UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATE

Joint Examination for the School Certificate

and General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

PHYSICS 5054/3
PAPER 3 Practical Test
INSTRUCTIONS
Thursday 4 NOVEMBER 1999 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 9 printed pages and 3 blank pages.

SB (SLC / JB) QK94124/3
© 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 to 7. 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 12 should be used to provide information about any help given to candidates.
Pages 11 and 12 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)
100 sheets of plain A4 paper specified as 80 g/m2 (gsm) (see note (i))
Sheet of paper labelled A from the same packet. Each candidate should be given a fresh sheet of
paper.
Half-metre rule
Top-pan balance capable of measuring to 0.1 g or better (see note (ii))

Notes
(i) 100 sheets should be counted from the packet, labelled 100 sheets, with a rubber band
placed around them to hold them together.
(ii) The top pan balance may be shared between candidates.

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2 Items to be supplied by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise specified)
Converging lens of approximate focal length 15 cm
Lens holder
Piece of 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) stripboard (as used in building electronic circuits) approximately 4 cm x
4 cm
Means of supporting the stripboard in front of the lens, e.g. lens holder or stand, clamp and boss
Bench lamp to illuminate the stripboard
Screen supported vertically, e.g. piece of hardboard 20 cm high by 15 cm wide attached to a block
of wood to form a firm base
Sheet of mm graph paper approximately 10 cm x 10 cm (see note (i))
Metre rule
Blu-Tack (see note (ii))

Notes
(i) The sheet of graph paper should be secured to the central part of the screen.
(ii) The Blu-Tack may be used to secure the metre rule to the bench.
(iii) This experiment should be carried out in a darkened area of the laboratory and should
occupy approximately 1.5 metres of bench space.
(iv) The candidate will have to assemble the apparatus along the rule as illustrated in Fig. 2.1. It
must be possible for the lamp, stripboard, lens and screen to lie along a central axis with the
centres of each item at the same height.

circuit
board
lens in holder screen
light source

u v

Fig. 2.1

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3 Items to be supplied by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise specified)
Triangular sheet of thin card. The triangle formed by the card should be a right-angled triangle of
sides 147 mm x 209 mm x 255 mm. Such a triangle may be produced by cutting a piece of A5 card
diagonally. A fresh card should be given to each candidate (see note (i)).
Thin nail in cork
Stand, clamp and boss to support the cork
Pendulum bob or small mass
Thread of approximate length 50 cm (see note (ii))
30 cm rule with a mm scale
Set square

Notes:
(i) Holes should be punched at two corners of the triangle and labelled A and B, as shown in
Fig. 3.1. The holes should be large enough to allow the nail to pass through.

Fig. 3.1

(ii) The thread should be tied to the pendulum bob or small mass to form a plumbline.

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4 Items to be supplied by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise specified)

100 cm3 beaker

250 cm3 container with 200 cm3 of water at room temperature (see note (i))
Measuring cylinder capable of measuring 50 cm3
Approximately 50 cm of 28 S.W.G. (0.38 mm diameter) constantan wire. If this gauge is not
available, a sufficient length of wire of any other gauge to form a resistor of approximately 2 Ω (see
note (ii)).
A 2.2 Ω 25 W resistor may be used as an alternative to the wire. Leads will need to be soldered on
to the resistor and supervisors should ensure that the resistor will fit in to the beaker and be fully
immersed when 50 cm3 of water is added to the beaker.
Two crocodile clips
Ammeter capable of reading up to 5 A d.c.
Voltmeter capable of reading up to 10 V d.c.
d.c. power supply capable of supplying a current of 3 A to a load of 2 Ω
Rheostat of the order of 10 Ω capable of carrying a current of 3 A
Switch
Connecting leads to enable the Supervisor to set up the circuit in Fig. 4.1 (see note (iii)).

– +

power supply

crocodile clip

beaker

coil

Fig. 4.1
Thermometer, –10 °C to 110 °C
Paper towels or cloths to mop up spillages
Stopwatch or stopclock. Candidates may use their own watches or the wall clock provided it
can be seen and has a second sweep.

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Notes
(i) At the changeover the 100 cm3 beaker should be emptied and the 250 cm3 container should
be replenished with water at room temperature.
(ii) The constantan wire should be wound around a pencil to form a heating coil. This should then
be placed at the bottom of the 100 cm3 beaker with the two ends of the wire protruding over
the side of the beaker as illustrated Fig. 4.1. The crocodile clips may then be attached to the
two ends. Care should be taken to ensure that the turns of wire on the coil are not shorting.
(iii) The Supervisor should arrange the apparatus on the bench exactly as shown in Fig. 4.1. The
layout should be clear to the candidates and the leads may be taped to the bench if
necessary.

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O
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:

The thickness of the 100 sheet stack of paper in experiment 1 = ..................cm

(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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Details of difficulties and any help given to candidates

5054/3 Instr W99