Impossible Question in CIE Physics Exam: Is It Really Unsolvable?

[skyglow1]

Hi, the students that are the year below my year level sat their external physics exam recently. Only problem was, there seems to be an impossible question in the paper:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/skyglow1/impossibleq.jpg

This is a scan from the paper. It seems like there's no way you can do part (c) of the question. This is from CIE examinations so I find it very hard to believe they could have made such a massive mistake.

 

[vanesch]

Well, you can always say something like:

Current in lamp Y = 12V/ R_Y or so, no ?

It doesn't mean that you cannot do the last exercise.

 

[skyglow1]

Well, you can always say something like:

Current in lamp Y = 12V/ R_Y or so, no ?

It doesn't mean that you cannot do the last exercise.

That was what I was thinking too, but it says calculate so I'm inclined to think its a numerical answer instead of interms of R_Y. And at this level you wouldn't be expected to say something like "Let R_Y be the resistance of lamp Y, then I = 12/R_Y".

 

[rsk]

I agree. I didn't realize you meant this was a real exam today - I was about to look up the markscheme online. it will be interesting to see what it (and the examiners report) contains, when it eventually appears.