FATIMA COLLEGE

Form 4 Physics Examination

Term 1, 2018
Student’s Name: _____________________________ Time: 2 hour

Please Circle your teacher’s name: Ms. N. Edghill Mrs K. Samlal-Smith Mr. K. Peterson (set)

SECTION 1
Attempt ALL questions.
Answer questions in the spaces provided.

1. You are to spend no more than ½ hour on this question.

A student was asked to find the acceleration due to gravity, g, using the pendulum. She varied
the length of the pendulum and found the time for 20 oscillations. Her results are presented in
the table 1 below.
TABLE 1
Length of pendulum Time for 20 Time for 1 oscillation T2/s2
l /m oscillations, t/s T/s
0.1 12.7
0.2 18.0
0.3 22.0
0.4 25.4
0.5 28.4
0.6 31.2

a) Complete the table above [6]

b) Plot on page provided, a graph of length of pendulum (l) versus time squared (T2). [10]
c) Find the slope of the graph.

[4]
d) Using the slope, calculate the acceleration due to gravity, g, using formula below:

𝒍
g = 4 π2 ( 𝟐 ) where π = 3.14
𝑻

[2]

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 e) When T2 = 2.6 s2 , use your graph to determine the length of the pendulum associated with
this results.
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f) Describe the procedure the student would have used to obtain the results in the table.
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(Total 30 marks)

2.
a) Complete Table 2 by stating the categories of each quantity and their S.I. units.
Table 2
Physical Basic or Scalar or S.I. unit
Quantity Derived Vector
Quantity Quantity
Weight
Temperature
Speed
Circumference
Density
Force
Displacement
Volume
Acceleration
Pressure
[10]
b) When NASA measured the weight of Neil Armstrong at their Florida base, it was 600 N.
When Neil and his co-astronauts landed on the Moon, he took his weight again and saw that
it dropped by 500 N. Given that the acceleration due to gravity on Earth = 9.8 ms-2. Calculate
the acceleration due to gravity on the moon.

[5]

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 c) Figure 1 is a vector diagram representing a cricket ball’s velocity, OA, and the wind’s
velocity, OB.
i. By accurate SCALE DRAWING on Figure 1 below, determine the resultant vector.
[3]

O Scale 1cm = 2ms-1 A

Figure 1

ii. State its magnitude in ms-1 and its direction in degrees from OA.
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(Total 20 marks)

3.
a) Distinguish between density and relative density.
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i. A 2 litre bottle was filled with gasoline at as service station. When the bottle is empty it
has a mass of 0.05 kg and when it is full of gasoline its mass is 1.40 Kg. Calculate the
density of gasoline. (1 litre = 1 x 103 cm3)

[4]
-3
ii. Given that the density of water is 1 gcm , will the bottle be heavier or lighter if it was
filled with water instead. Give a reason for your answer.
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 iii. If 325 g of mercury of density 13.6 gcm-3 occupies a certain space, determine the volume
of the space.

[3]

iv. Calculate the relative density of gasoline using the density of mercury as the base
quantity for the comparison.

[3]

(Total 15 marks)

SECTION 2
Attempt ALL questions.
Answer questions on your own sheet of paper

4.
a) A scientist is in the process of designing a new thermometer. The 4 factors that must be
considered when designing a measuring instrument are range, sensitivity, accuracy and
precision. Briefly explain each of these factor. [4]
b) Describe (using 3 steps) how the scientist will calibrate this new thermometer. [3]
c) State the difference between a linear scale and a non-linear scale and give an example of
each. [4]
d) Parallax error and zero error are two types of errors that may affect one’s readings when
using a measuring instrument. Describe each error and give a precaution that can be taken
to avoid each one. [4]
(Total 15 marks)
5.
a)
i. Define the moment of a force and state the principle of moments.
ii. Describe how you would find the centre of gravity of a piece of cardboard of irregular
shape. [8]
b) Figure 2 shows a vase on a table. The mass of the vase is 3.5 kg, the height is 0.76 m and the
diameter of the base is 0.30 m.

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 A B

Figure 2
i. Calculate its weight ‘W’ and the moment of force of the weight about point B.
ii. If someone was to accidentally push the top of the vase with a horizontal force ‘F’ of 10 N
will the vase topple over? Use the principle of moments to prove your answer.
iii. Sand was poured into the vase until it was half full. Explain how this increases its stability.
(Acceleration due to gravity = 10ms-2 ) [12]

(Total 20 marks)

6. A High school student by the name of Harry Jones was given a sheet of foil and was asked to
determine its Volume.
a) Using a micrometer screw gauge, Jones was able to measure the thickness of the foil. State
the value of thickness indicated on micrometer screw gauge. [2]

mm

mm

b) Jones was unable to measure accurately the length and width of the foil owing to its
irregular shape.
Describe an appropriate method that Harry can use to determine the volume of the foil if he
has the following apparatus available to him: electronic balance, metre rule, water,
measuring cylinder, beaker, boiling tube and micrometre screw gauge. [6]

c) Give one precaution and one unavoidable source of error for the method that you gave in
part (b) to obtain the volume. [2]
(Total 10 marks)

END OF EXAM
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