Mark Scheme

Summer 2023

Pearson Edexcel GCE

In AS Level Mathematics (8MA0)
Paper 02 Mechanics
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Summer 2023
Publications Code 8MA0_22_2306_MS*
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2023
General Marking Guidance

• All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners

must mark the first candidate in exactly the same way as they
mark the last.
• Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must
be rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than
penalised for omissions.
• Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not
according to their perception of where the grade boundaries
may lie.
• There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark
scheme should be used appropriately.
• All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.
Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if
the answer matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also
be prepared to award zero marks if the candidate’s response
is not worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.
• Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will
provide the principles by which marks will be awarded and
exemplification may be limited.
• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the
mark scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must
be consulted.
• Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has
replaced it with an alternative response.
 EDEXCEL GCE MATHEMATICS

General Instructions for Marking

1. The total number of marks for the paper is 30.

2. The Edexcel Mathematics mark schemes use the following types of marks:

• M marks: method marks are awarded for ‘knowing a method and

attempting to apply it’, unless otherwise indicated.
• A marks: Accuracy marks can only be awarded if the relevant method (M)
marks have been earned.
• B marks are unconditional accuracy marks (independent of M marks)
• Marks should not be subdivided.

3. Abbreviations

These are some of the traditional marking abbreviations that will appear in the
mark schemes.

• bod – benefit of doubt

• ft – follow through
• the symbol will be used for correct ft
• cao – correct answer only
• cso - correct solution only. There must be no errors in this part of the
question to obtain this mark
• isw – ignore subsequent working
• awrt – answers which round to
• SC: special case
• oe – or equivalent (and appropriate)
• dep – dependent
• indep – independent
• dp decimal places
• sf significant figures
•  The answer is printed on the paper
• The second mark is dependent on gaining the first mark

4. All A marks are ‘correct answer only’ (cao.), unless shown, for example, as
A1 ft to indicate that previous wrong working is to be followed through.
After a misread however, the subsequent A marks affected are treated as
A ft, but manifestly absurd answers should never be awarded A marks.
 General Principles for Mechanics Marking
(But note that specific mark schemes may sometimes override these general principles)

• Rules for M marks: correct no. of terms; dimensionally correct; all terms that
need resolving (i.e. multiplied by cos or sin) are resolved.

• Omission or extra g in a resolution is an accuracy error not method error.

• Omission of mass from a resolution is a method error.

• Omission of a length from a moments equation is a method error.

• Omission of units or incorrect units is not (usually) counted as an accuracy

error.

• dM indicates a dependent method mark i.e. one that can only be awarded if a
previous specified method mark has been awarded.

• Any numerical answer which comes from use of g = 9.8 should be given to 2 or
3 SF.

• Use of g = 9.81 should be penalised once per (complete) question.

N.B. Over-accuracy or under-accuracy of correct answers should only be
penalised once per complete question. However, premature approximation
should be penalised every time it occurs.
• Marks must be entered in the same order as they appear on the mark scheme.

• In all cases, if the candidate clearly labels their working under a particular part
of a question i.e. (a) or (b) or (c),……then that working can only score marks for
that part of the question.
• Accept column vectors in all cases.

• Misreads – if a misread does not alter the character of a question or materially

simplify it, deduct two from any A or B marks gained, bearing in mind that after
a misread, the subsequent A marks affected are treated as A ft

• Mechanics Abbreviations
M(A) Taking moments about A
N2L Newton’s Second Law (Equation of Motion)
NEL Newton’s Experimental Law (Newton’s Law of Impact)
HL Hooke’s Law
SHM Simple harmonic motion
PCLM Principle of conservation of linear momentum
RHS, LHS Right hand side, left hand side
Question Scheme Marks AOs

1(a) Because the distances travelled or displacements are equal oe. If they
B1 2.4
mention the times are the same as well, ignore it.
(1)

1(b) 0.8 or 4/5 ( m s −2 ) B1 1.1b

(1)

1(c) 1 1 1
 5  4 + (4  22.5) OR (27.5 + 22.5)  4 OR 27.5  4 −  5  4 M1 3.1b
2 2 2
100 (m) A1 1.1b

(2)

1(d) Total area under graph = their answer for part (c) M1 3.1b

1 A1ft 1.1b
X  X + X (27.5 − X ) = 100
2
1
OR (27.5 + 27.5 − X )  X = 100
2 A1ft 1.1b
1
OR 27.5 X − X 2 = 100
2
X = 3.92 to 3sf A1 1.1b

(4)

(8 marks)

Notes:

1a B1 Must mention distances being equal specifically.

1b B1 cao
1c M1 Clear attempt to find the total area under the P graph, with the correct structure i.e. (triangle
+ rectangle) OR trapezium OR (rectangle – triangle); must see use of ½ where appropriate.
OR they may use suvat to find the distance covered by P in one or more of the sections.
N.B. M0 for use of a single suvat formula for the whole motion
A1 cao
1d M1 Clear attempt to equate the total area under the S graph, with the correct structure, i.e.
(triangle + rectangle) OR trapezium OR (rectangle – triangle), must see use of ½ where
appropriate, to their answer for (c) to give a quadratic equation in X only
N.B. they may use suvat to find the distance covered by S in one or more of the sections.
N.B. M0 for use of a single suvat formula for the whole motion
Correct unsimplified quadratic equation in X only with at most one error, follow their answer
A1ft
for (c)
A1ft Correct unsimplified quadratic equation in X only, follow their answer for (c)

A1 cao
If they use g = 9.81 or 10 in this question, penalise once for whole question.

Question Scheme Marks AOs

2(a) Attempt to find the displacement after 10 s M1 3.1b

1 1
39.2 10 − g 102 OR −39.2 10 + g 102 A1 1.1b
2 2
98 (m) (must be positive) A1 1.1b

(3)

2(b) Complete method to find either half the time or the full time M1 3.1b

Correct equation e.g. 0 = 24.5 − gt OR −24.5 = 24.5 − gt A1 1.1b

5 (s) A1 1.1b

(3)

2(c) e.g. (include) air resistance B1 3.5c

(1)

(7 marks)

Notes: Penalise explicit use of g = 9.81 or 10 once for the whole question the first time it occurs.
2a M1 1 2 1
Complete method, using s = ut + at or possibly s = vt − at 2 with the motion reversed,
2 2
or an ‘up and down’ method i.e an appropriate equation for the motion from O to the top
AND an appropriate equation from the top down to the ground AND combining to give the
total distance
A1 Correct expression (s)
N.B. If using an ‘up and down method’, this mark is for all the intermediate values:
Distance up = 78.4, Time up = 4, time down = 6, distance down = 176.4 AND combining
correctly i.e. (176.4 – 78.4) or (78.4 –176.4)
These are the values for g = 9.8
A1 cao
2b M1 Complete method to find half the time or the full time. Allow inequalities.
e.g. for half the time, they may find t = 4 and t = 1.5 and subtract
e.g. for the full time, they may find t = 6.5 and t = 1.5 and subtract
A1 Correct equation or equations if they are using more than one.

A1 cao
2c B1 e.g. (use) a more accurate value of g, (include) spin of the stone, (include )shape of the stone,
(include) size of the stone, (include) wind effects , rotation
B0 if any incorrect extras are included e.g. the mass or weight of the stone
DO NOT ALLOW NEGATIVES OF THESE e.g there is no air resistance
Question Scheme Marks AOs

3(a) 15 − 32 − 2  3 = 0 * B1* 1.1b

(1)

3(b) Differentiate v wrt t M1 2.1

−2t − 2 A1 1.1b

8 ( m s −2 ) A1 1.1b

(3)

3(c) Integrate v w.r.t. t M1 1.1b

1
15t − t 3 − t 2 A1 1.1b
3
3 4
 1   1 
Total distance = 15t − t 3 − t 2  − 15t − t 3 − t 2 
 3 0  3 3
OR s 3 + ( s 3 −s 4 ) M1 3.1a

where s 3 means the value of their integral when t = 3.

N.B. Allow the negative of this.
94
(m) A1 1.1b
3
(4)

(8 marks)

Notes:

3a B1* Correct expression, correctly evaluated to give 0

OR 0 = 15 − t 2 − 2t
t =3
3b M1 Differentiate v, with at least two powers decreasing by 1

A1 Correct expression

A1 cao (must be positive)

N.B. If they give 8 as their answer, without any working, this can score all 3 marks.

3c M1 Integrate v, with at least two powers increasing by 1 (allow if only two terms integrated) .

A1 Correct expression. Ignore (+ C)

M1 Complete method to find the total distance or displacement

A1 Accept 31(m) or better, must be positive

1
N.B. If the indefinite integral ( 15t − t 3 − t 2 ) is never seen, they score nothing, even if the
3
correct answer appears, as this indicates they have used a calculator to do the whole
question.
Question Scheme Marks AOs

4(a) Equation of motion for the car M1 3.3

7400 − 2 R − 2400 = 1200a A1 1.1b

Equation of motion for the trailer M1 3.4

2400 − R = 400a A1 1.1b

a = 0.5 A1 1.1b

(5)
N.B. Either equation could be replaced by:
Equation of motion for the whole system
7400 - 3R = 1600a
4(b) The value of a1 would be less than the value of a.
Allow ‘a1 would be slower than a’, B1 3.5a
N.B. Allow ‘it would be less than a’

(1)

4(c) The resistance won’t be constant or just ‘it won’t be constant.’

Allow the negative also:
B1 3.5b
The resistance is constant or just ‘it is constant’
B0 for ‘it doesn’t take account of air resistance’

(1)

(7 marks)

Notes:

4a N.B. When entering marks on ePEN for the two equations of motion, enter them in the
order in which they appear on the script.
For any equation of motion, use the mass in the ‘ma’ term to determine to which part of the
system it relates.
Correct no.of terms and condone sign errors, with the driving force as 7400 (when
M1
appropriate) and the tension as 2400.
A1 Correct equation
Correct no.of terms and condone sign errors, with the driving force as 7400 (when
M1
appropriate) and the tension as 2400.
A1 Correct equation

A1 cao

4b B1 cao

4c B1 B0 if any incorrect extras are given or for an incorrect statement

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