UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATE

General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

PHYSICS 5054/3
PAPER 3 Practical Test
INSTRUCTIONS
Monday 21 JUNE 1999 Morning 2 hours

Great care should be taken that any confidential information given

does not reach the candidates either directly or indirectly.

These instructions consist of 7 printed pages and 1 blank page.

SB (KG) QF92359/3
© UCLES 1999 [Turn over
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Instructions for preparing apparatus

1 The teacher responsible for the preparation of the examination may have access to the Question
Paper three working days before the examination takes place. The Paper should be studied in the
presence of the officer responsible for question paper security, and the teacher should not copy
the questions or make notes. After it has been studied, the Question Paper should immediately be
resealed with the other copies of the Paper.

2 In addition to the usual equipment of a physics laboratory, candidates will require the apparatus
specified on pages 3, 4 and 5. Arrangements should be made so that each candidate can spend
20 minutes using the apparatus for each of Questions 1, 2 and 3, and 1 hour using the apparatus
for Question 4.

Enough apparatus must be provided to ensure that

(a) no candidate is kept waiting at the end of the allotted time for each question,

(b) spare apparatus is immediately available in the event of failure or breakage of any item.

Instructions for the Supervisor of the examination

1 Each candidate should be allowed 20 minutes in which to use the apparatus for each of Questions
1, 2 and 3, and 1 hour in which to use the apparatus for Question 4. The order in which candidates
answer the questions will be determined by the Supervisor.

2 If a candidate is unable to proceed with any of the experiments, the Supervisor is expected to give
sufficient help to enable the candidate to do the experiment. If the Supervisor sees that a
candidate is proceeding incorrectly, he should give the minimum help to enable the candidate to
do the experiment correctly. In giving help, the following regulations should be followed.

(a) No help may be announced to the candidates as a whole.

(b) Candidates should be told that the Examiners will be informed of any help given.

(c) A report must be made of any assistance given to any candidate, identified by name and
index number.

Supervisors may find it useful to make the following announcement to the candidates at the start
of the examination.

‘The Examiners do not want you to waste time when you are unable to do the experiment. Any
candidate who is unable to get on with an experiment may come and ask for help. I will report to
the Examiners any help given and some marks may be lost.’

3 Supervisors are asked to provide the information specified (if any) at the end of each list of items
to be supplied. Page 8 should be used to provide information about any help given to candidates.
Pages 7 and 8 should be detached and attached to the uppermost script before despatch to the
Examiner. Details should be given if the apparatus supplied differs in any significant way from that
specified in these Instructions.

4 Candidates should be instructed at the start of the examination that all of their work should be
written in the answer booklet. Scrap paper should not be used.

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1 Items to be supplied by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise specified)
25 glass spheres of approximate diameter 3 mm
Small beaker to hold spheres (see note (i))
Petri dish
Block of wood approximately 5 cm by 5 cm (thickness unimportant) (see note (ii))
Tray to contain the apparatus listed above to prevent the spheres rolling on to the floor
30 cm rule with mm divisions
Top pan balance reading to 0.1 g or better (see note (iii))

Notes

(i) The spheres should be returned to the small beaker at the changeover.

(ii) A groove of approximate width 2 mm (i.e. saw cut) should be cut across one of the 5 cm by
5 cm faces.

(iii) The top pan balance may be shared between candidates.

Information Required

1. mass of 20 spheres (to nearest 0.1 g)

2. length of a line of 10 spheres (to nearest 1 mm)

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2 Items to be supplied by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise specified)
250 cm3 pyrex glass beaker marked with a letter A by means of a waterproof pen (see note (ii))
Container with approximately 200 cm3 of water at room temperature (see notes (i) and (iii))
Measuring cylinder, capable of measuring 100 cm3
Thermometer –10 °C to 110 °C or 0 °C to 50 °C, graduated in at least 1 °C intervals.
25 mm mild steel screw of diameter approximately 6 mm
Card on which is written the mass of the screw to 0.1 g
Tongs
Bunsen burner
Means of lighting the Bunsen burner
Glass rod to act as stirrer
Paper towels or cloths to mop up spillages
Heat resistant mat placed underneath the Bunsen burner

Notes

(i) To obtain a supply of water at room temperature, fill a large container with sufficient water for
all the candidates on the evening prior to the practical examination and leave to stand
overnight.

(ii) The water in beaker A should be discarded and the beaker should be dried at each
changeover.

(iii) The water in the container should be replenished at each changeover.

(iv) Supervisors should keep a careful watch to ensure that candidates use the Bunsen burner
safely.

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3 Items to be supplied by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise specified)
Plane mirror at least 5 cm long
Holder for the mirror which will support the mirror in a vertical position on the bench
Protractor
4 optical pins
Approximately A4 size soft-board into which the optical pins may be pushed easily
30 cm rule

4 Items to be supplied by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise specified)
Rubber band of length approximately 15 cm (i.e. total length of rubber = 30 cm) and of
approximately square cross-section of side approximately 2 mm (see note (i))
The Supervisor should have spare bands available in case of breakages.
Two paper clips (see note (i))
10 g mass hanger and seven 10 g slotted masses. Candidates need to be informed of the mass of
the mass hanger.
Stand, clamp and boss from which to hang the length of rubber (see note (ii))
Metre rule
Second stand, clamp and boss to support the metre rule vertically
Set square
Plasticine of mass 55 g in the form of a block
Stiff piece of copper wire of length 5 cm (see note (iii))
250 cm3 beaker with approximately 200 cm3 of water
Paper towels or cloths to mop up spillages

Notes

(i) The rubber band should be cut to form a length of rubber of approximately 30 cm. The ends
of the rubber should be tied securely to each paper clip. The rubber must hang vertically with
a paper clip attached to its lower end.

(ii) The boss should be mounted at the top of the stand. The rubber should be suspended from
the clamp, fixed to the boss, by means of one of the paper clips. The Supervisor should
ensure that, when a mass of 80 g is suspended from the other end of the rubber, using the
second paper clip, the mass hanger does not touch the bench.

(iii) One end of the copper wire should be embedded in the plasticine and the other end should
be bent in the form of a hook so that the plasticine may be suspended from the rubber.

(iv) At the changeover, remove any loads which are still suspended from the rubber. Dry the
plasticine mass and ensure that there is 200 cm3 of water in the beaker.

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BLANK PAGE

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5054/3

This form must be completed and returned with the Answer Booklets

REPORT ON PRACTICAL PHYSICS

The Supervisor is asked to give the following details using the space provided on page 8.

(a) Data required at the end of the test:

(i) mass of 20 spheres in experiment 1,
(ii) length of a line of 10 spheres in experiment 1.

(b) Any help given to a candidate.

(c) Any general difficulties encountered in preparing the apparatus.

(d) Any difficulties experienced by particular candidates. This should include reference to
difficulties due to faulty apparatus or materials and accidental damage to apparatus or
materials. Candidates should be identified by name and index number.

Other cases of hardship, such as disability or illness, should be reported to the

Syndicate in the normal way.

The Supervisor is asked to provide a plan of the work benches, giving details by index
numbers of the places occupied by the candidates for each session. The plan should be
enclosed with the Answer Booklets.

Declaration to be signed by the Principal

The preparation of this practical examination has been carried out so as fully to maintain
the security of the examination.

Signed .....................................................................

Name (in block capitals) .....................................................................

Centre Number .....................................................................

Centre Name .....................................................................

✂

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5054/3 Instr S99

Details of difficulties and any help given to candidates

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