LIU PO SHAN MEMORIAL COLLEGE

2010-2011
First Term Examination

Secondary FOUR
PHYSICS

Date: 11-1-2011
Time Allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes

Class: Name: ( ) Marks:

Question-Answer Book
This paper must be answered in English.

1 Write your Name, Class and Class number in the spaces provided on this cover.

2 This paper consists of TWO sections, Section A and Section B. Section A carries 40 marks
and Section B carries 60 marks.

3 Answer ALL questions in each section. Write your answers of Section A in the MC answer
sheet and the answers of Section B in the spaces provided in this Question-Answer Book.

4 Unless otherwise specified, numerical answers should be either exact or correct to 3

significant figures.

5 Take g = 10 m s-2.

1
 Useful formulae in Physics

(a) Relationships between initial velocity u, uniform acceleration a, final velocity v

and displacement travelled s after time t:

v = u + at
1
s = ut + at 2
2
2 2
v = u + 2as

(b) Potential energy gained by a body of mass m when raised through a height h is
mgh.

1 2
(c) Kinetic energy of a body of mass m moving with speed v is mv .
2

(d) Power = force × velocity

Section A Multiple-choice questions (40 marks)

1 The apparatus shown below is used to measure the specific heat capacity of a liquid. Which of the
following can be done to improve the accuracy of the experiment?

(1) Take the final temperature of the liquid immediately after the power supply is switched off.
(2) Cover the cup with a lid.
(3) Totally immerse the heating element of the heater into the liquid.
A (1) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)

2 It takes 12 s for a 200-W heater to raise the temperature of a liquid of 1 kg by 1 °C. Which of the
following statements is/are correct?
(1) It takes one minute to raise the temperature of the liquid by 5 °C.
(2) The specific heat capacity of the liquid is 2400 J kg−1 °C−1.
(3) If the mass of the liquid is 2 kg, a 400-W heater should be used to raise the temperature of the
liquid by 1 °C in 6 s.
A (1) only
B (1) and (2) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)

2
3 Two solids X and Y of identical mass are heated separately by heaters of equal power. The graphs
below show the variation of their temperatures with time. Heating stops when the solids attain the
final temperature T1.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(1) The specific latent heat of fusion of X is larger than that of Y.
(2) The specific heat capacity of liquid X is larger than that of liquid Y.
(3) When heating stops, the average KE of the particles of X and that of Y are about the same.
A (1) only
B (2) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)

Which of the surfaces shown above is best at:

absorbing heat radiation emitting heat radiation reflecting heat radiation
A white white silvery
B white silvery dull black
C dull black white white
D dull black dull black silvery

5 Peter and Mary, of masses 50 kg and 20 kg respectively, stand on two stationary trolleys on a
smooth horizontal floor. They pull at each end of a string. The mass of each trolley is
10 kg.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

(1) The tension pulling Mary is the same as the tension pulling Peter.
(2) The acceleration of Mary is twice the acceleration of Peter.
(3) If the string breaks suddenly, the speed of Mary is twice the speed of Peter.
A (1) only
B (1) and (2) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)

3
6 The graph of kinetic energy of a body against the square of its velocity is shown in the figure below.
What is the momentum of the body when its velocity is 3 m s−1?

A 6 kg m s−1
B 12 kg m s−1
C 18 kg m s−1
D Cannot be determined as the mass of the body is unknown.

7 Mass A of 10 kg and mass B of 15 kg are connected by a light inelastic string passing

over a smooth pulley. Initially mass A is on the ground while mass B is hung 10 m
above the ground. Mass B is then released.
What is the greatest height reached by mass A?

A 10 m B 12 m C 13 m D 15 m

8 A rectangular block is projected up a rough inclined plane from point O. It reaches the highest point
H and then returns to the original position O. Assume the friction between the block and the
inclined plane is constant.

Which of the following correctly shows the velocity−time graph of the block in the above process?
(Take upwards along the inclined plane as positive.)

A B

C D

4
9 The liquid column of an ungraduated thermometer has different lengths at different temperatures
as shown below.
cm
What is x? 15
A 15
B 25
C 40
D 60
6

0°C 100°C x°C

10 In general, the land cools down faster than the sea at night because
A. the rise in temperature of the sea is higher than that of the land in the daytime.
B. water has a high specific heat capacity.
C. wind blows from the sea towards the land.
D. wind blows from the land towards the sea.

11 Wax pellets of equal mass are placed on two rods made with two materials A and B as shown in
the figure. The pellets are equally spaced. The lengths and the diameters of the rods are the same.
The two rods are then heated with the same flame. After five minutes, some of the wax pellets on
the two rods melt.

stand
stand
wax pellet clamp
clamp

rod of material A rod of material B

heating

5 minutes later:

melted wax

rod of material A rod of material B

heating

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the above experiment?
(1) Material A has a higher specific heat capacity than material B.
(2) The melting of the wax is mainly due to radiation.
(3) Material A is a better conductor of heat compared to material B.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

5
12 Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(1) Non-metals are generally poor conductors of heat because they are lack of free electrons.
(2) Metals are generally good conductors of heat because atoms in metals have higher kinetic
energy due to random motion.
(3) Metals are generally good conductors of heat because atoms can move freely within the
metals.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

13 Liquid X and Y of the same mass and temperature are put into a refrigerator to cool down. The
graph below shows the variation of the temperatures of the liquids with time. Which of the
following statements is/are correct?

temperature / °C

time / s
0

(1) The freezing point of X is higher than that of Y.

(2) The specific heat capacity of liquid X is lower than that of liquid Y.
(3) The specific latent heat of fusion of X is higher than that of Y.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

14 The diagram below shows the apparatus used for finding the specific latent heat of vaporization of
water.

Which of the following factors will cause the result obtained to be smaller than the true value?

(1) Some energy supplied by the heater is lost to the surroundings.

(2) Some water splashes out of the cup as it boils.
(3) Some steam condenses and drips back into the polystyrene cup.

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

6
15 Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(1) No radiation is emitted from hot gases because there is no free electron in gases.
(2) The density distribution of the heated fluid determines whether there is convection.
(3) When conduction occurs, atoms can only vibrate in their original positions.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

16 The graph below shows how the velocity v of a cyclist changes with time t.
v / m s−1

20

16

12

t/s
0
4 8 12 16
Which of the following statements about the cyclist is/are correct?
(1) At t = 16 s, the displacement of the cyclist is 192 m.
(2) His initial acceleration is 4 m s−2.
(3) The average velocity of the whole journey is 8 m s−1.
A. (2) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

17 A ball on the ground is projected vertically upwards at time t = 0 with an initial velocity of
10 m s−1. Which of the following graphs best represents the subsequent motion of the ball? (a =
acceleration of the ball, v = velocity of the ball)
A. a / m s−2
B. v / m s−1

10 10

0 t/s 0 t/s
2 2
C. D.
a / m s−2 v / m s−1

10 10

0 0
2 t/s 2 t/s
−10 −10

7
18 A boy tries to push a block which is at rest on a horizontal ground. Nevertheless, the block does
not move at all even the boy has pushed very hard. Which of the following is/are correct?
(1) The net force acting on the block is zero.
(2) The friction between the block and the ground is equal to the horizontal component of the
force applied by the boy.
(3) The friction between the block and the ground can be greater than the horizontal force
applied by the boy.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

19 In a vacuum chamber, a polystyrene ball and a steel ball of the same size are released from the
same height and the two balls reach the ground at the same time. When the balls are in air,
(1) the masses of the two balls are the same.
(2) the forces acting on the two balls are the same.
(3) the accelerations of the two balls are the same.
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

20 A small coin is given a slight push on a smooth inclined plane. The graph below shows how one of
its physical quantities X changes with time t.

0 time / s

Which of following physical quantities can possibly be X?

(1) displacement from a certain point on the inclined plane
(2) velocity
(3) acceleration
A. (2) only
B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only
D. (2) and (3) only

- End of Section A -

8
Section B Conventional questions (60 marks)
21 The figure below shows a kind of pot. It is usually made of copper. In the central part of the pot,
there is a chimney that helps the burning of the fuel below the pot.

(a) Briefly describe the advantage of using copper to make the hot pot in the heat transfer
process.
(2 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(b) Briefly describe how the chimney can help in the burning process of the fuel.
(1 mark)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(c) Will the chimney be useful when we use an electric hot plate or an induction heater? Briefly
describe.
(1 mark)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

22 At t = 0, a fireman slides down a vertical pole from rest at a uniform acceleration of

4 m s−2. At time t = 0.9 s, he tightens his grip so that the frictional forces acting on him is equal to
his weight in magnitude.
(a) Find the distance travelled by the fireman from t = 0 to 0.9 s.
(2 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(b) Describe his motion after t = 0.9 s.

(3 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

9
23 A girl uses the following set-up to test the performance of her fan. She uses a thread to hang a
ping-pong ball from the ceiling and directly in front of the fan.

When switch '1' is pressed, the angle between the thread and the vertical is 28°.

(a) When switch '2' is pressed, the angle between the thread and the vertical changes from 28° to
56°. Should the girl conclude that the blowing force becomes double? Explain your answer.
(4 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(b) How do the increase of the following factors affect θ?

(i) Weight of the ball.
(ii) Area of the ball, on which the blowing force acts.
(2 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

10
24 Two containers A and B are connected by a tube of negligible volume as shown below. The tap T
for controlling gas flow is closed initially. The volume of container A is 200 cm3 and it contains an
ideal gas at a pressure of 1.3 × 106 Pa. There is a vacuum in container B. The temperature of the
two containers is maintained at 10 °C by water baths.

(a) When T is open and the steady state is reached, the pressure in container A becomes 1.1 × 106 Pa.
(i) Find the volume of container B.
(2 marks)
____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(ii) Find the total number of moles of gas molecules in the containers.
(Given that R = 8.31 J mol−1 K−1)
(2 marks)
____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(b) The water baths are then heated until the temperature of the gas increases to 50 °C. What is the
percentage change of the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules in the containers?
(2 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

11
25 Peter throws a ball of mass 0.5 kg vertically upwards as shown. The ball is initially at rest at a
height 60 cm above the ground. It is then accelerated through a vertical distance of 80 cm and
reaches a speed of 8 m s−1 before it leaves the hands of the boy.

Peter

80 cm

60 cm

(a) Find the magnitude of average force acting on the ball by Peter.
(4 marks)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(b) How long does the ball travel in air before it leaves the hands of the boy?
(3 marks)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

12
26 A simplified domestic air-conditioning system is shown below (Fig a). A liquid called the
refrigerant evaporates inside the pipe at A. The vapour formed is then pumped to the heat
exchanger at B where the vapour condenses and returns to the pipe at A again.

Fig a Fig b

(a) (i) Which part of the pipe is cooled by this process, A or B? Explain briefly why the pipe is
cooled. (2 marks)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(ii)What are the changes in the molecules of the refrigerant in the pipe at A during this process?
(2 marks)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(b) Explain why the pipe at A and that at B are not straight. (2 marks)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(c) Two electric fans (Fig b) are installed in the air-conditioner. Sketch in Figure a to show their
positions and orientations. (2 marks)

13
27 Peggy uses a simple device to measure the acceleration of a bus. The device consists of a
protractor, a string and a 0.1-kg mass as shown in Figure a. When the bus accelerates from rest
with a constant acceleration forward, the small mass swings a little bit backwards and seems to be
stationary relative to the bus, as shown in Figure b.

Fig a

Fig b

(a) Draw a labelled diagram in the space below to show all the forces acting on the mass when the
bus accelerates. (Air resistance is neglected.) (2 marks)

(b) When the bus accelerates, the angle between the string and the vertical is 10°. Find the tension
in the string. (2 marks)

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(c) Find the horizontal force acting on the mass. Hence find the acceleration of the bus.
(3 marks)

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

14
28 In an experiment, 0.5 kg of substance X is heated by a 2000 W heater. The graph below shows the
temperature-time graph of the substance when it changes from solid state to liquid state.

temperature / °C

D
63
B C
53
A

25

time / s
0 16.9 62.9 66.9

(a) What would be the state(s) of the substance in the following region of the graph?
(i) BC
(ii) CD
(2 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(b) Calculate the specific heat capacity of substance X in solid state.

(3 marks)

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(c) Calculate the specific latent heat of fusion of substance X.

(2 marks)

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(d) Suppose the experiment is repeated with the power of the heater halved. Sketch, on the given
graph, how the new temperature of substance X varies with time.
(2 marks)

time/s

15
29 A student uses an 1800 W electric kettle to estimate the specific heat
capacity of water. First, he boils a large amount of water with the
electric kettle and pours out all the water after boiling. Next, he pours
in 0.5 kg cold water at 24°C and switches on the kettle. The time for
the water heated up to 100°C is recorded. The student repeats the
experiment with different mass of water at 24°C and obtains the
following result.
mass of water, m / kg 0.5 0.75 1.0 1.25 1.5
time, t / s 99 150 193 249 292
Energy supplied, E / 105 J

(a) What is the purpose of boiling a large amount of water using the
kettle at the beginning of the experiment?
(2 marks)
____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(b) (i) Complete the above table. Plot a graph of energy supplied by the kettle against the mass
of water.

(3 marks)
(ii) Calculate the slope of the graph. Hence, find the specific heat capacity of water.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

16
(c) The standard value for the specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J kg−1 °C−1. Compare the
answer in (b) with the standard value of the specific heat capacity of water and account for
any difference between them.
(1 mark)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

- End of Paper -

17