The April 2018 Physics Advanced Matriculation Level Paper of the University of Malta was riddled with mistakes.

In Paper 1, 6 c i, one has to assume that the internal resistance is zero.

7b. Why lay steel rail tracks in cold weather?

8. In the diagram, should it not have been a potential divider to find the stopping voltage?

8b. The question is vague.

9. The air track diagram is inclined the wrong way.

9a iii) Using different equations give different answers.

9b. The height of the bucket is not given and neither its width.

10d. Should not the translational acceleration of the yo-yo and its angular acceleration have the same sign?

12b If the cyclist does not make it, how can he fix the flat tyre?

13. The unit should be N/m.

15b iii) The number should be the constant ro and not the size of the nucleon. And what does size exactly mean?

15d i) What was the answer to family of particles?

15d ii) Is the question referring to leptons? In that case, the question is not correct.

In Paper 2, a) Why 4 main assumptions when there are more?

2b. From which point did the students have to begin the derivation?

2c. Molecular Hydrogen has a molecular mass of 2 g. Does not molecular hydrogen have more than 3 degrees of freedom?

4c. Is the capacitor charged?

5 a and b require practically the same answer.

7b. Is this pendulum realistic with an amplitude of over 1 metre and a bob of mass 10 grams?!

8c ii) Should ii follow i?

9c i) What are the two advantages?

9e. The answer to 1 decimal point is not different to that at the triple point.

10b. Both questions are testing the same concept.

10c i) Why does the question require a graph when it does not improve the accuracy of the experiment in this case?

10d. Won't the kettle explode with all that steam inside? There would be over 3000 litres of steam. With all that pressure, will the water evaporate at 100 degrees?

11c. Are the dimensions for the room or for the window?

12b ii) Do they carry the same charge?

12c. Did the students have to consider the force that the charges exert on each other? In that case, it is 180 times greater than that due to the plates.

12c. Did the students have to consider the force of gravity? In that case, g is 9.81 while the acceleration due to the plates is only 0.3 or 0.5.

14a. What type of lens?

15e.Is R needed?

It seems that money and resources are not being invested. For example, should not the paper setters have software to draw the diagrams? It also seems that those who review the paper do not work it out. It would also be a good exercise to see if the paper is really testing comprehension of the subject, and whether the choice of questions in Section B delivers a paper that tests students on an equal level.

 

J Rapa

Nadur