, king for ove
or r
W
25
Ca
ducation
m bridge A
YEARS
al E
on
es i
ss
sm WITH at
ent Intern
Cambridge IGCSE™
Physics
Third Edition
Heather Kennett
,Cambridge International copyright material in this publication is reproduced under licence and
remains the intellectual property of Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Exam-style questions [and sample answers] have been written by the authors. In examinations, the
way marks are awarded may be different. References to assessment and/or assessment preparation
are the publisher’s interpretation of the syllabus requirements and may not fully reflect the
approach of Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Third-party websites and resources referred to in this publication have not been endorsed by
Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently
overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first
opportunity.
Hachette UK’s policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and
made from wood grown in well-managed forests and other controlled sources. The logging and
manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the
country of origin.
Orders: please contact Hachette UK Distribution, Hely Hutchinson Centre, Milton Road, Didcot,
Oxfordshire, OX11 7HH. Telephone: +44 (0)1235 827827. Email Lines
are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. You can also order through our website:
www.hoddereducation.com.
ISBN: 978 1398 310 575
© Heather Kennett 2021
First published in 2012
Second edition published in 2015
This third edition published in 2021 by
Hodder Education
An Hachette UK Company
Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ
www.hoddereducation.com
Impression number 5 4 3 2 1
Year 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, no part of this
publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or held within any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from
the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details of such licences (for reprographic
reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, www.cla.co.uk.
Cover photo © Zffoto – stock.adobe.com
Typeset in India by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd, Pondicherry
Printed in the UK
A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
,Contents
Introduction 1
1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density 2
Student’s Book Topics 1.1–1.4
1B Forces and momentum 12
Student’s Book Topics 1.5, 1.6
1C Energy, work, power and pressure 21
Student’s Book Topics 1.7, 1.8
2 Thermal physics 29
Student’s Book Topics 2.1–2.3
3 Waves 38
Student’s Book Topics 3.1–3.4
4A Electricity and magnetism 56
Student’s Book Topics 4.1–4.4
4B Electromagnetic effects 70
Student’s Book Topic 4.5
5 Nuclear physics 79
Student’s Book Topics 5.1, 5.2
6 Space physics 86
Student’s Book Topics 6.1, 6.2
Introduction
This new edition of the Cambridge IGCSE Physics Workbook is designed as a ‘write-in’ book for
students to practise and test their knowledge and understanding of the content of the Cambridge
IGCSETM Physics course.
The sections are presented in the same order as those in the Student’s Book, Cambridge IGCSE Physics
Fourth Edition, and as in the Cambridge IGCSETM Physics syllabus for examination from 2023. All
questions have been marked as either Core or Supplement. At the end of every section, there are
longer questions (Exam-style questions) which aim to introduce students to an examination format.
This Workbook should be used as an additional resource throughout the course alongside the Student’s
Book. The ‘write-in’ design is ideal for use in class by students or for homework.
This Workbook is designed to be used throughout the Cambridge IGCSETM Physics course and, as such,
its structure mirrors the Student’s Book which also is part of this series. It should be used as extra
practice for students to apply the theoretical concepts they have studied in the Student’s Book.
This Workbook covers what we feel is a representative selection of the content within the syllabus,
although not every syllabus point has a specific question related to it.
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 1
, Measurement, motion,
1A mass, weight and density
Core
1 State the number of millimetres in each measurement.
a 2 cm = .............................. d 0.5 m = ..............................
b 0.4 cm = .............................. e 1.4 m = ..............................
c 12 cm = ..............................
2 Convert each length to metres.
a 1500 cm = .............................. c 15 cm = ..............................
b 150 cm = .............................. d 1.5 cm = ..............................
3 Give each number as a power of ten with one figure before the decimal point.
a 1000 = .............................. c 650 = ..............................
b 225 000 = .............................. d 15 000 = ..............................
4 Give each number in full.
a 104 = .............................. c 1.5 × 106 = ..............................
b 2.5 × 102 = .............................. d 3.5 × 108 = ..............................
5 Give each decimal as a power of ten with one figure before the decimal point.
a 0.001 = .............................. c 0.0012 = ..............................
b 0.02 = .............................. d 0.0102 = ..............................
6 Give each fraction as i a power of ten, and ii a decimal.
1
a i .............................. ii ..............................
100
2
b i .............................. ii ..............................
1000
3
c i .............................. ii ..............................
10 000
4
d i .............................. ii ..............................
5000
2 Photocopying prohibited Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition
, 1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
7 State each length in metres as a power of ten.
a 5 mm = ...............................
b 50 cm = ..............................
c 5 km = ................................
8 State the number of significant figures in each of the following measurements.
a 1.53 m number of significant figures = ..............................
b 2.5 × 104 m number of significant figures = ..............................
c 0.016 m number of significant figures = ..............................
9 Round 1.263 m to:
a one significant figure ...................................
b two significant figures .................................
c three significant figures. ..............................
10 C alculate the area of a rectangle of length 6.0 cm and width 4.5 cm, giving your answer to an
appropriate number of significant figures.
area = ..............................
11 Calculate the area of a right-angled triangle of sides 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm. Show your working.
area = ..............................
12 C alculate how many bricks of size 5 cm × 2 cm × 3 cm a child would need to build a rectangular
block of dimensions 15 cm × 15 cm × 10 cm. Show your working.
number of bricks = ..............................
13 A
student records the time taken for 20 complete swings of a pendulum to be 32 seconds.
Calculate the period of the pendulum.
period = ..............................
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 3
,1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
14 Four runners competing in a 1 km race finish the race with these times:
A 200 s B 180 s C 230 s D 215 s
a Identify the runner that finished first. ..............................
b Identify the runner that finished last. ..............................
c Calculate the average speed in m/s of runner A. Show your working.
average speed of runner A = ..............................
15 A
farmer goes for a drive in his tractor. The graph below shows how his distance from the farm
varies with time. Distance OD = 270 m.
D
distance/m
O A B C
time/min
a State how far the tractor travels in time interval:
i OA ............................................................
ii AB ............................................................
iii BC ............................................................
b If BC = 3 minutes, calculate the speed in m/s of the tractor over time interval BC.
Show your working.
speed over time interval BC = ..............................
16 T he Mars Rover Curiosity has a mass of 900 kg. Taking the gravitational field strength to be 9.8 N/kg
on Earth and 3.7 N/kg on Mars, give the value of the weight of the Rover on:
a Earth .................................................................
b Mars ..................................................................
4 Photocopying prohibited Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition
, 1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
17 Give the weight of the following masses. Take the gravitational field strength to be 9.8 N/kg.
a A mass of 15 g has a weight of ..............................
b A mass of 51 g has a weight of ..............................
c A mass of 0.3 kg has a weight of ..............................
d A mass of 3.1 kg has a weight of ..............................
18 O
n the Earth the acceleration of free fall is about 9.8 m/s2. On the Moon the acceleration of free
fall is about 1.6 m/s2. A man weighs 784 N on the Earth. Give his:
a mass measured on the Moon
mass = ..............................
b weight measured on the Moon.
weight = ..............................
19 Circle the correct SI unit of density.
A g/cm2 B g/m3 C kg/m3 D kg/cm3
20 A
block of ice has dimensions 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm and a mass of 7.36 g. Calculate the density
of the ice. Show your working.
density = ..............................
21 A
metal spanner has a mass of 200 g. It is lowered into a measuring cylinder of water until it is
completely submerged. The original level of the water was 50 cm3 and the final level is 75 cm3.
Calculate:
a the volume of the metal
volume = ..............................
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 5
,1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
b the density of the metal. Show your working.
density = ..............................
22 T he density of air is 1.3 kg/m3. Calculate the mass of air in a room of dimensions 3 m × 4 m × 2.5 m.
Show your working.
mass of air = ..............................
Supplement
23 a A bus starts from rest and accelerates smoothly. After 10 s the bus reaches a speed of 8 m/s.
Calculate the acceleration of the bus. Show your working.
acceleration = ..............................
b The bus continues to travel at 8 m/s and then decelerates smoothly as it approaches a bus
stop. If the deceleration is 2 m/s2, calculate the time over which the bus decelerates before it
comes to rest. Show your working.
time = ..............................
24 A
lorry is moving with a uniform acceleration of 1.5 m/s2. At a certain time it is travelling at a
speed of 6 m/s. Calculate the speed of the lorry 4 s later. Show your working.
speed = ..............................
25 The speed of a skier increases steadily from 8 m/s to 20 m/s in 60 s. Calculate:
a the average speed of the skier
average speed = ..............................
6 Photocopying prohibited Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition
, 1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
b the distance travelled by the skier in 60 s. Show your working.
distance = ..............................
c the acceleration of the skier. Show your working.
acceleration = ..............................
26 A
girl rides her skateboard in a park. The graph below shows how her speed varies over a
period of time.
D
speed/m/ s
O A B C
time/s
OD = 3 m/s, OA = 20 s, AB = 16 s, BC = 14 s. Calculate:
a the speed of the girl at time A
speed = ..............................
b her acceleration in time interval OA
acceleration = ..............................
c the distance she travels in time interval AB. Show your working.
distance in time interval AB = ..............................
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 7
or r
W
25
Ca
ducation
m bridge A
YEARS
al E
on
es i
ss
sm WITH at
ent Intern
Cambridge IGCSE™
Physics
Third Edition
Heather Kennett
,Cambridge International copyright material in this publication is reproduced under licence and
remains the intellectual property of Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Exam-style questions [and sample answers] have been written by the authors. In examinations, the
way marks are awarded may be different. References to assessment and/or assessment preparation
are the publisher’s interpretation of the syllabus requirements and may not fully reflect the
approach of Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Third-party websites and resources referred to in this publication have not been endorsed by
Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently
overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first
opportunity.
Hachette UK’s policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and
made from wood grown in well-managed forests and other controlled sources. The logging and
manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the
country of origin.
Orders: please contact Hachette UK Distribution, Hely Hutchinson Centre, Milton Road, Didcot,
Oxfordshire, OX11 7HH. Telephone: +44 (0)1235 827827. Email Lines
are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. You can also order through our website:
www.hoddereducation.com.
ISBN: 978 1398 310 575
© Heather Kennett 2021
First published in 2012
Second edition published in 2015
This third edition published in 2021 by
Hodder Education
An Hachette UK Company
Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ
www.hoddereducation.com
Impression number 5 4 3 2 1
Year 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, no part of this
publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or held within any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from
the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details of such licences (for reprographic
reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, www.cla.co.uk.
Cover photo © Zffoto – stock.adobe.com
Typeset in India by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd, Pondicherry
Printed in the UK
A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
,Contents
Introduction 1
1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density 2
Student’s Book Topics 1.1–1.4
1B Forces and momentum 12
Student’s Book Topics 1.5, 1.6
1C Energy, work, power and pressure 21
Student’s Book Topics 1.7, 1.8
2 Thermal physics 29
Student’s Book Topics 2.1–2.3
3 Waves 38
Student’s Book Topics 3.1–3.4
4A Electricity and magnetism 56
Student’s Book Topics 4.1–4.4
4B Electromagnetic effects 70
Student’s Book Topic 4.5
5 Nuclear physics 79
Student’s Book Topics 5.1, 5.2
6 Space physics 86
Student’s Book Topics 6.1, 6.2
Introduction
This new edition of the Cambridge IGCSE Physics Workbook is designed as a ‘write-in’ book for
students to practise and test their knowledge and understanding of the content of the Cambridge
IGCSETM Physics course.
The sections are presented in the same order as those in the Student’s Book, Cambridge IGCSE Physics
Fourth Edition, and as in the Cambridge IGCSETM Physics syllabus for examination from 2023. All
questions have been marked as either Core or Supplement. At the end of every section, there are
longer questions (Exam-style questions) which aim to introduce students to an examination format.
This Workbook should be used as an additional resource throughout the course alongside the Student’s
Book. The ‘write-in’ design is ideal for use in class by students or for homework.
This Workbook is designed to be used throughout the Cambridge IGCSETM Physics course and, as such,
its structure mirrors the Student’s Book which also is part of this series. It should be used as extra
practice for students to apply the theoretical concepts they have studied in the Student’s Book.
This Workbook covers what we feel is a representative selection of the content within the syllabus,
although not every syllabus point has a specific question related to it.
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 1
, Measurement, motion,
1A mass, weight and density
Core
1 State the number of millimetres in each measurement.
a 2 cm = .............................. d 0.5 m = ..............................
b 0.4 cm = .............................. e 1.4 m = ..............................
c 12 cm = ..............................
2 Convert each length to metres.
a 1500 cm = .............................. c 15 cm = ..............................
b 150 cm = .............................. d 1.5 cm = ..............................
3 Give each number as a power of ten with one figure before the decimal point.
a 1000 = .............................. c 650 = ..............................
b 225 000 = .............................. d 15 000 = ..............................
4 Give each number in full.
a 104 = .............................. c 1.5 × 106 = ..............................
b 2.5 × 102 = .............................. d 3.5 × 108 = ..............................
5 Give each decimal as a power of ten with one figure before the decimal point.
a 0.001 = .............................. c 0.0012 = ..............................
b 0.02 = .............................. d 0.0102 = ..............................
6 Give each fraction as i a power of ten, and ii a decimal.
1
a i .............................. ii ..............................
100
2
b i .............................. ii ..............................
1000
3
c i .............................. ii ..............................
10 000
4
d i .............................. ii ..............................
5000
2 Photocopying prohibited Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition
, 1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
7 State each length in metres as a power of ten.
a 5 mm = ...............................
b 50 cm = ..............................
c 5 km = ................................
8 State the number of significant figures in each of the following measurements.
a 1.53 m number of significant figures = ..............................
b 2.5 × 104 m number of significant figures = ..............................
c 0.016 m number of significant figures = ..............................
9 Round 1.263 m to:
a one significant figure ...................................
b two significant figures .................................
c three significant figures. ..............................
10 C alculate the area of a rectangle of length 6.0 cm and width 4.5 cm, giving your answer to an
appropriate number of significant figures.
area = ..............................
11 Calculate the area of a right-angled triangle of sides 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm. Show your working.
area = ..............................
12 C alculate how many bricks of size 5 cm × 2 cm × 3 cm a child would need to build a rectangular
block of dimensions 15 cm × 15 cm × 10 cm. Show your working.
number of bricks = ..............................
13 A
student records the time taken for 20 complete swings of a pendulum to be 32 seconds.
Calculate the period of the pendulum.
period = ..............................
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 3
,1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
14 Four runners competing in a 1 km race finish the race with these times:
A 200 s B 180 s C 230 s D 215 s
a Identify the runner that finished first. ..............................
b Identify the runner that finished last. ..............................
c Calculate the average speed in m/s of runner A. Show your working.
average speed of runner A = ..............................
15 A
farmer goes for a drive in his tractor. The graph below shows how his distance from the farm
varies with time. Distance OD = 270 m.
D
distance/m
O A B C
time/min
a State how far the tractor travels in time interval:
i OA ............................................................
ii AB ............................................................
iii BC ............................................................
b If BC = 3 minutes, calculate the speed in m/s of the tractor over time interval BC.
Show your working.
speed over time interval BC = ..............................
16 T he Mars Rover Curiosity has a mass of 900 kg. Taking the gravitational field strength to be 9.8 N/kg
on Earth and 3.7 N/kg on Mars, give the value of the weight of the Rover on:
a Earth .................................................................
b Mars ..................................................................
4 Photocopying prohibited Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition
, 1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
17 Give the weight of the following masses. Take the gravitational field strength to be 9.8 N/kg.
a A mass of 15 g has a weight of ..............................
b A mass of 51 g has a weight of ..............................
c A mass of 0.3 kg has a weight of ..............................
d A mass of 3.1 kg has a weight of ..............................
18 O
n the Earth the acceleration of free fall is about 9.8 m/s2. On the Moon the acceleration of free
fall is about 1.6 m/s2. A man weighs 784 N on the Earth. Give his:
a mass measured on the Moon
mass = ..............................
b weight measured on the Moon.
weight = ..............................
19 Circle the correct SI unit of density.
A g/cm2 B g/m3 C kg/m3 D kg/cm3
20 A
block of ice has dimensions 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm and a mass of 7.36 g. Calculate the density
of the ice. Show your working.
density = ..............................
21 A
metal spanner has a mass of 200 g. It is lowered into a measuring cylinder of water until it is
completely submerged. The original level of the water was 50 cm3 and the final level is 75 cm3.
Calculate:
a the volume of the metal
volume = ..............................
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 5
,1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
b the density of the metal. Show your working.
density = ..............................
22 T he density of air is 1.3 kg/m3. Calculate the mass of air in a room of dimensions 3 m × 4 m × 2.5 m.
Show your working.
mass of air = ..............................
Supplement
23 a A bus starts from rest and accelerates smoothly. After 10 s the bus reaches a speed of 8 m/s.
Calculate the acceleration of the bus. Show your working.
acceleration = ..............................
b The bus continues to travel at 8 m/s and then decelerates smoothly as it approaches a bus
stop. If the deceleration is 2 m/s2, calculate the time over which the bus decelerates before it
comes to rest. Show your working.
time = ..............................
24 A
lorry is moving with a uniform acceleration of 1.5 m/s2. At a certain time it is travelling at a
speed of 6 m/s. Calculate the speed of the lorry 4 s later. Show your working.
speed = ..............................
25 The speed of a skier increases steadily from 8 m/s to 20 m/s in 60 s. Calculate:
a the average speed of the skier
average speed = ..............................
6 Photocopying prohibited Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition
, 1A Measurement, motion, mass, weight and density
b the distance travelled by the skier in 60 s. Show your working.
distance = ..............................
c the acceleration of the skier. Show your working.
acceleration = ..............................
26 A
girl rides her skateboard in a park. The graph below shows how her speed varies over a
period of time.
D
speed/m/ s
O A B C
time/s
OD = 3 m/s, OA = 20 s, AB = 16 s, BC = 14 s. Calculate:
a the speed of the girl at time A
speed = ..............................
b her acceleration in time interval OA
acceleration = ..............................
c the distance she travels in time interval AB. Show your working.
distance in time interval AB = ..............................
Cambridge IGCSE TM Physics Workbook Third Edition Photocopying prohibited 7
