Zambia School Certificate / GCE — Physics (5054)

A learner is about to heat a liquid in a test tube over a Bunsen flame. Which action is the correct laboratory safety practice?

• AWear safety goggles and a lab coat, and point the open end of the tube away from people
• BPoint the open end of the tube toward a classmate so they can see the colour change
• CRemove all labels from reagent bottles so the bench looks tidy
• DTaste a drop of the liquid to confirm it is the expected chemical

Which SI base unit is used for electric current?

• AVolt (V)
• BOhm (Ω)
• CAmpere (A)
• DCoulomb (C)

Which instrument is most suitable for measuring the diameter of a thin copper wire to 0.01 mm?

• AMetre rule
• BMeasuring tape
• CVernier calipers
• DMicrometer screw gauge

A stone has mass 240 g and volume 80 cm³. What is its density?

• A3.0 g/cm³
• B0.33 g/cm³
• C19.2 g/cm³
• D320 g/cm³

A minibus travels at 72 km/h. What is this speed in metres per second?

• A20 m/s
• B12 m/s
• C72 m/s
• D200 m/s

Which quantity is a scalar?

• ADisplacement
• BVelocity
• CForce
• DSpeed

A simple pendulum completes 25 full oscillations in 50 s. What is its period?

• A2.0 s
• B0.50 s
• C25 s
• D1250 s

In measurement, what does high precision mean?

• AEvery reading is very close to the true value, even if the readings are scattered
• BRepeated readings of the same quantity agree closely with one another
• CThe instrument has a large range, regardless of its scale divisions
• DThe experimenter has used the largest possible measuring instrument

In the solar system, which statement is correct?

• APlanets orbit the Sun, and the Moon orbits the Earth
• BThe Moon is a star that emits its own visible light
• CThe Earth is at the centre and the Sun orbits the Earth once a year
• DAll planets have the same orbital period around the Sun

From the surface inward, what is the correct order of the Earth’s main layers?

• ACrust, mantle, outer core, inner core
• BMantle, crust, inner core, outer core
• CInner core, crust, mantle, outer core
• DCrust, outer core, mantle, inner core

In which layer of the Earth’s atmosphere does almost all weather occur?

• AStratosphere
• BMesosphere
• CThermosphere
• DTroposphere

Kariba Dam generates electricity from water stored at height. Which energy resource is this?

• AA renewable hydroelectric resource
• BA non-renewable fossil-fuel resource
• CA nuclear-fission resource
• DA geothermal resource that uses Earth’s internal heat

A cyclist travels 450 m in 15 s at constant speed. What is the speed?

• A30 m/s
• B15 m/s
• C435 m/s
• D6750 m/s

A learner walks 40 m due east and then 40 m due west in a total time of 20 s. Which statement is correct?

• ADistance travelled is 80 m and average speed is 4.0 m/s
• BDisplacement is 80 m east and average velocity is 4.0 m/s east
• CDistance travelled is 0 m because the learner returned to the start
• DAverage velocity is 4.0 m/s west

A car speeds up uniformly from 8.0 m/s to 20 m/s in 4.0 s. What is its acceleration?

• A3.0 m/s²
• B5.0 m/s²
• C7.0 m/s²
• D12 m/s²

A trolley has initial velocity u = 5.0 m/s and uniform acceleration a = 2.0 m/s². What is its velocity after 6.0 s?

• A7.0 m/s
• B12 m/s
• C17 m/s
• D30 m/s

A runner starts at u = 5.0 m/s and accelerates uniformly at 2.0 m/s² for 6.0 s. How far does the runner travel in that time?

• A30 m
• B36 m
• C42 m
• D66 m

What physical quantity is given by the area under a speed–time graph?

• AAcceleration
• BDistance travelled
• CAverage speed
• DResultant force

On a speed–time graph, what does the gradient represent?

• ADistance travelled
• BMass of the object
• CAcceleration
• DKinetic energy

A stone is dropped from rest from a bridge 20 m above a river. Take g = 10 m/s² and ignore air resistance. What is its speed just as it reaches the water?

• A10 m/s
• B14 m/s
• C20 m/s
• D200 m/s

A book rests on a table. Which statement is an example of Newton’s first law of motion?

• AThe book remains at rest because the resultant force on it is zero
• BThe book’s weight is twice its mass
• CThe book will accelerate if its mass increases
• DThe table does no force on the book

A resultant force of 12 N acts on a 4.0 kg trolley on a smooth horizontal track. What is the acceleration of the trolley?

• A3.0 m/s²
• B0.33 m/s²
• C8.0 m/s²
• D48 m/s²

A spring obeys Hooke’s law. A force of 6.0 N extends it by 3.0 cm. What is the spring constant k?

• A0.50 N/m
• B2.0 N/m
• C18 N/m
• D200 N/m

A 2.0 kg mass moves in a horizontal circle of radius 2.0 m at 4.0 m/s. What is the centripetal force required?

• A4.0 N
• B8.0 N
• C16 N
• D32 N

A force of 20 N acts perpendicular to a door at 0.40 m from the hinge. What is the moment of the force about the hinge?

• A8.0 N m
• B20 N m
• C50 N m
• D0.020 N m

A uniform light beam is pivoted at its centre. A 40 N weight hangs 0.75 m to the left of the pivot. What downward force 0.50 m to the right of the pivot keeps the beam in equilibrium?

• A30 N
• B40 N
• C60 N
• D75 N

A cone stands on its broad base on a horizontal table. How is this equilibrium described?

• AUnstable, because the centre of mass is as high as possible
• BNeutral, because any tilt leaves the centre of mass at the same height
• CStable, because a small tilt raises the centre of mass, which then tends to fall back
• DNot in equilibrium, because the weight is non-zero

A driver’s thinking distance is the distance travelled during reaction time. Which statement is correct for the same reaction time on a dry, level road?

• AThinking distance is independent of speed
• BThinking distance is proportional to speed
• CThinking distance is proportional to speed squared
• DThinking distance is inversely proportional to speed

A constant force of 50 N pushes a crate 3.0 m along a rough floor in the direction of the force. How much work does the force do?

• A17 J
• B47 J
• C150 J
• D150 N

What is the kinetic energy of a 2.0 kg ball moving at 5.0 m/s?

• A5.0 J
• B10 J
• C25 J
• D50 J

A 4.0 kg sack is lifted vertically through 5.0 m at constant speed. Take g = 10 N/kg. What is the gain in gravitational potential energy?

• A2.0 J
• B20 J
• C200 J
• D2000 J

A stone is thrown vertically upward at 20 m/s. Take g = 10 m/s² and ignore air resistance. What is the maximum height reached?

• A10 m
• B20 m
• C40 m
• D200 m

A machine does 600 J of work in 12 s. What is its power output?

• A0.020 W
• B50 W
• C588 W
• D7200 W

A pulley system is used to lift a load. The useful work done on the load is 240 J and the work done by the effort is 400 J. What is the efficiency of the system?

• A60%
• B40%
• C67%
• D167%

What is the momentum of a 3.0 kg trolley moving at 8.0 m/s?

• A2.7 kg m/s
• B5.0 kg m/s
• C11 kg m/s
• D24 kg m/s

A 4.0 kg trolley moving at 6.0 m/s collides with a stationary 2.0 kg trolley. They stick together. What is their common speed immediately after the collision?

• A2.0 m/s
• B3.0 m/s
• C4.0 m/s
• D12 m/s

A machine lifts a 240 N load with an effort of 80 N. What is its mechanical advantage?

• A3.0
• B0.33
• C160
• D320

Which device is a simple machine that multiplies force by applying a moment about a pivot?

• AA dry cell
• BA thermocouple
• CA transformer
• DA lever

A box of weight 200 N stands on a floor. The area of contact is 0.050 m². What pressure does the box exert on the floor?

• A10 Pa
• B4000 Pa
• C10 000 Pa
• D4.0 Pa

What is the hydrostatic pressure at a depth of 2.5 m in water? Take density of water = 1000 kg/m³ and g = 10 N/kg.

• A250 Pa
• B4000 Pa
• C25 000 Pa
• D25 000 N

In a hydraulic jack, a force of 200 N is applied to a piston of area 0.010 m². The load piston has area 0.20 m². If the liquid is incompressible and friction is neglected, what load can be lifted?

• A10 N
• B200 N
• C4000 N
• D40 000 N

A metal block hangs from a spring balance, first in air and then fully immersed in water. The balance reading is smaller in water. Why?

• AWater exerts an upthrust equal to the weight of water displaced
• BThe mass of the block decreases when it is in water
• CGravity is weaker below the water surface
• DThe density of the metal becomes equal to the density of water

Brownian motion of smoke particles in air is evidence that

• Aair molecules are at rest except when a fan is on
• Bsmoke particles are continuously bombarded by fast-moving air molecules
• Csmoke particles are charged and repel one another
• Dair has no mass

A laboratory thermometer reads 27 °C. What is this temperature on the kelvin scale?

• A27 K
• B246 K
• C273 K
• D300 K

Why is a thermocouple thermometer often preferred to a mercury-in-glass thermometer for a rapidly changing furnace temperature?

• AA thermocouple has a much smaller thermal capacity and can be used over a wider range
• BMercury-in-glass thermometers cannot be calibrated at all
• CA thermocouple contains no metals
• DMercury expands only when it is cooled

Why does ice form first on the surface of a pond rather than at the bottom?

• AWater has its maximum density at about 4 °C, so colder water stays near the surface
• BIce is denser than liquid water and therefore sinks as soon as it forms
• CThe bottom of a pond is always above 100 °C
• DConduction in water is faster than convection

A fixed mass of gas is kept at constant temperature. Its pressure is 200 kPa when its volume is 30 cm³. What is the volume when the pressure is 100 kPa?

• A15 cm³
• B30 cm³
• C60 cm³
• D6000 cm³

A fixed mass of gas is kept at constant pressure. Its volume is 120 cm³ at 27 °C. What is its volume at 87 °C?

• A100 cm³
• B1600 cm³
• C387 cm³
• D144 cm³