2017 Physics WAEC SSCE (School Candidates) May/June

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Physics 1 - Objective Test Questions

The diagram above illustrates a micrometer screw gauge. Determine its reading.
1. 2.44mm
2. 2.46mm
3. 2.86mm
4. 2.96mm
Which of the following dimensions represents impulse?
1. MLT^-2
2. MLT^-1
3. MLT
4. ML
A body accelerates uniformly from rest at 2ms^-2. Calculate its velocity when it has travelled a distance of 9m.
1. 3.0ms^-1
2. 4.5ms^-1
3. 6.0ms^-1
4. 18.0ms^-1
Which of the following statements about matter is not correct?
1. Molecules of solids move more freely than molecules of liquids and gases.
2. Molecules of solids are more closely packed than those of the liquids.
3. Energy is required to break the intermolecular forces of attraction between molecules.
4. Molecules of liquids move about within the liquid and they are in constant random motion.
A ball is projected horizontally from the top of a tower. Neglecting air resistance, which of the following statements about its motion is/are correct?
1. I only
2. II only
3. I and II only
4. II ad III only
Two forces 100 N and 60 N act on an abject of mass 10kg as illustrated in the diagram above. Neglecting friction, calculate the acceleration of the object.
1. 4.0ms^-2
2. 13.1ms^-2
3. 16.0ms^-2
4. 22.6ms^-2
A body weighing 14N in air is partially immersed in water. If the mass of water displaced in the process is 200g, calculate the upthrust on the body. [g=10ms^-2]
1. 2.0 N
2. 3.0 N
3. 3.5 N
4. 7.0 N
Which of the following processes is not a surface phenomenon?
1. Condensation
2. Evaporation
3. Photo emission
4. Thermionic emission
A chemical balance is used for measuring
1. volume.
2. mass.
3. thickness.
4. density.
A body is whirled round a circular path at constant speed. Which of the following diagrams correctly indicates the direction of the body's velocity (v) and acceleration (a)?
1. a
2. b
3. c
4. d
A motorist travelling at 72kmh^-1 had his eyes shut for 0.4s during a hard sneeze. Calculate the distance covered by him during this time interval.
1. 50.0m
2. 28.8m
3. 18.0m
4. 8.0m
The angle at which a projectile must be fired to cover maximum range is
1. 30^°
2. 45^°
3. 60^°
4. 90^°
A body can undergo the following types of motion except
1. random
2. rotational
3. translational
4. relative
Which of the following graphs correctly represents the relationship between the kinetic energy (K.E.) and the displacement (d) from point of release of a swinging pendulum bob?
The energy stored in a spring of stiffness constant k = 2000 Nm^-1 when extended by 4 cm is
1. 0.16 J.
2. 1.60 J.
3. 16.00 J.
4. 160.00 J.
Ice of mass 50g at 0°C was completely melted by 70% of the total heat energy supplied. Calculate the total heat energy supplied. [Specific latent heat of fusion of ice =336Jg^-1]
1. 2400J
2. 6800J
3. 7251J
4. 24000J
. A plane is inclined at an angle θ to the horizontal. Its velocity ratio is
1. sin θ
2. tan θ
3. 1 / sin θ
4. 1 / tan θ
The diagram above illustrates a beaker of water being heated. It is observed that as the bubbles rise they get bigger in size. The reason for this observation is
1. water pressure on the bubbles decreases.
2. density of water increases with rise in temperature
3. volume of water increases with rise in temperature
4. atmospheric pressure on the bubbles decreases.
Which of the following devices transforms light energy to electrical energy?
1. Bulb
2. Television
3. Solar cell
4. Light emitting diode (LED)
A motor of a corn mill machine operates on electrical energy of 1.44x10⁵J. If one-quarter of the energy is wasted in the form of sound and heat, determine the efficiency of the machine.
1. 25%
2. 36%
3. 64%
4. 75%
Thermal energy added or removed from a substance that changes the state of the substance is called
1. A. latent heat
2. heat of reaction
3. calorimetry
4. specific heat
The maximum density of water occurs at a temperature of
1. 0°C
2. 4°C
3. 37°C
4. 273°C
. A vapour whose molecules are in dynamic equilibrium with those of its own liquid is said to be
1. unsaturated
2. gaseous
3. saturated
4. diffused
The diagram above illustrates two waves of equal amplitudes A and frequencies approaching each other. When the two waves meet at a point I midway between them, the vertical displacement of the resulting wave will be
1. 0
2. A/2
3. A/4
4. 2A
A rainbow is formed when sunlight is incident on water droplets suspended in the air due to
1. diffraction
2. refraction
3. dispersion
4. interference
Which of the following statements about the 3rd overtone of a vibrating air column of an open pipe is correct? It has
1. 4 nodes
2. 5 nodes
3. 3 antinodes
4. 4 antinodes
Consider the wave equation: y = 10 sin 7 ( x - 50t ). What does the number 10 in the equation represent?
1. Acceleration
2. Speed
3. Amplitude
4. Wavelength
Plane waves passing through a narrow gap emerge as circular waves. This phenomenon is known as
1. interference
2. dispersion
3. refraction
4. diffraction
A ray of light incident at an angle θ in a rectangular prism grazes the surface of the prism on emerging from the prism. Determine the value of θ. [Absolute refractive index of the material of the prism is 1.5].
1. 41.8°
2. 48.2°
3. 60.6°
4. 90.0°
The diagram above illustrates a wave set-up between two fixed ends 4.0m apart. If the speed of the wave is 1.0ms^-1, its wavelength and frequency respectively are
1. 1m; 0.25Hz
2. 2m; 0.25Hz
3. 2m; 0.50Hz
4. 4m; 0.50Hz
. Two plane mirrors are inclined at an angle 20° to each other. Determine the number of images formed when an object is placed between them
1. 17
2. 18
3. 19
4. 20
A converging lens of focal length 10cm forms an erect image three times the size of a real object. Calculate the distance between the object and the image.
1. 6.6cm
2. 11.1cm
3. 13.3cm
4. 20.0cm
The inverse of the time required for a wave to complete one full cycle is called
1. wavelength
2. period
3. frequency
4. amplitude
Two bar magnets are placed near each other. Which of the following diagrams correctly illustrates the magnetic field pattern formed by the pair?
1. Option a
2. Option b
3. Option c
4. Option d
The force per unit charge experienced at a point in a field is the
1. gravitational field strength
2. electric potential
3. electric field strength
4. magnetic field strength
Which of the following objects is not a conductor of electricity
1. The Earth
2. Human body
3. Iron rod
4. Dry wood
A circuit is set up as shown in the diagram above. When the key is closed, the reading on the ammeter will be
1. 6A
2. 4A
3. 2A
4. 1A
Which of the following statements is/are correct? I. Gravitational potential due to a mass at a point a distance r away Is proportional to r² II. Gravitational field strength is a scalar quantity. II. Gravitational intensity is proportional to the weight of a unit mass.
1. I, II and IIII
2. III only
3. II only
4. I only
The diagrams below illustrate electrical connections to the element of an electric pressing iron. In which of the connections is the fuse correctly fixed?
1. Option a
2. Option b
3. Option c
4. Option d
A transformer connected to a 240 V_rms has 3000 turns in its primary coil and 500 turns in its secondary coil. Calculate the output voltage.
1. 4000V
2. 400V
3. 40V
4. 4V
A lamp rated 100 W, 240 V is lit for 5 hours. Calculate the cost of lighting the lamp if 1kWh of electrical energy costs #5.
1. #2.50
2. #3.20
3. #6.50
4. #9.60
A battery of e.m.f 3.0V is connected across a potentiometer wire AB of 10 Ωm^-1 as illustrated in the diagram above. If the jockey J makes contact at the 30 cm mark, determine the resistance of length AJ and voltage across AJ.
1. 3.0Ω; 0.9V
2. 3.0Ω; 3.0V
3. 3.3Ω; 0.3V
4. 3.3Ω; 9.0V
The main reason why a.c. is transmitted at very high voltage and low current is that it
1. flows faster through the conductor
2. can be stepped down
3. is cheaper to generate
4. reduces heat loss
The diagram above illustrates two charged bodies, X and Y separated by a distance r. Each body has charge q and mass m. Which of the following statements about the electrostatic for F_e and the gravitational force F_g acting between the bodies is correct?
1. F_e is attraction while Fg is repulsion
2. Both F_e and F_g are that of repulsion
3. Both F_e and F_g are that of attraction
4. F_e is repulsion while F_g is attraction
The opposition offered to an alternating current in a C-R series circuit is known as
1. impedance
2. resistance
3. reactance
4. friction
Which of the following pairs of concepts constitutes complementary variables as expressed by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle?
1. Momentum and time
2. Energy and acceleration
3. Position and momentum
4. Velocity and momentum
The nucleon number of an atom is the total number of
1. electrons and protons
2. electrons and neutrons
3. neutrons minus electrons
4. protons and neutrons
The energy levels in the mercury atom is illustrated in the diagram above. Calculate the ionisation energy of the atom.
1. +21.2eV
2. +104eV
3. -10.4eV
4. -21.2eV
Which of the following statements about gamma radiation is correct? Gamma radiation can
1. be seen by the naked eye
2. not pass through an aluminium foil
3. be present naturally in our surroundings
4. be used as a tracer
Radio wave Micro wave Infra wave P Q R Gamma ray

The table above shows the components of electromagnetic spectrum in order of increasing frequency. Which of the following sets correctly identifies P, Q, and R respectively?
1. Visible, ultraviolet, X-ray
2. X-ray, visible, ultraviolet
3. Ultraviolet, visible, X-ray
4. X-ray, ultraviolet, visible

Physics 2 - Theory Questions

Part 1

A particle is dropped from a vertical height h and falls freely for a time t. With the aid of a sketch, explain how h varies with t².
A particle is projected horizontally at 15ms^-1 from a height of 20m. Calculate the horizontal distance covered by the particle just before hitting the ground. [g =10ms^-2]
List three phenomena which can be explained by the molecular theory of matter.
A spiral spring has a length of 14cm when a force of 4N is hung on it. A force of 6N extends the spring by 4cm. Calculate the unstretched length of the spring.
1. State two factors on which surface tension depends.
2. How can mosquito larvae be made to sink in stagnant water?
List three advantages of fluorescent tubes over filament bulbs.
List three advantages of p - n junction diode over diode valve.

Part 2

1. State two deductions that can be made from a displacement-time graph.
2. If the distance between two equal masses is doubled and their individual masses are also doubled, what would happen to the force between them? Support your answer quantitatively.
3. State two factors that affect the maximum height attained by a bullet fired from a gun.
4. State two practical examples of mechanical resonance.
5. A body is released from rest at the top of a plane inclined at 30° to the horizontal and 4.0 m high. If the coefficient of friction between the body and the plane is 0.3, calculate the time the body takes to reach the bottom of the plane.
1. Define stable equilibrium as applied to a rigid body.
2. Sketch a block and tackle system of pulleys with a velocity ratio of 3.
3. At the beginning of a race, a tyre of volume 8.0x10⁴m³ at 20°C has a gas pressure of 4.5x10⁵Pa. Calculate the temperature of the gas in the tyre at the end of the race if the pressure has risen to 4.6x10⁵Pa.
4. 1. The table above shows readings of the resistance and pressure of a platinum resistance thermometer and a constant-volume gas thermometer respectively, when immersed in the same liquid bath. Use this data to determine the temperature of the bath on (ἁ) resistance thermometer; (β) gas thermometer
  2. By what percentage is the temperature measured on the platinum resistance thermometer in error?
1. What is a wavefront?
2. 1. State two practical uses of glass prisms.
  2. List two factors that determine the deviation of array of light travelling from air into a triangular glass prism.
  3. Sketch a graph to illustrate the variation of the angle of deviation d, with that of incidence, i, for a ray of light travelling from air into a triangular glass prism. Indicate on the graph the point at which the angle of incidence i is equal to the angle of emergence e.
3. 1. Draw and label a diagram of an astronomical telescope in normal adjustment.
  2. The angular magnification of an astronomical telescope in normal adjustment is 5. If the focal length of the objective is 100cm, calculate the: (ἁ) focal length of the eyepiece; (β) length of the telescope.
1. 1. What is dielectric?
  2. A parallel plate capacitor consists of two plates each of area 9.6 x 10^-2m², separated by a dielectric of thickness 2.25 x 10^-3m and dielectric constant 900. Calculate the capacitance of the capacitor. [ ɛ_o= permittivity of free space = 8.85 x 10^-12 Fm^-1]
2. 1. Which of the following devices has a higher resistance: an ammeter or a voltmeter? Give a reason for your answer.
  2. The resistance of the voltmeter in the circuit diagram illustrated above is 800Ω. Calculate the voltmeter reading.
3. A battery of negligible internal resistance is connected to a set of resistors as illustrated in the circuit diagram above. Determine the equivalent resistance of the circuit.
1. 1. What is nuclear fission?
  2. State the function of each of the following materials in a nuclear fision reactor: (ἁ) graphite; (β) boron rods; (ẟ) liquid sodium.
2. The table below gives some of the energy levels of a hvdrogen atom.
  
  n 1 2 3 4 5 infinity symbol
  
  E_nIeV -13.60 -3.39 -1.51 -0.85 -0.54 0.00
  1. Draw the energy level diagram for the atom.
  2. Determine the wavelength of the photon emitted when the atom goes from the energy state n = 3 to the ground state. [h = 6.6x10^-34 Js, c = 3.0x10⁸ms^-1, e = 1.6x10^-19C ]
3. A piece of ancient bone from an excavation site showed ¹⁴₆C activity of 9.5 disintegrations per minute per 1.0x10^-3kg. If a bone specimen from a living creature shows ¹⁴₆C activity of 12.0 disintegrations per minute per 1.0x10^-3kg, determine the age of the ancient bone. (Half-life of ¹⁴₆C = 5572 years].

Physics 3 - Practical Questions

Alternative A

1. You are provided with two retort stands, two metre rules, pieces of thread and other necessary apparatus.
  1. Set up the apparatus as illustrated above ensuring that the strings are permanently 10cm from either end of the rule.
  2. Measure and record the length L = 80cm of the two strings.
  3. Hold both ends of the rule and displace the rule slightly, then release so that it oscillates about a vertical axis through its centre.
  4. Determine and record the time t for 10 complete oscillations.
  5. Determine the period T of oscillations.
  6. Evaluate log T and log L.
  7. Repeat the procedure for four other values of L =70cm, 60cm, 50cm and 40cm.
  8. Tabulate your readings.
  9. Plot a graph with log T on the vertical axis and log L on the horizontal axis.
  10. Determine the slope, s and the intercept, e on the vertical axis, of the graph.
  11. State two precautions taken to ensure accurate results.
2. 1. Define simple harmonic motion.
  2. Determine the value of L corresponding to t = 12s from the graph in 1(a).
1. You are provided with a beaker, a thermometer, a stirrer, stop watch/clock, measuring cylinder, table salt, water and other necessary materials.
  1. Measure 200cm³ of water into the beaker.
  2. Heat the water until it boils steadily for about 2 minutes.
  3. Read and record the boiling point b₀.
  4. Add table salt of mass M = 10.0g to the boiling water and stir continuously until another boiling point b_i is attained.
  5. Read and record b_i.
  6. Evaluate θ_i = (b_i - b_o)
  7. Using the same mixture, repeat the procedure four more times by adding 10.0g of salt each time to give the cumulative mass M_i of salt as 20g, 30g, 40g and 50g.
  8. In each case allow the mixture to boil steadily for at least 2 minutes then read and record the boiling point b_i.
  9. Tabulate your readings.
  10. Plot a graph with M_i on the vertical axis and θ_i on the horizontal axis.
  11. Determine the slope, s, of the graph.
  12. State two precautions taken to ensure accurate results.
2. 1. Define the boiling point of a liquid.
  2. What effect do impurities have on the boiling point of a liquid?
1. You are provided with cells, a potentiometer, an ammeter, a voltmeter, a bulb, a key, a jockey and other necessary materials.
  1. Measure and record the e.m.f E of the battery.
  2. Set up a circuit as shown in the diagram above.
  3. Close the key K and use the jockey to make a firm contact at J on the potentiometer wire such that PJ = x = 10cm.
  4. Take and record the voltmeter reading V and the corresponding ammeter reading I.
  5. Evaluate log V and log J.
  6. Repeat the procedures for five other values of X = 20cm, 30cm, 40cm, 50cm and 60cm.
  7. Tabulate your readings.
  8. Plot a graph with log I on the vertical axis and log V on the horizontal axis.
  9. Determine the slope, s, of the graph.
  10. Determine the intercept, c, on the vertical axis.
  11. State two precautions taken to ensure accurate results.
2. 1. How is the brightness of the bulb affected as x increases? Give a reason for your answer.
  2. List two electrical devices whose actions do not obey Ohm’s law.

	Ice Point 273K	Steam Point 373K
Resistance/ Ω	5.67	7.75
Pressure/ Pa	7.13 x 10⁴	9.74 x 10⁴