EXAMINATION NO.

: _____________________________

SOUTH EAST EDUCATION DIVISION

2024 MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION MOCK EXAMINATION

PHYSICS
Subject Number: M164/I
nd
Friday, 22 March Time Allowed: 2 hours
8:00 - 10:00 am
PAPER I
(100 marks)
Instructions: Question Tick if Do not write in
answered these columns
1. This paper contains 14 printed pages. Please Number

check. 1

2. Before beginning, write your Examination 2

Number at the top of each page of the question 3
paper.
4
3. This paper contains two sections, A and B. In
Section A there are ten short questions while in 5
section B there are three restricted essay 6
questions.
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4. Answer all the thirteen questions in the spaces
8
provided.
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5. Use of electronic calculators is allowed.
10
6. The maximum number of marks for each
answer is indicated against each question. 11

7. In the table provided on this page, tick 12

against the number of the question you have 13
answered.

©2024 SEED Turn over/…

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2024 Page 2 of 14 M164/I
SECTION A (70 marks)
Answer all the ten questions in this section in the spaces provided.
1. a. State any one example of a derived quantity.
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(1 mark)
b. How does parallax error occur during laboratory experiments.
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(2 marks)
c. Figure 1 is a diagram showing part A of a Vernier caliper.

Figure 1
(i) Name the part labelled A.
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(1 mark)
(ii) State any one advantage of using a Vernier caliper over a simple ruler.
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(1 mark)
d. Give any two ways of presenting results of a scientific investigation.
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(2 marks)
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2. a. Define absolute temperature.
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(1 mark)
b. Calculate the temperature of a gas that occupies a volume of 500cm3 at 27°C when
its volume has been raised to 800cm3 at a constant pressure.

(3 marks)
c. Explain in terms of the kinetic theory of matter why a plastic spoon melts when it is
heated?
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(3 marks)
3. a. Give any two uses of radioactive substances.
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(2 marks)

Continued/…
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2024 Page 4 of 14 M164/I
b. How much of the substance will remain after 40 minutes for a radioactive sample
whose original mass is 100g and has a half-life of 20 minutes.

(3 marks)
c. Explain how a natural radioactivity occurs.
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(2 marks)
4. Figure 2 is a circuit diagram showing two resistors in parallel and one in series.

Figure 2
Continued/…
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2024 Page 5 of 14 M164/I
a. Calculate the total current passing through the circuit given that V1 is 8v.

(2 marks)
b. Calculate the value of resistor N.

(3 marks)
c. How does the process of demagnetization through heating occur?
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(2 marks)
5. An object 20cm high is placed 40cm in front of a converging lens of focal length 60cm.
a. Draw a ray diagram to locate the position of an image. (Hint:Use a scale of 1cm: 20cm).

(3 marks)
Continued/…
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2024 Page 6 of 14 M164/I
b. Describe any two characteristics of the nature of the image formed.
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(2 marks)
c. Explain why an increase in temperature causes an increase in the speed of sound.
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(2 marks)

6. a. State Newton’s Second Law of Motion.

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(2 marks)

b. Calculate the acceleration when a force of 24N is applied to a moving object of

mass 3kg.

(2 marks)
Continued/…
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c. (i). Define angular velocity.
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(1 mark)
(ii). Calculate the angular velocity of a car tyre that revolves at 180
revolutions per minute.

(3 marks)
7. Figure 3 shows diagrams X and Y representing two kinds of waves produced on a
slinky spring.

Figure 3
a. (i). What type of wave is represented by X.
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(1 mark)
Continued/…
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(ii). Give any two differences between waves represented by X and Y.
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(2 marks)
b. Give any one property of an infrared wave.
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(1 mark)
c. Calculate the depth of the lake at a point when an echo sounder sends sound
signals to the bottom of a lake and receive the sound echo after 5 seconds given
that the speed of sound in water is 3000m/s.

(3 marks)

8. a. Define moment of force.

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(1 mark)

Continued/…
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b. Calculate the moment of a force when a force of 600N is applied on a spanner
25cm long used to remove a nut.

(3 marks)
c. (i). Explain the effect on the force constant when two identical spiral springs have
been placed in parallel.
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(1 mark)
(ii). Calculate the force required to move a stretchable material to a 0.2m distance
given that the force constant of the material is 1500N/m.

(2 marks)

Continued/…
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9. Figure 4 is a diagram of a pulley being used to lift a mass of 15kg vertically
through a height of 10m.

Figure 4
a. (i). What is the mechanical advantage of the pulley system.
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(1 mark)
(ii). Give a reason for the answer in 9 a (i).
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(1 mark)
b. Calculate the work done in lifting the mass to a height of 10m.

(2 marks)
Continued/…
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c. Calculate the efficiency of the pulley.

(3 marks)
10. a. Give any two effects of atmospheric pressure.
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(2 marks)
b. Explain how a mercury barometer works in order to determine the atmospheric
pressure of a particular area.
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(3 marks)
c. Explain how thermal expansion is accommodated in bridges and railway tracks in
order to prevent structural damage.
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(2 marks)

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SECTION B (30 MARKS)
Answer all the three questions in this section in an essay form in the spaces provided.

11. a. Describe an experiment which could be done to demonstrate the concept of inertia
using a coin, cardboard and a plastic cup.
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(5 marks)
b. Explain how a constant – volume gas thermometer works.
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(5 marks)
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12. a. Explain in terms of the band theory, why the electrical conductivity of insulators
cannot be improved even if the temperature has been raised.
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(5 marks)
b. With the aid of a diagram, describe the refraction of water waves as they travel
from deep region to shallow region in a lake.

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(5 marks)
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13. a. Describe how a diode functions in a full – wave rectifier circuit.
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(5 marks)
b. Describe how a falling object in air reaches its terminal speed.
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(5 marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

NB: This paper contains 14 printed pages.