Physical 1 Pre - National 2025
Physical 1 Pre - National 2025
131/1 PHYSICS 1
Time: 3hrs Wednesday, 2nd April 2025
Instructions.
1. This paper consists of sections A and B with total of ten (10) questions.
2. Answer all questions from section A and only two (2) question from section B.
3. Mathematical tables and non- programmable calculators may be used.
4. Cellular phone and any unauthorized materials are not allowed in the examination
room.
5. Write your examination number on every page of your answer booklet(s).
6. The following constant to be used.
Acceleration due to gravity, 𝑔 = 9.8𝑚/𝑠 2 .
Density of water, 𝜌 = 1000𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 .
Pie 𝜋 = 3.14.
Universal gravitational constant (𝐺) = 6.67 × 10−11 𝑁𝑚2 𝑘𝑔−2
Thermal conductivity of copper = 400𝑊𝑚−1 °𝐶 −1
Latent heat of vapourization (𝐿) = 2,268,000𝐽/𝑘𝑔
Density of water (𝜌) = 103 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 .
𝐶𝑝 for nitrogen = 1040𝐽𝑘𝑔−1 𝑘 −1 .
𝐶𝑣 for nitrogen = 740𝐽𝑘𝑔−1 𝑘 −1 .
1Litre = 10−3 𝑚3
Period of the earth around sun = 365days.
Mass of electron (𝑀𝑒 ) = 9.1 × 10−31 𝑘𝑔
Electronic charge = 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶
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1. (a) Obtain the dimensional formula of torque (𝜏) from its defining equation given below. Hence
obtain the dimensional formula of rigidity modulus (ɳ) using the equation
𝜋ɳ𝑟 4 𝜃
𝜏= (04marks)
2𝑙
(b) (i) The mass of a body as measured by two students is given as 9.2kg and 9.23kg. which
is more accurate and why? (02marks)
1
𝐴4 .𝐵3
(ii) A physical quantity X is given by:- 𝑥 = 3 , find the fractional error in X.
𝐶.𝐷 2
(04marks)
2. (a) How will you weigh the sun; i.e estimate its mass? The mean orbital radius of the earth
around the sun is 1.5 × 108 𝐾𝑚. (03marks)
24 6
(b) The mass of earth is 𝑀 = 6 × 10 𝑘𝑔 and its radius 𝑅 = 6.4 × 10 𝑚. How much work
will have to be done in taking a 10kg from the surface of the earth to infirnity? What is the
gravitational potential energy of the body on the earth’s surface? If this body falls from
infirnity to earth, what will be its velocity when striking the earth? (07marks)
3. (a) (i) A bullet is dropped from a certain height and at the same time another bullet is fired
horizontally from the same height. Which one will hit the ground earlier and why?
(03marks)
4. (a) (i) In the game of swing in a circus, the man falls on the net after leaving the swing but
he is not injured. Why? (02marks)
(ii) If the force on a rocket moving with a velocity of 300m/s is 210N, what is the rate of
consumption of fuel? (03marks)
(b) A stone of mass 0.5kg tied to a rope of length 0.5m revolves along a circular path in a
vertical plane. The tension in the rope at the bottom point of the circle is 45N. To what
height the stone will rise if the rope breaks the moment the velocity is directed upwards?
(05marks)
5. (a) Why is the energy of thermal radiation less than that of visible light? (02marks)
(b) (i) A body radiates 5W at temperature of 400k. If the temperature is increased to 1200K,
what is the radiated power? (04marks)
(ii) A person walking during a hot day in a dry atmosphere at 40°C will sweat about 1 litre
per hour. Assume that all water in the sweat evaporates during that time. Calculate the
rate of loss of heat from the body of the person. (04marks)
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(i) The neutral temperature. (2½marks)
(ii) Temperature of inversion. (2½marks)
(b) The temperature of 3kg of nitrogen is raised from 10°C to 100°C. Calculate the
heat added, the work done and the change in internal energy if the heating is at constant
volume and constant pressure. (05marks)
SECTION B (30MARKS)
Answer only two (2) questions from this section.
8. (a) (i) Give four (4) characteristics of a series circuit. (02marks)
(ii) When a potential difference of 1.5V is applied across a wire of length 0.2m and area of
cross- section 0.30𝑚𝑚2 , a current of 2.4A flows through the wire. If the number
density of free electrons in the wire is 8.4 × 1028 𝑚−3, calculate the average relaxation
time. (04marks)
(b) If A. C supply is 240V. calculate its peak value. (04marks)
(c ) The total length of a potentiometer is 10m. The distance between the null points on the
potentiometer wire for two cells is 60cm. If the difference between the e.m.f of the cells be
0.4V, Calculate.
(ii) Why is zener diode always reverse- connected across the supply? (02marks)
(iii) Why is the out put frequency of a full wave rectifier twice the input frequency?
(02marks)
(b) Calculate the current in the diode of the circuit below:-
100Ω
(03marks)
2V
1V
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(c ) In a common base transistor amplifier the input resistance is 150Ω and load resistance is
150kΩ.
(i) Draw the transistor circuit. (02marks)
(ii) Find the voltage gain and power gain given ∝= 0.95 (04marks)
10. (a) (i) Explain three (3) advantages and two (2) disadvantages of integrated circuit.
(02½marks)
(ii) Calculate the output voltage from the operational amplifier circuit below given the input
voltage (𝑉𝑖𝑛 ) = 120𝜇𝑉.
240kΩ
+𝑉𝑠
2.4kΩ
-
(3½marks)
𝑉𝑜
~ 𝑉𝑖𝑛 -𝑉𝑠
(b) An alarming system is controlled by three sensors A, B and C. the system sounds its alarm
(output high) when sensors A and B are ON (i.e are high) or when sensors B and C are
ON.
(i) Draw the truth table for the system and hence. (02marks)
(ii) Draw its logic circuit. (02marks)
(ii) A carrier wave of 500 watts is subjected to 100% amplitude modulation. Determine the
power in side bands and the power of modulated wave. (03marks)
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