2019-2020 School Year 1st Semester mid-term Exam

Department: Pre-U

Grade&Subject: G10&Physics
Student information:
Exam Date: 2019.11
Chinese name: _______________________
Full Mark: 80
English name: ________________________
Duration: 1h30min
Grade/Class:__________________________

_____________________________________

Instructions: ___________________

 Do not turn over this examination paper until instructed to do so.

 Use black or blue pen only.
 Correction fluid/ tape and electronic dictionary are NOT allowed.
 You may use pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
 Answer all questions.
 This document consists of pages including the cover.

For Examiner’s Use

Section I /

Section II /

Total /

1 / 22
1 Which quantity is measured in newton seconds (N s)?

A impulse
B moment
C power
D work done

2 Which measurement can be made using a micrometer screw gauge?

A the air pressure of a tyre

B the diameter of a wire
C the turning effect of a spanner
D the wavelength of microwaves

3 A parachutist is falling at terminal velocity, without her parachute open.

She now opens her parachute.

What is the direction of her motion, and what is the direction of her acceleration, immediately
after she opens her parachute?

direction of motion of direction of acceleration

the parachutist of the parachutist

A downwards downwards
B downwards upwards
C upwards downwards
D upwards upwards

4 An astronaut in an orbiting spacecraft experiences a force due to gravity. This force is less than
when she is on the Earth’s surface.

Compared with being on the Earth’s surface, how do her mass and her weight change when she
goes into orbit?

mass in orbit weight in orbit

A decreases decreases
B decreases unchanged
C unchanged decreases
D unchanged unchanged

2 / 22
5 The diagram shows an experiment to find the density of a liquid.

cm3 cm3
50 50
40 measuring 40
cylinder
30 30
liquid
20 20
10 balance 10

g g

What is the density of the liquid?

A 0.5 g / cm3 B 2.0 g / cm3 C 8.0 g / cm3 D 10.0 g / cm3

6 An experiment is carried out to measure the extension of a rubber band for different loads.

The results are shown below.

load / N 0 1.0 2.0 3.0

length / cm 15.2 16.2 18.6
extension / cm 0 1.0 2.1 3.4

Which figure is missing from the table?

A 17.2 B 17.3 C 17.4 D 17.6

7 The diagram shows a satellite that is moving at a uniform rate in a circular orbit around the Earth.

Which statement describes the motion of this satellite?

A It is accelerating because its speed is changing.

B It is accelerating because its velocity is changing.
C It is not accelerating but its speed is changing.
D It is not accelerating but its velocity is changing.

3 / 22
8 Which statement about an object moving in a straight line through air is correct?

A When it accelerates, the resultant force acting on it is zero.

B When it moves at a steady speed, the air resistance acting on it is zero.
C When it moves at a steady speed, the resultant force acting on it is zero.
D When it moves, there is a resultant force acting on it.

9 A beam pivoted at one end has a force of 5.0 N acting vertically upwards on it as shown. The
beam is in equilibrium.

5.0 N

2.0 cm 3.0 cm

pivot

weight
of beam

What is the weight of the beam?

A 2.0 N B 3.0 N C 3.3 N D 5.0 N

10 A car has a mass of 1000 kg and a momentum of 12 000 kg m / s.

What is its kinetic energy?

A 6 kJ
B 12 kJ
C 72 kJ
D 144 kJ

4 / 22
11 Which diagram shows two forces X and Y with their resultant force?

resultant

resultant
Y
X Y

X
A B

resultant

resultant

Y X
Y

C D

12 A ball is dropped on to a hard surface and bounces. It does not bounce all the way back to where
it started, and so has not regained all of its original gravitational potential energy.

ball dropped
from here
ball bounces
to here

hard surface

Which statement accounts for the loss of gravitational potential energy?

A Energy was destroyed as the ball hit the ground.

B Energy was destroyed as the ball travelled through the air.
C The chemical energy and elastic energy of the ball have increased.
D The internal (heat) energy of the ball and its surroundings has increased.

5 / 22
13 The Sun is the original source of energy for many of our energy resources.

Which energy resource does not originate from the Sun?

A geothermal
B hydroelectric
C waves
D wind

14 A dam across a lake is divided into two sections by a rock. Section X is longer than section Y but
the two sections are otherwise identical. The water in the lake by the dam is the same depth
everywhere. The diagram shows a view from above of the lake and the dam.

section X of dam

water in
lake
rock

section Y of dam

The water creates a total force on each section of the dam and an average pressure on each
section of the dam.

Which statement is correct?

A The average pressure on X equals the average pressure on Y.

B The average pressure on X is less than the average pressure on Y.
C The total force on X equals the total force on Y.
D The total force on X is less than the total force on Y.

6 / 22
15 The diagram shows a simple mercury barometer alongside a mercury manometer. The
manometer contains some trapped gas.
cm
90
vacuum
80

70
trapped
gas
60

50

76 cm 40
mercury
30

20

10

What is the pressure of the trapped gas?

A 10 cm of mercury
B 50 cm of mercury
C 66 cm of mercury
D 86 cm of mercury

16 The diagrams show two swimming pools. One contains fresh water and the other contains salt
water. Salt water is more dense than fresh water.

At which labelled point is the pressure the greatest?

water surface water surface

A C

B D
fresh water (less dense) salt water (more dense)

7 / 22
17 A measuring cylinder contains some water. A small metal block is slowly lowered into the water
and is then removed.

Finally a piece of plastic is attached to the metal block and the block is again slowly lowered into
the water.

The diagrams show the measuring cylinder at each stage of this process.

1 2 3
cm3 cm3 cm3
100 100 100
90 90 90
80 80 80
70 70 70
60 60 60
50 50 50
40 40 40
30 30 30
20 20 20 plastic
10 10 10

metal block metal block

What is the volume of the piece of plastic?

A 10 cm3 B 25 cm3 C 70 cm3 D 80 cm3

18 Four balls with different masses are dropped simultaneously from the heights shown.

Air resistance may be ignored.

Which ball hits the floor first?

A B C D
4.0 kg

3.0 kg

2.0 kg
2.0 m
1.0 kg
1.5 m
1.0 m
0.5 m ground

8 / 22
19 The diagram shows the vertical forces acting on a ball as it falls vertically through the air. The ball
does not reach terminal velocity.

air resistance

weight

Which row describes what happens to the resultant force on the ball and what happens to the
acceleration of the ball as it falls through the air?

resultant force acceleration

A decreases decreases
B decreases increases
C increases decreases
D increases increases

20 A spring is stretched by hanging a piece of metal from it.

spring

metal

Which name is given to the force that stretches the spring?

A friction
B mass
C pressure
D weight

9 / 22
21 On the Moon, all objects fall with the same acceleration.

Which statement explains this?

A On the Moon, all objects have the same weight.

B The Moon has a smaller gravitational field strength than the Earth.
C The weight of an object is directly proportional to its mass.
D The weight of an object is inversely proportional to its mass.

22 A pair of cutters is used to cut a rope.

blade

handle
P
Q
R
S
blade

handle

Where should the rope be positioned and at which labelled points should the hands be positioned
to produce the greatest cutting force?

rope hands
positioned positioned

A P R
B P S
C Q R
D Q S

10 / 22
23 The lamp in the diagram is not very stable and falls over easily.

shade

stem

base

Which row shows changes that would definitely make the lamp more stable?

base centre of gravity

A narrower higher
B narrower lower
C wider higher
D wider lower

24 The diagram shows an incomplete scale drawing to find the resultant of two 10 N forces acting at
a point in the directions shown.

10 N

10 N

What is the magnitude of the resultant force?

A 7.5 N B 8.6 N C 18 N D 20 N

11 / 22
25 An object has a mass of 60 kg.

It decelerates from 50 m / s to 20 m / s when a resultant force of 300 N acts on it.

For how long does the force act?

A 0.071 s B 0.17 s C 6.0 s D 14 s

26 A car, starting from rest at position X, accelerates up a hill. The car reaches a speed of 10 m / s at
position Y.

The kinetic energy of the car at position Y is equal to its gain in gravitational potential energy from
X to Y.

X gain in
height
of car

Take the gravitational field strength g to be 10 N / kg.

What is the gain in height of the car between X and Y?

A 0.50 m B 5.0 m C 10 m D 50 m

27 A 150 W filament lamp has an efficiency of 10%. A 40 W compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) has an
efficiency of 30%.

Each lamp is switched on for the same amount of time.

Which lamp produces more light and which lamp converts more energy into other forms of
energy?

converts more energy

produces more light
into other forms

A CFL lamp CFL lamp

B CFL lamp filament lamp
C filament lamp CFL lamp
D filament lamp filament lamp

12 / 22
28 A student runs up a flight of stairs.

height
length

Which information is not needed to calculate the rate at which the student is doing work against
gravity?

A the height of the flight of stairs

B the length of the flight of stairs
C the time taken to run up the stairs
D the weight of the student

29 The diagram shows a simple mercury barometer.

cm vacuum
90

80

metre rule 70
60
50

40
30
20
10
mercury

Which length is used to find the value of atmospheric pressure?

A 12 cm B 74 cm C 86 cm D 100 cm

30 Which energy resource is used to boil water to generate electricity?

A hydroelectric
B nuclear fission
C tides
D waves

13 / 22
31 Fig. 1.1 shows the speed-time graph for a car travelling along a straight road.

The graph shows how the speed of the car changes as the car passes through a small town.

35

D
30
speed
m/s
A
25

enters leaves
20 town town
here here

15

B C

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
time / s

Fig. 1.1

(a) Calculate the distance between the start of the town and the end of the town.

distance = [3]

14 / 22
(b) Calculate the acceleration of the car between C and D.

acceleration = [3]

(c) State how the graph shows that the deceleration of the car has the same numerical value as
its acceleration.

[1]

[Total: 7]

15 / 22
32 Fig. 2.1 shows a conveyor belt transporting a package to a raised platform. The belt is driven by a
motor.

conveyor belt
package

motor

Fig. 2.1
(a) The mass of the package is 36 kg.

Calculate the increase in the gravitational potential energy (g.p.e.) of the package when it is
raised through a vertical height of 2.4 m.

increase in g.p.e. = [2]

(b) The package is raised through the vertical height of 2.4 m in 4.4 s.

Calculate the power needed to raise the package.

power = [2]

(c) The electrical power supplied to the motor is much greater than the answer to (b).

Explain how the principle of conservation of energy applies to this system.

[2]

(d) Assume that the power available to raise packages is constant. A package of mass greater
than 36 kg is raised through the same height.

Suggest and explain the effect of this increase in mass on the operation of the conveyer belt.

[3]

16 / 22 [Total: 9]
33 The engine of an unpowered toy train is rolling at a constant speed on a level track, as shown in
Fig. 3.1. The engine collides with a stationary toy truck, and joins with it.

moving engine

stationary truck

track

Fig. 3.1

Before the collision, the toy engine is travelling at 0.32 m / s. The mass of the engine is 0.50 kg.

(a) Calculate the momentum of the toy engine before the collision.

momentum = [2]

(b) The mass of the truck is 0.30 kg.

Using the principle of conservation of momentum, calculate the speed of the joined engine
and truck immediately after the collision.

speed = [3]

[Total: 5]

17 / 22
34 Fig. 3.1 shows solar cells that use radiation from the Sun to generate electricity.

Fig. 3.1

(a) (i) State the name of the process which releases energy in the Sun.

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(ii) A reaction takes place in the Sun as energy is released.

Describe what happens in this reaction.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(b) Apart from solar cells, there are other energy resources used on Earth for which the radiation
from the Sun is the source.

State the name of one of these energy resources and explain whether it is renewable.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

(c) State two advantages and two disadvantages of using solar cells to generate electricity.

advantage 1 ..............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

advantage 2 ..............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

disadvantage 1 .........................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

disadvantage 2 .........................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

[4]

18 / 22 [Total: 9]
35 A truck accelerates uniformly along a straight, horizontal road. The mass of the truck is
2.0 × 104 kg.

(a) The speed of the truck increases from rest to 12 m / s in 30 s.

Calculate

(i) the distance travelled by the truck during this time,

distance = ...........................................................[2]

(ii) the resultant force on the truck.

resultant force = ...........................................................[4]

(b) To maintain a uniform acceleration, the forward force on the truck must change.
Explain why.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

[Total: 8]

19 / 22
36 Fig. 2.1 shows a measuring cylinder that contains a coloured liquid.

cm3

100
90
80
70
60
50
40 h
30
20
X
10
0

Fig. 2.1

The measuring cylinder contains 82 cm3 of the liquid. The density of the liquid is 950 kg / m3.

(a) Calculate the mass of the liquid.

mass = ...........................................................[3]

(b) The height h of the liquid in the measuring cylinder is 0.094 m.

(i) Calculate the pressure due to the liquid at point X in Fig. 2.1.

pressure = ...........................................................[2]

(ii) The true pressure at point X is different from the value calculated in (b)(i).
Explain why.

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

[Total: 6]

20 / 22
37 (a) State Hooke’s Law.

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[1]

(b) For forces up to 120 N, a spring obeys Hooke’s Law.

A force of 120 N causes an extension of 64 mm.

(i) On Fig. 2.1, draw the force-extension graph for the spring for loads up to 120 N. [1]

150

force / N

100

50

0
0 20 40 60 80
extension / mm

Fig. 2.1

(ii) Calculate the spring constant k of the spring.

k = ...........................................................[2]

(c) A student makes a spring balance using the spring in (b). The maximum reading of this
balance is 150 N.

The student tests his balance with a known weight of 140 N. He observes that the reading of
the balance is not 140 N.

Suggest and explain why the reading is not 140 N.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

[Total: 6]

21 / 22
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