plumiCircular motion: Edexcel A‑Level Physics questions
Every Edexcel A-Level Physics exam question on Circular motion (specification points 103–107), 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Calculations
Q17(b)
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Q18(c)(i)
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Q18(c)(ii)
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Q16(b)
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Q11(a)
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Q11(b)(i)
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Q11(b)(ii)
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Q6(a)
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Q6(b)
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Q13(a)
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Q13(b)(ii)
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Q13(c)
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Q3(a)
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Q3(b)(i)
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Q3(b)(ii)
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All 30 questions on Circular motion, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q3 (1 mark): A ball is tied to the end of a length of string. A person holds the other end of the string. The person spins the ball and string around in a horizontal circle,
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q17(b) (2 marks): The road speed of the bicycle should be displayed by the speedometer. Explain why the displayed speed can not be accurate, as bicycles can have different wheel
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q8 (1 mark): A roundabout completes 5.0 revolutions in 20 s. Which of the following is the angular velocity of the roundabout? A 1.6 rad s−1 B 16 rad s−1 C 25 rad s−1 D 630
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q18(c)(i) (4 marks): Explain why there is a maximum safe speed for a train travelling on a curved track. (4)
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q18(c)(ii) (2 marks): When the train travels at 200 km hour−1, the minimum safe radius of curvature of the track is 1800 m. Calculate the minimum safe radius of curvature for a speed
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q5 (1 mark): The plan view of a model racing car track is shown. Friction acts between a model racing car and the track. A car is moving round the track with a constant spee
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q13 (5 marks): A ‘tennis trainer’ consists of a tennis ball suspended by a string from the top of a vertical pole. When the ball is hit it travels in a horizontal circle aroun
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q16(b) (2 marks): The motor rotates at 500 revolutions per minute. Calculate the angular speed ω of the motor. (2) ω =
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q11(a) (2 marks): The diagram represents two positions, A and B, of ISS during its orbit. v A B r Draw a labelled vector diagram, in the space below, of the velocities at the two
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q11(b)(i) (3 marks): The ISS completes one orbit in 92 minutes. Calculate the centripetal acceleration of the ISS. r = 6800 km (3) Centripetal acceleration =
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (4 marks): Astronauts in the ISS are often described as being “weightless”. Discuss whether the astronauts are “weightless” when they are orbiting the Earth in the ISS. (4
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q6(a) (6 marks): The rider moves from the bottom to the top of the circular path. Explain how the apparent weight experienced by the rider would change. (6)
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q6(b) (4 marks): On the website of the amusement park it states “The ride is perfectly safe without the need for safety harnesses for the riders. Centrifugal force ensures that
- October 2020, Paper 1, Q9 (1 mark): The blade of a lawnmower rotates at a speed of 50 revolutions per second. Which of the following is the angular speed of the blade in rads s−1? A 7.96 B 15.9 C
- October 2020, Paper 1, Q13(a) (3 marks): There is a maximum speed for the car to stay on the curved part of the track. Explain why the car will slip off the curved part of the track if the car exceeds
- October 2020, Paper 1, Q13(b)(ii) (2 marks): The final velocity calculated in (b)(i) is the maximum velocity before the car slips off the track. Calculate the maximum horizontal force between the curved pa
- October 2020, Paper 1, Q13(c) (3 marks): The cars are controlled separately and so can be raced, with one car on the inner lane and the other on the outer lane. The cars are identical. Each car is race
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q3(a) (3 marks): The student measured the distance r between the centre of the turntable and the centre of the coin, with a metre rule as shown. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): The student used the results to calculate a mean value of Ȧ. State the purpose of calculating a mean. (1)
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q3(b)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the percentage uncertainty in the mean value of Ȧ. (3) Percentage uncertainty =
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q3(b)(iii) (3 marks): The student used Ȧ and r to calculate the centripetal acceleration of the coin at the instant it started to slide. Calculate the percentage uncertainty in this
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q3(c) (3 marks): The student repeated the procedure with different values of r. Explain how the value of Ȧ at which the coin started to slide varied as r increased. (3)
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q17(a) (5 marks): A particle in a centrifuge moves in a circle of radius r, centre O, with a constant speed v. The diagram represents two positions of the particle. O r 2 Derive
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q17(b)(i) (2 marks): Show that the angular velocity of the centrifuge is about 5 rad s–1. (2)
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q17(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain how the centrifuge applies large forces to the equipment under test. (2)
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q17(b)(iii) (2 marks): The NASA website says the centrifuge can be used to test whether the equipment can withstand accelerations of up to about 25g. Deduce whether this claim is corr
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q11(a) (2 marks): Explain why the astronauts in the ISS have an apparent weight of zero. (2)
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q9 (1 mark): A mass is attached to a light thread which is fixed at X. The mass is moving at constant speed in a horizontal circle, centre O. X O Which of the following is a
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q18(a) (4 marks): A motor lifts a load in a time t. The axle of the motor has a radius r and exerts a force F. r axle F axle load load The power produced by a motor can be calcul
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q18(c) (4 marks): The table shows the typical power and the corresponding angular velocity required for three different appliances. Power / W Angular velocity / rad s–1 Electric
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