WAEC Past

Questions and
Answers on Physics

Compiled by ​EduNgr.com

From 2016 & 2015 WAEC Past Questions

Question 11

Two capacitors C1 and C2 are connected as shown in the diagram. The capacitance
C2 is twice C1 when the key is opened the energy stored up in C1 is W. If the key is later
closed and the system is allowed to attain electrical equilibrium, the total energy stored
in the system will be

Options
A) 12 W

B) 23 W

C) W
D) 2W
E) 3W

The correct answer is E.

Explanation:
E = 12 Cr2 = 12 (C − 1 + C2 )V 2 = (3C1 )V 2
= 3( 12 C1 v2 ) = 3W

Question 12
In which of the points labelled A, B, C, D and E on the conductor shown would electric
charge tend to concentrate most?

Options
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

The correct answer is E.

Explanation:
As a result of point action, charges are concentrated on the area in the diagram that
is the most narrow. E is the point that is the most narrow.
Explanation provided by Cincinsoko Egun

Question 13
Which of the following is stored by dry Leclanche cell?

Options
A) chemical energy
B) nuclear energy
C) solar energy
D) heat energy
E) electrical energy

The correct answer is E.

Explanation:
The Leclanché cell is an electric battery invented and patented by the French
scientist Georges Leclanché in 1866. The battery contained a conducting solution
(electrolyte) of ammonium chloride, a cathode (positive terminal) of carbon, a
depolarizer of manganese dioxide (oxidizer), and an anode (negative terminal) of
zinc (reductant). The chemistry of this cell was later successfully adapted to
manufacture a dry cell.

Question 14

Using the data in the circuit illustrated above, calculate the value of R

Options
A) 0.02 Ω
B) 0.05 Ω
C) 5.00 Ω
D) 20.00 Ω
E) 50.00 Ω

The correct answer is E.

Explanation:
 V 2v
R= T =
40×10−3
= 50.00 Ω

Question 15
A 90W immersion heater is used to supply energy for 5 minutes. The energy supplied is
used to completely melt 160g of a solid at its melting point. Calculate the specific latent
heat of the solid.

Options
A) 2.81 Jg-1
B) 6.25 Jg-1
C) 8.89 Jg-1
D) 168.75 Jg-1
E) 5333.33 Jg-1

The correct answer is D.

Explanation:
Pt = mL
90 x 5 x 60 = 160 x L
27000
L = 160
= 168.75 Jg-1

Question 16
In the circuit above R is a resistor whose resistance increases with increases with
increase in temperature L1 and L2 are identical lamps. If the temperature of R increases

Options
A) L1 becomes brighter and L2 becomes dimmer
B) L1 becomes brighter and L2 does not change
C) L2 becomes dimmer and L1 does not change
D) L1 becomes dimmer and L2 does not change
E) L1 and L2 becomes brighter

The correct answer is A.

Question 17
A house is supplied with a 240V a.c mains. To operate a door bell rated at 8V, a
transformer is used if the number of turns in the primary coil of the transformer is 900.
Calculate the number of turns in the secondary coil of the transformer

Options
A) 30
B) 240
C) 248
D) 450
E) 1248
 The correct answer is A.

Explanation:
Ep np
Es
= ns
ns = 30

Question 18

The diagram above shows a current carrying wire between the poles of a magnet. In
which direction would the wire tend to move?

Options
A) into the paper
B) out of the paper
C) towargs the north pole of the magnet
D) towards the south pole of the magnet
E) towards the top of the pages

The correct answer is B.

Explanation:
Towards the south pole of the magnet
Explanation provided by Henry Ugo
Question 19
An induction coil is generally used to

Options
A) rectify an alternating current
B) produce a large input voltage
C) smoothen a pulsating direct current
D) modulate an incoming signal
E) produce a large output voltage

The correct answer is E.

Explanation:
An induction coil or "spark coil" is a type of electrical transformer used to produce
high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current (DC) supply.

Question 20
The unit of stress is

Options
A) Nm
B) N
C) Nm-2
D) Nm2
E) Nm1

The correct answer is C.

Explanation:
The SI unit of stress is the newton per square meter, which is called the pascal.
Question 1

Two magnets are used to magnetize a soft iron bar PQ as illustrated in the diagram
given. The correct polarity at P and Q respectively

Options
A) S and N
B) N and N
C) S and S
D) N and S

The correct answer is D.

Question 2
In storing magnets, keepers are used to

Options
A) reduced self-demagnetization
B) cancel the effect of the earth's magnetic field
C) protect the magnet from stray electric field
D) increase the strangth of the magnets

The correct answer is A.

Explanation:
A magnet keeper, also known historically as an armature, is a paramagnetic bar
made from soft iron or steel, which is placed across the poles of a permanent
 magnet to help preserve the strength of the magnet by completing the magnetic
circuit.

Question 3
A 10μC charge moves with a velocity of 1.0 × 105 ms−1 at right angle to a uniform
magnetic field of flux density 5.0 × 10−4 T . Calculate the force on the charge.

Options
A) 5.0 × 10−5 N
B) 5.0 × 10−4 N
5
C) 5.0 × 10 N
6
D) 5.0 × 10 N

The correct answer is B.

Explanation:
F = qvB
= 10 × 10−6 × 1.0 × 105 × 10−4
= 5.0 × 10−4 N

Question 4
Which of the following statements is not correct about steel and soft iron?

Options
A) steel is more magnetized than soft iron
B) permanent magnets are usually made of steel
C) soft iron is more readily magnetized than steel
D) soft iron more readily loses its magnetism than steel

The correct answer is A.

Question 5
What determines the polarity at the ends of an electromagnet? The

Options
A) magnitude of the current passing through the wire
B) material of the core of the magnet
C) material of the coil
D) direction of current in the wire

The correct answer is D.

Question 6
How many beta particle(s) are emitted in the radioactive decay of 198 198
79 Au ←80 Hg?

Options
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 5

The correct answer is A.

Explanation:
A beta particle forms when a neutron changes into a proton and a high-energy
electron. The proton stays in the nucleus but the electron leaves the atom as a beta
particle. When a nucleus emits a beta particle, these changes happen:
the mass number stays the same
the atomic number increases by 1
the nuclear charge increases by 1
NB: Usually gold is created from platinum, which has one less proton than gold, or
from mercury, which has one more proton than gold. Bombarding a platinum or
mercury nucleus with neutrons can knock off an neutron or add on a neutron, which
 through natural radioactive decay can lead to gold.

Question 7
The phenomenon by which two light atomic nuclear combine to form a heavy nuclide
with the release of energy is known as

Options
A) radioactivity
B) nuclear fusion
C) nuclear fission
D) chain reaction

The correct answer is B.

Explanation:
Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number
fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy.

Question 8
In a p-type semiconductor, the

Options
A) number of holes are equal to the number of electrons
B) electrical resistivity increases
C) electrons are the majority charge carriers
D) holes are the majority charge carriers

The correct answer is D.

Explanation:
 In p-type semiconductors, holes are the majority carriers and electrons are the
minority carriers. P-type semiconductors are created by doping an intrinsic
semiconductor with acceptor impurities. A common p-type dopant for silicon is boron
or gallium.

Question 9
Let Δx be the uncertainty in the measurements of position and Δp the uncertainty in
measurement of momentum. The uncertainty principle relation is given as

Options
A) Δx . Δp = h
B) Δx . Δp ≤ h
C) Δx . Δp ≥h
D) Δx . Δp > h

The correct answer is C.

Explanation:
Uncertainty principle, also called Heisenberg uncertainty principle or indeterminacy
principle, statement, articulated (1927) by the German physicist Werner Heisenberg,
that the position and the velocity of an object cannot both be measured exactly, at
the same time, even in theory. The very concepts of exact position and exact
velocity together, in fact, have no meaning in nature.

Question 10
Two objects of masses 80kg and 50kg are separated by a distance of 0.2m. If the
gravitational constant is 6.6 x 10-11Nm kg, calculate the gravitational attraction between
them.

Options
A) 4.9 × 10-9N
B) 1.3 × 10-6N
C) 6.6 × 10-8N
6
D) 6.6 × 10-6N
E) 2.6 × 10-9N

The correct answer is D.

Explanation:
Gm m
1 2 6.6×10−11 ×80×50
F=
r2
= 0.2×0.2
= 6.6 × 10-6N