor, R

9.0 V High
V resistance
control
LDR circuit

The control circuit draws a negligible current. During his research, the engineer determines

the following facts:

The control circuit requires at least 4.0 V to activate.

The LDR the engineer intends to use has a resistance of 2.4 kΩ at the light intensity
required to switch the lamp on.

(i) Explain how the current in the LDR changes as the light intensity decreases. [2]

(ii) Determine a suitable value for the fixed resistor R, which would allow the lamp to be
switched on. [3]

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(b) When installing the circuit, the engineer made the mistake of placing the lamp near to
the LDR. The engineer noted that, when in the dark, the lamp kept turning on and off
repeatedly rather than staying on. Explain why this was the case. [2]

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2. (a) (i) State what is meant by electric current. [1]

(ii) Show that the unit of resistance, the ohm (Ω), can be expressed as: [2]

J s C –2

The following circuit shows an arrangement of identical resistors labelled P, Q, S and T

(b)
connected to a fixed pd of 9.0 V. VP and VT are the pds across P and T respectively.
There is a current of 0.40 A in Q and S.

9.0 V

0.40 A Q S

T
VP

VT

(i) Show that VP = 1.5 VT. [2]

(ii) Hence or otherwise show that the values given in the diagram are consistent with
the resistance of each resistor being 4.5 Ω. [3]

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(c) Show that the total energy dissipated per second in the whole circuit is 15 times more
than the energy dissipated per second in resistor Q. [3]

(d) Resistor T is now removed from the circuit. Explain the effect this will have on the ratio
calculated in part (c). [3]

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3. Kiera uses the following apparatus to find the Young modulus of a metal alloy in the form of a
wire.

support beam

comparison wire test wire

Vernier
arrangement to
measure the
extension of the test
wire

small fixed weight

to keep wire straight
variable load

(a) Explain how the choice of a suitable comparison wire minimises the effect of a change in

A 420U201
temperature. [2]

07
(b) Kiera uses a micrometer of resolution 0.01 mm to measure the mean diameter of the wire.
She determines the mean diameter to be 0.16 mm. Calculate the cross-sectional area of
the wire in m2, along with its percentage uncertainty. [3]

(c) Kiera then uses a metre ruler with a resolution of 1 mm to measure the initial length of the
wire. She determines the length to be 1.680 m. Show, with an appropriate calculation, that
the percentage uncertainty in this reading can be considered negligible. [2]

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(d) Kiera adds various masses to the test wire and measures the extension. The table shows only
the extension of the wire for increasing load.

Load (negligible Mean extension / Absolute uncertainty in

absolute uncertainty) / N mm extension / mm
1.96 1.4 ± 0.2
3.92 2.7 ± 0.2
5.89 4.1 ± 0.2
7.85 5.5 ± 0.2
9.81 6.8 ± 0.2

Kiera plots a graph (shown opposite) of load against extension from her data, but does not
include error bars.

(i) I. Add error bars for the extension on the plotted points. [1]

II. Draw lines of maximum gradient and minimum gradient and determine the
gradients of both lines. [3]

(ii) Hence, calculate the mean gradient and the percentage uncertainty in its value.
[2]

(e) Determine the Young modulus of the metal alloy, along with its absolute uncertainty. Give
your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures. [5]

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(f) State which of the measurements contributes most to the overall uncertainty in your only
answer and suggest one change Kiera could make to her experiment which would reduce
the size of this uncertainty. [2]

Load / N

10.00

9.00

8.00

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7.00

09
6.00

5.00

4.00

3.00

2.00

1.00

20
0
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0
Extension / mm

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4. (a) (i) Use the Principle of Conservation of Energy to show that the critical density, ρc, of
the universe is given by: [4]

3H 02
ρc =
8πG

(ii) Use the above equation to show that the critical density of the universe corresponds
to approximately 5 atoms of hydrogen per m3. [2]

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(b) Astronomers analysing the wavelengths of the dark lines from the line spectrum of a distant
galaxy note that they are increased by 16 % compared with their normal wavelengths.

(i) State why there is an increase in wavelength. [1]

(ii) Calculate the distance of the galaxy from Earth. [3]

(c) Stating an assumption, estimate the age of the universe in years. [3]

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5. The diagram shows the key features of the rotation curves for a distant spiral galaxy. Explain
how these features relate to the structure and motion of the galaxy. [6 QER]

Observed
Rotational velocity

E xp
ec t
ed

Distance from centre

Galaxy

6
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6. (a) Define the capacitance of a capacitor. [1]

(b) Two capacitors, initially uncharged, are arranged in series as shown. When a battery is
connected across A and B, the charge on plate P is found to be +75 nC.

10 nF 30 nF
A B

P Q R S

(i) Write down the charges on each of the plates Q, R and S. Give a reason for your
answer to the charge on plate S. [3]

Charge on Q: .............................................................................................................................................................

Charge on R: .............................................................................................................................................................

Charge on S: .............................................................................................................................................................

Reason:

(ii) Calculate the pd across A and B. [2]

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(iii) A Physics student makes the following comment:

For capacitors in series, a capacitor of higher capacitance stores more energy than
a capacitor of smaller capacitance.

By considering this combination of capacitors, investigate whether or not the student

is correct. [2]

Some computer keyboards work on the principle of varying capacitance. When a key
(c)
is pressed, a spring is compressed and the separation of two parallel metal plates is
decreased. The computer responds if the increase in capacitance of the plates is 0.20 pF
or more.
The diagram shows how a single key is constructed.

Fixed keyboard base Spring

Moveable metal plate
Fixed metal plate
Initial separation of plates = 5.2 × 10 –3 m
Initial capacitance = 0.27 pF
Plate area = 1.6 × 10 –4 m2

The designers of a keyboard require that the increase in capacitance of 0.20 pF occurs
when a force of 0.20 N is exerted on a key. Different springs are available, of spring
constant 90 N m –1, 120 N m –1 and 150 N m –1. Determine which (if any) of these springs
would be suitable in meeting the designer’s requirements. The capacitor is filled with air.
[4]

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7. (a) Complete the following table: [3]

Quantity Definition Vector or Scalar

........................................................................

........................................................................

Electric field strength, E

.........................................

........................................................................

........................................................................

........................................................................

........................................................................

Electric potential, V
.........................................

........................................................................

........................................................................

(b) Point charges of –12.0 nC and +8.0 nC are placed at A and B, 13.0 cm apart as shown. P
is a point in space which is 12.0 cm from A and 5.0 cm from B.

–12.0 nC 13.0 cm +8.0 nC

A B

5.0 cm
12.0 cm

(i) Draw on the diagram two arrows to show the directions of the field strength at
P due to each charge. [1]

(ii) Hence draw on the diagram one arrow to represent the direction of the resultant
field strength at P. Label this arrow R. [1]

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(iii) Calculate the magnitude and direction of the electric field strength at P. [4]

(c) (i) Show that the potential at P is + 540 V. [2]

(ii) Calculate the gain in kinetic energy in joules of an electron as it moves from infinity
to P. [2]

(d) Without calculation, explain how the de Broglie wavelength of the electron changes as it
moves towards P. [3]

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8. (a) Diagram 1 shows how the intensity of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun varies with
distance from its centre. Diagram 2 shows how the intensity of the radiation incident on
the Earth from the Sun is distributed across the spectrum.

Intensity 4 Spectral
/kW m–2 intensity /
arbitrary
3 units

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 100 300 500 700 900 1100
11 Wavelength / nm
Distance (× 10 ) / m

Diagram 1 Diagram 2

(i) Confirm that Diagram 1 shows the expected relationship between intensity and
distance. [3]

(ii) Use Diagram 1 to show that the Sun’s luminosity is about 4 × 1026 W. [2]

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(b) In 2006 scientists from the University of Hawaii used a solar telescope aboard NASA’s
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory satellite to measure the radius of the Sun with (they
quote) “unprecedented accuracy”. They measured it to be:

Rsun = 696 342 km

Use information from Diagram 2 along with your answer to (a)(ii) to evaluate whether the
information from Diagrams 1 and 2 are consistent with the scientists’ findings. [5]

(c) For centuries scientists have attempted to measure the Sun’s diameter accurately. The
following article is taken from a scientific paper written in 2004:

The solar diameter, and its possible variation, have been the subject of careful
measurements for over 350 years, with ever increasing accuracy. Different techniques
have been used, and the instrumentation has evolved in time. However, the long-term
evolution of the Sun is still a controversial subject. Even for the short term, the results
are inconsistent even with the most advanced instruments presently in use. These
discrepancies probably have several origins.

[Past, present and future measurements of the solar diameter: Gerard Thuillier, Sabatino
Sofia, Margit Haberreiter November 2004]

Suggest two reasons why it has been difficult for scientists to determine an accurate
value for the Sun’s diameter. [2]

END OF PAPER 12

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