OCR GCSE Physics 2027 Predicted Practice Paper — Paper 3 Higher

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided. You must write down all the stages in your working.

Section A

Multiple choice questions. Answer ALL the questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-A1 (1 mark)

  A car of mass 1200 kg travels at a steady speed of 15 m/s. Which value is the kinetic energy of the car?

  A. 9000 JB. 18000 JC. 135000 JD. 270000 J

  (Total for Question SECTION-A1 is 1 mark)
• 2

  Question SECTION-A2 (1 mark)

  An electric heater transfers 60000 J of energy in 30 s. What is the power of the heater?

  A. 500 WB. 2000 WC. 1800000 WD. 30000 W

  (Total for Question SECTION-A2 is 1 mark)
• 3

  Question SECTION-A3 (1 mark)

  Which of the following is a vector quantity?

  A. TemperatureB. MassC. VelocityD. Energy

  (Total for Question SECTION-A3 is 1 mark)
• 4

  Question SECTION-A4 (1 mark)

  A wave has a frequency of 170 Hz and a wavelength of 2.0 m. What is its speed?

  A. 85 m/sB. 172 m/sC. 340 m/sD. 0.012 m/s

  (Total for Question SECTION-A4 is 1 mark)
• 5

  Question SECTION-A5 (1 mark)

  A component has a potential difference of 12 V across it and a current of 0.50 A through it. What is its resistance?

  A. 6.0 ohmB. 24 ohmC. 0.042 ohmD. 12.5 ohm

  (Total for Question SECTION-A5 is 1 mark)
• 6

  Question SECTION-A6 (1 mark)

  A metal block has a mass of 240 g and a volume of 30 cm^3. What is its density?

  A. 0.125 g/cm^3B. 8.0 g/cm^3C. 7200 g/cm^3D. 270 g/cm^3

  (Total for Question SECTION-A6 is 1 mark)
• 7

  Question SECTION-A7 (1 mark)

  An electric motor is supplied with 8000 J of energy each second and does 2000 J of useful work each second. What is its efficiency?

  A. 25%B. 40%C. 400%D. 75%

  (Total for Question SECTION-A7 is 1 mark)
• 8

  Question SECTION-A8 (1 mark)

  An object of mass 0.50 kg moves at 8.0 m/s. What is its momentum?

  A. 16 kg m/sB. 4.0 kg m/sC. 0.0625 kg m/sD. 2.0 kg m/s

  (Total for Question SECTION-A8 is 1 mark)
• 9

  Question SECTION-A9 (1 mark)

  Which statement about the National Grid is correct?

  A. Step-up transformers increase the current before transmissionB. Transmitting at high voltage reduces energy wasted in the cablesC. Step-down transformers increase the voltage for use in homesD. Transformers work with direct current

  (Total for Question SECTION-A9 is 1 mark)
• 10

  Question SECTION-A10 (1 mark)

  A car accelerates uniformly from 5.0 m/s to 20 m/s in 6.0 s. What is its acceleration?

  A. 2.5 m/s^2B. 3.3 m/s^2C. 4.2 m/s^2D. 15 m/s^2

  (Total for Question SECTION-A10 is 1 mark)
• 11

  Question SECTION-A11 (1 mark)

  A current of 3.0 A flows in a circuit for 120 s. How much charge flows?

  A. 40 CB. 360 CC. 0.025 CD. 123 C

  (Total for Question SECTION-A11 is 1 mark)
• 12

  Question SECTION-A12 (1 mark)

  Which type of radiation is stopped by a few centimetres of air or a sheet of paper?

  A. AlphaB. BetaC. GammaD. X-ray

  (Total for Question SECTION-A12 is 1 mark)
• 13

  Question SECTION-A13 (1 mark)

  A spring has a spring constant of 200 N/m and is extended by 0.10 m within its limit of proportionality. What is the elastic potential energy stored?

  A. 1.0 JB. 10 JC. 20 JD. 0.010 J

  (Total for Question SECTION-A13 is 1 mark)
• 14

  Question SECTION-A14 (1 mark)

  Which of the following correctly lists three parts of the electromagnetic spectrum in order of increasing frequency?

  A. Gamma, visible light, radioB. Radio, infrared, ultravioletC. Ultraviolet, microwave, radioD. X-ray, infrared, radio

  (Total for Question SECTION-A14 is 1 mark)
• 15

  Question SECTION-A15 (1 mark)

  A transformer has 460 turns on its primary coil and 20 turns on its secondary coil. The primary voltage is 230 V. Assuming it is ideal, what is the secondary voltage?

  A. 5290 VB. 10 VC. 0.10 VD. 250 V

  (Total for Question SECTION-A15 is 1 mark)

Section B

Structured and extended response questions. Answer ALL the questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-B1 (6 marks)

  A student investigates how the current through a fixed resistor depends on the potential difference across it. They connect a variable power supply, an ammeter in series with the resistor, and a voltmeter across the resistor. (a) State where the voltmeter must be connected and why. (b) The student records p.d. = 6.0 V and current = 0.25 A. Calculate the resistance of the resistor. (c) The resistor obeys Ohm's law over the range tested. Describe the shape of the current-against-p.d. graph the student would obtain and explain what it shows.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B1 is 6 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-B2 (5 marks)

  A cyclist and bicycle have a combined mass of 75 kg. The cyclist rides up a hill, gaining a vertical height of 12 m. Use g = 9.8 N/kg. (a) Calculate the gain in gravitational potential energy. (b) The cyclist does this in 30 s. Calculate the minimum useful output power needed to raise them. (c) In practice the cyclist must do more work than your answer to (a). Give one reason why and name the energy store it ends up in.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B2 is 5 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-B3 (6 marks)

  A radioactive source contains a nuclide with a half-life of 6.0 days. A detector measures a corrected count rate of 8000 counts per minute from a fresh sample. (a) Define the term 'half-life'. (b) Calculate the count rate after 24 days. (c) A hospital needs a tracer to be injected into a patient and detected outside the body. Explain, using two properties, why a gamma emitter with a short half-life is more suitable than an alpha emitter with a long half-life.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B3 is 6 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-B4 (6 marks)

  A skydiver of mass 80 kg jumps from a stationary helium balloon. Use g = 9.8 N/kg. (a) Calculate the weight of the skydiver. (b) Explain, in terms of the forces acting, why the skydiver's acceleration decreases as they speed up during free fall. (c) Describe and explain what happens to the skydiver's velocity when the parachute is opened, until they reach a new, lower terminal velocity.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B4 is 6 marks)
• 5

  Question SECTION-B5 (7 marks)

  An electric kettle is rated at 230 V and draws a current of 9.0 A. (a) Calculate the power of the kettle. (b) The kettle heats 1.5 kg of water. The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J/kg degrees C. Calculate the energy needed to raise the water temperature from 18 degrees C to 100 degrees C. (c) Assuming the kettle transfers energy to the water at the power calculated in (a), calculate the minimum time to heat the water, and state one reason the real time is longer.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B5 is 7 marks)
• 6

  Question SECTION-B6 (6 marks)

  A student sets up two resistors, a 6.0 ohm resistor and an 18 ohm resistor, and a 12 V battery. (a) Calculate the total resistance if the two resistors are connected in series. (b) Calculate the current drawn from the battery in this series arrangement. (c) The student now connects the same two resistors in parallel across the 12 V battery. State the potential difference across the 6.0 ohm resistor and calculate the current through it. Explain why the total current drawn from the battery is larger than in the series arrangement.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B6 is 6 marks)
• 7

  Question SECTION-B7 (5 marks)

  A simple d.c. electric motor uses the motor effect. (a) State the two factors, other than the strength of the magnetic field, that could be increased to make the coil turn with a greater force. (b) Explain why a current-carrying wire placed between the poles of a magnet experiences a force. (c) State the purpose of the split-ring commutator in the motor.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B7 is 5 marks)
• 8

  Question SECTION-B8 (6 marks)

  A student investigates the extension of a spring. They hang masses from the spring and measure its extension, keeping within the limit of proportionality. (a) State Hooke's law. (b) When a force of 5.0 N is applied, the spring extends by 0.040 m. Calculate the spring constant. (c) Calculate the elastic potential energy stored in the spring at this extension. (d) Describe what would happen to the shape of a force-against-extension graph if the student continued adding masses beyond the limit of proportionality.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B8 is 6 marks)
• 9

  Question SECTION-B9 (6 marks)

  Two trolleys collide on a friction-free track. Trolley A has mass 0.80 kg and moves to the right at 3.0 m/s. Trolley B has mass 1.2 kg and is stationary. After the collision the two trolleys move off joined together. (a) State the principle of conservation of momentum. (b) Calculate the velocity of the joined trolleys immediately after the collision. (c) Explain, in terms of momentum, why fitting a crumple zone to a vehicle reduces the force on the passengers in a crash.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B9 is 6 marks)
• 10

  Question SECTION-B10 (5 marks)

  A ray of light travels from air into a rectangular glass block. (a) Explain what happens to the direction and speed of the light as it passes from air into the glass, and why the direction changes. (b) The light strikes the glass surface along the normal (at 0 degrees to the normal). State what happens to the direction of the ray in this case. (c) Define the term 'normal' as used in the study of refraction.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B10 is 5 marks)
• 11

  Question SECTION-B11 (5 marks)

  A householder is choosing between two lamps for the same fitting. Lamp X is a filament lamp rated at 60 W. Lamp Y is an LED lamp rated at 9.0 W that gives the same brightness. Both run on 230 V mains. (a) Calculate the current drawn by lamp X. (b) In one year each lamp is switched on for 1000 hours. Calculate the energy, in kilowatt-hours, transferred by lamp Y in that time. (c) Compare the two lamps in terms of efficiency and explain why the LED lamp wastes less energy.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B11 is 5 marks)
• 12

  Question SECTION-B12 (6 marks)

  A student uses a signal generator, a loudspeaker and a microphone connected to an oscilloscope to study sound waves. (a) State whether sound is a transverse or a longitudinal wave, and describe how the particles of the air move relative to the direction the wave travels. (b) The student increases the frequency of the signal generator. Describe how the trace on the oscilloscope changes and what property of the sound has changed. (c) Explain why sound can travel through a solid metal bar but cannot travel through a vacuum.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B12 is 6 marks)
• 13

  Question SECTION-B13 (6 marks)

  An unstable isotope of carbon, carbon-14, undergoes beta-minus decay to form nitrogen. Carbon-14 has 6 protons and a mass number of 14. (a) Describe what happens inside the nucleus during beta-minus decay. (b) Write down the mass number and atomic number (proton number) of the nitrogen nucleus formed, and explain how you worked them out. (c) State one way ionising radiation from radioactive sources can be harmful to living cells, and one safety precaution a worker handling such sources should take.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B13 is 6 marks)