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1.5 Forces
Question Paper

Course Cambridge O Level Physics

Section 1. Motion, Forces & Energy
Topic 1.5 Forces
Difficulty Hard

Time Allowed 90
Score /70
Percentage /100

Page 1 of 21

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Question 1a
The mass of a small steel ball is 120 g. The volume of the ball is 16.0 cm3.

(i) Calculate the density of the steel ball.

density = ............................................... g / cm3 [3]

(ii) The ball falls to the ground from rest. At a time of 0.2 s after it started to fall, its acceleration is 10 m / s2.
State the acceleration of the ball at a time of 0.1 s after it started to fall.
[1]
[4 marks]

Page 2 of 21

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Question 1b
Fig. 3.1 shows the vertical forces that act on a large plastic ball as it is falling.

(i) State the name given to each of the forces shown in Fig. 3.1.
[1]
(ii) Calculate the size of the resultant force on the ball.

resultant force = ...................................................... N [1]

[2 marks]

Page 3 of 21

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Question 2a
A load is attached to a spring, as shown in Fig. 3.1. Two arrows indicate the vertical forces acting on the load. The spring and
the load are stationary.

(i) State the name of the force acting vertically downwards.

[1]

(ii) The vertical force that acts upwards is 4.0 N.

State the value of the force acting vertically downwards.

force = ..................................................... N [1]

[2 marks]

Page 4 of 21

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Question 2b
The load is pulled downwards and then released. The load moves up and down.
Fig. 3.2 represents the vertical forces acting on the load at some time after it is released.

Calculate the resultant force on the load and state its direction.

resultant force = ........................................................... N

direction = ...............................................................
[2 marks]

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Question 2c
(i) State the principle of conservation of energy.
[1]

(ii) Eventually the load stops moving up and down.

Describe and explain why the load stops moving. Use your ideas about conservation of energy.
[2]
[3 marks]

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Question 3a
Fig. 1.1 shows an aeroplane accelerating uniformly on a runway.

Fig. 1.1
The aeroplane has a mass of 3.1 × 106 kg.
From rest, the aeroplane reaches a speed of 70 m/s after 32 s.

Calculate the following quantities

(i) The acceleration of the aeroplane.

acceleration = .................................... [2]

(ii) The resultant force acting on the aeroplane.

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

[4 marks]

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Question 3b
When the aeroplane reaches its destination, air traffic control directs it to circle the airfield until there is a safe time to land.

Fig. 1.2 shows a head on view of the aeroplane flying at a constant speed in a circular horizontal path.

Fig 1.2
Draw an arrow showing the resultant force on the aeroplane.
Explain your answer.
[3 marks]

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Question 3c
The pilot wants to decrease the radius of the circular flight path whilst maintaining a constant speed.
Suggest how the pilot could achieve this.
[1 mark]

Question 3d
As the aeroplane lands on the runway, it decelerates from its top speed. The resultant force on the aeroplane is less than it
was at take off.

Explain why this is the case.

[4 marks]

Question 4a
A resultant force acts on an object at rest.
State the direction of the acceleration.
[1 mark]

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Question 4b
Extended

A resultant force acts perpendicularly on a object traveling at a constant speed.

State the effect of the force on the object.
[1 mark]

Question 4c
A man with a mass of 70 kg steps into an elevator.

(i) State the value of the force exerted on the man by the elevator.

force = .................................... [1]

(ii) Calculate the force required to accelerate the man at 1.6 m/s2.

force = .................................... [1]

(iii) Explain why these values are different.

[2]
[4 marks]

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Question 5a
A tower crane has a load W, as shown in Fig. 3.1.

The counterweight has a weight of 80 000 N. This acts at a distance of 5.0 m from the pivot, as shown in Fig. 3.1.

Calculate the moment of the counterweight about the pivot. Give the unit.

moment = ...........................................................
[3 marks]

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Question 5b
The tower crane in Fig. 3.1 balances horizontally when holding the load W.

Calculate the weight of load W.

weight = ....................................................... N
[3 marks]

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Question 6a
Fig. 2.1 shows a uniform plank AB of length 2.0 m suspended from two ropes X and Y.

The weight W of the plank is 210 N. The force in rope X is P. The force in rope Y is Q.

State, in terms of P, the moment of force P about B.

[1 mark]

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Question 6b
Calculate:

(i) the moment of W about B

moment = ...........................................................[1]

(ii) the force P

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

(iii) the force Q.

force Q = ...........................................................[2]
[5 marks]

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Question 7
Fig. 4.1 shows a tractor fitted with a device for breaking up soil in a field.

(i) The tractor has a heavy weight at the front. Explain why the heavy weight is needed.
[1]
(ii) Fig. 4.2 represents the weight of the device and its distance from the pivot.

Calculate the moment of the weight of the device about the pivot. State the unit.

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moment = ...................................................... [4]

[5 marks]

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Question 8a
In a double-decker bus there are two passenger compartments, one above the other.
Fig. 3.1 shows a double-decker bus on a tilted platform.

The platform is used to test the stability of the bus.

The angle the bus makes with the horizontal is gradually increased until the bus begins to topple to the left.

Explain why the bus begins to topple.

[1 mark]

Question 8b
There are 30 passengers in the upper compartment of the bus and 2 passengers in the bottom compartment of the bus.

State how this affects the stability of the bus and the reason for this.
[2 marks]

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Question 9a
A university student is constructing some flat-pack furniture.
An Allen key has a hexagonal end and is used to tighten hexagonal bolts. An Allen key can be used with its longer end in the
hexagonal bolt, or can be rotated to place the shorter end in the hexagonal bolt. This is shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 1.1
State which orientation, A or B, will allow the bolt to be tightened more easily.
Explain why, referring to moments in your answer.
[3 marks]

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Question 9b
The dimensions of the Allen key are shown in Fig. 1.2.

Fig. 1.2
The student building the furniture applies a force of 150 N to the Allen key.
(i) Calculate the moment when the Allen key is in orientation A.

moment in orientation A = ...................................................... N m [4]

(ii) Calculate the moment when the Allen key is in orientation B.

moment in orientation B = ...................................................... N m [3]

[7 marks]

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Question 9c
The student constructs the furniture but realises they need to lift it up to place a rug underneath.
The furniture has a weight of 800 N and is too heavy for the student to lift.
Remembering a lecture about the principle of moments, they use a pivot and a plank of wood to lift it. As shown in Fig. 1.3,
the furniture exerts a perpendicular force FA on the plank, which is equal to 30% of the weight of the furniture.

Fig. 1.3
Calculate the minimum force FB the student must exert to lift the furniture.
[6 marks]

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Question 9d
The calculation in part (c) neglected the weight of the plank of wood.
Assuming the plank of wood has evenly distributed mass, explain how this would affect the size of the force that the
student must exert to lift the furniture.
[3 marks]

Page 21 of 21

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