P510/1

PHYSICS
PAPER 1
July/August 2025
2½ hours

MWALIMU EXAMINATIONS BUREAU

UACE RESOURCE MOCK EXAMINATIONS 2025

PHYSICS
Paper 1

2 Hours 30 Minutes
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

 Answer five questions including at least one but not more than two from each of the
sections A, B and C.
 Any additional question(s) answered will not be marked.

Assume where necessary:

Acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.81ms −2

Electron charge ,e = 1.6× 10−19 C
Electron mass = 9.11× 10−31 kg
Plank’s constant, h = 6.6× 10−34 Js
Stefan’s constant, = 5.67 x 10-8 Wm-2K-4
Speed of light in a vacuum, C = 3.0 × 108 ms −1
Young’s modulus of steel = 2.0 x 1011 Nm-2
Young’s modulus of copper = 1.3 x 1011 Nm-2
Thermal conductivity of copper = 390 Wm-1K-1
Thermal conductivity of iron = 75 Wm-1 K-1
Thermal conductivity of soot = 0.12Wm-1K-1
Specific heat capacity of copper = 400JKg-1K-1
Specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 3.3 x 105 JKg-1
Gas constant, R = 8.31 J mol -1 K-1

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 SECTION A

1. a) Define the following.

i) Coefficient of viscosity (1 mark)
ii) Velocity gradient (1 mark)

b) Derive the equation of continuity for a liquid of density 𝜌, flow through a pipe of non-
uniform cross sectional area. (3 marks)

c) i) Describe an experiment to determine the coefficient of viscosity of a viscous liquid.

(6 marks)

ii) Explain the effect of increase in temperature on the viscosity of a liquid.

(3 marks)

d) A metal sphere of density 7800kg m-3 falls steadily through oil of density 900kgm -3
and covers a vertical height of 20.0cm in 0.60s. Calculate the;

i) upthrust on the sphere. (3 marks)

ii) coefficient of viscosity of the oil (3 marks)

2. a) Define the following.

i) Work (1 mark)
ii) Energy (1 mark)

b) i) State the law of conservation of mechanical energy. (1 mark)

ii) Show that the law in (i) above holds for a ball of mass, m projected vertically
upwards at speed, u. (3 marks)

iii) Explain whether a person carrying a bucket of water does any work on the bucket
while walking along a level road. (3 marks)

c) i) Describe an experiment to determine the coefficient of static friction between two

solid surfaces (4 marks)

ii) List two ways of minimizing friction. (2 marks)

d) A pump discharges water through a nozzle of diameter 6.0cm with a speed of 60ms-1
into a tank 20m above the intake. Given density of water is 1000kgm -3, calculate the;

i) rate of working of the pump (3 marks)

ii) power wasted if the pump is 75% efficient. (2 marks)

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 3. a) Define the following
i) amplitude (1 mark)
ii) period (1 mark)

b) i) State four characteristics of simple harmonic motion. (2 marks)

ii) A mass, m is suspended from a rigid support by a string of length, l. The mass is pulled
aside so that the string makes an angle 𝜃, with the verticle and then released.

Show that the mass executer simple harmonic motion. (3 marks)

c) Explain why a body moving round a circle at uniform speed is said to accelerate.
(2 marks)

d) Sketch the following graphs for a body performing simple harmonic motion.

i) velocity against time (2 marks)

ii) acceleration against displacement. (1 mark)

e) i) Describe an experiment to determine the acceleration due to gravity using a spiral

spring. (5 marks)

ii) A piston in a car engine performs a simple harmonic motion of frequency 12.5 Hz. If
the mass of the piston is 0.5 kg and its amplitude of vibration is 45mm, find the
maximum force on the piston. (3 marks)

4. a) Define the following.

i) Proportional limit (1 mark)
ii) Work hardening (1 mark)

b) (i) State Hooke’s law (1 mark)

(ii) Derive an expression for energy stored in a unit volume of a stretched wire in terms
of stress and strain. (4 marks)

c) i) With the aid of a labelled diagram, describe an experiment to determine Young’s

modulus of a steel wire. (6 marks)

ii) Explain the term plastic deformation. (2 marks)

d) A steel wire of length 60cm and cross-sectional area 1.5mm2 is attached at B to a

copper wire BC of length 39cm and cross-sectional area 3.0mm2. The combination is
suspended vertically from a fixed point A and supports a load of 25.4kg at C. Find the
extension produced in the composite wire. (5 marks)

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 SECTION B

5. a) Define the following.

i) Fixed point (1 mark)
ii) Thermometeric property (1 mark)

b) Explain briefly the steps taken to set up a Celsius scale of temperature based on a
thermocouple thermometer. (3 marks)

c) i) With the aid of a labelled diagram, describe an experiment to determine the specific
heat capacity of a liquid using the continuous flow method. (7 marks)

ii) List two advantages of the method in (i) above over the method of mixtures
(2 marks)

d) A liquid of specific heat capacity 2.8 x103 J kg-1K-1 and specific latent heat of
vaporization 9.0 x 105 JKg-1 is contained in a flask of heat capacity 800 Jkg-1 at a
temperature of 280C. An electric heater rated 1.2 KW is immersed in 2.5kg of the liquid
and switched on for 10 minutes. Calculate the amount of liquid that boils off given the
boiling point of the liquid is 800C. (6 marks)

6. a) Define the following.

i) Saturated vapour (1 mark)
ii) Critical temperature (1 mark)

b) i) Explain why saturated vapour pressure of a liquid increases with temperature.

(3 marks)

ii) Explain why molar heat capacity of an ideal gas at constant pressure differs from the
molar heat capacity at constant volume. (3 marks)

c) i) With the aid of a labelled diagram, describe how saturated vapour pressure of a
liquid can be determined at a given temperature. (6 marks)

ii) Sketch a graph of pressure against volume showing the behavior of a real gas below
and above the critical temperature. (2 marks)

d) When hydrogen gas is collected over water, the pressure in the tube at 20 0C and 80oC
are 65.5cm and 105.6cm of mercury respectively. Given the saturated vapour pressure at
200C is 1.42cm of mercury, find its value at 800C. (4 marks)

7. a) Define the following

i) thermal conductivity (1 mark)
ii) convection (1 mark)

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 b) i) Describe with the aid of a labelled diagram the operation of a thermocouple in
detecting radiation. (5 marks)

ii) State the laws of black body radiation. (2 marks)

iii) Sketch a graph of intensity against wave length for radiation from a black body at
two temperatures. (2 marks)

c) Explain the green house effect and how to relate to global warming. (5 marks)

d) A cylindrical iron tin of base diameter 15cm and thickness 0.30cm has its base coated
with a layer of soot of thickness 0.10cm. It is then filled with water at 100 0C and placed
on a block of ice at O0C. Calculate the initial rate at which the ice melts. (4 marks)

SECTION C

8. a) Define the following.

i) Thermionic emission (1 mark)
ii) Space charge (1 mark)

b) With the aid of a labelled diagram, explain full wave rectification. (7 marks)

c) Derive an expression for amplification factor 𝜇, in terms of anode resistance, 𝑅𝑎 and

mutual conductance 𝑔𝑚 for a triode valve. (3 marks)

d) A triode with mutual conductance 3m Av-1 and anode resistance of 10kΩ is connected
to a load of resistance 20kΩ. Calculate the amplitude of the output signal, if the
amplitude of the input- signal is 25mV. (4 marks)

e) Explain the motion of electrons in between two horizontal parallel metal plates across
which a p.d is applied. (4 marks)

9. a) Define the following.

i) Threshold frequency (1mark)
ii) Photon (1 mark)

b) i) Describe an experiment to demonstrate photoelectric emission. (4 marks)

ii) State the laws of photoelectric emission. (4 marks)

c) i) Explain Rutherford’s observations in the alpha-particle scattering experiment.

(3 marks)

ii) Show that the total energy of an electron in orbit round the nucleus of an atom is
−𝑚𝑒 4
given by E = 8𝑛2ℎ2𝜀 2 (4 marks)
0

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 d) An x-ray tube operates at 1.5kV and a current of 1.0m A flows through. Calculate the
kinetic energy gained by electron traversing the tube. (3 marks)

10. a) Define the following.

i) Radioactive decay. (1 mark)
ii) Decay constant (1 mark)
0.693
b) Show that the half-life T½ is given by T½ = where 𝜆 is the decay constant.
𝜆
(3 marks)

c) i) With the aid of a labelled diagram, describe the structure and action of an
ionization chamber. (6 marks)

ii) Distinguish between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. (2 marks)

iii) Explain the term avalanche as applied to an ionization chamber.

(2 marks)

d) Four protons fuse together to form a helium atom and two positrons. Calculate the
energy released in the reaction given.

Mass of helium atom = 4.002664 𝑢

Mass of proton = 1.007825 u

Mass of position = 0.000549 u

1u = 931MeV (5 marks)

END

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