Transition Pack for A
Level Physics
GetreadyforA-level!
AguidetohelpyougetreadyforA-levelPhysics,
includingeverythingfromtopicguidestodaysoutand
onlinelearningcourses.
Commissioned by The PiXL Club Ltd. February 2016
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Pleasenote:theseresourcesarenon-boardspecific.Pleasedirectyour
studentstothespecificsofwherethisknowledgeandskillsmostapply.
This resource is strictly for the use of member schools for as long as they remain members of The PiXL
Club. It may not be copied, sold nor transferred to a third party or used by the school after membership
ceases. Until such time it may be freely used within the member school.
All opinions and contributions are those of the authors. The contents of this resource are not connected with
1
nor endorsed by any other company, organisation or institution.
© Copyright
The
PiXL
Club
Ltd,
2016
www.pixl.org.uk
ThePiXLClubLtd,Companynumber07321607
Figure1http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/images/main-physics.gif
Thispackcontainsaprogrammeofactivitiesandresourcestoprepareyouto
start an A level in Physics in September. It is aimed to be used after you
completeyourGCSE,throughouttheremainderoftheSummertermandover
the Summer Holidays to ensure you are ready to start your course in
September.
2
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
BookRecommendations
Belowisaselectionofbooksthatshouldappealtoaphysicist–someonewithanenquiringmindwhowants
tounderstandtheuniversearoundus.Noneoftheselectionsaretextbooksfullofequationwork(therewillbe
plentyoftimeforthat!)insteadeachprovidesinsighttoeitheranapplicationofphysicsoranewareaofstudy
thatyouwillbemeetingatALevelforthefirsttime.
1.
SurelyYou'reJokingMrFeynman:AdventuresofaCuriousCharacter
ISBN - 009917331X - Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize winning Physicist. In
myopinionheepitomiseswhataPhysicistis.Byreadingthisbooksyouwillget
insightintohislife’sworkincludingthecreationofthefirstatomicbombandhis
bongoplayingadventuresandhisworkinthefieldofparticlephysics.
(AlsoavailableonAudiobook).
https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/surely+youre+joking+mr+feynman++adventures+of
+a+curious+character
2.
Moondust:InSearchoftheMenWhoFelltoEarth
ISBN – 1408802384 - One of the greatest scientific achievements of all time
wasputtingmankindonthesurfaceofthemoon.Only12menmadethetrip
to the surface, at the time of writing the book only 9 are still with us. The
bookdoesanexcellentjobofusingthepersonalaccountsofthe9remaining
astronautsandmanyothersinvolvedinthespaceprogramatlookingatthe
wholespace-raceera,withhopefullyaneweraofspaceflightabouttobegin
aswepushontoputmankindonMarsinthenextcoupleofdecades.
https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/moondust++in+search+of+the+men+who+fell+to+e
arth
3.
QuantumTheoryCannotHurtYou:UnderstandingtheMind-BlowingBuildingBlocksoftheUniverse
ISBN - 057131502X - Any Physics book by Marcus Chown is an excellent
insight into some of the more exotic areas of Physics that require no prior
knowledge. In your first year of A-Level study you will meet the quantum
world for the first time. This book will fill you with interesting facts and
handyanalogiestowhipouttoimpressyourpeers!
https://www.waterstones.com/book/quantum-theory-cannot-hurt-you/marcuschown/9780571315024
3
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
4.
AShortHistoryofNearlyEverything
ISBN – 0552997048 - A modern classic. Popular science writing at its best. A
Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson’s quest to find out everything
that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization - how we got
fromthere,beingnothingatall,tohere,beingus.Hopefullybyreadingityou
will gain an awe-inspiring feeling of how everything in the universe is
connectedbysomefundamentallaws.
https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/a+short+history+of+nearly+everything
5.
ThingExplainer:ComplicatedStuffinSimpleWords
ISBN – 1408802384 - This final recommendation is a bit of a wild-card – a
bookofillustratedcartoondiagramsthatshouldappealtothescientificside
ofeveryone.WrittenbythecreatorofonlinecomicXTCD(agreatsourceof
sciencehumour)isabookofblueprintsfromeverydayobjectssuchasabiro
to the Saturn V rocket and an atom bomb, each one meticulously explained
BUT only with the most common 1000 words in the English Language. This
wouldbeanexcellentcoffeetablebookinthehomeofeveryscientist.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/thing-explainer/randall-munroe/9781473620919
4
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Movie/VideoClipRecommendations
Hopefullyyou’llgettheopportunitytosoakupsomeoftheSun’sraysoverthesummer–synthesisingsome
importantVitamin-D–butifyoudogetafewrainydayswhereyou’restuckindoorsherearesomeideasfor
filmstowatchorclipstofindonline.
ScienceFictionsFilms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Moon(2009)
Gravity(2013)
Interstellar(2014)
TheImitationGame(2015)
ThePrestige(2006)
OnlineClips/Series
1.
Minute Physics – Variety of Physics questions explained simply (in felt tip) in a couple of minutes.
Addictiveviewingthatwillhaveyouwatchingclipafterclip–aparticularfavouriteofmineis“Whyis
theSkyDarkatNight?”
https://www.youtube.com/user/minutephysics
2.
WondersoftheUniverse/WondersoftheSolarSystem–BothavailableofNetflixasof17/4/16–
BrianCoxexplainstheCosmosusingsomeexcellentanalogiesandwonderfulimagery.
3.
ShockandAwe,TheStoryofElectricity–A3partBBCdocumentarythatisessentialviewingifyou
wanttoseehowourliveshavebeentransformedbytheideas ofafewgreatscientistsalittleover
100yearsago.Thelinkbelowtakesyoutoastreamofallthreepartsjoinedtogetherbutitisbest
watched in hourly instalments. Don’t forget to boo when you see Edison. (alternatively watch any
Horizondocumentary–loadsofchoiceonNetflixandtheI-Player)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtp51eZkwoI
4.
NASA TV – Online coverage of launches, missions, testing and the ISS. Plenty of clips and links to
exploretofindoutmoreaboutapplicationsofPhysicsinSpacetechnology.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
5.
TheFantasticMr.Feynman–Irecommendedthebookearlier,Ialsocannotrecommendthis1hour
documentaryhighlyenough.Seethelife’sworkofthe“greatexplainer”,afantasticmindthatcreated
mischiefinallareasofmodernPhysics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyqleIxXTpw
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© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Researchactivity
Complete2ofthesefor
September2016
TogetthebestgradesinALevelPhysicsyouwillhavetogetgoodatcompletingindependentresearchand
makingyourownnotesondifficulttopics.Belowarelinksto5websitesthatcoversomeinterestingPhysics
topics.
UsingtheCornellnotessystem:http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.htmlmake1pageofnotes
fromeachsitecoveringatopicofyourchoice.
a)
http://home.cern/about
CERNencompassestheLargeHadronCollider(LHC)andisthelargestcollaborativescience
experimenteverundertaken.Findoutaboutithereandmakeapageofsuitablenotesonthe
accelerator.
b) http://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_solarsystem.html
Thesolarsystemismassiveanditsscaleishardtocomprehend.Havealookatthisawardwinning
websiteandmakeapageofsuitablenotes.
c)
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/html
PhETcreateonlinePhysicssimulationswhenyoucancompletesomesimpleexperimentsonline.
Openuptheresistanceofawirehtml5simulation.Conductasimpleexperimentandmakeaone
pagesummaryoftheexperimentandyourfindings.
d) http://climate.nasa.gov/
NASA’sJetPropulsionLaboratoryhaslotsofinformationonClimateChangeandEngineering
Solutionstocombatit.Havealookandmakenotesonanarticleofyourchoice.
e)
http://www.livescience.com/46558-laws-of-motion.html
Newton’sLawsofMotionarefundamentallawsforthemotionofalltheobjectwecanseearoundus.
Usethiswebsiteandthesuggestedfurtherreadinglinksonthewebpagetomakeyourown1pageof
notesonthetopics.
Figure2:http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/images/noteb4.gif
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© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Pre-KnowledgeTopics
BelowaretentopicsthatareessentialfoundationsforyoustudyofA-LevelPhysics.Eachtopicshasexample
questionsandlinkswhereyoucanfindourmoreinformationasyoupreparefornextyear.
Prefixes
Symbolsand
Prefix
Symbol
Poweroften
Nano
n
x10
Micro
μ
x10 Milli
m
x10 Centi
c
x10 Kilo
k
x10 Mega
M
x10 Giga
G
x10 -9
-6
-3
-2
3
6
9
AtAlevel,unlikeGCSE,youneedtorememberallsymbols,unitsandprefixes.Belowisalistofquantitiesyou
mayhavealreadycomeacrossandwillbeusingduringyourAlevelcourse
Quantity
Symbol
Unit
Velocity
v
ms Acceleration
a
ms Time
t
S
Force
F
N
Resistance
R
Ω
Potentialdifference
V
V
Current
I
A
Energy
EorW
J
Pressure
P
Pa
Momentum
p
kgms Power
P
W
Density
ρ
kgm Charge
Q
C
-1
-2
-1
-3
8
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Solvethefollowing:
1.
Howmanymetresin2.4km?
7.
Convert632nmintom.Expressinstandard
form.
8.
Convert1002mVintoV.Expressin
standardform.
9.
HowmanyeVin0.511MeV?Expressin
standardform.
2.
Howmanyjoulesin8.1MJ?
3.
Convert326GWintoW.
4.
Convert54600mmintom.
5.
Howmanygramsin240kg?
6.
Convert0.18nmintom.
10. Howmanymin11km?Expressinstandard
form.
StandardForm
AtAlevelquantitywillbewritteninstandardform,anditisexpectedthatyouranswerswillbetoo.
y
3
Thismeansanswersshouldbewrittenas….x10 .E.g.forananswerof1200kgwewouldwrite1.2x10 kg.For
moreinformationvisit:www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zc2hsbk/revision
1.
Write2530instandardform.
2
7.
Write2.4x10 asanormalnumber.
8.
Write3.505x10 asanormalnumber.
9.
Write8.31x10 asanormalnumber.
2.
Write280instandardform.
1
3.
Write0.77instandardform.
6
4.
2
Write0.0091instandardform.
10. Write6.002x10 asanormalnumber.
5.
-4
Write1872000instandardform.
11. Write1.5x10 asanormalnumber.
6.
Write12.2instandardform.
3
12. Write4.3x10 asanormalnumber.
9
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Rearrangingformulae
ThisissomethingyouwillhavedoneatGCSEanditiscrucialyoumasteritforsuccessatAlevel.Forarecapof
GCSEwatchthefollowinglinks:
www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/one-variable-linear-equations/old-school-equations/v/solving-for-avariable
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WWgc3ABSj4
Rearrangethefollowing:
1.
E=mxgxhtofindh
6.
2.
Q=IxttofindI
7.
3.
2
E=½mv tofindm
8.
5.
2
2
2
2
v =u +2astofinds
4.
v=u+attofinda
2
v =u +2astofindu
E=½mv tofindv
v=u+attofindu
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© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Significantfigures
AtAlevelyouwillbeexpectedtouseanappropriatenumberofsignificantfiguresinyouranswers.The
numberofsignificantfiguresyoushoulduseisthesameasthenumberofsignificantfiguresinthedatayou
aregiven.Youcanneverbemoreprecisethanthedatayouaregivensoifthatisgivento3significantyour
answershouldbetoo.E.g.Distance=8.24m,time=1.23sthereforespeed=6.75m/s
Thewebsitebelowsummarisestherulesandhowtoroundcorrectly.
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/rounding2.htm
Givethefollowingto3significantfigures:
1. 3.4527
4. 1.0247
2. 40.691
5. 59.972
3. 0.838991
Calculatethefollowingtoasuitablenumberofsignificantfigures:
6. 63.2/78.1
7. 39+78+120
8. (3.4+3.7+3.2)/3
9. 0.0256x0.129
10. 592.3/0.1772
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© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
AtomicStructure
YouwillstudynucleardecayinmoredetailatAlevelcoveringthetopicsofradioactivityandparticlephysics.In
ordertoexplainwhathappensyouneedtohaveagoodunderstandingofthemodeloftheatom.Youneedto
knowwhattheatomismadeupof,relativechargesandmassesandhowsubatomicparticlesarearranged.
Thefollowingvideoexplainshowthecurrentmodelwasdiscovered
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzALbzTdnc8
Describethemodelusedforthestructureofanatomincludingdetailsoftheindividualparticlesthatmakeup
anatomandtherelativechargesandmassesoftheseparticles.Youmaywishtoincludeadiagramandexplain
howthismodelwasdiscoveredbyRutherford
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© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
RecordingData
Whilstcarryingoutapracticalactivityyouneedtowriteallyourrawresultsintoatable.Don’twaituntilthe
end,discardanomaliesandthenwriteitupinneat.
Tablesshouldhavecolumnheadingandunitsinthisformatquantity/unite.g.length/mm
Allresultsinacolumnshouldhavethesameprecisionandifyouhaverepeatedtheexperimentyoushould
calculateameantothesameprecisionasthedata.
Belowarelinktopracticalhandbookssoyoucanfamiliariseyourselfwithexpectations.
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/physics/AQA-7407-7408-PHBK.PDF
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/295483-practical-skills-handbook.pdf
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/295483-practical-skills-handbook.pdf
Belowisatableofresultsfromanexperimentwhereaballwasrolleddownarampofdifferentlengths.A
rulerandstopclockwereused.
1)Identifytheerrorsthestudenthasmade.
Time
Length/cm
Trial1
Trial2
Trial3
Mean
10
1.45
1.48
1.46
1.463
22
2.78
2.72
2.74
2.747
30
4.05
4.01
4.03
4.03
41
5.46
5.47
5.46
5.463
51
7.02
6.96
6.98
6.98
65
8.24
9.68
8.24
8.72
70
9.01
9.02
9.0
9.01
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© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Graphs
Afterapracticalactivitythenextstepistodrawagraphthatwillbeusefultoyou.Drawingagraphisaskill
youshouldbefamiliarwithalreadybutyouneedtobeextremelyvigilantatAlevel.Beforeyoudrawyour
graphtoneedtoidentifyasuitablescaletodrawtakingthefollowingintoconsideration:
• themaximumandminimumvaluesofeachvariable
• whether0.0shouldbeincludedasadatapoint;graphsdon’tneedtoshowtheorigin,afalseorigincanbe
usedifyourdatadoesn’tstartnearzero.
• theplotsshouldcoveratleasthalfofthegridsuppliedforthegraph.
• theaxesshoulduseasensiblescalee.g.multiplesof1,2,5etc)
Identifyhowthefollowinggraphscouldbeimproved
Graph1
Graph2
80
70
60
Voltage
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
Time/s
14
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
ForcesandMotion
AtGCSEyoustudiedforcesandmotionandatAlevelyouwillexplorethistopicinmoredetailsoitisessential
youhaveagoodunderstandingofthecontentcoveredatGCSE.Youwillbeexpectedtodescribe,explainand
carrycalculationsconcerningthemotionofobjects.ThewebsitesbelowcoverNewton’slawsofmotionand
havelinkstotheseinaction.
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Tutorial/Newton-s-Laws
http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/newtons-laws-of-motion-interactive/
Sketchavelocity-timegraphshowingthejourneyofaskydiverafterleavingtheplanetoreachingtheground.
Markonterminalvelocity.
15
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Electricity
AtAlevelyouwilllearnmoreabouthowcurrentandvoltagebehaveindifferentcircuitscontainingdifferent
components.Youshouldbefamiliarwithcurrentandvoltagerulesinaseriesandparallelcircuitaswellas
calculatingtheresistanceofadevice.
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct-current/chpt-1/electric-circuits/
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circuits
1a)Addthemissingammeterreadingsonthecircuitsbelow.
b)Explainwhythesecondcircuithasmorecurrentflowingthanthefirst.
2)Addthemissingpotentialdifferencestothefollowingcircuits
16
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Waves
Youhavestudieddifferenttypesofwavesandusedthewaveequationtocalculatespeed,frequencyand
wavelength.Youwillalsohavestudiedreflectionandrefraction.
Usethefollowinglinkstoreviewthistopic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zb7gkqt
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/mechanical-waves-and-sound/mechanicalwaves/v/introduction-to-waves
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/mechanical-waves-and-sound/mechanicalwaves/v/introduction-to-waves
1)Drawadiagramshowingtherefractionofawavethrougharectangularglassblock.Explainwhytherayof
lighttakesthispath.
2)Describethedifferencebetweenalongitudinalandtransversewavesandgiveanexampleofeach
3)Drawawaveandlabelthewavelengthandamplitude
17
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Pre-KnowledgeTopicsAnswers:
Symbolsandprefixes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
2400
8100000
326000000000
54.6
240000
-8
1.8x10 -7
6.32x10 1.002
-5
5.11x10 4
1.1x10 StandardForm:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
2.53
2.8
7.7
9.1
1.872
1.22
2400
35.05
8310000
600.2
0.00015
4300
Rearrangingformulae
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
h=E/(mxg)
I=Q/t
2
2
m=(2xE)/v orE/(0.5xv )
v=√((2xE)/m)
u=v–at
a=(v-u)/t
2
2
s=(v –u )/2a
2
u=√(v -2as)
18
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Significantfigures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
3.35
40.7
0.839
1.02
60.0
0.809
237
3.4
0.00330
3343
AtomicStructure
containsprotons,neutronsandelectrons
Relativecharge:
protonsarepositive(+1)
electronsarenegative(-1)
neutronsareuncharged(0)
Relativemass:
proton1
neutron1
electron(about)1/2000
protonsandneutronsmakeupthenucleus
thenucleusispositivelycharged
electronsorbitthenucleusatarelativelylargedistancefromthenucleus
mostoftheatomisemptyspace
nucleusoccupiesaverysmallfractionofthevolumeoftheatom
mostofthemassoftheatomiscontainedinthenucleus
totalnumberofprotonsinthenucleusequalsthetotalnumberofelectronsorbitingitinanatom
19
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Recordingdata
Timeshouldhaveaunitnexttoit
Lengthcanbemeasuredtothenearestmmsoshouldbe10.0,22.0etc
Length65trial2isananomalyandshouldhavebeenexcludedfromthemean
Allmeanvaluesshouldbeto2decimalplaces
Meanoflength61shouldbe6.99(roundingerror)
Graphs
Graph1:
Axisneedlabels
Pointshouldbexnotdots
Lineofbestfitisneeded
yaxisisadifficultscale
xaxiscouldhavebegunatzerosothey-interceptcouldbefound
Graph2:
y-axisneedsaunit
curveofbestfitneedednotastraightline
Pointshouldbexnotdots
Forcesandmotion
Graphtoshowaccelerationuptoaconstantspeed(labelledterminalvelocity).Rateofaccelerationshouldbe
decreasing.Thenalargedecreaseinvelocityoverashortperiodoftime(parachuteopens),thenadecreasing
rateofdecelerationtoaconstantspeed(labelledterminalvelocity)
Electricity
1a)Series:3A,Paralleltoptobottom:4A,2A,2A
b)Lessresistanceintheparallelcircuit.LinktoR=V/I.Lessresistancemeanshighercurrent.
2)Series:3V,3V,Parallel:6V6V
20
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Waves
1)Whenlightentersamoreopticallydensematerialitslowsdown
andthereforebendstowardsthenormal.Theoppositehappened
whenitleavesanopticallydensematerial.
2)Alongitudinalwaveoscillatesparalleltothedirectionofenergy
transfer(e.g.sound).Atransversewavesoscillatedperpendicularto
thedirectionofenergytransfer(e.g.light)
3)
.
21
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
IdeasforDayTrips
Herearesomesuggestionsforsomephysics-themeddaysoutforyoutoenjoyoverthesummerbreak.Tryand
havesomefunasyoupreparefortwotoughbutrewardingyearsahead!
NorthernEnglandandScotland
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
JodrellBankObservatory–Cheshire–oneofthelargestmoveableradiotelescopesintheworldandthe
locationofthefilmingoftheBBC’sStargazingLive.Thesitehasbothindoorandoutdooractivities.
MOSI–Manchester–MassivefreemuseumshowinghowsciencehelpedBritainleadthewaythroughthe
industrialrevolution.Containshandsonexhibitsanddisplaysandoftenhostregulartravellingexhibitions.
LiverpoolWorldMuseum/Spaceport–Liverpool/Wirral–Startthedayoffatanexcellentfamilyscience
museumwithatopfloordedicatedtoastronomyincludingaplanetarium.TaketheferrycrosstheMersey
toanotherfamilyfriendlymuseumdedicatedtospaceflight.
Kielder Observatory – Northumberland – Book ahead at this popular observatory in the midst of the
darkest night skies the UK has to offer. Regular tours and opportunities to view the stars through
professionaltelescopestakeplaceonanightlybasis.
Glasgow Science Centre - The Centre is home to hundreds of interactive exhibits throughout the three
engagingfloors
TheMidlandsandWales
1.
2.
3.
Electric Mountain – Snowdonia – Set against a mountainous backdrop is a working pumped storage
powerstation.Takeatourdeepintotheheartofthemountainandseetheturbinesspringintoactionto
meet our ever increasing demand for electricity. Take a stroll up on of the UKs highest peaks in the
afternoon.
NationalSpaceCentre–Leicester-Withsixinteractivegalleries,theUK’slargestplanetarium,unique3D
Simulatorexperience,theaward-winningNationalSpaceCentreinLeicesterisanoutofthisworldvisitor
attraction
Alton Towers–Staffordshire–TreatyourselftoagoonafewrollercoasterswhilstdiscussingNewton’s
Laws. You may want to download and take these handy rollercoaster physics notes with you
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/rollercoasters.html
SouthernEngland
1.
2.
3.
4.
Royal Observatory – London - Visit the Royal Observatory Greenwich to stand on the historic Prime
Meridian of the World, see the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and explore your place in the
universeatLondon’sonlyplanetarium.
HerschelMuseumofAstronomy–Bath–AsyouwalkaroundthepicturesqueRomancity–takeanhour
ortwooutatthehomeofoneofthegreatscientists–discovererofInfra-redradiationandUranus.
@Bristol–Bristol-hometotheUK’sonly3DPlanetariumandoneofthebiggestsciencecentres.
The Royal Institution – London – The birthplace of many important ideas of modern physics, including
Michael Faraday’s lectures on electricity. Now home to the RI Christmas lectures and many exhibits of
sciencehistory.
22
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
ALevelPhysicsTransitionBaselineAssessment
40Marks–40Minutes
Asinglepieceofgraphpaperisrequiredforthecompletionoftheassessment.
Youmayuseacalculator.
Question
Topic
Score
Number
1
SymbolsandPrefixes
/3
2
StandardForm
/4
3
Re-arrangingEquations
/3
4
AtomicStructure
/3
5
RecordingData
/3
6
Graphing
/4
7
ForcesandMotion
8
ElectricalCircuits
/5
9
Waves
/5
/10
Total/40
23
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Q1Completethefollowingtable:
Unitprefix
k(kilo)
M(mega)
N(nano)
Meaning
x1000
X0.000001
[3]
Q2
a)
Writethefollowingnumbersintostandardform.
i.
0.012
ii.
120000
iii.
0.00000012
[3]
b) Complete the following calculations and right your answers to an appropriate number of significant
figures.
i.
2.1X0.15
ii.
0.345÷0.114
[4]
Q3Re-arrangethefollowingequationstomakeRthesubjectoftheequation.
a)
! = !"#$%
b) !! = !!! c)
! = ! − !!! [3]
24
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Q4Namethe3particles(fromGCSE)thatmakeupanatom.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[1]
a)
Whichoneoftheaboveparticlesisnotfoundinthenucleusofanatom?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[1]
b) Whichoftheaboveparticleswillbefoundinvaryingquantitiesinthenucleiofisotopesofthesame
element?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………[1]
Q5
a)
Completethefollowingtable
__________(A)
Voltage(__)
Repeat1
Repeat2
Average
2
0.23
0.26
0.25
4
0.46
0.53
6
0.69
0.78
0.74
8
0.92
1.04
0.98
10
1.15
1.30
1.23
[3]
Q6
a)UseyourpieceofgraphpapertoplotagraphofCurrent(x-axis)againstVoltage(y-axis)drawinga
lineofbestfitthroughyourdatapoints.
[4]
b)Findthegradientofyourlineofbestfit [3]
Q7Thegraphbelowshowsthejourneyofaskydiveraftertheyhavelefttheplane.
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© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
a)Explaintheshapeofthegraphcommentingonhowandwhytheforceshavechanged.
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[6]
b)Calculatethedistancetravelledwhilstatthesecondterminalvelocity.
[2]
c)Calculatetheaverageaccelerationinthefirst20seconds.
[2]
26
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Q8
a)
Draw a circuit diagram to show how the resistance of a filament bulb could be measured using an
ammeterandavoltmeter.
[2]
b) Lookatthecircuitdiagrambelow.Alloftheresistorsareidentical.
Writethemissingvaluesofcurrentandpotentialdifference:
i.
ii.
iii.
V1=
V2=
A1=
[3]
Q9Thediagrambelowshowsadiagramof3completelongitudinalwaveoscillationsonaslinky:
a)
Statethewavelengthofthewaveshown
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
[1]
27
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
b) Labelacompletewavelengthonthediagramabovewiththecorrectsymbolusedforwavelengthin
GCSEandALevelPhysics
[1]
c)
Iftheabovewavehadafrequencyof5Hzhowlongwouldittakeanindividualhooptocomplete1
fulloscillation?
[1]
d)Calculatethespeedofthewave
!"#$%&$$' = !"#$%#&'( ×!"#$%$&'()
Wavespeed=____________Unit_______[2]
28
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
ALevelPhysicsBaselineAssessmentSUGGESTMARKSCHEME
Q1
a)
Unitprefix
k(kilo)
μ(micro)
M(mega)
N(nano)
Meaning
x1000
X0.000001
x1000000
x0.000000001
[3]
Q2
c)
Writethefollowingnumbersintostandardform
i.
0.012!. !×!"!! ii.
120000!. !×!"! iii.
0.00000012!. !×!"!! [3]
d) Complete the following calculations and right your answers to an appropriate number of significant
figures.
i.
2.1X0.15
a. 0.315=0.32(2sf)
0.345÷0.114
a. 3.0263…=3.03(3sf)
ii.
Award1markforcorrectanswerand1markforcorrectnumberofs.f.[4]
Q3Re-arrangethefollowingequationstomakeRthesubjectoftheequation.
a)
! = !"#$%
!=
!
!"#$
b) !! = !!! !=
c)
!!
!
! = ! − !!! !=
!−!
!!
[3]
Q4
29
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
a)
Namethe3particles(fromGCSE)thatmakeupanatom
Proton,Neutron,Electron(anyorder)[1]
b) Whichoneoftheaboveparticlesisnotfoundinthenucleusofanatom?
Electron[1]
c)
Whichoftheaboveparticleswillbefoundinvaryingquantitiesinthenucleiofisotopesofthesame
element?
Neutron[1]
Q5
a)
Current(A)
Voltage(V)
Repeat1
Repeat2
Average
2
0.23
0.26
0.25
4
0.46
0.53
0.50
6
0.69
0.78
0.74
8
0.92
1.04
0.98
10
1.15
1.30
1.23
1Markforcorrectunit(Vorvolts)
1Markforcorrectheading(CurrentinAmpsorA)
1Markforcorrectaverage,1Markifroundedtocorrectnumberofs.f.
[3]
Q6
a)
UseyourpieceofgraphpapertoplotagraphofCurrent(x-axis)againstVoltage(y-axis)drawingaline
ofbestfitthroughyourdatapoints.
1markifBOTHxandyaxiscoverhalfthegraphpaper
1markforcorrectlylabellingxandyaxisincludingunits
1markifdatapointsarecorrectlyplotted(check3)
1markforcorrectlineofbestfit(withevenspreadofpointsaboveandbelow)
[4]
30
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
b)Findthegradientofyourlineofbestfit Wokingmustbeshownfortheawardofanymarks
1markforcorrectyaxisreadoffs
1markforcorrectxaxisreadoffs
1markforcorrectcalculationoftheirowngradient [3]
Q7Thegraphbelowshowsthejourneyofaskydiveraftertheyhavelefttheplane.
a)Explaintheshapeofthegraphcommentingonhowandwhytheforceshavechanged.
Band1(1/2Marks)
Correctlydescribesthemotionof
theparachutists.E.g.Acceleration
(atreducingrate)Terminal
velocity/constantspeed,
deceleration,lowerterminal
velocity.Theremaybesmall
errorsinspellingandgrammar.
Band2(3/4Marks)
Correctlydescribesmotionand
linkstothebalancingand
unbalancingoftheforcesof
weightanddrag.Almostfaultless
spellingandgrammar.
Band3(5/6Marks)
Explainswhyincreasingvelocity
producesincreaseddragandwhy
openingtheparachuteproduces
increasedrag,usingideasof
collisionsofairparticleswiththe
surfaceofthe
skydiver/parachute.
Faultlessspellingandgrammar
[6]
b)Calculatethedistancetravelledwhilstatthesecondterminalvelocity.
220! − 84! ×6!! !! = 816!
[2]
c)Calculatetheaverageaccelerationinthefirst20seconds.
!"!! !!
!"!
= 1.7[1]!! !! [1]
Award1markforcorrectunit[2]
31
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Q8
a)
Draw a circuit diagram to show how the resistance of a filament bulb could be measured using an
ammeterandavoltmeter.
Award1markforcorrectlypositionsammeter[1]andvoltmeter[1]
[2]
b) Lookatthecircuitdiagrambelow.Alloftheresistorsareidentical.
Writethemissingvaluesofcurrentandpotentialdifference:
i.
ii.
iii.
V1=6V
V2=3V
A1=1A
[3]
32
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016
Q9Thediagrambelowshowsadiagramof3completelongitudinalwaveoscillationsonaslinky:
a)
Statethewavelengthofthewaveshown
…………………………………………………………2/3m=0.7m……………………………………………………[1]
b) Labelacompletewavelengthonthediagramabovewiththecorrectsymbolusedforwavelengthin
GCSEandALevelPhysics
[1]
c)
Iftheabovewavehadafrequencyof5Hzhowlongwouldittakeanindividualhooptocomplete1
fulloscillation?
0.2s
[1]
d)Calculatethespeedofthewave
!"#$%&$$' = !"#$%#&'( ×!"#$%$&'()
!"#$%&$$' = !×
!
= !"/!(!"#)
!
Wavespeed=____________Unit_______[2]
33
© Copyright The PiXL Club Ltd, 2016