Pearson Edexcel International GCSE
Physics — Year 10 Paper 5
Home and garden · mixed Topics 1–5
Time allowed: 40 minutes
Total marks: 25
Candidate name:
Centre / class:
Answer all questions. You may use a calculator. Take $g = 10\,\text{N/kg}$. Show your working. This paper samples Topics 1–5 (Double Award only).
1
Topic 1 A skydiver falls from a plane and reaches terminal velocity before opening the parachute.
(a) Name the two forces acting on the skydiver in the vertical direction while falling.
[2]
(b) Explain, in terms of forces, why the skydiver reaches a terminal velocity.
[3]
(Total for Question 1 = 5 marks)
2
Topic 2 A lamp is connected in series with an LDR and a $6.0\,\text{V}$ battery.
(a) State what happens to the resistance of the LDR when it is covered, and what happens to the current in the lamp.
[3]
(b) A thermistor is used in a similar circuit to switch a fan on when a room warms up. State what happens to the resistance of a thermistor as temperature increases.
[2]
(Total for Question 2 = 5 marks)
3
Topic 3 Optical fibres use total internal reflection to carry pulses of light.
(a) Draw, or describe, the path of a ray that stays inside a straight optical fibre by TIR.
[2]
(b) Ultraviolet is used in some sterilising lamps. State one useful application and one hazard of ultraviolet radiation.
[3]
(Total for Question 3 = 5 marks)
4
Topic 4 A room heater warms air, which then circulates around the room.
(a) Explain how a convection current is set up in the air.
[3]
(b) The heater has an input energy of $2000\,\text{J}$ in a given time. $1600\,\text{J}$ is usefully transferred thermally to the room. Calculate the efficiency.
[2]
(Total for Question 4 = 5 marks)
5
Topic 5 A gardener of weight $800\,\text{N}$ stands on soft soil. Each boot has area $0.020\,\text{m}^2$ in contact with the ground.
(a) Calculate the pressure on the soil when the gardener stands on both feet.
[3]
(b) The gardener then stands on a wide board. Explain why this reduces the pressure on the soil.
[2]
(Total for Question 5 = 5 marks)
END OF PAPER 5 — Home and garden