Physics 0625/12 February/March 2025: question paper and mark scheme
Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625), Paper 1 Multiple Choice (Core), February/March 2025. Read both free below, or download them. Done the paper? Get it marked by AI against this mark scheme.
A student is asked to find the volume of a small irregularly shaped piece of rock.
The student has the following apparatus available.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
balance measuring cylinder ruler containing water
Which apparatus must the student use to find the volume of the small piece of rock?
A balance and ruler
B ruler only
C balance and measuring cylinder
D measuring cylinder only
A digital stop-clock measures time in minutes and seconds.
The stop-clock reads 00:50 when it is started (i.e. 00 minutes 50 seconds).
It reads 02:10 when it is stopped.
What is the shortest possible time that has passed between starting and stopping the stop-clock?
A 1 minute 06 seconds
B 1 minute 20 seconds
C 2 minutes 10 seconds
D 3 minutes 00 seconds
Four students are instructed to find the time it takes for a ball bearing to fall through a vertical height of 1.0 m.
Each student uses a different procedure.
Which student follows the correct procedure?
A The student measures the time taken for the ball to fall 1.0 m five times. He then adds the times taken together and divides by five.
B The student measures the time taken for the ball to fall 1.0 m five times. He then multiplies the times taken together and divides by five.
C The student measures the time taken for the ball to fall 2.0 m. He then divides the time taken by two.
D The student measures the time taken for the ball to fall 2.0 m five times. He then adds the times taken together and divides by ten.
The graph shows the motion of a car for a 5-second period.
speed
0
0 3 5 time / s
Which row shows a time when the car is at rest and a time when it is moving at a constant speed?
the car is moving at the car is at rest at a constant speed at
A 0.0 s 2.0 s
B 0.0 s 4.0 s
C 4.0 s 0.0 s
D 4.0 s 2.0 s
What is meant by the moment of a force?
A the magnitude of the force
B the work done by the force
C the time for which the force acts
D the turning effect of the force
A mass of 20 kg is held stationary by a rope passing over a frictionless pulley.
pulley wheel
T
20 kg
What is the force T in the rope?
A 10 kg B 20 kg C 100 N D 200 N
A boy produces an average useful power output of 60 W as he rides his bicycle for 2.0 minutes.
How much useful energy does he transfer?
A 0.50 J B 30 J C 120 J D 7200 J
The diagram shows a solid block resting on a bench. The dimensions of the block are shown.
40 cm
20 cm
Q
R bench
80 cm P
On which labelled surface should the block rest to produce the smallest pressure on the bench?
A P
B Q
C R
D P, Q and R produce the same pressure
A skier is standing still on a flat area of snow.
skis
The total weight of the skier is 550 N. The total area of his skis in contact with the ground is
0.015 m2.
What is the pressure exerted on the ground by the skier?
A 0.83 N / m2 B 8.3 N / m2 C 3700 N / m2 D 37 000 N / m2
A force acts on an area to produce a pressure.
Which changes produce the same pressure?
A doubling the area and doubling the force
B doubling the area and halving the force
C doubling the area and making the force four times bigger
D halving the area and doubling the force
The diagram shows a cylinder containing oxygen under high pressure.
The temperature of the cylinder and the oxygen decreases.
Which statement describes what happens to the pressure in the cylinder and gives the reason why the pressure changes?
A The pressure decreases because the oxygen particles move faster.
B The pressure decreases because the oxygen particles move more slowly.
C The pressure increases because the oxygen particles move faster.
D The pressure increases because the oxygen particles move more slowly.
Which statement describes what happens during solidification?
A Particles begin to move around each other easily.
B Particles stop moving around each other.
C The temperature of the particles continues to decrease during solidification.
D The temperature of the particles continues to increase during solidification.
Solids expand the ……1…… and the average separation between molecules is the ……2…… .
Which words complete the sentence about the expansion of solids when they are heated, relative to liquids and gases?
1 2
A least greatest
B least smallest
C most greatest
D most smallest
A girl blows some air into a party balloon and ties a knot to seal the air in the balloon.
The girl holds the sealed balloon above a hot convector heater.
She observes that the volume of the balloon increases significantly.
Which statement identifies the cause of this increase in volume?
A The air in the balloon contracts.
B The air in the balloon expands.
C The material of the balloon contracts.
D The material of the balloon expands.
The graph shows what happens to the density of a substance as its temperature changes over time.
density
0
0 t1 t2 time
Which term describes the change of state taking place at time t2?
A melting
B freezing
C condensation
D boiling
A candle is used to heat some water in a glass beaker.
glass beaker
water
candle
What is the main method of heat transfer through the glass and within the water?
through the glass within the water
A conduction conduction
B conduction convection
C convection conduction
D convection convection
Which equation enables the speed of a wave to be calculated?
A speed = amplitude × frequency
B speed = amplitude × wavelength
C speed = frequency × wavelength
frequency
D speed = wavelength
A ray of light is incident on the surface of a plane mirror, as shown.
In which position is the reflected ray?
ray of A light B
60° plane mirror
30° 30°
30°
C
D
The diagram shows a ray of light passing from glass to air.
The dotted line labelled ‘normal’ is a line drawn perpendicular to the surface of the glass.
What is the angle of refraction?
C air D glass
B
A
normal
The diagram shows how a converging lens forms an image of an object.
object
image
Which description of the image formed by the lens is correct?
A real, inverted and diminished
B real, upright and enlarged
C virtual, inverted and diminished
D virtual, upright and enlarged
Which row describes the image viewed in a plane mirror?
type of image image size
A real enlarged
B real same size
C virtual enlarged
D virtual same size
The table gives the range of frequencies of three types of electromagnetic radiation.
type of radiation range of frequencies / Hz
radio 3 × 104 to 3 × 109 visible light 4 × 1014 to 8 × 1014
X-rays 3 × 1016 to 3 × 1019
Which type of electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of 4 × 1015 Hz?
A gamma radiation
B infrared radiation
C microwave radiation
D ultraviolet radiation
An athlete hears a starting pistol fire 1.5 seconds after she sees a puff of smoke from the pistol.
The sound and the smoke are made at the same time. The starting pistol is 450 metres away from the athlete.
What is the speed of sound calculated from this observation?
A 150 m / s B 300 m / s C 330 m / s D 675 m / s
A plotting compass is placed close to the pole of a magnet with poles marked X and Y. The
N pole of the plotting compass points to pole X, as shown.
X Y
Pole Y of the magnet is then placed close to another magnet with poles marked P and Q, as shown. The magnets repel each other.
X Y P Q
magnets repel
Which row is correct?
pole X pole P
A N N
B N S
C S N
D S S
Why are electrical cables often made from copper?
A Copper contains free electrons and is a good conductor.
B Copper contains free electrons and is a good insulator.
C Copper contains free protons and is a good conductor.
D Copper contains free protons and is a good insulator.
There is a current I in a resistor. The potential difference (p.d.) across the resistor is V.
What does the product IV represent?
A the charge flowing through the resistor
B the energy transferred by the resistor
C the power dissipated by the resistor
D the resistance of the resistor
Four 2.0 V cells are connected together in series to make a battery, as shown.
What is the combined electromotive force (e.m.f.) of the battery?
A 0.50 V B 2.0 V C 6.0 V D 8.0 V
An isolated metal sphere is positively charged.
It is then brought near to another isolated metal sphere that is neutral.
left right
+ +
+ + +
+
+ + + positively charged + + + neutral metal sphere metal sphere
What happens to the charges on the neutral sphere as the positively charged sphere is brought close to it?
A Some positive charges move to the left and some negative charges move to the right.
B Some positive charges move to the right and some negative charges move to the left.
C Some positive charges move to the right, but the negative charges do not move.
D The positive charges do not move, but some negative charges move to the left.
The potential difference (p.d.) across a car headlamp is 12 V. The current in the lamp is 2.5 A.
How much energy is transferred by the lamp in 1.0 hour?
A 1800 J B 1800 W C 108 000 J D 108 000 W
A copper wire rests in a uniform magnetic field.
Which change causes an induced electromotive force (e.m.f.) in the wire?
A connecting the wire to a power supply
B connecting the wire to earth
C heating the wire
D moving the wire
An element has two isotopes.
Which row compares the nucleus of one atom of each isotope?
the charge the mass on each nucleus of each nucleus
A different different
B different the same
C the same different
D the same the same
In a laboratory, a radiation detector is connected to a counter which shows a reading for the count rate due to background radiation.
detector
Which unit is count rate measured in?
A counts / s
B minutes / count
C coulombs / minute
D amperes / s
Which statement about alpha, beta and gamma emissions is correct?
A Alpha-particles are lighter than beta-particles.
B Beta-particles are not deflected by magnetic fields.
C Gamma rays are more penetrating than alpha-particles and beta-particles.
D Gamma rays are more ionising than alpha-particles and beta-particles.
The diagram shows the Earth orbiting the Sun.
position 1 Sun
Which row identifies and explains the correct season in the northern hemisphere on the Earth in position 1?
season explanation
A summer the northern hemisphere tilts away from the Sun
B summer the northern hemisphere tilts towards the Sun
C winter the northern hemisphere tilts away from the Sun
D winter the northern hemisphere tilts towards the Sun
Answer
B
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Where can I find the 0625/12 February/March 2025 mark scheme?+
On this page, free: the mark scheme for IGCSE Physics 0625/12, February/March 2025 (0625_m25_ms_12), and the question paper (0625_m25_qp_12), to read or download, with each question's marking points written out underneath.
How many marks is 0625/12 out of?+
Physics 0625/12 for February/March 2025 is out of 40 marks, with 45 minutes to answer it.
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Yes. Upload your answers to 0625/12/F/M/25 as a PDF or photos, and CIE Buddy marks every question against this paper's official mark scheme, using Cambridge's marking rules. You get your score, each lost mark explained on your own script, and the topics to revise. It's a guide, not an official Cambridge grade.