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Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge Ordinary Level
* 2 8 9 6 6 8 5 5 7 0 *

PHYSICS 5054/32
Paper 3 Practical Test October/November 2018
2 hours
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
Additional Materials: As listed in the Confidential Instructions.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.

Answer all questions.

For each of the questions in Section A, you will be allowed to work with the apparatus for a maximum of
20 minutes. For the question in Section B, you will be allowed to work with the apparatus for a maximum
of 1 hour.

You are expected to record all your observations as soon as these observations are made.
An account of the method of carrying out the experiments is not required.

Electronic calculators may be used.

You may lose marks if you do not show your working or if you do not use appropriate units.

At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part For Examiner’s Use
question.
1

Total

This document consists of 11 printed pages and 1 blank page.

DC (LK/SG) 154331/4
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Section A

Answer all the questions in this section.

1 In this experiment, you will determine the power developed when sliding a wooden block across
the bench.

You are provided with:

• a wooden block
• five 100 g masses
• a spring attached to the block with a piece of string
• a 30 cm ruler
• a metre rule
• a stopwatch.

Set up the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1.1.

masses hand
eye hook spring
loop of
string
wooden block

metre rule

Fig. 1.1

(a) (i) Pull the spring slowly to the right as shown in Fig. 1.1.

The spring stretches, as shown in Fig. 1.2, and the block just begins to slide. Hold the
spring steady in this position.

ls

Fig. 1.2

Measure the stretched length ls of the spring at this position.

ls = ..................................................... cm [1]

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(ii) For the spring provided, measure the unstretched length lu of the spring, as shown in
Fig. 1.3.

lu

Fig. 1.3

lu = .................................................... cm

Use the equation e = ls – lu to calculate the extension e of the spring.

e = .................................................... cm [1]

(iii) Use the equation F = ke to calculate the force F applied by the spring, where
k = 0.25 N / cm. Give the unit of your answer.

F = ................................ unit ................... [1]

(b) Pull the spring slowly to the right until the block just begins to slide on the bench.

Start the stopwatch and pull the block along the bench, keeping the extension of the spring
constant.

Stop the stopwatch when the block has moved 20 cm.

Repeat and find the average value t for the time taken. Show your working.

t = ....................................................... s [1]
0.20 F
(c) Use the equation P = to calculate the power P developed.
t

P = ...................................................... W [1]

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2 In this experiment, you will investigate filament lamps in series and in parallel.

You are provided with:

• a power supply
• a switch
• three identical filament lamps each in a holder
• an ammeter
• a voltmeter
• connecting leads
• a resistor, labelled R.

The Supervisor has set up the circuit as shown in Fig. 2.1.

power supply R
+

P Q

Fig. 2.1

(a) Connect one filament lamp between points P and Q.

Switch on the circuit.

Record the potential difference V and the current I in the table of Fig. 2.2.

Switch off. [1]

(b) Repeat the procedure in (a) with:

• 2 filament lamps in series

• 2 filament lamps in parallel

• 3 filament lamps in parallel.

Switch off the circuit when you have completed your measurements. [2]
V
(c) Use the equation RL = to calculate the resistance RL of each arrangement.
I
Record your answers in the table of Fig. 2.2.

[1]

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voltage / V current / A resistance / Ω

single lamp
2 lamps in series
2 lamps in parallel
3 lamps in parallel

Fig. 2.2

(d) When the circuit with a single filament lamp is switched on, the ammeter reading rises. The
reading then decreases very slightly to a constant value within a very short period of time.

Suggest why the reading decreases.

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[1]

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3 In this experiment, you will determine the magnification produced by a lens.

You are provided with:

• a power supply
• a lamp in a lamp holder
• a converging lens in a lens holder
• a screen
• a 30 cm ruler
• a metre rule.

(a) The apparatus is set up as shown in Fig. 3.1.

lamp lens in holder screen

filament

metre rule

Fig. 3.1

Check that the filament of the lamp is at the 0.0 cm mark on the rule and that the screen is
at the 100.0 cm mark on the rule so that the distance between the filament and the screen is
100.0 cm. The filament should be perpendicular to the metre rule and parallel to the screen,
as shown in Fig. 3.2.

lens screen
filament lamp

lens holder

filament

metre rule

Fig. 3.2 (plan view)

Switch the lamp on.

Move the lens slowly towards the lamp until a sharply focussed magnified image of the
filament is formed on the screen.

(i) On Fig. 3.2, mark the distance x from the filament to the lens.

(ii) On the apparatus, measure the distance x between the filament and the lens.

x = .................................................... cm [1]

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(iii) Measure the length l i of the image of the filament formed on the screen.

l i = .................................................... cm [1]

(b) Switch off the lamp.

The filament of the lamp is shown in Fig. 3.3.

lo

filament

Fig. 3.3 (not to scale)

(i) Measure the length lo for the filament lamp provided.

lo = ......................................................... cm

(ii) Suggest why your measurement of lo may not be accurate.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[1]
l
(c) Use the equation m = i to calculate the magnification m produced by the lens.
lo

m = ...........................................................[1]

(d) For this arrangement, where the lamp and the screen are 100.0 cm apart, theory states that
100 – x
m=
x
where x is the distance measured in (a)(ii).

Explain whether your results support this theory.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[1]

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Section B

4 In this experiment, you will use the results of moment calculations to determine the density of
cooking oil.

You are provided with:

• a metre rule to act as a balance beam

• a 30 cm ruler
• a 200 g mass attached to a loop of string
• a 250 cm3 beaker attached to a loop of string
• a stand, boss and pivot
• a measuring cylinder
• a supply of cooking oil.

The Supervisor has set up the apparatus as shown in Fig. 4.1.

40.0 cm
balance beam
d0 (metre rule)

pivot

beaker
of mass MB 200 g

Fig. 4.1

Fig. 4.1 shows a 250 cm3 beaker tied to a balance beam (metre rule) at a fixed distance of 40.0 cm
from the central pivot.

A mass of 200 g is free to move along the right-hand side of the beam.

At balance, the anticlockwise moment is equal to the clockwise moment.

(a) If necessary, move the 200 g mass to ensure that the beam is horizontal.

Measure the horizontal distance d0 from the pivot to the 200 g mass.

d0 = .................................................... cm [1]

(b) Use the equation MB = 5d0 to calculate the mass MB of the 250 cm3 beaker.

MB = ....................................................... g [1]

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(c) Use the measuring cylinder to pour a volume V of 30 cm3 of cooking oil into the beaker.
Record the volume that you have added in the first column of the results table of Fig. 4.2.

Rebalance the beam by moving the 200 g mass.

Measure the horizontal distance d from the 200 g mass to the pivot.

d = .................................................... cm

Record d in the second column in Fig. 4.2.

Use your answer to (b) and the equation

M = 5d – MB,

to calculate the mass M of 30 cm3 of oil. Record M in the third column of the results table.

M = ....................................................... g [2]

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(d) (i) Continue to add approximately 30 cm3 of oil at a time until there is a total of 150 cm3 of oil
in the beaker.

Record the total volume V of oil in the first column of Fig. 4.2.

(ii) Rebalance the beam each time you add some oil by moving the 200 g mass.

Record the corresponding values of d in Fig. 4.2.

(iii) Use the equation in (c) to calculate the mass M of the volume of the oil in the beaker.

Record your answers in the third column of Fig. 4.2.

(iv) Write headings in the top row of the results table of Fig. 4.2.

volume / ........ ................... / ........ ................... / ........

Fig. 4.2
[4]

(e) On the grid opposite, plot a graph of M on the y-axis against V on the x-axis.

Draw the straight line of best fit. [4]

(f) (i) Determine the gradient G of your graph.

G = ...........................................................[2]
M
(ii) The equation used to calculate the density ρ of a substance is ρ = .
V
State the relationship between the gradient of your graph and the density of the oil.

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

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