P535/2

PHYSICS
PAPER 2

UGANDA CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

PHYSICS
PAPER TWO

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Where necessary use the following constant:

 Acceleration to gravity g = 10ms-2

 Specific heat capacity of water = 4200Jkg-1K-1

Instructions: Answer any five questions

1. a) What is meant by:

(i) Centre of gravity [1]

(ii) Unstable equilibrium. [1]

b) Explain how objects are made more stable [1]

c) Describe an experiment to determine the centre of gravity of an

irregular lamina. [4]

d) (i) State the conditions for a body to be in mechanical equilibrium. [1]

(ii)

Calculate the distance a when the above system is in equilibrium. [3]

e) (i) The pressure acting on a surface is 10Pa. What does it mean? [3]

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(ii) In a hydraulic brake, a force of 500N is applied to a piston of area
5cm2. If the other piston has an area of 20cm2, what is the force exerted
on it? [3]

2. A a) Explain what is meant by Brownian motion [1]

b) A tin can containing air is sealed. If it is then heated, what can you say
about:

(i) the average speed of the molecules. [1]

(ii) the air pressure inside the can? [1]

c) (i) State Hooke’s law. [1]

(ii) Sketch a graph of force against extension for a brittle material like glass
and explain the features of the graph. [2]

(ii) A mass of 200g is placed at the end of a wire 15cm long and cross
sectional area 0.2cm2. If the mass causes an extension of 15mm,
calculate the tensile stress and tensile strain. [4]

d) (i) Explain why a steel needle can be made to float on the surface of
water. [1]

(ii) Sketch the rise of water and mercury in a capillary tube dipped in each
of the liquid in a beaker. [2]

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e) In an oil experiment the radius of the oil drop is 10mm and the
diameter of the oil patch on water surface is 15cm. Calculate the thickness
of the oil drop. [3]

3. a) (i) Name two advantages which a lead accumulator has over a dry
cell.
[2]

(ii) What is polarization and state how it can be prevented [2]

(iii) Explain the purpose of the hydrometer when recharging an

accumulator. [1]

b) (i) Describe and explain what happens when a charged rod is brought
near a pitch ball suspended by a dry silk thread. [3]

(ii) Describe how a gold leaf electroscope can be charged positively by

induction. [4]

c) Draw electric field patterns for:

(i) a positively charged plate near an uncharged spherical metal near it. [2]

(ii) A point positive charge inside a hollow metal sphere. [2]

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4. a) (i) What is the difference between mechanical and electromagnetic
waves? [2]

(ii) What type mentioned in (i) above is sound? [1]

b) What happens to the speed of sound in air if:

(i) the air pressure rises [1]

(ii) the temperature rises. [1]

c) Describe an experiment to show that sound does not pass through

vacuum. [3]

d) Draw diagrams and derive frequency expressions for the standing wave
in a tube open at one end and closed at the other end when the air column
is vibrating at;

i) its fundamental frequency [2]

ii) its first overtone. [2]

e) If the speed of sound is 330ms-1 and the fundamental frequency is

110Hz.

(i) What is the length of the tube [2]

(ii) what is the frequency of the second overtone. [2]

5. a) (i) Categorize the following as ferromagnetic materials and non-

ferromagnetic materials; Copper, iron, cobalt and tin, steel, brass. [2]

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(ii) Use the domain theory to explain magnetic saturation. [2]

b) State factors affecting the emf induced in a conductor due to

electromagnetic induction. [2]

c) With the aid of a diagram explain how a simple a.c generator works.[5]

d) A transformer has a primary voltage of 240V, 50Hz.

(i) Explain the effect of increasing the primary frequency to 100Hz on the
secondary voltage, keeping the primary voltage at 240V

[1] (ii) Explain the effect of replacing the primary a.c voltage with a 240V
d.c supply on the secondary voltage. [1]

(iii) If the number of tums in the primary coil and secondary coil are 1000
and 240 respectively, find the secondary voltage. [2]

6. a) (i) With aid of labeled diagram explain how a C.R.O operates. [6]

(ii) State two differences between cathode rays and X- rays. [2]

b) (i) Explain why a neutron is used to bombard a nucleus in a nuclear

fission. [1]

288
(ii) A radioactive nuclide 88 X decays by emission of an alpha particle

and two beta particles to form nuclide Y. Write down the decay equation.
[2]

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(iii) After 12 ½ days, 38.75g of a radioactive sample of the original mass
40.00g decays; What is the half-life of the sample? [3]

c) Distinguish between hard and soft x-rays and give instances where
each is applied. [2]

7. a) (i) State the laws of refraction of light. [2]

(ii) Describe an experiment to verify the laws of refraction of light. [5]

b) Define the following as applied to lenses;

(i) Power [1]

(ii) Principal focus. [1]

c) An object 2cm high is placed 40cm away from a diverging lens of focal
length 20cm

By construction, determine the position and size of the image. [5]

d) Explain the terms accommodation and astigmatism. [2]

8. a) Define the term heat capacity of a substance. [1]

b) (i) Describe an experiment to measure specific heat capacity of water.

[5]

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(ii) State the necessary precautions in (i) above. [1]

c) An electric kettle which produces energy at a rate of 2.25kW contains

0.8 kg of water at 10°C. It takes 2.5 minutes to produce a temperature
rise of 90°C, calculate the

(i) Heat produced by the kettle in this time. [2]

(ii) the efficiency of the kettle. [4]

d) Explain the following observations.

(i) the hand feels cold when ether is split on it. [2]

(ii) what happens to the volume of water when heated between 0°C and
10°C. [2]

-End-

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