plumiCosmology: Edexcel International GCSE Physics questions
Every Edexcel International GCSE Physics exam question on Cosmology (specification points 8.13–8.18), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
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Exam
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Calculations
Q8(c)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)
The whole paper ↗Q8(b)
The whole paper ↗Q8(c)
The whole paper ↗Q11(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q11(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q6(b)
The whole paper ↗Q6(c)
The whole paper ↗Q8(b)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)
The whole paper ↗Q8(b)
The whole paper ↗Q7(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q7(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q7(b)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q8(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q8(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q8(b)
The whole paper ↗Q10(b)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)
The whole paper ↗
All 52 questions on Cosmology, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q8(c) (4 marks): The student then makes the dipper move horizontally to the right at constant speed. The dipper continues to move up and down with a frequency of 15 Hz. Diagram
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q8(a) (2 marks): Give two pieces of evidence that support the Big Bang theory. (2) 1 2
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q8(b) (4 marks): The galaxy NGC 300 is moving away from the Earth at a speed of 1.44 × 105 m/s. Hydrogen atoms in NGC 300 emit light with a reference wavelength of 4.3405 × 10−7
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q8(c) (2 marks): Another galaxy, Centaurus A, is much further away from the Earth than NGC 300. Explain how the wavelength of light detected from hydrogen atoms in Centaurus A i
- June 2025 (R), Paper 1, Q11(b)(i) (3 marks): The change in frequency can be calculated using this formula. speed of ball = change of frequency × speed of radio waves source frequency 2 Show that the change
- June 2025 (R), Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (3 marks): The change in frequency of the radio waves happens because the ball acts as a new source of radio waves. The ball is moving away from the original source of rad
- June 2025 (R), Paper 2, Q6(b) (2 marks): CMBR was first released after the Big Bang. When CMBR was first released it had a wavelength of about 9 × 10–5 mm, but now it has a wavelength of about 2 mm. Us
- June 2025 (R), Paper 2, Q6(c) (4 marks): Explain how the cosmological red‑shift of galaxies also supports the Big Bang theory. (4)
- November 2024, Paper 1, Q8(b) (3 marks): Whale A makes a sound with a constant frequency. This sound is detected by whale B. When whale A swims towards whale B, the frequency of the sound detected by w
- November 2023, Paper 2, Q8(a) (1 mark): The diagram shows two identical stars, A and B, orbiting each other. direction of orbit star A star B towards Earth Light from each star arrives at Earth. As th
- November 2023, Paper 2, Q8(b) (4 marks): Light is received on Earth from a distant galaxy. The longest wavelength of light arriving at Earth from the galaxy is 561 nm. A lamp on Earth produces the same
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q7(b)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the difference between the astronomer’s value for the wavelength and the reference wavelength of red light. (1) difference in wavelength = nm
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q7(b)(ii) (3 marks): The change in wavelength happens because galaxy A is moving away from the Earth. Calculate the speed of galaxy A. [speed of light = 3.0 × 108 m / s] (3) speed =
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q7(b)(iii) (2 marks): Light from galaxy B has twice the redshift as light from galaxy A. Galaxy B is twice as far away from Earth as galaxy A. Explain how these observations support
- June 2023 (R), Paper 1, Q5 (6 marks): A car is travelling in a straight line along a road. The car passes a person standing at the side of the road. Before passing the person, the driver of the car
- June 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q8(c)(i) (4 marks): Light emitted from a supernova at a wavelength of 7.774 × 10–7 m was detected at Earth with a wavelength of 7.780 × 10–7 m. Calculate the speed at which the gal
- June 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q8(c)(ii) (4 marks): The astronomers investigated supernovas that showed a red-shift in the wavelengths detected in different galaxies. The astronomers discovered that the red-shift
- January 2023, Paper 2, Q8(b) (3 marks): A different binary star system is in a distant galaxy. When observed from the Earth, light from this galaxy has a longer wavelength than the wavelength of the l
- January 2023 (R), Paper 1, Q10(b) (4 marks): The firework makes a sound with constant frequency. As the firework moves upwards, people on the ground notice that the frequency of the sound they hear changes
- January 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q8(a) (2 marks): Describe what is meant by the term red‑shift. (2)
- January 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q8(b)(i) (1 mark): Draw a circle to show the anomalous data point. (1)
- January 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q8(b)(ii) (1 mark): Draw the line of best fit on the graph. (1)
- January 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q8(b)(iii) (3 marks): The reference wavelength of the light used in this investigation is 660 nm. Use information from the graph to determine the velocity of a galaxy at a distance o
- January 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q8(b)(iv) (2 marks): Explain why the graph from Hubble’s investigation provides evidence for the expansion of the universe. (2)
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q6(a) (2 marks): Describe how the size and temperature of the universe have changed since the Big Bang. (2)
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q6(b) (6 marks): Discuss two pieces of evidence that support the Big Bang theory. (6)
- June 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (3 marks): Diagram 2 shows the boat moving towards an observer. boat observer Diagram 2 Explain why the frequency of the water waves measured by the observer is larger tha
- January 2022, Paper 2, Q8(a)(i) (3 marks): A galaxy moves away from the Earth at a speed of 3.9 × 104 km/s. The speed of light is 3.0 × 105 km/s. Light from the galaxy is emitted with a wavelength of 6.2
- January 2022, Paper 2, Q8(a)(ii) (1 mark): Calculate the wavelength of light that is received by an observer on the Earth. (1) wavelength = m
- January 2022, Paper 2, Q8(b) (3 marks): One of the pieces of evidence for the Big Bang theory is the red-shift of galaxies. Explain how the red-shift of galaxies supports the Big Bang theory. (3)
- January 2022 (R), Paper 2, Q6(c)(i) (3 marks): Galaxy A and galaxy B are both moving relative to Earth. Compare the motions of galaxy A and galaxy B relative to Earth. (3)
- January 2022 (R), Paper 2, Q6(c)(ii) (4 marks): Use data from the table to calculate the speed of galaxy B relative to Earth. [speed of light, c = 3.0 × 108 m/s] (4) speed = m/s
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q1(a) (2 marks): The table lists some statements about the universe. Place ticks () in the table to show which statements support the Big Bang theory. . (2) Supports the Statem
- January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q9 (5 marks): The diagram shows two students holding a piece of string with a box attached. The box has a buzzer inside and can move along the string. student A student B box
- January 2021 (R), Paper 2, Q6(a) (2 marks): Explain how cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) supports the Big Bang theory. (2)
- January 2021 (R), Paper 2, Q6(b) (4 marks): Hydrogen gas in a laboratory on Earth emits light with a wavelength of 605 nm. A distant galaxy contains hydrogen which emits light of the same wavelength. The
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (3 marks): The Doppler effect occurs when there is relative motion between the source of waves and the observer of the waves. Explain how the Doppler effect causes a chang
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q11(b)(iii) (2 marks): Suggest why the radio waves from KALPANA-1 detected on the Earth’s surface are not affected by the Doppler effect. (2)
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q5(b) (3 marks): As the aeroplane travels away from the airport, it sends a signal to the airport using radio waves with a wavelength of 1.2 m. When the signal is received at th
- November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q8(a) (3 marks): Describe the evolution of the Universe from the Big Bang until the present day. (3)
- November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q8(b) (4 marks): Describe the evidence that supports the Big Bang theory. (4)
- January 2020, Paper 1, Q8(b) (4 marks): A radar speed gun is used to measure the speed of the moving car. © Petar An/Shutterstock The radar speed gun emits radio waves towards the moving car. The movi
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q8(a)(ii) (3 marks): A student connects the microphone to an oscilloscope to measure the frequency of sound from the two buzzers while the force acts on the arrangement. Explain the
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q8(c)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the change in wavelength for light from the star in galaxy P. (1) change in wavelength = nm
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q8(c)(ii) (1 mark): Galaxy Q is twice as far away from the Earth as galaxy P. Suggest how the speed of galaxy Q relates to the speed of galaxy P. (1)
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q8(c)(iii) (1 mark): Suggest a value for the change in wavelength of light from an identical star in galaxy Q when the light arrives at the Earth. (1) change in wavelength = nm
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q8(c)(iv) (4 marks): Explain how comparing the speeds of the two galaxies provides evidence for the Big Bang theory. (4)
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q5(a) (1 mark): Draw an arrow on diagram 2 to show the direction the toy is moving. (1)
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q5(b) (4 marks): Explain how the frequency of the waves at point A is different to the frequency of the waves at point B. (4)
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q7(a) (2 marks): Give two pieces of evidence for the Big Bang theory. (2)
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q7(b) (4 marks): Explain how this evidence supports the Big Bang theory. (4)
- June 2019 (R), Paper 2, Q2(c)(iii) (5 marks): Two students use this method to investigate sound from a moving source. Student A connects a piece of string to the buzzer. She spins round so that the buzzer m
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