PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS

TOPIC-1 Measurement

PAPER-1 Multiple Choice

1- Vernier calipers read to one tenth of a millimetre. Which reading shows this precision?
A 3.3 cm B 3.31 cm C 3.310 cm D 3.312 cm

2- The diagram shows a micrometer scale.

Which reading is shown?
A 5.64 mm B 7.14 mm C 7.16 mm D 7.64mm

[Nov-2002]

3- The diagram shows part of a vernier scale.

What is the reading on the vernier scale?
A 6.50 cm
B 6.55 cm
C 7.00 cm
D 7.45 cm [May-2003] / [May-2006]

4- One oscillation of a swinging pendulum occurs when the bob

moves from X to Y and back to X again.Using a stopwatch, which
would be the most accurate way to measure the time for one
oscillation of the pendulum?
A Time 20 oscillations and multiply by 20.
B Time 20 oscillations and divide by 20.
C Time one oscillation.
D Time the motion from X to Y, and double it. [Nov-2003]

5- A student has been asked to determine, as accurately as possible, the volume of a piece of wire.The wire
is about 80 cm long and about 0.2 cm in diameter.
Which measuring instruments should the student use?

length diameter
A metre rule micrometer
B metre rule vernier callipers
C micrometer vernier callipers
D vernier callipers micrometer
[May-2004]

6- The diagram shows part of a vernier scale.

What is the correct reading?
A 30.5 mm B 33.5 mm C 38.0 mm D 42.5 mm

[Nov-2004]
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Measurement

7- Which instrument is used to measure the internal diameter of a pipe with a single measurement?
A manometer
B measuring cylinder
C micrometer
D vernier calipers [May-2005]

8- The diagram shows a vernier V placed against a scale S.

What is the vernier reading?

A 2.23 B 2.26 C 2.33 D 2.36 [Nov-2005]

9- The diagram shows one method of measuring the diameter of a beaker.

What is the diameter of the beaker?

A 4.5 cm B 5.0 cm C 5.5 cm D 8.0 cm [Nov-2006]

10- The diagram shows a strip of paper tape that has been pulled under a vibrating arm by an object
moving at constant speed. The arm was vibrating regularly, making 50 dots per second.

What was the speed of the object?

A 2.0 cm / s B 5.0 cm / s C 100 cm / s D 200 cm / s
[Nov-2006]

11- The width of a wooden block is measured using vernier

calipers.

What is the width of the block?

A 3.5 mm B 5.3 mm C 8.0 mm D 8.5 mm
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Measurement

[May-2007]

12- In an experiment, a ball is rolled down a curved track that

is about half a metre long.

Which measuring device should be used to measure the length

accurately?
A metre rule
B micrometer
C tape measure
D vernier calipers [Nov-2007]

13- What is the reading on this micrometer?

A 5.43mm B 6.63mm C 7.30mm D 8.13mm

[May-2008]

14- Which instrument is most easily used to measure the internal diameter of a pipe?
A manometer B measuring cylinder C micrometer D vernier calipers [May-2009]

15-A manufacturer needs to measure accurately the dimensions of a wooden floor tile. The approximate
dimensions of the tile are shown. Which instruments measure each of these dimensions accurately?

length thickness width

A metre rule micrometer vernier calipers
B metre rule vernier calipers micrometer
C micrometer metre rule vernier calipers
D vernier calipers micrometer metre rule

16- Vernier calipers read to one tenth of a millimetre. Which reading shows this precision?

A 3.3 cm B 3.31 cm C 3.310 cm D 3.312 cm [Nov-2009]

 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Measurement

17- Power is measured in watts. What is the correct symbol for millions of watts?
A mw B mW C Mw D MW [May-2010]

18- Vernier calipers are shown with the jaws closed.

What is the zero error?

A 0.04cm B 0.05cm C 0.14cm D 0.15cm [Nov-2010]

PAPER-2 Theory

PAPER-4 Alternative to Practical

 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Mass, Weight, Density and Volume

PAPER-1 Multiple Choice

1- In a laboratory on Earth, balances show that an object has a mass of 2 kg and a weight of 20 N.
The same balances and object are then taken to the Moon, where the gravitational field strength is
less than on the Earth.
Are the mass and weight of the object the same, or less, than before?

mass weight
A less less
B less same
C same less
D same same

2- A student does an experiment to estimate the density of an irregularly-shaped stone.

Which items of equipment are needed?
A a balance and a measuring cylinder containing water
B a balance and a ruler
C a ruler and a measuring cylinder containing water
D only a measuring cylinder containing water [May-2007]

3- The diagram shows a material with dimensions 5 cm 4cm 2 cm.

It has a mass of 100 g.What is the density of the material?
A 0.40 g / cm3 B 2.5 g / cm3
C 5.0 g / cm3 D 10 g / cm3 [Nov-2002]

4- On the Earth, the gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg. On the

Moon, the gravitational field strength is 1.6 N/kg.
If an object has a weight of 50 N on Earth, what is its weight on the Moon?
A 1.6N B 5.0N C 8.0N D 80N [May-2003]

5- Ten identical steel balls, each of mass 27 g, are immersed in a measuring cylinder containing
20 cm3 of water.The reading of the water level rises to 50 cm3.What is the density of the steel?
A 0.90 g/cm3 B 8.1 g/cm3 C 9.0 g/cm3 D 13.5 g/cm3 [May-2003]

6- A box X full of large granite rocks is weighed. An identical

box Y full of small granite chippings is then weighed.
Which box weighs more and why? [Nov-2003]

heavier box reason

A X there is more air in box X
B X the density of a chipping is less than a rock
C Y there is less air in box Y
D Y the density of a chipping is greater than a
rock
[Nov-2003]
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Mass, Weight, Density and Volume

7- Which relationship defines gravitational field strength?

A mass x 10 B mass x weight C mass / weight D weight / mass [May-2004]

8- A measuring cylinder containing some water stands on a scale pan. A solid ball is lowered into
the water.The water level rises from the 30 cm3 mark to the 40 cm3 mark.
The scale reading increases from 100 g to 180 g.

What is the density of the material of the ball?

A 2.0 g / cm3 B 4.5 g / cm3 C 8.0 g / cm3 D 18 g / cm3 [May-2004]

9-A stone is weighed using a newtonmeter (spring

balance) and a pair of scales (pan balance).
This experiment is repeated on the Moon.
Are the readings for each balance the same or
different when taken on Earth and on the Moon?

reading on reading
newtonmeter on scales
A different different
B different same
C same different
D same same
[Nov-2004]

10- Four blocks, each made from a different material, are placed on scales and balanced as shown in
the diagrams below.
In which diagram does the block have the greatest density? A [Nov-2004]
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Mass, Weight, Density and Volume

11- At a point on the surface of the Earth, the gravitational field strength is 9.8 N / kg.
Which pair of values for mass and weight are correct for an object placed at this point?
mass / kg weight / N
A 9.8 10
B 10 9.8
C 10 98
D 98 10
[May-2005]
12- Some students measure the masses and the volumes of different sized samples of a type of
wood.Which graph shows their results? B

13- An object that has a mass of 15 kg on the Earth is taken to the Moon.
The gravitational field strength on the Earth is 10 N / kg and on the Moon is 1.6 N / kg.
What are the mass and the weight of the object on the Moon?

mass / kg weight / N
A 15 24
B 15 150
C 24 15
D 150 24
[Nov-2005]

14- A student is trying to find the density of a stone, but he has mixed up the instruction cards.
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Mass, Weight, Density and Volume

What order should the cards be in?

A 5 3 6 2 1 4 7
B1536274
C5632174
D1453627 [Nov-2005]

15- The inertia of a body is its resistance to changes in motion.Which property is a measure of the bodys
inertia?

A its density B its mass C the height of its sides D the size of its base [May-2006]

16- An object of mass 100 g is immersed in water as shown in the

diagram.

What is the density of the material from which the object is made?

A 0.4 g / cm3 B 0.9 g / cm3 C 1.1 g / cm3 D 2.5 g / cm3

[May-2006]

17- Three objects are cut from the same sheet of steel. They are different shapes but they all have
the same mass.

Which object has the greatest density?

A the disc B the L-shape C the square D they all have the same density [Nov-2006]
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Mass, Weight, Density and Volume

18- A body of mass 10 kg falling freely in the gravitational field close to the Moons surface has an
acceleration of 1.6 m/s2. What is the gravitational field strength on the Moon?
A 0 N / kg B 1.6 N / kg C 10 N / kg D 16 N / kg [Nov-2007]

19- A lump of metal has a mass of 210 g. It is lowered into a

measuring cylinder containing water. The level of the water rises from
35cm3 to 140cm3.

What is the density of the metal?

A 0.67g/ cm3 B 1.5g/ cm3 C 2.0g/ cm3 D 6.0g/ cm3

[May-2008]

20- A measuring cylinder contains 118 cm3 of water. When a small object is fully immersed in the water, the
reading goes up to 144cm3. The object has a mass of 42g. What is the density of the object?
A 42/26 g/cm3 B 26/42 g/cm3 C 118/42 g/cm3 D 42/144 g/cm3
[May-2009]

21- The diagram shows two objects on a beam balance in equilibrium.

Which need not be the same?

A the masses of the two objects B the moments about the pivot of the two objects
C the volumes of the two objects D the weights of the two objects
[Nov-2008]

22- The mass of a measuring cylinder is measured before and after pouring a liquid into it.

What is the density of the liquid?

A 0.79g/ cm3 B 1.3g/ cm3 C 1.4g/ cm3 D 2.2g/ cm3 [Nov-2008]
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-1 Mass, Weight, Density and Volume

23- A room measures 4.0 m 3.0 m 2.0 m. The density of the air in the room is 1.3 kg/m3. What is the
mass of air in the room?
A 0.054 kg B 18 kg C 24 kg D 31 kg [Nov-2009]

24- A passenger is sitting in an aeroplane, which takes off and climbs to 10 000m. During this time, what
happens to the mass and to the weight of the passenger?
mass weight
A decreases decreases
B increases increases
C unchanged decreases
D unchanged increases
[May-2010]

25- A person of weight 600 N at the bottom of a mountain climbs to the top. The gravitational field
strength changes from 10.00N/ kg at the bottom to 9.97N/ kg at the top. His mass is unchanged as he
climbs.
What are his mass and his weight at the top of the mountain?
mass at top of mountain/ kg weight at top of mountain/N
A 60.0 598
B 60.0 600
C 60.1 598
D 60.1 600
[Nov-2010]

26- A box has an internal volume of 1000 cm3. When a solid object is placed in the closed box, the volume
of air in the box is 520cm3. The density of the object is 8.00g/ cm3.

What is the mass of the object?

A 60.0g B 3840g C 4160g D 8000g [Nov-2010]