4PH0 2P Pef 20130822

Examiners’ Report/
Principal Examiner Feedback
Summer 2013
International GCSE
Physics (4PH0) Paper 2P
Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 Certificate

Physics (KPH0) Paper 2P
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Summer 2013
Publications Code UG036617
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2013
4PH0 2P
General comments
As in previous examinations, most students were able to recall the
equations and usually they handled the related calculations well. Students
who gave the best practical descriptions often appeared to be writing from
first-hand experience. Responses to the longer questions showed that the
less able students tend to struggle when assembling a logical description or
when asked to offer more than one idea. There was a wide range of
response and it was good to see that many students were able to give full
and accurate answers.
Question 1
Most students chose the correct responses to the multiple-choice questions
at the start of the paper. These were designed to provide a straightforward
entry to the paper and simply test some basic knowledge.
The experimental description required in Q1(c) proved more difficult for

many students. A large proportion of the responses were not fully focused
on the task of measuring the activity of the source. A significant minority of
students instead provided a detailed, and usually accurate, description of
the detector itself. Others described experiments designed to distinguish the
type of radiation emitted by the source, or measure the half-life of the
source. These alternative responses often received some credit for points
also relevant to measuring the activity, for instance taking account of
background radiation or ensuring safe handling of the source.
There were also some excellent answers that merited full marks. These
responses appeared to be from students who had seen this measurement as
a demonstration or had used a computer simulation. They included ideas
about controlling a variable (usually the distance between the source and
detector) or repeating measurements. However, very few also mentioned
the ideas of counts per second, or becquerels.
Question 2
Most of the responses to Q2(a)(i) were rather brief. Few students identified
the “W” as an abbreviation for the watt, although most were able to state
that 30 joules of energy would be transferred each second. Responses to
Q2(a)(ii) tended to be fuller, but many students made just the single point
about preventing electric shock. When a question asks students to explain,
it is usually a cue for them to offer linked ideas. In this case, the better
answers linked the ideas of cause and effect, for instance a specific fault
that caused current to go to earth, or current going to earth because the
earth wire provides a low resistance path.
Responses to Q2(b) were generally good. About half of the students gained
full marks for the evaluation in 2(b)(i) and nearly all were able to offer
something worth credit. The mark scheme allowed for a variety of
approaches, all of which required some appropriate calculation as a starting
point. The comment in the response was expected to match this calculation,
no matter whether it agreed or disagreed with the statement in the
question. Students who did not show their working were sometimes at a
disadvantage.
The structure of the transformer is well understood and nearly all students
gained at least two marks for Q2(b)(ii). The students who gained full marks
were usually those who properly labelled the transformer core on their
diagram.
Question 3
For Q3(a), the majority of students were able to convert the temperature
successfully and most gave a competent description of the change from
liquid to gas. Some used the space below the ruled lines to include a useful
diagram. However, other students struggled to include more than the basic
idea of a gain in kinetic energy.
There has been a noticeable improvement in the way that students respond
to questions asking about energy transfer by conduction, convection and
radiation. Answers to Q3(b) showed some good understanding and more
than half of the students gave explanations worthy of full marks. Q3(c) was
intended to be more difficult and presented students with a less familiar
situation. Many students struggled, but there were also some excellent
responses that mentioned the insulating effect of still air or the unlikelihood
of there being any convection directly above the cold liquid.
Question 4
The majority of students tackled the momentum calculation in Q4(a)
effectively. The explanations required for Q4(b) proved more difficult,
however.
About half of the students realised that the load in Q4(b)(i) still had some
momentum after the lorry had lost its own momentum. However, very few
went on to mention a difference the times taken for these two momentum
changes. Similarly, with Q4(b)(ii) a large proportion of students began their
explanation well, realising either that the centre of mass had shifted, or that
clockwise and anticlockwise moments were equal. A sizeable minority of
students were able to make both these points, but very few included the
idea that the size of a moment depends on both force and distance.
Most students were able to recall the relationship between pressure, force
and area, but only about half of them went on to calculate correctly. Many
students might have scored better here had they checked their work. They
could have noticed that an area in excess of 100 m2 is unrealistic for a tyre
and points to an easily corrected error with powers of ten.
Question 5
Many students chose the correct responses to the multiple-choice questions
at the start of the question – Q5(a)(ii) was particularly straightforward.
Nearly all the students know how to connect a voltmeter and most of them
also recognised the LED symbol in Q5(b)(i).
Graph plotting was generally very good, with most students labelling their
graph properly and choosing an appropriate scale. There were many
excellent responses to Q5(b)(ii) that received full marks. However, a
sizeable minority of students attempted to display the discontinuous data
using a line graph. Some of these appeared to realise that the line graph
would be inappropriate and sensibly went no further than plotting the
points. These students received more credit than those who went on to
draw a spurious line.
The evaluation in Q5(b)(iii) was intended to be difficult; for full marks

students were required to synthesise information from the table (or from
their bar chart) and their knowledge of more than one aspect of the visible
spectrum. It was good to see so many worthwhile attempts, with more than
a third of the students scoring at least one mark here.
Question 6
Nearly all students recognised the useful energy transfer in Q6(a).
The calculation in Q6(b)(i) gave most students the opportunity to score

marks. Those who arrived at the wrong value, but took care to show their
working, were still able to achieve some credit for converting the time to
seconds or for substituting the values correctly.
Most students found it difficult in Q6(b)(ii) to explain why electricity is

transmitted at very high voltages. Most responses were creditable to some
extent, but few of the students put together a fully reasoned explanation.
Q6(c) was on last page of the paper and included some of the harder
questions. Fewer than half of the students were able to explain the
meanings of both 50Hz and alternating current, although most were
successful with one of these definitions. Very few students realised that a.c.
is necessary because transformers are used in the large-scale transmission
of electrical energy.
Summary Section
Based on the performance shown in this paper, students should:
Take note of the number of marks given for each question and use
this as a guide as to the amount of detail expected in the answer
Be familiar with the equations listed in the specification and be able
to use them confidently
Show all working, so that some credit can still be given for answers
that are only partly correct
Describe experiments in reasonable detail and be ready to comment
on experimental data and methods
Recall the units given in the specification and use them appropriately,
for instance when describing the measurements taken in an
experiment
Take care to follow the instructions in the question, for instance when
requested to use particular ideas in the answer
Choose an appropriate format for displaying results, for instance
using a bar chart to show discrete data
Allow time at the end of the examination to check answers
carefully and correct basic slips in wording or calculation
Grade Boundaries
Grade boundaries for this, and all other papers, can be found on the website on
this link:
http://www.edexcel.com/iwantto/Pages/grade-boundaries.aspx
Pearson Education Limited. Registered company number 872828
with its registered office at Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JE

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Examiners’ Report/

Principal Examiner Feedback

Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 Certificate

Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere

The experimental description required in Q1(c) proved more difficult for

The evaluation in Q5(b)(iii) was intended to be difficult; for full marks

The calculation in Q6(b)(i) gave most students the opportunity to score

Most students found it difficult in Q6(b)(ii) to explain why electricity is

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