2007 H2 Paper 2

(a)

(i)

(s ut

1 2
at )
2

1 2
gt
2
1
2.66 g (0.740)2
2
g 9.72 m s-2
h

Examiner Comments: If you had done 266/0.740, what you obtained is the average speed, not
the final speed.
(ii) 1

h
h

t
t

1
100% 0.38%
266

0.005
100% 0.68%
0.740

Examiner Comments: You must leave the answers to 2 and only 2 sig. fig. as instructed by the
question.
(b)

2h
t2
g h
t

2
g
h
t
0.38% 2 0.68%
g

1.74%
g 1.74% 9.72 0.169 m s-2

g 9.72 0.169 m s-2

9.7 0.2 m s-2
Examiner Comments: By convention, uncertainties should be expressed to only 1 sig. fig.,
hence the final answer for g must be given to 1 decimal place.
(c)

Due to human reaction, the timer might have been started or stopped too late.

The timer may be miscalibrated.

Examiner Comments: The question asked to explain why the value of t is precise but not
accurate. Answers which explained why the value of g might be precise but no accurate (such as
due to air resistance) gets no credit.

(a)

(b)

Electric field strength at a point is the force per unit positive charge acting on a small test charge
placed at that point.
Examiner Comments: The answers were surprisingly poor with many candidates not referring
to a positive charge or not including the term per in their definition.
(i)
Leftward
Examiner Comments: Many students got this part wrong. Students must remember that the
direction of electric field is defined in terms of positive charges. So the direction of field must be
in opposite direction to the direction of force experienced by electrons.
(ii)

From Fig 2.2, we obtained the field strength at d = 2 cm to be 2.4 kV m-1.

F qE (1.6 1019 )(2.4 103 ) 3.84 1016 N

(c)

W qV

(i)

If the electric force is assumed to be constant, the work done on the electron can be
calculated easily using W=Fd. Hence

Fd qV
(3.84 10

16

)(0.04) (1.6 1019 )V

V 96.0 V

Examiner Comments: Many students had no idea.

(ii)

It is an underestimate.
The actual field strength (and hence electric force) is not constant, but varies as shown in
Fig. 2.2. The average field strength (and hence average electric force) is higher than
whats assumed in part (c)(i).

Examiner Comments: Most students had no idea.

(a)

A progressive wave is a propagation of vibrations or oscillations, transferring energy or

momentum in the direction of wave propagation.
Examiner Comments: Answers with no reference to vibrations or oscillations as the cause of
wave motion are penalised.

(b)

(i) 1.

The two waves must overlap

2. The two wave sources must be coherent

3.

The two waves should have comparable amplitude

Examiner Comments: Since the question already stated the waves produced have the same
frequency, answers specifying same frequency/wavelength/speed get zero credit. Since the
wave we have in mind is waves on the water surface, polarisation is quite meaningless.
(ii) 1

Number of antinodal lines = 3+1+3 = 7

2

Examiner Comments: The correct answer must be a curve drawn roughly mid way between
(any) two antinodal lines.

(a)

Vertically out of the page (using Flemings LHR)

Examiner Comments:

(b)

(i)

Since magnetic force provides the required centripetal force

v2
r
The -particle had a charge of 2e
v
B(2e )v (mv )
r
2Ber p
Bqv m

Examiner Comments: This is a show question which demand answers to be very clear.
Answers which do not contain the two explanatory sentences are penalised.
(ii)

EK

1
1 p2 1 (2Ber )2 2(Ber )2
mv 2

2
2m 2
m
m

Examiner Comments: Working must be clear.

(c)

Circular path

Straight path

Examiner Comments: From (b)(i), one can conclude that at higher momentum, the radius of
circular arc is larger (despite the magnetic force being larger). Answers which did not show
clearly that the path is straight once the particle leave the magnetic field are penalised.

(a)

Examiner Comments: Must students know the diffusion of electrons is from n-type to p-type
(b)

- Due to concentration gradient

- electrons diffuse from the n-type to p-type, and holes from p to n.
- electron-hole pair recombination occur near the junction, resulting in a
- positively charged donor ions on the n-side and negatively charged acceptor ions on the p-side
Examiner Comments: Many students lose marks because of lack of detail. Both (not either) the
electrons and holes, n and p sides, donor and acceptor ions, must be explained. Reasons for the
migration and recombination must be mentioned.

(c)

(To increase the width of the depletion region, the pn junction must be reverse biased.
Examiner Comments: Answers which did not use proper circuit symbols (for the cell) were
penalised.

(a)

N 24He 178O 11H

14
7

Hydrogen nucleus
(b)

(i)

( m)c 2 (mf mi )c 2
[(17.004507u 1.008142u ) (14.007525u 4.003860u )](3 108 )2
1.9 1013 J

(ii)

There is an increase in rest-mass energy after the reaction. This suggests that the
additional energy must have come from the kinetic energy of the bombarding -particles.

Examiner Comments: Many students did not realise the rest-mass energy increased.
(iii)

The principle of conservation of momentum dictates that the oxygen and hydrogen nuclei
cannot be stationary after the reaction.
The incoming KE of the -particles is equal to the gain in rest-mass energy plus the KE of
the oxygen and hydrogen nuclei.

Examiner Comments: Many students could not make the link that the KE of the product nuclei
must have come from the KE of the incoming -particle.

(a)

(i)

Work done by a force is the product of the force with displacement in the direction of the
force.
For the specific situation in this question, the increase in electric potential energy can be
expressed by work done by electric force

Ep F r
With some algebraic manipulation
F

E p
G
r

Examiner Comments: A proper definition of work done must be presented. Stating distance as
distance perpendicular to direction of force is of course wrong.
(ii)

For r < 2.8 x 10-10 m, G is negative, so force is repulsive.

For r > 2.8 x 10-10 m, G is positive, so force is attractive.

dU
, so
dx
it is the energy gradient (and not energy) that relates to the force. Also realize that the negative
sign is a reminder that the direction of force is opposite to direction of increasing energy. Hence
the force is always directed towards decreasing Ep.
Examiner Comments: Many students have their concepts messed up. Recall that F

(iii)1
(iii)2

G=0, so F=0.
F G

[( 1.5) ( 10.0)] (1.60 1019 )

1.70 N
[8.0 0.0] 1010

Examiner Comments: Despite the hint from (a)(i), many students still did not realize the force is
to be determined from the energy gradient. Many students made careless mistakes e.g. omitting
10-10 and e.
(b)

It is repulsive.

It is very short-range. (It is very strong at small r, but drops rapidly as r increases).

Writer Comments: The graph in Fig. 7.2 was the result of two forces at play: (1) the repulsive
force between two positively charged nuclei when they get too close and (2) the attractive force
between two oppositely charged ions when they get too close.

1
graph to the graph in Fig. 7.2, we know that this term is
x8
related to the part of the graph where Ep was positive and decreasing. Hence this term is related
to the repulsive force (and not the attractive one)
By matching the shape of a y

(c)

(i) 1.

rmin = 2.35 x 10-10 m

rmax = 4.25 x 10-10 m
(Answers are obtained by reading off the graph where Ep = -6.0 eV. At the extreme ends
of the vibration, kinetic energy is zero. Since total energy is always equal to the sum of
KE and PE, at the extreme positions, PE must be -6.0 eV)

2. From graph, at r = 3.5 x 10-10 m, Ep = -7.1 eV

TE PE KE
6.0 7.1 KE
KE 1.1 eV
(ii)

If the motion were simple harmonic, the Ep graph should be symmetrical about the
equilibrium position (at r = 2.8 x 10-10 m).

Examiner Comments: Answers should be based energy considerations since the graph in Fig
7.3 is an energy graph. Answers based on acceleration, or just regurgitation of the definition of
shm get no credit.
(d)

Heating causes the total energy (and maximum PE) of each ion to increase.
The ions will then be vibrating between smaller minimum r, and larger maximum r.
Because the restoring force is not symmetrical, the oscillating ions spend more time at larger
separations, resulting thermal expansion.
Examiner Comments: Answers which merely state an increase KE without any reference to
changes in PE get zero credit.