Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625/22 May/June 2025 - Complete Multiple Choice Solutions

Verified against the official mark scheme

Question 1

Answer: C (measuring cylinder)

Reason: A measuring cylinder can be used with the water displacement method to find the volume of irregular objects. Rulers and tape measures are for regular shapes.

Question 2

Answer: A (The ball falls with constant acceleration)

Reason: With no air resistance, the only force is gravity, causing constant acceleration of 9.8 m/s².

Question 3

Answer: B (2.5 m/s²)

Reason: Acceleration = slope of velocity-time graph = (100 m/s - 0 m/s) / (40 s - 0 s) = 2.5 m/s².

Question 4

Answer: D (no change, no change)

Reason: Compression changes volume but not mass. Weight = mass × gravity, so weight also remains unchanged.

Question 5

Answer: C (balance ✓, ruler ✓, stop-watch ✗, thermometer ✗)

Reason: Density = Mass/Volume. Balance for mass, ruler to measure dimensions for volume calculation.

Question 6

Answer: A (14 m/s²)

Reason: Spring force F = kx = 30 × 0.12 = 3.6 N upward. Weight = mg = 0.15 × 9.8 = 1.47 N downward. Net force = 2.13 N upward. Acceleration = F/m = 2.13/0.15 = 14.2 m/s².

Question 7

Answer: D (9.0 kg m/s, 9000 N)

Reason: Change in momentum = m(v-u) = 0.15×(-30-30) = -9.0 kg m/s (magnitude 9.0). Force = change in momentum/time = 9.0/0.001 = 9000 N.

Question 8

Answer: C (h = 5.0²/(2×9.8))

Reason: From energy conservation: ½mv² = mgh, so h = v²/(2g).

Question 9

Answer: D (2 only)

Reason: Wind energy comes from solar heating of atmosphere. Geothermal comes from Earth's interior, nuclear from fission.

Question 10

Answer: B (gas and liquid only)

Reason: Gases and liquids take the shape of their container; solids have fixed shape.

Question 11

Answer: A (moves, rebounds)

Reason: Demonstrates Brownian motion - light gas molecule hits heavier smoke particle and rebounds.

Question 12

Answer: C (160 kPa, 4.6 cm³)

Reason: At constant temperature, P×V should be constant (360×2.4=864). 160×4.6=736 ≠ 864.

Question 13

Answer: A (expansion of air in the flask)

Reason: Air expands significantly more than glass or mercury when heated.

Question 14

Answer: B (c = Pt/(mΔθ))

Reason: Electrical energy = P×t = mcΔθ, so c = Pt/(mΔθ).

Question 15

Answer: A (Silver is the best conductor of heat)

Reason: Best conductor transfers heat fastest, melting wax first.

Question 16

Answer: B (X, Z, Y)

Reason: X (black, large) emits most, Z (white, large) second, Y (white, small) emits least.

Question 17

Answer: C (speed 350 m/s, frequency 280 Hz)

Reason: Wavelength λ = speed/frequency = 350/280 = 1.25 m, closest to 0.85 m gap for maximum diffraction.

Question 18

Answer: B

Reason: Amplitude is maximum displacement from equilibrium position.

Question 19

Answer: D (transverse, perpendicular to the direction of travel)

Reason: S-waves are transverse with perpendicular vibration.

Question 20

Answer: D (virtual, the same distance from the mirror as the object)

Reason: Plane mirrors always form virtual images at same distance behind mirror.

Question 21

Answer: A (n = sin 40°/sin 26°)

Reason: Angles from normal: i = 90-50=40°, r = 90-64=26°. Snell's Law: n = sin i/sin r.

Question 22

Answer: D (The object O is closer to the lens than its principal focus)

Reason: This creates a virtual, upright, magnified image as shown.

Question 23

Answer: C (3.0 × 10⁸ m/s)

Reason: Standard value for speed of light in air/vacuum.

Question 24

Answer: C (3500 m)

Reason: Total distance = speed × time = 1500 × 4.6 = 6900 m. Depth = 6900/2 = 3450 ≈ 3500 m.

Question 25

Answer: D (150 Hz–20 kHz)

Reason: Overlap between human hearing (20 Hz-20 kHz) and dolphin hearing (150 Hz-150 kHz).

Question 26

Answer: A (Positive charges on the balloon attract electrons in the wall)

Reason: Electrostatic induction - positive charge attracts electrons, creating opposite charge region.

Question 27

Answer: D (Disconnect the voltmeter and connect it in parallel with the lamp)

Reason: Voltmeter must be in parallel to measure potential difference across the lamp.

Question 28

Answer: C (shorter wire: smaller resistance, smaller diameter: greater resistance)

Reason: R ∝ length/A. Shorter length = less R. Smaller diameter = smaller area = greater R.

Question 29

Answer: B (V₁ = V₂ × R₁/R₂)

Reason: Potential divider formula for the given circuit configuration.

Question 30

Answer: A (diode)

Reason: Diodes allow current in one direction only, converting AC to DC.

Question 31

Answer: D (3.0 A)

Reason: Voltage across 4Ω = 1.0×4 = 4V. Current in 2Ω = 4/2 = 2A. Total current = 1+2 = 3A.

Question 32

Answer: B

Reason: Right-hand grip rule: current into page gives clockwise magnetic field.

Question 33

Answer: C (3.3 A)

Reason: Power out = 5.0×2.0 = 10W. Power in = 3.0×I = 10W, so I = 10/3.0 ≈ 3.3A.

Question 34

Answer: B (All of the positive charge and most of the mass of the gold atom are concentrated in a small volume)

Reason: Rutherford's alpha scattering experiment - large deflections occur when alpha particles approach the dense nucleus.

Question 35

Answer: D (by taking away the background radiation count rate)

Reason: Corrected count rate = total count rate - background count rate.

Question 36

Answer: A (Alpha particles are deflected most in an electric field)

Reason: This is INCORRECT. Beta particles are deflected more due to their smaller mass despite having less charge.

Question 37

Answer: C (After 60 minutes, an eighth of the radioactive material remains)

Reason: 60 minutes = 3 half-lives. Fraction remaining = (½)³ = ⅛.

Question 38

Answer: C (The Moon orbits the Earth once in approximately 1 month)

Reason: Basic astronomical fact - lunar orbital period ≈ 29.5 days.

Question 39

Answer: D (Nuclear fusion converts hydrogen into helium)

Reason: Stable stars power themselves by hydrogen fusion in their cores.

Question 40

Answer: D (1.4 × 10²⁴ m)

Reason: Using Hubble's Law: d = v/H₀ = 3×10⁶ m/s ÷ (2.2×10⁻¹⁸ s⁻¹) ≈ 1.4×10²⁴ m.

All solutions verified against the official Cambridge International mark scheme.