1. This question is about electrical resistance.

(a) A resistor of resistance 1.5 Ω is made from copper wire of radius 0.18 mm. The resistivity
of copper is 1.7 × 10–8 Ω m. Determine the length of copper wire used to make the
resistor.

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(2)

(b) The manufacturer of the resistor in (a) guarantees that the resistance is within 10 % of 1.5
Ω , provided that the power dissipation in the resistor does not exceed 1.0 W.

(i) Suggest why the resistance of the resistor might be greater than 1.65 Ω if the power
dissipation in the resistor is greater than 1.0 W.

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(ii) Show that, for a power dissipation of 1.0 W, the current in a resistor of resistance
1.5 Ω is 0.82 A.

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(1)

IB Questionbank Physics 1
 (iii) The 1.5 Ω resistor is connected in series with a variable resistor and battery of emf
6.0 V and internal resistance 1.8 Ω.

Estimate the resistance R of the variable resistor that will limit the current to
0.82 A.

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(3)
(Total 8 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 2
2. This question is about an electric circuit.

A particular filament lamp is rated at 12 V, 6.0 mA. It just lights when the potential difference
across the filament is 6.0 V.

A student sets up an electric circuit to measure the I-V characteristic of the filament lamp.

In the circuit, shown below, the student has connected the voltmeter and the ammeter into the
circuit incorrectly.

The battery has emf 12 V and negligible internal resistance. The ammeter has negligible
resistance and the resistance of the voltmeter is 100 kΩ. The maximum resistance of the
variable resistor is 15Ω.

(a) Explain, without doing any calculations, whether there is a position of the slide S at
which the lamp will be lit.

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(3)

(b) Estimate the maximum reading of the ammeter.

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IB Questionbank Physics 3
 (c) Complete the circuit diagram below showing the correct position of the voltmeter and of
the ammeter in order to determine the I-V characteristic of the filament lamp.

(2)
(Total 7 marks)

3. This question is about the energy balance of the Earth.

(a) The intensity of the Sun’s radiation at the position of the Earth is approximately
1400 W m–2.

Suggest why the average power received per unit area of the Earth is 350 W m–2.

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IB Questionbank Physics 4
 (b) The diagram shows a simplified model of the energy balance of the Earth’s surface.
The diagram shows radiation entering or leaving the Earth’s surface only.

The average equilibrium temperature of the Earth’s surface is TE and that of the
atmosphere is TA = 242 K.

(i) Using the data from the diagram, state the emissivity of the atmosphere.

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(1)

(ii) Show that the intensity of the radiation radiated by the atmosphere towards the
Earth’s surface is 136 W m–2.

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IB Questionbank Physics 5
 (iii) By reference to the energy balance of the Earth’s surface, calculate TE.

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(c) (i) Outline a mechanism by which part of the radiation radiated by the Earth’s surface
is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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(ii) Suggest why the incoming solar radiation is not affected by the mechanism you
outlined in (c)(i).

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IB Questionbank Physics 6
 (iii) Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas. State one source and one sink (object
that removes CO2) of this gas.

Source: ..............................................................................................................

Sink: ..................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

4. This question is about power production and global warming.

(a) In any cyclical process designed to continuously convert thermal energy to work, some
energy is always degraded. Explain what is meant by degraded energy.

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(b) A nuclear power station uses uranium-235 (U-235) as fuel. Outline the

(i) processes and energy changes that occur through which thermal energy is
produced.

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IB Questionbank Physics 7
 (ii) role of the heat exchanger of the reactor and the turbine in the generation of
electrical energy.

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(c) Identify one process in the power station where energy is degraded.

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(d) The maximum power output of the Drax coal-fired power station in the UK is 4.0 GW.
Determine the minimum mass of pure U-235 that would be required by a nuclear power
station to provide the same maximum annual energy output as the Drax power station.

Energy density of U-235 = 82 TJ kg–1

1 year = 3.2 × 107 s

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IB Questionbank Physics 8
 (e) The Drax power station produces an enormous amount of carbon dioxide, a gas classified
as a greenhouse gas. Outline, with reference to the vibrational behaviour of molecules of
carbon dioxide, what is meant by a greenhouse gas.

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(f) It has been suggested that the production of greenhouse gases by coal-fired power stations
has increased global warming. One piece of evidence to support this suggestion is the
increase in sea-level due to an increase in temperature of the oceans. Over the past 100
years it is suggested that sea-levels have risen by 6.4 × 10–2 m due to volume expansion.

Using the following data, determine the average rise in temperature in the top levels of
the oceans in the last 100 years.

Mean depth of oceans that is affected by global warming = 4.0 × 102 m

Coefficient of volume expansion of sea water = 5.1 × 10–5 K–1

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(Total 18 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 9
5. In the circuit below, the voltmeter has a resistance 100 kΩ. The battery has negligible internal
resistance and emf 6 V.

The reading on the voltmeter is

A. 0 V.

B. 2 V.

C. 3 V.

D. 4 V.
(Total 1 mark)

IB Questionbank Physics 10
6. This question is about the hydrogen atom.

(a) A parallel beam of visible light is shone through monatomic hydrogen gas.

The radiation emerging from the gas is analysed by comparing the incident and emerging
intensities at various wavelengths. It is found that at a wavelength of 490 nm the intensity
of the emergent beam is greatly reduced.

The diagram shows some of the electron energy states of the hydrogen atom where n is
the quantum number of the energy level.

(i) Calculate the energy, in eV, of a photon of light of wavelength 490 nm.

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IB Questionbank Physics 11
 (ii) Use your answer in (a)(i) and the energy level diagram to explain the reduction in
intensity of the emergent beam.

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(b) Outline how the Schrödinger model of the hydrogen atom leads to the idea of discrete
electron energy states.

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(Total 10 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 12
7. Emission and absorption spectra provide evidence for

A. the nuclear model of the atom.

B. natural radioactivity.

C. the existence of isotopes.

D. the existence of atomic energy levels.

(Total 1 mark)

8. This question is about atomic spectra.

Diagram 1 shows some of the energy levels of the hydrogen atom. Diagram 2 is a representation
of part of the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen. The lines shown represent transitions
involving the –3.40 eV level.

IB Questionbank Physics 13
 (a) Deduce that the energy of a photon of wavelength 658 nm is 1.89 eV.

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(b) (i) On diagram 1, draw an arrow to show the electron transition between energy
levels that gives rise to the emission of a photon of wavelength 658 nm. Label this
arrow with the letter A.
(1)

(ii) On diagram 1, draw arrows to show the electron transitions between energy levels
that give rise to the emission of photons of wavelengths 488 nm, 435 nm and 411
nm.
Label these arrows with the letters B, C and D.
(1)

(c) Explain why the lines in the emission spectrum of atomic hydrogen, shown in diagram 2,
become closer together as the wavelength of the emitted photons decreases.

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(Total 8 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 14
9. This question is about solar radiation.

(a) State the Stefan–Boltzmann law for a black body.

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(b) The following data relate to the Earth and the Sun.

Earth-Sun distance = 1.5 × 1011 m

radius of Earth = 6.4 × 106 m
radius of Sun = 7.0 × 108 m
surface temperature of Sun = 5800 K

(i) Use data from the table to show that the power radiated by the Sun is about
4 × 1026 W.

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(1)

(ii) Calculate the solar power incident per unit area at a distance from the Sun equal to
the Earth’s distance from the Sun.

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IB Questionbank Physics 15
 (iii) The average power absorbed per unit area at the Earth’s surface is 240 W m–2.
State two reasons why the value calculated in (b)(ii) differs from this value.

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(iv) Show that the value for power absorbed per unit area of 240 W m–2 is consistent
with an average equilibrium temperature for Earth of about 255 K.

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(c) Explain, by reference to the greenhouse effect, why the average temperature of the
surface of the Earth is greater than 255 K.

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IB Questionbank Physics 16
 (d) Suggest why the burning of fossil fuels may lead to an increase in the temperature of the
surface of the Earth.

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(Total 15 marks)

10. The diagram shows a simple climate model for Earth. The temperature of the ground is Tg and is
assumed to radiate as a black body. The temperature of the atmosphere is Ta and has an
emissivity ε.

In the model, the intensity radiated from the ground equals the intensity radiated from the
Tg
atmosphere towards the ground. What is the ratio ?
Ta

A. ε4

B. ε
1
C. ε 4

D. 1
(Total 1 mark)

IB Questionbank Physics 17