plumiElastic and plastic deformation: OCR A‑Level Physics B questions
OCR A-Level Physics B past-paper questions on 3.2.1 Elastic and plastic deformation, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 43 questions on Elastic and plastic deformation, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q10 (1 mark): Which statement describes both the deformations and the nature of the wire? Deformations Nature A elastic followed by plastic brittle B elastic followed by plas
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q12 (1 mark): How much work is done in stretching the wire by 1.2 mm? A 3.6 mJ B 4.3 mJ C 7.2 mJ D 22.6 mJ Your answer [1]
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q3(c) (1 mark): The student adds masses to the wire until it fractures. Copper is a ductile material. Sketch a graph of stress against strain for the copper wire on Fig. 3.2. F
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q1 (1 mark): Which of these units is equivalent to the units of the spring constant, N m–1? 1 kg m–2 A kg m s–1 B kg m s–2 C kg s–2 D Your answer [1]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q36(a)(i) (2 marks): Use information from Fig. 36.1 to calculate the stiffness k of the wire. stiffness = N m–1 [2]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q36(b) (6 marks): Fig. 36.1 shows how the extension of a metal alloy wire varies with increasing load. Fig. 36.2 shows the same information for a rubber strip. The metal alloy wi
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q3(a) (1 mark): Show that the extension of the spring is about 0.11m. This is the equilibrium position. [1] Fig. 3.1 shows how the resultant force on the mass changes with the
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q25(c)(ii) (2 marks): Describe what the area under the graph represents. [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q38(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the extension at which the wire will begin to show plastic deformation. extension = m [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q38(b)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the energy stored in the wire at the extension calculated in (b)(i). energy stored = J [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q38(b)(iii) (2 marks): The wire is replaced with one of twice the length of the original wire. The new wire is of the same material and cross-sectional area as the original wire. Stat
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q38(b)(iv) (2 marks): Floating oil rigs are towed into position by small, powerful boats called tugs. Suggest and explain why long cables are used to attach the rig to the tugs. [2]
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q11 (1 mark): When the load on a stretched wire is doubled without exceeding its elastic limit, the elastic strain energy, E, increases to: A 2 E B 2 E C 2 E D 4 E Your answe
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q4(a)(i) (4 marks): Describe the experimental technique the student could use to gather reliable data. Include in your answer how BOTH experimental uncertainties and risks can be m
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q4(a)(ii) (6 marks): This question is about the behaviour of materials under tension. A student sets up an experiment to investigate the force–extension characteristics of a rubber
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q27(a) (3 marks): Use the graph to determine the spring constant of the spring. spring constant = N m–1 [3]
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q5(b) (2 marks): Calculate the elastic strain energy stored in the wire by the 25 kg load. The Young modulus of elasticity of steel is 2.1 × 1011 Pa. energy stored = J [2]
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q5(c) (3 marks): The yield stress of this steel is about 15% higher than the value calculated in (a). Explain why the 25 kg load, once attached to the end of the wire, should be
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q4(b)(iii) (2 marks): Use your answers to (b)(i) and (b)(ii) to calculate the force constant k between a pair of copper atoms. force constant = N m–1 [2]
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q25(c) (1 mark): Complete the table with values of compression. [1]
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q25(d) (3 marks): Determine the spring constant of the system and give the unit. spring constant = unit [3]
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q25(e) (2 marks): Describe how the results would differ if a third identical spring were added beneath the tray. [2]
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q3(a) (2 marks): Imagine that you produced the force by holding the ends of the rubber strip in each hand and pulling. Describe what it would feel like as you pulled the band fr
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q3(b) (2 marks): The area between the section BCO and the extension axis is different from the area between the section OAB and the extension axis. Explain in terms of energy wh
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): The cord stretches to a length L1 = 1.31 m when the tennis ball hangs from it. Show that the force constant of the cord is about 3.7 N m−1. [1]
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the energy stored in the cord at this length. energy stored = J [2]
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q12 (1 mark): Estimate the extra energy stored in the rubber band when the extension increases from 5 cm to 20 cm. A 0.15 J B 0.75 J C 30 J D 100 J Your answer [1]
- November 2020, AS Paper 2, Q7(b) (5 marks): The ball becomes compressed and the racket strings stretch slightly during the impact, as shown in the sectional view of Fig. 7.2. frame of strings racket r x r
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q3 (1 mark): Which diagram shows the stress–strain graph for a ductile metal? Your answer [1]
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q4 (1 mark): Which diagram shows the stress–strain graph for a rubber polymer? Your answer [1]
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q17 (1 mark): The spring in this diagram has a spring constant k of 40 N m−1. The mass M of 0.50 kg is attached to the end of the suspended spring and then dropped under grav
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q16 (1 mark): An unstretched spring is 20 cm long and has a spring constant of 25 N cm–1. It is stretched to 3 times its length and is still following Hooke’s law. The energy
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q4(b)(i) (4 marks): On Fig. 4.2 1 complete vertical and horizontal error bars on each of the plots 2 label the regions of elastic and plastic deformation 3 draw a line of best fit
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q28(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the force constant k in MN m−1 for this cable. = x force constant k = MN m−1 [1]
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q28(b)(i) (1 mark): Use Fig. 28 to show that the elastic potential energy stored by the cable at its breaking point is less than 20 MJ. [1]
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q40(d) (6 marks): This question compares the properties of pure aluminium with Aluminium Strong Alloy. Fig. 40.1 and Fig. 40.2 show stress against strain graphs for these metals.
- June 2017, Paper 3, Q2(a)(i) (3 marks): Apply a test to the data to see if the extension of the spring is proportional to the applied force. Explain your method and state your conclusion. [3]
- June 2017, Paper 3, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): Calculate the spring constant k of this spring. g = 9.8 N kg−1 k = N m−1 [1]
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q4 (1 mark): This is a force–extension graph for two cords, P and Q, made of different materials. The cords had the same initial length and diameter and were stretched up to
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q15 (1 mark): An unextended spring is 0.2 m long and has a spring constant of 2500 N m–1. It is stretched to three times its original length and is still obeying Hooke’s law.
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q23(a) (2 marks): Describe what the graph shows in terms of the stiffness of this polymer at different strains. �����������������������������������������������������������������
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q3 (1 mark): The graph shows the variation in stress with strain for a sample of a material. stress 0 0 strain Which of the following statements is not correct? A The materi
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (2 marks): Assume that the force is directly proportional to the distance the string is pulled back. Calculate the work done. work done = J [2]
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