Archived question lists - 2024-25

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Easter Term 2025

Date of Supervision	Work for IA Nat. Sci. Maths		Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
Date of Supervision	(Course A)	(Course B)	Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
28th April - 3rd May	No supervision this week.		Holiday work.
5th-10th May	Holiday work.		Questions 1 and 2.	Questions 15 and 16 if possible.
12th-17th May	Questions 1-10. Omit 4(d) and 9(a)(iii).	Questions 1-11. In question 3, only deal with the first three products (A^2, AB, AC).	Questions 3-6.	Questions 17-20.
19th-24th May	Questions 11-17.	Questions 12-26, omitting 20 and 21. Optionally add X34 or X35.	Question 7, then 1-5 from the new sheet.	Questions 22-25. Optionally add 21.
26th-31st May	Questions 18-20 from question sheet 1, and 1-4 from question sheet 2.	Questions 27-31 from question sheet 1, and question 1 from question sheet 2.	All of the remaining questions on the question sheet. Also bring with you (but do not hand in) any questions that you have about the past papers that you are doing to prepare for the exam.
2nd-7th June	Questions 5-9. Also bring with you (but do not hand in) any questions that you have about the past papers that you are doing to prepare for the exam.	Questions 2-6 (*). Add X37 if you have nothing better to do. Also bring with you (but do not hand in) any questions that you have about the past papers that you are doing to prepare for the exam.	No supervision this week.

(*) Maths B students who are very badly pressed for time due to impending exams may omit any of questions 2, 4, and 5 from the final week's work. It is important to attempt questions 3 and 6, however, as they cover material shared with course A.

I've produced hints and some solutions to the 2018 past papers in IA NST Maths which you can use if you want. There are worked solutions to several years' past papers in physics on the Cavendish's website.

Easter Holiday Work 2025

As always---and especially this holiday with Tripos looming---it is important to do lots of revision over the holiday.

When doing past Tripos papers, I think it's always a good idea to try them under timed conditions first, to practise working under time pressure, and then to go back and spend longer---in some cases much longer---to fix what you couldn't do in the time and make the best answers that you can. (You don't need to tell me which bit is timed in the work that you submit, though; please make sure that all of your final answer to a question is in one place, and just submit that.)

IA NST Maths: Course A

The work is due in by 12 noon on Wednesday 30th April, at Selwyn or Trinity Hall.

Complete questions 19-25 from the question sheet.
From 2019 paper 1, complete all of section A, and questions 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
From 2019 paper 2, complete questions 1-6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the 2010 and 2014 past papers. I shan't mark these, but if you let me know you've made a serious attempt at the papers, and promise not to pass them on to anyone else, I'll send worked solutions. I don't have worked solutions for any other papers; if you're stuck on particular questions, bring them to a supervision and we can discuss them.

IA NST Maths: Course B

The work is due in by 12 noon on Wednesday 30th April, at Selwyn or Trinity Hall.

Complete questions 24-28 from the question sheet. Optionally add 29 and/or 30; they are good for you.
From 2019 paper 1, complete all of section A, and questions 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 20.
From 2019 paper 2, complete questions 1-6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 19.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the extension question sheet.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the 2010 and 2014 past papers. I shan't mark these, but if you let me know you've made a serious attempt at the papers, and promise not to pass them on to anyone else, I'll send worked solutions. I don't have worked solutions for any other papers; if you're stuck on particular questions, bring them to a supervision and we can discuss them.

IB Physics A

The work is due in by 12 noon on Monday 28th April, at Selwyn or Trinity Hall.

Complete questions 3-8 and 10-12 from question sheet 4. Add 13 and/or 14 only if you feel enthusiastic about them.
From 2022 paper 1, complete all questions.
From 2022 paper 2, complete questions A1, A2, A3, B6, B7, and D9(a).
You should attempt more past papers as part of your revision. Some have solutions available on the Cavendish website, along with the papers, which may be useful once you've already spend a good amount of time trying the questions for yourself. If you're stuck on questions for which answers aren't supplied, then bring them with you to a supervision and we can discuss how to appraoch them.

IB Physics B

The work is due in by 12 noon on Monday 28th April, at Selwyn or Trinity Hall.

Complete questions 9-16 from the thermodynamics queston sheet, omitting any questions on material that hasn't been lectured yet.
From 2022 paper 1, complete all questions.
From 2022 paper 2, complete all questions apart from A5 and C9.
You should attempt more past papers as part of your revision. Some have solutions available on the Cavendish website, along with the papers, which may be useful once you've already spend a good amount of time trying the questions for yourself. If you're stuck on questions for which answers aren't supplied, then bring them with you to a supervision and we can discuss how to appraoch them.

Lent Term 2025

Date of Supervision	Work for IA Nat. Sci. Maths		Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
Date of Supervision	(Course A)	(Course B)	Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
21st-25th January	No supervision this week.		Holiday work.
27th January - 1st February	Holiday work.		More holiday work. (Add Q1 if you like.)	More holiday work.
3rd-8th February	S1, S2, S3, S4, 5, 6, 7, 8.	{S1g or X24}, S1j, S2c, S2f, S3b, S4b, 5, 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 8c.	Questions 1-6.	Questions 10-15.
10th-15th February	Questions S9, S10, and 11-13.	Questions 9-13. Optionally add X26 (or even X25).	Questions 7-11.	Questions 16-21.
17th-22nd February	Questions S1 to 8. The second part of 8 is optional.	Questions S1a, S1c, S2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9.	Questions 12 and 13, then 1-5 from the new sheet.	Questions 22-27.
24th February - 1st March	Questions 9-13. Part (ii) of 12 is difficult and optional.	S3 and questions 10-16. Optionally omit 13(ii) and 16(c).	Questions 6-12.	Questions 28-33.
3rd-7th March	Questions 14-19, omitting 16(iii).	Questions 17-22. Question 20 is optional (but do attempt it if you can). Optionally add X30(a).	Questions 13 and 14, then 1-4 from the new sheet.	Questions 34-38.
9th-14th March	S1 and questions 2-9. 8* and 9* are optional, but do attempt them if you can.	S1, S2, and questions 6-13.	Questions 5-9.	Questions 39-41 from fluids, and 1 and 2 from thermodynamics.
16th-21st March	Questions S10-S13 and 14-18.	S3, S4, and questions 14-23. Omit 22, and optionally omit 15.	Questions 10-12 from question sheet 3 then 1 and 2 from question sheet 4.	Questions 3-8.

Holiday Work: Christmas 2024

Whichever course you're doing, the first item of holiday work is to revise the work from the Michaelmas term. Many of you have tests coming up! And if there are questions that you didn't get right the first time, and you haven't re-attempted them yet, then it's good to do that over the holidays.

IA NST Mathematics

I'll begin supervisions for IA NST Maths from Monday 27th January, but this work is due in by 10am on Wednesday 22nd January.

Complete questions from the question sheet: K3-6 (A-course) or R11-14 (B-course).
Download the 2021 past papers for IA Nat. Sci. maths from the faculty's website. From paper 1, attempt questions 1-10, 11, 15, 16, and 17. Add 12 and 19 if you are following the B-course.
From 2021 paper 2, attempt questions 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 14.
[Optional.] Anyone who would like a challenge can have a look at anything from X1-23 on this extra question sheet. Feel free to hand in anything you've done if you'd like feedback.
[Optional.] If you'd like to practise more Tripos questions, then attempt any questions of your choice from the 2010 papers. (I shan't mark these---so don't hand your answers in---but if you let me know you have made a good attempt at these papers I shall send worked solutions.)

IB Physics A

I'll begin supervisions in IB Physics A from Tuesday 21st January. The first supervision will be for going through the examples sheet and 2019 paper 1, which must be handed in (or sent in online) by noon on Thursday 16th January. The rest of the holiday work must be handed in on paper by 10am on Wednesday 22nd January; we shan't go through it in the first supervision.

(Due in by 12 noon on Thursday 16th January, on paper or online.) Complete the rest of the OWO question sheet. Download the May 2019 IB physics A papers from the Cavendish teaching website. From paper 1, attempt questions A4, A5, D12, and D13. In D12(e), the only non-ideal behaviour to be modelled is the finite open-loop gain A.
(Due in by 10am on Wednesday 22nd January, on paper.) From 2019 paper 2, attempt questions A1, A2, A3, B6, B7, B8, B9, and D12.
Play with the wave interference demo on PhET, pating particular attention to the diffraction part. Don't hand anything in from this.
If you want to practise more past paper questions (which is a good idea), then there are plenty to choose from on the Cavendish website. Save the papers from 2020 onwards for revision closer to the exam; you may want to choose papers with answers available online. Don't hand any papers in apart from the 2019, but if you want to discuss particular questions then bring them with you to a supervision.

IB Physics B

I'll begin supervisions in IB Physics B from Tuesday 21st January. The first supervision will be for going through the examples sheet and 2018 paper 1, which must be handed in (or sent in online) by noon on Thursday 16th January. The rest of the holiday work must be handed in on paper by 10am on Wednesday 22nd January; we shan't go through it in the first supervision.

(Due in by 12 noon on Thursday 16th January, on paper or online.) Complete questions 1-9 from the Dynamics question sheet. Download the June 2018 IB physics A papers from the Cavendish teaching website. From paper 1, attempt questions A1, A4, B6, B7, B8, and B9.
(Due in by 10am on Wednesday 22nd January, on paper.) From 2018 paper 2, attempt questions A1, A3, B6, and B7.
Play with the charges and fields demonstration from PhET, looking that the field and equipotentials for a dipole and two different kinds of quadrapole. Investigate any other relevant relevant simulations from PhET that look interesting, including, if you have nothing better to do, applying gratuitous electric shocks to John Travoltage. Don't hand anything in from this.
If you want to practise more past paper questions (which is a good idea), then there are plenty to choose from on the Cavendish website. Save the papers from 2020 onwards for revision closer to the exam; you may want to choose papers with answers available online. Don't hand any papers in apart from the 2018, but if you want to discuss particular questions then bring them with you to a supervision.

Work to Do: Michaelmas Term 2024

I plan to update this table on Tuesday evenings.

Date of Supervision	Work for IA Nat. Sci. Maths		Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
Date of Supervision	(Course A)	(Course B)	Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
14th-19th October	No work set. (But bring with you any questions you have from the online preparation that you did.)		No supervision this week.
21st-26th October	All questions from sections A and B on the question sheet, except that you may omit A1 and A3 if you like.	Questions A1, A3, A4, A5, A7, A8, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B10, B11, and B13.	Questions 1-7, omitting 6(b).	Questions 1-6.
28th October - 2nd November	Sections C, D, and E.	C1(iv), {C3(ii) or X2}*, C4, C5(i, ii, iii), C7, C9, C10, C12, D1, D2, E2, E3, E4, F1(b, e, g, h).	Questions 8-15, omitting 10.	Questions 7-12.
4th-9th November	Questions 1-13 from section F. If you are already good at complex numbers, omit question 1 completely, and only do parts (b), (d), (f), (h) and (j) from question 2.	{F3(c,d) or X4}*, F4(c), {F5(c) or X7}, F6, F7(b,d,e,f,g,h,i,k), F8, F10, F11, F13(b), F14(e), F15(d), F17, F18(c,e), F19, G1, G3(b,e), G4, H1(e,f,h), H2(a,c,e), H3.	Questions 16-18 from experimental methods and 1-4 from the OWO course.	Questions 13-18.
11th-16th November	F14-15, all of section G, and H1-7, optionally omitting H1(b,d,f,h), H2(b,d,f,h), and H5(d).	{H4 or X9}*, H5, I1, J1, K1, K2, L1, L2.	Questions 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11.	Questions 19-24.
18th-23rd November	H8 to H15.	M1, M2, M3, N1, N2, N4, O1, {P1(d,g) or X11}*, P2(c,d,e), P3(b), P4.	Questions 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.	Questions 25-30.
25th-30th November	H16, H17, all of section I, J1, J2.	{P5(d) or X17},{P5(g) or X18}, P6(all), P7, P9, P10, P12, P15, Q1, Q2, Q4, Q6.	Questions 17-22.	Questions 31-37.
2nd-7th December	The rest of section J, and questions 1 and 2 from section K.	P14, Q8, Q9, {R1 or X23}*, R2, R3, R4, R5, R7, R8, R9. (If you do X23, the starred parts are optional.)	Questions 23-29, omitting (a) and (d) from question 24 (unless you are very keen to do them).	Questions 38-44.