THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE,
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
NJOMBE REGION

FORM SIX PRE – NATIONAL EXAMINATION

CODE: 131/1 PHYSICS 1
(For Both School and Private Candidates)

TIME: 03: 00 HOURS MONDAY, 11TH March 2024 P.M

INSTRUCTIONS
1. This paper consists of ten (10) questions in section A and B.
2. Answer all questions in section A and two (2) questions from section B.
3. Mathematical tables and non-programmable calculators may be used.
4. The following information may be useful; -
(i) Acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.8ms-2

(ii) Pie, 𝜋 = 3.14

(iii) Voltage drop across silicon diode VD=0.7V
SECTION A (70 marks)
Answer all questions from this section
1. (a) (i) How does understanding dimensions enhance problem solving skills in physics?
(2 marks)
(ii) Explain how dimensional analysis aids in verifying the correctness of equation in
physics (4 marks)
𝑙
(b) An experiment was done to find acceleration due to gravity g using the formula 𝑇 = 2𝜋√𝑔

where T(periodic time)=2.22seconds, length of the pendulum L=121.5cm, acceleration due

to gravity g, is 10m/s2. Given that the error due to meter rule is 0.005cm, error due to
stopwatch is 0.1 seconds If the stopwatch loses 2 seconds on every 4 minutes, determine the
error in measurement of acceleration due to gravity. (4 marks)

2. (a) (i) Explain how you would approach problem solving in scenarios involving projectile
motion. (2 marks)
(ii) A package of medical supplies is released from a small plane flying over an isolated
jungle settlement. The plane flies horizontally with speed of 20m/s at an altitude of 20m.
Where will the package strike the ground? (4 marks)
(b) (i) While catching a ball, a cricket player lowers his hands. Explain. (1 mark)
(ii) Find the acceleration and tension of the system of masses neglecting the mass of the rope
and the inertia of the pull if the friction between 50g and surface of the plane is 0.032.
(3 marks)
3. (a) (i) Briefly explain why does a motorbike rider bend while going around a corner?
(1 mark)
(ii) A car is travelling round a bend in a road at a constant speed of 22m/s. The driver
moves along a circular path of radius 25m.Explain why although the speed of the
driver is constant, his velocity is not constant (2 marks)
(b) (i) An object of mass 0.5kg is rotated in a horizontal circle by a string 1m long.
The maximum tension in the string before it breaks is 50N. What is the greatest
number of revolutions per second of the object? (3 marks)
(ii)The moon completes one revolution in a circular orbit around earth in 27.3 days. Calculate
the acceleration of the moon towards the earth. The radius of the circular orbit ca be taken as
3.85x105 km. (4 marks)
4. (a) The gravitational potential energy of a body on the surface of the earth is −6.5x106 Joules.
What does it meant by this statement? (4 marks)
(b) Determine the speed with which the earth would have to rotate on its axis so that a body
3
placed at latitude 60o would weigh (4)th of its weight without rotation, provided that the
radius of the earth Re is 6400km. (6 marks)
5. (a) (i) Explain why at least two fixed points are required to define a temperature scale.
(2 marks)
(ii) Mention the type of thermometer which is mostly suitable for calibration and what
are the two advantages and two disadvantages of the thermometer mentioned.
(3 marks)
(b) (i) Explain why in cold countries, windows of modern buildings are double gazed?
(2 marks)
(ii) A spherical blackbody of radius 12cm radiates 450W at 500K. If the radius of a
spherical black body were halved and temperature were doubled. What will be the
power radiated? (3 marks)

6. (a) (i) Why is it preferred to purchase a cooking utensil of low specific heat capacity?
(3 marks)
(ii) How does a fish survive in a pond during an extreme winter season even if the pond
is deep frozen on the surface? (3 marks)
(b) A sample of n moles of an ideal gas undergoes an isothermal expansion. Sketch the PV graph
showing this change, then find the heat flow into the gas in terms of initial volume, final
volume and temperature. (4 marks)

7. (a) What are the factors that influence the velocities of P- and S- waves? (4 marks)

(b) Explain the characteristics property of seismic waves which is used to locate discontinuities
in the earth’s surface crust. (4 marks)
SECTION B (30 marks)
Answer any two (2) questions from this section
1 1
8. (a) The charge flowing in a conductor varies with time as 𝑞 = 𝑎𝑡 − 2 𝑏𝑡 2 + 6 𝑐𝑡 3 where a,b and

C are positive constants. Find

(i) Initial current (2 marks)
(ii) The time after which the current reaches the maximum value (2 marks)
(iii) The maximum or minimum value of current. (2 marks)

(b) A load of 2000Ω is connected via potential divider of resistance 4000Ω to a 10V supply.
What is the potential difference across the load when slider is
(i) One quarter. (2 marks)
(ii) Half way up the divider? (2 marks)
(c) (i) What do you understand by the term node as applied to electric circuit? (1 mark)
(ii) Find the reading on the high resistance voltmeter V on the figure 02. (4 marks)

9. (a) (i) Outline three reasons to why silicon is more preferred semiconductor than
Germanium. (3 marks)

(ii) What is meant by leakage current? (1 mark)

(b) (i) Which property of a semiconductor diode permits it to be used as a rectifier?
(3 marks)
(ii) Determine the currents I1 ,I2 and ID2 for the network shown below. Given VD=0.7V
(3 marks)
(c) (i) Calculate 𝐼𝐸 in a transistor for which 𝛽 = 50 and IB=20𝜇𝐴. (2 marks)
(ii) In a transistor circuit, collector load is 4𝑘𝛺 whereas quiescent (zero signal) collector
currents is 1mA. Find the operating point if Vcc=10V. What will be the operating
point if Rc=5𝑘𝛺? (3 marks)

10. (a) (i) How would you approach designing a simple digital circuit to solve a specific
problem, considering both functionality and efficiency? (3 marks)
(ii) How does the use of NOR gates contribute the effectiveness of a burglar alarm
circuit? (3 marks)
(b) (i) Distinguish between inverting OP-Amp and non-inverting OP-Amp (2 marks)
(ii) Give one application of each type of OP-Amp described in part (i) (2 marks)
(c) (i) Identify three basic elements of communication system. (3 marks)
(ii) An audio signal of 1 kHz is used to modulate a carrier of 500Hz. Find its sideband
frequencies and its bandwidth required. (2 marks)