Effects of forces: past paper questions

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• Question 6May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  All the forces acting on three identical beams are shown. Which beams are in equilibrium?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which property of an object never changes when a force acts on the object?

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• Question 8Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a steel sphere falling through a cylinder of oil. Which row indicates what happens to the steel sphere and what happens to the oil as the steel sphere falls?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Forces are applied to four identical objects. The length of each arrow indicates the magnitude of the force. Which object is in equilibrium?

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• Question 5May/June 2026, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a bird in flight. The bird is flying in a horizontal direction to the right. In which direction does air resistance act on the bird?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A car is travelling along a straight horizontal road. The speed–time graph is shown. In which labelled part of the journey is the resultant force on the car zero?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagrams show four identical objects.

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement gives a complete description of any object that is in equilibrium?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A spring is stretched by adding loads to it. Which diagram shows the extension–load graph for the spring?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Four load–extension graphs are shown for a spring. Which graph shows that the load is proportional to the extension?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows the vertical forces acting on a ball as it falls vertically through the air. The ball does not reach terminal velocity.

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 23Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An $800\text{g}$ mass is suspended from a light spring with a spring constant of $20\text{N/m}$. The mass is pulled down a further $10.0\text{cm}$ from the equilibrium position without the spring going past the limit of proportionality. The mass is then released.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An object reaches terminal velocity after being dropped and falling through air. Which graph shows how its speed varies with time?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  The momentum of a car changes from $10000\text{ kg m / s}$ to $15000\text{ kg m / s}$ in a time of $8.0\text{ s}$. What is the resultant force acting on the car?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Which moving object has a resultant force acting on it?

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• Question 3May/June 2026, paper 31Structured7 marksHas a diagram

  Figure 3.1 shows two containers, A and B, partly filled with water. Explain why container A is more stable than container B.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2025, paper 23Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An object is falling in a uniform gravitational field. After a certain time, it reaches terminal velocity. Which row is correct?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a drawbridge that is attached to a wall by a hinge at one end and a cable at the other. The weight of the drawbridge and the tension in the cable are represented by the labelled arrows in the diagram. There is a third force at the hinge, which is not shown.

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• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 42Structured8 marks

  A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. State the direction of the force acting on the satellite.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Two forces with magnitudes $F_1$ and $F_2$ act on an object at right angles to each other. What is the magnitude of the resultant force?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2025, paper 31Structured6 marksHas a diagram

  A student stretches a spring by suspending it and attaching metal discs to it, as shown in Fig. 3.1. The mass of a metal disc is $0.25\text{ kg}$. Calculate the weight of the metal disc.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 23Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An object of mass $1.0\mathrm{k}\mathrm{g}$ is at rest on the Earth. An identical object is at rest on a planet with a gravitational field strength of twice that on the Earth. Which row correctly compares the object on the planet to the object on the Earth?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2025, paper 41Structured8 marks

  A train travels with a constant velocity of $56\text{ m/s}$ on a horizontal track. The mass of the train is $440000\text{ kg}$. State the difference between the velocity of the train and its speed.

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2024, paper 23Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a car moving along a road. The force due to the engine is $1500\mathrm{N}$ and the total drag force is $200\mathrm{N}$. What is the motion of the car?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2023, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  An object moves in a circle at constant speed. Which statement about the force needed on the object is correct?

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2025, paper 41Structured8 marksHas a diagram

  Table 2.1 contains information about the planet Mars. Table 2.1 mass: $6.4\times {10}^{23}\text{ kg}$ gravitational field strength at surface: $3.7\text{ N/kg}$ average density: $3900{\text{ kg/m}}^3$ Define gravitational field strength.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2024, paper 31Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A person pushes a pushchair. A young child rides in the pushchair. Fig. 2.1 shows horizontal forces acting on the front wheel of the pushchair.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2023, paper 31Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  The mass of a solid metal cylinder is $400\text{ g}$ and its volume is $52{\text{ cm}}^3$. Calculate the density of the metal.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2025, paper 42Structured8 marksHas a diagram

  A truck moves with a constant acceleration. The speed of the truck increases from $13\text{ m/s}$ to $22\text{ m/s}$. The time taken for this increase in speed is $4.5\text{ s}$.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 33Structured11 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 1.1 shows the speed–time graph for a cyclist at the beginning of a race. Describe the motion of the cyclist from $\text{time}=6.0\text{ s}$ to $\text{time}=10.0\text{ s}$.

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