IGCSE Physics Measurements technique (Y10)

A pendulum is swinging. Five students each measure the time it takes to swing through ten complete swings.

Three students measure the time as17.2 s. Another student measures it as 16.9 s, and the fifth student measures it as 17.0 s.

What is the average period of the pendulum?

• 1.69 s

• 1.70 s

• 1.71 s

• 1.72 s

A student has a stack of 20 identical coins. The figure shows the student measuring the height of the stack using a ruler.

The student correctly determines the height of the stack as 7.7 cm.

Calculate the average thickness of one coin.

• 15.4 cm

• 3.85 cm

• 0.77 cm

• 0.39 cm

A student has been told to find the density of some liquid paraffin by measuring its mass and its volume.

Which piece of laboratory equipment should she use to measure the volume of the liquid paraffin?

• Beaker

• Stopwatch

• Metre rule

• Measuring cylinder

A student has been told to find the density of some liquid paraffin by measuring its mass and its volume.

Which piece of laboratory equipment should she use to find the mass of the liquid paraffin?

• Top pan balance

• Measuring cylinder

• Metre rule

• Stopwatch

What is the most accurate and precise method to measure the thickness of a coin?

• Use a top pan balance.

• Use a micrometer screw gauge.

• Use a ruler and look at the scale perpendicularly.

• Use the displacement method with water in a measuring cylinder.

The diagram shows the height of a stack of identical coins.

What is the thickness of one coin?

• 0.20 mm

• 2.0 mm

• 0.24 cm

• 2.0 cm

A student is asked to find the volume of a small irregularly-shaped piece of rock.

He has the following apparatus available.

Which apparatus must the student use to find the volume of the small piece of rock?

• balance and rule

• rule only

• balance and measuring cylinder

• measuring cylinder only

Which instrument is used to measure accurately the diameter of a thin metal wire?

• 30 cm ruler

• measuring tape

• metre rule

• micrometer screw gauge

Water drips from a tap into a measuring cylinder.

The table shows the volume of water in the cylinder every minute for four minutes.

What is the average volume of water collected in the cylinder each minute?

• 22 cm³

• 28 cm³

• 56 cm³

• 57 cm³

What is the typical accuracy of a metre rule?

• 0.1 cm

• 0.01 cm

• 0.001 cm

• 0.01 mm