Practice Paper: AQA A Level Physics 7408/01
(Paper 1)
Sections 1–5 and 6.1: measurements, particles, waves, mechanics and
materials, electricity, periodic motion
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: 85 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 (60 marks): answer all questions in the spaces provided. Allow about
70 minutes.
• Section B (25 marks): 25 multiple choice questions worth 1 mark each. Put a
cross in the box next to the ONE answer you think is right. If you change your
mind, cross out your first answer clearly. Allow about 35 minutes.
• Part 06.4 is an extended response question. Your answer should be well
organised and logically linked.
• 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 7408/01 (Paper 1) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 1
, Section A Answer all questions in this section.
Question 01
Sodium-23, 2311Na, is the only stable isotope of sodium.
01.1 Calculate the specific charge of a sodium-23 nucleus. Take the mass of the
nucleus to be 3.82 × 10−26 kg.
[2 marks]
Answer: ______________________ C kg−1
−
01.2 Sodium-24 is radioactive and decays by β emission to magnesium-24 (proton
number 12). Write the equation for this decay, and state the change in quark
character that takes place inside the nucleus.
[2 marks]
−
01.3 The kinetic energies of the β particles emitted by sodium-24 nuclei cover a
continuous range up to a maximum value. Explain how this observation led
physicists to propose that a further particle is emitted in β− decay.
[2 marks]
01.4 A gamma photon passing close to a nucleus can produce an electron–positron
pair. Calculate the minimum frequency of a photon that can do this.
[2 marks]
Answer: ______________________ Hz
−
01.5 Name the exchange particle in β decay.
[1 mark]
01.6 A muon is a lepton. State one property of a muon that shows it is not a hadron.
Practice Paper 7408/01 (Paper 1) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 2
, [1 mark]
Question 01 total: 10 marks
Question 02
Light of wavelength 420 nm falls on a clean metal surface. The work function of the
metal is 2.30 eV.
02.1 Calculate the maximum kinetic energy, in J, of the electrons emitted from the
surface.
[3 marks]
Answer: ______________________ J
02.2 State the stopping potential for these electrons.
[1 mark]
Answer: ______________________ V
02.3 The intensity of the light is doubled while its wavelength is kept the same.
Explain why the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons does not
change.
[2 marks]
Figure 1 shows four of the energy levels of a hydrogen atom.
Practice Paper 7408/01 (Paper 1) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 3
(Paper 1)
Sections 1–5 and 6.1: measurements, particles, waves, mechanics and
materials, electricity, periodic motion
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: 85 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 (60 marks): answer all questions in the spaces provided. Allow about
70 minutes.
• Section B (25 marks): 25 multiple choice questions worth 1 mark each. Put a
cross in the box next to the ONE answer you think is right. If you change your
mind, cross out your first answer clearly. Allow about 35 minutes.
• Part 06.4 is an extended response question. Your answer should be well
organised and logically linked.
• 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 7408/01 (Paper 1) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 1
, Section A Answer all questions in this section.
Question 01
Sodium-23, 2311Na, is the only stable isotope of sodium.
01.1 Calculate the specific charge of a sodium-23 nucleus. Take the mass of the
nucleus to be 3.82 × 10−26 kg.
[2 marks]
Answer: ______________________ C kg−1
−
01.2 Sodium-24 is radioactive and decays by β emission to magnesium-24 (proton
number 12). Write the equation for this decay, and state the change in quark
character that takes place inside the nucleus.
[2 marks]
−
01.3 The kinetic energies of the β particles emitted by sodium-24 nuclei cover a
continuous range up to a maximum value. Explain how this observation led
physicists to propose that a further particle is emitted in β− decay.
[2 marks]
01.4 A gamma photon passing close to a nucleus can produce an electron–positron
pair. Calculate the minimum frequency of a photon that can do this.
[2 marks]
Answer: ______________________ Hz
−
01.5 Name the exchange particle in β decay.
[1 mark]
01.6 A muon is a lepton. State one property of a muon that shows it is not a hadron.
Practice Paper 7408/01 (Paper 1) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 2
, [1 mark]
Question 01 total: 10 marks
Question 02
Light of wavelength 420 nm falls on a clean metal surface. The work function of the
metal is 2.30 eV.
02.1 Calculate the maximum kinetic energy, in J, of the electrons emitted from the
surface.
[3 marks]
Answer: ______________________ J
02.2 State the stopping potential for these electrons.
[1 mark]
Answer: ______________________ V
02.3 The intensity of the light is doubled while its wavelength is kept the same.
Explain why the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons does not
change.
[2 marks]
Figure 1 shows four of the energy levels of a hydrogen atom.
Practice Paper 7408/01 (Paper 1) – Question paper Written by AcePapers | Page 3
