LUGULU GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

DECEMBER HOLIDAY ASSIGNMENT

232 Composite PHYSICS FORM 2

DECEMBER 2023

Name: ………………………………………………….....…… Adm No: ……….……

School: ………………………………………Class …….………........ Date: …..…/05/2023.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:-
• Write your name, index number and school in the spaces provided above.
• This paper consist of two sections; A and B
• Answer all the questions in section A and B in the spaces provided All working must be clearly shown.
• Mathematical tables and electronic calculators may be used

For Examiners’ Use Only:

SECTION QUESTIONS MAXIMUM SCORE CANDIDATE’S SCORE

1-13 25
A
14 10
15 07
B 16 10
17 10
18 08
19 10
TOTAL 80
This paper consists of 13 Printed pages. Candidates should check to ascertain that all pages are printed as
indicated and that no questions are missing

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 DECEMBER HOLIDAY
ASSIGNMENT 1
SECTION A (25 Marks) 1.
A length of string is measured between two points on a ruler.

When the length of string is wound closely around a pen, it goes round six times. Find the distance
round the pen. (2mks)

2. State two limitations of using the displacement method in measuring volume of irregularly shaped solids.
(2mks)
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3. Explain the use of detergents in washing clothes. (2mks)
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4. State the reason why it is easier to separate water into drops than to separate a solid into smaller pieces.
(1 mark)
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5. An engineer wants to fix a steel washer on to a steel rod. The rod is slightly big to fit into the hole of the
washer.

Explain how the engineer can fit the washer on to the steel rod. (2mks)
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6. (a) Write down the formula used to calculate pressure in solids. (1 mark)

b) A sea diver is 35 m below the surface of sea-water. If density of the sea-water is1.03g/cm3 and g is
10N/kg. Determine the total pressure on him. Take atmospheric pressure as 103 000N/m2. (3mks)

7. (a) The figure below shows a ray of light striking a plane mirror.

State the name given to angle . (1 mark)

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b) Explain why the inner part of a pinhole camera is painted black. (1 mark)
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 …………………………………………………………………………………………………
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8. Three different experiments are carried out using the arrangements shown below.

For each of the experiments above describe the force if any between the spheres. (2mks)

Experiment 1………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Experiment 3 …………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. The diagram below shows drop of liquids X and Y carefully put on a clean glass slab.

Explain the difference in the shapes. (2mks)

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10. The diagram below shows a bimetallic strip at room temperature. Brass expands more than iron.

Sketch a diagram to show the appearance of the bimetallic strip when heated. (1mark)

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11. What is meant by the term polarization in a simple cell. (1mark)
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12. The figure below shows an uncharged pith ball under the attraction of a charged ball.

++

++
Pith balls

State and explain what would be observed after the two pith balls touch. (2mks)

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13. Calculate the amount of current flowing through a bulb if 3000 coulombs of charge flow through it in two
minutes. (2mks)

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 SECTION B (55 Marks)
14. (a) The figure below shows a glass flask full of water at 10℃ and sealed with a bung. A long glass tube
passes through the bung into the water. The water level in the tube is at X.

When the flask is placed in hot water, the water level initially falls a little below X and then rises some
way above X. Suggest why?
i. The water level initially falls. (1 mark)
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ii. The water level then rises. (1 mark)
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iii. The rise is greater than the fall. ( 1 mark)
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iv. Suggest a change that would make the fall and rise of the water level greater. (1 mark)
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b) State two variables that must be controlled in an experiment for comparing thermal conductivities of
different metal rods of the same diameter. (2mks)

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 ………………………………………………………………………………………………
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The figure below shows a liquid in a glass thermometer.

v. State the accuracy of the instrument. (1 mark)

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vi. In the process of making the thermometer the scale divisions were spaced equally. What
assumption was made about the liquid. (2mks)
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vii. Suggest a change to the thermometer that would require the spacing of the scale divisions to be
larger. (1 mark)
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15. In an experiment to estimate the size of olive oil. A drop of oil of diameter 0.05 mm was placed on a clean
water surface sprinkled lightly with lycopodium powder. The oil spread into a patch of diameter 0.2m.
a) Determine the thickness of the oil molecule. (4mks)

b) State the role of lycopodium powder in this experiment. (1 mark)

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c) State two assumptions made in this experiment. (2mks)

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16.
a) State the principle of moments. (1 mark)
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b) The figure below shows a child and an adult respectively on a see-saw. The system is in equilibrium.

I. Calculate the moment of the child about the pivot. (2mks)

II. Calculate the weight W of the adult. (2mks)

III. State what would happen if the child moved further away from the pivot. (1
mark)
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c) The figure below shows a suspended simple pendulum.

State and explain the state of equilibrium of the pendulum. (2mks)

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d) State two conditions that are necessary for a body to be in equilibrium. (2mks)
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17.
a) A real object of height 1 cm placed 50 mm from a concave mirror forms a virtual image 100 mm from the
mirror. Determine the;
I. Focal length of the mirror. (3mks)

II. Magnification. (2mks)

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 b) The figure below shows an object placed infront of a concave mirror. Using ray diagrams locate the
image. (3mks)

c) State two applications of convex mirrors. (2mks)

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18.
a) Define the following terms.
I. Dipole ………………………………………………………………………...
(1mark)
II. Domain ……………………………………………………………………….
(1mark)
b) A student placed a bar magnet into a tray of steel pins and then removes the magnet. The diagram below
shows the magnet after it has been removed from the tray.

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 I. Explain why pin X is attached to pin Y. (2mks)
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II. State the polarity of the tip of pin X ………………………………………… (1 mark)

III. If the student repeats the same experiment using soft iron pins instead of steel pins. State the
difference he would observe. (1 mark)
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c) Explain why repulsion is regarded as the surest test for polarity. (2mks)
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19. The diagram below shows an arrangement that a certain student set up in a physics lab without the consent
of the teacher. He allowed some volume of water into the glass tube and measured the corresponding height
h of water in the tube using a ruler. He tabulated his data as below.

Burette reading cm3 5.1 8.2 15.4 21.5 28.0 35.6

Height h, cm 3.8 5.8 10.5 14.5 18.7 23.2

a) Draw a graph of the burette reading against height h of the water in the glass tube. (5mks)

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b) Use your graph above to determine the area of cross section of the glass tube. (3mks)

c) Use your graph to determine how far the zero mark of the ruler is from the end placed on the base of the
stand. (2mks)

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 LUGULU GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
DECEMBER HOLIDAY ASSIGNMENT

232 Composite PHYSICS FORM 2

DECEMBER 2023

Name: ………………………………………………….....…… Adm No: ……….……

School: ………………………………………Class …….………........ Date: …..…/05/2023.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:-
• Write your name, index number and school in the spaces provided above.
• This paper consist of two sections; A and B
• Answer all the questions in section A and B in the spaces provided All working must be clearly shown.
• Mathematical tables and electronic calculators may be used

For Examiners’ Use Only:

SECTION QUESTIONS MAXIMUM SCORE CANDIDATE’S SCORE

1-13 25
A
14 10
15 07
B 16 10
17 10
18 08
19 10
TOTAL 80
This paper consists of 13 Printed pages. Candidates should check to ascertain that all pages are printed as
indicated and that no questions are missing

14
 HOLIDAY ASSIGNMENT 2
Answer all questions in the spaces provided

1. The figure below shows a vernier calipers scale

State the correct reading of scale if the instrument has a zero-error of -0.02cm 2mks
2. The diagram below shows the behaviour of mercury in a capillary tube.

Capillary tube

Mercury

Explain the behaviour 2mks

3. In an experiment to estimate the size of a molecule of olive oil, a drop of oil of volume 0.12cm3 was
placed on a clean water surface. The oil spread on a patch of
diameter 6.0 x 106 mm2.
a) Calculate the size of the molecule 3mks
b) State an assumption made in the above calculations. 1mk
4. The figure below shows a clinical thermometer.

Normal body temperature

State the function of the constriction. 1mk

5. Two similar cans are partly filled with equal quantities of water. Each holds a thermometer and are
placed at equal distances from a radiant heater as shown in the figure below.

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 thermometer

Silvered
Can painted black
can

wood
wood
State with reason, the container in which the temperature is likely to be higher after a few minutes.
2mks*
6. The figure below shows an hydraulic lift used to lift a load.

.
Load
hinge

A1 =80cm2

Determine the force acting on the smaller piston Q. 2mks

7. Calculate the load that can be supported by the above machine.(Q 6 above) 2mks
8. The figure below shows a glass tumbler partly filled with water at room temperature.

Glass tumbler

water

Briefly explain what happens to the stability of the tumbler when water is cooled to temperatures below
00C. 2mks
9. The diagram below shows a mass of 10kg hanged on a set of 6 identical springs.

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 When a mass of 10g was hanged on spring A, its extension was 5cm. Find the extension of the
combination shown if each spring has mass of 50g. 3mks
10. A car is brought to rest from a speed of 30m/s m. 2 seconds. If the driver’s reaction time is 0.3s,
-1

determine the shortest stopping distance. 3mks

11. The figure below shows an aerofoil

Explain how Bernoulli’s principle is applied in the design of the aerofoil. 2mks

SECTION II ( 55 marks)
12. a) Distinguish between mass and weight. 1mk
b) A constant force is applied to a moving body with constant speed. What observable changes of stage
of motion of a body are likely to occur. 3mks*Tso*
c) (i) Distinguish between perfectly elastic and inelastic collision. 2mks
ii) A bullet of mass 10.0g is fired at a close range into a block of mass 4.99kg suspended from a rigid
support by an elastic string and becomes embodded into the block. The block rises through a height of
2.5cm before momentarily coming to rest. Calculate initial speed of the bullet.
5mks

Bullet
10.g
13. a) i) A diver at the bottom of a swimming pool releases an air bubble of volume 2cm3. As the air
bubble rises, its volume increases to 5cm3 at the surface of the pool. Explain this observation.
1mk
ii) Determine the pressure due to the water column acting on the air bubble at the bottom of the pool
given that atmospheric is 101350Pa. 3mks

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