2021-DSE

PHY
PAPER 1A
HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY
HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION 2021

PHYSICS PAPER 1
8:30am- 11:00 am (2Y;. hours)
This paper must be answered in English

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

(1) There are TWO sections, A and B, in this Paper. You are advised to finish Section A in about
50 minutes.

(2) Section A consists of multiple-choice questions in this question paper, while Section B contains
conventional questions printed separately in Question-Answer Book B.

(3) Answers to Section A should be marked on the Multiple-choice Answer Sheet while answers to
Section B should be written in the spaces provided in the Question-Answer Book. The Answer
Sheet for Section A and the Question-Answer Book for Section 8 will be collected separately
at the end of the examination.

(4) The diagrams in this paper are NOT necessarily drawn to scale.

(5) The last two pages of this question paper contain a list of data, formulae and relationships which you
may find useful.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SECTION A (MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS)

(1) Read carefully the instructions on the Answer Sheet. After the announcement of the start of the
examination, you should first stick a barcode label and insert the information required in the spaces
provided. No extra time will be given for sticking on the barcode label after the 'Time is up'
announcement.

(2) When told to open this book, you should check that all the questions are there. Look for the words
'END OF SECTION A' after the last question.

(3) All questions carry equal marks.

(4) ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS. You are advised to use an HB pencil to mark all the answers on the
Answer Sheet, so that wrong marks can be completely erased with a rubber. You must mark the
answers clearly; otherwise you will lose marks if the answers cannot be captured.

(5) You should mark only ONE answer for each question. If you mark more than one answer, you will
receive NO MARKS for that question.

(6) No marks will be deducted for wrong answers.

Not to be taken away before the

Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority end of the examination session
All Rights Reserved 2021

2021-DSE-PI-IY IA-1
Section A
There are 33 questions. Questions marked with * involve knowledge of the extension component.

I. Solid substances X and Y of equal mass are heated by heaters of power 2P and P respectively. The graph
e
shows how the temperature of each substance varies with the heating time t.

60
50 if
1
;
40 ./
; ./1

30
I
20
v:
10

0 2345678 t I min

What is the ratio of the specific latent heat of fusion of X to that of Y?

A. 3 :2
B. 3:4
C. 4:3
D. 2: 3

2. Metal blocks X and Yare identical in size and shape. X is of a higher temperature than Y. Which of the
following statements must be correct?

(1) Energy will flow from X to Yifthey are in thermal contact.

(2) X is a better conductor of heat compared to Y.
(3) The total internal energy of X is higher than that of Y.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. ( 1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

*3. For an ideal gas, kinetic theory deduces that pV = _!_ Nm-:! Which physical quantity below can be
3
3p
represented by = ?
2
c

A. the total mass of the gas

B. the volume of one mole of the gas
c. the density of the gas
D. the number of gas molecules per unit volume

2021-DSE-PHY I A-2 2
4. A block of weight W is at rest on a horizontal ground as shown.

ground

w
The force acting on the block by the ground is R. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(1) R and Ware opposite in direction.

(2) R and Ware equal in magnitude.
(3) R and W is an action-and-reaction pair.

A. (l)only
B. (l)and(2)only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (!), (2) and (3)

5. A block is sliding down a rough incline with constant velocity as shown. Which arrow indicates the
direction of the resultant force acting on the block by the incline? Neglect air resistance.

A. B.

C. D.

6. Which statement below about a raindrop falling at a constant terminal velocity is correct?

raindrop falling at
a constant velocity

1
A. No work is done on the raindrop by the gravitational force.
B. As the raindrop falls, all its gravitational potential energy loss is converted into kinetic
energy gain.
C. The only force acting on the raindrop is its weight.
D. No net force is acting on the raindrop.

2021-DSE-PHY lA-3 3 Go on to the next page

7. At time t = 0, a small sphere is projected up along a smooth incline with a certain initial velocity. It
travels a distance L and becomes momentarily at rest after a time 2 T. The corresponding velocity-time
graph is shown below.
velocity

O
L-------------~--~time
2T

What is the distance travelled by the sphere from t = 0 to t = T?

A. _!_L
4
B. _!_L
2
c. }_L
4
D. iL
5

A stationary uranium nucleus ~~U decays to give a thorium nucleus 2 ~6Th and an a particle iHe.
2
8.

23BU ~ 234Th + 4He

92 90 2

Which of the following correctly describes the situation about the 2 ~6Th nucleus and the a particle just
after the decay ?
magnitude of
kinetic energy KE
momentump
A. p(Th) = p(a) KE(Th) < KE( a)
B. p(Th) > p(a) KE(Th) > KE(a)
C. p(Th) = p(a) KE(Th) > KE(a)
D. p(Th) = p(a) KE(Th) = KE( a)

*9. A particle is moving clockwise (top view) in a horizontal circle with uniform speed. Which top view
diagram below correctly shows the net force acting on the particle at various positions?

A.

c.

2021-DSE-PJIY lA-4 4
10. Which of the following can be transferred by mechanical waves from one place to another along the
direction of propagation ?

(1) mass
(2) momentum
(3) energy

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (!), (2) and (3)

II.
displacement

18 time I ms

The displacement-time graph of a particle on a travelling wave is as shown. Find the frequency of the
wave.

A. 55.6 Hz
B. 62.5 Hz
C. Ill Hz
D. 125Hz

12. Earthquakes propagate in the form of waves. The quake centre produces both longitudinal waves
(P-wave) and transverse waves (S-wave) which travel with speeds 9.6 km s- 1 and 6.4 km s- 1 respectively
on the Earth's crust. In an earthquake, a monitoring station detects the arrival of the P-wave pulse at
7:02a.m. while the S-wave pulse arrives 2 minutes later at 7:04 a.m. Estimate the time that this
earthquake occurs.

A. 6:53a.m.
B. 6:56a.m.
C. 6:58a.m.
D. 6:59a.m.

2021-DSE-PHY I A-5 5 Go on to the next page

13.

glass block

The figure shows the cross-section of a rectangular glass block PQRS. A light ray is incident from air
at M on face PS and the refracted ray strikes face PQ at N. Find the critical angle for the glass-air
interface.

A. 37°
B. 44°
c. 53°
D. 60°

14. In a ripple tank, circular water waves of wavelengths A1 and A2 (A 1 > Az) are produced by two vibrators
S 1 and Sz respectively. The figure represents the two circular waves propagating on the water surface at
a certain moment.

crest
trough
... ----- .... p
...------

I
I ' \
I
I
•
s,
I

Which of the following statements is correct?

A. The particle at Pis always at crest position.

B. At P, the two waves always reinforce to give a larger amplitude.
C. The principle of superposition cannot be applied at Pas 2, Az. *
D. The principle of superposition can be applied at P but the two waves do not always
reinforce at that location.

2021-DSE-PHY IA-6 6
15. In the set-up below, different stationary wave patterns are formed on an elastic string by adjusting the
frequency f of the vibrator.

stand
vibmtoc~

Which statements are correct when/increases?

( 1) The number of anti nodes increases.

(2) The speed of the waves on the string increases.
(3) The frequency of the waves produced in air by the string increases.

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2)and(3)only
D. (1),(2)and(3)

16. In Young's double slit experiment employing monochromatic light, how will the interference pattern
change if the separation a of the double slit is reduced ?

( 1) The pattern will become brighter.

(2) The number of fringes that can be observed will increase.
(3) The fringe separation of the pattern will become larger.

A. (!)only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

2021-DSE-PHY IA-7 7 I Go on to the next page>

*17. second-order
bright fringe
monochromatic
light beam

diffraction
grating second-order
bright fringe

When a monochromatic light beam is incident normally on a diffraction grating with 300 lines per mm,
a pattern of bright fringes is formed. The angle between the two second-order bright fringes is 40°. Find
the frequency of the light.

A. 1.4 x 10 14 Hz
B. 2.6 x 10 14 Hz
C. 2.8x10 14 Hz
D. 5.3 x 10 14 Hz

18. In the figure below, PQ and OS are light rays refracted from a lens L. Both light rays come from a point
object situated on the left of L.

L
p Q

principal axis
0

Which of the following deductions is/are correct?

(I) The image of the object must be virtual.

(2) The object must lie along the straight line containing OS.
(3) L must be a concave lens.

A. (I) only
B. (3) only
C. (I) and (2) only
D. (2)and(3)only

19. Typical wavelengths ofX-rays and microwaves are in the ratio 10": 1. The value ofn could be

A. -10.
B. -4.
C. +4.
D. +10.

20. Submarines employ ultrasound instead of microwaves to detect obstacles in the sea. This is because

A. wavelengths of ultrasound are shorter than those of microwaves.

B. ultrasound travels faster than microwaves in the sea.
C. microwaves are easily absorbed by sea water.
D. microwaves diffract too much in the sea.

2021-DSE-P!IY I /\--8 8
21. Three isolated identical metal spheres X, Y and Z carry charges +2Q, -4Q and +5Q respectively. Yis
first moved to touch X and then Y is brought in contact with Z. When Y and Z are separated, find the
charge on each sphere.

X y z
A. 0 +1.5Q +1.5Q
B. -Q +0.5Q +0.5Q
C. +Q +Q +Q
D. -Q +2Q +2Q

*22. When a point charge +Q is placed at X as shown, the strength of the electric field at Y is Eo.

w+

xfmj z+
y

If W and Z are each placed with a point charge of +Q, what will be the electric field strength at Y ?
Note: sin 45° =cos 45° = ..fi
2

A. ..fi Eo
2
B. Eo
c. .J2 Eo
D. 2 Eo

23. Four identical resistors P, Q, RandS are connected to a battery of negligible internal resistance as shown.

If the power dissipated by R is 1 W, find the total power output of the battery.

A. 11 W
B. 15 W
c. 19 w
D. 21 W

2021-DSE-PHY IA-9 9 Go on to the next page

24. The figure shows a metallic cube of side length x. How is its resistance R between any two opposite
faces related to x ?

I ~
L_
0 0

<E
X
>
A. R ex: -
X

B. R cx:x
c. R ex: xz
1
D. R ex: -x2

25. In the figure below, PQR is a straight line with PQ = 10 em and QR = 5 em. A long straight wire carrying
a current of 0.3 A (directed into the paper) is placed at P. When another long straight wire carrying a
current I is placed at Q, the resultant magnetic field at R becomes zero. Determine the direction and
magnitude of I.

p Q R
®-·-·- -.- .-. -0-.- .-•
( )( )
10 em Scm

direction of I magnitude of I
A. into the paper 0.1 A
B. into the paper 0.9 A
C. out of the paper 0.1 A
D. out of the paper 0.9 A

26. When a copper rod PQ moves with a constant velocity across a uniform magnetic field as shown, an
e.m.f. is induced across the rod.
p
X X X X X

~=
uniform magnetic
X X X X
field (into the paper)

X X X X X
Q

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(I) The magnitude ofthe induced e.m.f depends on the length ofthe rod.
(2) Rod PQ acts like a cell providing an e.m.f. with P being its positive terminaL
(3) There is a force acting on the rod to oppose its motion.

A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

2021-DSE-Pl!Y 1/\-10 10
27. A light bulb is connected in series with a device Yanda cell as shown. Assume that the internal resistance
of the cell is negligible and its e.m.f. remains unchanged.

It is found that the brightness of the light bulb decreases with time. Which deductions must be correct ?

(1) The current in Y decreases with time.

(2) The voltage across Y decreases with time.
(3) The power supplied by the cell decreases with time.

A (l)and(2)only
B. (l)and(3)only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1),(2)and(3)

*28. The graph shows the waveform of a sinusoidal alternating p.d. applied across a 10 0 resistor.

p.d. IV

0.02 time Is

Find the root-mean-square current in this 10 0 resistor and the average power dissipated by it.

root-mean-square current I A average power I W

A 0.14 0.2
B. 0.14 0.4
c. 0.2 0.2
D. 0.2 0.4

2021-DSE-PHY 1A-11 II Go on to the next page

 29. The figure shows three mutually perpendicular coils (1), (2) and (3) placed near a conducting wire
carrying an a.c. along the z-axis direction. In which coil(s) would e.m.f. be induced?
z

conducting wire
'"''ying '" a.or;Q (2)

y
L(3)/
X

A. (!)only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

*30.
p oX

720 40
Q y

480 30

R r l z

The above figure represents a multi-tapped transformer. The number of turns between the various
'tapping points' are indicated as shown. Which connections should be used for stepping down a voltage
from 240 V to 6 V ?

primary coil secondary coil

A. PQ XY
B. PQ YZ
C. PR XY
D. PR YZ

2021-DSE-PIIY li\-12 !2
 2
A radioactive nuclide plutonium-239 ( ~~Pu) becomes a stable lead-207 isotope ( ~iPb) after a series
2
31.
of a. and f3 decays. Find the number of f3 decays in the process.

A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6

32. The activity of a radioactive sample is measured to be 18 MBq. What is its activity 3 half-lives before?

A. 6 MBq
B. 54 MBq
C. 72 MBq
D. 144 MBq

3 3. Which of the following may contain sources of ionizing radiations ?

(I) sea water

(2) a rock sample
(3) human body

A. (I) only
B. (2) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (!), (2) and (3)

END OF SECTION A

2021-DSE-PHY IA-13 13
 List of data, formulae and relationships

Data

molar gas constant R = 8.31 J mol- 1 K- 1

Avogadro constant NA = 6.02 x 10 23 mol- 1
acceleration due to gravity g = 9. 81 m s-2 (close to the Earth)
universal gravitational constant G = 6.67 x 10- 11 N m2 kg- 2
speed of light in vacuum c = 3.00 x 10 8 m s- 1
charge of electron qe = 1.60 X 10- 19 C
electron rest mass me=9.11 X 10-31 kg
perrnitti vity of free space co= 8.85 x 10- 12 C2 N- 1 m- 2
permeability of free space f.lo=4nx 10-7 Hm- 1
atomic mass unit u = 1.661 x 10-27 kg (1 u is equivalent to 931 MeV)
astronomical unit AU= 1.50 X 10 11 m
light year ly = 9.46 X 10 15 m
parsec pc = 3.09 X 10 16 m = 3.26 ly = 206265 AU
Stefan constant CJ= 5.67 X 10-8 W m- 2 K- 4
Planck constant h = 6.63 X 10-34 J S

Rectilinear motion Mathematics

For uniformly accelerated motion : Equation of a straight line y = mx + c

v u +at
Arc length =re
1 2 Surface area of cylinder 2nrh + 2nr 2
s ut +-at
2
Volume of cylinder
u2 + 2as
Surface area of sphere
4 3
Volume of sphere -nr
3
For small angles, sine~ tan e~ f3(in radians)

Astronomy and Space Science Energy and Use of Energy

U = - GMm gravitational potential energy E = cp illuminance
r A
P = C5AT 4 Stefan's law
-Q = K A(TH- Tc)
rate of energy transfer by conduction

IXI~~~I~I
t d
Doppler effect
___
K
U thermal transmittance U-value
d
1 3
P =-pAv maximum power by wind turbine
2
Atomic World Medical Physics
1
Z me 2
Vmax = hj - ¢ Einstein's photoelectric equation
e ~ 1.2n Rayleigh criterion (resolving power)
d
1
power=- power of a lens
f
I
energy level equation for hydrogen atom L= 10 log- intensity level (dB)
Io
). = !:_ = _!!___ Z = pc acoustic impedance
de Broglie formula
p mv Ir (Z2 - zl )2
a --- intensity reflection coefficient
e"" I.22A
- Io - (Z2 + zl )2
Rayleigh criterion (resolving power)
d I= I 0 e-w transmitted intensity through a medium

2021-DSE-PHY IA-14 14
 energy transfer during heating QIQ2
AI. E =me C.T 01. F= Coulomb's law
and cooling 4n& 0 r 2
energy transfer during change Q electric field strength due to
A2. E = l b.m 02. E=
of state 4n& 0 r 2 a point charge

A3. pV = nRT E=!:_ electric field between parallel plates

equation of state for an ideal gas 03.
d (numerically)

1 2 pl
A4. pV = -:;-Nmc kinetic theory equation 04. R=- resistance and resistivity
.) A

AS. EK = 3RT molecular kinetic energy 05. R = R1 + R2 resistors in series

2NA
1 1 1
06. -=-+- resistors in parallel
R Rl R2

81. F= m b.v = b.p force D7. P =IV= ! 2R power in a circuit

b.t b.t
force on a moving charge in a
82. moment= F X d moment of a force D8. F= BQvsin 8
magnetic field
force on a current-carrying
83. Er = mgh gravitational potential energy 09. F= Bllsin8
conductor in a magnetic field
1 magnetic field due to a long
84. EK = -mv 2 kinetic energy DIO. B =Pol
2 2nr straight wire

magnetic field inside a long

85. P=Fv mechanical power 011. B= JioNI
l solenoid
2
v 2
centripetal acceleration Dl2. c = N b.<P induced e.m.f.
86. a=-=OJ r
r M
Gm 1m2 Vs Ns ratio of secondary voltage to
87. F= Newton's law of gravitation Dl3. -;:;;-
r2 vp NP primary voltage in a transformer

'AD fringe separation in

Cl. C.y=- El. N= Noe-k' law of radioactive decay
a double-slit interference
ln2
C2. d sin 8 = nA- diffraction grating equation E2. tJ. -- half-life and decay constant
2 k
I I I activity and the number of
C3. -+-=- equation for a single lens E3. A =kN
u v f undecayed nuclei

E4. b.E = 8.mc 2 mass-energy relationship

2021-DSE-PHY IA-15 15
-