MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

FIJI SCHOOL LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION 2009

PHYSICS

Time Allowed : Three Hours

(An extra ten minutes is allowed for reading this paper.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Write all your answers in the Answer Book provided.

2. Write your Index Number on the front page and inside the back flap of the Answer Book.

3. If you require more paper, ask the supervisor for extra sheets. Tie these inside the Answer
Book at the appropriate places.

4. You may use a calculator, provided it is silent, battery-operated and non-programmable.

5. There are two sections in the paper. Section A and Questions 1 to 6 of Section B are
compulsory. Note the choices in Question 7 of Section B.

Note : Formulae and Physical Data which may be useful during the examination are given
on page 2.

SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS

Section Guidelines Total Suggested

Mark Time

A There are twenty-eight multiple-choice questions. 28 50 minutes

All the questions are compulsory.

B There are seven questions.

Questions 1 to 6 are compulsory. 72 130 minutes
Question 7 has four options. Answer only one option.

COPYRIGHT : MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS, 2009.

 2.

SOME COMMON PHYSICS FORMULAE

1. s = v i t + ½ at² 16. H = mc t 28. Q = It

1
2. v f = v i + at 17. T = f 29. F = BIl

3. v f ² = v i ² + 2as 18. v = fλ 30. V = Bvl

2 R
4. v = 19. Si So = f ² 31. V = IR
T

2
1 1 1
5. a = 20. = + 32. P = VI
R f u v

4 2R Sin 1 1 1 n2
6. a = 21. 33. F = Bvq
2 Sin 2 n1
T 2 2

7. F = ma 22. (n - ½) λ = dSin θ 34. hf = Ek +

d x
8. p = mv 23. = 35. P = gh
L

9. F t = m v
24. PV = kT
Gm 1m 2
10. F =
r2
25. F = Eq

11. Ek = ½mv² 26. W = Eqd

W
12. Ep = mgh 27. V =
q

13. Ep = ½kx² In the examination, use the following :

14. W = Fd g = 10 N/kg = 10 ms-2

W
15. P = t Electronic charge, e = 1.6 x 10-19 C
Electronic mass, m = 9.1 x 10-31 kg

Speed of light, c = 3 x 108 ms-1

Planck’s constant, h = 6.63 x 10-34 Js

Mass of proton = 1.67 x 10-27 kg

Gravitational constant, G = 6.67 x 10-11

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

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SECTION A [28 marks]

The multiple-choice questions in this section are all compulsory.

Each question is worth 1 mark.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. In your Answer Book, circle the letter which represents the best answer. If you
change your mind, put a line through your first choice and circle the letter of your
next choice.

For example: 8 A B C D

2. If you change your mind again and like your first answer better, put a line through
your second circle and tick () your first answer.

For example: 8 A B C D


3. No mark will be given if you circle more than one letter for a question.

1. Which one of the following can be best classified as a fundamental quantity ?

A. force
B. time
C. velocity
D. centripetal acceleration

2. A force of 7.5 N is applied to two objects as shown below.

5 kg 10 kg 7.5 N

The force applied to the 10 kg object by the 5 kg object would be

A. 2.5 N
B. 5 N
C. 7.5 N
D. 10 N

Turn Over
© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 4.

Refer to the following information to answer Questions 3 and 4.

An airplane drops a package of relief supplies while flying horizontally at 100 m/s as shown
below. The supplies take 20 seconds to reach the ground.

Airplane
100 m/s

Ground

3. The vertical velocity of the airplane at the instant the supplies are dropped would be
A. 0 m/s
B. 50 m/s
C. 100 m/s
D. 200 m/s

4. The height above the ground at which the airplane was flying just as it dropped the supplies
would be
A. 500 m
B. 1 000 m
C. 2 000 m
D. 4 000 m

5. A spacecraft is descending to the Moon’s surface at a steady velocity of 2 ms-1. At a

height of 4.0 m, its engines are cut off and it falls freely to the surface. Taking the Moon’s
gravitational acceleration as 1.6 ms-2, at what speed, in ms-1, does it strike the Moon ?
A. 3.6
B. 4.1
C. 14.8
D. 16.8

6. A particle of mass 1 kg is rotated in a horizontal circle of radius 1 m and moves with a

velocity of 2 m/s in magnitude. The work done in one revolution would be
A. 0J
B. 1J
C. 2J
D. 4J

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

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Refer to the information given below to answer Questions 7 and 8.

A 30 kg box slides down a frictionless slope as shown below. The box starts from rest and
slides down a vertical distance of 10 m.

30 kg

10 m

40°

7. The work done by the box upon reaching the bottom of the slope would be

A. 230 J
B. 300 J
C. 1 500 J
D. 3 000 J

8. The speed of the box upon reaching the bottom of the slope would be

A. 3.92 m/s
B. 4.47 m/s
C. 10.00 m/s
D. 14.14 m/s

Refer to the following information to answer Question 9.

A duck capable of swimming at 0.8 m/s crosses a 20 m wide river from point A on one bank
to point B directly opposite on the other bank. The river flows to the right at 0.5 m/s as
shown below.
B
River flow 0.5 m/s

20 m
0.8 m/s
Duck

A
9. The duck, with a great sense of direction, points upstream in order to overcome the river
flow and reach point B. The magnitude of the duck’s velocity relative to the river bank at A
would be
A. 0.50 m/s
B. 0.62 m/s
C. 0.80 m/s
D. 0.94 m/s
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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
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10. A metal ball hits a wall and does not rebound whereas a rubber ball of the same mass upon
hitting the wall with the same velocity, rebounds. From this statement, it can be best
concluded that
A. both the balls suffer the same change in momentum.
B. the metal ball suffers a greater change in momentum.
C. the rubber ball suffers a greater change in momentum.
D. the initial momentum of the metal ball is greater than the initial momentum of the
rubber ball.

11. A cuboid of mass 0.32 kg and of dimensions 0.1 m x 0.1 m x 0.05 m as shown below, floats
in a liquid of density 1 600 kg/m3 with its large face horizontal.
0.1 m
0.1 m

0.05 m

The height of the cuboid above the surface of the liquid will be
A. 0.020 m
B. 0.025 m
C. 0.030 m
D. 0.048 m

12. Which of the following processes would best facilitate the transfer of heat from a coal fire ?
A. radiation
B. diffusion
C. convection
D. conduction

13. Figure A below shows air enclosed in a cylinder by an airtight piston and Figure B shows
that the piston has been pushed in so that air occupies half of the length of the cylinder.

Figure A Figure B

Which of the following would occur when the piston is pushed down so that the air occupies
half the length of the cylinder as shown in Figure B ?
A. The air pressure in the cylinder would double.
B. The number of molecules of air would double.
C. The air pressure in the cylinder would be halved.
D. The number of molecules of air would be halved.

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

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14. A lens is placed between an illuminated object and a screen which are situated 1.00 m apart.
The lens that will be required to produce an image the same size as the object would be

A. diverging with f = 0.25 m

B. diverging with f = 0.50 m
C. converging with f = 0.25 m
D. converging with f = 0.50 m

15. Which one of the diagrams below best shows the correct path of a ray of light travelling
through a glass prism ?

A. B.

C. D.

16. In Young’s double slit experiment with a monochromatic light source, the separation of the
interference fringes is increased by :
I. increasing the wavelength of the light
II. increasing the separation of the slits
III. decreasing the distance between the slits and the screen on which the
fringes are formed
Which of the statement(s) above is correct ?

A. I
B. I and III
C. II and III
D. I, II and III

17. Which of the following characteristics does not change when light passes from air to water ?

A. speed
B. frequency
C. wavelength
D. angle of incidence

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 8.

18. A ship using an echo-sounding device sends a signal to locate a shoal of fish as shown
below.

Fish
Seabed

The echo-sounding device receives two echoes, one 1.2 s and the other 1.5 s after the signals
were emitted. If the speed of sound in water is 1 500 m/s, then the depth at which the shoal
of fish is located would be

A. 900 m
B. 1 125 m
C. 1 800 m
D. 2 250 m

19. An electric charge in uniform motion produces

A. an electric field only.

B. a magnetic field only.
C. both electric and magnetic fields.
D. neither electric nor magnetic field.

Refer to the information given below to answer Questions 20 and 21.

A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth causes a potential difference of 109 V
which results in the movement of 40 C of charge in a time of 10-2 s.

20. The average current produced by a flash of lightning in ampere, would be

A. 0.4
B. 40
C. 400
D. 4 000

21. The energy transferred in J, would be

A. 4 x 109
B. 4 x 1010
C. 4 x 1011
D. 4 x 1012

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

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22. A current of 2.0 A passing through a conductor produces 80 J of heat in 10 seconds.

The resistance of the conductor would be

A. 0.5
B. 1.0
C. 2.0
D. 4.0

23. When 1014 electrons are removed from a neutral metal sphere, the charge on the sphere
becomes

A. 32 μC
B. 16 μC
C. -16 μC
D. -32 μC

24. The wire shown in the diagram below is to be moved through a magnetic field. Which one
of the possible directions of movement shown in the diagram would induce the largest
voltage ?
I
wire
N S
IV
II
III

A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV

25. Coils X and Y have 400 and 80 turns respectively. Both coils are moved in a uniform
magnetic field so that they cut through the magnetic flux at the same rate. The ratio of the
emf induced in Y to that in X would be

A. 1:1
B. 1:5
C. 5:1
D. 10 : 1

Turn Over
© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 10.

Refer to the information below to answer Questions 26 to 28.

The section XY of a conductor moving with a velocity v across a uniform magnetic field is
shown below.

X Y

26. The motion of the conductor causes a magnetic force to act on the free electrons in the
conductor. The movement of the electrons in the conductor would be

A. towards X
B. towards Y
C. in the direction of the velocity v
D. opposite the direction of the velocity v

27. The free electrons will continue to move until the magnetic force is balanced by an equal
and opposite force. The origin of the opposing force would be

A. electron repulsion.
B. the force moving the conductor.
C. the magnetic properties of the conductor.
D. the movement of positive charges in the conductor.

28. Which one of the following changes would not affect the magnitude of the voltage induced
by the motion of the conductor ?

A. decreasing the length of the conductor

B. increasing the velocity of the conductor
C. reversing the direction of the magnetic field
D. increasing the strength of the magnetic field

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

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SECTION B [72 marks]

There are seven questions in this section. Questions 1 to 6 are all compulsory and are worth
10 marks each. Question 7 has four options. Answer only one option. Question 7 is worth 12
marks.

QUESTION 1

(a) A 100 kg object hanging from the ceiling is pulled to the right by a force F as
shown below.

30°
string

F
100 kg

If the system is in a state of equilibrium, calculate :

(i) the force F. (1 mark)

(ii) the tension in the string joining the mass to the ceiling. (1 mark)

(b) A duck flying due North at 15 m/s passes over a place where the magnetic field
of the earth is 5 x 10-5 T in a direction 60° below a horizontal line running North
and South. If the duck has a positive charge of 4 x 10-8 C, calculate the magnetic
force acting on the duck. (2 marks)

(c) A stone is thrown straight upward with a speed of 20 m/s. It is caught on its way
down at a point 5.0 m above, relative to where it was thrown from.

20 m/s 5.0 m

(i) How fast was it going when it was caught ? (1 mark)

(ii) How long did the trip take ? (1 mark)

Turn Over
© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 12.

SECTION B (continued)

(d) The diagram given below shows an electric current of 1.5 A entering a parallel
connection of resistors.
2

1.5 A

8
Calculate :

(i) the current that flows through the 8 resistor.

(ii) the power dissipated in the 2 resistor. (2 marks)

(e) An object 10 cm high is placed 15 cm from a convex spherical mirror with a

radius of curvature of 40 cm.

(i) Determine the position of the image from the mirror by use of formulae
or otherwise.

(ii) Determine the height of the image formed by the spherical mirror. (2 marks)

QUESTION 2

(a) The graph shown below describes the motion of a car on a straight highway.
Displacement/Time Graph

Displacement
(m)
500

400

300

200

100

0
5 10 15 20 25 30 Time (s)

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(i) What would be the car’s velocity in the first 5 seconds ? (1 mark)

(ii) Determine the car’s velocity for the 10 seconds to the 25 seconds interval. (1 mark)

(iii) Plot a Velocity / Time graph in your Answer Book to describe the car’s
motion for the 30 seconds interval. (2 marks)

(b) A cat of mass 4 kg jumps off a cliff with an initial vertical velocity of 2 m/s
onto a platform situated 5 m below the cliff as shown below.

2 m/s

5m

Platform

After touching the platform, the cat is bounced into the air to a vertical
height of 4 m.

(i) Calculate the kinetic energy of the cat as it hits the platform. (2 marks)

(ii) The spring attached to the platform is compressed as the cat hits the
platform. Determine the compression of the spring if its spring constant
is 200 N/m. (2 marks)

(iii) How much energy is lost as the cat bounces off the platform ? (2 marks)

QUESTION 3

(a) An 80 kg metal cylinder, 2 m long with each end of area 25 cm2, stands
vertically on one end. What pressure, in N/m2, does the cylinder exert on the
floor ? (2 marks)

(b) A 500 g mass falls from a height of 100 m. If all the energy lost by the mass can
be totally harnessed, determine the mass, in kg, of ice at 0 ºC that can be melted
by this energy. (Latent heat of fusion of H2O is 335 000 J/kg.) (2 marks)

Turn Over
© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 14.

SECTION B (continued)

(c) The diagram below shows straight ripples being generated by a wave generator
in a ripple tank. A flat glass plate is placed at one side of the tank to make the
water above the plate shallower. The tank is represented by sections A and B.
V m/s (not drawn to scale)

Wave
Generator

A B
(i) Is the glass plate situated in section A or B of the ripple tank ?
State a reason for your answer. (1 mark)

(ii) If the frequency of the ripples in section B is 0.07 Hz and the wavelength
is 3 cm, determine the frequency of the ripples in section A. (1 mark)

(iii) If the wavelength of the ripples in section A is 2 cm, find the speed of the
ripples in both sections of the tank. (1 mark)

(d) A Young’s experiment is performed in a laboratory using the apparatus shown

below. The monochromatic light used in the experiment has a wavelength λ.

P
X
M
O
N
Lamp

Screen

(i) What would be seen at point O on the screen ? (1 mark)

(ii) If P is a point such that NP – MP = ½ λ, determine what will be

observed at P. (1 mark)

(iii) If the slit separation MN is 1 x 10-4 m and the length from the screen to
the slits is 2 m and the λ is 5 x 10-7 m, calculate the value of X in metres. (1 mark)

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

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QUESTION 4

(a) A 2 kg mass A moves at 8 ms-1 in a direction 30° below East while another
mass B of mass 0.8 kg moves at v ms-1 in a direction 60° above East. The two
approach each other and collide after which they are stuck together and move
East at a speed of 7 ms-1 as shown below.

Calculate the velocity of mass B before the collision. (2 marks)

(b) The figure shown below represents a 50 Hz wave on a string. Take distance yo to
be 3.0 mm and distance AE to be 30 cm.

A C E

yo

B D
Determine the wave’s :
(i) amplitude in metres.
(ii) wavelength in metres.
(iii) speed in m/s (3 marks)

(c) A ray of light is incident upon a mirror and is reflected so that the angle between
the incident and the reflected ray is 30º. If the mirror is rotated to decrease the
angle of incidence by 1º, determine the new angle of reflection from the normal. (2 marks)

(d) A small metal block of mass 74 g is heated in an oven to 90° C. It is then taken
from the oven and immediately put in a calorimeter, which is insulated to prevent
heat losses. The calorimeter contains 300 g of water at 10° C. The heat capacity
of the calorimeter is negligible and the final temperature is 14° C. Calculate the
specific heat capacity of the metal block.
(Specific heat capacity of water is 4 200 J/°C/kg) (3 marks)

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 16.

SECTION B (continued)

QUESTION 5

(a) A dentist holds a dental mirror of focal length 1.5 cm at a distance of 1.2 cm
from a patient’s tooth. Determine the magnification of the image of the tooth, if
the dental mirror has a concave surface. (2 marks)

(b) A velocity filter uses cross electric (E) and magnetic (B) fields to allow positively
charged protons of very high velocity to pass through without bending as shown
below. The mass of the proton is m = 1.67 x 10-27 kg and its charge is
qp= 1.6 x 10-19 C.

B into the page

proton
E into the page

(i) Determine the magnitude and direction of the electric force acting on the
proton as it passes through the crossed fields if E has strength of
4.8 x 106 Vm-1. (2 marks)

(ii) If the proton has a velocity of 2.8 x 107 m/s, calculate the strength of the
magnetic field required to make the proton pass through without
bending. (2 marks)

(c) An electron is injected into a region of uniform electric field of magnitude

E = 1 x 105 N/C as shown below.

Calculate the initial acceleration of the electron. (2 marks)

(d) A 120 V motor draws a current of 2 A while lifting a load at a speed of 0.65 m/s.
If the efficiency for transforming electrical energy into mechanical energy is 62%,
what mass is being lifted ?
(2 marks)

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

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QUESTION 6

(a) Georg Simon Ohm (1787 – 1854) formulated a law which is widely used in
Physics today.

(i) Clearly state Ohm’s Law. (1 mark)

(ii) Sketch a graph to show Ohm’s Law in your Answer Book. (1 mark)

(b) A magnet is brought near a coil of wire, North first, as shown below. The
galvanometer deflects as the magnet enters the coil.

Coil
v m/s
G

(i) On the diagram given in your Answer Book, draw the current, I, that
flows through the coil as a result of induction caused by the movement
of the magnet in the coil. (1 mark)

(ii) If the velocity of the magnet is increased to 2 v, how will this affect the
magnitude of the current ? (1 mark)

(c) A low-voltage outdoor lighting system uses an ideal transformer that steps the
240 V household voltage down to 24 V for safety reasons. The equivalent
resistance of all lamps is 9.6 Ω.

(i) Calculate the current in the secondary coil. (1 mark)

(ii) Determine the current in the primary coil. (1 mark)

(iii) How much power is used, neglecting losses in the transformer and line ? (1 mark)

(d) A wire carries a current of 22 A from East to West. At this location, the magnetic
field of the earth is horizontal and directed from South to North and has a
magnitude of 5 x 10-5 T.

(i) Determine the magnitude and direction of the force experienced by the
36 m long wire. (2 marks)

(ii) How does the force change if the current runs West to East ? (1 mark)

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 18.

SECTION B (continued)

QUESTION 7
There are four options in this question. Choose only one option and answer all the questions
in that option.

EITHER

OPTION I HOUSEHOLD PHYSICS

(a) A generator produces 30 kW of power at 6 000 V. The power is supplied to

consumers along cables which have resistance of 16 Ω.

(i) Calculate the current in the cables.

(ii) Determine the power loss in the cables during transmission.

(iii) Calculate the voltage drop between the ends of the cables. (3 marks)

(b) A 2 kW electric stove is used for 20 hours per week and a 100 W lamp in
the cooking area is lit up for cooking 20 hours per week.

(i) Determine the total energy consumed by the stove and the lamp
per week. (2 marks)

(ii) If each unit of electricity in kWh cost 20.5 cents, determine the
cost of electricity for operating the stove and lamp for one month. (2 marks)

(c) Shown below is a simple circuit with a lamp connected to a power supply.

Live

Switch
Neutral

(i) Identify one incorrect connection in the circuit. (1 mark)

(ii) Explain how the incorrect connection in (i) could be dangerous. (1 mark)

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.

 19.

(d) Shown below is a simple structure of an AC generator.

Y
X
Name the components labelled X, Y and Z. (3 marks)

OR

OPTION II ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICS

(a) State the uses of the following instruments at weather stations :
(i) Mercury thermometer
(ii) Stevenson screen
(iii) Anemometer
(iv) Wind vane (4 marks)

(b) A Fortin barometer, shown below, is used to measure atmospheric pressure. The
liquid in the barometer rises to a height, h, due to atmospheric pressure.

Vacuum

Reservoir

(i) What liquid is used in the Fortin barometer ? (1 mark)

(ii) What height, h, would the liquid rise in mm due to atmospheric

pressure ? (1 mark)

(c) Reactions on the Sun causes radiation of energy E at a rate of 4 x 1026 W. Some
of the mass m of the Sun is converted to energy E according to equation E = mc2.
Calculate how much matter the sun loses per second if c = 3 x 108 m/s. (2 marks)

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSLCE 2009 : PHYSICS.
 20.

SECTION B (continued)

(d) Name two weather phenomena that are a result of energy transfers occurring
in convection and radiation on the earth’s surface. (2 marks)

(e) Briefly describe how a warm front is formed. (2 marks)

OR

OPTION III ATOMIC PHYSICS

(a) The photoelectric work function for Cesium is 2.14 eV.
(i) Determine the maximum kinetic energy of the electrons ejected from
the surface of Cesium when light of λ = 546 nm is incident upon it. (2 marks)
(ii) Calculate the maximum speed of the electrons. (1 mark)

(b) Iodine -131 decays to Xenon -131 as shown below.

131 131
I Xe + Y
53 54
(i) How many neutrons are there in the Iodine -131 atom ? (1 mark)
(ii) Which radioactive decay does Y represent ? (1 mark)

(c) The principles of conservation of momentum and energy were used by

Rutherford in postulating his model of the atom. What did Rutherford
postulate using the above mentioned principles ? (1 mark)

(d) A graph of maximum kinetic energy against frequency for a particular substance
used in photoelectric cells is shown below.
Kinetic Energy / Frequency

K.E.
(eV)

f (Hz)

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(i) What will be the value of the gradient of the line shown above ? (1 mark)
(ii) What quantities do the x and y intercepts represent ? (2 marks)
(iii) How will the graph change if a different substance is used in the
photoelectric cell ? (1 mark)

(e) Strontium – 90 has a half-life of 28 years. What percentage of Strontium – 90

would be left undecayed 140 years after the decay commences ? (2 marks)

OR

OPTION IV ELECTRONICS
(a) Shown below is the truth table for an OR gate. A and B are the inputs and F is
the output.
A B F
0 0
0 1
1 0
1 1

Copy the table in your Answer Book and complete the output, F, column. (4 marks)

(b) Explain how junctions commonly known as pn junctions are made. (2 marks)

(c) A LED used as an off/on indicator has a supply voltage of 10 V as shown below.
10 V

2V

0V
If the LED has 2 V across it when 10 mA flows through it, calculate the
resistance of the resistor R designed to limit the current to 10 mA. (2 marks)

(d) Explain how and why “doping” of semiconductors is done. (2 marks)

(e) There are two current paths through a transistor. Name the two current paths. (2 marks)

THE END
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