P510/2
PHYSICS
Paper 2
(Theory)
April / May 2025
1
12 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
OCER CAMPION JESUIT COLLEGE ASSESSMENT
END OF TERM ONE EXAMINATION 2025
Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education
S5 PHYSICS
Paper 2 (Theory)
1 hour 30 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
This paper consists of three examination items, carefully read through each of them before
making your choice. All items carry equal marks.
Answer only two items in total. Any additional item(s) attempted will not be scored.
Begin answering a new item on a new page.
Silent non-programmable scientific calculators may be used.
Stick your question paper together with your answer scripts.
Write the items numbers attempted on the grid provided.
FOR SCORERS USE ONLY
Assume where necessary, ITEM SCORES TR’S
𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑔 = 9.81 𝑚𝑠 −2 NUMBER AWARDED INITIALS
𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑢𝑚 𝑐 = 3.0 × 108 𝑚𝑠 −1 Course
Work
𝐴𝑣𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑑𝑟𝑜’𝑠 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑁𝐴 = 6.02 × 1023 𝑚𝑜𝑙 −1 scores
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝜇0 = 4.0𝜋 × 10−7 H𝑚−1
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝜀0 = 8.5 × 10−12 F𝑚−1
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑒 = 1.6 × 10−19 C
WRITE ITEM NUMBERS ATTEMPTED
TOTAL
LEARNER’S NAME & SIGNATURE
SCORE
⁄70
……………………………………………………...............................
Turn Over
©2025 OCJC Advanced Level Physics Department
ITEM 1
Scenario: The only security lamp at a shopping mall
A security officer at a shopping mall noticed that the only streetlight in front of the mall is not bright
enough to cover all corners of the parking space. A technician suggests using curved reflectors or placing
large plane reflectors at certain angles to reflect the light from existing lamp to darker areas but did not
specify which type of reflector is best for the purpose of spreading light from the single lamp to the darker
areas and also did not explain the laws or principles of operation of the reflectors.
Task;
a) What principles or law explains the operation of the reflectors?
b) Stating the suitable curved reflector for this case, draw a ray diagrams for each reflector
recommended by the technician to show how light from a lamp reflects off the reflectors to reach
the unlit area. Give reasons for your choice of the best reflector.
c) Using the principles stated in a) above, explain how the placement of mirrors can help change the
direction of light from the lamp and distribute it effectively.
d) Design a scientific investigation that can be used to verify the principle stated in a) above.
e) If the mirror is placed at an angle of 45° to the ground and a light ray strikes it at 30° from the
normal, determine the angle measured to the horizontal at which the reflected ray will emerge.
ITEM 2
Scenario: The Tailor’s Image Formation Mystery
A group of students approached a tailor in their school who placed a concave mirror on the wall to help
customers see themselves better while fitting clothes. The tailor noticed that when a customer stands far
from the mirror, the image appears inverted and smaller, but as the customer moves closer, the image flips
and becomes upright and larger. The group of students who are designing a solar cooker using a similar
mirror to focus sunlight onto a cooking pot also explained a similar scenario as they were investigating
the property of the sample of the mirror they intend to use. They need to find out how far the pot should
be placed to get the most heat but still lack the reasons for the behavior of images as observed at the tailor’s
shop.
Task:
a) Using ray diagrams explain what happens to the image as the customer moves closer to the mirror
standing at various positions.
b) With reasons and ray diagram explain where the students should place the pot to receive the most
heat.
c) Use this observation to develop a mathematical relationship between object distance, image
distance, and focal length of the concave mirror.
d) If the mirror for the student’s project is identical to that of the tailor and a customer stands 10 𝑚
in front of the concave mirror, a virtual image three times larger than the customer is formed. If,
how far should the pot be put to get the most heat?
©2025 OCJC Advanced Level Physics Department 1
Turn Over
ITEM 3
Scenario; The Mystical Hole at the Roof
In S4 Class, there is a hole on the roof through which sun light usually pass through at mid-day. A stubborn
student often uses a plane mirror to direct the light to other learners rotating the flash light to the entire
class including the teacher of physics at that time. Upon filling the students’ complaints in his office, the
head boy wondered the relationship between the angle of rotation of the mirror and that of the reflected
rays since the sun is seemingly ever fixed. The teacher of physics asked the entire class to explain the
relationship using mathematical relations and said that what the stubborn boy was doing explains the
working principle of a special type of ammeter and a sextant. Well aware of what an ammeter is, the entire
class wondered what a sextant is, and how it works.
Task;
a) Generate the mathematical expression that you can use help the head boy settle his wonder
b) Describing what a sextant is, explain the principle of operation of the device that the teacher
mentioned.
c) Explain any two errors in the device mentioned by the teacher and their correction strategies if any.
d) Describe the operation principle of the ammeter that works like what the stubborn boy did.
e) A sextant with an error of +30 read that a celestial body is at an elevation of 650 . Through how much
angle was the index mirror rotated to take the reading stated.
*****************Best wishes*****************
Ensure hands-on investigations, critical thinking, and problem-solving to excel in CBC
©2025 OCJC Advanced Level Physics Department 2
END
