535/1
PHYSICS
Paper 1
2024
212 hours
Uganda Certificate of Education
PHYSICS
Paper 1
Theory
2 hours 30 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES.
This paper consists of two Sections A and B. It has seven
examinations items
Section A has three compulsory items.
Section B has two parts: I and II. Answer one item from each part.
Answer five items in all
All responses must be written in the booklets provided
Turn over
1
SECTION A
Answer all the items from this section
Item 1
While in the dinning hall watching an International T.V during lunch time,
learners watched heavy rains with fog and floods being experienced in a
certain outside country on live broadcast. To worsen matters the floods were
happening at night and this risked many people as many of them were
ambushed while asleep. Learners wondered how it would be night and
seriously raining in a particular area yet it was day and the Sun was highly
shinning at that time in their school. The learners also wondered how the
T.V station managed to cast pictures from that far.
As a physics learner, help the learners clear their queries about
a) Occurrence of those different seasons at same time.
b) How the night in that outside country was day in their area at that
same time.
c) how T.V signals broadcast from where the floods were happening
reached them.
d) where the Sun always got energy to so much shine and hit the Earth.
Item 2
There has been a continuous complain of eye problems in your community
and members of the community have associated these eye problems to
witchcraft as some see far clearly and other see nearer clearly. The L.C.I
chairman announced across the community using a mobile speaker that the
eye care organisation was to visit the community for eye defect tests and
give free spectacles but the residents were against the move since they
thought the problem can not be addressed medically. While communicating,
the LCI reached Infront of a big church whose priest is in fear that it may
be demolished by Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) for being in road
reserve, the words mentioned were heard by the LC.I repeated at an interval
of 𝟏. 𝟏𝒔.The L.C.1 wondered and said the speaker had got a problem as it
wasn’t doing that before.
Support material:
• The speed of sound in air is 320𝑚𝑠 −1
• The road authority requires that the total distance from church
building to road including road reserve should not be less than 180𝑚
Task
As a learner of physics:
(a) write a message to the community that informing them that the above
defects are health disorders and can be solved medically.
(b) Help explain to the LCI the fate of the speaker.
(c) Advise the priest whether the church will be demolished. Turn over
2
Item 3
Smoke detectors contain a certain a mount of radioactive element. When the
authority realised it stopped the factory from making them, this so much
angered the traders that were dealing in these smoke detectors. The factory
however appealed to the authority claiming the period of 60 years
performance given to the detectors before expiry is safe as the smoke
detector radiating element is expected to be dangerous after the 60 years.
A scientist was contacted to investigate the presence of radioactive material
in the smoke detectors. The scientist found out that the smoke detectors
were indeed radioactive and produced all the three radiations with an
average count rate as shown in Table I below:
Time (years) 0 22 42 62 82 102 122 142 162
Count rate (year−1) 106 83 66 56 47 36 31 26 15
Table 1: radioactive count rate of a certain smoke detector.
Task
As a learner of physics:
(a) Advise the authority with evidence, whether the smoke detectors
should be used.
(b) Sensitise the traders to appreciate the decision of the authority to stop
the making of the smoke detectors.
(c) Use diagrams to show the different structures that the scientist
observed and their corresponding radiations.
SECTION B
PART I
Answer one item from this part
Item 4
On a construction site a builder uses an electric lifter to transfer the motor
from the ground to a height of 17.0m on the building. When power went off
and work has to continue, the builders got a rope, a pail of negligible mass
with a handle that lift a maximum of 20kg of motor. They hope to design a
simple machine with a help of a grooved rim which can enable them resume
work.
Support materials
The rope has a maximum thermal strength of 3.6KJ and it breaks if this
thermal energy is exceeded.
Turn over
Task.
3
(a) help the builders to design the machine and guide them on how it works.
(b) Advise whether the rope will withstand the heat or it will break.
(c) suggest other properties the rope should possess to successfully execute
the work.
Item 5
A compound worker in a certain school uses an electric motor to draw water
from a deep hole. One early morning of a very cold day, the motor breaks
down and splashes water all over to the worker and wondered why the
drawn water was slightly warm with a temperature of 280 C.
The worker needs to boil 𝟏𝟎𝒍 of water for tea of the students using an
electric heat source drawing electricity from an electricity metre left with a
total energy of 𝟑𝟑𝟎𝟎J and is disturbed as to whether the electricity will be
sufficient to boil water.
Support material
You are provided with a jerrycan, a rope, a wheel and enough pieces of wood
and nails
Specific heat capacity of water is 4200𝐽𝐾𝑔−1 𝐾 −1
Task
As a student of physics:
(a) Help the worker draw water for cooking before the motor is repaired.
(b) Explain to the worker why the water was warm.
(c) Advise the worker whether the electricity will be sufficient to boil the
water for tea.
PART II
Answer one item from this part
Item 6
In a certain place, A house was connected to a 240V mains voltage supply
and the owner wished to connect a TV set rated 120V, 75W, a flat iron rated
120V, 600W, an electric bell of resistance 5 ohms that would instantly
produce sound to alert the house owner about the visitors at the gate when
a switch was pressed, and 4 bulbs rated 120V, 60W either in series or in
parallel connection for lighting purposes. The house owner also bought an
extension cable with a fuse rated 5A,to supply electricity to the TV set and
Flat iron.
Turn over
Task:
4
a) Comment on the effectiveness of the fuse in the extension if it would
support the above electrical appliances when plugged in the extension
altogether.
b) Assist the house owner to know in which way to connect his bulbs in
the house and explain why?
c) Explain how sound was produced when a switch was pressed.
Item 7
A refugee in a camp in Northern Uganda receives a package from UN which
includes a rechargeable radio from USA with its input labelled 𝟏𝟐𝟎𝑽. The
radio is used successfully and produced very good sound which excited the
refugee and wondered how the small radio produced such loud high music.
The refugee is however challenged on how to charge the radio as the mains
Socket is labelled 𝟐𝟒𝟎𝑽, 𝟏. 𝟑𝟑𝑨 . The refugee also plans to use the radio in a
saloon for 𝟏𝟐 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 per day for 𝟑𝟎 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 but does not know how much cost
is required to pay for electricity.
• You are provided with a soft iron core which can hold a coil of
maximum 100 turns on each side and insulated copper wires.
• One (1) unit of electricity costs 𝑼𝒈𝒙. 𝟏, 𝟎𝟎𝟎
Laminated soft iron core Copper wires
sFig 1 shows some support material
Task
(a) Help explain to the refugee the operation of the device that produced
sound.
(b) Design a device that can help a refugee connect the radio to that supply.
(c) Help inform the refugee on the amount that will be used to buy electricity
to run the radio for the 30 days
END
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SUGGESTED SCORING SCHEME FOR PHUSICS PAPER 1 :
A) SCORING POINTS
TASK ONE
a) Causes for day and night As the earth spins on its axis, producing night
and day, it also moves about the sun in an elliptical (elongated circle) orbit
that requires about 365 1/4 days to complete. The earth's spin axis is tilted
with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes the seasons. When the
earth's axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When
the earth's axis points away, winter can be expected.
Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct
rays. So, when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the
Northern Hemisphere. And when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's
winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Implication of season on activities on earth.
The season on earth affects the various activities conducted by human
beings. This ranges from human activities, agricultural activities and human
life. These activities are all affected by the seasons which arises from the
changes in seasons.
b) How the night in that outside country was day in their area at
that same time.
Day and night are due to the Earth rotating on its axis, not its orbiting
around the sun. The term 'one day' is determined by the time the Earth
takes to rotate once on its axis and includes both day time and night
time. When the Earth rotates a given part facing the sun, that part
experiences day and when that Earth’s part faces away from the sun,
then that part experiences night.
Daytime is when you can see the sun from where you are, and its light
and heat can reach you. Nighttime is when the sun is on the other side of
the Earth from you, and its light and heat don’t get to you. We get day
and night because the Earth spins (or rotates) on an imaginary line called
its axis and different parts of the planet are facing towards the Sun or
away from it.
C) how T.V signals broadcast from where the floods were happening
reached them.
6
Satellite TV services like DStv use satellites to broadcast television signals
directly to satellite dishes installed at subscribers' homes.
How it Works: TV stations or providers transmit their programs to satellites
directly that are always in a fixed position with respect to the earth. These
satellites receive the signals and retransmit them back to Earth.
Viewers with satellite dishes and
receivers can pick up these signals, the
decoder converts the signals into
images & sound and then display the TV
channels on the screens.
This technology allows for a wide range
of channels and programming options
accessible to viewers.
where the Sun always got energy to so much shine and hit the Earth.
The primary source of energy in stars, including our Sun, is nuclear fusion. Nuclear
fusion is a process in which light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus,
releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. In stars like the Sun, the
primary fusion reactions involve hydrogen nuclei (protons) coming together to form
helium nuclei.
The primary fusion reaction in the Sun is called the proton-proton chain, which has
several steps:
• Step 1: Two protons (hydrogen nuclei) combine to form a deuteron (a nucleus of
one proton and one neutron) through the weak nuclear force.
• Step 2: The deuteron combines with another proton to form helium-3.
• Step 3: Two helium-3 nuclei collide, producing helium-4 (two protons and two
neutrons) and releasing two protons.
The sun transforms nuclear energy into heat and light energy.
Item 2
Task
As a learner of physics:
(d) write a message to the community that informing them that the above
defects are health disorders and can be solved medically.
The learner should convince the community by first assuring them that the
defect is just a malfunction of the eyes and can be medically dealt with by
explaining the different kinds defects how they occur and their remedies
7
Long Sightedness. (Hypermetropia)
This is an eye defect where a person can see distant objects clearly but near
objects are blurred.
It is due to either;
(i) Too long focal length, or
(ii) Too short eye ball.
Because of these effects, the ciliary muscles have weakened and cannot
make the eye lens fatter (i.e. decrease its focal length) to focus near object on
the retina.
Thus, the image is formed behind the retina.
Correction
This defect is corrected by using spectacles containing converging lens
which increase the convergence of the rays and brings it to focus on the
retina.
Eye defect correction
Short Sightedness: (Myopia)
This is an eye defect where person can see near objects clearly but distant
ones are blurred.
It is due to either;
(i) Too short focal length, or
(ii) Too long eye ball.
Because of these effects, the ciliary muscles do not relax sufficiently and
consequently, distant objects are focused in front of the retina.
Correction
This defect is corrected by using spectacles containing diverging lens which
increase the divergence of the light rays before they enter the eye and brings
them to focus on the retina.
Defect correction
(e) Help explain to the LCI the fate of the speaker.
The speaker is working normally but the repeated sound is due to echo.
Echo is reflected sound. Echoes are produced when sound moves to and fro
8
from a reflecting surface e.g. a cliff wall. The time taken before an echo
arrives depends on the distance away from the reflecting surface.
In order for a person standing at a distance, d from a reflecting surface to
hear the echo; sound travels a distance of 2d.
(f) Advise the priest whether the church will be demolished.
2𝑑 320𝑋1.1
𝑣= . 𝑑= . 𝑑 = 176𝑚
𝑡 2
Advise:
The church will not be demolished since the distance is less than 180𝑚.
Item 3.
As a learner of physics:
(d) Advise the authority with evidence, whether the smoke detectors
should be used.
9
10
Since the half life is 65 years and the expiry date is 60 years. Then the
detctors will be safe as much as they donot continue using them after
the required duration of 60 years.
(e) Sensitise the traders to appreciate the decision of the authority
to stop the making of the smoke detectors.
The traders can be sensitised by being briefed on dangers of getting
exposed to radiations whuch include
• Causes leukemia
• Causes skin burn
• Causes sterility
• Causes gene mutations
• Causes blindness
• Prolonged exposure to radiations can increase risk of heart and
stroke disease
(f) Use diagrams to show the different structures that the scientist
observed and their corresponding radiations.
When an ionising radiation from a radioactive source, enters the chamber
the ions are produced. Alcohol droplets in the cloud chamber will collect
around these ions produced forming strings.
Using a strong illumination, the droplets can be photographed by using a
camera.
The type of radiation depends on the thickness or length of the traces of ions
formed.
This load can be lifted by using a simple single fixed pulley.
A single fixed pulley is a pulley with the drum fastened to a single point.
The amount of force needed to lift or move an object is the same as when
you lift it by hand, but you may vary the force's direction by using the fixed
pulley. This means that the fixed pulley does not reduce the effort, it just
changes the direction of the force.
11
As the name suggests, the wheel and axle of a fixed pulley remain in place. The
force acting on a rope or belt that moves around a stationary pulley changes its
direction.
The following steps shall be followed to construct
1. Using the screws and a screwdriver or drill, attach one fixed pulley to
the center of a 2x4 plank.
2. Feed the rope through the pulley.
3. Attach one end of the rope to the toolbox handle.
4. Place a few objects in the toolbox until it feels heavy. Weigh the
toolbox on the scale. Record its weight.
5. Set the wooden plank between your two tall surfaces so the pulley is
facing down.
Note:
Also allow learners that will design:
a) Single moveable pulley
b) Compound pulley
c) Wheel and axle
b) Advise whether the rope will withstand the heat or it will break.
Assume all the P.E is converted into heat energy at the pulley due to friction.
𝑃. 𝐸 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ = 20𝑥17𝑥10 = 3400𝐽.
Since the energy is less than the maximum Thermal energy of the rope
(3.6KJ), it will withstand and serve the purpose without breaking.
c) suggest other properties the rope should possess to successfully
execute the work.
• Breaking strength
• Bending fatigue resistance
• Flexibility
• Efficiency factor
12
ITEM FIVE
Task
As a student of physics:
(d) Help the worker draw water for cooking before the motor is repaired.
See item 4 (a)
(e) Explain to the worker whyxm the water was warm.
Being a poor conductor of heat, water loses and gains heat at a slower
rate than the air does, so, at night, the water cools at a slower rate
than the surrounding air and so feels warmer by comparison.
(f) Advise the worker whether the electricity will be sufficient to boil
the water for tea.
10
𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 = 𝑚𝑐∆𝜃. 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 = 𝜌𝑥𝑣. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑉 = 106 𝑚3
10
ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 , 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 1000 106 𝑥4200 (100 − 28) = 𝟑, 𝟎𝟐𝟒𝑱.
Since the thermal energy required is less than the electric energy on
the metre, then the water will be usefully boiled as much as there is
no heat energy.
Item 6
a) Comment on the effectiveness of the fuse in the extension if it
would support the above electrical appliances when plugged in the
extension altogether.
75 600
For T.V 𝐼 = 120 = 0.625. For flat iron 𝐼 = 120 = 5𝐴
Total current required=5 + 0.625 = 5.625
Comment, since the extension can supply a slightly low current of 5A, it will
not perform well.
b) Assist the house owner to know in which way to connect his bulbs in
the house and explain why?
The bulbs should be connected in parallel circuit since each will be fed with
full voltage making each bulb give brighter light. Secondly, if one of the
loops is disconnected, then the other remains powered. This is because
c) Explain how sound was produced when a switch was pressed.
Electric bell
An electric bell is a mechanical or electronic bell that functions by means of
an electromagnet.
Structure:
It consists of a hammer, a gong, soft iron armature, contact adjusting screw,
a push switch, steel spring and an electromagnet made of two coils wound
in opposite directions on the iron cores. It has an electromagnet that pulls a
strip of iron which makes the hammer hit Project work: making an electric
bell.
13
Mode of operation of an electric bell:
• When the switch is pressed, current flows in the circuit and magnetizes
the soft iron core which becomes an electromagnet.
• The electromagnet attracts the soft iron armature which makes the
hammer to hit the gong and a loud sound is heard.
• As the armature is attracted, the contact between the spring and the
contact screw is broken thus cutting off the current. The electromagnet
loses its magnetism and the spring returns back to its original position
and makes the contact again.
• The process is repeated and the hammer hits the gong repeatedly making
continuous ringing.
Item 7
(d) Help explain to the refugee the operation of the device that produced
sound.
This sound was produced by a moving coil loud speaker.
It consists of a light coil of wire known as a voice coil placed in a magnetic
field provided by the permanent magnet.
Mode of operation of a moving loud speaker
• When varying current flows into the voice
coil in a radial magnetic field of the
permanent magnet, the voice coil
experiences a varying force and vibrates at
the same frequency as the current.
• This sets the paper cone to also vibrate at
the same frequency as the current in voice
coil.
• The vibration of the paper cone sets the air
in contact with it to vibrate thus a loud
sound is heard.
(e) Design a device that can help a refugee connect the radio to that
supply
This challenge will be solved by designing a step-down transformer. A step-
down transformer is an electrical device that reduces the voltage of an
14
alternating current (AC) power supply. It consists of a primary winding, a
secondary winding, and an iron core. When an AC voltage is applied to the
primary winding, it creates a fluctuating magnetic field in the iron core as
shown below:
Since the a coil of 100 turns can be wound on the provided iron armarure.
Then this will be on the primary coil since itsnthe one with the bigger
number of turns and the secondary coil will have the number of turns as
calculated below :
𝑁𝑝 100
𝑁𝑠 = 𝑉 𝑥𝑉𝑠 = 240 𝑥120 = 50 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠.
𝑝
(f) Help inform the refugee on the amount that will be used to buy electricity
to run the radio for the 30 days
Since One unit =1 kwHr
No. Of units =𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑥 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 = 𝐼𝑉𝑋𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 (ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠)
28512
= 240𝑥0.33𝑥12𝑥30 = 28512𝑊𝐻𝑟 = = 28.512 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠.
1000
𝐻𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑔𝑒𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑎𝑦 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 = 𝑁𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑥 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡
= 28.512𝑥1000 = 𝑼𝒈𝒙. 28,512
(B) SUGGESTED SCORING GUIDE Physics Paper 1 (Theory )
2
INSTRUCTIONS: This paper shall be scored on 3 𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑒 to Scales of 0-1,0-
2 and 0-3 as per the expected levels of demand of each particular task.
ITEM SECTION Level of Max. ADD. INFOR
OF TASK demand SCORE
1 a) HOT 3 Id, Expl of 4 seasons
b) MOT 3 Id, expln
c) HOT 3
d) HOT 3
2 a) 3 Id,expln,remedy
b) 2 Id, expln
c) 3 Calc,advice
15
3. a) HOT 3 Graph,analysis, adivise
b) MOT 3 causes
4 a) HOT 3 Id, describe
b) HOT 3 Calc, advice
c) LOT 1
5 a) 3 Id, describe
b) 2 expln
c) 3 Calc, advise
6 a) 3 Calc, advice
b) 3 Calc, advice
c) 3 Id, describe
7 a) 3 Id, describe
b) 3 Id, describe
c) 3 Calc, advice
END
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