plumiAstronomical distances and the H-R diagram: Edexcel International A Level Physics questions
Every Edexcel International A Level Physics exam question on Astronomical distances and the H-R diagram (specification points 165–168), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
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Exam
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Calculations
Q14(a)
The whole paper ↗Q14(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q14(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q18(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q18(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q18(b)
The whole paper ↗Q18(c)
The whole paper ↗- Your answer
- Your answer
Q16(a)
The whole paper ↗Q16(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q16(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗- Your answer
Q20(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q20(a)(iii)
The whole paper ↗- Your answer
- Your answer
- Your answer
Q19(b)
The whole paper ↗- Your answer
All 60 questions on Astronomical distances and the H-R diagram, as a list
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q14(a) (2 marks): Explain why trigonometric parallax can only be used to determine the distance to objects that are relatively close to the Earth. (2)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q14(b)(i) (1 mark): State what is meant by a standard candle. (1)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q14(b)(ii) (3 marks): Describe how the method of standard candles is used to determine the distance to a distant star cluster. (3)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q18(a)(i) (1 mark): Label the position of the Sun on the diagram with the letter S. (1)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q18(a)(ii) (2 marks): In the final stages of the Sun’s evolution, it will become a white dwarf star. Draw on the diagram a possible path of the Sun as it evolves to a white dwarf sta
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q18(b) (6 marks): Describe the stages in the evolution of the Sun from a main sequence star to a white dwarf star. (6)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q18(c) (2 marks): Explain why the Sun will stay on the main sequence for a much greater time than the most massive main sequence stars. (2)
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q1 (1 mark): A main sequence star evolves into a red giant star. Which row of the table gives the change in diameter and the change in surface temperature when the star evol
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q5 (1 mark): Astronomers use trigonometric parallax to determine the distances to stars. Which of the following must the astronomers know? A The distance between the Sun and
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q16(a) (1 mark): State what is meant by a standard candle. (1)
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q16(b)(i) (4 marks): The variation in luminosity L of this Cepheid variable star with time t is shown below. L 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 t / days 29 W. Show that the mean luminosi
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q16(b)(ii) (2 marks): When viewed from Earth, the mean intensity of this Cepheid variable star is –4 W m –2. 5.1 × 10 Determine the distance of this Cepheid variable star from Earth.
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q8 (1 mark): Epsilon Indi is a main sequence star. Which row of the table gives a possible surface temperature and luminosity for Epsilon Indi? Surface temperature / K Lumin
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q20(a)(ii) (1 mark): The Hertzsprung‑Russell diagram below is incomplete. 106 104 102 L / LSun 1 10–2 10–4 40 000 20 000 10 000 5000 2500 T / K Label the position of the Sun on the
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q20(a)(iii) (3 marks): Add to the diagram to indicate the areas where the following stars are located: A Main sequence stars B Red giant stars C White dwarf stars You should identify
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q1 (1 mark): A red giant star evolves into a white dwarf star. Which row of the table gives the changes in density and surface temperature as the red giant star evolves into
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q2 (1 mark): Which of the following can be used to determine the distance to a nearby star? A Doppler shift B Hertzsprung–Russell diagram C Hubble’s law D Trigonometric para
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q7 (1 mark): Wolf 359 is a star with a surface temperature of 2700 K. The luminosity of the Sun is LSun . The luminosity of Wolf 359 is 0.001 LSun . Which of the following d
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q19(b) (6 marks): Main sequence stars evolve into red giant stars. Red giant stars eventually become white dwarf stars. Explain this evolutionary sequence. You should refer to th
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q2 (1 mark): Astronomers can use stellar parallax to determine the distances to stars. Which of the following statements is correct? A Measurements are made against more dis
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q11 (3 marks): The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram below shows some groups of stars. P, Q, R and S refer to different areas on the diagram. L S P R Q T Describe a possible evoluti
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q18(b) (4 marks): Kruger B can be used as a standard candle. Describe how standard candles can be used to determine the distance to galaxies. (4)
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q2 (1 mark): Astronomers use stellar parallax to determine the distances to nearby stars. Which of the following must be known to use stellar parallax? A distance between th
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q9 (1 mark): The Hertzsprung‑Russell diagram shows four areas P, Q, R and S, where different types of stars are located. L S P R Q T Which of the following is a possible evo
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q21(a)(ii) (2 marks): The Hertzsprung‑Russell diagram shows the positions of some main sequence stars. Add the approximate positions of the Sun and Betelgeuse to the diagram. Mark th
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q21(a)(iii) (1 mark): State what is meant by a main sequence star. (1)
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q3 (1 mark): The distances to stars can be determined using trigonometric parallax. Star X has twice the parallax angle of Star Y. Which of the following statements is corre
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q20(a) (2 marks): Add a scale to the horizontal axis. (2)
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q20(b) (3 marks): Explain how this Hertzsprung-Russell diagram shows that the star cluster is not a young star cluster. You should refer to groups of stars and their positions on
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q20(c) (4 marks): In the early 20th century, Edwin Hubble observed the Andromeda Nebula. He saw stars similar to the stars in our galaxy. One star he saw was a standard candle kn
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q8 (1 mark): The Hertzsprung‑Russell diagrams W, X, Y and Z below show a star cluster at various times when the star cluster is in different stages of evolution. L L T T Dia
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q18(a)(i) (4 marks): Describe how stellar parallax is used by astronomers. (4)
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q18(a)(ii) (1 mark): Tycho Brahe concluded that the Earth was motionless at the centre of the universe, as he was not able to detect any stellar parallax. Suggest why he was not abl
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q18(b)(i) (1 mark): State what is meant by a standard candle. (1)
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q18(b)(ii) (3 marks): Describe how standard candles can be used to determine the distance to nearby galaxies. (3)
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q4 (1 mark): The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram below has an incomplete temperature scale. Luminosity X 6000 Y Temperature / K Which row of the table gives possible values for
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q13 (6 marks): *13 The average distance between galaxies is many times greater than the size of our galaxy. Astronomers use standard candles to determine the distances to othe
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q1 (1 mark): The luminosity axis of a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram has a logarithmic scale. Which of the following is the reason for this? A Stars all have very large luminos
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q11 (3 marks): A standard candle in the galaxy M81 has a luminosity 14 800 times the luminosity of the Sun. The intensity of radiation received from the standard candle, measu
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q18(a)(i) (2 marks): The parallax angle was 2.01 × 10–6 rad. Calculate the distance, in metres, of Wolf 359 from Earth. mean distance from Earth to Sun = 1.50 × 1011 m (2) Distance
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q18(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why parallax measurements can only be used to determine the distances to a relatively small number of stars. (2)
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q19(c) (1 mark): The surface temperature of Chi Lupi is twice the surface temperature of the Sun. The radius of Chi Lupi is three times the radius of the Sun. State where Chi Lu
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q19(a) (3 marks): Using parallax measurements, astronomers can determine distances to all stars with a parallax angle larger than 2.4 × 10–7 rad. The variable star Alpha Cephei i
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q19(b) (3 marks): Cepheids are a type of standard candle. Describe how standard candles can be used to determine distances to stars. (3)
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q19(c)(i) (3 marks): Label the x-axis of the HR diagram. You should include approximate values. (3)
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q19(c)(ii) (3 marks): There are five zones, Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5, identified on the HR diagram. Complete the following table. You should match one zone with each description. (3) De
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q19(c)(iii) (6 marks): The position of a star on the HR diagram changes as the star evolves. Explain how a star like the Sun evolves as it progresses from zone Z3 to its final positio
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q1 (1 mark): Which of the following describes a standard candle? A a star of known distance B a star of known intensity C a star of known luminosity D a star of known mass
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q8 (1 mark): Which of the following is part of a possible evolutionary path of a star? A W → Y B X → Y C Y → W D Y → Z
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q9 (1 mark): Which of the following statements about stars in positions W, X, Y and Z is correct? A W and Y have the same mass. B W has a lower surface temperature than Z. C
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q17(a) (3 marks): Describe how trigonometric parallax can be used to determine the distance to a nearby star. (3)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q20(a) (1 mark): State what is meant by a main sequence star. (1)
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q6 (1 mark): Tau Ceti is one of the closest stars to the Sun. Tau Ceti has a surface temperature of 5300 K and a luminosity of 0.55 LSun, where LSun is the luminosity of the
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q12(a) (1 mark): State what is meant by a standard candle. (1)
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q12(b)(i) (4 marks): Show that the luminosity of the source is about 2 × 1035 W. (4)
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q12(b)(ii) (2 marks): When FRB sources were first discovered, some observers suggested that the bursts might be alien communications. Suggest why this is unlikely. luminosity of the
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q20(a)(i) (1 mark): Mark on the diagram the position of a star similar to the Sun. (1)
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q20(a)(ii) (6 marks): The appearance of the HR diagram changes as stars in the cluster evolve. Explain the changes in the appearance of the HR diagram as the star cluster gets older.
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q20(b)(ii) (3 marks): Dust in space around a star may affect how bright the star appears to be. It is claimed that dust around a standard candle would lead to the conclusion that the
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q16(a) (1 mark): State where these stars would be located on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. (1)
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