Cambridge International AS & A Level

PHYSICS 9702/21
Paper 2 AS Level Structured Questions October/November 2023
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 60

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the October/November 2023 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level components, and some Cambridge O Level
components.

This document consists of 14 printed pages.

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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They should be applied alongside the
specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for valid answers which go beyond
the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features are specifically assessed by the
question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the application of generic level
descriptors.

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GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question (however; the use of the full mark range may
be limited according to the quality of the candidate responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be awarded with grade thresholds or
grade descriptors in mind.

Science-Specific Marking Principles

1 Examiners should consider the context and scientific use of any keywords when awarding marks. Although keywords may be present, marks
should not be awarded if the keywords are used incorrectly.

2 The examiner should not choose between contradictory statements given in the same question part, and credit should not be awarded for
any correct statement that is contradicted within the same question part. Wrong science that is irrelevant to the question should be ignored.

3 Although spellings do not have to be correct, spellings of syllabus terms must allow for clear and unambiguous separation from other
syllabus terms with which they may be confused (e.g. ethane / ethene, glucagon / glycogen, refraction / reflection).

4 The error carried forward (ecf) principle should be applied, where appropriate. If an incorrect answer is subsequently used in a scientifically
correct way, the candidate should be awarded these subsequent marking points. Further guidance will be included in the mark scheme
where necessary and any exceptions to this general principle will be noted.

5 ‘List rule’ guidance

For questions that require n responses (e.g. State two reasons …):

• The response should be read as continuous prose, even when numbered answer spaces are provided.
• Any response marked ignore in the mark scheme should not count towards n.
• Incorrect responses should not be awarded credit but will still count towards n.
• Read the entire response to check for any responses that contradict those that would otherwise be credited. Credit should not be
awarded for any responses that are contradicted within the rest of the response. Where two responses contradict one another, this
should be treated as a single incorrect response.
• Non-contradictory responses after the first n responses may be ignored even if they include incorrect science.

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6 Calculation specific guidance

Correct answers to calculations should be given full credit even if there is no working or incorrect working, unless the question states ‘show
your working’.

For questions in which the number of significant figures required is not stated, credit should be awarded for correct answers when rounded
by the examiner to the number of significant figures given in the mark scheme. This may not apply to measured values.

For answers given in standard form (e.g. a ´ 10n) in which the convention of restricting the value of the coefficient (a) to a value between 1
and 10 is not followed, credit may still be awarded if the answer can be converted to the answer given in the mark scheme.

Unless a separate mark is given for a unit, a missing or incorrect unit will normally mean that the final calculation mark is not awarded.
Exceptions to this general principle will be noted in the mark scheme.

7 Guidance for chemical equations

Multiples / fractions of coefficients used in chemical equations are acceptable unless stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

State symbols given in an equation should be ignored unless asked for in the question or stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

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Abbreviations

/ Alternative and acceptable answers for the same marking point.

() Bracketed content indicates words which do not need to be explicitly seen to gain credit but which indicate the context for an answer.
The context does not need to be seen but if a context is given that is incorrect then the mark should not be awarded.

___ Underlined content must be present in answer to award the mark. This means either the exact word or another word that has the same
technical meaning.

Mark categories

B marks These are independent marks, which do not depend on other marks. For a B mark to be awarded, the point to which it refers must
be seen specifically in the candidate’s answer.

M marks These are method marks upon which A marks later depend. For an M mark to be awarded, the point to which it refers must be seen
specifically in the candidate’s answer. If a candidate is not awarded an M mark, then the later A mark cannot be awarded either.

C marks These are compensatory marks which can be awarded even if the points to which they refer are not written down by the candidate,
providing subsequent working gives evidence that they must have known them. For example, if an equation carries a C mark and the
candidate does not write down the actual equation but does correct working which shows the candidate knew the equation, then the
C mark is awarded.
If a correct answer is given to a numerical question, all of the preceding C marks are awarded automatically. It is only necessary to
consider each of the C marks in turn when the numerical answer is not correct.

A marks These are answer marks. They may depend on an M mark or allow a C mark to be awarded by implication.

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Question Answer Mark

1(a) scalar and vector have magnitude B1

vector has direction (and scalar does not have direction) B1

1(b)(i) r = [(3  28) / 4]1/3 A1

= 1.9 cm

1(b)(ii) percentage uncertainty in V = (0.5 / 28)  100 C1

( = 1.79%)

percentage uncertainty in r = 1.79 / 3 A1

= 0.6%

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Question Answer Mark

2(a)(i) arrow upwards () and labelled upthrust / U B2

arrow downwards () and labelled weight / W / mg

arrow downwards () and labelled tension / T

1 mark: One or two correctly labelled arrows

2 marks: Three correctly labelled arrows

2(a)(ii) U = T + W or upthrust = tension + weight C1

Vg = T + W C1

V = [(4.00  102) + (3.39  104)] / (1.23  9.81)

V = 2.84  103 m3 A1

2(a)(iii) m = W / g or a = F / m C1

a = (4.00  102) / [(3.39  104) / 9.81)] C1

a = 0.12 m s–2 A1

2(b) there is air resistance (which increases with speed) B1

(average) resultant force is less (than weight) B1

(average) acceleration is less (than g / 9.81, so speed is less than 100 m s–1) B1

2(c)(i) (extension =) 2.5  2.4  10–5 = 6.0  10–5 (m) A1

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Question Answer Mark

2(c)(ii) E(P) = ½ Fx C1
or
E(P) = ½ kx2 and F = kx

E(P) = ½  4.00  102  6.0  10–5 or E(P) = ½  6.7  106  (6.0  10–5)2 A1

E(P) = 0.012 J

2(c)(iii) longer extension M1

or
smaller spring constant

elastic potential energy is greater A1

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Question Answer Mark

3(a) displacement A1

3(b)(i) a = gradient or a = v / ()t or a = (v – u) / t C1

e.g. a = (0.30 – 0.12) / (0.35 – 0.15) A1

a = 0.90 m s–2

3(b)(ii) (0.25  0.48) + (0.75  0.12) = (0.25 v) + (0.75  0.30) C1

or

(0.48 – 0.12) = (0.30 – v)

or

(½  0.25  0.482) + (½  0.75  0.122) = (½  0.25 × v 2) + (½ × 0.75  0.302)

v = (–)0.060 m s–1 A1

direction: to the left / from the right / opposite to (its) initial velocity / opposite to (initial / final) velocity of B B1

3(c) sketch: horizontal line from (0, 0.48) to (0.15, 0.48) B1

horizontal line from (0.35, –0.06) to (0.5, –0.06) B1

straight line between (0.15, 0.48) and (0.35, –0.06) B1

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Question Answer Mark

4(a) (when two or more) waves meet / overlap (at a point) B1

(resultant) displacement is the sum of the individual displacements B1

4(b)  = ax / D C1

 = [(0.65  10–3)  (1.7  10–3)] / 1.9 C1

 = 5.8  10–7 m A1

4(c)(i) waves are out of phase by a quarter of a cycle / period B1

or
when one wave has maximum/minimum displacement, the other wave has zero displacement

4(c)(ii) (statement 2 is) not correct (because) B1

waves do not have phase difference of 180° / not in antiphase

or
one wave has some displacement when other has no displacement
or
the displacements of the waves are not always equal and opposite

4(d) more diffraction (of light/waves by slits) B1

or
light/waves are more spread (by slits)
or
light/waves (from slits) have less intensity

more (bright/dark) fringes B1

or
bright fringes are less bright / are dimmer / have lower intensity
or
no change to fringe spacing/separation/width

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Question Answer Mark

5(a) sketch: approximately horizontal line above horizontal dashed line from t = 0 to t = t1 A1
and
approximately horizontal line below horizontal dashed line from t = t1 to t = t2

5(b) I = P/A C1

A =   0.0282 or   2.82 C1

( = 2.46  10–3 or 24.6)

P = 4.7  10–3  2.46  10–3 A1

= 1.2  10–5 W

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Question Answer Mark

6(a)(i) (I =) 16 / 320 = 0.050 (A) A1

6(a)(ii) R = (25 – 16) / 0.050 C1

or
R = (9 / 16)  320
or
R = (25 / 0.050) – 320

R = 180 () C1

R(LDR) = [(1 / 180) – (1 / 240)]–1 A1

= 720 

or

I = (25 – 16) / 240 (C1)

( = 0.0375 A)

I (LDR) = 0.050 – 0.0375 (C1)

( = 0.0125 A)

R(LDR) = 9.0 / 0.0125 (A1)

= 720 

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Question Answer Mark

6(a)(iii) P = V 2 / R or P = VI or P = I2R C1

ratio = (92 / 720) / (92 / 240) A1

or
ratio = (9  0.0125) / (9  0.0375)
or
ratio = (0.01252  720) / (0.03752  240)

ratio = 0.1125 / 0.3375

= 0.33

6(b) resistance of LDR decreases B1

resistance of parallel combination decreases M1

or
total resistance (of circuit) decreases
or
current in resistor of resistance 320  increases
or
potential difference across parallel combination / LDR / 240  resistor decreases

voltmeter reading increases A1

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Question Answer Mark

7(a) a (very) small proportion of (alpha) particles are deflected (back) through large angles / angles greater than 90° B1

a large proportion of (alpha) particles pass straight through / deflected by small angles B1

7(b) electromagnetic wave / electromagnetic radiation A1

7(c) neutrino classified as a lepton only and positron classified as a lepton only B1

neutron classified as a baryon and a hadron and not as a lepton B1

7(d)(i) 1.32 u A1

7(d)(ii) working states or implies 3 quarks and each quark has a charge of (+) ⅔(e) B1

any combination of 3 quarks comprised of one or more of up / charm / top B1

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