MERISHAW SCHOOL FORM THREE PHYSICS EXAMINATION
Name…………………………………………………………………………….. Adm. No.:…………………
School:……………………………………………………………………………Stream………….…………
Index No.:……………………………. Date:……………………………… Sign:…………………………….
Instructions to candidates
(a) Write your name and index number in the spaces provided above.
(b) Sign and write the date of the examination in the spaces provided above.
(c) This paper consists of two sections; A and B.
(d) Answer all the questions in sections A and B in spaces provided.
(e) All working must be clearly shown in the spaces provided in this booklet.
(f) Non-programmable silent electronic calculators may be used.
(g) This paper consists of 14 printed pages.
(h) Candidates should check the question paper to ascertain that all the pages are printed
as indicated and that no questions are missing.
(i) Candidates should answer the questions in English.
For Examiner’s Use only
Questions Maximum Candidate’s
Score Score
A 1 – 13 25
14 12
15 11
16 10
17 12
B 18 10
Total Score 80
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Section A (25 marks)
Answer all questions in this section in the spaces provided.
1. The diagram in Figure 1 shows a steel washer and a steel rod. The diameter of the rod is larger than the
diameter of the hole in the washer.
Figure 1
Explain how the steel rod can be made to fit tightly onto the steel washer. (2 marks)
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2. A high jumper usually lands on a thick mattress. Explain how the mattress assists in reducing the force
of impact. (2 marks)
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3. Figure 2 shows a water manometer used in measuring the pressure of a gas supply. The atmospheric
pressure of the surrounding is 760 mmHg.
Figure 2
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Explain why water is used in this manometer instead of mercury. (2 marks)
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4. Figure 3 shows a glass marble resting on a watch glass.
Figure 3
State with a reason the type of equilibrium of the glass marble. (2 marks)
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5 Figure 4 shows a looped glass tube containing water. A drop of ink introduced in the tube colours
the water at point shown.
Figure 4
(i) Indicate on the diagram, the direction of movement of the coloured water. (1 mark)
(ii) Explain this movement. (2 marks)
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6. In the Brownian motion experiment, smoke particles are observed to move faster when the temperature
of the cell is raised. Explain this observation. (2 marks)
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7. On the axes provided, sketch aograph of ovolume against temperature when the temperature of a unit
mass of water is raised from 0 C to 10 C. (2 marks)
8. A student hangs two identical T-shirts, P and Q, to dry next to each other on cloths line. T-shirt Q is folded
as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5
Explain why Q takes longer to dry than P. (2 marks)
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9. State a reason why it easier to clean utensil using warm water than cold water. (1 mark)
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10. Figure 6 shows two screws X and Y with different pitches but identical heads.
Figure 6
The same force is applied to turn the screws. State which screw has a greater mechanical advantage.
(1 mark)
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11. Figure 7 shows a set up used determine the mass of block M. The bar is pivoted at its centre of gravity
C.
Figure 7
State two measurements that need to be made to determine the mass of M. (2 marks)
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12. Figure 8 shows two pulley systems which are used to lift different loads.
Figure 8
State one reason why system B may have a higher efficiency than system A. (1 mark)
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13. Figure 9 shows a diagram of Bunsen burner.
Figure 9
Explain the working of the Bunsen burner. (3 marks)
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Section B (55 marks)
Answer all question in this section in the spaces provided.
14. (a) Figure 10 shows a container of mass 500 g with walls of negligible thickness. The container is
filled with a liquid of density 1.25 gcm-3.
Figure 10
(i) Determine the:
I. length d, (1 mark)
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II. volume of the container, (2 marks)
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III. mass of the liquid in the container. (2 marks)
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(ii) Determine the:
I. minimum pressure exerted by the container and its contents. (Take gravitational
intensity g = 10 Nkg-1), (3 marks)
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II. maximum pressure exerted by the container and its contents. (2 marks)
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(b) A pendulum swings from A to B and back to A in a vacuum. (See Figure 11).
Figure 11
Sketch, on the axes provided, a graph of:
(i) kinetic energy against time. Use continuous line. (1 mark)
(ii) potential energy against time. Use broken line. (1 mark)
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15. (a) (i) State the necessary condition for a body to float in a fluid. (1 mark)
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(ii) State Archimedes’ principle. (1 mark)
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(b) A solid experience an upthrust of 0.075 N when floating and 0.225 N fully immersed in a liquid
of density 0.90 gcm-3. Determine:
(i) the mass of the solid. ( take g = 10 Nkg-1) (2 marks)
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(ii) the volume of the solid. (3 marks)
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(c) A rubber tube is inflated to a pressure of 2.7 kPa and a volume of 3.8 x 10-3 m3 at a temperature
of 27 oC. When taken to another place where the temperature is 37 oC, its pressure increases to
3.0 kPa. Determine the new volume. (4 marks)
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16. (a) State two factors which affect the freezing point of water. (2 marks)
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(b) Figure 12 shows a set-up which can be used to determine the specific latent heat of vaporization
of steam.
Figure 12
Outline the procedure for the experiment. (5 marks)
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(b) A metal block is heated to a temperature of 600 oC and dropped into a boiling liquid. It is found
that 20 g of the liquid vaporizes. If the heat capacity of the block is 100 Jk-1 and the specific
latent heat vaporization of the liquid is 2.5 x 106 Jkg-1, determine the boiling point of the liquid.
(3 marks)
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17. (a) State Hooke’s law. (1 mark)
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(b) Figure 13 shows a balance made of a spring of length 5 .0 cm.
Figure 13
If the maximum weight that can be measured by the spring is 20.0 N, determine the spring
constant of the spring. (3 marks)
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(c) Figure 14 shows a section of a paper tape, attached to a trolley, after passing through a ticker
timer operating at a frequency of 50 Hz.
Figure 14
Determine the:
(i) velocity between:
(I) A and B, (3 marks)
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(II) C and D. (2 marks)
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(ii) acceleration of the trolley. (3 marks)
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18. (a) Figure 15 shows an oil patch formed when an oil drop of volume 1.2 x 10-2 cm3 is
introduced on the surface of water sprinkled with lycopodium powder.
Figure 15
(i) Estimate the size of the oil molecule. (3 marks)
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(ii) State two assumptions made in estimating the size of the molecule. (2 marks)
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(iii) State the purpose of lycopodium powder. (1 mark)
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(b) A car of mass 400 kg moves at a constant speed around a section of a horizontal circular road as
shown in Figure 16. The frictional force between the road and the tyres of the car is 1000 N and
radius of the path is 25 m.
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(i) On the diagram, draw an arrow at point P to represent the direction of the centripetal
force on the car. (1 mark)
(ii) Determine the maximum speed at which the car can successfully negotiate the path.
Figure 16 (3 marks)
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