IGCSE Physics 0625 — Full Syllabus Challenge 2 — Paper 2 (MCQ) Cambridge Challenge

Question 1 • 1.2 Motion

A driverless Dubai Metro train decelerates uniformly from 22 m/s to rest in 25 s as it approaches a station.

How far does it travel while stopping?

A110 m B275 m C550 m D880 m

Question 2 • 1.2 Motion

A delivery drone descending over Shenzhen slows from 15 m/s to 5 m/s during 4.0 s, then continues at a steady 5 m/s. The deceleration is uniform.

What distance does it cover during the first 4.0 s?

A20 m B30 m C40 m D60 m

Question 3 • 1.4 Density

A jeweller in Jaipur melts 200 g of copper (density 8.9 g/cm³) with 100 g of zinc (density 7.1 g/cm³) to make brass. The volumes simply add.

What is the density of the brass?

A7.4 g/cm³ B8.0 g/cm³ C8.2 g/cm³ D8.6 g/cm³

Question 4 • 1.5 Forces

A hotel lift in Shanghai has a cabin of mass 600 kg carrying passengers of total mass 240 kg. It accelerates upwards at 1.5 m/s² (g = 9.8 m/s²).

What is the tension in the lift cable?

A1260 N B6970 N C8230 N D9490 N

Question 5 • 1.6 Momentum

At a Toronto ice rink, two skaters stand at rest holding hands: one of mass 60 kg, the other 40 kg. They push apart, and the 60 kg skater moves off at 2.0 m/s.

What is the speed of the 40 kg skater?

A1.3 m/s B2.0 m/s C3.0 m/s D5.0 m/s

Question 6 • 1.5 Moments

A gardener’s wheelbarrow in Kent carries a 600 N load whose weight acts 0.50 m from the wheel axle. The gardener lifts the handles 1.5 m from the axle.

What upward force must she apply to just lift the load?

A200 N B300 N C600 N D1800 N

Question 7 • 1.7 Energy

An e-scooter motor in Berlin has an input power of 500 W but delivers only 350 W of useful mechanical power. It runs for 4.0 minutes.

How much energy is wasted (mainly as thermal energy) in that time?

A9.0 kJ B36 kJ C84 kJ D120 kJ

Question 8 • 1.7 Energy

A bungee jumper in Queenstown, New Zealand leaps from a bridge. Consider the moment at the lowest point of the jump, when she is momentarily at rest.

In which store is most of the energy at this instant?

AKinetic energy BGravitational potential energy CThermal energy, all dissipated in the air DElastic (strain) energy in the stretched cord

Question 9 • 1.8 Pressure

A figure skater of weight 570 N glides on one blade of length 0.30 m and width 0.0040 m.

What pressure does the blade exert on the ice?

A4.8 × 10² Pa B2.4 × 10⁵ Pa C9.5 × 10⁵ Pa D4.8 × 10⁵ Pa

Question 10 • 1.5 Circular motion

In a spin dryer at a Mumbai laundrette, wet clothes are pressed against the inside of a fast-spinning drum with holes in its wall.

Why does water leave the clothes?

ACentrifugal force flings the water outwards through the holes BWhere there is a hole, no inward force acts on the water, so it continues in a straight line and escapes through the hole CGravity pulls the water out through the holes DThe drum wall pushes the water outwards through the holes

Question 11 • 2.1 Kinetic particle model

A sealed bicycle pump in Amsterdam contains 90 cm³ of air at 110 kPa. The piston is pushed in slowly (constant temperature) until the volume is 30 cm³.

What is the new pressure?

A37 kPa B220 kPa C330 kPa D990 kPa

Question 12 • 2.2 Thermal properties

A 100 W immersion heater warms 0.50 kg of paraffin (specific heat capacity 2100 J/(kg °C)) for 3.5 minutes. Assume no energy is lost.

What is the temperature rise?

A20 °C B10 °C C42 °C D200 °C

Question 13 • 2.2 Thermal properties

A 50 g ice cube at 0 °C melts completely in a glass of lemonade in Chennai. The specific latent heat of fusion of ice is 330 000 J/kg.

How much energy does the ice absorb from the lemonade as it melts?

A165 J B6.6 kJ C16.5 kJ D330 kJ

Question 14 • 2.1 Kinetic particle model

Alcohol-based hand sanitiser feels cold on the skin.

Which explanation is correct?

AAlcohol is always at a lower temperature than skin BThe most energetic molecules escape as the alcohol evaporates quickly, lowering the average kinetic energy of the remaining liquid, which then absorbs thermal energy from the skin CAlcohol conducts thermal energy away from the skin faster than water does DThe alcohol absorbs energy in a chemical reaction with the skin

Question 15 • 2.2 Thermal expansion

A metal lid is stuck tight on a glass jam jar. Running hot water over the lid for a few seconds loosens it.

Why?

AThe metal lid expands more than the glass for the same temperature rise BThe glass contracts when heated CThe hot water lubricates the screw thread DThe metal lid softens and changes shape

Question 16 • 2.3 Thermal energy transfer

Drivers in Dubai place shiny silver sunshades across the windscreen when parking in the sun.

Why does this keep the car cooler?

ASilver surfaces are good absorbers, trapping the heat inside the shade BThe shade blocks convection currents entering through the glass CThe shade prevents conduction of heat from the Sun through the vacuum of space DA shiny silver surface is a poor absorber and good reflector of infrared radiation, so less radiant energy enters the cabin

Question 17 • 3.1 Wave properties

In a ripple tank in a Hyderabad school lab, a vibrating bar produces waves with a period of 0.020 s and a wavelength of 0.16 m.

What is the wave speed?

A0.0032 m/s B3.2 m/s C8.0 m/s D12.5 m/s

Question 18 • 3.1 Wave properties

Sea waves of wavelength 12 m approach a harbour on the Cornish coast.

Which harbour entrance width would cause the waves to spread (diffract) most strongly into the harbour?

A1.2 m B12 m C60 m D120 m

Question 19 • 3.2 Light

A ray of light in air enters the water of a Singapore swimming pool (n = 1.33) at an angle of incidence of 40°. (sin 40° = 0.643)

What is the angle of refraction?

A25° B29° C32° D56°

Question 20 • 3.2 Light

White light passes through a crown glass prism and forms a spectrum.

Which colour travels slowest inside the glass?

ARed BGreen CViolet DAll colours travel at the same speed in glass

Question 21 • 3.3 EM spectrum

A water treatment plant near Nairobi sterilises drinking water by passing it under ultraviolet lamps.

Which statement about this use of UV is correct?

AThe UV heats the water to boiling point, killing bacteria BUV is chosen because it penetrates matter more deeply than gamma rays CThe UV makes the water slightly radioactive, which kills microorganisms DThe UV kills microorganisms, but workers must be shielded because overexposure damages skin and eyes

Question 22 • 3.4 Sound

A maintenance worker strikes one end of a 1320 m steel pipeline in Alaska. A colleague at the far end hears two sounds: one through the steel, one through the air. Speed of sound: 6600 m/s in the steel, 330 m/s in air.

What is the time between the two sounds?

A0.2 s B3.8 s C4.0 s D4.2 s

Question 23 • 3.4 Sound

Before a prenatal ultrasound scan at a Mumbai clinic, the sonographer spreads gel on the patient’s skin.

What is the purpose of the gel?

AIt removes the air layer between probe and skin, so the ultrasound is transmitted into the body instead of being reflected at the surface BIt amplifies the ultrasound waves CIt converts the ultrasound into audible sound for the sonographer DIt shields the baby from ionising radiation

Question 24 • 4.2 Electrical quantities

At Heathrow, a fuel tanker is always connected to the aircraft by a copper bonding wire before refuelling begins.

Why?

AIt provides a conducting path so that static charge cannot build up and cause a spark near the fuel BIt carries the current needed to pump the fuel CIt magnetises the fuel pipe so charges are attracted away DIt insulates the aircraft from the tanker

Question 25 • 4.2 Electrical quantities

An electroplating cell in a Sheffield workshop runs at a steady current of 0.25 A for 20 minutes.

How much charge passes through the cell?

A5.0 C B80 C C300 C D4800 C

Question 26 • 4.3 Circuits

An LED in an Arduino project must always be connected in series with a resistor.

Why?

ATo increase the brightness of the LED BTo limit the current so the LED is not damaged CTo convert the supply from a.c. to d.c. DTo allow current to flow through the LED in both directions

Question 27 • 4.3 Circuits

A 9.0 V battery is connected to a 10 Ω resistor in series with an unknown resistor R. The p.d. across the 10 Ω resistor is measured as 6.0 V.

What is the value of R?

A3.0 Ω B5.0 Ω C7.5 Ω D15 Ω

Question 28 • 4.2 Electrical quantities

A window air conditioner in Chennai is rated 1.8 kW and runs 6.0 hours every night. Electricity costs ₹8.00 per kWh.

What is the cost per night?

A₹14.40 B₹57.60 C₹86.40 D₹864.00

Question 29 • 4.5 Electromagnetic effects

An MRI scanner at a Toronto hospital uses a huge solenoid carrying a large current.

Which statement about the magnetic field of a current-carrying solenoid is correct?

AThe field inside is zero because the turns cancel each other out BThe field lines inside are circles around the axis CThe field cannot be reversed once the solenoid is made DThe field inside is strong and nearly uniform, directed along the axis, and reversing the current reverses the field

Question 30 • 4.5 Electromagnetic effects

The coil of a simple a.c. generator at a school in Ghana is rotated twice as fast.

What happens to the output e.m.f.?

AThe frequency doubles but the peak e.m.f. is unchanged BThe peak e.m.f. doubles but the frequency is unchanged CBoth the frequency and the peak e.m.f. double DNeither changes; output depends only on the magnet strength

Question 31 • 4.5 Transformers

A workshop transformer in Nairobi must step 240 V mains down to 60 V. The primary coil has 1200 turns.

How many turns must the secondary coil have?

A75 B300 C4800 D20

Question 32 • 4.5 Electromagnetic effects

In a vacuum tube, a beam of electrons travels horizontally towards the east. A uniform magnetic field points vertically downwards.

In which direction is the force on the beam?

ATowards the north BTowards the south CVertically upwards DTowards the east

Question 33 • 5.2 Radioactivity

A student at a Munich laboratory tests a radioactive source. The count rates are:

No absorber: 900 counts/min • Sheet of paper: 900 counts/min • 5 mm aluminium: 300 counts/min • 25 mm lead: 40 counts/min (equal to background)

Which types of radiation does the source emit?

AAlpha and beta BAlpha and gamma CBeta only DBeta and gamma

Question 34 • 5.2 Radioactivity

Strontium-90 (⁹⁰₃₈Sr), a fission product found in nuclear waste, decays by beta-minus emission.

What is the daughter nucleus?

A⁹⁰₃₉Y B⁹⁰₃₇Rb C⁸⁹₃₈Sr D⁸⁶₃₆Kr

Question 35 • 5.2 Radioactivity

A medical isotope delivered to a Singapore hospital has a half-life of 45 minutes. Its activity on arrival is 4800 Bq. Background is negligible.

How long until the activity falls to 300 Bq?

A1.5 hours B3.0 hours C6.0 hours D12 hours

Question 36 • 5.1 Nuclear model

At the ITER experiment in France, deuterium and tritium nuclei fuse:

²₁H + ³₁H → ⁴₂He + ?

What is the missing particle?

AA proton BAn electron CA neutron DA gamma ray only

Question 37 • 6.1 Earth & Solar System

Phobos, a moon of Mars photographed by India’s Mangalyaan orbiter, circles Mars at a radius of 9.4 × 10⁶ m with a period of 2.75 × 10⁴ s.

What is its orbital speed?

A0.34 km/s B1.1 km/s C2.1 km/s D4.3 km/s

Question 38 • 6.2 Stars & Universe

A quasar is observed from Chile. A spectral line measured at 400 nm in the laboratory appears at 480 nm in the quasar’s light.

What can be concluded?

AThe quasar is approaching Earth at high speed BThe quasar is receding at very high speed and, by Hubble’s law, is extremely distant CThe quasar is stationary but its light has lost energy on the journey DThe quasar is receding, but nothing about its distance can be inferred

Question 39 • 6.2 Stars & Universe

Four stars are observed from a dark-sky site in Chile: Rigel (blue-white), Sirius (white), the Sun (yellow), Betelgeuse (red).

Which lists them in order of surface temperature, hottest first?

ABetelgeuse, Sun, Sirius, Rigel BSun, Rigel, Betelgeuse, Sirius CThey all have the same temperature; colour depends only on distance DRigel, Sirius, Sun, Betelgeuse

Question 40 • 6.1 Earth & Solar System

An astronomy student in Cape Town leaves a camera shutter open for 6 hours, pointed at the sky. The photo shows star trails: each star has drawn an arc of about 90° around the south celestial pole.

What do the trails provide evidence for?

AThe Earth’s rotation on its axis, at about 15° per hour BThe Earth’s orbit around the Sun CThe stars orbiting the Earth once each year DThe rotation of the Milky Way galaxy

Full Syllabus Challenge 2 — Paper 2

Section A: Motion, Forces & Energy (Topic 1)

Section B: Thermal Physics (Topic 2)

Section C: Waves (Topic 3)

Section D: Electricity & Magnetism (Topic 4)

Section E: Nuclear Physics (Topic 5)

Section F: Space Physics (Topic 6)