Sample exam questions - Forces and motion

Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Questions will include short answer, structured, data response and extended response questions.

Part of

Combined Science

Forces and motion

Your exam

At the end of your GCSE Physics course, you will sit two exam papers. You will be entered for both papers at the same tier (either Foundation tier or Higher tier).

Component 1 - Concepts in physics

This paper:

is worth 75% of your GCSE in Physics
lasts for 2 hours 15 minutes
is worth 120 marks

There are different types of questions in this, each worth between 1 and 5 marks:

short answer questions
structured questions
data response questions

This paper will also have a question which assesses the quality of your extended response (QER). This question is worth 6 marks.

Component 2 - Applications in physics

This paper:

is worth 25% of your GCSE in Physics
lasts for 1 hour 15 minutes
is worth 60 marks
has two sections

Section A

This section is worth 45 marks, and has different types of question each worth between 1 and 5 marks:

short answer questions
structured questions
data response questions

This paper will also have a question which assesses the quality of your extended response (QER). This question is worth 6 marks.

You should look to spend around 50 minutes on this section.

Section B

This section is worth 15 marks. For this section, the article in the resource booklet will be the basis of the questions that you will be asked. There will be different types of questions on this section each worth between 1 and 5 marks, which include:

short answer questions
structured questions
data response questions

You should look to spend around 25 minutes on this section.

In order to answer some of the questions you might need to use the appropriate equation found below.

$\ v=u+at\$
$\ final \ velocity = initial \ velocity + acceleration \times time\$

$\ x = \frac{1}{2}(u + v)t\$
$\ distance = \frac{1}{2} (initial \ velocity \ + \ final \ velocity ) \times time\$

$\ v^{2} = u^{2} + 2ax\$
$\ (final \ velocity)^{2} = (initial \ velocity)^{2} + 2 \times acceleration \times distance\$

$\ x = ut + \frac{1}{2} at^{2}\$
$\ distance = initial \ velocity \times time + \frac{1}{2} \times acceleration \times time^{2}\$

$\ \Delta Q = mc\Delta \theta\$
$\ change \ in \ thermal \ energy = mass \times specific \ heat \ capacity \times change \ in \ temperature\$

$\ Q = mL\$
$\ thermal \ energy \ for \ a \ change \ of \ state = mass \times specific \ latent \ heat\$

$\ E = \frac{1}{2} k x^{2}\$
$\ energy \ transferred \ in \ stretching = 0.5 \times spring \ constant \times (extension)^{2}\$

$\ F = BIl\$
$\ force \ on \ a \ conductor \ (at \ right \ angles \ to \ a \ magnetic \ field) \ carrying \ a \ current\ =$ $magnetic \ field \ strength \times current \times length$

$\ V_{1}I_{1} = V_{2}I_{2}\$
$\ potential \ difference \ across \ primary \ coil \times current \ in \ primary \ coil =\$ $\ potential \ difference \ across \ secondary \ coil \times current \ in \ secondary \ coil\$

$\ \frac{V_{1}}{V_{2}} = \frac{N_{1}}{N_{2}}\$
$\ \frac{potential \ difference \ across \ primary \ coil}{potential \ difference \ across \ secondary \ coil} = \frac{number \ of \ turns \ in \ primary \ coil}{number \ of \ turns \ in \ secondary \ coil}\$

$\ pV = constant\$
$\ for \ gases: pressure \times volume = constant\$ $\ (for \ a \ given \ mass \ of \ a \ gas \ at \ a \ constant \ temperature)\$

$\ p = h\rho g\$
$\ pressure \ due \ to \ a \ column \ of \ liquid =\$ $\ height \ of \ column \times density \ of \ liquid \ \times gravitational \ field \ strength\$

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