2019 Senior External Examination
Physics
Paper Two — Question book
Thursday 31 October 2019 1:15 pm to 3:25 pmTime allowed
• Perusal time: 10 minutes
• Working time: 2 hours
Examination materials provided
• Paper Two — Question book
• Paper Two — Response book
• Paper Two — Resource book
Equipment allowed
• QCAA-approved equipment
• ruler graduated in millimetres
• non-programmable calculator
• graphing calculator
Paper Two is an open-book examination. You may refer to any paper-based material that you have brought into the examination room.
Directions
Do not write during perusal time.
Paper Two has six questions that assess complex reasoning processes.
Attempt all questions.
Assessment
Paper Two assesses the following assessment criterion:
• Complex reasoning processes
Assessment standards are at the end of this book.
After the examination session
The supervisor will collect this book when you leave.
Planning space
1 2019 Physics — Question book — Paper Two
Complex reasoning process
Paper Two has six questions. Attempt all questions.
Write your responses in the response book. Show all working.
Question 1
A 3.00 kg mass on a horizontal surface has to be pushed with a force of 27.0 N in the horizontal direction before friction is overcome and it begins to move. If the mass was not pushed, but at rest on the surface, at what angle would the surface need to be tilted before the mass would begin to slide down the surface?
Question 2
A 53 g high-bounce ball can be compressed by 1 cm with a force of 300 N. A 60 g tennis ball can be compressed by 0.5 cm by a force of 50 N. Both balls are thrown vertically downwards onto a solid surface such that the high-bounce ball is compressed by 1 cm and the tennis ball is compressed by 3 cm.
The high-bounce ball can convert 95 % of the elastic potential energy into kinetic energy. The tennis ball can convert 30 % of the elastic potential energy into kinetic energy.
How much higher does the high-bounce ball bounce than the tennis ball, if each reach their maximum vertical height?
Question 3
The diagram below shows a light ray entering an optical fiber with a refractive index n = 1.60 from a medium with refractive index n = 1.00.
The optical fiber is encased by a material with a refractive index of n = 1.50. The diagram below shows a cross-sectional side view of the optical fiber.
What is the maximum angle of incidence, i, for a light ray to totally internally reflect in the optical fibre?
Question 4
Three resistors of 50 Ω, 250 Ω and 500 Ω are to be placed in a circuit with a 12V DC power supply and a light bulb. Two of the resistors are in parallel.
a. Design and draw the circuit so that the minimum current passes through the bulb.
b. Explain why your design will produce the minimum current.
Question 5
Consider the arrangement of point charges fixed in place shown below:
What acceleration will an electron experience if placed at point P and released?
Question 6
Two swimmers race across, and then back, a 25.0 m wide river. The river has a current of 1.20 m s–1. Swimmer 1 swims slightly against the current and finishes the race in the starting position. Swimmer 2 swims towards the point directly opposite their starting position and so finishes the race downstream from their starting position. Both swimmers swim at 3.00 m s–1 and assume that both swimmers take 0.5 s to make the turn at the opposite bank to swim back to the starting bank. The situation is shown in the diagram below.
river width = 25 m not to scale
river current v = 1.2 m s–1
Swimmer 1
start and finish position Swimmer 2 start position
Swimmer 2 finish position
a. Who wins the race? Justify your answer.
b. How far downstream does swimmer 2 finish the race?
End of Paper Two
3 2019 Physics — Question book — Paper Two
Assessment standards from the Physics Senior External Syllabus 2000 ( amended 200 3 )
Paper Two CriterionVery high achievementHigh achievementSound achievementLimited achievementVery limited achievementComplex reasoning processes
A high ability to use complex reasoning in challenging situations involving the candidate’s understanding of subject
matter and a high ability
to use scientific processes at an advanced level.
Competence in using complex reasoning in challenging situations involving the candidate’s understanding of subject matter and competence in using scientific processes at an advanced level.
Some success in using complex reasoning in challenging situations involving the candidate’s understanding of subject matter and some success in using scientific processes at an advanced level.
© The State of Queensland (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) 2019 Copyright enquiries should be made to:
Manager Publishing Unit
Email: publishing@[email protected]
Queensland Curriculum
& Assessment Authority
PO Box 307, Spring Hill QLD 4004 Australia Level 7, 154 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane T +61 7 3864 0299
