AQA AS PHYSICS PAPER 2 QP JUNE
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ Tricuspid valve.
Answer: Separates the right atrium and the right ventricle
◍ Mitral valve (bicuspid).
Answer: separates the left atrium from the left ventricle
◍ Semilungar valves.
Answer: Found at the junction of the ventricles and the pulmonary/systemic
circulation
◍ pulmonary semilunar valve (pulmonic).
Answer: separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery; preventing
backflow from the artery into the ventricle.
◍ Aortic semilunar valve.
Answer: separates the left ventricle from the pulmonary artery
◍ diastole.
Answer: period of time when the atria or ventricles are resting
◍ systole.
Answer: the period of time when the atria or ventricles are contracting
◍ relaxation phase.
Answer: 0.52 seconds; left atrium fills passively with blood under venous
pressure and about 80% of ventricular filling occurs as flood flows through
the open tricuspid and mitral valves.
,◍ atrial contraction.
Answer: the contents of each atrium is squeezed into the respective ventricle
to complete ventricular filling
◍ atrial kick.
Answer: the amount of blood kicked into the ventricles by the atrium
◍ ventricular contraction.
Answer: AV valves close; two ventricles contract and the semilunar valves
are forced open. Blood squeezed out of the right ventricle moves forward
into the pulmonary arteries and blood from the left ventricle is pushed
through the aorta. Systole takes half the time as ventricular filling
(~.28seconds)
◍ intraventricular septum.
Answer: thin wall that separates the left and right sides of the heart
◍ low-pressure pump.
Answer: right side of the heart because it pumps against relatively low
resistance of pulmonary circulation
◍ superior vena cava.
Answer: collects deoxygenated blood from the upper half of the body
◍ inferior vena cava.
Answer: collects deoxygenated blood from the lower portion of the body
◍ path of deoxygenated blood in the heart.
Answer: enters the right atrium and is pumped into the right ventricle which
pumps it into the pulmonary artery for distribution into the lungs
◍ pulmonary veins.
Answer: collect oxygen-rich blood and return it to the left atrium
◍ high pressure pump.
Answer: the left side of the heart as it pumps oxygen-rich blood into the left
atrium; controlled by preload in order to drive blood out against relatively
high resistant systemic arteries
, ◍ preload.
Answer: the initial stretching of the cardiac myocytes prior to contraction of
the left side of the heart
◍ afterload.
Answer: the force of driving blood out of the heart against the high
resistance of systemic arteries
◍ systemic circulation.
Answer: consists of all blood vessels between the left ventricle and left
atrium
◍ pulmonary circulation.
Answer: consists of all blood vessels between the right ventricle and left
atrium
◍ tunica adventitia.
Answer: protective outer layer of fibrous tissue that provides blood vessels
with the strength needed to withstand high pressure against their walls
◍ tunica media.
Answer: middle layer of elastic fibers and muscle that gives strength and
contractility to blood vessels. Much thicker and stronger in arteries
compared to veins
◍ tunica intima.
Answer: innermost layer of blood vessels; smooth inner lining that is only
one cell thick
◍ lumen.
Answer: the opening within a blood vessel
◍ arteries.
Answer: thick-walled, muscular vessels that carry blood away from the
heart. Usually oxygenated blood except the pulmonary arteries
◍ aorta.
Answer: the largest artery in the body
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ Tricuspid valve.
Answer: Separates the right atrium and the right ventricle
◍ Mitral valve (bicuspid).
Answer: separates the left atrium from the left ventricle
◍ Semilungar valves.
Answer: Found at the junction of the ventricles and the pulmonary/systemic
circulation
◍ pulmonary semilunar valve (pulmonic).
Answer: separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery; preventing
backflow from the artery into the ventricle.
◍ Aortic semilunar valve.
Answer: separates the left ventricle from the pulmonary artery
◍ diastole.
Answer: period of time when the atria or ventricles are resting
◍ systole.
Answer: the period of time when the atria or ventricles are contracting
◍ relaxation phase.
Answer: 0.52 seconds; left atrium fills passively with blood under venous
pressure and about 80% of ventricular filling occurs as flood flows through
the open tricuspid and mitral valves.
,◍ atrial contraction.
Answer: the contents of each atrium is squeezed into the respective ventricle
to complete ventricular filling
◍ atrial kick.
Answer: the amount of blood kicked into the ventricles by the atrium
◍ ventricular contraction.
Answer: AV valves close; two ventricles contract and the semilunar valves
are forced open. Blood squeezed out of the right ventricle moves forward
into the pulmonary arteries and blood from the left ventricle is pushed
through the aorta. Systole takes half the time as ventricular filling
(~.28seconds)
◍ intraventricular septum.
Answer: thin wall that separates the left and right sides of the heart
◍ low-pressure pump.
Answer: right side of the heart because it pumps against relatively low
resistance of pulmonary circulation
◍ superior vena cava.
Answer: collects deoxygenated blood from the upper half of the body
◍ inferior vena cava.
Answer: collects deoxygenated blood from the lower portion of the body
◍ path of deoxygenated blood in the heart.
Answer: enters the right atrium and is pumped into the right ventricle which
pumps it into the pulmonary artery for distribution into the lungs
◍ pulmonary veins.
Answer: collect oxygen-rich blood and return it to the left atrium
◍ high pressure pump.
Answer: the left side of the heart as it pumps oxygen-rich blood into the left
atrium; controlled by preload in order to drive blood out against relatively
high resistant systemic arteries
, ◍ preload.
Answer: the initial stretching of the cardiac myocytes prior to contraction of
the left side of the heart
◍ afterload.
Answer: the force of driving blood out of the heart against the high
resistance of systemic arteries
◍ systemic circulation.
Answer: consists of all blood vessels between the left ventricle and left
atrium
◍ pulmonary circulation.
Answer: consists of all blood vessels between the right ventricle and left
atrium
◍ tunica adventitia.
Answer: protective outer layer of fibrous tissue that provides blood vessels
with the strength needed to withstand high pressure against their walls
◍ tunica media.
Answer: middle layer of elastic fibers and muscle that gives strength and
contractility to blood vessels. Much thicker and stronger in arteries
compared to veins
◍ tunica intima.
Answer: innermost layer of blood vessels; smooth inner lining that is only
one cell thick
◍ lumen.
Answer: the opening within a blood vessel
◍ arteries.
Answer: thick-walled, muscular vessels that carry blood away from the
heart. Usually oxygenated blood except the pulmonary arteries
◍ aorta.
Answer: the largest artery in the body
