Practice Paper: AQA A Level Physics 7408/03
(Paper 3)
Section A: practical skills and data analysis. Section B: Astrophysics
option
Question paper
Written by AcePapers
Independent practice paper written for revision. Not an official AQA paper and not
affiliated with or endorsed by AQA.
Time allowed: 2 hours Total: 80 marks
You will need
• A pen, a pencil, a ruler, a protractor and a scientific calculator. A data and
formulae sheet is printed at the end of this paper.
Instructions
• Answer every question, writing your answers in the lined spaces. You may not
need all of the lines.
• Show your working in calculations and give units where they are needed.
• Section A (45 marks): answer all questions. Allow about 70 minutes.
• Section B (35 marks): answer all questions on the Astrophysics option. Allow
about 50 minutes.
• Use the data and formulae sheet at the end of the paper where needed.
• The mark for each part is printed in brackets. Plan your time with it.
• Data and objects labelled fictional or invented were made up for this paper.
Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Practice Paper 7408/03 (Paper 3) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 1
, Section A Answer all questions in this section.
Question 01
A student investigates how the period T of a simple pendulum depends on its length
l. For each length she times 20 complete oscillations three times. Table 1 shows her
results.
l/m t1 / s t2 / s t3 / s mean t / s T/s T2 / s2
0.200 17.99 17.91 17.96 17.95 0.897 0.805
0.400 25.33 25.40 25.43 25.39 1.270 1.613
0.600 31.10 31.03 31.09
0.800 35.95 35.89 35.86 35.90 1.795 3.222
1.000 40.10 40.16 40.17 40.14 2.007 4.028
Table 1
01.1 Explain why the student timed 20 oscillations rather than a single oscillation.
[1 mark]
01.2 Complete Table 1 for l = 0.600 m.
[2 marks]
Practice Paper 7408/03 (Paper 3) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 2
, 2
01.3 Plot a graph of T on the y-axis against l on the x-axis on the grid below. Draw
the line of best fit.
[3 marks]
T² / s²
l/m
01.4 Determine the gradient of your line and use it to find a value for the
acceleration due to gravity, g.
[3 marks]
Answer: ______________________ m s−2
01.5 Use the three readings for l = 0.800 m to estimate the percentage uncertainty
in the mean value of t, using half the range as the absolute uncertainty. Hence
state the percentage uncertainty in T2 for this length.
[2 marks]
Practice Paper 7408/03 (Paper 3) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 3
(Paper 3)
Section A: practical skills and data analysis. Section B: Astrophysics
option
Question paper
Written by AcePapers
Independent practice paper written for revision. Not an official AQA paper and not
affiliated with or endorsed by AQA.
Time allowed: 2 hours Total: 80 marks
You will need
• A pen, a pencil, a ruler, a protractor and a scientific calculator. A data and
formulae sheet is printed at the end of this paper.
Instructions
• Answer every question, writing your answers in the lined spaces. You may not
need all of the lines.
• Show your working in calculations and give units where they are needed.
• Section A (45 marks): answer all questions. Allow about 70 minutes.
• Section B (35 marks): answer all questions on the Astrophysics option. Allow
about 50 minutes.
• Use the data and formulae sheet at the end of the paper where needed.
• The mark for each part is printed in brackets. Plan your time with it.
• Data and objects labelled fictional or invented were made up for this paper.
Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Practice Paper 7408/03 (Paper 3) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 1
, Section A Answer all questions in this section.
Question 01
A student investigates how the period T of a simple pendulum depends on its length
l. For each length she times 20 complete oscillations three times. Table 1 shows her
results.
l/m t1 / s t2 / s t3 / s mean t / s T/s T2 / s2
0.200 17.99 17.91 17.96 17.95 0.897 0.805
0.400 25.33 25.40 25.43 25.39 1.270 1.613
0.600 31.10 31.03 31.09
0.800 35.95 35.89 35.86 35.90 1.795 3.222
1.000 40.10 40.16 40.17 40.14 2.007 4.028
Table 1
01.1 Explain why the student timed 20 oscillations rather than a single oscillation.
[1 mark]
01.2 Complete Table 1 for l = 0.600 m.
[2 marks]
Practice Paper 7408/03 (Paper 3) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 2
, 2
01.3 Plot a graph of T on the y-axis against l on the x-axis on the grid below. Draw
the line of best fit.
[3 marks]
T² / s²
l/m
01.4 Determine the gradient of your line and use it to find a value for the
acceleration due to gravity, g.
[3 marks]
Answer: ______________________ m s−2
01.5 Use the three readings for l = 0.800 m to estimate the percentage uncertainty
in the mean value of t, using half the range as the absolute uncertainty. Hence
state the percentage uncertainty in T2 for this length.
[2 marks]
Practice Paper 7408/03 (Paper 3) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 3
