Cambridge O Level · 5054 · Paper 2 · Theory
Physics 5054/21 May/June 2023 past paper
Cambridge O Level Physics (5054) Paper 2 (Theory), variant 1, May/June 2023: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 11 questions worth 80 marks, with the grade thresholds. Free to open, no account needed.
- Questions
- 11
- Marks
- 80
- Grade A from
- 45
File names: 5054_s23_qp_21 · 5054_s23_ms_21
Grade thresholds for 5054/21 May/June 2023
The minimum raw marks Cambridge set for each grade on this component (out of 80). Thresholds change every session and variant, so always compare your score with the paper you actually sat.
| A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 35 | 24 | 19 | 15 |
Topics in this paper
Which syllabus chapters 5054/21 May/June 2023 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.
Questions in 5054/21 May/June 2023
- Question 1
An aircraft pulls a glider along a runway as shown in Fig. 1.1. glider aircraft runway Fig. 1.1 Fig. 1.2 shows the speed of the glider during the first 12 s of the motion. …
- Question 2
In a safety test, a car of mass 1100 kg travels at a speed of …
- Question 3
Fig. 3.1 shows a circuit containing three resistors, …
- Question 4
(a) A student pushes a drawing pin into a wooden board, as shown in Fig. 4.1. finger drawing pin wooden board Fig. 4.1 The area of the pin in contact with the finger is …
- Question 5
Fig. 5.1 shows the particles (molecules) in a sample of liquid water. Fig. 5.1 (a) Explain, using ideas about particles, why liquids expand more than solids for the same temperature rise. (b) The boiling point of water is …
- Question 6
The virtual reality headset in Fig. 6.1 contains a display and a lens, as shown in Fig. 6.2. display virtual reality headset Fig. 6.1 display lens eye Fig. 6.2 (not to scale) The display is the object for the lens. …
- Question 7
A water wave in a ripple tank diffracts as it passes through the gap in a barrier. Fig. 7.1 shows a drawing made by a student of the crests in the pattern. Fig. 7.1 (a) State one way in which …
- Question 8
A filament lamp is arranged above a shiny metal surface, as shown in Fig. 8.1. shiny metal surface filament lamp Fig. 8.1 A student reads in a textbook that a light-emitting diode (LED) is more efficient than a filament lamp. …
- Question 9
Fig. 9.1 shows a simple a.c. generator. N S coil slip rings voltage output coil A B brush Fig. 9.1 (a) Explain why there is a voltage induced in the coil when the coil is turned. (b) In Fig. 9.1 …
- Question 10
Carbon-14 is an isotope of carbon. It undergoes radioactive decay with a half-life of 6000 years. The age of a sample of wood is found using the carbon-14 that it contains. (a) Describe what happens during radioactive decay. (b) The …
- Question 11
Table 11.1 shows details about eight planets in the solar system, their average distance from the Sun, their orbital period and their average surface temperature. Table 11.1 planet distance from the Sun / km orbital period / s average surface …
Other Physics papers from May/June 2023
- 5054/11 Multiple choice
- 5054/12 Multiple choice
- 5054/22 Theory
- 5054/41 Alternative to Practical
- 5054/42 Alternative to Practical