2025 END OF SEMESTER EXAMS – PHYSICS 1

FORM TWO

SECTION A - [50 marks]

[1HOUR 15MINS]

1. From Snell’s law the refractive index of medium B relative to A is

(A) Sin θ / Sin α (B) Sin α / Cos θ (C) Cos θ/ Sin α (D) Cos θ/Cos α
2. Lost volts is the voltage
(A) read on the voltmeter (B) across an external resistor
(C) across the internal resistor (D) across the terminals of the cell
3. A lead acid cell can supply a much higher current than a Leclanche cell of similar voltage because
(A) the plates of the Leclanche cell are attacked quickly by the electrolyte.
(B) the acid cell has lower internal resistance.
(C) there is a greater local action in the Leclanche cell.
(D) the acid is not easily polarized.
4. In household wiring, electrical appliances are connected in parallel to
(A) enable the same voltage to be applied to all the appliances.
(B) allow the same fuse to be used for all the appliances.
(C) enable one switch to be used for all the appliances.
(D) allow the same current to flow through all the appliances.
5. Two identical cells each of emf 2 V and internal resistance 1.0 Ω are connected in parallel. The
combination is connected to an external load of 1.5 Ω. Calculate the current in the circuit.
(A) 0.57 A (B) 1.00 A (C) 1.14 A (D) 2.00 A
6. Which instrument is more suitable for measuring the internal resistance of an accumulator?
(A) Voltmeter (B) Ohm-meter (C) Ammeter (D) Potentiometer
7. A piece of resistance wire is 0.5m long. If its diameter is 7.0 x 10-4m and the resistance 1.0 Ω,
calculate the resistivity of the material of the wire.
(A) 3.1 x 10-7Ωm (B) 3.5 x 10-7Ωm (C) 6.7 x 10-7Ωm (D) 7.5x 10-7Ωm
8. Which of the following factors does not affect the electric resistance of a wire?
(A) Length (B) Mass (C) Temperature (D) Cross sectional area
9. Which of the following units represents the product of force and velocity?
(A) Nm-1 (B) kgms-2 (C) Joule (D) Watt
10. A cube of side 0.20m exerts a force of 2N on its support. Calculate its density. [g= 10ms-2 ]
(A) 2.5 kgm-3 (B) 25.0 kgm-3 (C) 250.0 kgm-3 (D) 2500.0 kgm-3
11. Which of the following instruments can be used to compare the relative magnitudes of charge on two
given bodies?
(A) The electrophorus (B) Ebonite rod (C) Proof planes (D) Gold leaf electroscope
12. The electric force between two point charges each of magnitude q at a distance of r apart in air of
permittivity ε0 is
(A) q2/4πεor (B) rεo/q2 (C) 4πq/εo (D) q2/4πεor2
13. Calculate the resistivity of a wire of length 2 m and cross area 0.004 cm2 if resistance is 3.0 Ω.
(A) 0.0000267 Ωm (B) 0.00006 Ωm (C) 0.26700 Ωm (D) 0.37500 Ωm
14. The dimension for momentum are
(A) MLT (B) ML-1T-1 (C) MLT-1 (D) ML-1T
15. Which of the following properties of a solid would change if it were transported from the Earth to the
Moon?
(A) Density (B) Mass (C) Volume (D) Weight
16. An ebonite rod when rubbed with fur
(A) repels electrons (B) attracts electrons (C) repels protons (D) repels neutrons
17. Three resistors each of 3 Ω, 4 Ω and 6 Ω are connected in parallel. Calculate the total resistance of the
circuit.
(A) 13 Ω (B) 0.75 Ω (C) 1.5 Ω (D) 1.33 Ω
18. A positively charged body is brought near the cap of a gold leaf electroscope. The body is removed
after earthing the cap momentarily. Which of the following will happen? The cap and the leaf will be
(A) positively and negatively charged respectively
(B) negatively and positively charged respectively
(C) positively charged (D) negatively charged
19. Which of the following instruments is used to detect the presence of small electric charges on a body?
(A) Electrophorus (B) Electroscope (C) Galvanometer (D) Plane proof
20. Calculate the length of a constantan wire of cross-sectional area 4π x 10-8 m2 and resistivity 1.1 x 10-6
Ωm required to construct a standard resistor of resistance 21 Ω. [ π=22/7 ]
(A) 0.42 m (B) 2.40 m (C) 6.25 m (D) 183.75 m
21. The negatively charged leaves of an electroscope are observed to diverge further when a rod is
brought near the cap. This means that the rod
(A) is negatively charged (B) is positively charged (C) has no charge (D) loses charge
22. Thunder is usually heard some seconds after lightning is observed because
(A) the human eye is more sensitive to light than the ear to sound
(B) sound and light travel in different media
(C) thunder occurs after lightning
(D) light travels faster than sound
23. A man 1.8m tall stands in front of a plane mirror. Calculate the shortest length of mirror that will
enable him go see his total height
(A) 0.3m (B) 0.6m (C) 0.9m (D) 1.8m
24. A wire of length 2.0m with cross-sectional area 9.0 x 109 m2 carriers a current of 1.5 A. calculate the
potential difference across its ends. Resistivity of the material of wire = 1.8 x 10-8 Ωm.
(A) 1.5 V (B) 3.0 V (C) 4.0 V (D) 6.0 V
25. When a glass rod and a piece of silk material are rubbed against each other, the glass rod will
(A) lose electrons to the silk (B) gain neutrons
(C) remain uncharged (D) become negatively charged
26. Which of the following is not a derived unit?
(A) Kilogram (B) Joule (C) Newton (D) Watt
27. Which of the following is stored by dry Leclanche cell?
(A) Chemical energy (B) Nuclear energy (C) Solar energy (D) Electric energy
28. Birds can perch safely on overhead electric power cables without being electrocuted because
(A) birds can withstand high p.d. of the electric power cables
(B) any accumulated charge on the birds is quickly dissipated
(C) the feet of the birds are well insulated
(D) there is no p.d. between the birds and the cables
29. What is the electric potential energy between two protons each of charge q and at distance r apart?
[Permittivity of free space = εo]
(A) 4πεoq2r (B) qr/4πεo (C) q/4πεor (D) q2/4πεor
30. If the leaves of a positively charged electroscope collapse completely as an object is brought near the
cap of the electroscope, the object possesses
(A) an equal amount of positive charge (B) less amount of negatively charge
(C) no charge (D) an equal amount of negative charge
31. The ability to do work is its
(A) Power (B) Momentum (C) Inertia (D) Energy
32. Which of the following are safety precautions in a household wiring system?
I. Switches are placed on the life wire of the mains
II. Plugs have three pins with one earthling the casing on the appliance
III. Fuse wires are used in fuse boxes
IV. Wires are covered with insulating materials
(A) I,II,III only (B) I,II,IV only (C) I,II,IV only (D) I,II,III and IV
33. Linear expansivity of a material is defined as the fractional change in
(A) Length of material. (B) Length for a unit change in temperature.
(C) Temperature per unit length of the material. (D) Cross-sectional area per unit time.
34. Parabolic mirrors are preferred in making searchlights because they
(A) Have a wide field of view. (B) Produce larger images than other mirrors.
(C) Reflect light into a narrow parallel beam. (D) Do not deteriorate with time.
35. Which of the following instruments cannot be used to measure temperature?
(A) Pyrometer (B) Thermocouple (C) Thermostat (D) Boyles Law Apparatus
36. A concave mirror of focal length 10 cm forms a real image with magnification 0.5. Calculate the
object distance.
(A) 30 cm (B) 20 cm (C) 15 cm (D) 5 cm
37. The speed of light in air and water are 3.0 x 10 ms and 2.25 x 108 ms-1 respectively. Calculate the
8 -1

critical angle for water when light travels from water to air.
(A) 26.3o (B) 24.2o (C) 45.0o (D) 48.6o

38. Convex spherical mirrors are preferred to plane mirrors as driving mirrors because
(A) the image produced is upright and clearly visible (B) it provides a wider field of view
(C) the image produced is erect and diminished (D) the image produced is not laterally inverted

39.

3
2

̃
Using the diagram above, calculate the effective capacitance of the circuit.

A. 1.56 μF B. 3.00 μF C. 3.71 μF D. 9.00 μF

40. A force, F increases the velocity of a body of mass, m, from v1 to v2 in time, t. Which of the following
equations relates F to m, v1, to v2 and t?
(A) F= m(v2-v1)/t (B) F= m(v1-v2)/t (C) F= m(v2-v1)t (D) F= m(v1-v2)t

41. A block of material of volume 2 x 10-5 m3 and density 2.5 x 103 kgm-3 is suspended from a spring
balance with half volume of the block immersed in water. What is the reading of the spring balance?
[Density of water = 1.0 x 103 kgm-3, g = 10 ms-2]
(A) 0.10N (B) 0.25N (C) 0.30N (D) 0.40N

42. A rectangular piece of metal 3 cm high by 6 cm wide has a hole cut in its centre 1cm high by 4 cm
wide as shown in the diagram at right. As the metal is warmed from 0°C to 100°C, what will happen
to the dimensions of the hole?

A. both height and width will increase

B. both height and width will decrease
C. both height and width will remain unchanged
D. height will decrease while width will increase
43. A car takes off from rest and covers a distance of 80m on a straight road in 10s. Calculate the
magnitude of its acceleration.
(A) 1.25ms-2 (B) 1.60ms-2 (C) 4.00ms-2 (D) 8.00ms-2
44. According to Bohr’s postulates, which of the following quantities take discrete values?
A. kinetic energy B. potential energy C. angular momentum D. momentum

45. The unit of impulse is

(A) Js (B) Js-1 (C) Ns (D) Ns-2
46. The first excitation potential energy or the minimum energy required to excite the atom from ground
state of hydrogen atom is,
A. 13.6 eV B. 10.2eV C. 3.4 eV D. 1.89 eV

47. A metal, which weighs 15.0N in air, weighs 12.5N in water and 13.2N in kerosene. Calculate the
relative density of kerosene.
(A) (B) (C) (D)

48. A uniform meter rod weighs 100N. If an object of weight 50N is attached to one end of the rod, how
far from that end is the point at which the rod will balance horizontally on a pivot?
(A) 8.6cm (B) 16.7cm (C) 33.3cm (D) 42.6cm

49. A cube made of a metal of linear expansivity is warmed through a temperature of t. If the initial
volume of the cube is V, what is the increase in volume of the cube?
(A) (1/3α)Vt (B) (1/2α)Vt (C) 2αVt (D)3αVt

50. Which of the following features describe a pyrometer?

(A) Wide range, accurate, slow response.
(B) Rapid response, inaccurate, short range.
(C) Accurate, wide range, rapid response.
(D) Rapid response, short range, accurate.

END OF PAPER