Physics

Higher level
Paper 1

Thursday 3 November 2022 (afternoon)

1 hour

Instructions to candidates
y Do not open this examination paper until instructed to do so.
y Answer all the questions.
y For each question, choose the answer you consider to be the best and indicate your choice on
the answer sheet provided.
y A clean copy of the physics data booklet is required for this paper.
y The maximum mark for this examination paper is [40 marks].

8822 – 6501
21 pages © International Baccalaureate Organization 2022
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1. What is the definition of the SI unit for a force?

A. The force required to accelerate, in the direction of the force, a mass of 1 kg at 1 m s-2

B. The force required to accelerate, in the direction of the force, a mass at 1 m s-2

C. The weight of a mass of 0.1 kg

D. The change in momentum per second

2. A rectangular sheet of paper has dimensions of (30.0 ± 0.5) cm and (20.0 ± 0.5) cm.

What is the percentage uncertainty of the perimeter of the paper?

A. 1%

B. 2%

C. 2.5 %

D. 4%

3. Two forces, F and G, act on a system.

F is reversed in direction and G is halved.

Which vector correctly represents the new resultant force?

A. B.

C. D.
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4. Ball 1 is dropped from rest from an initial height h. At the same instant, ball 2 is launched vertically
upwards at an initial velocity u.

height
h
ball 1

ball 2

0,0 t time

At what time are both balls at the same distance above the ground?

h
A.
4u

h
B.
2u

h
C.
u

2h
D.
u

5. The diagram shows the trajectory of a projectile and the velocity v of the projectile at point P in its
trajectory. P is located before the projectile reaches the peak altitude. Air resistance acts on the
projectile. The acceleration of the projectile at P is a.

What are the magnitudes of the horizontal component and the vertical component of the
acceleration of the projectile at P?

Horizontal component of a Vertical component of a

A. zero greater than 9.8 m s-2

B. non-zero greater than 9.8 m s-2

C. zero 9.8 m s-2

D. non-zero 9.8 m s-2

Turn over
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6. An object of mass 2.0 kg is on a horizontal surface. The object is pulled by a force of 12.0 N and
accelerates at 2.0 m s-2.

What is the coefficient of dynamic friction between the object and the surface?

12.0 N
2.0 kg

A. 0.3

B. 0.4

C. 0.6

D. 0.8

7. A person lifts a total mass of 20 kg through a vertical distance of 0.60 m. The person repeats
the lift n times to transfer a total energy of 6.0 × 104 J.

What is n?

A. 5

B. 50

C. 500

D. 5000

8. An engine is exerting a horizontal force F on an object that is moving along a horizontal surface at
a constant velocity v. The mass of the object is m and the coefficient of dynamic friction between
the object and the surface is µ.

What is the power of the engine?

Fv
A.


B. µFv

mgv
C.


D. µmgv
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9. A model rocket is launched from rest. The graph shows the variation with time t of the net force F
applied on the rocket. The average mass of the rocket is 0.20 kg.

F/N

20.0

10.0

0 0.50 1.50 t/s

What is the maximum velocity reached by the rocket?

A. 3.0 m s-1

B. 25 m s-1

C. 75 m s-1

D. 150 m s-1

10. Three samples of the same liquid are mixed in an insulated container. The masses and initial
temperatures of the samples are:

Mass Initial temperature/°C

Sample 1 2M 60

Sample 2 2M 30

Sample 3 M 0

What is the equilibrium temperature of the mixture?

A. 45 °C

B. 36 °C

C. 30 °C

D. 24 °C

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12
11. Gases in the atmosphere are compounds of 6 C, 11H, 16
8 O and 14
7 N.

Four of these gases are CO2 , N2O, CH4 and H2O. A pure sample of each gas is produced. Each
sample has the same mass.

Which sample contains the greatest number of molecules?

A. N 2O

B. H 2O

C. CO2

D. CH4

12. Three statements about Boltzmann’s constant kB are:

I. kB has a unit of J K-1

gas constant
II. kB =
Avogadro's constant
the average kinetic energy of particles
III. kB =
temperature of the gas
Which statements are correct?

A. I and II only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II and III

13. An object oscillates at the free end of a vertical spring. The graph shows the variation of the
object’s position with time.

At which position does the object have zero velocity and a negative acceleration?

position

A.

B. D.
time

C.
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14. A sound wave travels through a gas at a speed of 270 m s-1. The graph shows the variation of the
displacement s of the gas particles with distance d from the source.

s / mm
0.4

0.2

0 d/m
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
−0.2

−0.4

What is the frequency of the wave?

A. 180 Hz

B. 360 Hz

C. 450 Hz

D. 900 Hz

15. A point source emits a sound wave of amplitude Z. A person stands a distance L from the source.
The amplitude is changed to 2Z.

What distance must the person move through in order to hear the original intensity again?

A. L

B. 2L

C. 3L

D. 7L

Turn over
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16. Two copper wires of equal lengths but different diameters are used to connect a cell to a load.
Wire 1 has a diameter M, wire 2 has a diameter 2M. The electron drift velocities in wires 1 and 2
are v1 and v2.

v2
What is ?
v1

A. 4

B. 2

1
C.
2
1
D.
4

17. A cell of negligible internal resistance is connected to three identical resistors. The current in the
cell is 3.0 A.

The resistors are now arranged in series.

What is the new current in the cell?

A. 1.0 A

B. 1.5 A

C. 3.0 A

D. 9.0 A
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19. Two masses M and m are connected by a string that runs without friction through a stationary tube.
Mass m rotates at constant speed in a horizontal circle of radius 0.25 m. The weight of M provides
the centripetal force for the motion of m. The time period for the rotation of m is 0.50 s.

mass of M
What is ?
mass of m
A. 1

B. 2

C. 4

D. 8
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20. The centre of the Earth and the Moon are a distance D apart. There is a point X between them
where their gravitational fields cancel out. The distance from the centre of the Earth to X is d. The
mass of the Earth is ME and the mass of the Moon is MM.

Earth
X Moon
d

What is correct at X?

ME MM
A. =
d D−d

ME M
B. = M
D−d d

ME MM
C. =
(D − d )
2 2
d

ME M
D. 2
= 2 M 2
d D −d

21. The unified atomic mass unit, u, is a non-SI unit usually used by scientists to state atomic masses.

What is u?

A. It is the mean of the masses of a proton and a neutron.

B. It is the mean of the masses of protons and neutrons in all chemical elements.

1 16
C. It is the mass of an 8 O atom.
16
1 12
D. It is the mass of a 6 C atom.
12

22. The nuclide uranium-237 follows a sequence of three decays to produce the nuclide uranium-233.

What is a possible sequence for these decays?

A. Beta plus, alpha, beta plus

B. Beta minus, alpha, beta minus

C. Alpha, beta plus, beta minus

D. Alpha, beta minus, beta plus

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26. The electromagnetic spectrum radiated by a black body at temperature T shows a peak at
wavelength λ p.

What is the variation of λ p with T ?

A. λp B. λp

0 0
0 T 0 T

C. λp D. λp

0 0
0 T 0 T

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29. An ambulance emitting a sound of frequency f is moving towards a point X at a velocity of

40 m s−1
20 m s−1

The speed of sound is v.

What is the frequency detected in the car?

f
(v − 20 )
A.
(v − 40 )
v
B. f
(v − 20 )

f
(v + 20 )
C.
(v + 40 )

f
(v + 20 )
D.
(v − 40 )

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31. An electric field is established between two electrodes separated by distance d, held at a potential
difference of V. A charged particle in this field experiences a force F.

What is the charge on the particle?

d
A.
FV

FV
B.
d

V
C.
Fd

Fd
D.
V

32. Two satellites are in circular orbits around the Earth. Both satellites have the same mass and
satellite X is closer to Earth than satellite Y.

What is correct for the orbital periods of X and Y and the total energies of X and Y?

Orbital periods Total energies

A. X greater than Y X greater than Y

B. X greater than Y Y greater than X

C. Y greater than X X greater than Y

D. Y greater than X Y greater than X

Turn over