WASSCE 2020 – PHYSICS 2
PAPER 2 1 ½ hours
ESSAY
[60 marks]
Answer eight questions in all; five questions from Part I and three questions from Part II.
PART I
[15 marks]
Answer any five questions from this part.
All questions carry equal marks.
1. A varying force F applied to a spring produces corresponding extension e, in the spring.
(a) State two quantities that can be deduced from a graph of F against e within the elastic limit of the spring.
(b) Show how any of the quantities stated in (a) could be obtained from the graph.
2. (a) State two dangers associated with improper use of lasers.
(b) State one safe way of using lasers.
3. Give the reason for using
(a) steel as a compass needle.
(b) soft iron as a core of electromagnets.
4. The electrical resistance of a semiconductor decreases with increase in
temperature. Use the band theory to explain this observation.
5. A bullet is fired from a gun at 30° to the horizontal. The bullet remains in flight
for 25 s before touching the ground. Calculate the velocity of projection.
[g = l0m s-2]
6. A satellite launched with velocity VE just escapes the earth’s gravitational
attraction. Given that the radius of the earth is R, show that 𝑉𝐸 = √2𝐺𝑀/𝑅
7. (a) What is a black body?
(b) Sketch the graphs of intensity against wavelength for a black body
radiations at temperatures 1000 K and 2000 K on the same axes.
PART II
[45 marks]
Answer three questions from this part.
All questions carry equal marks.
8. (a) (i) Define friction.
(ii) State two situations each for which friction is considered to be:
(α) desirable;
(β) undesirable.
(b) (i) State the two conditions fulfilled by a body undergoing simple
harmonic motion.
(ii) A pendulum of length 130.0 cm has a period of oscillation, T1.
The bob is pulled and released to move in a horizontal circle of radius
50.0 cm. If the period of rotation is T2, calculate the
ratio T1: T2.
[g = 10m s-2, Π =3.142]
(c) A lorry and a car with the same kinetic energy are brought to rest by
application of equal retarding forces. Explain why the two vehicles will
cover the same distance before coming to rest.
9. (a) (i) Explain magnetic saturation.
(ii) State two methods of demagnetizing a magnet
(b) (i) Define electrical power.
(ii) An electric heating coil of resistance R is immersed in 1 kg of
water at 20 °C. The coil is connected in series with a resistor
Y across a 240 V mains supply. The temperature of the water
rises to the boiling point in 10 minutes. When Y is disconnected,
the time taken for the 1 kg of water at the same temperature to
boil is reduced to 6 minutes. Neglecting all heat losses, calculate
the resistance RY of Y.
[Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J kg-1 K-1]
(c) (i) State and explain the effect of doubling the number of turns of
the coil without changing the frequency of rotation on the output
voltage of an ac. generator.
(ii) Illustrate the effect in (i) on a graph of e.m.f. against time for one
complete rotation.
10. (a) (i) Define a wave.
(ii) Differentiate between transverse waves and longitudinal waves.
(b) A source of sound of frequency 550 Hz emits waves of wavelength
600 mm in air at 20 °C. Calculate the:
(i) speed of sound at this temperature;
(ii) wavelength of the sound at 0 °C
(c) State:
(i) three defects of the eye;
(ii) the type of lens used to correct each of the defects stated in (i).
(d) State one:
(i) advantage of using a convex mirror as a driving mirror:
(ii) disadvantage of using a convex mirror as a driving mirror.
11. (a) In an experiment to measure the specific latent heat of vaporization of water, a
student places a heater in a beaker containing water. The beaker stands on an
electronic balance so that the mass of the beaker and water could be measured.
The heater is switched on and the reading taken every 100 s when the water
starts boiling. The table below shows the readings.
(i) Copy and complete the table.
(ii) Given that the heater supplies energy at the rate of 38 J s-1, add to your
table, values of the energy supplied by the heater in 100 s. 200 s, 300 s
and 400 s.
(iii) Plot a graph of energy supplied on the vertical axis and mass of water evaporated on the horizontal axis,
starting both axes from the origin (0, 0)
(iv) Determine the slope of the graph.
(v) What does the value of the slope mean?
(b) (i) Explain what is meant by saturated vapor pressure.
(ii) State the factor that affects saturated vapor pressure.
12. (a) (i) Explain the statement light is quantized.
(ii) Define work function
iii) Light of frequency 8.41×1014Hz is incident on a metal surface. Electrons with a maximum speed of
7.5×105 ms−1 are ejected from the surface. Calculate the threshold frequency for photo emission of
electrons. Also find the work function of the metal in electron volt (eV). [mass of the electron 9.1×10−31Kg]
[h = 6.6 x l0-34 Js
b) Define each of the following terms:
(i) Atomic number;
(ii) Mass number.
(c) Radon has mass number 222 and atomic number 86. Radon decays by
emitting two beta particles to form radium - 222.
Write:
(i) the symbol for radon nuclide
(ii) an equation to represent the decay process.
(d) State three properties of x-rays.
