P510/2

PHYSICS
JULY 2017
2 12 hours

Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education

PHYSICS MOCK EXAMINATION

Paper 2

2Hours 30Minutes

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Answer five questions, taking at least one from each of the sections,A,B,C and D but
not more than one question should be chosen from either A or B.

Any additional questions will not be marked.

Non-programmable scientific calculators may be used.

Assume where necessary

Acceleration due to gravity, g  9.81ms 2

Speed of light in a vacuum, c  3.0  108 ms 1

Electron charge  1.6  10 19 C

Permeability of free space,  o  4.0  10 7 Hm1

Permittivity of free space,  o  8.85  10 12 Fm 1

1
The constant  9.0  109 F 1m
4 o

O
Velocity of sound in air at 0 C = 330ms-1

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 SECTION A

1.(a) Define refractive index of a material. What is the refractive index of a material
through which light travels at 2  108 ms 1 . (2)

(b) Show that the refractive index, n, of the material of glass prism is given by
 A  Dm 
sin  
n  2  ,where A is the refracting angle of the prism and D is the angle
 A
m
sin  
2
of minimum deviation for light passing through the prism. (3)

(c) Describe an experiment to determine the refractive index of glass using a

triangular prism and optical pins. (5)

(d) A thin equiconvex lens of glass of refractive index 1.50 whose surfaces have a
radius of curvature 24.0cm is placed on a horizontal plane mirror. When the
space between the lens and the mirror is filled with a liquid a pin held 40.0cm
vertically above the lens is found to coincide with its own image. Calculate the
refractive index of the liquid. (5)

(f) In an experiment to determine focal length of a lens, after tabulating results, a

student plotted graph of magnification m against image distance, v .Explain
how the student used the graph to find the focal length, without calculating the
slope. (3)

(f) Explain the advantage of using prisms instead of plane mirrors in periscopes.
(2)

2.(a) Define the terms

(i) Power of accommodation. (1)

(ii) angular magnification, as applied to optical instruments. (1)

(b) Explain one disadvantage a Galilean telescope has over an astronomical

telescope. (2)

(c) An astronomical telescope has an objective with a focal length of 100cm and a
diameter of 5cm.If the eyepiece has a focal length of 20cm and the telescope is
used in normal adjustment, calculate the

(i) Magnifying power (2)

(ii) Diameter of the eye ring (2)

(iii) Separation of the lenses. (2)

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(d) Give two advantages of a prism binoculars as an optical instrument. (2)

(e)(i) Define chromatic aberration. (1)

(ii) Give two properties of lenses used to make an achromatic doublet. (2)

(f) Describe an experiment to determine focal length of a diverging lens using a

concave mirror. (5)

SECTION B

3.(a) State the principle of superposition of waves? (1)

(b) Distinguish between Progressive and stationary waves. (3)

(c )(i) Describe an experiment to determine the velocity of sound in air by the dust
tube method. (6)

(ii) Explain why changes of pressure have no effect on the velocity of sound in air at
constant temperature. (3)

(d)(i) What is meant by the terms resonance and fundamental frequency? (2)

(ii) A steel wire of length 40cm and diameter 0.025cm vibrates transversely in
unison with a tube, open at both ends and of effective length 60cm, when each
is sounded in its fundamental mode at 27 0 C. Find the tension in the wire. (5)

4.(a) Distinguish between interference and diffraction of light. (2)

(b)(i) Explain what is meant by path-difference as applied to interference of two wave

motions. (3)

(ii) In Young’s double slit experiment, the 4th bright fringe is formed 3.4mm away
from the centre of the fringe system when the wavelength of light used is
6.3  10 7 m . Calculate the distance of the screen from the slits if the separation
of the two slits is 0.62mm. (3)

(ii) Explain why light is considered to be a transverse wave, while sound is not.(2)

(c) Two slits X and Y are separated by a distance a and illuminated with light of
wavelength  .Derive the expression for the separation between successive
fringes on a screen placed a distance D from the slit. (5)

(d) Explain with the aid of a diagram, how Newton’s rings are formed. (5)

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 SECTION C

5.(a) Define the following:

(i) Magnetic flux (1)

(ii) Magnetic flux density, (1)

(iii) Angle of dip (1)

(b) A conductor of length l moving with a velocity v cuts through flux at an angle 
to a uniform magnetic field. Derive an expression for the e.m.f induced in it. (4)

(b) Describe with the aid of a diagram, an absolute method of measuring resistance.
(6)

(c)


X Y
0.8m

Figure 1

In Figure 1 above, XY is a straight conductor of length 0.8m and mass

3.0  10 2 kg . The conductor is suspended by a pair of threads in a uniform
magnetic field of flux density 4.5  10 2 T . Determine the magnitude and direction
of the current required to remove the tension in the suspension threads.
(4)

(c) Explain why a wire carrying current in a magnetic field, moves. (3)

6.(a)(i) Define eddy currents. (1)

(ii) Explain how eddy currents are put to good use in a car speedometer. (3)

(iii) Explain the effect of eddy currents in a dynamo and how this is overcome.(3)

(b) A copper disc of radius 0.06m with its plane perpendicular to a uniform
magnetic field spins at 900 revolutions per minute about an axis through its
centre. A potential difference of 4.5  10 5 V is shown on a voltmeter connected
between the axle and the rim. Calculate the flux density of the field. (4)

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( C) With the aid of a diagram explain how an a.c generator works. (5)

(d) What is self-induction? (1)

(ii) Describe an experiment to demonstrate self-induction. (3)

7.(a) Define reactance of a capacitor. (1)

(ii) Draw a sketch graph to show variation of reactance of a capacitor with

frequency when the capacitance is constant. (1)

(ii) A capacitor of capacitance 2F has a current of 1 10 3 A (r.m.s) flowing through

it. The voltage across the capacitor is 0.156V.Calculate the frequency of the
source. (4)

(b) Explain how alternating current can be converted into fairly steady direct
current by use of diodes. (4)

(c) The diagram in Figure 2 shows bulb connected to a battery in series with a
capacitor.

bulb

Figure 2

State and explain what is observed when

(i) switch K is closed. (2)

(ii) The battery is replaced with a source of alternating current and the switch
closed. (3)

(d) With the aid of labelled diagram explain how a hot wire instrument works.(5)

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 SECTION D

8.(a)(i) Define the ohm and state ohm’s law. (2)

(ii) Explain why potential difference between terminals of a battery is not always
equal to its e.m.f. (2)

(b) Describe an experiment to determine the resistance of a resistor using a circuit

that includes a rheostat. (5)

(c) In a simple metre bridge the resistors A and B have values 5Ω and 3Ω
respectively. When A is shunted by a length of wire the balance point is found to
be 0.527m from A.What is the resistance of the shunt? (3)

If the shunt wire is 0.75m long and 0.25mm, in diameter what is the resistivity
of the material of the wire? (3)

A B

Figure 3

(d) Explain the effect on resistance of a conductor when it’s cross sectional area is
increased. (3)

(e ) Why is a Wheatstone bridge unsuitable for comparing two resistances that are
very small? (2)

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9.(a) Define electric potential (1)

(ii) Derive an expression for the electric potential difference between two points A
and B at distances a and b respectively from a single point positive charge Q.
(4)

(b) Explain how you can show that the potential on a pear shaped charged
conductor is the same at all points. (3)

( c) Three charges of magnitude  2.0  10 8 C ,  3.0  10 8 C and  4.0  10 8 C are

placed at the vertices A,B and C respectively of a triangle as shown below.

10cm 10cm

C
B
Find 12cm

(i) the force exerted on the charge at B. (4)

(ii) Electric potential at a point D half way between B and C. (4)

(d) Describe an experiment to show that equal and opposite charges are produced
when a body is electrified by rubbing. (4)

10.(a)(i)Define relative permittivity of a material. (1)

(ii) Describe an experiment to determine relative permittivity of a dielectric using

the vibrating reed switch method. (5)

(b) In a vibrating reed experiment, two parallel plates have an area 0.12m 2 and are
separated 2mm by a dielectric. The battery of 150V charges and discharges the
capacitor at a frequency of 50Hz and a current of 20A is produced.

(i) Calculate the relative permittivity of the dielectric. (3)

(ii) What is the new capacitance if the dielectric is half withdrawn from the plates?
(2)

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(c) The figure below shows a charged capacitor with a dielectric of thickness t
between its plates.

+Q

d
t

-Q
Show that the effective capacitance is given by

 0 r A
C where  r is the dielectric constant of the material. (5)
 r d  t   t

(d)(i) Describe and explain what happens when the terminals of a capacitor are
connected to a battery of e.m.f V. (3)

(i) Hence draw a graph to show variation of p.d with time across the plates of the
capacitor. (1)

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