INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 Package 1 1

Chapter 5
Forces and Matter
IGCSE Physics, Made to Measure · Springs · The Spring Constant · Pressure
Designed by Izzeddin Abboushi

This chapter, in learning order

1. Notes — learn it properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2
2. Problem set — Core → Extended → Distinction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16
3. Full worked solutions — model answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 19
4. Test — 40 marks, 40 minutes, closed notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 21
5. Test answers — diagnostic feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22
6. Exam practice — cited real-paper practice map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 23

Work the parts in order. No Part 3 before a real attempt at Part 2;

sit Parts 4 and 6 closed-notes, like the real thing.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
 INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 2

PART 1
Notes
Forces and matter: springs, the load–extension graph, and pressure — taught for the exam.

Chapter scope and prerequisites

Course: IGCSE Physics, Made to Measure (aligned with Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625, examinations
2026–2028). Chapter 5: Forces and Matter — two strands, following the course sequence: sections 1 to 5
springs and the load–extension graph, sections 6 and 7 pressure. Section 8 maps the chapter onto the
practical paper.
Prerequisites: Chapter 1 (measurement technique; density ρ = m/V ); Chapter 3 (weight, W = mg
with g = 9.8 N/kg).
Tiers: unmarked = Core; (Extended) = Extended-paper content.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this chapter you will be able to:
LO1. State that forces can change the size and shape of an object, name the four deformations, and identify
the one property no force can change.
LO2. Carry out and describe the loaded-spring experiment: measure l0 and l by the four reading rules,
compute the extension x = l − l0 , and record results in a properly headed table.
LO3. Plot and interpret load–extension graphs; state what directly proportional means on a graph, and
apply the three graph questions before any calculation.
LO4. (Extended) Recall and use k = F/x in consistent units; extract k as a gradient; identify the limit of
proportionality and refuse to use points beyond it.
LO5. Recall and use p = F/A in pascals, and write the two-line pressure argument for any everyday
explain-question.
LO6. State how liquid pressure depends on depth and density (and on nothing else); (Extended) recall
and use ∆p = ρg∆h, add patm when total is asked, and convert pressure to force with F = pA.

Warm-up (2 minutes)

W1. Convert 48 mm to metres. W2. 12÷0.048 = ? W3. 180÷0.060 = ? W4. 1000×9.8×2.5 = ?

Answers at the end of the notes.

Symbols, definitions and units in this chapter

Symbol Quantity Usual units at Where it comes
IGCSE from
l0 , l, x unloaded length, loaded mm, cm, m metre rule, two
length, extension x = l − l0 readings
L, F load; force N known masses × g
k spring constant (Ext) N/m, N/cm, N/mm F/x; the gradient
p pressure Pa (= N/m2 ) p = F/A
A area m2 , cm2 measure and multiply
ρ density kg/m3 Chapter 1
g gravitational field strength 9.8 N/kg data sheet
∆h depth below the surface m metre rule
patm atmospheric pressure ≈ 1.0 × 105 Pa given in the question

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 3

Convention: quantities italic (F ), units upright (N).

1 Forces change the size and shape of things

Chapters 2–4 were about what forces do to motion. This chapter is about the other thing a force can do:
change an object’s size and shape. Squeeze a sponge and it is compressed; pull a spring and it is stretched;
lean on a plastic ruler and it bends; wring a wet cloth and it is twisted. In every case a force (usually a
pair of forces) is deforming the object.

Definition: deformation

Forces may produce a change in the size and the shape of an object.

In plain words: Push, pull, bend or twist something and you can make it shorter, longer or differently
shaped. What no force can ever change is how much matter the object is made of — its mass. Speed,
shape, size, volume: all changeable by forces. Mass: never.

compress stretch bend twist

Figure 1: Four ways a force changes shape or size: compressing, stretching, bending and twisting.

An elastic solid is one that returns to its original size and shape when the deforming force is removed —
a steel spring, a rubber band, a wooden metre rule flexed gently. The syllabus asks you to work with load–
extension graphs for an elastic solid, and (for Extended candidates) to identify the limit of proportionality
on such a graph. It states explicitly that an understanding of the elastic limit is not required, so this
chapter will not use that term again.

Checkpoint 1

A question lists four properties of a moving trolley: its mass, its shape, its speed, its volume. Which
one can no force change? (Answer at the end of the notes.)

2 Stretching a spring: the experiment

Everything in the first half of this chapter grows out of one experiment, and the practical paper sets it
more often than any other mechanics experiment in the archive (section 8). Learn the rig once, properly.

top reading
metre rule

bottom reading

stand bench

Figure 2: The stretching-a-spring rig. The length l of the coiled part is found from two scale readings; the
hanging load L is changed and l is re-measured each time.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 4

The method. Hang the spring from a clamp. Measure the length l0 of the coiled part of the spring
with no load — this is the unloaded (natural) length. Hang a known load L from the spring, and
measure the new length l. The extension is the increase in length:

x = l − l0 .

Repeat for a series of loads, recording L, l and x in a table, and plot the load–extension graph (section 3).

Misconception warning

Length is not extension. The single most expensive habit in this chapter is feeding a length into a
formula that wants an extension. Every length must have l0 subtracted from it first. The practical
paper tests exactly this subtraction almost every time it sets the experiment, and the theory paper
has printed a length–load graph precisely to catch students who forget (fig. 5).

The Alternative-to-Practical paper does not only ask what you would measure — it pays marks for how.
Four reading rules recur across every spring experiment in the archive:

Table 1: The four reading rules the practical paper pays for.

Rule Why the mark exists

Read with the eye level with A reading taken at an angle is wrong by parallax; the
the mark (or use a set square set square carries the position of the coil end horizontally
from the rule to the coil end) onto the scale.
Measure the coiled part only — The loops do not stretch like the coils; including them
exclude the end loops shifts every reading. State the two points you measure
between.
Keep the rule vertical, A tilted or distant rule turns a horizontal transfer into a
clamped close beside the guess.
spring
Take two scale readings (top The coil ends rarely sit at zero; a single reading silently
and bottom) and subtract assumes they do.

parallax error

set square
rule

eye level with the mark

Figure 3: Reading the scale: the eye level with the coil end, or a set square carrying its position onto the
rule. Reading from above or below shifts the answer.

Recording the results

The practical paper pays a mark simply for a properly headed table — quantity and unit in every column
head, readings entered to a consistent precision. The model is:

L/N l/mm x/mm

0.0 (unloaded: l0 ) 0
1.0 ... ...
2.0 ... ...

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 5

The slash notation (L/N) means “the numbers below are loads measured in newtons” — it is exactly what
the examiner expects in the heading, and completing such headings has itself been a one-mark item twice
in the cited papers (Nov 2021, June 2023).

Worked example 1 — from readings to a table

1. Known: l0 = 40 mm; loaded lengths l for five loads. 2. Unknown: the extension row. 3.
Relation: x = l − l0 .
4–6. Work: subtract the same l0 = 40 mm from every length:

L/N 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

l/mm 48 56 64 72 80
x = l − l0 /mm 8 16 24 32 40

7. Result: the completed x row, headed with its unit.

8. Interpretation: each extra 1.0 N adds the same 8 mm of extension — the first sign of the
proportionality the next section makes precise. (For Extended candidates, jumping ahead: k =
1.0 N/8 mm = 0.125 N/mm = 125 N/m.)
9. Check: l0 + x rebuilds every length: 40 + 40 = 80 mm. ✓

3 The load–extension graph

Plot the load–extension results with extension on one axis and load on the other (the exam uses
both orientations — check which is asked), label each axis with the quantity and its unit, spread the points
over at least half the grid, and draw a single thin best-fit line. For a spring below its limit (section 5) the
line is straight and passes through the origin: zero load, zero extension.

Definition: directly proportional

Two quantities are directly proportional when their graph is a straight line through the origin:
doubling one doubles the other.

In plain words: Straight is not enough. A straight line that misses the origin means “linear but not
proportional” — and the practical paper has asked for exactly that judgement, in exactly those terms
(March 2026; see section 8).

The three graph questions — ask them before any calculation

1. What is on each axis — length, or extension? If it is length, every use of the graph must
subtract l0 first.
2. Does the line pass through the origin? If not, the intercept on the length axis is l0 (that
is how the exam has asked for it), and only changes along the line mean anything.
3. Where does the straight part end? That point is the limit of proportionality. Nothing
beyond it may be fed into k = F/x.

These three questions are applied, in this order, at the start of every graph-reading solution in this
file.

Plotting marks are bought, not inspired

The four-mark graph in the practical paper splits the same way every time: sensible scales that use
over half the grid; axes labelled with unit; points plotted to within half a small square; a single thin
best-fit line (not dot-to-dot, not forced through any point). Miss the units on an axis and one of those

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 6

L/N
8.0
beyond the limit

6.0

4.0 limit of proportionality LP

x
∝
L
2.0

10 20 30
extension
40
x/mm

Figure 4: The load–extension graph for a spring: a straight line through the origin up to the limit of
proportionality; a curve beyond it.

marks is gone before any physics happens.

4 The spring constant k (Extended)

Some springs are stiff, some are soft. The number that says which is the spring constant.

Definition: the spring constant

The spring constant is the force per unit extension:

F
k=
x
where F is the load producing extension x. Units: N/m (or N/cm, N/mm, if the extension is in those
units).

In plain words: k answers “how many newtons does one metre of stretch cost?” A large k means a stiff
spring (lots of force for little stretch); a small k means a soft one. Rearranged: x = F/k and F = kx.

Table 2: The same spring constant in three units.

in N/m in N/cm in N/mm

100 1.0 0.10
250 2.5 0.25

On a graph of load (y) against extension (x), the gradient of the straight part is k. That is how the
practical paper extracts it (June 2024: gradient first, then “G is numerically equal to k”). Two habits
matter:

k from a graph — full credit every time

Take the gradient of the straight region using a large triangle (over half the drawn line), read both
coordinate pairs off the grid, show the division, and give the unit that matches the axes (N divided
by mm is N/mm — convert at the end if the answer wants N/m). If the axes carry length, subtract
l0 before dividing — or equivalently take the gradient, which subtracts it for you.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 7

Worked example 2 — a straight calculation

A load of 12 N stretches a spring by 48 mm.

1. Known: F = 12 N; x = 48 mm (already an extension — graph question 1 passed; the question
says the spring obeys k = F/x, so the limit is not exceeded). 2. Unknown: k in N/m. 3.
Relation: k = F/x.
F 12
4–6. Work: x = 48 mm = 0.048 m; k = = . 7. Result: k = 250 N/m.
x 0.048
8. Interpretation: one conversion, one division, one unit. The classic error is 12/48 = 0.25 with the
unit N/m attached — the number was N/mm all along.
9. Check: 250 × 0.048 = 12 N. ✓

Worked example 3 — rearranging for the extension

A spring has k = 0.40 N/cm; a 3.0 N load is hung from it.

1. Known: k = 0.40 N/cm; F = 3.0 N. 2. Unknown: the extension x. 3. Relation: k = F/x,
rearranged: x = F/k.
3.0
4–6. Work: x = . 7. Result: x = 7.5 cm.
0.40
8. Interpretation: keep the units consistent — a k in N/cm hands back an extension in centimetres.
9. Check: 0.40 × 7.5 = 3.0 N. ✓

l/cm
24.0
l named wrong answer
F

18.0
∆l = 10.0 cm

12.0
∆F = 8.0 N
l0 = 12.0 cm

6.0

2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

F /N

Figure 5: The length-graph trap. The line is straight but does not pass through the origin; the intercept is
l0 , and k comes only from the gradient: k = ∆F/∆l = 8.0/0.100 m = 80 N/m. Dividing a load by a length
(8.0/0.22) gives 36.4 N/m — wrong, and worth nothing.

Checkpoint 2

A load of 6.0 N produces a 40 mm extension (within the straight region). Show that k = 150 N/m.

5 The limit of proportionality (Extended)

Definition: the limit of proportionality

The limit of proportionality is the point on a load–extension graph beyond which the extension is
no longer directly proportional to the load — the point where the straight line through the origin
ends.

In plain words: Up to that point, double the load means double the stretch, and k = F/x gives the
same answer wherever you compute it. Beyond it the graph curves, the ratio F/x starts changing, and the

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 8

equation has nothing reliable to say.

The two recurring limit questions, with their full-credit answers

“Explain what is meant by the limit of proportionality” → “the point beyond which the extension of
the spring is no longer proportional to the load” (equivalently: beyond which the load–extension
graph stops being a straight line through the origin). “Mark the limit of proportionality with the letter
L” → the letter goes exactly where the straight line ends and the curve begins — not somewhere on
the curve, and not at the last plotted point unless the line is still straight there.

Worked example 4 — reading the limit off a graph

A spring’s load–extension line in fig. 4 is straight from the origin up to the point (30 mm, 6.0 N) and
curves beyond it.
1. Known: the straight region ends at (30 mm, 6.0 N). 2. Unknown: the load at the limit of
proportionality, and k. 3. Relation: the limit is where the straight line ends; within the straight
region, k = F/x.
6.0
4–6. Work: limit load read straight off the graph; then k = . 7. Result: limit at 6.0 N;
0.030
k = 200 N/m.
8. Interpretation: the later point on the curve (about 7.6 N at 44 mm) must not be used: 7.6/0.044
is not the spring constant of anything — graph question 3 in action.
9. Check: 200 × 0.030 = 6.0 N. ✓

6 Pressure
The second half of the chapter turns from stretching things to pressing on them. A force’s effect on a
surface depends not only on how big the force is, but on how much area carries it.

Definition: pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area:

F
p=
A
Unit: the pascal, 1 Pa = 1 N/m2 .

In plain words: Same push, smaller area: the push is concentrated, and the pressure is larger. A drawing
pin works at both ends of the idea at once — your thumb on the wide head (large area, small pressure, no
harm) and the point in the wood (tiny area, enormous pressure).

The two-line pressure argument — how every “explain” mark is paid

Line 1: compare the forces (usually: the same weight acts in both cases).
Line 2: compare the areas, then close with the equation: since p = F/A, the smaller area gives the
larger pressure (or equal areas give equal pressures).
Three ideas — force, area, p = F/A — and the archive’s three-mark explain-items pay exactly one
mark for each. Every explanation in this file is written in these two lines.

Worked example 5 — one block, two faces

The block in fig. 6 weighs 180 N.

1. Known: W = 180 N; footprints 0.30 × 0.20 m and 0.20 × 0.15 m. 2. Unknown: the pressure
on the ground for each. 3. Relation: p = F/A with F = W .

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 9

W = 180 N

W = 180 N same force,

half the area,
twice the pressure

A = 0.30 × 0.20 = 0.060 m2 A = 0.20 × 0.15 = 0.030 m2

p = 3000 Pa p = 6000 Pa

Figure 6: One block, two footprints. The weight does not change; the area does, and the pressure changes
in inverse proportion.

4–6. Work: flat: A = 0.30 × 0.20 = 0.060 m2 , p = 180/0.060; upright: A = 0.20 × 0.15 = 0.030 m2 ,
p = 180/0.030.
7. Result: 3000 Pa flat; 6000 Pa upright.
8. Interpretation (the two-line argument, for the explain version): the force on the ground is the
same weight in both cases; the upright face has half the area, and since p = F/A the pressure is twice
as large.
9. Check: 3000 × 0.060 = 180 N = 6000 × 0.030. ✓

Worked example 6 — more than one point of contact

A chair stands on four identical legs, each with a contact area of 2.0 cm2 . A person sits on it; chair
and person together weigh 240 N.
1. Known: W = 240 N; four legs of 2.0 cm2 each. 2. Unknown: the pressure under each leg.
3. Relation: p = F/A with A the total contact area, because the weight is shared by all four legs.
240
4–6. Work: A = 4 × 2.0 cm2 = 8.0 cm2 = 8.0 × 10−4 m2 ; p = .
8.0 × 10−4
7. Result: p = 3.0 × 105 Pa = 300 kPa.
8. Interpretation: the named wrong answer is dividing the whole 240 N by one leg’s area —
forgetting the force is shared — which lands on 1.2 × 106 Pa, four times too large. (The exam has run
this trap in reverse, giving the average pressure and asking for the area of each foot.)
9. Check: 3.0 × 105 × 8.0 × 10−4 = 240 N. ✓

Table 3: Everyday pressures, computed from stated values (illustrative).

force /N area /m2 p = F/A

person standing (both shoes) 700 0.040 1.75 × 104 Pa
ice-skate blade 700 3.0 × 10−4 2.3 × 106 Pa
drawing-pin point 10 1.0 × 10−7 1.0 × 108 Pa

Everyday design runs both ways: to lower the pressure, spread the force (wide tractor tyres and
snowshoes sink less; a school bag has wide straps); to raise it, concentrate the force (knife edges, needles,
ice skates). The multiple-choice paper’s favourite version is the farmer’s cart: same weight, wide wheels,
less sinking — because the larger area gives a smaller pressure on the soft ground.

Checkpoint 3

A 60 N box rests on a face of area 0.012 m2 . Show that the pressure on the floor is 5000 Pa.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 10

7 Pressure in liquids
A liquid presses on everything in it and under it, and the pressure grows with depth and with the liquid’s
density. Both facts are Core; the equation that makes them quantitative is Extended.

Definition: pressure in a liquid

Qualitatively (Core): the pressure beneath the surface of a liquid increases with depth and increases
with the density of the liquid.
Quantitatively (Extended): the change in pressure between two levels a vertical distance ∆h apart is

∆p = ρg ∆h

with ρ the density of the liquid and g = 9.8 N/kg.

In plain words: Go deeper and there is more liquid above you pressing down; swap water for something
denser and every metre of depth costs more. The ∆ matters: the equation gives the pressure due to the
liquid column between two levels. What it does not include is the atmosphere pressing on the surface —
that gets added separately when a question asks for the total pressure.

atmosphere presses on the surface: patm

due to the liquid: ∆p = ρg∆h

∆h
total at X: patm + ρg∆h

X same depth, same pressure

Figure 7: Pressure under a liquid surface. The liquid contributes ρg∆h; the atmosphere contributes its
own patm on top; and at one depth the pressure is the same everywhere.

Two consequences the exam leans on:

Depth and density only. The pressure at a point in a liquid depends on the depth of the point and
the density of the liquid — not on the total amount of liquid, the surface area, the volume of the vessel, or
its shape. A metre down in a harbour and a metre down in a swimming pool of the same water feel the
same liquid pressure.

same h

equal depth ⇒ equal pressure at the base, whatever the shape or the amount

Figure 8: Three different vessels, one liquid, one depth: the base pressure is the same in all three. Shape,
width and volume are distractors.

Misconception warning

“Total” is a trigger word. When a question says total pressure at a depth (or gives you one), the
atmosphere is in the sum: ptotal = patm + ρg∆h. The archive’s diver, reservoir and underwater-damage
items all turn on this one addition or its subtraction — and the mark scheme’s first line is almost
always the split into the two parts.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 11

∆p = ρg∆h — full credit every time

Write the equation in symbols; substitute in base units (ρ in kg/m3 , ∆h in metres, g = 9.8); if the
word total appears anywhere, add or subtract patm explicitly on its own line; round once at the end.
Centimetres fed into ∆h are the chapter’s quietest way to lose an accuracy mark.

Worked example 7 — total pressure at the bottom of a pool

A pool is 2.5 m deep; the water’s density is 1000 kg/m3 ; atmospheric pressure is 1.0 × 105 Pa.
1. Known: ∆h = 2.5 m, ρ = 1000 kg/m3 , patm = 1.0 × 105 Pa. 2. Unknown: the total pressure
at the bottom. 3. Relation: ∆p = ρg∆h; total triggers ptotal = patm + ∆p.
4–6. Work:
∆p = ρg∆h = 1000 × 9.8 × 2.5 = 24 500 Pa
ptotal = patm + ∆p = 1.0 × 105 + 24 500 = 124 500
7. Result: ptotal ≈ 1.2 × 105 Pa.
8. Interpretation: two parts, added explicitly on their own line, rounded once at the end to 2
significant figures.
9. Check: the liquid’s share is about a quarter of an atmosphere — 2.5 m of water should cost
roughly 2.5 × 9800 Pa. ✓

From pressure back to force. Rearranging the definition of pressure, the force a liquid exerts on a
surface of area A is F = pA — with p the pressure at that surface. The exam’s favourite two-step is ρg∆h
first, then F = pA (a submerged block’s top face, a turbine, a window).

Worked example 8 — force on a submerged hatch

A horizontal hatch of area 0.75 m2 sits 30 m below the sea surface (sea-water density 1030 kg/m3 ).
1. Known: A = 0.75 m2 , ∆h = 30 m, ρ = 1030 kg/m3 . 2. Unknown: the force on the hatch due
to the water. 3. Relation: ∆p = ρg∆h, then F = ∆p A.
4–6. Work:
∆p = ρg∆h = 1030 × 9.8 × 30 = 302 820 Pa
F = ∆p × A = 302 820 × 0.75 = 227 115
7. Result: F ≈ 2.3 × 10 N.5

8. Interpretation: “due to the water” means the water column only — had the question asked for
the force due to the total pressure, patm would join before multiplying.
9. Check: order of magnitude — roughly 30 atmospheres over three-quarters of a square metre. ✓

∆p/kPa
40

30 ρg
t=
ien oil
ad
gr ter
r: igh
20
te a l
wa
10

1.0 2.0 3.0

∆h/m
4.0

Figure 9: Pressure due to the liquid against depth: a straight line through the origin whose gradient is ρg.
A denser liquid draws a steeper line.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 12

Worked example 9 — density from a pressure–depth graph

A graph of the pressure due to a liquid against depth (fig. 9) is a straight line through the origin of
gradient 8300 Pa/m.
1. Known: the gradient of the ∆p–∆h line is 8300 Pa/m. 2. Unknown: the liquid’s density.
3. Relation: ∆p = ρg∆h, so the gradient is ρg.
gradient 8300
4–6. Work: ρ = = = 846.9 . . . 7. Result: ρ ≈ 850 kg/m3 .
g 9.8
8. Interpretation: the multiple-choice paper has asked exactly this extraction, and its cousins: the
graph’s shape (straight, through the origin) and the rearrangement h = p/ρg.
9. Check: 850 × 9.8 = 8330 Pa/m — back to the gradient, within rounding. ✓

Checkpoint 4

Show that the pressure due to 0.80 m of oil of density 800 kg/m3 is about 6300 Pa. (800 × 9.8 × 0.80 =
6272, which rounds to 6300 Pa at 2 significant figures.)

Worked example 10 — the unit-discipline drill

(a) Express k = 180 N/m in N/cm and in N/mm. (b) A question quotes a depth of 45 cm of water.
What is ρg∆h?
(a) One metre is 100 centimetres, so a newton per metre is a newton per hundred centimetres:
k = 1.80 N/cm = 0.180 N/mm. Dividing by 100 and by 1000 — not multiplying — because a longer
unit of extension makes the number of newtons per unit smaller. . . per centimetre, per millimetre.
(b) Convert first, substitute second: ∆h = 0.45 m, so ∆p = 1000 × 9.8 × 0.45 = 4410 Pa ≈ 4400 Pa.
Feeding 45 straight in gives 441 000 Pa — a hundred times too big, and the chapter’s most common
accuracy-mark loss.

Worked example 11 — writing the two-line argument under time pressure

A warehouse stores identical crates. Explain why the pressure on the floor is smaller when six crates
are arranged in two side-by-side stacks of three than in one stack of six. (3 marks’ worth of reasoning.)
Line 1 — the force: the total weight pressing on the floor is the same six-crate weight in both
arrangements.
Line 2 — the area, closed with the equation: two stacks rest on twice the base area of one stack, and
since p = F/A, doubling the area at the same force halves the pressure.
Force compared, area compared, equation cited: three ideas, three marks. The archive’s book-stack
version (June 2021) pays in exactly this pattern.

8 This chapter on the practical paper

Sweeping all 26 Alternative-to-Practical papers in the archive (June and November 61/62 for 2021–2025,
plus every March 62 from 2021 to 2026) produces the sharpest split of any chapter so far:

The archive’s verdict

The springs half of this chapter owns the practical paper; the pressure half is absent
from it entirely. Eight of the 26 papers open with, or centre on, the loaded-spring experiment — 81
counted marks of it, plus 14 more across two 7-mark planning questions in the same family — while
the word pressure does not occur in a single ATP question paper in the archive. Revise the practical
skills for springs; revise pressure through Papers 2 and 4. Part 6 prints the full evidence.

The rig never changes (fig. 2); what changes is the job the paper sets it. Eight papers, eight different
extractions:

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 13

Table 4: One rig, eight jobs: what each cited ATP session made of the same spring experiment.

session paper the job set

Nov 2021 61 take the raw readings, build the table, plot extension
against load, and annotate l0 , l and x on a diagram
March 2022 62 read l0 and the loaded length off full-size drawings — a
1.0 N calibration consumed by a moments experiment
June 2022 61 two single-point values of k, then judge whether they
agree within experimental accuracy
June 2023 62 complete the extension column, plot load against ex-
tension, read off the extension a given load produces
June 2024 61 plot, take the gradient, and report k to a suitable num-
ber of significant figures with its unit
June 2024 62 measure k by two methods — timing oscillations and a
length–mass graph — then test agreement within 10%
March 2025 62 run the spring as a balance: calibrate with known
masses, then read an unknown mass back through the
graph
March 2026 62 measure l0 off an enlarged scale excluding the end loops,
then judge direct proportionality from the graph

So the chapter teaches the rig and the reasoning — the four reading rules, the three graph questions,
gradients done large and shown — and refuses to teach one recipe, because the archive demonstrably refuses
to set one.
On Paper 4, the chapter arrives in two recurring shapes. Springs: a data or graph lead-in (l0 , extension,
k), then a limit-of-proportionality statement, then a use of x = F/k — Nov 2024’s 43 Q2 is the complete
model, and its four-mark “describe the experiment” opener is paid by table 1 plus the gradient method;
run the three graph questions (section 3) before writing anything. Pressure: an everyday p = F/A
explain-or-calculate pair, or the liquid ladder — ρg∆h, add patm if total, then F = pA — with the two-line
argument (section 6) written out for every explain item. The daggered rows in Part 6 import Boyle’s law
or Chapter-3 weight work: attempt them after those chapters.
On Paper 2, the distractors are built from exactly four confusions, all in table 5: length–extension
swaps (Nov 2021’s Q6 gives lengths; the correct option subtracts), proportionality without the origin,
one-foot-versus-all-feet areas (Nov 2024’s Q11), and shape-or-amount distractors on liquid pressure. Two
habits pay: compute before looking at the options, and read symbolic items (p = ρgh, h = p/ρg) as
rearrangement checks. The double-daggered pairs are deliberate re-tests — attempt one variant, mark it,
run its twin cold a week later.
Planning questions. The 7-mark planner asks for the same six things every time: the variable being
tested; a labelled diagram or apparatus list; a brief method; the key variables kept constant; a results table
with headed, unit-carrying columns; and how the readings lead to a conclusion. Two cited planners live
in this chapter’s family — extension of springs made from different metals (June 2021), and how much
layered wooden strips bend under an end load (June 2024). In both, the control variables are where the
marks hide: same load(s), same original length and diameter/thickness, same counting of coils or layers,
extension or deflection measured the same way each time.

Worked example 12 — a full practical walk-through, examiner grain

A synthetic task in the archive’s shape — every skill in table 4, one pass. A spring’s coiled part reads
212 mm (top) and 258 mm (bottom) on a vertical rule, so l0 = 258 − 212 = 46 mm — two readings,
subtracted, loops excluded. Loads then give:

L/N 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

l/mm 46 60 74 88 102
x/mm 0 14 28 42 56

Graph: load on the y-axis against extension on the x-axis, both labelled with units, points spanning

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 14

over half the grid, one thin best-fit line — here it passes through the origin, so L and x are directly
8.0 − 0.0
proportional (say both halves). Gradient, shown large: using the full line, G = =
56 − 0
8.0
, drawn as a triangle on the graph with both coordinate pairs written beside it. Extraction:
0.056 m
k = G = 142.85 . . . ≈ 140 N/m — two significant figures, because the raw lengths carry two; and the
unit comes from the axes. Judgement: a second single-point value, k = 6.0/0.042 = 142.9 ≈ 140 N/m,
agrees with the gradient value well within 10%: state the two numbers, the percentage room, and the
conclusion — that is what “equal within the limits of experimental accuracy” pays for.

Worked example 13 — a model 7-mark plan, springs of different metals

The June 2021 planner, answered to the rubric (the archive’s other planner, the bending strips, is
P12’s context). Testing: how the extension under a fixed load depends on the metal the spring
is made from. Apparatus: clamp, boss and stand; metre rule with set square; a set of springs of
different metals but identical coil length, coil diameter, wire thickness and number of coils; known
loads with a hanger. Method: measure each spring’s unloaded coiled length l0 ; hang the same load
(or the same series of loads) from each spring in turn; measure the new length l and compute x = l − l0
each time; repeat each reading and average. Keep constant: the load(s) used, and every geometric
property of the springs except the metal — length, diameter, wire gauge, coil count — plus the same
measuring method throughout. Table: columns headed metal, l0 /mm, l/mm, x/mm (one row per
metal; extra paired columns if a series of loads is used). Conclusion: compare the extensions under
the identical load — rank the metals; the largest x marks the most easily stretched metal (smallest
k). With a series of loads, plot L against x for each metal on one grid and compare gradients.

9 Summary
• Forces and matter — forces can change an object’s size and shape; mass is the property no force
changes.
• Extension — x = l − l0 : always the increase, never the length itself.
• Load–extension graph — straight through the origin while load and extension are directly
proportional.
• Spring constant (Ext) — k = F/x, force per unit extension; the gradient of the load(y)–extension(x)
line; units N/m, N/cm, N/mm.
• Limit of proportionality (Ext) — where the straight line ends; beyond it k = F/x may not be
used.
• Pressure — p = F/A, in pascals; same force on a smaller area means a larger pressure.
• Liquid pressure — grows with depth and density only, not shape, area or amount; equal depth,
equal pressure.
• ∆p = ρg∆h (Ext) — the pressure due to the liquid column; add patm when a question says total;
F = pA turns it back into a force.

Retrieval questions (close the notes first)

R1. Which property of an object can forces never change?
R2. Define the extension of a spring.
R3. What does a load–extension line look like below the limit of proportionality?
R4. Define the spring constant and give two of its units.
R5. State the two things liquid pressure depends on — and three things it does not.
R6. When must atmospheric pressure be added to ρg∆h?
Warm-up and checkpoint answers. W1: 0.048 m. W2: 250. W3: 3000. W4: 24 500.
C1: the mass — forces deform and accelerate; they never create or destroy matter. (C2–C4 are “show
that” checks: the working is its own answer.)

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Notes 15

Table 5: The chapter’s error catalogue: what goes wrong, and the repair.

the error the repair

dividing load by length instead of subtract l0 first, always; on a length graph,
extension use the gradient
k quoted with no unit, or the wrong the unit follows the axes: N over mm is
one N/mm; convert last
using points beyond the limit of ask graph question 3 first; the curve is
proportionality in k = F/x off-limits
“proportional because the line is straight and through the origin — both, or it
straight” is not proportionality
one leg’s area under a four-legged load the weight is shared: use the total contact
area
forgetting patm when the word total split every liquid-pressure answer into patm
appears and ρg∆h lines
centimetres fed into ∆p = ρg∆h base units before substitution: metres, kg/m3 ,
g = 9.8
“more liquid means more pressure” depth and density only; shape, width and
volume are distractors

References — for those who want to go deeper

These references are provided for readers who seek further in-depth information. Nothing in them is required
for this course or its assessments.
• Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625, syllabus for examinations 2026–2028 (topics 1.5.1, 1.8). Official
PDF, [Link]. [Register S14.]
• Any standard IGCSE physics coursebook chapter on forces and matter.
• P. G. Hewitt, Conceptual Physics — the chapters on elasticity and liquid pressure.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Problems 16

PART 2
Problem Set
Core → Extended → Distinction. Attempt honestly before Part 3. g = 9.8 N/kg throughout.

Every numerical answer carries a unit and sensible precision. Core problems serve every candidate;
(Extended) problems serve Extended-paper candidates. Nudges sit under the harder problems — use
them only after a real attempt. Full worked solutions follow in Part 3; copy their structure, not just their
numbers.

Quick-fire drills — 20 one-liners before the problems

Answer on scrap paper in under a minute each; answers close Part 3. g = 9.8 N/kg.
1. A spring of length 60 mm stretches to 75 mm. Extension?
2. k for a spring where 2.0 N produces 40 mm. (N/m)
3. Extension when 9.0 N loads a k = 240 N/m spring?
4. Load for a 0.030 m extension at k = 140 N/m?
5. Convert k = 3.6 N/cm to N/m.
6. On a load–extension graph, what does the gradient give (load on the y-axis)?
7. On a length–load graph, what is the intercept on the length axis?
8. Name the point where a load–extension line stops being straight.
9. True or false: beyond that point, k = F/x still gives the spring constant.
10. Pressure of a 300 N box on 0.60 m2 .
11. Force when a pressure of 2000 Pa acts on 0.15 m2 .
12. Area supporting 450 N at 9000 Pa.
13. State the two quantities liquid pressure depends on.
14. State three vessel properties liquid pressure does not depend on.
15. ∆p under 1.5 m of water (ρ = 1000 kg/m3 ).
16. ∆p under 1.5 m of brine (ρ = 1100 kg/m3 ).
17. Total pressure in drill 15 if patm = 1.0 × 105 Pa.
18. Depth of water giving ∆p = 29 400 Pa.
19. The gradient of a ∆p–∆h line for a liquid equals what?
20. One pascal is one what per what?

Core
P1 (4 marks). (a) Name four different ways in which forces can change the shape or size of a solid object,
giving one everyday example of each. [2] (b) State the one property of an object that no force can
change, and explain in one sentence why applying forces cannot change it. [2]
P2 (8 marks). A student hangs loads from a spring whose unloaded coiled length is l0 = 25 mm and
records the new length each time:
load L/N 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
length l/mm 33 41 49 57 68
(a) Copy the table and add a completed extension row, x = l − l0 . [2] (b) Describe how the load–
extension graph of these results should be drawn: what goes on each axis (with units), and what kind
of line is drawn through the points. [2] (c) State, with a reason based on the numbers, whether the
extension is directly proportional to the load over the whole range tested. [2] (d) (Extended) Use
the proportional region to calculate the spring constant k in N/m. [2]

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Problems 17

Extended
P3 (4 marks). A load of 30 N stretches a steel wire by 1.2 mm, within its limit of proportionality.
(a) Calculate the spring constant of the wire in N/m. [2] (b) Calculate the load that would stretch it
by 2.0 mm, assuming the limit of proportionality is still not exceeded. [2]
P4 (6 marks). A student plots a graph of the length l of a spring (y-axis) against the load F (x-axis).
The graph is a straight line that meets the length axis at l = 15.0 cm and passes through the point
(9.0 N, 27.0 cm). (a) Write down the unloaded length l0 of the spring. [1] (b) Calculate the spring
constant k in N/m. [3] (c) Another student calculates 9.0 ÷ 0.27 = 33.3 N/m and calls it the spring
constant. State what this student has done wrong, and why the graph itself shows the method must
be wrong. [2]
P5 (6 marks). A concrete block of mass 15 kg measures 0.40 m × 0.25 m × 0.10 m. (a) Calculate the
weight of the block. [1] (b) Calculate the pressure the block exerts on the ground when resting on
its largest face. [2] (c) State which face gives the greatest pressure, and calculate that pressure. [2]
(d) Using the two-line pressure argument, explain in at most two sentences why the answers to (b)
and (c) differ although the block is the same. [1]
P6 (5 marks). A hanging flower basket weighs 54 N. Two springs are available to hang it from a hook:
spring A with kA = 450 N/m and spring B with kB = 90 N/m. Both obey k = F/x up to this load.
The basket must hang no more than 0.35 m below its unloaded position. (a) Calculate the extension
each spring would have with the basket attached. [3] (b) State, with a numerical justification, which
spring is suitable. [2]
P7 (7 marks). A rooftop water tank has its water surface 6.0 m above a closed tap. The density of water
is 1000 kg/m3 and atmospheric pressure is 1.0 × 105 Pa. (a) Calculate the pressure at the tap due to
the water alone. [2] (b) Calculate the total pressure at the tap. [2] (c) The tap’s circular cover has
area 8.0 cm2 . Calculate the force on the cover due to the water alone. [3]
P8 (4 marks). A diver’s depth gauge reads the pressure due to the sea water as 61 800 Pa. The density
of the sea water is 1030 kg/m3 . (a) Calculate the diver’s depth. [3] (b) The same gauge reading
is obtained in a freshwater lake (ρ = 1000 kg/m3 ). State, with a reason and no further calculation,
whether the diver is deeper or shallower than in (a). [1]
P9 (5 marks). On one grid, the pressure due to the liquid (y-axis) is plotted against depth (x-axis) for
two liquids. The line for an oil is straight, passes through the origin, and has gradient 7840 Pa/m.
(a) Calculate the density of the oil. [3] (b) Water (ρ = 1000 kg/m3 ) is plotted on the same axes.
State whether the water line is steeper or less steep than the oil line, and justify with the value of its
gradient. [2]

Distinction (design stretch — for everyone brave)

P10 (4 marks). Beyond the syllabus, for students aiming past it. Two identical springs, each of constant
k = 60 N/m, hang side by side from a beam and share a 24 N load equally between them. (a) Calculate
the force in each spring and the extension of the pair. [3] (b) Hence write down the effective spring
constant of the side-by-side pair, and state the general rule it suggests. [1] Nudge: each spring feels only
half the load.

P11 (5 marks). An aquarium has a base 0.60 m × 0.40 m and is filled with water (ρ = 1000 kg/m3 ) to a
depth of 0.35 m. (a) Calculate the pressure at the base due to the water. [2] (b) Calculate the force on
the base due to the water. [2] (c) Show, by a separate calculation of the weight of the water, that this
force equals the water’s weight — and state in one sentence why, for a straight-sided tank, it must. [1]
P12 (planning, 7 marks). A half-metre wooden ruler is clamped flat to a bench so that part of its length
sticks out over the edge (the overhang). A load hung from the free end makes the end sag downwards.
Plan an experiment to investigate how the sag of the loaded end depends on the length of the
overhang. Fig. 10 shows the arrangement. In your plan: state the variable you are testing; list the
apparatus you need; explain briefly how to carry out the investigation; state the key variables to keep
constant; draw a results table with headed, unit-carrying columns (no readings required); and explain
how you would use the readings to reach a conclusion. [7]

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Problems 18

overhang
G-clamp

sag
bench vertical rule

load

Figure 10: P12’s rig: a clamped ruler with a measured overhang; the sag of the loaded end is the drop from
its unloaded position, read on a vertical rule.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Solutions 19

PART 3
Full Worked Solutions
Spoiler gate: turn this page only after a real attempt at Part 2.

Every solution below is a model full-credit answer — the structure (equation first, working with units,
judgements closed with numbers) is what earns the marks.
Marking code: C correct idea/statement · M method · A accuracy (numerical answer) · U unit.
Equivalent valid methods score fully; ECF applies.

Quick-fire drill answers

1. 15 mm. 2. 2.0/0.040 = 50 N/m. 3. 9.0/240 = 0.0375 m = 37.5 mm. 4. 140 × 0.030 = 4.2 N. 5. 360 N/m. 6. The
spring constant k. 7. The unloaded length l0 . 8. The limit of proportionality. 9. False. 10. 300/0.60 = 500 Pa.
11. 2000 × 0.15 = 300 N. 12. 450/9000 = 0.050 m2 . 13. Depth and the liquid’s density. 14. Any three of: shape, base area,
width, total volume/amount of liquid. 15. 1000 × 9.8 × 1.5 = 14 700 Pa. 16. 1100 × 9.8 × 1.5 = 16 170 Pa ≈ 16 000 Pa.
17. 1.0 × 105 + 14 700 ≈ 1.1 × 105 Pa. 18. 29 400/(1000 × 9.8) = 3.0 m. 19. ρg. 20. One newton per square metre.

Core
S1. (a) Compressing (squashing) — squeezing a sponge; stretching — pulling a spring or a rubber band;
bending — flexing a ruler loaded at one end; twisting — wringing a wet cloth. Any four named with
examples — C1 for two, C2 for all four. (b) The mass of the object cannot be changed by a force.
[C1] A force can rearrange or accelerate the matter an object is made of, but it cannot create or
remove matter, and mass measures how much matter there is. [C1]
S2. (a) Subtracting l0 = 25 mm from every length [M1]:

L/N 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5

x/mm 8 16 24 32 43
All five correct [A1]. (b) Extension in mm on one axis and load in N on the other, each axis labelled
with quantity and unit [C1]; a single thin best-fit line through the points, not dot-to-dot [C1]. (c) Not
over the whole range. [C1] Up to 2.0 N each 0.5 N adds the same 8 mm (8, 16, 24, 32 — a straight
line through the origin), but the last step adds 11 mm (32 → 43), so the final point lies off that line:
the limit of proportionality falls between 2.0 N and 2.5 N. [C1] (d) Using the proportional region:
k = F/x = 0.5/0.008 [M1] = 62.5 N/m ≈ 63 N/m [A1, unit required]. (Any proportional pair gives
the same value: 2.0/0.032 = 62.5.)

Extended
S3. (a) k = F/x = 30/0.0012 [M1] = 25 000 N/m (equivalently 25 N/mm) [A1, unit required]. (b) F =
kx = 25 000 × 0.0020 [M1] = 50 N [A1].
S4. Graph questions first: the axis carries length, so the line cannot pass through the origin — its intercept is
l0 — and only changes along the line mean anything. (a) l0 = 15.0 cm (the intercept). [C1] (b) Between
the intercept and the given point, ∆F = 9.0 N produces ∆l = 27.0 − 15.0 = 12.0 cm = 0.120 m [M1];
k = ∆F/∆l = 9.0/0.120 [M1] = 75 N/m [A1, unit required]. (c) The student divided the load by the
length of the spring instead of its extension [C1]; the graph shows this must be wrong because the line
does not pass through the origin, so l/F is different at every point and cannot be a constant of the
spring [C1].
S5. (a) W = mg = 15 × 9.8 = 147 N. [A1] (b) Largest face A = 0.40 × 0.25 = 0.10 m2 [M1]; p =
F/A = 147/0.10 = 1470 Pa ≈ 1500 Pa [A1]. (c) The smallest face, 0.25 × 0.10 = 0.025 m2 [C1]:
p = 147/0.025 = 5880 Pa ≈ 5900 Pa [A1]. (d) The force on the ground is the same weight in both

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Solutions 20

cases; the smallest face has a quarter of the area of the largest, and since p = F/A the pressure is four
times as large. [C1]
S6. (a) Spring A: x = F/k = 54/450 = 0.12 m [M1 for x = F/k; A1]. Spring B: x = 54/90 = 0.60 m [A1].
(b) Spring A is suitable [C1]: its extension 0.12 m is within the 0.35 m allowed, while spring B’s 0.60 m
exceeds it [C1].
S7. (a) ∆p = ρg∆h = 1000 × 9.8 × 6.0 [M1] = 58 800 Pa ≈ 5.9 × 104 Pa [A1]. (b) ptotal = patm + ∆p =
1.0 × 105 + 58 800 [M1] = 158 800 ≈ 1.6 × 105 Pa [A1]. (c) “Due to the water alone” selects ∆p, not
the total [C1]. A = 8.0 cm2 = 8.0 × 10−4 m2 ; F = ∆p A = 58 800 × 8.0 × 10−4 [M1] = 47.04 ≈ 47 N
[A1]. (Unrounded values carried through; rounded once at the end.)
∆p 61 800
S8. (a) Rearranging ∆p = ρg∆h: ∆h = [M1] = [M1] = 6.122 . . . ≈ 6.1 m [A1]. (b) Deeper.
ρg 1030 × 9.8
[C1] Fresh water is less dense, so each metre of depth contributes less pressure; matching the same
reading needs more metres.
S9. (a) ∆p = ρg∆h means the gradient of the line is ρg [C1]; so ρ = gradient/g = 7840/9.8 [M1]
= 800 kg/m3 [A1]. (b) Steeper [C1]: the water line’s gradient is ρg = 1000 × 9.8 = 9800 Pa/m, greater
than the oil’s 7840 Pa/m [C1].

Distinction
S10. (a) Each spring carries half the load: F = 24/2 = 12 N [C1]. Each therefore extends x = F/k =
12/60 = 0.20 m [M1], and since they hang side by side the pair’s extension is that same 0.20 m [A1].
(b) Effective constant = 24/0.20 = 120 N/m = 2k: identical springs side by side (in parallel) double the
stiffness. [C1] (Beyond the syllabus — the exam will not ask it, but the reasoning is pure k = F/x.)
S11. (a) ∆p = ρg∆h = 1000 × 9.8 × 0.35 [M1] = 3430 Pa ≈ 3400 Pa [A1]. (b) A = 0.60 × 0.40 = 0.24 m2 ;
F = ∆p A = 3430 × 0.24 [M1] = 823.2 ≈ 820 N [A1]. (c) Weight of the water: V = 0.60 × 0.40 × 0.35 =
0.084 m3 , so m = ρV = 84 kg and W = mg = 84 × 9.8 = 823.2 N — the same value. In a straight-sided
tank the base supports the entire weight of the water above it, so the force on the base is that weight.
[C1]
S12. A full-credit plan, in the archive’s six-bullet shape (any seven distinct creditworthy points; one mark
each, C1–C7):
• Variable tested: the length of the overhang — how far the ruler projects beyond the bench edge.
• Apparatus: the ruler, a G-clamp (or heavy block) to fix it to the bench, a known load with a
hanger and thread, a metre rule or half-metre rule held vertically, and a set square to read it
without parallax.
• Method: clamp the ruler with a measured overhang; record the height of the free end above
the floor with no load, then with the load attached; the sag is the difference of the two heights.
Repeat for at least five different overhang lengths.
• Keep constant: the same ruler (same material, width and thickness), the same load, the load
hung at the same point relative to the free end, and the same unloaded-height reference method
each time.
• Table: columns headed overhang length/cm, height unloaded/mm, height loaded/mm, sag/mm.
• Conclusion: plot sag (y) against overhang length (x); a smooth rising curve or line shows how sag
depends on overhang — if the plot of sag against overhang is a straight line through the origin,
the sag is directly proportional to the overhang; otherwise state the trend the curve shows.
• Good practice (any one): view the vertical rule at eye level; check the ruler returns to its unloaded
height when the load is removed; keep loads small enough that the ruler is not permanently bent.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Test 21

PART 4
Test
40 marks · 40 minutes · closed notes.

40 marks · 40 minutes · closed notes. Take g = 9.8 N/kg and atmospheric pressure = 1.0 × 105 Pa
where needed. T8 is (Extended).
T1 (2 marks). Define pressure, and state the SI unit of pressure and what it is equivalent to in base-style
units.
T2 (4 marks). Answer each in one line. (a) A spring’s load is measured in newtons and its extension in
millimetres. Give a correct unit for its spring constant. (b) State the property of an object that forces
cannot change. (c) State the two quantities on which the pressure at a point beneath the surface of
a liquid depends. (d) State what the load–extension graph of a spring looks like while extension is
directly proportional to load.
T3 (8 marks). A spring’s coiled part has unloaded length l0 = 30 mm. With a 4.5 N load attached its
length becomes 45 mm. The limit of proportionality is not exceeded at any point in this question.
(a) Calculate the extension produced by the 4.5 N load. [2] (b) Calculate the spring constant k in
N/m. [3] (c) Calculate the length of the spring when the load is 2.4 N. [3]
T4 (4 marks). Describe an experiment to determine the spring constant of a spring, using standard
laboratory apparatus. Include what is measured, how the measurements are made accurately, and
how the spring constant is obtained from the results.
T5 (5 marks). A loaded crate weighs 720 N. It rests on a pallet of area 1.2 m × 0.80 m. (a) Calculate
the pressure the crate exerts on the pallet. [3] (b) The crate is tipped onto an end face of area
0.80 m × 0.50 m. Calculate the new pressure. [2]
T6 (7 marks). A lake is 12 m deep; the water’s density is 1000 kg/m3 . (a) Calculate the pressure at the
bottom of the lake due to the water. [2] (b) Calculate the total pressure at the bottom of the lake. [2]
(c) An inspection window of area 0.050 m2 lies flat on the lake bed. Calculate the force on the window
due to the total pressure. [3]
T7 (4 marks). (a) Sketch a load–extension graph for a spring taken well past its limit of proportionality.
[2] (b) Mark the limit of proportionality on your sketch with the letter L. [1] (c) State what happens
to the usefulness of the equation k = F/x beyond the point L. [1]
T8 (Extended, 6 marks). A spring is calibrated as a balance. With no load its length is 50 mm, and a
graph of length against attached mass is a straight line of gradient 0.12 mm/g. (a) An object attached
to the spring stretches it to a length of 98 mm. Calculate the mass of the object. [4] (b) State why
this balance can only be trusted for masses that keep the spring below its limit of proportionality. [2]

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Answers 22

PART 5
Test Answers and Diagnostic Feedback
Mark honestly — method marks stand, with arithmetic slips carried forward.

Mark scheme at examiner grain: award method marks for correct physics; ECF applies to arithmetic
slips.
A1. Pressure is the force per unit area, p = F/A [1]; the SI unit is the pascal, 1 Pa=1 N/m2 [1].
A2. (a) N/mm (any consistent force-per-length unit) [1]. (b) Its mass [1]. (c) The depth of the point and
the density of the liquid [1 — both required]. (d) A straight line through the origin [1 — both features
required].
A3. (a) x = l − l0 = 45 − 30 [M1] = 15 mm [A1]. (b) k = F/x = 4.5/0.015 [M1 for the equation, M1 for a
consistent-unit substitution] = 300 N/m [A1, unit required]. (c) x = F/k = 2.4/300 = 0.008 m = 8 mm
[M1, A1]; length = l0 + x = 30 + 8 = 38 mm [A1 — the question asks for the length, not the extension].
A4. Any four, one mark each [C1 × 4]: hang the spring from a clamp and measure the unloaded length
l0 of the coiled part with a metre rule (excluding the end loops / between stated points); read at
eye level or with a set square to avoid parallax; hang known loads and record the new length for
each, computing the extension x = l − l0 every time; plot load (y) against extension (x) and draw the
best-fit straight line through the origin; take k as the gradient of that line, using a large triangle (or
as F/x from readings within the straight region); as a check, remove the loads and confirm the spring
returns to l0 .
A5. (a) A = 1.2 × 0.80 = 0.96 m2 [M1]; p = F/A = 720/0.96 [M1] = 750 Pa [A1]. (b) A = 0.80 × 0.50 =
0.40 m2 ; p = 720/0.40 = 1800 Pa [M1, A1].
A6. (a) ∆p = ρg∆h = 1000 × 9.8 × 12 [M1] = 117 600 ≈ 1.2 × 105 Pa [A1]. (b) ptotal = 1.0 × 105 + 117 600 =
217 600 ≈ 2.2 × 105 Pa [M1, A1]. (c) F = ptotal A = 217 600 × 0.050 [M1 — must use the total, as
asked] = 10 880 [A1] ≈ 1.1 × 104 N [A1 for a sensibly rounded final value with unit].
A7. (a) Axes labelled load and extension; a straight line from the origin that bends into a curve [1 for
straight-through-origin region, 1 for the curve beyond]. (b) L exactly at the end of the straight section
[1]. (c) Beyond L the equation no longer applies — F/x is no longer constant, so it does not give the
spring constant [1].
A8. (a) Extension = 98 − 50 = 48 mm [M1 — subtracting the unloaded length]; each gram adds 0.12 mm,
so m = 48/0.12 [M1 using the gradient; M1 may also be earned by writing m = (l − l0 )/gradient]
= 400 g [A1]. (b) The calibration is the straight line: length rises by equal steps for equal masses only
below the limit of proportionality [1]; beyond it equal masses add unequal lengths, so reading a mass
back through the straight line would give the wrong value [1].

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Exam Practice 23

PART 6
Exam Practice — Extended
103 real past-paper parts across 13 sessions (2021–2026), precisely cited from Papers 2, 4 and 6 — sit
them from the papers, mark them with the official schemes.

Real Extended-tier past-paper questions relevant to this chapter, cited exactly (paper, session, year,
question) — not reprinted. Sit each from the paper your teacher provides, closed notes; mark with the
official mark scheme; repair every lost mark from the matching box in Part 1. Every entry was classified
from the official papers in the course archive, and the list is closed against all 66 Extended-track question
papers (June 2021 to March 2026): every paper is either cited below or declared empty in this chapter’s
citation index, reconciled to its printed total either way. A dagger (†) marks a question that leans on
another chapter’s physics to finish; a double dagger (‡) marks a multiple-choice item printed in both
same-session variants — attempt one, keep its twin as a re-test.

How to work this section

(1) Take the cited paper and sit the listed question or part. (2) Mark with the official scheme, point
by point. (3) For every lost mark, name the missing move (equation line? unit? l0 subtracted?
total-pressure split? comparison sentence?) and repair it from Part 1. (4) Log your score on the
playlist sheet. How to cite one: “0625 Paper 43, Nov 2024, Q2”.

A · Structured & practical questions — Papers 4 (Theory) & 6 (ATP)

The whole cited question, or the stated part — 159 marks across 23 questions (Theory 64 across 12 of 20
papers; Practical 95 across 9 of 26).

Paper Session Q Chapter-5 focus Marks

Paper 41 (Theory) June 2021 3 hydraulic oil under a loaded piston: 5
p = F/A, then why the supply pressure
rises with depth (the other 3 marks are
Chapter 4’s moments)
Paper 43 (Theory) June 2021 1 x = F/k, the meaning of the limit of 6
proportionality, and sketching
extension–load with the limit labelled ((d),
elastic energy, is Chapter 6’s)
Paper 43 (Theory) June 2021 2 a complete pressure question: the 9
fewer-books-upright argument, p = F/A for
the stack, and the diver’s depth from total
pressure
Paper 62 (ATP) June 2021 4 plan: the extension of springs made from 7
different metals — answered in Worked
example 13
Paper 43 (Theory) Nov 2021 3† why a rising bubble expands, and its 6
volumes from total pressures — finished
with Boyle’s law (Chapter 9)
Paper 61 (ATP) Nov 2021 1 the spring rig from scratch: two readings, 11
l0 , extensions, a headed table, the
extension–load graph, labelled diagram
Paper 62 (ATP) March 2022 1 l0 and the loaded length read from full-size 2
drawings — a 1.0 N calibration inside
Chapter 4’s moments experiment

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Exam Practice 24

Paper Session Q Chapter-5 focus Marks

Paper 41 (Theory) June 2022 2 total pressure at depth, then F = pA on a 5
turbine (the rest is Chapter 6’s energy)
Paper 61 (ATP) June 2022 1 readings with a set-square diagram, two 11
single-point values of k, and the agreement
judgement
Paper 41 (Theory) Nov 2022 2 l0 , the limit, and k, all read off a 6
length–weight graph ((a) is Chapter 3’s
mass-vs-weight)
Paper 43 (Theory) June 2023 2† defining pressure and how liquid pressure 3
varies with depth and density — inside a
gas-laws host
Paper 62 (ATP) June 2023 1 the extensions column, the load–extension 11
plot, and reading off the extension a 0.50 N
load produces
Paper 41 (Theory) Nov 2023 3† ρg∆h shown at depth, then F = pA on a 4
block’s base — exactly half its host ((b)(iii)
is Chapter 3’s)
Paper 43 (Theory) Nov 2023 2 k from an extension–load graph and 4
marking the limit ((b) is Chapter 3’s
W = mg)
Paper 61 (ATP) June 2024 1 an accurate l0 with a diagram, the table, 11
the plot from the origin, the gradient, and
k to suitable figures with unit
Paper 61 (ATP) June 2024 4 plan: how much layered wooden strips 7
bend under an end load — P12’s context
Paper 62 (ATP) June 2024 1 k by two methods — oscillation timing and 13
a length–mass graph — then the 10%
agreement test
Paper 41 (Theory) Nov 2024 1† ruler readings, the extension, and k from 4
measured weight — half its host ((c) is
Chapter 3’s)
Paper 43 (Theory) Nov 2024 2 the flagship springs question: describe the 7
experiment, define the limit, x = F/k twice,
choose the suitable spring
Paper 62 (ATP) March 2025 1 the spring run as a balance: calibrate, plot 11
length–mass, extrapolate l0 , read an
unknown mass back
Paper 41 (Theory) June 2025 2 † shared a force can change the size and shape of a 1
body — shared with Chapter 3 (its row 66)
Paper 43 (Theory) Nov 2025 4† force on a submerged surface: ρg∆h then 4
F = pA ((a)(i) is Chapter 1’s density step)
Paper 62 (ATP) March 2026 2 l0 off an enlarged scale excluding the loops, 11
the table, the plot, and the
directly-proportional judgement

Empty of this chapter, each paper reconciled to its printed total: 8 of the 20 theory papers and 17 of the 26
practical papers — named in the citation index.

B · Multiple-choice questions — Paper 2 (1 mark each)

26 items across 16 of 20 papers.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.
INT-PHYS-IG · CH05 · Exam Practice 25

Paper Session Q Chapter-5 focus

Paper 21 June 2021 6‡ weight of a load read from an extension-load graph
via the change in length
Paper 21 June 2021 12 ‡ pressure of a book on a table, p = W/A
Paper 23 June 2021 6‡ weight of a load read from an extension-load graph
via the change in length
Paper 23 June 2021 12 ‡ pressure of a book on a table, p = W/A
Paper 23 June 2021 13 the symbolic equation p = ρgh, mass given as a
distractor
Paper 21 Nov 2021 6‡ spring constant where lengths, not the extension, are
given
Paper 21 Nov 2021 11 greatest base pressure among containers of one liquid
Paper 23 Nov 2021 6‡ spring constant where lengths, not the extension, are
given
Paper 23 Nov 2021 11 base pressures at equal depths in differently shaped
vessels
Paper 21 June 2022 13 ‡ what liquid pressure at a point in a reservoir
depends on
Paper 23 June 2022 13 ‡ what liquid pressure at a point in a reservoir
depends on
Paper 23 Nov 2022 11 density from a base pressure, a volume and a
cross-section
Paper 21 June 2023 4 † shared the mass giving the same extension where g differs
(with Ch. 3, its row 30)
Paper 21 June 2023 13 pressure due to the water behind a dam, ρgh
Paper 23 June 2023 7 spring constant from the unstretched and loaded
lengths
Paper 23 June 2023 13 density of a liquid from the gradient of a
pressure–depth graph (g = 9.8 stated on the paper)
Paper 21 Nov 2023 11 the shape of the pressure–depth graph for a pool
Paper 23 Nov 2023 11 rearranging for depth: h = p/ρg
Paper 23 June 2024 6 the property of an object that forces cannot change
Paper 23 June 2024 8 maximum depth from a total-pressure limit
Paper 21 Nov 2024 11 area of each foot from the weight and the average
pressure
Paper 23 Nov 2024 11 greatest base pressure among four depths of water
Paper 21 June 2025 5 spring constant from two load–length pairs
Paper 21 June 2025 9 why wide wheels sink less into soft ground
Paper 21 Nov 2025 5 a possible unit for the spring constant
Paper 21 Nov 2025 9 equal depth means equal pressure, whatever the
vessel’s shape

Four multiple-choice papers carry nothing of this chapter — named in the citation index.

This list spans 13 sessions (June 2021 – March 2026) and is closed against the full 66-paper Extended
archive; it will be re-swept, and the tiling re-proved, when the June and November 2026 papers publish.
The springs half owns the practical paper — eight rigs and two planners — while pressure never appears
there; conventions, cross-chapter boundaries and the session-by-session map are kept in this chapter’s
citation index. © 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi. All rights reserved. Aligned with Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 (examinations

2026–2028); an independent publication, not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International Education.

© 2026 Izzeddin Abboushi · Independent publication — not endorsed by or affiliated with Cambridge International
Education.