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AQA · GCSE · Combined Science · Higher

Viewing position and height measurement

Q05.1 2 marks

Figure 10 shows a child’s toy. A child pushes down on the toy to compress the spring. The spring then launches the toy into the air.

A child’s spring-loaded toy shown with the spring extended and with the spring compressed. Labels identify the spring and the toy with spring compressed.

Figure 10

Enlarged question image

A child’s spring-loaded toy shown with the spring extended and with the spring compressed. Labels identify the spring and the toy with spring compressed.
Figure 10
Diagram of a vertical metre rule beside a toy at maximum height, with a student observing from position A below the toy height and from position B with their eye level with the toy.

Figure 11

Enlarged question image

Diagram of a vertical metre rule beside a toy at maximum height, with a student observing from position A below the toy height and from position B with their eye level with the toy.
Figure 11

A student measured the maximum height reached by the toy.

The student placed a vertical metre rule near the toy, and observed the height reached by the toy.

The student repeated the experiment, observing from a different position.

Figure 11 shows the toy at its maximum height and the two positions of the student.

Observing the toy from position B instead of position A affected the measurement of the maximum height reached by the toy.

Explain how.

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Marking points

  1. 1 State that the measurement from position B will be more accurate.
  2. 2 Explain that in position B the observer’s eye is level with the maximum height of the toy.

Full-mark answer

The measurement will be more accurate from position B because the student’s eye is level with the maximum height of the toy, reducing parallax error.

Why this answer loses marks

Position B makes the toy look higher.

The credited effect is that the reading is more accurate because the eye is level with the toy, not simply that the toy appears higher.

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