THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Senior Two Physics

Paper One

Duration :2 Hours

Instructions
 This paper has two sections, Section A and B. Section A has 30 marks and Section B has
40 marks
 Attempt all questions in section A and any two questions in section B
 Use double margins on your answer sheets
 Any illustration will lead to additional marks and while poor handwriting will lead to
loss of marks.
 Salient non programmable calculators are allowed
 Where necessary , you may use acceleration due to gravity , 𝑔 = 10𝑚/𝑠 2

Section A (30 marks)

Attempt all the questions in this section

Item 1

As a curious scientist working in an ancient museum, you’ve just discovered a small, intricately
carved ivory artifact. The artifact has a volume of 25 cm³ and weighs 0.045 kg. Intrigued by the
material's properties, you decide to calculate its density to better understand its composition.

Hint: Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume. Remember to
convert all units to SI units.

Task

How would obtain the density of the ivory artifact, given that it’s mass is 0.045kg.(04 marks)

Item 2

As adventurous astronaut Alex on the vibrant Planet Zeta, you’re trying to understand how this
new world compares to Earth. Your high-tech equipment, with a mass of 50 kg, pulls down with
a noticeable force of 1000 N here. To get a better grasp of Zeta's gravity, you decide to make
some calculations.

Hint

Weight is the result of the interaction between an object's mass and the gravitational force. Use
this idea to uncover how different Zeta’s gravity is from what you're used to on Earth.

Task
 a) Imagine you’re back on Earth where gravity is known. Calculate the force that would act
on the equipment of 50 kg. (02 marks)
b) With the equipment weighing 1000 N on Planet Zeta, deduce the gravitational force. (02
marks)

Item 3

In a rural village in Uganda, the community has come together to cultivate a small garden to
grow crops. However, the village has limited access to electricity, making it challenging to
irrigate the crops efficiently. To address this issue, your team decides to install a solar-powered
water pump. This pump will lift water from a nearby well and distribute it to the fields, ensuring
a steady supply of water for the crops.

Hint: Consider how solar energy is converted into electrical energy and then into mechanical
energy to pump water.

Tasks

Part 1

a) Why is the sun considered a critical source of energy on Earth? Identify and explain the
different types of energy that we receive from sunlight. (03marks)
b) Discuss the benefits of using solar energy to power the water pump in the village. How
would this positively impact the community? (03 marks)
c) What challenges or drawbacks might the village face by relying solely on solar energy for
their water needs? (02 marks)
d) Explain the law of conservation of energy and how it applies to the process of lifting
water using a solar-powered pump. (03 marks)

Part 2

The solar-powered water pump works by converting sunlight into electrical energy, which then
drives the pump to lift water from the well.

The water gains gravitational potential energy as it rises and then gains kinetic energy as it
moves through the irrigation system.

a) Calculate the gravitational potential energy of water when it is lifted to a height of 5

meters above the well. (02 marks)
b) Determine the kinetic energy of the water when it flows through the irrigation system at a
speed of 2 m/s. (02 marks)
c) The water pump requires 500 J of work to lift 1 liter of water, calculate the work done to
lift 100 liters of water to the same height. (01 mark)
d) Calculate the power output of the water pump if it lifts 200 liters of water in 10 minutes.
(03 marks)
e) Explain how the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy in the system remains
constant during the water pumping process. (03 marks)
 Section B (40 marks)
Answer any two questions in this section and all questions carry equal marks

Item 4

Emma is conducting a science fair project on the effects of surface tension in liquids. She wants
to demonstrate how different factors influence surface tension and explain these observations
using the kinetic theory of matter. For her experiment, she uses water and various substances
(soap, salt, and alcohol) to observe their effects on the water's surface tension. Emma also wants
to measure the surface tension of water using a simple method.

Hint: The molecules of a liquid behave like a stretched elastic skin and they are in a state of
constant random motion.

Task

a) Explain the concept of surface tension and the factors that affect it.
(06 marks)
b) Describe an experiment that Emma could perform to determine the surface tension of
water. And what are some of the things Emma should consider before performing the
experiment in order for her to obtain positive results. (08 marks)
c) Explain the observations from the experiment using the kinetic theory of matter. (04
marks)
d) In which events in daily life is surface tension experienced. (02 marks)

Item 5

You are a scientist tasked with designing a new thermal insulation system for a coastal research
station. The station experiences significant temperature changes between day and night. You
need to understand the principles behind these temperature variations, how heat transfers through
different materials, and the effectiveness of insulation in keeping liquids warm. To achieve this,
you'll use a thermos flask, a metallic rod, and a container of water.

Hint: Heat transfer and insulation of substances

Tasks

a) Observe how the temperature of the sea and land changes throughout the day. Can you
explain the reasons behind this pattern? (5 marks)
b) While experimenting with a metallic rod, you notice variations(changes) in heat transfer
efficiency. What factors might be contributing to these differences? (04 marks)
c) You want to show that water doesn't conduct heat well. How would you design an
experiment to prove this point? (5 marks)
d) Imagine you need to keep a liquid warm for an extended period using a thermos flask.
Draw and describe the key features of the flask that make it effective, and identify
scenarios where the liquid inside might eventually lose its warmth. (06 marks)
Item 6

In a Ugandan village, the community is building a new storage shed for their harvested crops. To
lift the heavy wooden beams needed for the roof, they are using a pulley system. The beams
weigh 200N each, and the pulley system has a velocity ratio of 5. The villagers have found that
they need to apply an effort of 50N to lift each beam.

Hint

Use the given data to draw the pulley system, calculate the efficiency, determine the work
wasted, and consider real-world factors that affect efficiency.

Task

Write a well written report to the community engineer telling him the details about the pulley
system. In your report include the diagram of the pulley system, efficiency, work wasted when
the load is raised through 120cm. Also give significant reasons why the efficiency is as so. (20
marks)

“Dear beautiful students at this level the best drug to cure your disease is to read. Even though
you read for the first time and you don’t understand, don’t warry open up the book again and
read. Do it again and again and for the last time the gates of understanding will open up for
you. Don’t give up, on reading, for even I (M Jesse Newton), sometimes I found difficult in
understanding concepts but I didn’t give up. Therefore, don’t give up for the gate keeper of
knowledge is yet to open the gate for you.” By M Jesse Newton.

I wish you good lucky