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Circular motion: WJEC A‑Level Physics questions

Every WJEC A-Level Physics exam question on 3.1 Circular motion, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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Calculations

1,173 questions

  1. Q5(a)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 3, question 5(a): Explaining your reasoning, show that the tension, T, in the cable is given by: T cos θ = mg [2]

  2. Q5(b)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 3

    1 mark3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 3, question 5(b): The distance between the top of the cable and Rhiannon’s centre of mass is 3.0 m. Explain why the radius of Rhiannon’s circular path is given by: r = 2.5 + 3.0

  3. Q5(c)(i)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 3, question 5(c)(i): the angle θ; [2]

  4. Q5(c)(ii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 3

    1 mark3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 3, question 5(c)(ii): the radius of Rhiannon’s circular path; [1]

  5. Q5(c)(iii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 3

    3 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 3, question 5(c)(iii): Rhiannon’s speed; [3]

  6. Q5(c)(iv)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 3, question 5(c)(iv): the period of motion. [2]

  7. Q2(a)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 3, question 2(a): Explain what is meant by ‘centripetal acceleration’. [2]

  8. Q2(b)(i)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 3, question 2(b)(i): The Earth has a radius of approximately 6370 km and rotates about its axis once each day. A student stands at the equator. Show that the angular velocity of the

  9. Q2(b)(ii)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 3, question 2(b)(ii): Determine the centripetal acceleration of the student. [2]

  10. Q2(b)(iii)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 3

    4 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 3, question 2(b)(iii): I. Determine the speed of the student around the circular path. [2] II. The student says, “this is a very high speed so my answer must be incorrect as I would f

  11. Q2(a)

    Summer 2023 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2023 Unit 3, question 2(a): Explain what is meant by centripetal force and state its direction. [2]

  12. Q2(b)(i)

    Summer 2023 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2023 Unit 3, question 2(b)(i): Show that the speed of the sphere is 3.35 m s–1. [2]

  13. Q2(b)(ii)

    Summer 2023 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2023 Unit 3, question 2(b)(ii): Calculate the centripetal force on the sphere. [2]

  14. Q2(c)

    Summer 2023 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2023 Unit 3, question 2(c): The sphere now rotates in a vertical circle of the same radius, from a point that is 1.20 m above the ground. The speed at the top of the circle is 3.35 m s–1.

  15. Q4(a)

    Summer 2022 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2022 Unit 3, question 4(a): Explain what is meant by the term radian. [2]

  16. Q4(b)

    Summer 2022 · Unit 3

    3 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2022 Unit 3, question 4(b): [3]

  17. Q2(a)

    Summer 2019 · Unit 3

    1 mark3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2019 Unit 3, question 2(a): A fairground ride consists of a large empty cylinder of radius 2.80 m with its axis of rotation vertical. A person of mass 66.2 kg walks into the cylinder and s

  18. Q2(b)(i)

    Summer 2019 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2019 Unit 3, question 2(b)(i): the period of rotation, T; [2]

  19. Q2(b)(ii)

    Summer 2019 · Unit 3

    2 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2019 Unit 3, question 2(b)(ii): the speed, v, at which the person is moving in the circle. [2]

  20. Q2(c)

    Summer 2019 · Unit 3

    4 marks3.1 Circular motion
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2019 Unit 3, question 2(c): of the person, and the frictional force, F, from the wall. These are shown in the student’s diagram. Explain why the values of N and F are approximately 2 600 N
All 32 questions on Circular motion, as a list
  1. Summer 2025, Unit 3, Q5(a) (2 marks): Explaining your reasoning, show that the tension, T, in the cable is given by: T cos θ = mg [2]
  2. Summer 2025, Unit 3, Q5(b) (1 mark): The distance between the top of the cable and Rhiannon’s centre of mass is 3.0 m. Explain why the radius of Rhiannon’s circular path is given by: r = 2.5 + 3.0
  3. Summer 2025, Unit 3, Q5(c)(i) (2 marks): the angle θ; [2]
  4. Summer 2025, Unit 3, Q5(c)(ii) (1 mark): the radius of Rhiannon’s circular path; [1]
  5. Summer 2025, Unit 3, Q5(c)(iii) (3 marks): Rhiannon’s speed; [3]
  6. Summer 2025, Unit 3, Q5(c)(iv) (2 marks): the period of motion. [2]
  7. Summer 2024, Unit 3, Q2(a) (2 marks): Explain what is meant by ‘centripetal acceleration’. [2]
  8. Summer 2024, Unit 3, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): The Earth has a radius of approximately 6370 km and rotates about its axis once each day. A student stands at the equator. Show that the angular velocity of the
  9. Summer 2024, Unit 3, Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): Determine the centripetal acceleration of the student. [2]
  10. Summer 2024, Unit 3, Q2(b)(iii) (4 marks): I. Determine the speed of the student around the circular path. [2] II. The student says, “this is a very high speed so my answer must be incorrect as I would f
  11. Summer 2023, Unit 3, Q2(a) (2 marks): Explain what is meant by centripetal force and state its direction. [2]
  12. Summer 2023, Unit 3, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): Show that the speed of the sphere is 3.35 m s–1. [2]
  13. Summer 2023, Unit 3, Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the centripetal force on the sphere. [2]
  14. Summer 2023, Unit 3, Q2(c) (2 marks): The sphere now rotates in a vertical circle of the same radius, from a point that is 1.20 m above the ground. The speed at the top of the circle is 3.35 m s–1.
  15. Summer 2022, Unit 3, Q4(a) (2 marks): Explain what is meant by the term radian. [2]
  16. Summer 2022, Unit 3, Q4(b) (3 marks): [3]
  17. Summer 2019, Unit 3, Q2(a) (1 mark): A fairground ride consists of a large empty cylinder of radius 2.80 m with its axis of rotation vertical. A person of mass 66.2 kg walks into the cylinder and s
  18. Summer 2019, Unit 3, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): the period of rotation, T; [2]
  19. Summer 2019, Unit 3, Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): the speed, v, at which the person is moving in the circle. [2]
  20. Summer 2019, Unit 3, Q2(c) (4 marks): of the person, and the frictional force, F, from the wall. These are shown in the student’s diagram. Explain why the values of N and F are approximately 2 600 N
  21. Summer 2019, Unit 3, Q2(d)(i) (2 marks): Show that the person does not slide down the wall provided that μ is larger than approximately 0.25. [2]
  22. Summer 2019, Unit 3, Q2(d)(ii) (4 marks): A student says that as the cylinder slows down the floor will need to be raised to support the person when the angular velocity reduces below a certain value. J
  23. Summer 2018, Unit 3, Q1 (9 marks): (a) A car travels at a constant speed of 45.0 km h–1 around a curve in the road with a radius 1 of 80 m. (i) Explain why the car is accelerating. [2] Calculate
  24. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q5(a) (1 mark): Show that the speed, v, of mass P for each measurement is given by: 2›R v = where T is the period of rotation. [1] T
  25. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q5(b) (4 marks): Complete the table. [4] v / m s–1 v2 / m2 s–2 R / m Time for 10 rotations / s Period T / s 0.50 4.7 0.60 5.2 0.70 5.6 0.80 6.0 0.90 6.3
  26. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q5(c)(i) (2 marks): Assuming that OP is horizontal, write an equation relating the centripetal force to v and R. [2]
  27. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q5(c)(ii) (3 marks): Hence, by using the equation for the forces acting on mass Q, show that: v2 = 9g R where g is the acceleration due to gravity. [3]
  28. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q5(d)(i) (4 marks): [4]
  29. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q5(d)(ii) (3 marks): Determine a value for g. [3]
  30. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q5(d)(iii) (1 mark): Suggest a way in which the experiment can be improved. [1]
  31. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q7(e)(i) (3 marks): Doppler shift measurements are obtained for a gas disk orbiting a black hole. The orbital velocity of gas around the black hole is measured as 410 km s–1 and th
  32. Summer 2017, Unit 3, Q7(e)(ii) (4 marks): ± 10% and its distance from Earth is measured as 1.53 × 1023 m ± 10%. Evaluate whether or not these values are consistent with your calculation in part (e)(i).

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