Name ………………………..………………………ADM…………………………..

Candidate’s Signature …………....……. Date: ……………………………….

FORM 3
PHYSICS
(THEORY)
2025 OPENER EXAM TERM 3

Time: 2.5 Hours

INSTRUCTION TO CANDIDATES
 Write your name, index number and school in the spaces provided.
 This paper consists of TWO sections: A and B
 Answer ALL questions in section I and II in the spaces provided.
 ALL workings MUST be clearly shown.
 Mathematical tables and electronic calculators may be used.

For examiner’s use only:

Section Question Maximum score Candidate’s score

A 35

B 65

Total 100
 SECTION A (35MKS)

1. The figure below shows a burette initially filled with water to a level marked x. An
object of density 1.5 g/cm3 is immersed into it and the level rose to level marked y.
The burette is marked in Cubic centimeters

Determine
a. The volume of the object (1mk
Volume = 49-42= 7cm3
b. The mass of the object (2mks)
Mass =. Volume x density
=1.5x7
=10.5cm3
2. (a) The figure below shows a bubble of soap blown to the wider end of the funnel.

When the top is left open the bubble flatten to a film which rises up the funnel.
Explain the observation. (1mk)
Surface tension pulls the film inside as it tries to get the smallest surface area.
 (b)The figure below shows a Vernier calipers with a marble in between its jaws.
The Vernier caliper has a zero error of 0.01cm.

Determine the diameter of the marble (2mks)

Main scale reading =2.0cm
Vernier scale reading =0.08cm
Diameter of the marble = 2.0 + 0.08 - 0.01
=2.07cm
3. (a) State one way of making the surface tension of a liquid weaker (1mk)
 Raising its temperature
 Adding impurities to it.
(b)The uniform rod of length 1m shown in the figure below is in equilibrium
Find the value of x if the weight of the rod is. 40N. (3mks)

Cog of the rod is 0.5 from pivot where the weight acts
Clockwise moments=anticlockwise moments
0.5x40=30 x (1-x)
20=30-30x
30x=30-20
=10
10 1
X= or m or 0.33 m
30 3
Or
50 ( 100− x )
40 x =30 x
100 100
20 = 30-0.3x
0.3x=30-20
10
X=
0.3
=33.33cm
4. Sketch the graph of density against temperature of water between -10°c to 10°c
(2mks)

5. A form one student set up the apparatus as shown in the figure below.

The boiling tube was heated at the middle as shown in the figure.
a. Identify the wax which was melted first(1mk)
The floating wax A
b. Explain your answer in (a) above (1mk)
The heated water moves conventionally towards wax A, hence melting it
6. The figure below shows two mirrors PQ and QR inclined at an angle of 110°. A
ray of light is incident on mirror PQ at an angle of 60°
 Complete the diagram to determine the angle of reflection of the ray in the mirror
QR(2mks)

1st reflected ray angle r1 =60°

2nd reflected angle r2 = 50°
7. A charge of magnitude 12x103 C passes through a point for 15 minutes. Calculate
the current passing (2mks)
Q= It
3
Q 12 x 10
I= t . =
15 x 60
=13.33A
8. Two capacitors, c1=3.0 μF and c2=5.0 μF are connected in parallel to a battery of
emf 6.0V as shown below.
 Determine
1
a. The effective capacitance (1 Mk)
2
CT=c1 +c2
=3.0 μf + 5.0 μf
=8.0 μf
1
b. The charge stored in C2 capacitor (1 Mk)
2
Q2 =C2 V
=5 x 10-6 x 6
=30x10-6 c
=3.0x10-5 c
9. In an experiment to determine the spring constant, various masses were attached
to the lower end of the spring and the extension of the spring noted. A graph of
force against tension was plotted as shown.
 From the graph, find the spring constant
Δf
Gradient =
Δe
4 −1
=
0.8 −0.2
3
=
0.6
= 5 N/M
10. The following figure shows a wave profile
 a. Determine the period of the wave (1mk)
0.4-0=0.4 sec or 0.5-0.1 =0.4 secs
b. Determine the frequency of the wave (2mks)
F =I/T
= 1/0.4 hz
= 2.5 Hz
11. The diagram below shows a paint spray gun.

Explain briefly how the gun works (2mks)

When the piston is pulled backwards, air rushes in and fills the gun.
When the piston is pulled forward, air is forced out at a high velocity which
reduces pressure, at the mouth of the paint bottle.
This makes the paint to rise and is expelled out together with the air as spray.
12. The figure below shows a ray of light incident on a water flint glass boundary
from water
 a. How is the optical density of the two media compared to each other? ( 1mk)
Optical density of flint glass is higher than that of water.
b. State the two conditions that will make it possible for total internal
reflection to occur between the two media(2mks)
 Light must be moving from flint glass to water.
 Angle of incident should be greater than the critical angle.
13. The graph below shows how the velocity varies with time for a body thrown
upwards.
Determine the maximum height attained by the particle (3mks)
Maximum height = area under the first part of graph
1
= x2x20
2
=20m
 Or
2
U
Hmax=
2g
2
20
=
20 X 10
= 20M
14. A boy of mass 40kg climbs a wall 2m high. Calculate the work done by boy
against gravity. (2mks)
Work done =f x d
= (40x10) N x 2m
=800J
15. The figure below shows a simple water heater. XY is a coiled conductor.

a. Give reasons why XY is coiled(1mk)

To increase the resistance by increasing the length
b. Give one property of XY which make it suitable for a water heater .(1mk)
It has high melting point
 SECTION B (65 marks)

16.(a) State the law of conservation of linear momentum. (1 mark)

for system of colliding bodies, the total linear momentum remains constant,
provided no external force acts.

(b) A lorry has mass 10,000 kg initially traveling at a velocity of 10ms-1 collides with
a car of mass 2000kg traveling in the opposite direction at a velocity of 20ms -1.
The two vehicles move together after impact through a distance of 20m before
coming to rest.
(i) Determine the acceleration of the system after the collision.
(5 marks)

M1V1 + M2V2 = (M1+M2)V

10000 x 10 + 2000 x – 20 = (10000 x 2000)V

100000 – 40000 = 120000V

60000
V = 12000

V= 5 m/s
 Just after collision initial velocity V=5m/s

Final velocity v = 0 m/s

S = 20m

V2 = U2 + 2as

O=52 – 2XaX20
25
a= 40 = -0.625 m/s2

(ii) What is the impulsive force on the car given the collision lasts two seconds?
(3 marks)

T= 2 sec.

U= - 20m/s

V = + 5 m/s

Impulsive force Ft = Change in momentum

MV – MU

MV − MU
F= T


(2000 X 5)−(2000 X − 20)

= 
2
 = 25000N 

17. (a) State two features that makes a liquid in a glass thermometer sensitive.
(2 marks)

It has a thin bulb glass wall 

It has a narrow bore. 

(b) What is meant by specific latent heat of fusion of a substance?

(1mk)

It is the amount of heat required to change a unit mass of a solid to liquid

without change in temperature

(b) In an experiment to determine the specific latent heat of vaporization of

water, steam at 100ºC was passed into water contained in a well-lagged
copper calorimeter. The following measurements were made:
 Mass of calorimeter = 60g
 mass of water + calorimeter = 145g
 Final mass of calorimeter + water + condensed steam = 156g
 Final temperature of the mixture = 48oC
[Specific heat capacity of water = 4200JKgˉ¹kˉ¹ and specific heat capacity of
copper = 390JKgˉ¹kˉ¹]
Determine the;
(i) mass of condensed steam. (1mk)
Mass of steam = 156 - 145
= 11 g

(ii) The heat gained by the water and calorimeter if the initial temperature of the
calorimeter and water is 20ºC.
(3mks)
Heat gained by water + heat gained by calorimeter =
0.085 X 4200 (48-20) + 0.06 X 390(48-20)
= 10,651.2 J
(iii) Given that Lvis the specific latent heat of vaporization of steam, write an

expression for the heat given out by steam. (1mark)

= 0.011 X Lv+ 0.011 X 4200 X (100 – 48)

= 0.011Lv+ 2,402.4

(iv) Determine the value of Lv above (3mks)

Heat lost by steam+heat lost by condensed water = heat gained by water + heat
gained by calorimeter
0.011 XLv+ 0.011 X 4200 X (100 – 48) = 0.085 X 4200 (48-20) + 0.06 X
390(48-20)
Lv= 749,890.9091JKg-1

(v) State the assumption made in the above experiment (1 mark)

- There are no heat losses

- There is no change in mass
(d) Water at 220C falls over a waterfall of height 1.5m. Calculate the rise in
temperature of water at the bottom of the fall if 80% of the potential energy at the
top of the waterfall is converted to heat at the bottom of the waterfall. ( Given the
specific heat capacity of water is 4200Jkg-1 k-1) (4 marks)

Potential energy = heat gain

0.8 X Mgh = mcdt

M x10 x 1.5 X 0.8 = m x4200 x dT

Dt = 12/4200 = 0.0028570C

17.(a) A coin is placed at the bottom of a tall jar. The jar is filled with paraffin
to a depth of 32.4 cm and the coin is apparently seen displaced 9.9 cm from
the bottom. Determine the refractive index of air with respect to paraffin.
(3marks)

Apparent depth = 32.4 – 9.9 = 22.5 cm

real depth 32.4
n = apparent depth = 22.5 = 1.44

1 22.5
= = 0.6944
n 32.4

(b) Define the term critical angle. (1mark)

This is the angle of incidence in the denser medium for which the angle of
refraction in the less dense medium is 900.
 (c) The figure below shows a ray of light passing through a glass prism.

θ
c

600 600

If the speed of light in prism is 2.0 x 108m/s

(i) Determine the refractive index of the prism material given that the speed of light in
air is 3.0 x 108m/s. (2marks)
8
velocity ∈ air 3 x 10
n = velocity ∈ glass = 8 = 1.5
2 x 10

(ii) Determine the value of the critical angle and indicate on the diagram above.
(2marks)
1 1
Sin c = n = 1.5 = 0.6667
C = 41.810

18. (a) Differentiate between an Ohmic and non-Ohmic conductor giving an example
in each case. (2marks)

Ohmic conductor obeys Ohm’s law/ forms straight line through the origin on
V-I graph e.g copper, aluminium while non-ohmic conductor doesn’t obey
Ohm’s law and the graph of V-I is not a straight line through the origin e.g
semi-conductor, thermistor, bulb.
 (b) The diagram below shows a circuit with resistors connected as shown

S
3Ω

6.0V
V 5Ω
2Ω

(i) If each cell has an internal resistance of 0.7Ω, determine the total resistance in the
circuit. (3marks)
8 x2 16
Rseries = 3Ω +5Ω = 8Ω Rparallel = 8+ 2 = 10 = 1.6 Ω total resistance = 1.6 +
0.7 x 2 = 3.0 Ω
(ii) What amount of current flows through the 3Ω resistor when the switch is closed?
(3marks)
V 6
Total current It = R = 3 = 2A
t

Vparallel = 1.6 x 2 = 3.2 V

3 .2
I3Ω = 8 = 0.4 A

(iii) What is the reading of the voltmeter when the switch S is

(I) Open (1mark)
6.0 V
(II) Closed (1mark)
6.0 – 3.2 = 2.8 V
(iv) Account for the difference between the answers in (I) and (II) above.
(1mark)
Lost voltage is the energy used to drive electrons through the cell itself.
19.The figure below shows an electromagnetic relay being used to switch an electric
motor on and off. The electromagnet consists of a coil of wire wrapped around a
core. The motor in figure is switched off.
Springy metal strips

A
Contacts Motor
B

Pivot

Soft iron armature Insulator

Core

(a) Suggest suitable material for the core. S (1mark)

Soft iron
(b) What happens to the core when switch S is closed?
(2marks)
The current flows through the solenoid; it is magnetized and attracts the soft
iron armature.;
(c) Why do the contacts A and B close when the switch S is closed.
(2marks)

The magnetized core attracts the soft iron armature. The pivot armature
pushes the springy metal strip which joins contact B and A.

(d) When the switch S is opened, what will happen to;

(i) The core (1mark)
It loses its magnetism;

(ii)Soft iron armature. (1mark)

Soft iron goes back to its original position thus switching off the current in the
circuit.;

(e) Give one other application of an electromagnet. (1mark)

Electric bell, telephone receiver, moving coil loudspeaker and circuit breaker.
(f) State two ways in which an electromagnet could be made more powerful.
(2marks)
Using a soft iron core, increasing the current and
Increasing the number of turns.

20.(a) The figure below shows two containers filled with two different liquids
to the same height.

A B

It was found that the pressure at the bottom of A is greater than that at B. Explain
(1 mark)

Liquid A is denser than liquid B. 1

(b) The figure below shows a car braking system. The brake fluid is an
oily liquid.

Brake pedal Return spring

Brake drum
Brake shoe

Pivot Brake fluid

Slave piston

Master cylinder
Master piston

The brake drum rotates with the wheel of the car.

(i) Explain how pushing the brake pedal makes the brake rub against the drum.
(4 marks)

When the pedal is pushed, pressure is generated in the master cylinder; 1

This pressure is transmitted to the slave cylinder; 1 This causes the
pistons of the slave cylinder to open the brake shoe 1 and hence the brake
lining presses the drum. 1

(ii) The cross-sectional area of the master piston is 2.0cm2. A force of

140N is applied to the master piston.
(I) Calculate the pressure created in the brake fluid by the master piston. (2
marks)

P= , 1
= 700,000N/m2 1

(II) The cross-sectional area of each slave piston is 2.8cm2. Calculate the force
exerted on each slave piston by the brake fluid.
(2 marks)

F = P x A 1
= 700,000 x 2.8 x 10-4
= 1,960N 1

(III) The force exerted on the master piston is greater than the force applied by
the foot on the brake pedal. Using the principle of moments, explain this.
(2 marks)
Distance from the foot to pivot 1 is larger than piston to pivot;
Force x distance = Constant 1