Cambridge International AS & A Level

Candidate
Name
Candidate Institution
Email Name

PHYSICS
5054/01
Paper 1 MCQs
1 hour

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS

Answer all questions.

Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
Do not write on any bar codes.
You may use a calculator.
You should show all your working and use appropriate units.

INFORMATION
The total mark for this paper is 40.
The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
1 What is the most accurate and precise method to measure the thickness of a coin?

A Use a micrometer screw gauge.

B Use a ruler and look at the scale perpendicularly.
C Use a top pan balance.
D Use the displacement method with water in a measuring cylinder.

2 A pendulum is swinging. Five students each measure the time it takes to swing through ten
complete swings.

Three students measure the time as 17.2 s. Another student measures it as 16.9 s, and the fifth
student measures it as 17.0 s.

What is the average period of the pendulum?

A 1.69 s B 1.70 s C 1.71 s D 1.72 s

3 Which distance-time graph represents a body whose speed is decreasing?

A B

distance distance

0 0
0 time 0 time

C D

distance distance

0 0
0 time 0 time
4 What are the units for mass, pressure and velocity?

mass pressure velocity

A kg Ns Pa
B kg Pa m/s
C Ns Pa m/s
D Pa Ns m/s

5 A steel ball bearing has a mass of 24 g and a density of 8.0 g / cm3. It is lowered into a measuring
cylinder containing 12 cm3 of water.

What is the new water level in the cylinder?

A 3.0 cm3 B 4.0 cm3 C 15 cm3 D 16 cm3

6 The diagram shows an object being acted upon by two forces.

6.0 N 3.0 N

What is the size of the resultant force on the object?

A 2.0 N B 3.0 N C 9.0 N D 18 N

7 The diagram shows a man holding a sack and barrow stationary. He applies a vertical force to
the handle.

The centre of mass and the weight of the sack and barrow are shown. The wheel acts as a pivot.

force
exerted
by man

centre of mass
of sack and barrow

20 cm
80 cm

15 cm 45 cm

weight of
sack and barrow
200 N

What is the magnitude of the vertical force exerted by the man?

A 38 N B 50 N C 67 N D 200 N
8 The diagram shows the only two forces F1 and F2 acting on an object. The magnitude of each
force is represented by the length of each arrow.

F1

110

F2

The resultant force acting on the object is R.

Which vector diagram shows how forces F1 and F2 add to produce R?

A B

F1 R

F2
110 R 70
F1
F2

C D

F1 R

F2
110 R 70
F1
F2
9 The diagrams show four bodies moving in the directions shown. The only forces acting on the
bodies are shown in each diagram.

Which body gains the most kinetic energy when moving a distance of 1.0 m?

A B

20 N

movement movement

10 N 10 N

C D

10 N 25 N 30 N 30 N

movement movement

10 A steel ball is fired vertically upwards with a velocity v. The ball reaches a height h.

The same ball is now fired vertically upwards from the same position with a velocity 2v.

Air resistance can be ignored.

What is the new height reached by the ball?

A h B 2h C 4h D 8h
11 A solar panel is used to recharge a battery. The solar panel produces 0.80 W of electrical power.
The panel is 20% efficient.

solar panel

sunlight

power to
battery
0.80 W

What is the power input of the sunlight onto the solar panel?

A 0.16 W B 4.0 W C 8.0 W D 16 W

12 The diagrams show four different athletes training by doing pull-ups.

Which athlete does the most work?

A B C D

weight of weight of weight of weight of

athlete = 700 N athlete = 700 N athlete = 800 N athlete = 800 N

distance distance distance distance

lifted = 0.50 m lifted = 0.55 m lifted = 0.50 m lifted = 0.55 m
13 Four different liquids are poured into four containers.

The diagrams show the depth and the density of liquid in each container.

In which container is the pressure on its base the greatest?

A B C D

40 cm
30 cm
20 cm
10 cm

liquid density liquid density liquid density liquid density

= 3.1 g / cm3 = 1.2 g / cm3 = 1.3 g / cm3 = 0.8 g / cm3

14 Brownian motion is observed when using a microscope to look at smoke particles in air.

What causes the smoke particles to move at random?

A Smoke particles are hit by air molecules.

B Smoke particles are moved by convection currents in the air.
C Smoke particles have different weights and fall at different speeds.
D Smoke particles hit the walls of the container.

15 The diagrams show four open dishes. Each dish contains water at the same temperature.

The dishes are different shapes and a draught blows over two of them.

From which container does the water evaporate at the greatest rate?

A B C D

draught

draught

no draught no draught
16 Equal masses of two different liquids are put into identical beakers.

Liquid 1 is heated for 100 s and liquid 2 is heated for 200 s by heaters of the same power.

Each liquid has the same rise in temperature.

different liquids
of same mass
liquid 1 liquid 2

heating time = 100 s heating time = 200 s

Which statement is correct?

A Each beaker of liquid has the same thermal capacity.

B Each beaker of liquid receives the same energy.
C Liquid 1 receives more energy than liquid 2.
D The thermal capacity of liquid 1 is less than the thermal capacity of liquid 2.
17 A block of ice at –20 C is heated until it turns to steam. The graph of temperature against thermal
energy absorbed is shown.

The latent heat of fusion of ice is 340 kJ / kg.

temperature 100
C 80
60
40
20
0
–20
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2600

126 kJ 1146 kJ thermal energy 2406 kJ

absorbed / kJ

What is the mass of the ice?

A 1.0 kg B 2.0 kg C 3.0 kg D 4.0 kg

18 A copper bar and a wooden bar are joined. A piece of paper is wrapped tightly around the join.

The bar is heated strongly at the centre for a short time, and the paper goes brown on one side
only.

wood paper copper

heat

Which side goes brown, and what does this show about wood and copper?

brown side wood copper

A copper conductor insulator

B copper insulator conductor
C wood conductor insulator
D wood insulator conductor
19 Different waves hit barriers with different sized gaps.

The waves will diffract.

In which diagram does the greatest spreading occur?

A B
barrier barrier

gap 2.0 cm gap 2.0 cm

wavelength
wavelength 2.0 cm
1.0 cm

C D
barrier barrier

gap 3.0 cm gap 3.0 cm

wavelength
wavelength 2.0 cm
1.0 cm
20 A converging lens is used to make an image on a screen.

screen
converging
lens

image
formed
candle here

What type of image is formed on the screen?

A real and inverted

B real and upright
C virtual and inverted
D virtual and upright

21 Which diagram shows what happens when a ray of white light passes through a prism?

A B

spectrum
white white
light light
spectrum

C D
spectrum

white white
light light spectrum
22 Light travels in a vacuum and then enters a glass block. The speed of the light in the glass block
is 2.0  108 m / s.

Which statement about the speed of light is correct?

A The speed in a vacuum is 1.5 times the speed in the glass.

B The speed in the glass is the same as the speed in a vacuum.
C The speed in the glass is 1.5 times the speed in a vacuum.

D The speed in the glass is 1.0  108 times the speed in a vacuum.

23 A fire alarm is not loud enough and the pitch is too low. An engineer adjusts the alarm so that it
produces a louder note of a higher pitch.

What effect does this have on the amplitude and on the frequency of the sound?

amplitude frequency

A larger greater
B larger smaller
C smaller greater
D smaller smaller

24 In which way are a bar magnet and an electromagnet similar?

A A bar magnet and an electromagnet are always magnetised when stored.

B A bar magnet and an electromagnet can both be used to separate magnetic and
non-magnetic materials.
C A bar magnet can be made of steel and an electromagnet uses a steel core.
D The magnetic field strength of a bar magnet and of an electromagnet can both be varied.

25 A magnet near a coil of wire is attracted to the coil only when there is a current in the coil.

Which statement explains this force of attraction?

A The coil of wire has its own gravitational field.

B The coil of wire is made from soft iron.
C The current in the coil of wire creates a magnetic field.
D The current in the coil of wire induces a charge on the magnet.
26 A steel magnet is placed in a coil and demagnetised.

Which type of current is established in the coil, and how is the current changed?

A a direct current in the coil, then reduce the current quickly to zero
B a direct current in the coil, then reduce the current slowly to zero
C an alternating current in the coil, then reduce the current quickly to zero
D an alternating current in the coil, then reduce the current slowly to zero

27 Which material is a conductor of electricity?

A brass
B glass
C plastic
D wood

28 The diagrams each show a positive point charge.

Which diagram represents the pattern and the direction of the electric field due to the charge?

A B C D

+ + + +

29 Which quantity is equivalent to 1.0 V?

A 1.0 J / C B 1.0 kJ / C C 1.0 J / s D 1.0 kJ / s

30 A circuit contains a fixed resistor. The potential difference across the resistor is 24.0 V and the
current in the resistor is 2.30 A.

How much energy is transferred in the resistor in a time of 17.0 minutes?

A 938 J B 5630 J C 56.3 kJ D 9.38 kJ

31 A battery, an ammeter, a switch, a lamp and a resistor are connected together in a circuit.

With the switch open, the ammeter reads 2.4 A. When the switch is closed, this reading increases
to 4.0 A.

What is the current through the resistor with the switch closed?

A 0A B 1.6 A C 3.2 A D 6.4 A

32 A student connects a variable potential divider (potentiometer) circuit.

R
T V

12 V

What happens to the reading on the voltmeter as the sliding terminal T is moved from R to S?

A It decreases from 12 V to 0 V.
B It increases from 0 V to 12 V.
C It remains at 0 V.
D It remains at 12 V.
33 The diagram shows a circuit used to make a light detector.

X Y

One component is connected between X and Y.

Which component causes the ammeter reading to increase when the light gets brighter?

A B C D

34 A student connects a variable potential divider (potentiometer) circuit.

R
T V

12 V

What happens to the reading on the voltmeter as the sliding terminal T is moved from R to S?

A It decreases from 12 V to 0 V.
B It increases from 0 V to 12 V.
C It remains at 0 V.
D It remains at 12 V.
35 In which device is a split-ring commutator used, and what is its purpose?

device purpose
A a.c. generator to change the direction of the
current in the coil as it turns
B a.c. generator to change the output current
from d.c. into a.c.
C d.c. motor to change the direction of the
current in the coil as it turns
D d.c. motor to change the input current
from a.c. into d.c.
36 What is the purpose of a relay?

A to change a large voltage into a small voltage

B to change a small voltage into a large voltage
C to use a large current to switch on a small current
D to use a small current to switch on a large current

37 When a source of -particles is directed towards a thin metal foil they become scattered.

Which observation of this experiment provides evidence for a small charged nucleus?

A A small proportion of the -particles come straight back from the foil towards the source.

B A small proportion of the -particles pass straight through the foil.

C Some of the -particles are deflected by an angle of less than 90.

D Some of the -particles follow a curved path after leaving the foil.

38 Which description of a neutral atom of copper is correct?

A a nucleus surrounded by electrons

B a nucleus surrounded by molecules
C electrons surrounded by a nucleus
D electrons surrounded by molecules

39 A sample of radioactive isotope is decaying.

The nuclei of which atoms will decay first?

A It is impossible to know because radioactive decay is random.

B It is impossible to know unless the age of the material is known.
C The atoms near the centre will decay first because they are surrounded by more atoms.
D The atoms near the surface will decay first because the radiation can escape more easily.
40 A student determines the half-life of a radioactive isotope.

The student uses a detector over five minutes and plots a graph showing how the count rate
shown on the detector varies with time.

The count rate due to background radiation is 30 counts per minute.

250
count rate
counts / minute 200

150

100

50

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
time / minutes

What is the half-life of this isotope?

A 0.30 minutes
B 1.2 minutes
C 1.5 minutes
D 5.0 minutes