4PH1/2P — June 2026 (Edexcel IGCSE Physics): Past Paper

A student investigates the specific heat capacity of a material. The diagram shows some of the apparatus they use in their investigation. power supply A V lid container material heater thermometer This is the student’s method. Step 1 measure the mass of the material Step 2 measure the initial temperature of the material Step 3 switch on the heater Step 4 measure the current and voltage of the heater Step 5 allow the material to increase in temperature for two minutes Step 6 switch off the heater

Give two other pieces of apparatus the student needs for the investigation. 1 2

The graph shows the student’s results. Temperature in C 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Time in seconds

What is the temperature change 80 seconds after the start of the investigation?

The power supply provides a current of 3.9 A and a voltage of 12 V to the heater. Calculate the energy transferred to the material in the first 80 seconds. energy transferred = J

The material has a mass of 0.29 kg. Calculate the specific heat capacity of the material. specific heat capacity = J/kg °C

This question is about moments.

Diagram 1 shows some forces acting on a vertical beam. The beam is in equilibrium. 3200 N pivot point 4.8 m 0.61 m F Diagram 1

Calculate the moment of the 3200 N force. Give the unit. moment = unit

State the magnitude and the direction of the moment provided by force F. magnitude = direction =

The beam now rests on two supports. Diagram 2 shows the forces acting on the beam. upward force A upward force B A B weight of beam Diagram 2 The upward force on the beam from each support point is half of the weight of the beam. Explain how the upward forces at point A and point B change • when a person stands on the beam at point A • as the person walks along the beam from point A to point B Refer to ideas about moments in your answer.

This question is about magnets.

Describe the construction of an electromagnet. You may draw a diagram to help your answer.

Diagram 1 shows a metal bar placed near an electromagnet. When the electromagnet is switched on, the metal bar becomes a magnet and experiences an attractive force. S electromagnet N metal bar Diagram 1

Deduce which end of the metal bar is a north pole.

Draw four magnetic field lines on diagram 1 to show • the field around the electromagnet • the field between the electromagnet and the metal bar

The diagram shows a nuclear fission reactor. shielding control rod coolant out moderator reactor vessel fuel rod coolant in

The fission reactor is used in a power station to generate electricity on a large scale. Describe how energy transfers cause changes in the energy stores in a nuclear fission power station.

In a nuclear power station, the reactor is shielded in concrete. Explain why a worker in a power station might still need to take safety precautions.

State the formula linking efficiency, useful output energy and total output energy.

In the power station, the fission of 1.0 kg of uranium-235 fuel gives a power output of 2.4 ×10¹⁰ W for 3600 seconds. 3.2 × 10¹³ J of the energy is transferred usefully to the National Grid. Calculate the efficiency of the power station. Give your answer as a percentage. efficiency = %

No printed figure accompanies this part — in the paper you would draw the diagram (or label the apparatus) in the answer space provided.

A student investigates the forces acting on two balloons, X and Y, when they are charged by friction. Diagram 1 shows these balloons at the start of the investigation when they are uncharged. The balloons are attached by strings to a beam. Not to scale X Y Diagram 1

Diagram 2 shows the two balloons after the student has rubbed them together and then separated them. Not to scale X Y Diagram 2 Balloon X and balloon Y attract each other. Describe how balloon X and balloon Y have become charged.

The student changes the distance between the two balloons and measures the force of attraction between them. The graph shows the student’s results. Force in mN 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 Distance in cm The student suggests that the distance between the two balloons and the force of attraction between the two balloons obey this relationship (distance)² × force = constant Use data from the graph to determine if the results from the investigation support this relationship.

A student uses a sound generator to investigate the highest frequency of sound that different animals can hear.

What is the accepted range of human hearing?

Describe how the student could use an oscilloscope and a microphone to measure the time period of a sound wave.

The diagram shows the oscilloscope trace. Oscilloscope settings: y-direction: 1 square = 50 mV x-direction: 1 square = 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ s Determine the frequency of the sound wave. frequency = Hz

The table shows the student’s results for some animals. Highest frequency heard Animal in kHz cat 64 dog 45 cow 35 horse 32

Plot a bar chart of the student’s results on the grid.

Discuss why a bar chart is a more appropriate choice than a scatter graph for the student’s results.

This question is about the spectrum produced by light from stars.

Explain how the redshift of light from galaxies provides evidence for the Big Bang theory of the universe.

The diagram shows the spectrum of light from a star and from a hydrogen lamp on Earth. hydrogen lamp on Earth wavelength 410 434 486 656 star wavelength 406 430 481 649 All wavelengths are in nanometres. A student suggests that the star appears red because it is moving away from the Earth at 1% of the speed of light. Use data from the diagram to evaluate the student’s suggestion. [speed of light = 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s]

This question is about the Doppler effect.

Diagram 1 shows wavefronts of sound waves from a car as experienced by an observer. car observer Diagram 1

Which direction is the car travelling?

Explain why the frequency of the sound heard by the observer is higher than the frequency of the sound heard by the car driver.

Diagram 2 shows a spacecraft directly below the International Space Station (ISS). direction of travel ISS spacecraft Diagram 2 When radio signals pass between the ISS and the spacecraft, there is no Doppler effect. Explain why there is no Doppler effect in radio signals between the ISS and the spacecraft even though both are in orbit around the Earth and travelling very quickly.

Diagram 3 shows the spacecraft now moving upwards towards the ISS. ISS 0.18 m/s Diagram 3 The spacecraft moves towards the ISS with an upward velocity of 0.18 m/s. The mass of the spacecraft is 12 000 kg and the mass of the ISS is 420 000 kg. When the spacecraft touches the ISS, they move upwards together. Calculate the upward velocity of the combined object. upward velocity = m/s