STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________

CHIRADZULU DISTRICT MOCK

2023 MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION MOCK EXAMINATION

PHYSICS
Subject Number: M164/I
Friday, 24 March, 2023. Time Allowed: 2 hours

PAPER I 8:00 – 10:00 am

(100 marks)

Instructions Question Tick if Do not write in

Number answered these columns
1. This paper contains 12 pages. Please check.
2. Fill in your Name at the top of each page. 1

3. This paper contains two sections A and B. In 2

Section A there are ten short answer questions 3

while in Section B there are three restricted 4

essay questions. 5

4. Answer all the thirteen questions in the spaces 6

provided. 7
5. Use of electronic calculators is allowed. 8
6. The maximum number of marks for each answer 9
is indicated against each question. 10
7. In the table provided on this page, tick against the 11
number of the question you have answered. 12
13

2023 CHIRADZULU Turn over

Page 1 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
SECTION A (70 marks)
1.a. Mention two factors that affect torque acting on a body
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(2 marks)
b. What type of waves are electromagnetic waves?
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(1 mark)
c. Give any two applications of infrared waves.
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(2 marks)
d. A convex lens forms an image whose magnification is . Describe the nature of this image.
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(2 marks)
2.a. State any one reason why the focal length in a camera is fixed?
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(1 mark)
b. Give two conditions for total destructive interference to occur
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(2 marks)
c. How is the amplitude of an incident sound wave front determined?

(1 mark)

Page 2 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
d. Figure 1 shows two identical bottles containing water as shown.

Figure 1
(i) In which bottle will the sound have a greatest pitch?
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(1 mark)
(ii) Explain the answer to 2.d. (i) above.
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(2 marks)
3.a. Name any one thermometric substance.
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(1 mark)
b. The electric current in a thermocouple thermometer is 500mA at 200C of water and 4500mA at 1000C
of water. Calculate the temperature of an object that makes a galvanometer read 2500 mA?

(4 marks)
c. Differentiate absolute error from relative error.
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(1 mark)

Page 3 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
4. a. The half-life of a certain radioisotope is 28 days.
(i). What does this mean?
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(1 mark)
(ii). What will happen to the value of this half- life if the radioisotope of this type was allowed to decay in
an environment of a higher temperature?
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(1 mark)
(iii) Give your answer to 4(ii) above.
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(1 mark)
b. Figure 2 shows radiation passing through an electric field between two plates R and S.

(i) Identify the charge in plate S in the figure 2.

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(1 mark)
(ii) Explain the answer to 4.b. (i) above.
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(2 marks)
c. State how controlled chain reaction can be achieved in a nuclear reactor?
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(1 mark)

Page 4 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
5. a. Figure 3 shows a circuit diagram with the three light bulbs as shown.

(i) What does the power rating of 4W mean?

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(1 mark)
(ii) What would be the effect on the power dissipated by the 10W bulb if the 6W bulb burns out?
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(1 mark)
(iii) Give two reasons for the answer to 5.a.(ii) above.
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(2 marks)
b. Mention the two semiconductor electronic components that store energy.
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(2 marks)
c. State the functional difference between a light emitting diode and a photovoltaic cell.
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(1 mark)
6. a Name the law that is used to determine the direction of induced emf when a bar magnet is moved
into a fixed conductor.
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(1 mark)
b. State the advantage of using a zener diode as a safety devise over using a fuse in an electric circuit.
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Page 5 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
(1 mark)
c. Construct a truth table for the operation of a NOR logic gate.

(4 marks)
d. How does the magnitude of coefficient of static friction compare with that of a dynamic friction?
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(1 mark)
7.a. How much effort is required to lift a 200N load using a pulley system with four pulleys?

(2 marks)
b. Describe how clothes dry up in an electric drier.
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(3 marks)
c. Figure 4 shows two bodies, A and B revolving around a fixed force, Q, along their own orbits.

(i). How does the tangential velocity of body A compare with that of body B if they both take same time
to complete a revolution?
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(1 marks)
Page 6 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
(ii) Give a reason for the answer to 6.c (i) above.
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(1 mark)
8.a. Calculate mass, in Kg, that can produce an extension of 5 cm when two identical springs of spring
constant 50N/cm each are arranged in parallel.

(4 marks)
b. Give one difference between elastic collision and inelastic collision
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(1 marks)
c. Why is a body moving in a uniform circular motion said to accelerate despite moving at a constant
speed?
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(1 mark)
9. a. Describe how a seat belt of a car provides safety to passengers in the car.
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(3 marks)

Page 7 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
b. Figure 5 shows a 10 kg block lying on a flat, rough horizontal surface of a table. The block is
connected to a 2 kg block hanging over the side of the table. The string runs over a light frictionless
pulley. The blocks are stationary at the point when they are just about to move.

(i) Calculate coefficient of static friction force for the 10kg block.

(3 marks)
(ii). What would happen to the value obtained in 9b (i). above if the mass of the 10kg block was
increased?
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(1 mark)
(iii). Give a reason for the answer in 9b(ii) above.
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(1 mark)

Page 8 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
10.a. Figure 6 shows a block of mass 0.4 kg resting on a frictionless surface and attached to a spring
balance of spring constant 250N/m. The spring is compressed 5cm and then released.

(i). Explain why the block moves when the spring is released.
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(1 mark)
(ii). Calculate the maximum speed of the block after releasing the spring.

(4 marks)
c. Give two factors that affect power loss in cables during transmission of electrical power.
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(2 marks)
d. State the meaning of phase of a wave.
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(1 mark)

Page 9 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
SECTION B (30 marks)

11.a. Briefly describe how a siphon works in pumping the liquid out of a container.

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(5 marks)

b. Briefly describe how p-type semiconductors are produced.

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(5 marks)

Page 10 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
12.a. Describe how a loudspeaker works

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(5 marks)

12.b. With the aid of a well labeled diagram, describe the nature of reflected waves when straight wave
fronts are allowed to strike a curved reflecting surface.

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(5 marks)

Page 11 of 12
STUDENT NAME: ______________________________________SCHOOL_________
13. With the aid of a well labeled graph, describe the motion of a body as it falls through a liquid.

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(10 marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

NB: This paper contains 12 printed pages.

Page 12 of 12