2012 WAEC (WASSCE) Physics Past Questions & Answers

Question 1

The thermopile is a device for detecting

Accepted Answer

B. radiant energy

Answer

A. radioactive radiations

Answer

C. x-rays

Answer

D. the presence of electrons

Question 2

Which of the following factors decreases the rate of evaporation of a liquid?

Accepted Answer

A. increase in pressure over the liquid

Answer

B. lowering the boiling point

Answer

C. decreasing in humidity

Answer

D. wind

Question 3

When a body is slightly tilted, it is found that its centre of gravity is slightly raised. What is the state of equilibrium of the body?

Accepted Answer

B. stable

Answer

A. unstable

Answer

C. neutral

Answer

D. cannot be determined

Question 4

An object is placed at a point X between the focal point F and the optical centre C of a diverging lens. If F is the focal point on the other side of the lens, the image of the object is formed between

Accepted Answer

B. X and C

Answer

A. F and X

Answer

C. C and F

Answer

D. F and 2F

Question 5

Which of the following radiations emitted in radioactive decay has momentum, a fairly high penetrating power and is deflected by a magnet?

Accepted Answer

B. beta particle

Answer

A. alpha particles

Answer

C. gamma radiation `

Answer

D. X-radiation

Question 6

Which of the following devices is used to determine the relative density of an acid?

Accepted Answer

B. hydrometer

Answer

A. manometer

Answer

C. hypsometer

Answer

D. hygrometer

Question 7

A ray of light passes from air to water to glass to air. Given that the refractive index for light passing from air to water is $\frac{4}{3}$ and air to glass is $\frac{3}{2}$, calculate the refractive index of glass relative to water

Accepted Answer

D. 1.13

Answer

A. 0.50

Answer

B. 0.67

Answer

C. 0.75

Question 8

A resultant force of magnitude 15N acts on a body of mass 250g. Calculate the magnitude of the acceleration

Accepted Answer

D. 60.00$ms^{-2}$

Answer

A. 0.06 $ms^{-2}$

Answer

B. 3.75$ms^{-2}$

Answer

C. 16.67$ms^{-2}$

Question 9

Which of the following properties of waves is exclusive to transverse waves?

Accepted Answer

D. polarization

Answer

A. reflection

Answer

B. interference

Answer

C. diffraction

Question 10

The sound heard by a person after the reflection of the sound generated by him is called

Accepted Answer

C. echo

Answer

A. reverberation

Answer

B. resonance

Answer

D. audibility

Question 11

A block of wood of density 0.6 gcm$^{-3}$, weighing 3.06N in air, floats freely in a liquid of density 0.9 gcm$^{-3}$. Calculate volume of the portion immersed (g = 10ms$^{-2}$)

Accepted Answer

B. 340cm3

Answer

A. 510cm3

Answer

C. 254cm3

Answer

D. 170cm3

Question 12

The magnetic relay is a device used for

Accepted Answer

D. controlling another circuit carrying larger current

Answer

A. timing in sports

Answer

B. storing magnetic field

Answer

C. readin the magnitude of magnetic flux

Question 13

A metal with a work function of 3.0ev is irradiated with ultraviolet light of energy 4.0 ev. The kinetic energy of the ejected electron is

Accepted Answer

A. 1.0eV

Answer

B. 3.0eV

Answer

C. 4.0eV

Answer

D. 7.0eV

Question 14

A piece of copper of mass 20g at a temperature of 110°C was dropped into a mixture of ice and water at 0°C. If the final steady temperature of the mixture is 0°C . Calculate the amount of ice that melted [Specific heat capacity of copper = 0.4 Jg $^{-1}$ K $^{-1}$ , specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 330Jg $^{-1}$ ]

A.0.37g
B.0.60g
C.2.40g
D.2.70g

Show answer

Answer: D. 2.70g

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Accepted Answer

D. 2.70g

Answer

A. 0.37g

Answer

B. 0.60g

Answer

C. 2.40g

Question 15

The S.I unit of heat is

Accepted Answer

A. joule

Answer

B. kelvin

Answer

C. watt

Answer

D. ampere

Question 16

When two waves are superimposed on each other, the following occurrences are possible, except

Accepted Answer

D. dispersion

Answer

A. nodal lins

Answer

B. anti nodal lines

Answer

C. stationary waves

Question 17

An object is placed 10cm from a converging lens of foal length 15cm. Calculate the magnification of the image formed

Accepted Answer

A. 3.0

Answer

B. 1.5

Answer

C. 0.6

Answer

D. 0.3

Question 18

A bird flies at 10ms$^{-1}$ for 3s, 15ms$^{-1}$ for 3s and 20 ms$^{-1}$ for 4s. Calculate the bird's average speed

Accepted Answer

C. 15.5 $ms^{-1}$

Answer

A. 4.5 $ms^{-1}$

Answer

B. 15.0 $ms^{-1}$

Answer

D. 51.7 $ms^{-1}$

Question 19

A telescope is said to be in normal adjustment when the

Accepted Answer

D. objective focal point coincides wih that of the eyepiece

Answer

A. focal length of he objective is greater than that of the eyepiece

Answer

B. focal length of the eyepiece is greater than that of the objective

Answer

C. focal length of the eyepiece is equal to that of the objective

Question 20

A girl stands on a scale in a lift. If the reading on the scale is less than her weight, then the lift is moving

Accepted Answer

D. downward with uniform acceleration

Answer

A. upward at uniform speed

Answer

B. upward with uniform acceleration

Answer

C. downward with uniform speed

Question 21

A metal ball of weight W falls through a column of glycerine of viscosity V. If the ball experiences an upthrust U and terminal velocity is attained, then

Accepted Answer

B. W = U + V

Answer

A. W > U + V

Answer

C. W = U - V

Answer

D. W < U + V

Question 22

A 12$\Omega$ resistor dissipates 8kJ of heat in 20s. Calculate the current through the resistor

Accepted Answer

A. 5.8A

Answer

B. 6.9A

Answer

C. 30.0A

Answer

D. 33.3A

Question 23

An object of height 2.5cm is places 20cm from a convex mirror of focal length 10cm. Calculate the height of its image.

Accepted Answer

C. 5.0cm

Answer

A. 2.5 cm

Answer

B. 3.0cm

Answer

D. 25.0cm

Question 24

the core of a transformer is usually laminated in order to

Accepted Answer

B. reduce eddy current

Answer

A. reduce magnetic leakage

Answer

C. prevent vibration of the transformer

Answer

D. make magnetic reversal in the core much easier

Question 25

A metal sheet of area 100cm$^2$ was heated through 70°C. Calculate its new area if the linear expansivity of the metal is 0.000017K$^{-1}$.

Accepted Answer

C. 100.24cm2

Answer

A. 100.06 cm2

Answer

B. 100.12cm2

Answer

D. 100.36cm2

Question 26

Two similar cells are used to light two similar lamps as illustrated in the diagrams above. In which of the circuit diagrams are the lamps brightest?

Accepted Answer

B. Q

Answer

A. P

Answer

C. R

Answer

D. S

Question 27

Which of the following substances is the most volatile at room temperature?

Accepted Answer

C. petrol

Answer

A. water

Answer

B. diesel

Answer

D. kerosine

Question 28

Which of the following sets of coloured light is/are secondary colours i. Red, Blue and green ii. Blue, cyan and magneta iii. Green, Magenta and yellow, IV Yellow, Cyan and Magenta

Accepted Answer

C. iv only

Answer

A. i and ii only

Answer

B. ii and iii only

Answer

D. i, ii and iv only

Question 29

The movement of fluid up or down a narrow tube is

Accepted Answer

C. capillarity

Answer

A. osmosis

Answer

B. brownian motion

Answer

D. diffusion

Question 30

In a R-C circuit

Accepted Answer

C. Vrms lags Irms by 90o

Answer

A. Irms leads Vrms by 60o

Answer

B. Irms slags Vrms by 60o

Answer

D. Vrms leads Irms by 90o

Question 31

A body is pulled through a distance of 500m by a force of 20N. If the power developed is 0.4kW, calculate the time for which the force acts

Accepted Answer

B. 25.0s

Answer

A. 250.0s

Answer

C. 2.5s

Answer

D. 0.5s

Question 32

Which of the following modes is the most economical method of transmitting electrical power over long distances?

Accepted Answer

C. alternating current at high voltage and low current

Answer

A. alternating current at low voltage and high current

Answer

B. alternating current at high voltage and high current

Answer

D. direct current at low voltage and high current

Question 33

An inductor is connected to a 24V, 50Hz mains supply. If the current through the inductor is 1.5A, calculate the inductance of the inductor ($\pi = \frac{22}{7}$)

Accepted Answer

D. 5.1  x 10-2H

Answer

A. 8.0 x 102H

Answer

B. 7.5  x 10oH

Answer

C. 1.6  x 10oH

Question 34

An object is dropped from the top of a tower. If it takes 4s for it to reach the ground, calculate the height of the tower.(g = 10 $ms^{-2}$, ignore air resistance)

Accepted Answer

C. 80m

Answer

A. 20m

Answer

B. 40m

Answer

D. 160m

Question 35

The time of flight for a projectile motion is given by the expression

Accepted Answer

C. $\frac{2U sin 	heta}{g}$

Answer

A. $\frac{U sin 	heta}{g}$

Answer

B. $\frac{U sin 	heta}{2g}$

Answer

D. $\frac{U sin 2	heta}{g}$

Question 36

Two capacitors, each of capacitance 2$\mu$F are connected in parallel. If the p.d across them is 120V, calculate the charge on each capacitor

Accepted Answer

C. 2.4 x 10-4C

Answer

A. 6.0 x 10-5C

Answer

B. 1.2 x 10-4C

Answer

D. 4.8 x 10-4C

Question 37

In the formation of sea breeze. wind blows from

Accepted Answer

D. sea to land

Answer

A. sky to land

Answer

B. sea to sky

Answer

C. land to sea

Question 38

The derived unit of pressure can be expressed as

Accepted Answer

B. kg m-1s-2

Answer

A. kg$ms^{-2}$

Answer

C. kg m-2s-2

Answer

D. kg m-1s2

Question 39

When two like charges are brought together, the potential energy of the system formed will

Accepted Answer

A. increase because work is done against the field

Answer

B. increase because work is done by the field

Answer

C. decrease because work is done by the field

Answer

D. decrease because work is done against the field

Question 40

Which of the following statements about X-rays is correct? X-rays

Accepted Answer

B. are produced when a metal target is used to block fast miving electrons

Answer

A. are produced when a metal surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light

Answer

C. have long wavelengths and are therefoer very penetrating

Answer

D. are not part of the electromagnetic spectrum

Question 41

The tendency for a stationary body to continue to remain at rest when a force is applied to it is known as

Accepted Answer

C. inertia

Answer

A. friction

Answer

B. impulse

Answer

D. momentum

Question 42

Which of the following arrangements of radiations is in the order of decreasing penetrating power?

Accepted Answer

C. $\gamma, \beta, \alpha$

Answer

A. $\alpha, \beta, \gamma$

Answer

B. $\alpha, \gamma, \beta$

Answer

D. $\beta, \gamma,  \alpha$

Question 43

Which of the following properties is an advantage of lead-acid accumulator over an alkaline accumulator?

Accepted Answer

A. possesses low internal resistance

Answer

B. can be recharges

Answer

C. has shorter life span

Answer

D. possesses high e.m.f

Question 44

A simple pendulum makes 50 oscillations in one minute. Determine its period of oscillation

Accepted Answer

C. 1.20s

Answer

A. 0.02s

Answer

B. 0.83s

Answer

D. 50.00s

Question 45

An atom in an excited state is one whose

Accepted Answer

D. electron have moved to higher energy level

Answer

A. potential energy is minimum

Answer

B. potential energy is maximum

Answer

C. electron are in the conduction band

2012 WAEC (WASSCE) Physics Past Questions

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