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GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION MOCK EXAMINATION

MARCH 2024 ADVANCED LEVEL 0780 PHYSICS

GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION SUBJECT CODE PAPER

NUMBER
NUMBER
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0780

WEST PHYSICS TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION (WEPTA) SUBJECT TITLE

PHYSICS

Candidate’s Candidate’s DATE

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Name……………………………….. N° ………. FRIDAY, 15 MARCH 2024

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n. AFTERNOON

Time Allowed: Three hours

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Answer ALL questions

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You are advised to divide your time accordingly.

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You are reminded of the necessity of good English and orderly presentation in your
answers.
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In calculations, you must show all the steps in your working, giving your answers at
each stage.

Non-programmable calculators and formulae booklets may be allowed.

_________________________________________Turn Over

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1. a) Can homogeneity of a Physical equation be used to distinguish between vector and

scalar quantities? Use examples to explain your answer.
b) The speed of light in a vacuum, c , is related to the permeability of free space ,  0 , and
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permittivity of free space,  0 ,by the equation c 2 = . . Show that the equation is
0 0
dimensionally correct. (7 marks)
2. A ball is kicked from horizontal ground towards a vertical wall, as shown in Figure 1 below

Figure 1

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The horizontal distance between the initial position of the ball and the base of the wall is 24

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m. The ball is kicked with an initial velocity v at an angle of 28° to the horizontal. The ball
hits the top of the wall after a time of 1.5 s. Air resistance is negligible.
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a) Calculate the initial horizontal component vx of the velocity of the ball.
b) Calculate the time taken for the ball to reach its maximum height above the ground.
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c) Calculate the maximum height above the ground. (5 marks)

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3. Figure 2 below shows a rocket of mass 1.3x10 kg moving horizontally along AB with a
velocity of 100 ms-1. It explodes at B into two parts as shown below. One part of mass
5.0x103 kg moves with a velocity of 120 ms-1 at 600 to the original path. The remaining part
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moves with a velocity, v, at an angle, Ɵ, to the original path.

120 ms-1
5.0 x 103 kg
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A
B 600

Ɵ
Figure 2
v

a) Define an oblique impact

b) Calculate the values of v and Ɵ (6 marks)
4. Figure 3 below shows a ray of light that moves from air through glass into water

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air
0
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λ glass

Ɵ
water

Figure 3

a) Given that the refractive indices of air, glass and water are respectively 1.00, 1.50 and
1.33, determine the values of the angles λ and Ɵ.

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(2 marks)
b) Determine the range of angles for λ for which the ray of light entering water from glass

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will completely turn back into glass. (2 marks)
c) State one application of the phenomenon in (b) above. (1 mark)
5. A capacitor of capacitance 8.0  F in a vacuum is powered by a 12.0 V DC supply. After
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charging the capacitor, a dielectric with permittivity,  = 6 0 , where  0 is the permittivity of
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vacuum is inserted between the plates of the capacitor.
a) Calculate the charge stored by the capacitor while in the vacuum. (2 marks)
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b) Explain the effect of the dielectric on the capacitance of a capacitor. (1 mark)

c) Determine the energy stored by the capacitor after inserting the dielectric. (2 marks)
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EITHER
6. a) (i) Define thermal conduction. (2 marks)
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(ii) Describe an experiment to show that dull black surfaces are better absorbers of
infra-red radiation than white smooth surfaces. Your account should include a
diagram, procedure, observation, precaution and how the observations are used to
obtain the conclusion. (8 marks)
b) A battery of electromotive force (e.m.f.) 9.0 V and negligible internal resistance is
connected in series with a light-dependent resistor (LDR) and a fixed resistor of
resistance 1800 Ω, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

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A voltmeter is connected across the fixed resistor. The reading on the voltmeter is 5.4 V.
(i) Calculate the current in the circuit. (2 marks)
(ii) Calculate the resistance RL of the LDR. (2 marks)
(iii) The intensity of the light illuminating the LDR increases. By reference to the
current in the circuit, state and explain the change, if any, to the voltmeter reading.
(1 mark)
c) An atom of iodine-131 ( 131
53 I ) has a half-life of 8 days. It decays into an atom of xenon

(Xe) by emitting a beta particle.

(i) Define the underlined term. (1 mark)
(ii) Write a complete nuclear equation for the reaction. (2 marks)
(iii) A sample of rainwater contaminated with iodine-131 gives a count rate of
1200 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑. Calculate how many days it will take for the count rate
from the sample of rainwater to fall to 50 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑.

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(2 marks)
OR

6. d) (i) Define hysteresis with respect to rubber.

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Describe an experiment to measure the young’s modulus / the modulus of
(2 marks)
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elasticity of a steel wire. Your account should include a diagram, procedure,
observation, precaution and how the observations are used to obtain the
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conclusion. (8 marks)
e) (i) Explain why in the Rutherford 𝛼 -scattering experiment with a thin, metallic foil
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few alpha particles were slightly deflected. (2 marks)

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(ii) An 𝛼 -particle is accelerated to attain a kinetic energy of 1.3 x 10 J collides
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head-on with a gold nucleus. Calculate the upper limit of the radius of gold
nucleus. The atomic number of gold is 79. (3 marks)
f) A photo emissive cell is connected in series with an electric lamp and a battery in a
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closed circuit. What is the implication of each of the following observations on the light
incident on the photo emissive cell with respect to the photo emissive cell.
(i) The lamp does not light when light of certain colour is incident on the photo
emissive cell. (1 mark)
(ii) The lamp lights when light of certain colour is incident on the photo emissive cell.
(2 marks)
(iii) The lamp lights brighter when light of higher frequency is incident on the photo
emissive cell. (2 marks)

DATA ANALYSIS
7. To measure the internal resistance, r, of a cell, the cell is connected across the
potentiometer wire. This leads to a constant balance length, L0. A variable resistor is then
connected across a test cell and by varying the resistance of the variable resistor, a series of

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values of resistance, R, and corresponding balance length, L, are obtained as shown in the
table below.
R/Ω 100 50 30 20 13 10 8 7 6 5

L/cm 62.5 46.3 34.5 26.2 18.9 15.2 12.6 11.3 9.9 8.3

Theory suggests that the parameters mentioned above are related by the equation
rL = R ( L0 − L ) .

a) Plot a suitable graph from which to obtain the values of r and L0. (10 marks)
b) Obtain the values of r and L 0 from your graph. (8 marks)
c) Determine the value of R that will cause the varying balance length to have a value which

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is one quarter (4 ) that of the constant balance length. (2 marks)
8. a) Distinguish between an energy source and energy resource and state an example in each

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case in Cameroon. (4 marks)
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b) (i) There is sea water in a bay of area of 200 km . The difference in the water levels in the
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bay between high and low tides is 6m. Calculate the average power obtainable for tidal
period of one day. (2 marks)
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(ii) With the available Atlantic seashore of Limbe, advance two reasons as a physics
student why the construction of a tidal station in Limbe is not a priority. (2 marks)
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(iii) Draw a block diagram of a nuclear fission reactor. (2 marks)

c) (i) Explain what is meant by weather forecasting. (1 mark)
(ii) State and describe one method of weather forecasting. (2 marks)
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d) State one environmental and one health hazard of global warming. (2 marks)
9. a) A signal are transmitted through a channel of communication such as a copper cable,
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optical fibre and satellite.

(i) Explain the underlined words. (2 marks)
(ii) Compare copper cable and optical fibre in terms of regeneration and security.
(4 marks)
b) (i) Draw a block diagram of a super-heterodyne radio receiver. (3 marks)
(ii) An amplitude modulation (AM) broadcast receiver has an intermediate frequency
(IF) of 480Hz. If the receiver is to be tuned over the medium wave broadcast
band from 560Hz to 1.7MHz, determine the required local oscillator tuning range.
(2 marks).
(iii) State two reasons why modulation is extremely necessary in radio
communication. (2 marks)
c) When a mobile phone user attempts to make a call, the cell phone connected to a base
station broadcasts a signal requesting a service on a control channel. Explain why a
mobile phone is referred to as a transceiver. (2 marks)

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10. a) (i) Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors. (2 marks)

(ii) A P-N junction diode is connected in the reversed bias, a very small current called
leakage current flows across the junction. Explain the source of the leakage current. Also
explain why the leakage current increases with the temperature of the diode. (3 marks)
b) Figure 5 shows the output characteristics for transistor.

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Figure 5
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Using the graph,
(i) Draw a table of IC and IB which would be used to plot a transfer characteristics
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graph at a fixed VCE of 3V. (3 marks)
(ii) Using your table in 10 b)(i) above, plot a transfer characteristics graph and use it to
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determine the current gain factor, β for the transistor. (5 marks)

c) What do you understand by
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(i) thermal runaway. (1 mark)

(ii) the operating point of a transistor. (1 mark)
11. a)(i)Draw a simple diagram of the human eye, labeling clearly the features of the eye
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-responsible for bending of light

-on which images are formed
-letting light into the eye. (3 marks)
(ii) With the aid of a diagram, describe how myopia is corrected. (3 marks)
b) (i) Explain how ultrasound is used to obtain the image of an organ of the human body.
How is the image used in diagnosis? (3 marks)
(ii) To measure the diameter of the head of an unborn baby in the womb, ultrasound was
incident on the baby’s head. Pulses reflected from either side of the head are 2.5cm apart
on the screen of a cathode ray oscilloscope. Given that the time base on the cathode ray
oscilloscope is set to be 50 µscm-1 and the speed of ultrasound through the baby’s head is
1.5 x103 ms-1, calculate the diameter of the baby’s head. (3 marks)
c) Explain how electrical signal is generated and conducted through the human body.
(3 marks)
END.

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