Physics

Higher level
Paper 1A Name:------------------------------------

Monday 17 March 2025 (morning)

2 hours [Paper 1A and Paper 1B]

Instructions to candidates
y Do not open this examination paper until instructed to do so.
y Answer all questions.
y For each question, choose the answer you consider to be the best and indicate your choice on
the answer sheet provided.
y A calculator is required for this paper.
y A clean copy of the physics data booklet is required for this paper.
y The maximum mark for paper 1A is [40 marks].
y The maximum mark for paper 1A and paper 1B is [60 marks].

0000 – 6501
25 pages © International Baccalaureate Organization 2023
 1. A student models the relationship between velocity v of a moving charge in a
magnetic field, and the force F acting on it as F=kv, with k being a constant

What are the units for k expressed in fundamental SI units?

• A. ms
• B. kgs−1
• C. kgs−2
• D. ms−2

2. A student throws a ball with an initial velocity in the horizontal direction. Air
resistance is negligible. At t=2.0 s, the ball has travelled a distance x in the
horizontal direction and a distance y in the vertical direction.

What are the horizontal and vertical distances covered at t=1.0s, in terms of x and y?

Horizontal distance Vertical distance

A. x/2 y/4
B. x/2 / y/2
C. x/4 y/2
D. x/4 y/4

3. Two objects of masses mm and M collide and stick together. Both objects have the
same initial speed and follow paths illustrated below. The line on the diagram
shows the line of symmetry between the paths of the two objects before the
collision.

After the collision the combined mass moves away from the origin making an
angle θ above the original line of symmetry.
What is tanθ?

4. A ball of mass m is falling vertically through the air. The drag force acting on the
ball is given by kv2 where k is constant and v is the speed of the ball.
What is the maximum speed reached by the ball?
 5. A box is sliding down an incline at a constant speed of 2 m s−12ms−1. The angle of
the incline is θθ.

The magnitude of the total of the opposing forces is 16 N16N. What is the force of
gravity acting on the box?

6. A box of mass 2.0 kg starts to

move on a level surface under
the effect of a varying force F.
The variation of FF with the
displacement ss of the object is
shown in the graph below.
What is the speed of the box at s
= 5 m?
 7. The graph shows the variation of torque on an object with time.

The moment of inertia is 20.25kgm2.

Assuming the object starts from rest, what is the final angular speed?

8. A uniform beam of total length L and mass m is hinged on one end and acted
upon by a horizontal force of magnitude F on its other end.

The beam is held stationary at rest at an angle θ above the horizontal as shown in
the diagram below.
Which of the following correctly expresses the value of F?

9. In a distant future, an area with dimensions of 2.0 ly2.0ly and 5.0 ly5.0ly, as
measured by a stationary observer on Earth, is reserved for a spaceship road.
The diagram illustrates the area and the direction of motion for a spaceship
moving at a speed of 0.6c0.6c.

What is the area of the road from the perspective of the observer in the spaceship?
 10. A chemical reaction occurs inside a solid of mass mm and specific heat
capacity c. The initial temperature of the solid is 50K.

What is the minimum energy that the reaction must release to increase the
temperature of the solid to 100°C?
A. 50 mc

B. 100 mc

C. 323 mc

D. 373 mc

11. The graph shows how the temperature of a solid wax block varies with time.
The solid wax has a specific heat capacity of 2kJkg−1K−1 and it absorbs heat at a
rate of 20W.

What is the specific latent heat of fusion of wax?

• A. 50 Jg−1
• B. 100 Jg−1
• C. 200 Jg−1
• D. 400 Jg−1
12. Heat is supplied at a power of 10W to one end of a horizontal metal rod of
cross-sectional area 10cm2. The graph shows how temperature varies with
horizontal distance x measured from the hot end of the rod. It may be
assumed that all of the supplied energy is conducted through the rod and
dissipated at the other end.

What is the thermal conductivity of the rod?

 13. The average radius of Neptune's orbit around the Sun is approximately 30
times the orbital radius of earth. Estimate the solar constant of Neptune.

The solar constant for Earth is 1360 Wm−2.

A. 1.5 Wm−2.

B. 23 Wm−2.

C. 45 Wm−2.

D. 1360 Wm−2.

14. The internal energies U of two ideal gases are measured with respect to
temperature T. Gas A contains 0.25 moles of gas molecules, whilst Gas B
comprises 1023 gas molecules.

Which graph shows how U varies with T for the two gases?

A. B.

C. D.
 15. The graph shows a pressure-volume diagram for an ideal gas undergoing a
cyclic process. The diagram shows two adiabatic curves, an isovolumetric and
an isobaric process making up the loop DEFG. The arrows show the direction
of the cycle.

Between which pair of letters is heat supplied to the gas (QinQin)?

A. D and E

B. E and F

C. F and G

D. G and D

16. The diagram below shows a circuit

connected to a 12 VV battery with negligible
internal resistance.
What is the value of the current II through
the 2 Ω2Ω resistor?

• A. 1 A
• B. 2 A
• C. 3 A
• D. 4 A
 17. The variation of terminal potential difference VV across an electric cell with
current II coming out of the cell is shown in the graph.

What are the values of the emf ϵϵ and internal resistance rr of the electric cell used
in this circuit?

ϵ/V r/Ω
A. 9 2.0
B. 8 0.5
C. 8 2.0
D. 9 0.5

18. For an object undergoing simple harmonic oscillation, the graphs show the
variation of two quantities for the object with time tt.

Which two quantities could be represented by these graphs?

 Graph I Graph II
A. Kinetic energy Potential energy
B. Velocity Acceleration
C. Acceleration Displacement
D. Velocity Displacement

19. A mass of 700 g is placed onto a flat piece of card that is attached to a vertical
spring with a spring constant (k) of 140 N m−1 and the lower end of the spring
is fastened to the floor. The mass of the spring and the card is considered to
be negligible. When pressed lightly and released the mass will move with
simple harmonic motion.

What is the minimum amplitude of the motion that will cause the mass to lose
contact with the card? [Take g=10 ms−2]

• A. 0.025 m0.025 m
• B. 0.05 m0.05 m
• C. 0.075 m0.075 m
• D. 0.10 m0.10 m
 20. A longitudinal wave is travelling in a medium from left to right. The graph
shows the variation of the displacement of the particles of this medium with
distance along the medium xx.

Which point on the graph is at the center of a rarefaction? Displacements to the right
of equilibrium positions are positive.
21. Light of wavelength λ1 and λ2 is incident on a diffraction grating with the slit
spacing of d. A series of bright lines are formed on a screen.
 22. The diagram shows a beam of light passing from medium X to medium Y.

If the angle of incidence of the light increases, which of the following changes can be
implemented to keep the angle of refraction the same?

Medium X can be replaced with another medium which has a lower refractive
I.
index.
Medium X can be replaced with another medium which has a higher refractive
II.
index.
Medium Y can be replaced with another medium which has a higher refractive
III.
index.
• A. Only I
• B. I and III only
• C. II and III only
• D. I, II, and III

23. A tuning fork is held above a hollow pipe which is in a long cylinder filled
with water as shown in the diagram below.

Initially, the pipe is fully immersed in the water. The pipe and the vibrating
tuning fork are slowly lifted upward from the surface of the water, creating an
air column inside the pipe above the water surface.

A maximum intensity of the sound is first heard when the air column reaches
a length aa and again at length bb.
Which of the following statements are correct about the lengths aa and bb,
and the wavelength λ?

• A. Only I
• B. Only III
• C. I and III
• D. I, II, and III
 24. Which of the following diagrams best illustrates Kepler's second law?

A. B.

C. D.

25. A satellite is in an orbit around a planet of radius RR. The graph shows the
variation of different energy quantities against r, which is the distance from
the center of the planet. The graph origin represents the surface of the planet.

Which one of the following statements may be correct about the energies of this
satellite?

• A. Only I
• B. I and II only
• C. II and III only
• D. I, II, and III
 26. A satellite of mass 40kg is moved from one point in space to another for
experimental purposes. The graph below shows how the gravitational
potential V of the points that the satellite moves through varies with time t.

The change in gravitational potential energy of the satellite is 600MJ. Which of the
following gives the magnitude of the gravitational potential Vf at the final location of
the satellite?
• A. −20 MJkg−1
• B. −15 MJkg−1
• C. -10 MJkg−1
• D. -5 MJkg−1

27. The diagram shows the equipotential lines in a field due to A and B. What
may be represented by A and B?

I. 2 equal masses.
II. 2 equal charges of the same sign.
III. 2 equal charges of opposite sign

• A. Only I
• B. I and III only
• C. Only III
• D. I, II, and III
 28. In an experiment negatively charged spherical oil drops are allowed to fall
into a region between two charged parallel plates. The plates are connected
to an external power supply as shown in the diagram below:

Each drop has a different charge and size. For a given potential difference it is
observed that some of the drops are suspended stationary between the plates.

Which graph correctly shows the relationship between the charge q and the
radius r of these stationary drops?
A. B.

C. D.
 29. An electron is accelerated through a potential difference of 300V. The final
kinetic energy of the electron is 6.4×10−17 J. What is the initial kinetic energy
of the electron?

• A. 100 eV
• B. 200 eV
• C. 300 eV
• D. 400 eV

30. A charged particle is moving horizontally when it enters an electric field

between two parallel plates. The path followed by the particle when it passes
through the plates is shown. Assume gravitational effects to be negligible.

Which statements are correct about the charged particle?

• I. The particle is positively charged.

• II. A magnetic field in a direction into the page could cause the charged
particles to move horizontally without deflection.
• III. A magnetic field in a direction out of the page could cause the charged
particles to move horizontally without deflection.

• A. Only II
• B. I and II only
• C. I and III only
• D. Neither
 31. A wire is placed between the poles of a large magnet and sits on a mass
balance as shown in the diagram. The wire is perpendicular to the magnetic
field. The mass of the magnet is M, the magnetic flux density between the
poles is B and the length of wire that lies in the field is L.

The graph below shows how the mass reading m varies as the current in the wire I is
varied.

Which row gives the correct expressions the gradient and y-intercept of the graph?

Y-intercept Gradient
A. Mg BL/g
B. Mg BL
C. M BL/g
D. M BL
 32. There are four conducting coils KK, LL, MM, and NN. Each loop moves from a
region where the magnetic field is zero into a uniform magnetic field,
inducing either a clockwise or counterclockwise current in the loops. The
speed of each coil is given, and the dimensions can be seen from the grid.

Which statement(s) are correct about the instant when the loops enter the magnetic
field?

• A. I only
• B. I and II only
• C. II and III only
• D. I, II and III

33. The diagram shows atomic energy levels of an element, and wavelengths are
labeled corresponding to emission for electron transition
between certain energy levels.

Which of the following shows these wavelengths in

decreasing order?
• A. λ1,λ2,λ3,λ4
• B. λ4,λ3,λ2,λ1
• C. λ1,λ4,λ3,λ2
• D. λ2,λ3,λ4,λ1
 34. The nucleon numbers of elements X and Y are A and 8A respectively. Their
radii are RX and RY, and their densities are ρX and ρY.

Which of the following shows the correct values of the ratios RX/RY and ρX / ρY?

RX/RY ρX/ρY
A. 2 1
B. 8 2
C. 2 2
D. 8 1

35. Alpha particles of kinetic energy K are fired at nuclei of proton number Z.

The number of particles scattered at different angles are in agreement with

the prediction of Rutherford's scattering model.

Which of the following changes to the values of K and Z will result in a

significant deviation from Rutherford's model?

Value of K Value of Z
A. Decrease Increase
B. Decrease Decrease
C. Increase Increase
D. Increase Decrease

36. In a vacuum chamber, electromagnetic radiation of frequencies fA<fB just

manage to produce a non-zero photocurrent from metals A and B
respectively. When illuminated by an electromagnetic radiation of
frequency f>fB, the stopping voltage for the photocurrents from plates A and B
are recorded to be VA and VB respectively.

Which of the following is true about VA and VB?

• A. VA<VB
• B. VA>VB
• C. VA=VB
• D. Information provided is insufficient to compare VA and VB
37. An incident X-ray photon of wavelength λi is scattered at 90°. The scattered
photon wavelength is 1.1λi.

Which of the following gives an expression for the wavelength of the

scattered photon?

38. Which of the following is correct for how the average binding energy per
nucleon varies with nucleon number (A)?

• A. Only I and II
• B. Only I and III
• C. Only II and III
• D. I, II, and III

39. In the design of a nuclear fission reactor, which of the following statements
are true?

• A. I and III only

• B. II and III only
• C. I and II only
• D. III only
 40. Some regions on the H-R diagram are labelled.

A main sequence star with a mass of three times the Sun will evolve through a series
of stages. Which of the following sequences of stages could correctly represent the
path of the evolution of this star?
Physics
Higher level
Paper 1B

Monday March 17 2025 (morning)

Candidate session number

2 hours [Paper 1A and Paper 1B]

Instructions to candidates
y Write your session number in the boxes above.
y Do not open this examination paper until instructed to do so.
y Answer all questions.
y Answers must be written within the answer boxes provided.
y A calculator is required for this paper.
y A clean copy of the physics data booklet is required for this paper.
y The maximum mark for paper 1B is [20 marks].
y The maximum mark for paper 1A and paper 1B is [60 marks].

0000 – 6502
6 pages © International Baccalaureate Organization 2023

08EP01
 --- Section B ---

1. In an experiment, a liquid-filled beaker is positioned on an electronic balance. An

immersion heater with a power rating of PP is introduced into the water. Once the
water begins to boil, a researcher monitored the change in mass mm of the liquid
over time t once the boiling commenced.

The theoretically predicted relationship between time tt and mm is

C is the initial mass of the liquid when t=0s and Lv is the latent heat of vaporisation
of water.

a. Give the units of Lv in fundamental SI units. [2]

b. In a particular experiment, the researcher uses a heater of
power 65.0±0.1 W and measures m=0.120±0.001 kg,
C=0.125±0.001 kg, and t=600±1 s.

i. Calculate the percentage error in the measured value of Lv. [3]

ii. For this experiment, calculate the value of Lv and its absolute
uncertainty. [2]

iii. The accepted value of Lv is 2.3×106Jkg−1. Explain why the

experimental value does not match the accepted value. [2]
c. The researcher plots a graph to show how m varies with t.
i. Outline why P must be kept constant during the experiment.
[1]

d. Assuming the relationship Lv= Pt/(C−m) is correct, sketch the expected

mass-time relationship on the axes below. (There is no need to put
numbers to the axes). [2]

iii. Outline how to obtain the value of Lv from the graph you have
drawn in c(ii). [1]
2. In an experiment to determine the speed of sound in air, some students used a
number of tuning forks of known frequencies and a tube with a moveable piston
arranged as shown below.

For each tuning fork they used the setup shown in the diagram.

The students would sound the tuning fork, then move the
piston slowly downwards until a loud sound is first
heard. The length L was then measured. This was
repeated for different tuning forks.

The graph shows the variation of 1/L with frequency.

a. Draw the line of best fit. [1]

b. Calculate the fractional uncertainty of L1 when the length is 20cm. [2]

c. i. Determine the gradient, expressing your answer with the correct SI units.
[2]

ii. Use the gradient calculated in (i) to determine the speed of sound. [2]