OSHWAL ACADEMY NAIROBI

JUNIOR HIGH
NAME: Marking scheme

CLASS: SUBJECT TEACHER:

PHYSICS
YEAR 8
END OF TERM 1
NOVEMBER 2020
Time: 2 HOURS
Instructions
 You may use a calculator.
 Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
Information
 The total mark for this paper is 100
 The marks for each question are shown in brackets - use this as a guide as
to how much time to spend on each question. Poison

Advice
 Read each question carefully before you start to answer it.
 Keep an eye on the time.
 Try to answer every question.
 Check your answers if you have time at the end.
Total: 100 Marks
1. A child is standing on the platform of a station, watching the trains.

A train travelling at 30 m/s takes 3 s to pass the child. Calculate the length of the train in metres? (3)

L = v x t …….1

= 30 x 3 …….1

= 90m

2. A tunnel has a length of 50 km. A car takes 20 min to travel between the two ends of the tunnel. Calculate the average
speed of the car in km/h? (3)

Vav = td/tt ……………..1

= 50/(20/60)……………1

= 150km/h………………1
3. Five telegraph poles are positioned at equal distances along the side of a road. A car accelerates until it is level with
pole 4. The car then continues along the road at a steady speed. The times taken to travel between one pole and the
next are measured.

Which time is the greatest? The time between: (1)

A: pole 1 and pole 2. B: pole 2 and pole 3.
C: pole 3 and pole 4. D: pole 4 and pole 5.
4. The speed of a cyclist reduces uniformly from 2.5 m/s to 1.0 m/s in 12 s.
(a) Calculate the deceleration of the cyclist. [3]

a = (v – u)/t……….1

= (1 – 2.5)/12…………1

= -0.125 m/s2………1

(b) Calculate the distance in metres travelled by the cyclist in this time. [3]

Vav = (u + v)/2 =(2.5 + 1)/2 = 1.75 m/s……………1

v = d/t 1.75 = d/12…………1

d = 21m………….1
5. Two boys, X and Y, decide to measure the speed of some of the vehicles travelling along a road. The two boys stand
405 m apart beside the road, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 1.1 (not to scale)

Boy X has a stopwatch which he sets to zero. As a vehicle passes boy Y, boy Y drops his hand as a signal to boy X to start
his stopwatch. Boy X then stops the stopwatch as the vehicle goes past him. The appearance of the stopwatch is then as
shown in Fig. 1.2.

Fig. 1.2
(a) How long did it take for the vehicle to travel from Y to X? [1]

54s………….1
(b) Calculate the average speed of the vehicle as it travels from Y to X. [3]

Vav = td/tt ……….1

= 405/54…………..1

= 7.5m/s………1
(c) The vehicle in (a) and (b) is accelerating as it travels from Y to X.
(i) How does its speed at X compare with that at Y? Tick one box. [1]
□ greater than at Y
□ same as that at Y
□ less than that at Y
(ii) How does its speed at X compare with the average speed calculated in (b)? Tick one box.
□ greater than average speed
□ same as average speed
□ less than average speed [1]
6. Which person is experiencing an acceleration? (1)
A: a driver of a car that is braking to stop at traffic lights
B: a passenger in a train that is stationary in a railway station
C: a shopper in a large store ascending an escalator (moving stairs) at a uniform rate
D: a skydiver falling at constant speed towards the Earth
7. A car travels at various speeds during a short journey.
The table shows the distances travelled and the times taken during each of four stages
 km/h 54 108 40.5 54
During which two stages is the car travelling at the same average speed? (1)
A: P and Q B: P and S C: Q and R D: R and S
8. List down the order of planets starting with the one furthest from the Sun in the solar system. (4)

Neptune, uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, mars, earth, venus, mercury……… each 2, 1mrk
9. On the Earth, there are hours of sunlight and hours of darkness.
a) What do we call a time frame consisting of one such complete cycle. (1)

Day
b) How long in hours is such a single time frame? (1)

24 hours
c) Describe in details the cause of such time frames. (3)

The earth rotates abouts its own axis……1 At any particular time half of the earth surface is lit by the sun……….1, on the
part facing towards the sun…….. or. The other half is facing away and is in darkness……1 Sun is the main source of light
on the earth…….1 any 3
d) The hours of darkness are shorter in the northern hemisphere than the hours of Sunlight during summer. Explain the
cause of this observation in details. (2)

The axis of the earth is tilted at an angle….1 When there is summer in northern hemisphere, that part is tilted towards
the sun…..1 and is in the lit half for longer…..1 any 2
e) A student states that during the hour of darkness the moon shines light on the Earth because it is luminous. Do you
agree with this observation? Explain your answer citing the energy source. (3)

No….1 the Moon does not produce any light…….1 but reflects light from the sun onto the Earth…..1
10. Planets orbit around the Sun.
a) What is an orbit? (1)

A repeated path followed by a body orbiting another

b) State two differences between the orbit of the Planets and orbit of comets (2)
Planet orbit is more circular, comets is elongated elliptical orbit.
Sometimes the comet goes very close to the sun and others far away from the sun. Sun is at the centre of orbit of
planets
c) Apart from the differences above how else would you differentiate between a comet and planets in a clear night sky?
(1)
A tail is seen behind it facing away from the Sun due to vapourised gases/carbon dioxide
d) Far planets such as Uranus cannot be seen with bare eyes. Which instrument were used in their discovery? (1)

Telescope
11. Fig. 7.1 shows a liquid-in-glass thermometer.
 Fig. 7.1
(i) State the temperature reading on the thermometer.
270C [1]
(ii) State the temperature range of the thermometer. (2)
R = 110 – (-10) = 1200C
12. Which points are the fixed points of the liquid-in-glass thermometer shown? (1)

A: the beginning and end points of the column of liquid

B: the points marked –10 °C and 110 °C
C: the points marked 0 °C and 100 °C
D: the top and bottom points of the thermometer bulb
13. Fig. 4.1 shows a liquid-in-glass thermometer without a temperature scale. The liquid inside the thermometer has a
melting point of –39 °C.

Fig. 4.1
(a) Describe simple experiments to mark the positions of the fixed points on this liquid-in-glass thermometer for:
i) Lower fixed point. [3]

Put some crashed ice in a funnel……1 Put the bulb of the thermometer into the ice……. Let the change in liquid level in
the capillary tube settle as the ice melts……..1
ii) Upper fixed point. (3)
Put the bulb of the thermometer in a flask…..1 above boiling water…….1 Let the liquid level settle…….1
(b) A scientist is measuring temperatures at the South Pole. These temperatures have a minimum value of –90 °C.
State why the liquid used in the thermometer in Fig. 4.1 would not be suitable for this scientist. [1]

Its freezing point is well above the temperature to be measured…..1

(c) State two design change that:
(i) increases the sensitivity of a liquid-in-glass thermometer. [2]
Wider bulb containing more liquid
Thinner bore
(ii) increases the range of a liquid-in-glass thermometer. [2]
Longer stem/bore
Wider bore
(d) State the property of the liquid which ensures that the scale on a liquid-in-glass thermometer is linear. [1]
Liquid that expands uniformly
14. a) Describe the structure of a thermocouple thermometer. (3)
It is made of 2 wire of different metals joined together at 2 junctions, cold and hot junction. Along one of the wires is a
voltmeter calibrated in degree Celsius
b) State two situations where a thermocouple thermometer is best suited to measure temperature than a glass-in-liquid
thermometer. (2)
Where there is rapidly changing temperature
Where the temperature is changing rapidly.
c) Liquid in glass thermometer uses the expansion of liquid in measuring temperature. What characteristic is used in
thermocouple thermometer. (1)

Voltage created where there is difference in temperature on conductors.

d) Convert the following temperatures to units in the brackets, showing your workings. (8)
i) Zero degree Celsius (K)

T = 0 + 273 = 273K
ii) 340K (Degree Celsius)

T = 340 – 273 = 670C

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
iii) -40 degree Celsius (K)

T = -40 + 273 = 233K

iv) 86K (degree Celsius)

T = 86 – 273 = -1870C
15. (a) Describe, in terms of molecules, what happens when a liquid evaporates. [3]

The high energy molecules break free from the bond holding the liquid molecules together. They escape from the liquid
into the air. Molecules collide and exchange energy creating more high energy molecules. The molecules left behind
have lower average energy hence temperature decreases.
(b) Fig. 4.1 shows wet clothes drying on a washing line in an outside area.

Fig. 4.1
State three changes in the weather that help the wet clothes to dry more quickly. [3]
Decrease in humidity
Increase in temperature
More wind
c) The cloths are spread as widely as possible on the cloth line. How does this help in drying the cloths faster? (2)
This increases the surface area of exposure hence increases the rate of evaporation
16. Table 6.1 gives a list of statements about molecules in gases and solids.
 statement gas solid
molecules are closely packed A B
molecules are free to move around from place to place C D
molecules are far apart compared to their size E F
molecules can only vibrate about a fixed position G H
molecules change position randomly I J
Table 6.1
Choose the letters which indicate whether each statement refers to a gas or a solid. [5]
Gas ……C, E, I
Solid …B,H
17. A student wishes to determine the density of a small, irregularly shaped stone.
(a) Describe an experiment to determine the volume of the stone. [3]
Pour some water in a measuring cylinder half way full and place it on a flat surface and at eye level read its volume, v 1.1
Lower gently the stone into the water until its fully submerged and read the new volume, v 2…..2
Find the volume, v of the stone by v = v2 – v1……..1
(b) (i) State the other quantity, apart from the volume, that must be measured in order to determine the density. [1]
Mass
(ii) State the formula that is used to calculate the density. [1]
Density = mass/volume
(c) The student now wishes to determine the volume of a small, irregularly shaped piece of wood that floats in water. He
notices that a small lead weight tied to the wood makes it sink in water. Describe how the student can adapt the
experiment in (a) to determine the volume of the wood. Describe the procedure afresh. [3]
Pour some water in a measuring cylinder half way full and lower the small lead weight into the water until its fully
submerged, place the cylinder on a flat surface and at eye level read its volume, v1.1
Lower gently the lead and the wood tied together into the water until its fully submerged and read the new volume,
v2…..2
Find the volume, v of the stone by v = v2 – v1……..1

18. A cube of weight 5N has a length of 8cm.

a) Find the volume of the cube. (3)

V = L x W x H = 8 x 8 x 8 = 512cm3

b) Determine its density in g/cm3. (5)

W = mg = 5 = m x 10 m = 5/10 = 0.5kg
d = m/v d = (0.5 x 1000)/512 = 0.977 g/cm3