The Physics Question Bank

Hints for every question on the June 2023 GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy Physics Paper 1 Foundation (8464/P/1F). Get the paper from AQA’s GCSE Combined Science page (Filter → Question papers → June 2023 → pick Physics Paper 1F). The hints tell you which equation to use and what to watch out for – but not the answer. Try each question first, and only open a hint if you’re stuck. ← All past papers

Question 1 – Radioactive isotopes (11 marks)

💡 Show hints for Question 1

• 01.1 A helium nucleus – 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Which type of radiation is that?
• 01.2 The bottom number is the atomic number – it tells you the number of protons.
• 01.3 The bottom numbers must balance on both sides: 84 = X + 2.
• 01.4 After one half-life, the activity has halved.
• 01.5 Count-rate = number of counts ÷ time in seconds. Unit: counts per second.
• 01.6 Gamma is very penetrating, but a thick sheet of lead absorbs some of it. Will the count-rate go up or down? Give the reason too.
• 01.7 Irradiation does NOT make things radioactive and does NOT add atoms. What does it actually mean?
• 01.8 Gamma is part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• 01.9 Radiation gets weaker further away from the source. What do long tongs do to the distance between the source and the scientist?

Question 2 – Zip wire (9 marks)

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• 02.1 The person goes down – what happens to their height?
• 02.2 The person accelerates – what happens to their speed?
• 02.3 The equation is given: GPE = mass × gravitational field strength × height. Multiply all three. Unit: joules (J).
• 02.4 The equation is given: KE = 0.5 × mass × speed². Square the speed FIRST (4.8 × 4.8), then multiply.
• 02.5 Energy can never be destroyed or created. So where does it go?
• 02.6 Oiling reduces friction. With less friction, less energy is wasted – so what happens to the person’s speed? Give the effect AND the reason.

Question 3 – Heating and melting steel (14 marks)

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• 03.1 The equation is given: ΔE = mass × specific heat capacity × temperature change. Multiply all three. Unit: J.
• 03.2 Internal energy is the total of two types of energy that particles have. Which option says that?
• 03.3 Why can’t solid particles flow past each other?
• 03.4 Melting doesn’t add or remove any particles.
• 03.5 Solid = neat rows, touching. Liquid = still touching, but jumbled up.
• 03.6 Lower density means the same mass takes up more space. So are the particles closer or further apart?
• 03.7 Melting can be reversed – the material is still steel.
• 03.8 (3 marks) Table 1 is for 1.0 kg of steel. Divide 18 g by 4.0 to find the mass of carbon in 1.0 kg. Then match your answer to the table – show the calculation.
• 03.9 Find E = m L on the equation sheet, so L = E ÷ m. Unit: J/kg.

Question 4 – Greenhouse thermistor (13 marks)

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• 04.1 Resistance goes down when temperature goes up – that’s a thermistor. Learn its symbol (a resistor box with a line through it).
• 04.2 Current is the rate of flow of something. What is it?
• 04.3 (4 marks) Plan the steps: put the component (and a thermometer) in water; change the temperature (e.g. heat the water); at each temperature record the temperature and the reading on the resistance meter; repeat for a range of temperatures.
• 04.4 Is the line on Figure 5 straight or curved? Directly proportional needs a straight line through the origin.
• 04.5 Read the resistance at 10 °C and at 30 °C from Figure 5, then subtract. Check the scale on the axis carefully.
• 04.6 Copy it from the equation sheet: power = potential difference × current.
• 04.7 Use P = V I, so I = P ÷ V. Unit: amps (A).

Question 5 – Wind and solar power (8 marks)

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• 05.1 Renewable = will never run out. Gas and nuclear fuel will run out.
• 05.2 Giga means 1 000 000 000 – that’s 10 to the power of what?
• 05.3 (6 marks) Two parts. Figure 6 (2014–2019): what happened to the power from solar and from wind? Quote numbers from the graph. Suggest why (e.g. more turbines or panels built). Did wind power ever go down from one year to the next? Suggest a reason for that too. Figure 7 (a typical year): in which months is solar highest and lowest – and why (hours of sunlight)? When is wind highest – and why (windier seasons)? Use data from both graphs.

Question 6 – Body analysis scales (15 marks)

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• 06.1 A voltmeter always goes in parallel. To measure the total, connect it across both resistors together.
• 06.2 In a parallel circuit, adding a resistor makes the total resistance smaller. Compare 26 Ω with the 20 Ω resistor.
• 06.3 Copy it from the equation sheet: V = I R.
• 06.4 Use V = I × R. ⚠️ Convert mA to A first (÷ 1000).
• 06.5 Label each axis with the column heading and the unit (ohms). Plot the two missing points with neat crosses. The points make a curve, so draw one smooth curve.
• 06.6 Find 4.4 Ω on the total-resistance axis, go across to your line, then down (or up) to read R.
• 06.7 The readings change in an unpredictable way each time. What kind of error is that?
• 06.8 (3 marks) Use Figure 11 at 600 kΩ to read the body water percentage for category A and for category B. Check each value against the healthy range (45–65%). Then conclude for each category – the answer depends on which category the student is in.

✅ Finished? Mark your paper with the mark scheme, then read the examiners’ report for the questions you found hardest. Find both on AQA’s GCSE Combined Science page (Filter → June 2023).