plumiViscous drag and Stokes’ law (core practical 2): Edexcel International A Level Physics questions
Edexcel International A Level Physics past-paper questions on 1.4.1.2 Viscous drag and Stokes’ law (core practical 2), 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q16(a)
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All 69 questions on Viscous drag and Stokes’ law (core practical 2), as a list
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q16(a) (1 mark): Give one other measurement needed to determine the viscosity of the oil. (1)
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q16(b) (3 marks): The diameter of the ball‑bearing was 1.24 mm. The time taken to fall 20.0 cm –5 N for the viscous drag on the was 1.3 s. The student calculated a value of 5.6 ×
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q16(c) (3 marks): The student repeated the experiment. He used the same oil at a lower temperature. Explain how using oil at a lower temperature affected the time taken for the b
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q20(a) (4 marks): The student released the sphere from rest in the oil. Explain why the sphere reached terminal velocity. (4)
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q20(b)(i) (3 marks): Calculate the viscous drag force on the sphere. Assume the conditions for Stokes’ law applied. time taken = 7.3 s radius of sphere = 0.90 × 10 −3 m viscosity of
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q20(b)(ii) (3 marks): The student repeated the experiment using a second sphere with a greater diameter. The density of the second sphere was the same as the density of the original
- October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q19(a)(i) (2 marks): State the conditions for Stokes’ law to apply. (2)
- October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q19(a)(ii) (5 marks): The mass accelerated to terminal velocity as it fell to the bottom of the sea. At terminal velocity, the mass fell 25 m in a time of 0.36 s. There was a differe
- October 2024, AS Unit 3, Q1(b) (4 marks): The student placed the steel sphere in a transparent tube filled with the liquid. She arranged the transparent tube as shown. Not to scale rubber bung transpare
- October 2024, AS Unit 3, Q1(c) (2 marks): The student determined the viscosity of the liquid as 0.72 Pa s with a percentage uncertainty of 6%. The viscosity of castor oil is 0.65 Pa s. Deduce whether th
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q3 (1 mark): An object is moving through a fluid. Which row of the table states the conditions which must be met for Stokes’ law to apply? Size of object Shape of object Typ
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q14(a) (1 mark): State why the grain of sand reaches terminal velocity. (1)
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q14(b) (3 marks): A spherical grain of sand has a weight of 4.3 × 10 –5 N. water with a weight of 1.5 × 10 The terminal velocity of the grain of sand as it falls through the wate
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q14(c) (2 marks): Explain how the temperature of the water affects the terminal velocity of a grain of sand if Stokes’ law does apply. (2)
- June 2024, Unit 6, Q2(a) (2 marks): Show that the formula gives the unit for η as N s m –2. (2)
- June 2024, Unit 6, Q2(b) (6 marks): The student used a metre rule to measure L and a stopwatch to measure t. He adjusted the water tap to give a constant flow of water. Describe a method to determ
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q15(a) (2 marks): State the conditions needed for Stokes’ law to apply to this investigation. (2)
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q15(b)(i) (2 marks): Complete the free-body force diagram for a ball-bearing when falling at terminal velocity. (2) drag force
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q15(b)(ii) (6 marks): The student thought that the liquid she used might be glycerol. She made measurements to determine the terminal velocity of a ball-bearing. The terminal velocit
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q18(a) (2 marks): State the conditions under which Stokes’ law applies to an object moving through a fluid. (2)
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q18(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain the shape of the graph. (3)
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q18(b)(ii) (4 marks): The ball‑bearing had a diameter of 1.6 mm. The difference between the upthrust on the ball‑bearing and the weight of the ball‑bearing is 1.45 × 10 –4 N. Calcula
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q18(b)(iii) (4 marks): The student heated the liquid and repeated the experiment. The ball‑bearing took less time to fall a given distance in the liquid when the liquid was at a highe
- June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q9 (1 mark): A ball bearing falls at terminal velocity through a liquid. The temperature of the liquid increases and the ball bearing falls with a greater terminal velocity.
- June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q16(a) (1 mark): State the condition needed for Stokes’ law to apply to the bubble. (1)
- June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q16(b)(ii) (4 marks): The bubble moves upwards at a constant velocity of 0.035 m s–1. Deduce whether Stokes’ law applies to the bubble. You may ignore the weight of the bubble. visco
- January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q12(a) (4 marks): When the ball is falling at terminal velocity the following equation applies drag force = weight of ball – upthrust The density of the liquid was known. The stu
- January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q12(b) (2 marks): When falling through the liquid, the ball reached terminal velocity. The flow of liquid around the ball was laminar. Calculate the viscosity of the liquid. term
- January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q18(a)(iii) (2 marks): Give two reasons why Stokes’ law could not be used to calculate the terminal velocity of the object. (2)
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q3 (1 mark): Which of the following best describes the situations in which Stokes’ Law applies for objects moving in a fluid? A all spherical objects moving at low speeds B
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(a)(i) (3 marks): A spherical foram with a mass of 1.15 × 10–8 kg is sinking at terminal velocity in seawater. The upthrust due to the seawater is 4.37 × 10–8 N. The flow of seaw
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(a)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the terminal velocity of this foram. diameter of foram = 9.2 × 10–4 m viscosity of seawater = 1.41 × 10–3 Pa s . (2) Terminal velocity =
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(b) (4 marks): As the forams sink deeper into the sea, the temperature of the water becomes lower. Discuss how the terminal velocities of forams change as they sink deeper int
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q2 (1 mark): A sphere falls through a viscous liquid as shown. sphere viscous liquid Which row of the table describes the upthrust and the viscous drag on the sphere as it a
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q19(a) (1 mark): State why the temperature of the liquid should not increase during the measurement. (1)
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q19(b)(ii) (3 marks): The terminal velocity of the sphere was 4.05 × 10–2 m s–1. Deduce whether Stokes’ law applied to the falling sphere. density of glycerol = 1.26 × 103 kg m–3 vis
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q19(b)(iii) (1 mark): State one condition that must be met for Stokes’ law to apply. (1)
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q19(c) (5 marks): A scientist used the viscometer to measure the viscosity of blood. The viscosity of blood is typically in the range 3 × 10–3 Pa s to 4 × 10–3 Pa s. Explain why
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): The graph shows how terminal velocity varies with mass for small spheres of equal diameter falling through a viscous liquid. terminal velocity mass Which of the
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(a) (2 marks): Stokes' law can be used to calculate the drag force on an object. State the conditions that must apply for Stokes' law to be valid. (2)
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(b)(i) (3 marks): At one instant, the speed of the sphere is 5.2 × 10−3 m s−1. Calculate the resultant horizontal force on the sphere. (3) Resultant horizontal force =
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(b)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the maximum speed of the sphere in the horizontal direction. (2) Maximum horizontal speed =
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q17(c) (4 marks): A larger diameter sphere in the same liquid is acted upon by the same constant force as in (b). The liquid is at a lower temperature. Explain the effect these c
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q9 (1 mark): A student measured the terminal velocity of different objects as they fell through a liquid. The student used the measurements and Stokes’ Law to calculate the
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q17(a)(i) (1 mark): State what is meant by laminar flow. (1)
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q17(b)(iii) (4 marks): Calculate the terminal velocity of this water droplet in the oil. viscosity of oil = 0.11 Pa s (4) Terminal velocity =
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(a) (2 marks): Explain what is meant by terminal velocity. (2)
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(b) (5 marks): A glass sphere of diameter 35 mm is travelling through the fluid at terminal velocity. Show that the drag force on this sphere is about 0.2 N. density of glass
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(c)(i) (3 marks): Deduce from the graph whether the flow of liquid around the spheres was laminar. (3)
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(c)(ii) (3 marks): Determine a value for k using the student’s graph. (3) k =
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(c)(iii) (2 marks): The constant k is given by k = ( ) ρ − ρ g g s 18 η where η is the viscosity of the liquid. Determine a value for η. density of glass ρg = 2.52 × 103 kg m−3 den
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q3(c)(i) (3 marks): Explain why it was necessary to measure the force when the sphere was stationary and the force when the sphere was moving at constant speed. (3)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q3(c)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the viscosity η of the liquid. (3) η = Pa s
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q7 (1 mark): A student determines the terminal velocity of a ball bearing as it falls through oil. He releases the ball bearing at point V and measures the time taken for it
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(c)(i) (1 mark): State the reason for this condition. (1)
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(c)(ii) (5 marks): For Stokes’ law to be valid the speed of the bead through the oil must be less than vR, where × 10 viscosity of oil vR = × density of oil diameter of the bead D
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q19(a)(i) (3 marks): Show that r = ρg 2 η = viscosity of air ρ = density of oil (3)
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q19(a)(ii) (2 marks): For a particular oil droplet, the terminal velocity was measured to be 5.35 × 10−4 m s−1. Calculate the radius of this oil droplet. η = 1.86 × 10−5 Pa s ρ = 904
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q19(c) (3 marks): In 1909 Millikan concluded that the charge on the electron was 1.592 × 10−19 C whereas the accepted value today is 1.602 × 10−19 C. This was because the value f
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q15(a)(i) (2 marks): Explain why the top rubber band should be placed a short distance below the surface of the oil. (2)
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q15(a)(ii) (2 marks): Another student suggested using an additional rubber band halfway between the top and bottom rubber bands. Discuss the benefit of adding the third rubber band.
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q15(b)(i) (1 mark): Which quantity is represented by 4 3 πr3ρs g? (1)
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q15(b)(iii) (1 mark): Which quantity is represented by 6πrηv? (1)
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q15(b)(iv) (1 mark): The accepted value for the viscosity of the oil used in this experiment is 41 mPa s at 24 °C. The student obtained a value of 36 mPa s. Suggest a possible reaso
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): Some students were shown a velocity-time graph for the motion of an object falling through a liquid. Time The students suggested possible explanations for the d
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q12(a) (1 mark): State one other condition that must be met in order for Stokes’ law to apply to the moving object. (1)
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q12(b) (5 marks): A sphere falls through water at a constant speed of 0.50 m s−1. Assess whether Stokes’ law can be applied to the falling sphere. You should include calculations
- June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q5 (1 mark): A sample of sea water is collected using a beaker. The sample contains some particles of sand which settle at the bottom of the beaker. Which of the following w
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q3 (1 mark): Stokes’ law can be used to determine the frictional force on an object moving through a fluid. To which of the following would Stokes’ law best apply? A A large
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