Circular motion — AS & A Level Further Mathematics (9231) questions by topic

Conical-pendulum and vertical-circle problems anchor this topic: finding tensions and angular speed for two particles on strings attached to a fixed point O, and finding the angle a string makes with the vertical when a particle held at rest is released and moves in a circle.

Find and show are the two command words across 14 questions from 2023 to 2025 papers, worth from 3 to 11 marks, where resolving forces towards the centre of the circle correctly is the technique every part depends on. With no examiner-report extracts logged for this topic, submitting each force-resolution derivation for instant marking is the way to confirm the centripetal equation is set up correctly before angular speed or tension is calculated from it.

May–June 2025, Paper 31

Question 7 · 10 marks

A fixed hollow sphere has radius a and centre O. The points A, B and C lie on the inner surface of the sphere with OA and BC horizontal. A portion of the sphere has been removed…

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May–June 2025, Paper 33

Question 1 · 3 marks

A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length a. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. The particle moves in a…

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May–June 2025, Paper 34

Question 4 · 6 marks

A hollow cone with a smooth inner surface is fixed with its vertex O downwards. The semi-vertical angle of the cone is alpha, where tan(alpha) = 3/4. A light inextensible string…

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May–June 2024, Paper 31

Question 5 · 7 marks

Two particles A and B of masses m and km respectively are connected by a light inextensible string of length a. The particles are placed on a rough horizontal circular turntable…

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May–June 2024, Paper 32

Question 5 · 7 marks

Two particles A and B of masses m and km respectively are connected by a light inextensible string of length a. The particles are placed on a rough horizontal circular turntable…

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October–November 2024, Paper 31

Question 2 · 5 marks

A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length a. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. The particle P is held at the…

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Question 6 · 8 marks

A particle P of mass 0.05 kg is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length 1 m. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. A particle Q of mass…

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October–November 2024, Paper 33

Question 2 · 5 marks

A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length a. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. The particle P is held at the…

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Question 6 · 8 marks

A particle P of mass 0.05 kg is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length 1 m. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. A particle Q of mass…

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May–June 2023, Paper 31

Question 3 · 7 marks

A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length a. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. The particle P is held at the…

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May–June 2023, Paper 33

Question 1 · 4 marks

A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length a. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. The particle P is held at the…

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October–November 2023, Paper 31

Question 6 · 11 marks

A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light inextensible rod of length 3a. An identical particle Q is attached to the other end of the rod. The rod is smoothly…

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October–November 2023, Paper 32

Question 1 · 4 marks

One end of a light inextensible string of length a is attached to a fixed point O. The other end of the string is attached to a particle of mass m. The string is taut and makes an…

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October–November 2023, Paper 33

Question 6 · 11 marks

A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light inextensible rod of length 3a. An identical particle Q is attached to the other end of the rod. The rod is smoothly…

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