AQA A-Level Physics Paper 1, June 2023: Question 8

1 mark · Medium difficulty · Multiple Choice

Estimate the speed of a person just after leaving the ground when jumping vertically as high as possible from a standing position.

Practise this question

Question

A multiple-choice physics question asking for a reasonable estimate of a person's speed just after leaving the ground when jumping as high as possible from a standing position. Four options are provided with checkboxes: A) 2 m s^-1, B) 4 m s^-1, C) 8 m s^-1, and D) 10 m s^-1.
Question text

08 A person jumps as high as she can from a standing position.

What is a reasonable estimate of her speed just after she leaves the ground?

[1 mark]

A 2 m s−1

B 4 m s−1

C 8 m s−1

D 10 m s−1

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme The mark scheme indicates that the correct answer for question 08 is B, corresponding to a speed of 4 m s^-1.

08 B 4 m s−1

How to answer it

Estimating Vertical Jump Speed

What this question tests:
This question assesses your ability to apply physical principles and order-of-magnitude estimation to everyday human biomechanics. Specifically, it tests your understanding of kinematics and energy conservation (converting kinetic energy into gravitational potential energy) to evaluate realistic physical values for human motion.
Question 08

Part 08: Estimating Take-off Speed

Multiple Choice Selection

✅ Correct Answer

B: 4 m s⁻¹

1 mark awarded for selecting option B.

💡 Key Knowledge

  • A good vertical jump from a standing position lifts a person's center of mass by roughly 0.5 m to 0.8 m .
  • Energy conservation links initial kinetic energy to maximum gravitational potential energy: 0.5 × m × v² = m × g × h .
  • Mass ( m ) cancels out, leaving v = √(2 × g × h) .

🧠 Exam Technique

When faced with an order-of-magnitude estimation question involving human capabilities, anchor yourself to numbers you know. Think about how high you can jump (about half a meter) and work backwards using SUVAT or energy equations.

❌ Common Errors

  • Choosing 10 m s⁻¹ (Option D): This is roughly free-fall acceleration or running speed, which would result in a vertical jump height of over 5 m —physically impossible for a human from a standing start!
  • Guessing blindly without applying a mental physics model.

📐 Step-by-Step Physics Breakdown

  1. Estimate jump height ( h ): A typical athletic standing vertical jump reaches a height of about 0.8 m (or estimate using energy methods).
  2. State the SUVAT or Energy relation: v² = u² + 2as (where u = 0 at maximum height, moving downwards, or working upwards: final velocity at peak is 0 , so 0 = v² - 2gh ).
  3. Rearrange for initial velocity ( v ): v = √(2 × g × h)
  4. Substitute values: v = √(2 × 9.81 × 0.8) ≈ √(15.7) ≈ 4.0 m s⁻¹

This confirms option B is the only physically reasonable estimate.

Topics

Physics · 3.1 Measurements and their errors

Question and mark scheme from the AQA A-Level Physics examination, Paper 1, June 2023. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.