Stars past paper questions

O Level Physics 5054 · Stars and the Universe. 1 State that: (a) galaxies are each made up of many billions of stars (b) the Sun is a star in the galaxy known as the Milky Way (c) other stars that make up the Milky Way are much further away from the Earth than the Sun is from the Earth (d) astronomical distances can be measured in light-years, where one light-year is the distance travelled in a vacuum by light in one year 2 Describe the life cycle of a star: (a) a star is formed from interstellar clouds of gas and dust that contain hydrogen (b) a protostar is an interstellar cloud collapsing and increasing in temperature as a result of its internal gravitational attraction (c) a protostar becomes a stable star when the inward force of gravitational attraction is balanced by an outward force due to the high temperature in the centre of the star (d) all stars eventually run out of hydrogen as fuel for the nuclear reaction (e) most star

In Cambridge O Level Physics 5054, Stars came up in 12 of the 72 papers on Paperstreak, for about 4 marks a paper when it does. It last came up in October/November 2025.

Often set with The Earth, The Universe, Fission and fusion, Energy.

13 questions, newest first

5054/11/O/N/25 Question 39 · 1 mark
5054/11/O/N/25 Question 40 · 1 mark
5054/22/O/N/25 Question 9 parts (a(i)) (b(i)) (b(ii)) (b(iii)) · 8 marks
5054/21/M/J/25 Question 9 parts (a) (b(i)) (b(ii)) (c(i)) (c(ii)) (d) · 8 marks
5054/12/O/N/24 Question 40 · 1 mark
5054/21/O/N/24 Question 9 parts (a(ii)) (b(i)) (b(ii)) · 7 marks
5054/21/M/J/24 Question 8 part (d) · 3 marks
5054/22/M/J/24 Question 8 parts (a) (b) (c(i)) (c(ii)) · 6 marks
5054/11/O/N/23 Question 39 · 1 mark
5054/22/O/N/23 Question 9 parts (b(iv)) (c) · 4 marks
5054/12/M/J/23 Question 40 · 1 mark
5054/22/M/J/23 Question 10 parts (a(i)) (b(i)) (b(ii)) · 4 marks
5054/21/O/N/20 Question 7 part (c(i)) · 2 marks

More in Stars and the Universe: The Sun as a star, The Universe.

Questions and mark schemes from Cambridge International past papers. Paperstreak isn't affiliated with Cambridge.