Cambridge IGCSE™(9–1)

* 2 4 0 9 2 0 1 5 0 6 *

PHYSICS 0972/42
Paper 4 Theory (Extended) May/June 2024

1 hour 15 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use a calculator.
● You should show all your working and use appropriate units.
● Take the weight of 1.0 kg to be 9.8 N (acceleration of free fall = 9.8 m / s2).

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 80.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 20 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (SL) 341983
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1 A load is suspended from a thread. The vertical force on the thread due to the load is 0.75 N.

(a) Calculate the mass of the load.

mass = .......................................................... [2]

(b) Fig. 1.1 shows the load suspended from the thread.

thread

load

Fig. 1.1

A wire is attached to the load at point X and pulled horizontally to the right.

The tension in the horizontal wire is 1.2 N.

By drawing a scale diagram or by calculation, determine:

• the magnitude of the resultant of the force at X due to the load and due to the tension in
the wire
• the direction of the resultant relative to the vertical direction.

Show your working.

magnitude of resultant force = ............................................................. N

direction of resultant relative to vertical = .............................................................. °

[4]
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(c) Forces may produce changes in the size and the shape of an object.

State two other changes that forces may produce.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................
[2]

[Total: 8]

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2 (a) Define acceleration.

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

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

(b) A train has a total mass of 520 000 kg. The train accelerates at 1.1 m / s2.

(i) Calculate the time taken for the train to increase its speed from 15 m / s to 28 m / s.

time = ......................................................... [2]

(ii) Calculate the force required to produce an acceleration of 1.1 m / s2 for this train.

force = ......................................................... [2]

(iii) The train uses electric motors.

Explain why the force on the train due to the motors is greater than the value calculated
in (ii).

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

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

[Total: 6]

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3 A student drops a heavy ball from a vertical height of 1.8 m above the ground. The ball then falls to
the ground. It does not bounce after hitting the ground.

(a) Describe the transfers of energy of the ball between stores from when the ball begins to fall to
when it reaches the ground.

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

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

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

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

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(b) Calculate the maximum speed of the ball. Ignore air resistance.

Show your working.

maximum speed = .......................................................... [3]

[Total: 6]

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4 (a) State two ways that evaporation differs from boiling.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) Fig. 4.1 shows part of a container used to store a mixture of liquid and gaseous oxygen.

steel walls of
container

vacuum

Fig. 4.1

The temperature of the liquid oxygen is –160 °C.

(i) Determine the temperature of the liquid oxygen in K.

temperature = ....................................................... K [1]

(ii) The container is made of steel and there is a vacuum between the inner and outer walls.
The outer wall of the container is at room temperature.

State two methods of thermal energy transfer that a vacuum prevents.

1 .........................................................................................................................................

2 .........................................................................................................................................
[2]

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(c) Describe, in terms of particles, how a gas exerts a pressure on the walls of its container.

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

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

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

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

[Total: 8]

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5 Fig. 5.1 shows a ray of yellow light incident on a glass prism ABC.

yellow
B
light

A C

Fig. 5.1

(a) Explain why the ray does not change direction when it enters the prism at face AB.

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

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

(b) The critical angle for the glass is 42°.

(i) Calculate the refractive index of the glass.

Show your working.

refractive index = ......................................................... [2]

(ii) On Fig. 5.1, continue the path of the light through the prism and after it leaves the prism.
[3]

(c) Internet data can be transferred using infrared waves in optical fibres.

State two advantages of using optical fibres to transmit data.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................
[2]

[Total: 8]
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6 (a) A sound wave travels through air. Fig. 6.1 shows a pressure–time graph for the air at
one place.

pressure

atmospheric
pressure time

Fig. 6.1

(i) On Fig. 6.1:

• label one point C to indicate a compression

• label one point R to indicate a rarefaction.

[2]

(ii) Explain why this graph cannot be used to find the wavelength of the sound wave.

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

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

(iii) The sound becomes louder and of lower pitch.

State what happens to:

the amplitude of the sound

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

the frequency of the sound.

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

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(b) A sound of frequency 13 kHz is transmitted through water.

The speed of sound in water is 1500 m / s.

Calculate the wavelength of this sound in water.

wavelength = ......................................................... [3]

(c) State the approximate speed of sound in air.

speed = ......................................................... [1]

[Total: 8]

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7 (a) Fig. 7.1 shows three bars of steel, A, B and C.

Fig. 7.1

A student is given the three pieces of steel. Two of the pieces are magnetised and one piece
is unmagnetised.

Describe and explain how the student determines which piece is unmagnetised using only
the three pieces of steel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

............................................................................................................................................. [4]

(b) Fig. 7.2 shows a circuit diagram of a step‑down transformer.

output

Fig. 7.2

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(i) The mains voltage supplied to the transformer is 240 V. The output power of the
transformer is 45 W. The transformer is 100% efficient.

Calculate the input current to the transformer.

input current = .......................................................... [3]

(ii) Draw a labelled diagram of a step‑down transformer. On the labels, state a suitable
material for each of the components.

[3]

[Total: 10]

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8 (a) Fig. 8.1 shows a circuit. The circuit is designed to switch on a night light when the surroundings
are dark.

Fig. 8.1

(i) On Fig. 8.1, draw the circuit symbol for a voltmeter used to measure the potential
difference (p.d.) across the light‑dependent resistor (LDR). [1]

(ii) The surroundings change from light to dark.

1. State the effect of this change on the resistance of the LDR.

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

2. State and explain the effect of this change on the p.d. across the light‑emitting diode
(LED).

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

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

................................................................................................................................ [2]

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(b) Fig. 8.2 shows another circuit. Lamps A and B are identical filament lamps.

240 V

Fig. 8.2

The current supplied by the power supply is 0.50 A.

Calculate the resistance of lamp A.

resistance = ......................................................... [3]

[Total: 7]

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9 (a) Radioactive isotopes that emit ionising radiation are used in hospitals.

(i) State and explain two safety precautions necessary for the use of these isotopes in
medical procedures.

safety procedure 1 ............................................................................................................

explanation ........................................................................................................................

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

safety procedure 2 ............................................................................................................

explanation ........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) Give two reasons why alpha‑emitters are not used as radioactive tracers inside the body.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

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

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) Sodium‑24 is an isotope of sodium (Na) that has a proton number of 11 and a nucleon number
of 24.

Sodium‑24 decays by emission of a beta‑particle to form an isotope of magnesium (Mg).

Use nuclide notation to write down the nuclide equation for this decay.

[3]

[Total: 7]

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10 (a) The Solar System includes the Sun and planets.

State two other types of natural object that orbit the Sun.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) State the shape of the orbits of the planets.

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

(c) Fig. 10.1 shows the orbit of an object around the Sun. At point A, the object is closest to the
Sun. At point B, the object is furthest away from the Sun.

A B
Sun

Fig. 10.1

State and explain the energy transfer as the object travels from point A to point B.

statement ..................................................................................................................................

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

explanation ................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(d) Jupiter is 7.8 × 1011 m from the Sun. The speed of light in a vacuum is 3.0 × 108 m / s.

Calculate the time taken for light from the Sun to reach Jupiter.

time = ......................................................... [2]

[Total: 7]
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11 (a) Name the galaxy that contains the Sun.

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

(b) Light observed from distant galaxies is redshifted.

State the theory of the Universe that this observation supports.

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

(c) Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) is observed at all points in space.

(i) State when this radiation was produced.

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

(ii) Explain why this radiation is now in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 5]

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