plumiCentripetal force: Edexcel International A Level Physics questions
Edexcel International A Level Physics past-paper questions on 4.3.2.3 Centripetal force, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q15(b)(i)
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All 34 questions on Centripetal force, as a list
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q15(b)(i) (4 marks): The maximum frictional force between the glass of water and the turntable is equal to mg , where m is the mass of the glass of water. 30 Someone says that if th
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q15(b)(ii) (2 marks): Two identical glasses are placed at the same distance from the edge of the turntable. One of the glasses is filled with water and the other is empty. Explain wh
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q15(b)(i) (2 marks): Add labelled arrows to each diagram to show the forces acting on the item of clothing. (2)
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q15(b)(ii) (3 marks): The drum rotates at constant speed. Explain how the forces on the item of clothing vary between the bottom and the top of the drum. (3)
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q17(b)(i) (2 marks): The forwards and backwards forces on the toy aeroplane are equal in magnitude. Add to the diagram to show the other forces acting on the toy aeroplane. (2)
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q17(b)(ii) (3 marks): Show that the angle θ of the thread to the vertical is given by v 2 θ tan rg (3)
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q17(b)(iii) (3 marks): Calculate the time taken for the toy aeroplane to complete one revolution. θ = 22° r = 21 cm (3) Time =
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q13(b)(ii) (3 marks): When the student placed the coin near the centre of the disk, the coin remained in position and rotated with the disk. When the student placed the coin at the e
- January 2024, Unit 4, Q17(b) (4 marks): A model aeroplane is attached to a wire. The wire is held by a person, as shown. The aeroplane moves in a horizontal circle of radius 28.5 m at a speed of 22.5
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q10 (1 mark): A car travels over a humpback bridge, as shown. The bridge forms part of a circle of radius r. The car has mass m and travels with constant speed v. car humpbac
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q14 (4 marks): A car travelled in a circular path as shown. path of car View from above A passenger in the car made the following claim. “When the car was travelling at high s
- June 2023, Unit 4, Q15(a)(ii) (4 marks): The student took measurements of the ball and wrote down a value of 86 mm. Deduce whether 86 mm was the radius or the diameter of the ball. mass of car = 9.5 g
- June 2023, Unit 4, Q15(b) (6 marks): The magnitude of the force exerted by the ball on the car was greatest at 0.04 s and least at 0.12 s. Discuss the position of the car at these two times. You sh
- January 2023, Unit 4, Q13(a)(i) (5 marks): Show that the radius of the circular path is about 800 m. mass of aeroplane = 1200 kg speed of aeroplane = 54 m s −1 (5)
- January 2023, Unit 6, Q2(a)(i) (2 marks): Show that the relationship between the period of rotation T and mass M can be written as T2 = 4π2 mx Mg (2)
- January 2023, Unit 6, Q2(a)(ii) (6 marks): The student used a stopwatch to determine T for different values of M. Devise a plan to test the validity of the relationship between T2 and M. The method shoul
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q17(b)(i) (4 marks): The diagram shows this lift force when the aeroplane is banking. lift force weight (Source: © Nadezda0704/Shutterstock) Explain how banking allows the aeroplane
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q17(b)(ii) (4 marks): During banking, the angle between the wings and the horizontal is 5.2°. Calculate the radius of the circular path when the aeroplane flies at a constant speed o
- June 2022, Unit 4, Q17(a)(i) (2 marks): The tension in the chain, acting on the sphere, is T. Draw the free-body force diagram for the sphere at the position shown in the diagram. (2)
- June 2022, Unit 4, Q17(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why the sphere moves with circular motion. (2)
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q15(c) (4 marks): The child comments that as the ball goes round the circle with a constant speed, the size of the force on his hand changes. Discuss whether this comment is corr
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q12(a) (2 marks): Add to the diagram to show the two forces acting on the bob. (2)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q12(b)(i) (4 marks): Derive the following equation for the angular velocity ω of the bob. g ω = l θ cos (4)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q12(b)(ii) (3 marks): A clock requires the period of the bob to be 5.0 s. l = 6.4 m θ = 13.9° Deduce whether this arrangement leads to the required period. (3)
- June 2021, Unit 4, Q13 (6 marks): The photograph shows a track for a toy car. The car moves down the track towards a circular loop. The loop starts at point A. release point C loop B track A D I
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q12 (5 marks): The photograph shows a coin in contact with the drum inside a washing machine. coin The washing machine drum rotates about a horizontal axis at 600 revolutions
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q16(b)(i) (1 mark): Complete a free body force diagram for one of the aeroplanes at this speed. (1)
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q16(b)(ii) (4 marks): Show that, at this speed, the time for an aeroplane to make 4 complete rotations is about 3 s. mass of aeroplane = 5.2 g (4)
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q16(b)(iii) (5 marks): Student A suggests that if the radius of the canopy was increased and rotated at the same angular velocity as before, the wires supporting the aeroplanes could
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q14(a) (2 marks): For one design the track is horizontal. As the go-kart goes round the semicircular end of the track, centripetal force is provided by friction between the track
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q14(b)(i) (3 marks): Show that tan ș = 2 v gd where d is the diameter AB of the curved part of the track. (3)
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q14(b)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the angle ș using the stated design criteria for this track. (2) Angle =
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q14(c) (2 marks): A banked track will cost more to build. Suggest whether there are any significant advantages that would justify the cost. (2)
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q19(a)(i) (3 marks): Derive this expression. (3)
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