Practice Paper 1B | SL IB Physics Practice Paper Questions 2025

2 marks

A group of students investigate the circular motion of a small coin on a horizontal turntable. The turntable is connected to a driver unit which rotates it at a constant rate.

ib-practice-paper-1b-set-b-question-1a1

The group measures the distance $r$ between the centre of the turntable and the centre of the coin with a metre rule as shown.

ib-practice-paper-1b-set-b-question-1a

Show that the percentage uncertainty in the value of $r$ is about 1%.

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5 marks

The group switched on the driver unit and increased the rate of rotation until the coin slid off the turntable.

They recorded the angular velocity $ω$ of the turntable from a digital display on the driver unit. They then replaced the coin in the original position on the turntable and repeated the procedure. The table shows their recorded results.

*$ω / rad s^{- 1}$*
0.125	0.112	0.118	0.123	0.116

(i)

Calculate the percentage uncertainty in the mean value of ω.

[3]

(ii)

The students used ω and r to calculate the centripetal acceleration of the coin at the instant it started to slide.

Calculate the percentage uncertainty in this centripetal acceleration.

[2]

How did you do?

3 marks

The group repeats the procedure with different values of r.

Predict how the value of ω at which the coin started to slide varied as r increased.

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2 marks

A group of students investigate the Beaufort scale for describing wind intensity. On this scale, the average wind speed $v$ increases with the Beaufort scale value B, according to the relationship:

$v = k B^{p}$

where $k$ and $p$ are constants.

Explain why a graph of $\log v$ against $\log B$ should give a straight line.

How did you do?

8 marks

The table shows the data recorded by the students for values of $v$ and corresponding values of $B$ .

$v / m s^{- 1}$	$B$
2.00	1
10.0	3
21.5	5
36.0	7
50.5	9
68.0	11

(i)

Plot a graph of

\log v

against

\log B

on the grid below.

Use the columns provided to show any processed data.

[5]

ib-practice-paper-1b-set-b-question-2b

(ii)

Use your graph to determine the values of

p

and

k

[3]

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Practice Paper 1B (SL IB Physics)

Practice Paper Questions