Physics Unit 4 All 6 Marks Questions

- Compiled by Raiyad Reza

June 2019

The photograph shows part of a sculpture at the laboratories of the European Organization
for Nuclear Research in Switzerland.

A teacher on a tour says to a group of students, “In fact, nearly all of the matter in that
sculpture is made up of the two first generation quarks, in combinations called baryons,
and one type of lepton. However, the matter is mostly empty space.”

Explain this statement.

• Atoms (in the sculpture) have protons and neutrons in nucleus

• (Nucleus) is orbited by electrons

• The electron is (the only) lepton

• Nucleus is much smaller than the size of the atom, so mostly empty space

• Proton and neutron are baryons

• Baryons made of 3 quarks

Or proton and neutron made of 3 quarks

October 2019

Cyclotrons can be used in hospitals and are used to produce a beam of protons.

Explain how the cyclotron accelerates the protons to a high energy.

• P.d./E-field accelerates protons between dees

• This is an alternating p.d./E-field

Or the p.d./ E-field reverses when the proton is in the dees

• Magnetic field perpendicular to (plane of) dees/proton motion

• Proton path curved by magnetic field

Or magnetic field exerts centripetal force

• As momentum/velocity/speed/Ekinetic of protons increases radius of path in dees increases

• The time for which a proton is in a dee remains constant

Or the frequency of p.d./E-field is constant
Jan 2020

The following passage is taken from an article about the history of particle physics.

Mystery Particle
By 1932 scientists knew of the existence of the subatomic particles the electron, the proton
and the neutron. These were believed to be the fundamental particles.

In 1936 scientists were using tracks of cosmic rays to identify a predicted particle
known as a meson. Instead, another particle was discovered, the muon. This was so
surprising that Nobel Prize winning physicist Isidor Rabi said “Who ordered that?”

Describe how the underlined particles fit into the standard model.

• Neutrons/Protons are baryons

• Baryons/Neutrons/Protons made of 3 quarks (or 3 antiquarks)

• Mesons made of quark and antiquark

• Electrons/muons are leptons

• p/n/e first generation

Or muon 2nd generation

• Leptons/electron/muon/quarks fundamental

Or proton/neutron/mesons not fundamental

Jan 2020

In 1908 Rutherford, Geiger and Marsden investigated the interaction of alpha particles
with matter. In one set of experiments they directed alpha particles towards a thin gold foil
At that time, one model for the structure of atoms was the plum pudding model proposed by
J J Thompson. In this model, the positive charge and mass were spread evenly throughout
the atom. Negatively charged electrons were distributed within the atom.

Discuss the extent to which the results of the alpha particle scattering experiments
justified replacing the plum pudding model with a nuclear model of the atom.

• Most alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil

• Some alpha particles were deflected by small angles

• Either model would predict small or zero deflections because in the nuclear model the atom is
mostly empty space and in the ‘pudding’ model matter is too spread out

• A few proportion of alpha particles were deflected by more than 90°

• This did not fit the plum pudding model as this deflection requires a high concentration of charge
(to provide a large force)

Or This could only be explained by the nuclear model as this deflection requires a high concentration
of charge to (provide a large force)

• This did not fit the plum pudding model as this deflection requires a high concentration of mass (so
that the alpha particle is deflected and not the gold nucleus)

Or This could only be explained by the nuclear model as this deflection requires a high concentration
of mass (so that the alpha particle is deflected and not the gold nucleus)
June/October 2020

The electronic mouse trap works by applying a large potential difference (p.d.)
across two metal plates. The diagram shows part of the circuit for the electronic
mouse trap.

The transformer T consists of two coils wound around a single iron core. An alternating p.d.
is applied to the input coil and the output coil is connected, through a diode, to a capacitor.

Explain how applying a p.d. across the input coil causes the capacitor to charge.

• (Aternating p.d. produces) alternating current in input coil

• (Alternating/varying current produces) a varying magnetic field in core

Or (Alternating/varying current produces) a varying magnetic field in second coil

• There is a change in magnetic flux linkage with (second) coil

• E.m.f. induced

• Complete circuit, so current in capacitor circuit

• Diode produces direct current

Jan 2021

In 1937 scientists at the University of California used high-speed particles from a

cyclotron to produce an isotope of phosphorus. This isotope can be used in a treatment
for cancer.

Explain the role of electric and magnetic fields in the production of high-speed
charged particles by a cyclotron.

• Magnetic field perpendicular to velocity of particles

• Magnetic force on particles perpendicular to velocity

• Particles experience centripetal acceleration/force so they undergo circular motion

• Alternating potential difference between dees changes direction while particle in dees

• Particle accelerated by electric field between dees

• (Electric) field in correct direction so that force on particle further increases speed
June 2021

A student carried out an investigation of Lenz’s law. A copper tube was suspended from a
force meter, as shown.
A magnet was released at the top of the tube. When the magnet was falling through the
tube, there was an increased reading on the force meter.
Explain why there was an increased reading on the force meter.

• change of flux linked to surrounding metal

Or change of flux linked to copper tube

• e.m.f induced

• full conducting path available, so current in metal

• current produces magnetic field

• (by Lenz’s law the) magnetic field (due to the induced current) produces a force (on the magnet)
that opposes the motion of magnet causing it

• upward force on magnet, so (increased) downward force on tube

October 2021

The alpha particle scattering experiments using gold foil were first carried out by a team
of scientists led by Rutherford.
Following these experiments Rutherford said, “It was almost as incredible as if you
fired a 15-inch shell (large missile) at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and
hit you.”

Explain why Rutherford was surprised at the results of the experiment and how this
led to the nuclear model for the atom.

• atom believed to have an equally distributed mass/charge throughout

• alpha particles expected to have only a small deflection

• a small proportion of alphas come straight back

• (changed to) model of atom where most is empty space

• nucleus contains (almost) all the mass

• nucleus is charged
Jan 2022

The diagram shows particle tracks in a detector. A negative K meson collided with
a stationary proton. An omega baryon and a positive K meson were produced after
the impact.

The rest mass of the omega baryon is significantly larger than the rest mass of the proton.

Discuss how energy and momentum are conserved during this collision.

• As (Rest) mass-energy of proton and kaon + Initial Ek = (rest) mass-energy of omega and
kaon + kinetic energies of both particles

• Incoming K− had high kinetic energy

• some of this initial kinetic energy converted to mass of the omega particle (– mass of proton)

• ∆E = ∆mc2
June 2022

Some particle physics experiments use electrons which are accelerated to very high
energies by a linac. The diagram shows the first section of the linac.

Explain why the distances between consecutive tubes increase in the first section of
the linac but are almost equally spaced in the last section of the linac.

• Electrons accelerate in the gaps

• Frequency of a.c. supply is constant

• Time taken for an electron to travel between (consecutive) tubes is constant (and they are
accelerating)

• Reference to s = vt, e.g. electrons travel further in a fixed time with a higher speed

• (In the last section of the linac) the electron approaches the speed of light

• Speed becomes (almost) constant so distance travelled in a fixed amount of time becomes
(almost) constant
October 2022

A student uses a strong, cylindrical magnet to investigate Lenz’s law.

The student records the time taken for the magnet to fall through two hollow tubes of
copper, tube A and tube B.
The two tubes have the same length and cross-sectional area. Tube B has a vertical slit
cut into it, as shown.
Discuss the differences in the time taken for the magnet to fall through each tube.

• Change in flux linkage as magnet falls (through each tube)

• EMF induced (in each tube)

• Tube(s) made of conducting material, so there is a current

• Magnetic field associated with this current

• Upward force exerted on magnet as the field is such to oppose the change that creates

• Magnet takes less time to fall through Tube B because the slit reduces the number of paths
for current in the conductor
Jan 2023

A student placed two magnets on a holder so that the north pole of one magnet faced the
south pole of the other magnet. The arrangement was placed on a sensitive balance,
calibrated to measure force.
The student held part of a closed loop of wire between the magnets, as shown in
the photograph.

When the student moved the wire quickly downwards between the magnets, the
reading on the balance changed.

Explain how the reading on the balance changed.

• Wire cuts lines of magnetic flux

• Induces e.m.f

• so current in loop of wire

• Current in a wire in a magnetic field experiences a force

• Due to Lenz’s law there is a force opposing the motion of the wire

• Opposite, downward force on magnets, so balance reading increases

June 2023

The photograph shows a toy car inside a plastic ball. The car has an electric motor and
follows a circular path in a vertical plane. The car travels at a constant speed

A student determined how the resultant vertical force on the car varied over a period of
time.

The graph shows the student’s data. A positive value represents an upwards force.

The magnitude of the force exerted by the ball on the car was greatest at 0.04s and least at
0.12s.

Discuss the position of the car at these two times.

You should consider the forces acting on the car.
You do not need to do any further calculations.

• Magnitude of centripetal force is constant since speed is constant

• Centripetal force on car at bottom is normal contact force minus weight (F = N – W or N = F +
W)
• When car is at bottom force is maximum
• Centripetal force on car at top is normal contact force plus weight (F = N + W or N = F – W)
• When car is at top force is minimum
• At 0.04 s it is at the bottom and at 0.12 s it’s at the top
October 2023

A bar magnet was dropped vertically through a small coil, as shown

The coil was attached to a data logger. The data logger recorded the variation of e.m.f.
across the coil with time.
The output from the data logger is shown below.

Explain the variation of e.m.f. with time.

• There is a change in flux linkage (with the coil)

• The greater the rate of change of flux linkage the larger the induced e.m.f.

• After the south pole reaches the coil the flux linkage (starts to) decrease

• As the south pole of the magnet passes through the coil the (induced) e.m.f. is negative

• The (downwards) speed of the magnet increases

• Emf is zero before magnet enters coil

Jan 2024

Many modern kitchens have an induction cooker.

The idea of the induction cooker was first suggested more than a century ago.
An iron kettle was heated by passing an alternating current through a coil
wound around a soft iron core, as shown.

Explain why the kettle heats up when there is an alternating current in the coil.

• The current produces a magnetic field

• Alternating current, so alternating/varying magnetic field

• There is a change of flux linkage with kettle/core due to the alternating current

• An e.m.f. is induced across the kettle/core

• Currents circulate in (the iron of) the kettle/core

• The kettle heats as energy is dissipated by the heating effect of currents