sec revision classes

SEC Revision Classes Secondary Education Certificate

Examination Papers – 2017

Physics

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transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the University of Malta.

The University of Malta, including the Matriculation and Secondary Education Certificate

Examination Board, shall not be held responsible for any mistakes in the questions as printed or the

answers, workings or comments as contained in this publication.

Index No:________________ SEC24/1.17m

© The MATSEC Examinations Board reserves all rights on the examination questions in all examination papers set by the said Board.

MATRICULATION AND SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS BOARD

UNIVERSITY OF MALTA, MSIDA

SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE LEVEL

MAY 2017 SESSION

SUBJECT: Physics

PAPER NUMBER: I

DATE: 29th April 2017

TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 11:05 a.m.

Answer all questions.

You are requested to show your working and to write the units where necessary.

When necessary, take g, acceleration due to gravity, as 10 m/s2.

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10

1. In 1589, the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped

two spheres of different masses from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. As

they fell, the spheres accelerated under the force of gravity.

a. Explain the term the „force of gravity‟.

(2)

b. Explain how this force of gravity is responsible for the moon‟s motion around Earth.

(2)

c. Match the following statements: (the first one has been done for you)

i. A light year is a measure which has not cleared the neighbourhood

around the orbit

ii. Pluto is a dwarf planet of very long distances in space.

iii. Our solar system forms part of the

Milky Way galaxy which result in days and nights.

iv. Earth is one of the eight planets which is a very small part of the

universe.

v. Earth spins on its own axis which orbit around the sun.

(4)

d. A number of scientists think that the “Universe is expanding”. Explain this claim by referring to

one particular theory?

(2)

(Total: 10 marks)

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2. The mass of air in a room can be estimated from its volume and the density of air. A room has

sides of 4.5 m, 3.5 m and 4 m. The density of air is 1.1 kg/m3.

a. Define the term density.

(2)

b. What is the volume of the room in m3?

(1)

c. Calculate the mass of air in the room.

(2)

d. A heater is placed in the room. Explain, in terms of particles, what happens to the air in the room

when the air above the heater heats up.

(4)

e. Animals exhale carbon dioxide. In a closed room, carbon dioxide collects at the bottom of the

room. What does this show about the density of carbon dioxide?

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10

3. A car has a number of forces acting on it.

a. Some of the forces acting on a moving car are shown in the diagram below.

i. Name the forces labelled as P, Q, S and T in the spaces provided. (Assume that the mass of

the car is uniform.)

P: Q:

S: T: (4)

ii. How are S and T related when the car is moving at constant velocity?

(1)

iii. How are S and T related when the car is accelerating forward?

(1)

iv. Name and state the law that you have used for your answers in parts (ii) and (iii).

(2)

b. Force S acting on the car of mass 1815 kg is 677 kN. Calculate the acceleration of the car, when

force T is 676 kN.

(2)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10

4. Electrical resistors are components found in most circuits.

a. In the space below, draw the symbol of a resistor. (1)

b. Complete the following statement with the correct word.

A resistor current and converts the electrical energy in a circuit into

(2)

ii. If the voltage across the 400 Ω resistor is 20 V, find the voltage across the 0.25 kΩ resistor.

(3)

d. The 400 Ω resistor and the 0.25 kΩ resistor are now connected in parallel.

i. Will the total resistance increase, decrease or remain the same as in part c?

(1)

ii. If the voltage across the 0.25 kΩ resistor in this set up is 32 V, what is the voltage across the

400 Ω resistor?

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

Page 5

(2)energy.

c. A resistor of 400 Ω is connected in series to another resistor of 0.25 kΩ.

i. Calculate the total resistance.

SEC24/1.17m


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10

5. In an experiment to estimate the specific heat capacity of brass, a thermometer and a 450 W

heater were placed in a 1.4 kg block of brass with an initial temperature of 20 oC. The table

below shows part of the results obtained.

Temperature, T (oC) 25 30 35 40 45

Change in Temperature, ΔT (oC) 5 10 15 25

Time, t (s) 6 12 18 24 30

Total Heat Energy Supplied, H (J) 2700 5400 8100 13500

a. Fill in the TWO missing values in the above table. Show your working below.

(3)

b. Plot a graph of Total Heat Energy Supplied, H (J) on the y-axis against Change in Temperature,

ΔT (oC) on the x-axis. (4)

c. Calculate the gradient of the graph.

(2)

d. Give ONE precaution taken in this experiment

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10

6. Justin needed to buy an electric kettle. He came across two models A and B with the

specifications described below.

a. State the energy conversion that takes place when an electric kettle is switched on.

(1)

b. Complete the table below. Show your working in the space provided.

(2)

c. Justin calculates that a kettle is approximately used for 12 minutes a day. Which of the two

kettles will use the highest amount of electrical energy per day? Calculate this amount of energy.

(3)

d. Suggest a fuse rating for:

Kettle A: Kettle B:

(2)

e. When Justin compared the plugs of Kettle A and Kettle B, he found one wire missing in one of

the plugs. State which kettle is likely to have this missing wire in the plug. Explain.

(2)

(Total: 10 marks)

Kettle A B

Voltage 220 V 220 V

Current 6.4 A

Power 1980 W

Outer Case Metal Plastic

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10

7. In April 2016, Ukraine commemorated the 30th

anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl

where after an explosion a lot of radioactive material

was released.

a. Name the THREE types of nuclear/radioactive

radiation and indicate how their penetration can be

stopped.

(3)

b. Radiation is usually emitted from an unstable nucleus like that of Chlorine–37, Cl37

17 .

i. What do the numbers 37 and 17 represent?

(2)

ii. What does the term unstable nucleus mean?

2)

c. Radioactive materials can be dangerous, even in small amounts. Mention ONE way how to

handle such materials.

(1)

d. “We do not live in a radiation-free environment.” Explain.

(2)

(Total: 10 marks)

Source: www.usnews.com

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10

8. A falling object possesses both gravitational potential energy and kinetic

energy.

a. A grandfather clock works by having gravitational potential energy stored

in a 4.8 kg cylinder. As it descends 1.20 m every seven days, this energy is

transferred to kinetic energy and the pendulum keeps swinging.

i. State the law of conservation of energy.

(2)

ii. Calculate the gravitational potential energy stored in the cylinder when

it is at maximum height.

(2)

iii. Calculate the power transfer as the cylinder moves downwards.

(2)

b. The transfer of gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy is also used in the hydroelectric

process.

i. Briefly describe how energy is generated through the hydroelectric process.

(3)

ii. State ONE main advantage of this form of energy.

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10

9. One electronic device uses a step-down transformer. The step-down transformer has 2500 turns

in its primary coil and 150 turns in its secondary coil. The primary voltage is of 230 V.

a. What is meant by the term step-down transformer?

(1)

b. Explain why a transformer only works with an AC current.

(2)

c. Calculate the voltage in the secondary coil.

2)

d. If the current in the primary coil is 0.20 A, assuming this is an ideal transformer, calculate:

i. the power in the primary coil;

(2)

ii. the current in the secondary coil.

(3)

(Total: 10 marks)

Primary coil

2500 turns

230 V

Secondary coil

150 turns

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10

10. Joseph is teaching his two grandchildren about the use of some tools.

a. Joseph explains how nails can be removed by using a crowbar. One of his grandchildren gives it

a try and applies a force of 15 N on the crowbar as shown in the diagram.

i. Which TWO quantities determine the magnitude of a moment?

(2)

ii. Calculate the clockwise moment exerted by Joseph‟s grandchild.

(2)

iii. Joseph notes that his grandchild is not using the crowbar efficiently. Explain why.

(1)

b. Joseph lifts an object using a rope. Draw arrows to indicate the nature and size of the forces

acting on the object being lifted AND the direction of the resultant force (if any) when:

i. the object is stationary; ii. the object is starting

to be lifted;

iii. the object is being lifted

at constant speed.

(5)

(Total: 10 marks)

Nail

Crowbar

15 N

0.40 m

0.30 m

Page 12

Index No:________________ SEC24/2A.17m





MAY 2017 SESSION

SUBJECT: Physics

PAPER NUMBER: IIA


TIME: 4:00 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.



When necessary, take g, acceleration due to gravity, as 10m/s2.

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1. This question is about momentum.

a. State the law of conservation of momentum.

(2)

b. A student wants to investigate if this law is valid and decides to use the air track available at the

school laboratory. The diagram below shows the equipment he has available.

Vehicle 1 has a card that can interrupt the signal of the light gates, and a pin which can stick to

the cork of vehicle 2.

i. List the main steps required to conduct the experiment and investigate the law stated in part (a).

(5)

ii. State clearly which equation is used to verify the law.

(2)

iii. Give ONE main precaution necessary while setting up the air track, to ensure that this

experiment is performed accurately.

(1)

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20

c. A student stacks some tins, each of mass 50 g, as shown in the diagram.

i. He throws a 30 g ball with a velocity of 6 m/s towards the

tins. Calculate the momentum of the ball as it approaches the

tins.

(2)

ii. The ball hits Tin 1 and both move together with a velocity v as the tin moves away from the

stack. Calculate the final velocity with which the ball and Tin 1 move off together.

(3)

iii. He now throws a larger ball of mass 70 g with a velocity u m/s towards Tins 2 and 3 as

shown.

Both Tins 2 and 3 move off together with the ball at a

velocity of 3.5 m/s. Calculate the initial velocity, u, of the

ball.

(3)

iv. The student then throws the 70 g ball with a velocity of 1.5 m/s, aiming only at Tin 4. The

tin remains at rest, while the ball rebounds back with 1 m/s, in 0.4 s. Calculate the force

acting on the ball at the moment of impact.

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

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Page 4 of 12

2. The question is about pressure.

a. The thermoscope was a device built in approximately the year 1593 to indicate temperature.

Two diagrams of a thermoscope at different temperatures are shown below.

Temperature A Temperature B

By referring to the theory of particles, explain which of the temperatures, Temperature A or

Temperature B, if any, is higher.

(3)

b. In a car drum-brake, a master cylinder of area

of 5 cm2 leads to two pistons each with an area

of 0.0031 m2.

i. If a force of 10 N is applied on the master

cylinder, calculate the pressure in the

hydraulic fluid in Pa.

(2)

ii. What is the pressure in the hydraulic fluid leading to one of the two pistons?

(1)

iii. Calculate the total force exerted by the two pistons.

(2)

glass

bulb

air

liquid

brake shoe

piston

from master

cylinder

Page 16

SEC24/2A.17m


20

iv. If the master cylinder is connected to two pistons for each of the car’s four wheels (a total of

eight pistons), how does this affect the value of the force calculated in part b(iii)?

(2)

c. A group of students investigate how the pressure of water varies with height by measuring the

maximum distance reached by the water, d, on changing the height occupied by the water, h, in

the apparatus shown below.

i. Predict, giving reason/s, what would happen to the distance, d, reached by the water if:

the height, h, is increased;

ethanol, with a density of 0.8 g/cm3, is used instead of water;

the container is sealed with a lid.

(6)

ii. If water has a density of 1,000 kg/m3 and the hole has an area of 2 x 10

-5 m

2, calculate the

force by which the water shoots out of the hole when the height, h, is 0.15 m.

(4)

(Total: 20 marks)

Page 5 of 12

h

d

lid for container

cork stoppers

jet of water

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SEC24/2A.17m


Page 6 of 12

3. This question is about waves.

a. Energy can be transferred from one point to another using transverse or longitudinal waves.

Explain how particles move in these two types of waves.

Transverse:

(1)

Longitudinal:

(1)

b. While playing football, sunlight is reflected from the window of a nearby building into the

footballer’s eyes.

i. Are light waves transverse or longitudinal? (1)

ii. State the law of reflection.

(1)

iii. Complete the diagram below to show the reflection of the ray from the window. Include the

normal in your diagram and label clearly the two angles involved. (2)

iv. What could be done to stop sunlight being reflected into the footballer’s eyes from this

window?

(1)

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c. Light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

i. State ONE factor that all parts of this spectrum have in common, apart from being of the

same type of wave mentioned in part b(i).

(1)

ii. Which part of this spectrum has the highest frequency?

(1)

iii. Given that this frequency can be as high as 3.000 ×1019

Hz, calculate the wavelength if the

velocity of this wave in air is 2.997×108 m/s.

(2)

d. During an investigation about the properties of water waves, the following wavefronts are seen.

Figure 1 Figure 2

i. Complete Figure 1 to show how water travels from the deep to the shallow water. You

should include both the wavefronts and the direction of travel of the wave. (3)

ii. State the name of the phenomenon occurring in Figure 1. (1)

iii. Complete Figure 2 to show how water travels as it reaches the barriers. You should include

both the wavefronts and the direction of travel of the wave. (2)

iv. State the name of the phenomenon occurring in Figure 2. (1)

v. State what happens to the frequency and velocity of the wave when it enters the shallow

area in Figure 1.

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

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Page 8 of 12

4. This question is about electricity.

a. Complete the following:

The inside of a wires is made up of , which is a

very good of electricity.

are materials which do not allow electricity

to flow through them. (3)

b. Joanne was giving a helping hand to her father in their new house. The electrician asked

Joanne’s father to buy wires of different thicknesses. While at school Joanne asked her Physics

teacher, Ms Vella, why the electrician asked for wires of different thickness. During one of her

lessons, Ms Vella, gave her students the following apparatus: battery, ammeter, bulb, connecting

wires, crocodile clips and four pieces of wire of different thickness.

i. In the following space, draw and label the set-up required to investigate whether wires of

different thicknesses have any effect on a circuit.

(4)

ii. Apart from the thickness of the wire, what is the other quantity that will be measured?

(1)

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20

iii. List THREE steps to describe how one can check the effect of wire-thickness on a circuit.

(3)

iv. State ONE necessary precaution.

(1)

c. The experiment can be done with thicker wires.

i. How would the quantity mentioned in part b(ii) vary?

(1)

ii. What other observation should Joanne have made?

(1)

d. Following this experiment, what conclusion should Joanne make?

(1)

e. Apart from thickness, give ONE other property which can effect an electrical circuit and explain

how.

(2)

f. Joanne’s father was not aware that the wires come in different colours: Brown, Blue and

Green/yellow. What are these wires called and what is their main purpose in a three pin plug?

Brown: - (1)

Blue: - (1)

Green/yellow: - (1)

(Total: 20 marks)

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5. This question is about electromagnets.

Diandra and Jake are investigating the relationship between the strength of an electromagnet and

the current flowing through it. The electromagnet is connected to a variable power supply. They

set up the following apparatus and work out the extension of the spring for each value of current.

a. Diandra attaches a pointer to the spring. Why is this piece of apparatus used?

(1)

b. On the diagram above, draw the position of a ruler that can measure the extension of the spring.

(1)

c. Briefly suggest how the experiment can be carried out.

(4)

Page 10 of 12

Spring

Metal object

Electromagnet

+

-

Pointer

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20

d. Suggest a suitable material for the electromagnet. Explain your answer.

(2)

e. On the diagram, include:

i. the conventional current flowing through the coil; (1)

ii. the induced magnetic poles on the metal object; (2)

iii. the magnetic field around the electromagnet. (1)

f. Diandra argues that if the direction of the current flowing through the coil is changed, the metal

object will be repelled by the electromagnet. Discuss.

(2)

g. On carrying out the experiment, Diandra and Jake note that the extension is too small to be

measured accurately with a ruler. They decide to increase the extension by using a permanent

magnet instead of the metal object.

i. Explain how a piece of steel can be made into a magnet.

(2)

ii. Suggest another change in the equipment to increase the attraction between the

electromagnet and the object.

(1)

h. For the experiment, the spring used must obey Hooke’s Law and not exceed its elastic limit.

Explain:

i. what happens if the elastic limit of the spring is exceeded;

(1)

ii. why is it important for this experiment that the spring obeys Hooke’s Law.

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

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Blank Page

Page 24

Index No:________________ SEC24/2B.17m





MAY 2017 SESSION

SUBJECT: Physics

PAPER NUMBER: IIB


TIME: 4:00 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.



When necessary, take g, acceleration due to gravity, as 10m/s2.

Page 25

SEC24/2B.17m


Page 2 of 12

1. This question is about momentum.

a. The law of conservation of momentum states that

provided that

b. A student wants to investigate if this

law is valid and decides to use the air

track available at the school laboratory.

The diagram on the right shows the

equipment he has available. Vehicle 1

has a card that can interrupt the signal

of the light gates, and a pin which can

stick to the cork of vehicle 2.

i. State which instrument is used to measure the following quantities:

Quantity Instrument

Length, L, of card on vehicle 1

Mass, m1 and m2, of vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 respectively

Time, t1 and t2, taken by card to pass through light gates 1 and 2 respectively.

(3)

ii. Vehicle 1 is given an initial push and passes through light gate 1. Give the total initial

momentum of the system, in terms of the symbols (m1, t1, L) listed in the table above.

(1)

iii. Vehicle 1 then collides and sticks to vehicle 2, due to their pin and cork system. They pass

through light gate 2 together. Give the total final momentum of the system in terms of the

symbols listed in the table above.

(2)

iv. How should your answers to parts (ii) and (iii) be related to conclude that the law is valid?

(1)

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(2)

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20

v. Give ONE main precaution necessary while setting up the air track, to ensure that this

experiment is performed accurately.

(1)

c. A student stacks some tins, each of mass 0.05 kg, as shown in the

diagram.

i. He throws a 0.03 kg ball with a velocity of 6 m/s towards the tins.

Calculate the momentum of the ball as it approaches the tins.

(2)

ii. The ball hits Tin 1 and they move together with a velocity, v as the tin moves away from the

stack. Calculate the final velocity with which the ball and Tin 1 move off together.

(3)

iii. He now throws a larger ball of mass 0.07 kg with a velocity u

m/s towards Tins 2 and 3 as shown.

Both Tins 2 and 3 move off together with the ball at a velocity

of 3.5 m /s. Calculate the initial velocity, u, of the ball.

(3)

iv. The student then throws the 0.07 kg ball with a velocity u of 1.5 m/s, aiming only at Tin 4.

The tin remains at rest, while the ball rebounds back with a velocity v of -1 m/s, in 0.4 s.

Calculate the force acting on the ball.

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

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Page 4 of 12

2. The question is about pressure.

a. The thermoscope was a device built in approximately the year 1593 to indicate temperature.

Two diagrams of a thermoscope at different temperatures are shown below.

Temperature A Temperature B

i. What happens to the pressure and the volume of the air inside the bulb when the

temperature rises?

(2)

ii. Hence, predict whether Temperature A is higher, lower or equal to Temperature B.

(1)

b. In a car drum-brakes, a master cylinder of area

of 5 cm2 leads to two pistons each with an area

of 0.0031 m2.

i. Convert the area of the master cylinder to m2.

(1)

ii. If a force of 10 N is applied on the master cylinder (of area 5 cm2), calculate the pressure in

the hydraulic fluid.

(2)

iii. What is the pressure in the hydraulic fluid leading to one of the two pistons?

(1)

iv. Calculate the total force exerted by the two pistons (each of area 0.0031 m2).

glass bulb

air

liquid

brake shoe

piston

from master

cylinder

Page 28

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20

(3)

v. If the master cylinder is not just connected to two pistons, but with two pistons for each of

the car’s four wheels (a total of eight pistons), how does this affect the value of the force

calculated in part b(iv)? Explain your answer.

(2)

c. A group of students investigate how the

pressure of water varies with height by

measuring the maximum distance reached by a

jet of water shooting out of a perforated:

i. If the density of water is 1,000 kg/m3,

calculate the pressure in the fluid when the

height, h, is 0.15 m.

(2)

ii. Explain what happens to the distance, d, reached by the shooting water if:

the height, h, of fluid in the container is increased?

(2)

the water in the container is replaced by cooking oil? (oil has a lower density than water)

(2)

the size of the hole is decreased?

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

h

d

lid for container

cork stoppers

jet of water

Page 29

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Page 6 of 12


a. Energy can be transferred from one point to another using transverse or longitudinal waves.

Circle the correct term in the brackets to show how the particles travel in these waves.

In a transverse wave, the particles vibrate (parallel / perpendicular) to the direction of travel of

the wave.

In a longitudinal wave, the particles vibrate (parallel / perpendicular) to the direction of travel of

the wave. (2)

b. A football player is playing a match. When the window of a nearby building is opened, it

reflects sunlight into his eyes.

i. Are light waves transverse or longitudinal? (1)

ii. State the law of reflection.

(1)

iii. Complete the diagram below to show the reflection of the ray from the window. Label

clearly the main angles involved. (2)

iv. What could be done to stop sunlight being reflected into the footballer’s eyes from this

window?

(1)

c. Light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

i. State ONE factor that all parts of this spectrum have in common, apart from being of the

same type of wave mentioned in part b(i).

(1)

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20

ii. Which part of this spectrum has the highest frequency?

(1)

iii. Given that an electromagnetic wave of frequency 3×1019

Hz has a wavelength of 1×10-11

m,

calculate the velocity of this wave.

(2)

d. During an investigation about the properties of water waves, the following wavefronts are seen.

Figure 1 Figure 2

i. In which figure will diffraction of water waves occur?

ii. In which figure will refraction of water waves occur?

(1)

(1)

iii. Complete Figure 1 to show how water travels from the deep to the shallow water. You

should include both the wavefronts and the direction of travel of the wave. The normal at

the boundary has been drawn for you. (3)

iv. Complete Figure 2 to show how water travels as it reaches the barriers. You should include

both the wavefronts and the direction of travel of the wave. (2)

v. Circle the correct word.

In Figure 1, the wavefronts are travelling from a deep to a shallow section. The frequency

of the waves will (decrease / increase / remain the same), while the wavelength will

(decrease / increase / remain the same). (2)

(Total: 20 marks)

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Page 8 of 12

4. This question is about electricity.

Joanne was giving a helping hand to her father in their new house. The

electrician asked Joanne’s father to buy wires of different thicknesses.

While at school Joanne asked her Physics teacher, Ms Vella, why the

electrician asked for wires of different thickness.

a. Complete the following by choosing the correct word from the list

below. Each word may be used, once, more than once or none at all.

insulators electrons conductor copper

Wires are made up of , which is a very good of electrictity.

b. During one of her lessons, Ms Vella, gave her students the following apparatus: battery,

ammeter, bulb, connecting wires, crocodile clips and four pieces of wire of different thickness.

i. In the following space, draw the set-up required to investigate whether wires of different

thicknesses have any effect on a circuit.

(3)

ii. Why is the ammeter required?

(1)

iii. In the table below write the name of the variables Joanne will measure during the

experiment? (2)

iv. State ONE necessary precaution required when doing the experiment.

(1)

Page 32

are materials which do not allow electricity to flow through them. (3)

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20

c. Circle the correct answer.

When wires of increasing thickness were used:

i. The bulb’s brightness increased / decreased / remained the same.

ii. The voltage of the battery increased / decreased / remained the same.

iii. The resistance in the circuit increased / decreased / remained the same. (3)

d. Apart from thickness, give ONE other property which can affect an electrical circuit.

(1)

e. Joanne was not aware that the wires in a three pin plug have different colours: Brown, Blue and

Green/Yellow. Complete the following table:

Wire Colour Wire name Purpose

Brown Live

Blue Completes the circuit

Green/yellow

(4)

f. While looking for a screwdriver in her father’s toolbox, Joanne found a fuse with 13 A written

on it. What does 13 A indicate?

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

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SEC24/2B.17m


5. This question is about electromagnets.

Diandra and Jake are investigating the relationship between the strength of an electromagnet

and the current flowing through it. The electromagnet is connected to a variable power supply.

The metal object is connected to a spring with a pointer. The extension of the spring is

worked out for different currents flowing through the electromagnet.

a. Label the diagram below using the words in bold from the above passage. (4)

b. On the diagram above, draw the position in which a ruler is to be placed to measure the

extension of the spring. (1)

c. Of the two variables that will be measured and recorded, which one:

i. will be changed by the students? (1)

ii. will change only because of a change in the other variable? (1)

d. Should the electromagnet be made of iron or steel? Explain your answer.

(2)

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e. On the diagram, include:

i. the conventional current flowing through the coil; (1)

ii. the induced magnetic poles on the metal object; (1)

iii. the magnetic field around the electromagnet. (3)

f. Diandra argues that if the direction of the current flowing through the coil is changed, the metal

object will be repelled by the electromagnet. Discuss.

(2)

g. On carrying out the experiment, Diandra and Jake note that the extension is too small to be

measured accurately with a ruler. They decide to increase the extension by using a permanent

magnet instead of the metal object.

i. Explain how a piece of steel can be made into a magnet.

(2)

ii. Suggest another change in the equipment to increase the attraction between the

electromagnet and the object.

(1)

h. After a run of the experiment, Jake measures the spring and finds that it has exceeded its elastic

limit during the experiment. How can Jake note that the spring has exceeded its elastic limit?

(1)

(Total: 20 marks)

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Index Number: ______________ SEC24/1.17s





SEPTEMBER 2017 SESSION

SUBJECT: Physics

PAPER NUMBER: I

DATE: 30th August 2017

TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 11:05 a.m.

Answer ALL questions.



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1. Georg Ohm (1789 – 1854) was a German physicist and mathematician. He was a

school teacher who was interested in research about the relationship between

current, voltage and resistance.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

a. From the following, choose the correct physical quantity, to match its explanation:

Voltage Current Resistance

i. the rate at which charge flows

ii. the tendency of a material to oppose the flow of charge

iii. the difference in energy per unit charge between two points

(3)

b. Ohm found that “there is a direct proportionality between the voltage applied across a conductor

and the electric current flowing through that conductor.” This is called Ohm‟s Law.

i. State ONE condition made for this law to hold.

(1)

ii. Sketch the I-V graph for a filament lamp in the space

provided. (2)

iii. Comment on the shape of the graph.

(2)

c. What current flows through an electric guitar plugged into a 240 V supply if it has a resistance

of 0.05 kΩ?

(2)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10

2. A force is defined as a pull or a push that one object exerts on another. There are various types

of forces. The ladder, shown in the diagram below is resting against a wall. This question is

about the several forces acting on the ladder.

a. Underline the correct word (scalar or vector) and fill in the TWO blank spaces in the following

sentence:

A force is a (scalar / vector) quantity because it has both

and . (3)

b. Lisa wants to hang a picture up a wall and uses a ladder AB of

mass 12 kg to do so. The ladder is standing on rough ground

and resting against the wall. There are several forces acting on

the ladder. One of them is the pull of the earth on the ladder,

commonly known as weight. This force is labelled W in the

diagram.

i. Calculate the size of this force W.

(2)

ii. Draw on the diagram an arrow, labelled R, showing the

vertical reaction force of the ground on the ladder at A. (1) Source: http://cnx.org

iii. Lisa now starts to climb up the ladder. How would this affect the size of force R?

(1)

c. The base of the ladder does not slip and move away from the wall because of the frictional force

between the ladder and the ground at A.

i. On the diagram draw an arrow, labelled F, showing this force on the ladder. (1)

ii. Circle the correct answer:

If the ground was smooth and not rough, the size of this frictional force would have been

smaller / the same / greater. (1)

iii. For the same ladder and type of ground, name ONE way of reducing the chance of the

ladder slipping away from the wall.

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/

3. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two humans on the Moon.

The rocket and fuel used to launch the spacecraft had a total mass of 2.3×106 kg.

The resultant force acting upwards on the rocket was 9×107 N. The figure

shows the rocket as it takes off.

a. State the total weight of the rocket and fuel.

(1)

b. Hence find the upward thrust produced by the rocket engine.

(1)

c. Calculate the acceleration of the rocket.

(2)

d. After 15 minutes from take-off, the rocket stops accelerating. Explain why the rocket stops

accelerating.

(1)

e. The table below describes the motion of the rocket in the first 16 minutes. Use it to sketch the

velocity-time graph of the rocket for the first 16 minutes. You do not need to give values for

velocity. (Assume that the rocket is moving in one direction) (4)

f. State how the velocity-time graph in part (e) can be used to find the distance travelled by the

rocket.

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

Time in

minutes

Motion of

rocket

0 to 4 Uniform

acceleration

4 to 8 Increasing

acceleration

8 to 13 Decreasing

acceleration

13 to 16 Constant

velocity

velocity

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10

4. Solar energy is a renewable energy source used to generate electricity.

a. What is meant by renewable energy source?

(1)

b. Name TWO other renewable energy sources used to generate electricity.

(2)

c. A householder uses panels of solar cells to generate electricity for his home. The solar panels

can be tilted to receive maximum energy input from the Sun.

i. The table gives the energy received from the sun each second (in J/s) onto a 1 m2 area of

solar cells for different angles of tilt during different months of the year.

Use the data in the table to describe how the average energy received by the panels depends

on the angle of tilt.

(2)

ii. The total area of the solar cell panels used by the householder is 6 m2 and these are

considered to have an efficiency of 22%. Use the data in the table to calculate the

maximum electrical energy available from the solar panels each second in August.

(4)

d. Most of the electricity in our homes is still generated from a fossil fuel power station. Give

ONE advantage of using solar cells to generate electricity compared to using fossil fuels.

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

Month Angle of tilt

15° 30° 55°

January 460 550 430

April 600 630 600

August 650 660 570

December 430 440 410

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10

5. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope. A small amount of radioactive

carbon-14 is found in all living organisms because it enters the food

chain. An estimated time since an organism died can be found by

measuring the amount of carbon-14 left in its remains. Carbon-14

decays over a long period of time.

a. What is an isotope? Source: https://www.dreamstime.com

(2)

b. The following table shows the percentage of carbon-14 remaining in a dead body over time.

Percentage of Carbon – 14

remaining in a dead body (%) 100.00 50.00 25.00 12.50 6.75

Time (years) 0 5730 11460 17190 22920

i. Draw a graph of the percentage of carbon-14 (y-axis) against time (x-axis). (4)

ii. What is the half-life of carbon-14? Explain.

(2)

iii. After how many years would 75% of the original carbon-14 remain in a dead body?

(1)

iv. What would be the percentage of carbon-14 in a dead body after 34,380 years?

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10 Page 43


10

6. A full supermarket trolley was rolled with a velocity of 6 m/s towards five stationary empty

trolleys.

a. After colliding and linking to them, the

six trolleys now moved together with half

the initial velocity of the full trolley. Each

trolley has a mass of 8 kg when empty.

i. State the law of conservation of

momentum.

(2)

ii. State the initial momentum of the five empty trolleys.

(1)

iii. Given that the mass of the moving trolley when full is M, give the total initial momentum in

terms M.

(1)

iv. Use the law stated in part (i) to calculate the value of the mass M.

(3)

v. Hence calculate the mass of the goods placed in the trolley.

(1)

b. The trolleys come to rest immediately after colliding with a wall.

i. State Newton‟s second law of motion.

(1)

ii. Use this law to explain why after the impact some fragile goods within the trolley might

have been damaged.

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

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10

7. Lenses can be converging or diverging.

a. The diagram below shows an object, represented by an arrow placed next to a converging lens.

F represents the focal point of the lens.

i. Complete the diagram by using TWO rays emerging from the tip of the arrow representing

the object, to show the position of the image formed. Illustrate your image using an arrow

and label it as „I‟. (3)

ii. Is the image real or virtual?

(1)

iii. State a practical use for when the object is placed in this position.

(1)

iv. Use a ruler and measure the size of the object and the image, in cm.

Height of object = cm Height of image = cm

(2)

v. Calculate the magnification of the lens used.

(1)

b. As the rays of light enter the convergent lens, their direction will change.

i. State the name of this phenomenon.

(1)

ii. State the changes, if any, in the direction of the rays if instead of a converging lens, they

entered a diverging lens.

(1)

(Total: 10 marks)

Object

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10

8. Consider the following circuit.

Source: http://www.bulbs.com

a. Complete the following energy flow diagram. (4)

___________ energy

in the battery

Electrical energy

in the _________

_____________ energy and

___________ energy

in the bulb

b. Explain what happens if the insulated copper wire is replaced with pieces of rubber band.

(2)

c. A 14.4 W bulb was connected to a 240 V mains supply.

i. Calculate the amount of current passing through the bulb.

(2)

ii. What is the amount of electrical energy used if the bulb is on for 12 hours?

(2)

(Total: 10 marks)

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insulated copper wire

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10

9. Luca and Lorraine are investigating the behaviour of a spring.

a. They suspend it from a fixed point and use a pointer and a

vertical scale to find the extension produced when loads are hung

from the lower end of the spring. They find that with every 1 N

of added load the spring extends by 10 mm. They make sure that

throughout the whole experiment the load does not exceed the

elastic limit of the spring.

i. State Hooke‟s Law.

(2)

ii. State the changes that would occur to the following if the elastic limit is exceeded:

the extension for every 1 N added

the length of the unloaded spring

(1)

(1)

b. Lorraine removes the load from the spring and

Luca attaches a uniform meter ruler at the 100 cm

mark to the spring. The other end of the ruler is

placed on a pivot at the 0 cm mark. They measure

the extension produced using the vertical scale as

above.

i. W represents the weight of the ruler. What is

the name usually given to point A?

(1)

ii. How do we know that in this case point A lies at the midpoint of the ruler?

(1)

iii. The extension of the spring produced in this case was measured to be 5 mm. Calculate the

force acting on the spring by the ruler. (Assume that the ruler is horizontal.)

(1)

iv. The force just calculated in part (iii) is equal to the upward force on the ruler by the spring.

Taking moments about the pivot, calculate the weight of the ruler.

(3)

(Total: 10 marks)

A

W

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10

10. The following table shows the distance of various objects from planet Earth.

a. State which object is farthest from Earth.

(1)

b. Calculate the distance travelled by light in a year. (speed of light in a vacuum is 3 × 108 m/s)

(2)

c. What kind of instrument can be used to observe the sky from planet Earth?

(1)

d. One common factor between the sun and the moon is that both can be seen from planet Earth.

Mention TWO differences between the sun and the moon.

(2)

e. Explain what keeps a weather satellite orbiting around the Earth.

(2)

f. Space exploration leads the way for advanced technology. Mention another TWO benefits of

space research.

(2)

(Total: 10 marks)

Object Distance

Space observation satellite 300 km

Weather satellite 36,000 km

The moon 384,000 km

The sun 150,000,000 km

Centre of Milky Way Galaxy 25,000 light years

Andromeda Galaxy 2 million light years

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Index No:________________ SEC24/2B.17s





SEPTEMBER 2017 SESSION

SUBJECT: Physics

PAPER NUMBER: IIB

DATE: 30th August 2017

TIME: 4:00 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.

Answer ALL Questions.



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a. Fill in the missing blanks using the given words.

longitudinal parallel energy transverse perpendicular

Water waves are ______________ waves, since the particles vibrate ______________ to the

direction of travel of the wave. Waves carry ______________ in the process. On the other

hand, sound waves are ______________ waves and the particles vibrate ______________ to the

direction of travel of the wave. (5)

b. A fishing vessel uses ultrasonic sound pulses to detect the depth of the water. The diagram

below shows a vessel with an ultrasound transmitter at point A and a detector at point B.

i. Use lines to show the path of the ultrasound as it is emitted at A and received at B. (2)

ii. Calculate the time taken for a pulse to travel from point A to point B, if the depth of the

water at this instant is 40 m. The speed of ultrasound in sea water is 1500 m/s.

(2)

iii. Give another use of ultrasonic sound pulses by fishing vessels.

(1)

iv. Circle the correct value above which the longitudinal wave would be considered as

ultrasound.

20 Hz 200 Hz 2000 Hz 20000 Hz

(1)

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c. Ocean waves, which travel in the open sea at 5 m/s, arrive at a beach once every 4 s. Calculate

the distance between the peak of crest and the peak of a trough in open sea.

(4)

d. The diagram below shows two musical instruments; the drum and the violin, together with a

description of the sound they produce.

Underline the correct word (High or Low) to describe the frequency and amplitude of both the

drum and the violin.

Musical instrument Sound produced Frequency Amplitude

Drum

Very loud

Low pitch

High

OR

Low

High

OR

Low

Violin

Not very loud

High pitch

High

OR

Low

High

OR

Low

(4)

e. The diagram below shows a speaker which is switched on close to a human ear. On the

diagram, draw the air particles to show their motion as the sound wave travels towards the ear.

(1)

(Total: 20 marks)

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2. This question is about radioactivity.

a. The following diagram represents an atom. Particles A and

C are charged.

i. Name particles:

A:

B:

C: Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

(3)

ii. The central part of the atom is called the (1)

iii. Particles C are found in the atom’s (1)

b. Mark the following statements as True (T) or False (F).

i. Radiation can be measured using a GM Tube.

ii. The count rate of the GM Tube always starts from zero.

iii. Radioactive substances should never be handled with bare hands.

(1)

(1)

(1)

c. The diagram below shows how a beta emitting radioactive isotope can be used to ensure that the

material is produced with the same thickness.

Source: https://saylordotorg.github.io

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i. Explain how the equipment above can be used to show whether the material is too thick or

thin.

(2)

ii. How will the detector note that the material is too thick? Explain.

(2)

iii. If the material is found to be thinner than it should be, how will any adjustment be made in

the equipment?

(2)

iv. Give reasons why alpha or gamma sources will not be suitable to be used as radioactive

sources in such an equipment.

(2)

v. Give TWO reasons why a beta emitter with a half-life of many years should be used.

(2)

vi. Name ONE material that may have its thickness measured using this setup.

(1)

d. Mention ONE other use of radioactivity where a source with a short half-life may be used.

(1)

(Total: 20 marks)

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3. This question is about heat and heat transfer.

It is common knowledge that a cup of hot drink left on a table cools down and so warms its

surroundings.

Sarah works for a company which manufactures plastic cups used to hold a drink of hot coffee. The

company has four different cup designs as shown in the following figure.

Cup C is made from dark plastic while cups A, B and D are made from white plastic. The base of

cup D is elevated at the center, leaving an air space between the cup and the surface; this cup is also

fitted with a lid. All 4 cups have the same volume. The manufacturer wants to know which cup can

keep the coffee hot for the longest time. He asks Sarah to design an experiment to find this out.

Sarah fills the cups with hot water and measures the temperature of the water in each cup at one

minute intervals.

a. To prepare the hot water needed for this experiment, Sarah fills an electric kettle with 1.5 kg of

cold water at a temperature of 15 oC and switches on the kettle until the water boils at 100

oC.

The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J/kgoC.

i. Calculate the energy required to bring the water to the boil.

(3)

ii. Calculate the time it takes for the water to boil if the power of the kettle is 2000 W.

(2)

iii. Explain why in practice the time taken is longer.

(2)

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b. Having obtained the hot water, Sarah then carries out the experiment. The steps needed in the

method she used are shown below but are not in order. In the space on the right hand side, write

down the numbers 1 to 5 to show the correct order. 1 being the first step whilst 5 is the last step.

The results are recorded in a table

Each cup is filled with the same volume of hot water

A graph of temperature against time for each cup is plotted

The four empty cups are placed on the same surface

The temperature of the water in each cup is taken at regular intervals

(5)

c. State ONE precaution that needs to be taken before

taking each temperature and briefly explain why

this is necessary.

(2)

d. Draw a rough sketch of the graph you would expect

to obtain for any one of the cups. It is important to

label both axes with the quantities. (2)

e. Give a reason why:

i. the water in cup B is found to remain hotter

than in cup C.

(1)

ii. the water in cup A is found to remain hotter than in cup B.

(1)

iii. Give TWO reasons why the water in cup D is expected to remain hotter than in cup A.

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

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4. This question is about braking distance.

Malcolm was given the apparatus as shown in the diagram below. Malcolm was asked to investigate

the relationship between speed and braking distance.

a. State TWO factors, apart from speed and opposing forces that may affect the braking distance of

such a trolley in the setup above.

(2)

b. If the trolley of mass m is let go at point A, explain the relationship between the potential energy

of the trolley at point A and its kinetic energy at point O.

(2)

c. Hence or otherwise, express the velocity of the trolley at point O in terms of the vertical height

at which the trolley was before it was let go.

(2)

d. List FOUR steps that Malcolm had to follow to do the experiment.

Page 8 of 12

O

A

Final position

of the trolley

braking distance

trolley

ruler

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20

4) e. Why is it important that the trolley is let go and not pushed?

(2)

f. Malcolm obtained the results below during the experiment

Speed [m/s] 0.62 1.04 1.38 1.78

Braking Distance [m] 0.15 0.43 0.83 1.28

i. From the readings above, write a possible conclusion to the experiment.

(2)

ii. Work out the kinetic energy of the trolley at O when the braking distance was 0.83 m if the

mass of the trolley is 0.21 kg.

(2)

iii. Hence or otherwise find the height at which the trolley was let go.

(3)

g. Suggest, giving reasons, ONE possible improvement to this investigation.

(1)

(Total: 20 marks)

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5. This question is about electromagnetism and electromagnetic induction.

a. The diagram on the right shows

the magnetic field pattern obtained

when a conductor carrying a

current is placed between the poles

of a permanent magnet.

i. Name a material which can be

used to make such a magnet

and clearly explain your

choice.

Source: https://www.electrical4u.com

(2)

ii. Label on the diagram, with the letters N and S respectively, the north and south poles of the

magnet. (2)

iii. Is the direction of the current in the conductor into the paper or out of the paper?

(1)

iv. Name the rule used to obtain the answer in part (iii).

(1)

The conductor in the diagram above experiences a force. On the diagram, draw an arrow to show the

direction of the force on the wire and label it F.

v. Name the rule which can be used to determine the direction of this force.

(2)

vi. State TWO ways by which the size of the force F on the conductor can be increased.

(2)

vii. Name ONE device which makes use of this force for its operation.

(1)

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20

b. The diagram shows a bar magnet near a coil of wire whose terminals are connected to a

galvanometer.

i. The needle of the galvanometer is seen to deflect when the bar magnet is moved towards the

coil. Explain clearly why this happens.

(2)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

ii. State TWO ways by which the size of this deflection can be increased.

(2)

iii. It is observed that when the north pole of the magnet is moved towards the coil, the needle

of the galvanometer deflects to the left as shown in the diagram. Complete the table below

to show what is observed in all the following situations. (3)

N pole of magnet moved towards the coil needle deflects to the left

S pole of magnet moved towards the coil

S pole of magnet moved away from the coil

magnet stationary near the coil

c. A bicycle dynamo operates using the effect shown.

As the bicycle wheel turns, the driving wheel rotates;

this in turn causes the magnet to rotate near the

stationary coil. The terminals of this coil are

connected to a lamp. Explain why the lamp lights as

the bicycle moves.

Source: http://sizo.adlerka.sk

(2)

(Total: 20 marks)

driving wheel

magnet

coil on soft-iron core

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