A car is travelling along a road. Explain the factors that affect the total stopping distance of the car, referring to both the thinking distance and the braking distance.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Physics extended-response trainer
AQA GCSE 8463
ORIGINAL
AQA GCSE Physics extended responses on stopping distances, the National Grid, energy resources, car safety and radioactivity. Plan it, self-mark against the level descriptors, then read a model response.
Board and spec code confirmed against AQA 8463 · registry checked 2026-07-17How this checking works
How to use it: write your full answer first, then reveal the mark scheme and tick the points you made. AQA marks these by level — a detailed, linked answer — not by counting points, so the tick count is only a rough guide. Read the model answer to see what a Level 3 looks like.
Q1
Forces — stopping distance
Explain
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q2
Electricity — the National Grid
Explain
The National Grid transfers electrical power from power stations to consumers. Explain why step-up and step-down transformers are used, and how they make the transfer of energy more efficient.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q3
Energy — national and global resources
Compare
A country is deciding whether to generate more of its electricity from wind or from fossil fuels. Compare the two, referring to reliability, environmental impact and cost.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q4
Forces — momentum (Higher tier)
Explain
Higher tier
Modern cars are fitted with safety features such as crumple zones, seat belts and air bags. Explain how these features reduce the force on a passenger during a collision, in terms of momentum.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q5
Atomic structure — radiation hazards
Explain and describe
Explain the difference between irradiation and radioactive contamination, and describe a precaution a worker could take to reduce the hazard from each.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q6
Particle model of matter — measuring density
Describe
A student is given a rectangular metal block, a small irregular stone and a liquid. Describe how the student should determine the density of each material. Include the measurements, apparatus, calculations and steps used to improve the quality of the results.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q7
Waves — measuring wave speed
Describe and explain
Describe how a student can use a ripple tank to determine the speed of water waves. Explain how the student should obtain reliable measurements of frequency and wavelength and process the results.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q8
Magnetism and electromagnetism — electric motors (Higher tier)
Explain
Higher tier
Explain why a rectangular current-carrying coil between the poles of a permanent magnet rotates continuously. Include the role of the split-ring commutator and explain two ways to increase the turning effect.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q9
Space physics — the life cycle of stars
Describe and explain
Describe the life cycle of a star from a nebula onwards. Compare the later stages of a star about the same mass as the Sun with those of a star much more massive than the Sun, and explain how stars produce and distribute elements.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q10
Energy — specific heat capacity practical
Describe and evaluate
Describe how to determine the specific heat capacity of a metal block using an electrical heater. Include the measurements, calculation, safety precautions and the main cause of systematic error.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q11
Electricity — current-potential difference characteristics
Describe and explain
Describe how to obtain current-potential difference characteristic graphs for a fixed resistor and a filament lamp. Explain the expected shapes of the graphs.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q12
Atomic structure — half-life and count rate (Higher tier)
Explain
A detector records a background count rate of 40 counts per minute. With a radioactive source present, it initially records 840 counts per minute. The source has a half-life of 6.0 hours. Explain how the count rate changes, how the detector reading after 18 hours can be predicted, and how the measurements should be made reliably.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q13
Forces — force and extension
Describe and explain
Describe an investigation of the relationship between force and extension for a spring. Explain how to determine the spring constant, identify the limit of proportionality and check whether the spring has been permanently deformed.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
Q14
Waves — ultrasound detection (Higher tier)
Explain
Higher tier
An ultrasound pulse travels through tissue at 1540 m/s. An echo from a boundary returns to the detector 130 microseconds after the pulse is sent. Explain how ultrasound is used to locate the boundary and how the echo time can be used to determine its depth below the detector.
[6 marks]
Total for this question: 6
Write your full answer first — then mark it.
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