ICSE 2025 EXAMINATION

Sample Question Paper - 4

Physics
Time Allowed: 2 hours Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:

Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.

You will not be allowed to write during first 15 minutes. This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.

The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.

Section A is compulsory. Attempt any four questions from Section B.

The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].

Section A
1. Choose the correct answers to the questions from the given options. (Do not copy the question, write the [15]
correct answers only.)
(a) A uniform metre scale balances horizontally on a knife edge placed at 55 cm mark, when a mass of 25 [1]
g is supported from one end. Draw the diagram of the arrangement. Calculate mass of the scale.

a) 100 g b) 225 g

c) 400 g d) 275 g
(b) A converging lens has a focal length 40 cm. Calculate its power. [1]

a) -1.5 D b) -2.5 D

c) +2.5 D d) +1.5 D
(c) An electric pump is 60% efficient and is rated 2 HP. Calculate the maximum amount of water it can [1]
lift through a height of 5 m in 40 s. [Take g = 10 ms-2 and 1 HP = 750 W]

a) 280 kg b) 38 kg

c) 125 kg d) 720 kg
(d) Which of the following radiation is most penetrating? [1]

a) α-particles b) β-particles

c) X-rays d) γ -radiation
(e) Assertion (A): The moment of force for force 10 N applied at a distance of 20cm from the pivot will [1]
be 0.02 Nm.
Reason (R): The moment of force is ratio of perpendicular distance of the line of action of the force
for axis of rotation and magnitude of force.

a) Both A and R are true and R is the b) Both A and R are true but R is not the
correct explanation of A. correct explanation of A.
 c) A is true but R is false. d) Both A and R are false.
(f) A convex lens forms a real image 4 times magnified when placed at a distance of 6 cm from the lens. [1]
Calculate the focal length of the lens.

a) 8.8 cm b) 6.8 cm

c) 2.8 cm d) 4.8 cm
(g) To locate its prey in the darkness the owl or the bat emits: [1]

a) infrasonic waves b) sonic waves

c) infrared waves d) ultrasonic waves

(h) Which of the following does not produce a sound wave? [1]

a) A bell ringing under water b) A hammer hitting a block of rubber

c) A gun fired in a room with no echoes d) An explosion in outer space

(i) For the given circuit, name the components which are connected in parallel. [1]

a) Both R1 and V b) Both R2 and V

c) Both R1 and R2 d) R1, R2 and V

(j) Which is not the use of an electromagnet? [1]

a) Used for magnetising steel bars. b) Used for making sensitive magnetic
compass.

c) Used in separating iron particles from a d) Used in electric appliances such as

scrap of iron and other metals. electric bell and electric fans.
(k) The correct relationship between the effort (E) load (L) and mechanical advantage (M.A.) is: [1]

a) M.A. = L × E b) M.A. + E = L

c) M.A. × L = E d) M.A. × E = L
(l) A heater, rated 1000 W, is used to heat 1.5 kg of water at 40oC to its boiling point. Calculate the time [1]

in which the water starts to boil. Specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J kg-1oC-1.

a) 680 seconds b) 480 seconds

c) 378 seconds d) 225 seconds

(m) A copper vessel contains 200 g of water at 24oC. When 112 g of water at 42oC is added, the resultant [1]

temperature of water is 30oC. Calculate the thermal capacity of the calorimeter.

a) 1000.8 JoC-1 b) 1.8 JoC-1

 c) 10.8 JoC-1 d) 100.8 JoC-1

(n) When a ray of light travelling in an optically denser medium, emerges into an optically less denser [1]
medium it:

a) deviates away from normal b) gets reflected

c) deviates towards the normal d) does not deviate

(o) During the Sunset the colour which scatters closest to the eye of observer is: [1]

a) red b) yellow

c) violet d) blue
2. Answer the following questions: [15]
(a) i. Which class of levers has a mechanical advantage always greater than 1? [1]
ii. A crow-bar of length 150 cm has its fulcrum situated at a distance of 50 cm from the load. [1]
Calculate the mechanical advantage of crow-bar
iii. State the class of levers and the relative positions of load (L), effort (E) and fulcrum (F) in [1]
a bottle opener
(b) Explain the fictitious force and also explain how does it play an important role in a uniform circular [2]
motion?
(c) A pulley system has a velocity ratio 4 and an efficiency of 70%. Draw a labelled diagram of this [2]
pulley system. Calculate the mechanical advantage of the system and the value of the effort required
to raise a load of 400 N.
(d) The moment of a force of 10 N about a point X is 4 N-m. Find the distance of point of application of [2]
the force from the point X.
(e) A car of mass 2000 kg is lifted up a distance of 30 m by a crane in 1 min. A second crane does the [2]
same job in 2 min. Do the cranes consume the same or different amounts of fuel? What is the power
supplied by each crane? Neglect power dissipation against friction.
(f) i. Find the equivalent resistance between A and B. [2]

ii. State whether the resistivity of a wire changes with the change in the thickness of the wire.
(g) i. State the safe limit of sound level in terms of decibel for human hearing. [2]
ii. Name the characteristic of sound in relation to its waveform.
3. Answer the following questions; [10]
(a) [2]
∘ ∘

i. Why is the ratio of the velocities of light of wavelengths 4000 A and 8000 A in vacuum 1 : 1?
ii. Which of the above wavelengths has a higher frequency?
(b) 200 J of heat is produced 10 s in a 5 Ω resistance. Find the potential difference across the resistor. [2]
(c) In a three-pin plug, why is the earth pin made longer and thicker than other two pins? [2]
(d) Explain, why water is used in hot water bottles for fermentation and also as a universal coolant? [2]
(e) Complete the following nuclear changes. [2]

i. 11Na24 ⟶ ...Mg... + −1 β
0
 ii. 92U238 ⟶ 90Th234 + ... + Energy

Section B
Attempt any 4 questions
4. Answer the following questions: [10]
(a) A diver in water looks obliquely at an object AB in air. [3]

i. Does the object appear taller, shorter or of the same size to the diver?
ii. Show the path of two rays AC and AD starting from the tip of the object as it travels towards the
diver in water and hence obtain the image of the object.
(b) i. Define heat capacity of a substance. [3]
ii. Write the SI unit of heat capacity.
iii. What is the relationship between heat capacity and specific heat capacity of a substance?
(c) A monochromatic point source of light O is seen through a rectangular glass block ABCD. Paths of [4]
two rays, in and outside the block, are shown in the figure below.
i. Does the source at point O appear to be nearer or farther with respect to the surface AB?
ii. How does the shift depend on the thickness (AD or BC) of the block?
iii. Justify your answer with the help of an appropriate ray diagram as shown in figure.
iv. For the same rectangular glass block, which colour from the visible spectra will produce the
maximum shift?

5. Answer the following questions: [10]

(a) The figure given below shows a ray directed towards a lens MN. [3]

Study the above ray diagram and answer the following questions.
i. Name the lens.
ii. What is line XY called?
iii. The image of the object PQ is formed between which points.
 iv. Write the nature of the image.
(b) Which type of rays exist beyond visible red end of the electromagnetic spectrum? State one property [3]
and one use of these rays.
(c) An object is placed 25 cm away from a converging lens of focal length 10 cm. Draw the ray diagram [4]
and find position and nature of image formed.
6. Answer the following questions: [10]
(a) A force of 10 kgf is required to cut a metal sheet. A shear used for cutting a metal sheet has its blades [3]
10 cm long, while its handle is 20 cm long. What effort is needed to cut a sheet?
(b) A uniform half metre rule balances horizontally on a knife edge at 29 cm mark when a weight of 20 [3]
gf is suspended from one end.
i. Draw a diagram of the arrangement.
ii. What is the weight of the half metre rule?
(c) Illustrate the law of conservation of energy by discussing the energy changes which occur when we [4]
draw a pendulum bob to one side and allow it to oscillate. Why does the bob eventually come to rest?
What happens to its energy eventually? Is it a violation of the law of conservation of energy?

7. Answer the following questions: [10]

(a) Distinguish between the terms [3]
i. music and noise
ii. tone and note.
(b) Radioactive nuclei can decay in two different ways, each of these brings about a change in the mass [3]
number A and the proton number Z of the decaying parent nucleus. Write appropriate equation to
show the effect of each type of decay on both A and Z.
(c) A person is standing at the sea shore. An observer on the ship which is anchored in between a vertical [4]
cliff and the person on the shore fires a gun. The person on the shore hears two sounds, 2 seconds and
3 seconds after seeing the smoke of the fired gun. If the speed of sound in the air is 320 ms-1 then
calculate:
i. the distance between the observer on the ship and the person on the shore.
ii. the distance between the cliff and the observer on the ship.

8. Answer the following questions: [10]

(a) Calculate the reading of A when [3]
 i. K is closed.
ii. K is open.
(b) i. Differentiate between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. [3]
ii. State one safety precaution in the disposal of nuclear waste.
(c) A battery is designed by connecting four cells, each of emf 1.5 V and internal resistance 2.0 ohm in [4]
parallel. If this battery is now connected to an resistance of 2.5 ohm, find
i. the total resistance of the circuit,
ii. the current flowing in the external circuit and
iii. the potential drop across the terminal of the battery.
9. Answer the following questions: [10]
(a) Two metallic blocks P and Q having masses in ratio 2 : 1 are supplied with the same amount of heat. [3]
If their temperatures rise by same degree, compare their specific heat capacities.
(b) i. Name the liquid which has the highest specific heat capacity. [3]
ii. Name two factors on which the heat absorbed or given out by a body depends.
iii. An equal quantity of heat is supplied to two substances A and B. The substance A shows a greater
rise in temperature. What can you say about the heat capacity of A as compared to that of B?
(c) Describe an experiment to show that a current is set up in a closed loop when an external magnetic [4]
field passing through the loop increases or decreases.