UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATE

General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

PHYSICS 5054/3
PAPER 3 Practical Test
INSTRUCTIONS
MAY/JUNE SESSION 2001 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 10 printed pages and 2 blank pages.

ND/PW QF10453A/2
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Instructions for preparing apparatus

These instructions detail the apparatus required for each experiment in this paper. A summary of the
questions that will be presented to the candidates is included, to allow the Physics teacher to test the
apparatus appropriately. No access is permitted to the question paper in advance of the examination
session.

Number of sets of apparatus

In addition to a few spare sets, the minimum number of sets of apparatus to be provided should be
sufficient to enable candidates to spend 20 minutes with the apparatus for each of Questions 1, 2 and
3, and one hour with the apparatus for Question 4. The order in which candidates answer the
questions will be determined by the Supervisor. Candidates may spend one hour circulating around
Questions 1, 2 and 3, followed by an hour on Question 4, or vice versa.

Extra graph paper and Mathematical tables should be available. It is assumed that candidates will
supply their own geometrical instruments, such as a set square, 0 ° to 180 ° protractor, pair of
compasses and 30 cm rule. Candidates should be advised, in advance, that they may, if they wish,
use quartz wristwatches with stopwatch facilities, providing that such wristwatches afford the required
precision.

Instructions for the supervision of the examination

The Supervisor, who may be a Physics teacher, is responsible for the administration of the
examination according to the procedures detailed in the Handbook for Centres. In all instances, a
Physics teacher should be present. Preferably, this teacher should have been responsible for the
preparation of the apparatus. Two invigilators must be present at all times: it is not acceptable for a
teacher who has been responsible for preparing the candidates for this paper to be the sole
Supervisor or Invigilator.

Supervisors may make the following announcement at the start of the examination.

‘The Examiners do not want you to waste time when you are unable to do any experiment. Any
candidate who is unable to get results with an experiment may ask for help. The extent of this help
will be reported to the Examiners, who may make a deduction of marks.’

Supervisors should note that a candidate may only be given enough assistance to allow some raw
readings of observations to be made. On no account should any assistance be given with the
treatment or analysis of these readings and observations.

Supervisors may draw to the attention of the candidates any significant deviation between the
apparatus provided and that detailed in the question paper, particularly where diagrams are given in
the paper.

Candidates should be reminded that all their work should be written on the printed Answer Booklet.
Rough paper must not be used.

The Supervisor must complete the Report at the back of these Instructions. Details should be given
of any significant deviation between the apparatus used and that specified in these Instructions. A
sample set of results can often help Examiners. A copy of this Report must be included in each
packet of scripts.

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Question 1

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

Sodium chloride solution of concentration 5 g of NaCl to 100 cm3 of tap water (see note (i))

100 cm3 measuring cylinder (see note (ii))

250 cm3 beaker containing approximately 150 cm3 of the sodium chloride solution

Top-pan balance capable of measuring to 0.1 g or better (see note (iii))

Paper towels to mop up any spilled solution

Notes

(i) Supervisors should make sufficient solution for there to be approximately 150 cm 3 of
solution for each set of apparatus. Spare solution should be available so that Supervisors
may replenish supplies in the 250 cm3 beaker at the changeover.

(ii) If the scale of the measuring cylinder is labelled in ml then this marking should be covered
with a self-adhesive label marked ‘cm3’, written with a permanent ink marker.

(iii) The top-pan balance may be shared between 4 or 5 candidates.

Procedure to be followed by candidates

Candidates will be required to determine the mass of a fixed volume of the solution by weighing it in
the measuring cylinder. They will record the volume of the solution and hence determine the density
of the solution.

Information required by Examiners

None

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Question 2

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

Lens of focal length 15 cm

Lens holder (see note (i))

Lamp and suitable power supply (see note (ii))

Two flat pieces of plywood or thick card of dimensions approximately 20 cm by 20 cm (see note (iii))

Two small blocks of wood to support each of the flat pieces of plywood or thick card vertically (see
note (iii))

Small length of fine wire to form a cross-wire (see note (iii))

Stand, clamp and boss (see note (ii))

Set square

Metre rule

Notes

(i) Candidates will be required to assemble the apparatus as shown in Fig. 2.1. The filament of
the lamp, the centre of the object hole and the optical centre of the lens must all lie on the
same horizontal line.

Fig. 2.1

(ii) For maximum illumination of the object, candidates will need to ensure that the centre of the
lamp is in line with the cross-wire object. The lamp should therefore be held in a clamp so
that its position can be adjusted in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

(iii) One flat piece of the plywood or card should have a hole of diameter 2 cm through its
centre. Two 3 cm lengths of fine wire should then be glued across the hole to form an
asymmetric cross-wire (see Fig. 2.1). The second piece of plywood or card should either be
painted white or should be covered in white paper so that it acts as a screen. The small
blocks should be attached to the bottom of the object and the screen.

(iv) At the changeover, the apparatus should be dismantled by the Supervisor.

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Procedure to be followed by candidates

The candidate will be required to place the lens 20 cm from the cross-wire object. The candidate will
then adjust the position of the screen until a sharply focused magnified image is formed on it. The
candidate will then have to adjust the position of the lens without moving the object or screen until a
diminished image is formed on the screen. The set square may be used to assist in taking readings
on the metre rule.

Information required by Examiners

Focal length of the lens used

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Question 3

Items to be provided by the Centre (per set of apparatus, unless otherwise stated)

Expendable steel spring (see note (i))

Masses of 200 g and 400 g (see note (ii))

Optics pin in cork

Stand, clamp and boss to support the spring

Second clamp and boss to support the cork

Stopwatch reading to 0.2 s or better

Notes

(i) The spring must not exceed its elastic limit with a mass of 500 g suspended from it.

(ii) The two masses could be made up of a 100 g slotted mass hanger and three 100 g slotted
masses. The candidate could then add slotted masses to the mass hanger to create
masses of 200 g and 400 g respectively.

Procedure to be followed by candidates

Candidates will determine the period of oscillation of both the 200 g mass and the 400 g mass when
they are suspended from the spring. They will use the optics pin mounted in the cork as a fiducial
mark.

Information required by Examiners

None

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Question 4

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

d.c. power supply of 1.5 V or 2.0 V capable of supplying a current of about 0.15 A to a load

Ammeter capable of reading up to at least 0.5 A to a precision of 0.02 A

Voltmeter capable of reading up to at least 1.0 V to a precision of 0.02 V

Switch

Variable resistor of approximate resistance 10 Ω

Bare Constantan wire of length 110 cm and of approximate resistance 5 Ω per metre

(see note (i))

Metre rule (see note (i))

Clear adhesive tape (see note (i))

Two crocodile clips

Sliding contact or jockey

Connecting leads to enable the Supervisor to set up the circuit in Fig. 4.1(see note (ii))

Fig. 4.1

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Notes

(i) The wire should be stretched tautly along the metre rule. It should be attached to the rule at
four points along its length with adhesive tape.

(ii) 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.

(iii) If present, the third (unused) terminal on the variable resistor should be taped over. Once
the circuit has been set up and checked by the Supervisor the switch should be opened.

(iv) At the changeover, Supervisors should check that the circuit is still set up as described
above.

Procedure to be followed by candidates

The candidates will draw a diagram of the circuit. They will then set the current through the wire to a
particular value. They will then measure the potential difference across various lengths of wire and
analyse the results.

Information required by Examiners

Resistance per metre of the wire used

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BLANK PAGE

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BLANK PAGE

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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 12.

(a) Information required at the end of the test, as indicated in the Instructions.

(b) Any help given to a candidate.

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

(d) Any difficulties experienced by particular candidates. These 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 together with the Information required by Examiners.

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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Information required

Details of difficulties and any help given to candidates

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