Physical quantities and measurement techniques: past paper questions

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Object X is placed against a ruler. This ruler is placed against another ruler to measure the end correction. What is the length of the object X?

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about mass is correct?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which description is of a scalar quantity?

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• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A heavy sack is suspended from a ceiling by a rope. The sack is then pulled to one side and held stationary. Which vector diagram represents the forces acting on the sack in its new position?

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Quantities can be described as scalar or vector. Which row shows scalar quantities and vector quantities?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The bob of a simple pendulum is pulled horizontally by a force that is equal to weight $W$ of the bob. Which diagram shows the angle between the pendulum thread and the vertical?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows the level of liquid in a measuring cylinder. The scale is marked in ${\text{cm}}^3$. What is the volume of the liquid?

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• Question 1May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the most accurate method to determine the period of an oscillating pendulum?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a clothes peg. Which device is suitable for obtaining an accurate value for the height of the clothes peg?

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• Question 1May/June 2026, paper 41Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student measures the density of modelling clay. Figure 1.1 represents a piece of modelling clay in the shape of a cylinder of length $l$. Two points, A and B, are marked on the modelling clay as shown in Figure 1.1.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which set of quantities are all vectors?

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• Question 9Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Structured12 marksHas a diagram

  The planet Venus orbits the Sun at a constant speed of $3.5\times {10}^4\text{ m/s}$ and takes a time $T_{\text{V}}$ to complete one orbit.

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• Question 1May/June 2026, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the oscillations of a pendulum and determines two values for the acceleration due to gravity. The student arranges the pendulum in a clamp as shown in Figure 1.1.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Two forces act on an object. $1.5\text{ N}$ acts vertically upwards and $2.0\text{ N}$ acts horizontally. What is the magnitude of the resultant force?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 41Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student measures the volume of two identical straws by different methods. method 1 (i) The student takes one straw and: • cuts it into 5 pieces that are equal in length • lines up the pieces of straw as shown in Fig. 1.1 • ensures the pieces of straw are touching.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2023, paper 22Structured6 marksHas a diagram

  Velocity is a vector quantity but speed is a scalar quantity. State how a vector quantity differs from a scalar quantity.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student determines an approximate value for the density of the glass from which a test-tube is made. The height $h$ and the external diameter $d$ of the test-tube are shown in a full-size diagram of the test-tube in Fig. 1.1.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2023, paper 41Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student determines the speed of a wavefront on the surface of water. The student fills a plate with water and uses a dropping pipette to let one drop of water fall into the centre of the plate as shown in Fig. 1.1.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2025, paper 41Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student measures the efficiency of a small electric heater. The student is provided with the circuit shown in Fig. 1.1. The coil of wire is the small electric heater.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2023, paper 41Structured14 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the indentation made by a glass ball in the surface of modelling clay. Describe briefly how to use the apparatus in Fig. 3.1 to determine the diameter of the glass ball.

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• Question 1May/June 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which quantity has both magnitude and direction, and is it a scalar quantity or a vector quantity?

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• Question 1May/June 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  What is measured using a micrometer?

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 41Essay6 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the factors affecting the bend angle $\theta$ of a metal strip. The student places a thin, straight metal strip on two supports and attaches a mass of weight $W$ to the middle of the strip. The metal strip bends as shown in Fig. 4.1.

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• Question 1May/June 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which list contains only vector quantities?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2023, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student measures the spring constant $k$ of a spring using two different methods. The spring constant $k$ of a spring is a measure of the stiffness of the spring. The larger the spring constant $k$, the more difficult the spring is to stretch.

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• Question 4May/June 2025, paper 41Essay6 marksHas a diagram

  When a table tennis ball is dropped as shown in Fig. 4.1, it will bounce back upwards. Some of the initial gravitational potential energy (GPE) of the ball is lost in the bounce.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2023, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the rate of cooling of water at the top and at the bottom of a beaker of hot water.

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• Question 1May/June 2025, paper 42Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the refraction of a ray of light passing through a transparent block and determines the refractive index $n$ of the block. The student’s ray-trace sheet is shown full size in Fig. 1.1. The outline of the transparent block is shown by the rectangle ABCD.

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 42Essay6 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the average speed of a trolley moving along a horizontal bench. The trolley is placed on a ramp and released from rest. Some of the apparatus used is shown in Fig. 4.1.

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• Question 2May/June 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which equation contains two vector quantities?

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