Exam practice — CCEA 1210

Question 1 · Atomic structure and radiation · 1 mark

A sample's corrected count rate falls from 800 counts/s to 100 counts/s. How many half-lives have elapsed?

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Answer: 3

800 → 400 → 200 → 100, so three half-lives have elapsed.

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Question 2 · Domestic electricity · 1 mark

A 2.0 kW heater runs for 3.0 h. Calculate the electrical energy transferred in kWh.

Your answer

Use unit: kWh

Working

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Answer: 6 kWh

E = Pt = 2.0 kW × 3.0 h = 6.0 kWh.

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Question 3 · Elasticity and materials · 1 mark

What is the extension of a spring?

Choose one answer A. The loaded length B. The natural length C. Loaded length minus natural length D. Force divided by length

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Answer: C

Extension is the increase in length.

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Question 4 · Electric circuits · 3 marks

Explain why the current is switched off between readings.

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Marking points

Current heats the wire.
Resistance of a metal increases with temperature.
Switching off keeps the temperature (a control variable) constant.

Temperature is a hidden variable.

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Question 5 · Energy · 3 marks

List the measurements needed to calculate power when climbing stairs.

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Mass of the person.
Vertical height of the stairs.
Time taken to climb.

Power needs energy (from m, g and h) and time.

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Question 6 · Energy resources · 1 mark

A generator receives 2.0 MW of power and provides 1.5 MW of useful electrical power. Calculate its efficiency as a percentage.

Your answer

Use unit: %

Working

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Answer: 75 %

Efficiency = useful output / input × 100 = \(\dfrac{1.5}{2.0}\) × 100 = 75%.

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Question 7 · Forces and motion · 2 marks

State two control variables and explain why each must be kept the same.

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Marking points

Distance timed / same trolley, because a different distance or mass changes the time.
Release point and releasing without a push, because a push would change the speed.

Explain how each could affect the result.

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Question 8 · Practical skills and data · 1 mark

A student measures 4.2 s, 4.4 s and 4.3 s. Calculate the mean time.

Your answer

Use unit: s

Working

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Answer: 4.3 s

Mean = \(\dfrac{4.2 + 4.4 + 4.3}{3}\) = 4.3 s.

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Question 9 · Light and optics · 1 mark

Light enters a glass block from air at an angle. What happens to the ray?

Choose one answer A. It bends towards the normal B. It bends away from the normal C. It goes straight on D. It is totally reflected

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Answer: A

Light slows down in glass, so it bends towards the normal.

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Question 10 · Magnetism and electromagnetism · 3 marks

State three ways to increase the strength of an electromagnet.

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Marking points

Increase the current.
Increase the number of turns on the coil.
Use a soft iron core.

Current, turns, core.

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Question 11 · Moments and pressure · 2 marks

State the principle of moments.

Your answer

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Marking points

For an object in equilibrium (balanced)…
the total clockwise moment about a pivot equals the total anticlockwise moment about the same pivot.

Both 'total' and 'about the same pivot' matter.

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Question 12 · Particle model · 1 mark

Why should the measuring cylinder be read at eye level?

Choose one answer A. To make the water warmer B. To remove systematic error from the balance C. To increase the volume of water D. To avoid parallax error

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Answer: D

Reading at eye level, at the bottom of the meniscus, avoids parallax error in the volume reading.

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