PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

FORM THREE
MID-TERM EXAMINATION
PHYSICS
TIME: 03:00HRS MARCH,2024.
INSTRUCTIONS
 This paper consists of section A, B and C.
 Answer all questions in section A and B and only two (2) questions from section C
 Where necessary the following constants may be used.
 Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 10m/s2
 Density of water = 1000kg/m3
 Specific heat capacity of water = 4200J/Kg. K
 Specific heat capacity of copper = 400J/Kg
SECTION A (16 MARKS)
1. For each of the following items (i-x) choose the correct answer from among the given
alternatives and write its letter beside the item number in the answer sheet provided.
i. A student wishes to measure a length of accuracy of 0.1mm, the suitable instrument
for the measurement is
A. A meter ruler
B. A Vernier caliper
C. Micrometer screw gauge
D. Tape measure
ii. Action and reaction forces never cancel each other because
A. They act on different objects
B. They are in the same direction
C. They are parallel forces
D. They obeyed Newton’s law of motion
iii. A body weighs 3.6N in air and 2.4N in water. The relative density of the body is
A. 3
B. 0.3
C. 2
D. 20
iv. Which of the following are non-magnetic metals;
A. Iron and Steel
B. Nickel and Cobalt
C. Zinc and Steel
D. Zinc and Aluminum
 v. A body moved upward a distance of 20m. Calculate the time taken to reach maximum
height
A. 2s
B. 5s
C. 10s
D. 15s
vi. Which of the following is pair of scalar quantities?
A. Distance and Velocity
B. Displacement and Acceleration
C. Speed and Distance
D. Displacement and Velocity
vii. A bus carrying a very big load on its carriers can easy overturn because:
A. It cannot run fast
B. Its equilibrium is stable
C. Its Centre of gravity is low
D. Its Centre of gravity is high
viii. In light experiment, the results showed that the less light was transmitted and the
image was distorted. Which type of material was used?
A. A translucent material
B. An opaque material
C. A luminous material
D. A transparent material
ix. Why mercury preferred in clinical thermometers as a thermometric of a liquid to
water and alcohol
A. It is more sensitive to temperature
B. It is active and does not wet glass
C. It is poor conductor of heat
D. It is denser than other liquids
x. A student wishes to find volume of irregular stone. Which resources are needed?
A. Measuring cylinder, water and thread
B. Measuring cylinder only
C. Measuring cylinder and water only
D. Meter rule and measuring cylinder
2. Match the items in list A with the correspondence in list B by writing the letter of correct
response beside the item number
List A List B
i. Uniform velocity A. Speed
ii. Uniform acceleration B. Distance
iii. When a body is thrown vertically C. Displacement
upwards D. The final velocity at turning point is
iv. The gradient of speed-time graph zero
v. Total distance covered per total E. Acceleration is zero
time taken F. The slope of velocity-time graph
 vi. When a body is released from a G. Average velocity
certain height H. Initial velocity

SECTION B (54 MARKS)

Answer all questions
3. a) i) Differentiate the term centre of gravity from centre of mass
ii) Briefly explain why racing cars should have wide wheels tracks
b) i) Briefly explain why should a mechanics choose a long spanner to undo tight nut?
ii) A uniform half-meter rule is freely pivoted at the 15cm mark and balances horizontally
when a body of mass 60kg is hang at the 10cm from mark. Calculate the mass of half meter
ruler
4. a) i) The laboratory is always designed to have a rough surface. What do you think is the
reason for this?
ii) A wooden block of mass 4kg is rested on horizontal surface whose coefficient of friction
with the plane is 0.6. The block is pulled by a string which can withstand a tension 22N
before it brakes. Determine whether the block will move
b) i) Define the term relative velocity
ii) The speed of car B relative to A is 8m/s when two cars are moving in the same direction
and 28m/s when two cars moving in opposite direction. Determine the speed of each car.
5. a) Form two students at a certain school are confused the term “heat and temperature” you as
a form three students help them to differentiate the two terms by giving four reasons.
b) Explain why during construction of railway line an engineer prefer to leave gaps between
two successive rail bar.
c) i) Define the coefficient of linear expansivity
ii) A copper pipe of length 100cm at 100C increases its length by 0.15% when a stream at
1000C passes through. Find the coefficient of linear expansivity of copper pipe.
6. a) i) Outline factors which determine pressure in liquid
ii) How gas exerts pressure
b) A stone of mass 2kg is release from a height of 2m above the ground find
i) Total energy
ii) Potential energy at height of 0.3m from the ground
iii) K.E at height of 0.5m from the ground
iv) Velocity acquired at 0.5m from the ground
7. a) Explain the following observation:
i) Cork is placed between the double walls of the refrigerating chamber
ii) A good cooking vessel should be black on the outside and not shiny white.
b) A pulley system has three grooves (pulleys) of which one are free movable
i) Sketch the pulley system
ii) What is the velocity ratio of the machine?
 iii) If the system is 80% efficient, what load can be lifted by an effort of 600N
8. a) i) What is absolute zero temperature
ii) State three areas where bimetallic strips can be used
iii) State three gas laws
b) i) A gas in a fixed volume container has a pressure of 1.5X105Pa at a temperature of 270C.
what will be the volume of the gas if the container is heated to the temperature of 227 0C?
ii) A solid cube has dimension 20cm at 200C. To what temperature must the cube be heated
for its volume to become 8000.02cm3? Take linear expansity of solid cube to be 1.1X10-5K-1

SECTION C (30 MARKS)

9. a) Define the following terms
i) Anomalous expansion of water
ii) Volume expansivity of a liquid
iii) Heat convection
iv) Heat conduction
b) Two boys were grazing cows along a road. Unfortunately, a heifer fell into a trench and
was unable to get out. The boys used two copes to pull the heifer out of trench if one pulled
horizontally with a force of 120N and the other pulled at an angle of 30o to the first boy with
force of 240N.
i) Determine the resultant force of the boys onto the heifer.
ii) Name and state two possible helpful laws could be used to determine the resultant
force.
10. a) Why electrical cables are left sagging during installation?
b) the diagram below show a bimetallic thermostat used to regulate a cooler and heater in a
class room. It consists a brass of linear expansivity 18.9x10-4K-1 and iron of linear
expansivity 10.2x10-4K-1. To keep the temperature in the room constant, which of the two
devices A or B should be the heater? Explain your answer
Brass
A

B
Iron

c) Three beakers are of identical size and shape; one beaker is painted matt black, one is dull
white and one is gloss white. The beakers are filled with boiling water
i) In which beaker will the water cool mostly quickly? Give a reason
ii) State a process in addition to conduction, convection and radiation by which heat energy
will be lost from the beaker