TEST CODE 01238020

FORM TP 2009104 MAY/JUNE 2009

CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE

EXAMINATION

PHYSICS

Paper 02 - General Proficiency

2j. hours

READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

1. This paper consists of SIX questions.

2. Section A consists of THREE questions. Candidates must answer ALL

questions in this section. Answers for this section must be written in this
answer booklet.

3. Section B consists of THREE questions. Candidates must answer ALL

questions in this section. Answers for this section must be written in the
space provided after EACH question in this answer booklet.

4. All working MUST be CLEARLY shown.

5. The use of non-programmable calculators is permitted, but candidates

should note that the use of an inappropriate number of figures in
answers will be penalised.

6. Mathematical tables are provided.

DO NOT TURN TillS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

Copyright © 2008 Caribbean Examinations Council®.

All rights reserved.
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SECTION A

Answer ALL questions.

You MUST write your answers in the spaces provided in this booklet.

1. In determining the half-life of an alpha-emitting radioactive source, a student recorded the

following data in Table 1.

TABLE1

Time, tis Count rate, R/s- 1

0 100
50 76
100 62
150 47
200 37
250 29

(a) Plot on page 3, a graph of count rate (R) versus time (t). ( 7 marks)

(b) What is meant by the 'half-life' of a radioactive sample?

( 1 mark)

(c) Describe the procedure a student would use to obtain the results in Table 1. State ONE
precaution.

( 3marks)

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0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300

Us

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(d) (i) From the graph, make TWO calculations of the half-life of the sample.

( 6 marks)

(ii) From your results in (d) (i), calculate the mean (average) half-life.

( 2 marks)

(e) Estimate the count rate of the sample after

(i) 425 s

(ii) 4 half-life periods.

( 6 marks)

Total 25 marks

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2. (a) (i) Give the difference between a 'vector quantity' and a 'scalar quantity'.

( 1 mark)

(ii) Complete Table 2 by writing EACH of the physical quantities from the list below
in the appropriate column:
Mass, Momentum, Displacement, Heat Capacity, Temperature, Half-Life,
Upthrust.

TABLE2

Vector Scalar
Mass

( 6 marks)
1
(b) A taxi reaches a traffic police officer while travelling at 30m s- on the highway. The officer
immediately signals the taxi which decelerates uniformly and comes to a complete stop in
5 s. (Assume zero reaction time.)

(i) In the space below, draw a velocity-time graph to represent the motion of the taxi
from the moment the officer signals, to when the taxi comes to a stop.

( 2 marks)

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(ii) Determine the distance travelled by the taxi from the time the police signals until
the taxi stops.

( 3 marks)

(iii) If the speed limit is 80 km h- 1, deternline whether or not the driver should receive
a speeding ticket.

( 3 marks)

TotallS marks

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3. (a) When travelling along a hot road on a hot day a traveller may see a distant object with its
image directly below it as shown in Figure 1. The image is called a mirage. Three light rays
on the diagram are labelled A, B and C.

Distant object Cool air

Air gets gradually hotter
Hot surface nearer the surface
A
B
n Hotair
--- ---
C Point X
Surface may appear
shiny or wet
Mirage
Figure 1

(i) Why does Ray A travel in a straight line from the object to the obseryer?

( 1 mark)

(ii) What is the name given to the bending of Ray B as it approaches the hot surface?

( 1 mark)

(iii) With reference to the normal, the temperature and the density of the air, explain the
direction of the bending of Ray B at Point x.

( 2 marks)

(iv) The mirage is a virtual image. With reference to Rays B and C, explain how the
mirage is formed and why it is described as a virtual image.

( 2 marks)

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(b) Ultrasounds may be used in determining the growth of a baby in its mother's womb. Sound
pulses are directed towards the baby's skull and reflected pulses (echoes) from the front
and back of the baby's skull are detected and displayed on an oscilliscope screen, as shown
in Figure 2.

Sound Sound
detector detector
2nd echo
1st echo a reflected from
a reflected from back of skull
Front of front of skull Front of
skull skull d - diameter
of skull

Back of skull Back of skull

Figure 2

(i) In terms of the distances a and d, write an expression for

a) the distance travelled by the sound pulse after reflection from the front of
the skull to the sound detector

( 1 mark)

b) the distance travelled by the sound pulse after reflection from the back of
the skull to the sound detector.

( 1 mark)

(ii) The oscilliscope screen shows that the time between the first and the second echo
is 0.11 ms . The speed of the sound pulses is 1200 m s- 1•

Determine

a) the difference in distance travelled between the first and the second echo

( 2 marks)
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b) the diameter, d, of the baby 's skull.

( 1 mark)

(c) Figure 3 shows how a human eye focuses to see an object 0. C represents the optical centre
of the lens in the eye.

Eye

Lens Retina

Figure 3

(i) The object 0 is 100 m from the centre of the eye lens and the magnification of the
eye lens is 0.005.

Determine the distance of the retina from the centre of the eye lens.

( 3 marks)

(ii) Write a formula for calculating the magnification of the eye lens using the object
height and the image height

( 1 mark )

Total15 marks

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SECTIONB

Answer ALL questions.

You MUST write you r answers in the space provided after each question.

4. (a) (i) State the law of the conservation of energy.

(ii) What is the difference between 'potential energy' and 'kinetic energy'?

(iii) Does the fact that heat is lost when work is done against friction violate the law of
conservation of energy? Justify your answer.
( 6 marks)

(b) The three-week-long cycling race, the Tour de France, is said to be one of the most gruelling
sporting events in the world.

(i) If a cyclist of mass 70 kg uses a bicycle of mass 7 kg, how much work must the
cyclist do against gravity in order to ascend to 2100 m from sea level (0 m)?

(ii) One particular descent goes from 2100 m to 1600 m. Assuming the work done
against friction is 90% of the potential energy change of the cyclist and the cycle,
what INCREASE in speed in kmlh can a rider attain by the end of the descent?

(iii) What is the average rate of energy conversion of the cyclist and cycle if the
descent in part (ii) takes 1 minute at constant speed?

(Acceleration due to gravity, g =10m s-2) ( 9 marks)

Total 15 marks

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Write the answer to Question 4 here.

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Write the answer to Question 4 here.

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Write the answer to Question 4 here.

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5. Magnets are characterized by magnetic field lines.

(a) Sketch the magnetic field associated with (i) a single bar magnet and (ii) between two strong
bar magnets with their north poles facing, and in line with, each other. ( 4 marks)

(b) An emergency flashlight is an essential item during hurricanes and blackouts. One model
has a crank handle connected to an alternating current generator, rechargeable batteries and
light emitting diodes (LEDs) as shown in Figure 4. When the handle is turned, a permanent
magnet also turns in the presence of a stationary coil. This produces a current which charges
the batteries.

Figure 4
(i) How is the electromotive force (e.m.f.) generated in the stationary coil?

(ii) What ADDITIONAL component is needed to be able to charge the batteries?

(iii) At a reasonable cranking rate, the unit generates 6.2 V. Calculate the current in the
circuit if the resistance is 310 Q.
( 5 marks)

(c) A similar device includes a transformer so that an MP3 player can also be charged. The
primary coil has 300 turns.

(i) How many turns are needed in the secondary winding if the voltage is stepped up
from 6.2 V to 15.5 V?

(ii) Given that the current in the primary winding is 10 rnA, what power is transmitted
to the secondary windings if the transformer is 77% efficient?
( 6 marks)

Total15 marks

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Write the answer to Question 5 here.

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Write the answer to Question 5 here.

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6. (a) You are given a container of negligible heat capacity and a thermometer.

Describe how the specific latent heat of fusion of ice can be determined using the method
of mixtures. ( 6 marks)

(b) A physics student was provided with 25 g of ice to convert to steam. How much heat is
needed to change this 25 g of ice at 0° C to steam at 100° C? ( 9 marks)

(Specific heat capacity of ice = 2 x 103 Jkg- 1K- 1)

1 1
(Specific heat capacity of water= 4.2 x 103 Jkg- K- )
6 1
(Specific latent heat of vaporisation of water = 2.3 x 10 Jkg- )
1
(Specific latent heat of fusion of ice= 3.4 x 105 Jkg- )

Total IS marks

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Write the answer to Question 6 here.

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Write the answer to Question 6 here.

END OF TEST

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