Question 1
A car drives around a roundabout at constant speed on a circular path of radius 12.0 m, taking 9.50 s for each lap. What is the magnitude of its centripetal acceleration?
The SACE Physics exam
The examination is 30% of the subject: one 130-minute paper of 120 marks in two question booklets of about 65 minutes each. Questions come in parts of different types, with no multiple choice, and a formula sheet is provided.
| The examination | 30% of the subject: one 130-minute examination, 120 marks |
|---|---|
| Booklets | Two question booklets of 60 marks, about 65 minutes each |
| Questions | Questions in parts of different types; no multiple choice |
| Provided | A formula sheet with constants and formulae; approved calculators allowed |
| School assessment | 70%: investigations folio 30%, skills and applications tasks 40% |
What the examination asks
- Questions in several parts: calculations with working, parts that ask you to show a given result, explanations, diagrams and data from investigations.
- Some questions draw on more than one topic, and some on science as a human endeavour.
- The formula sheet gives the symbols, the physical constants, the formulae for each topic, SI prefixes and the charges of the quarks.
Write to the question
- For a calculation, write the formula, substitute with units, and give the answer to sensible significant figures with a unit.
- For a vector, give the size and the direction.
- For explain, give the physics idea, tie it to the object or data in the question, then say what it causes.
Try 2 questions
Question 2
A student measures the maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons from a metal for several frequencies of light. The graph shows her line of best fit. What value of Planck's constant does the graph give? Take 1 eV = 1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹ J.
Next step
Questions people ask
Does the SACE Physics exam have multiple choice?
No. Every question is answered in writing, in parts. Our four-option questions and timed checks are the course's own way to practise the ideas quickly.
Can I use a calculator?
Yes, an approved calculator, and the formula sheet is provided.