2016 WAEC (WASSCE) Physics Past Questions & Answers

Question 1

Let $\Delta$x be the uncertainty in the measurements of position and $\Delta$p the uncertainty in measurement of momentum. The uncertainty principle relation is given as

Accepted Answer

C. $\Delta$x . $\Delta$p $\geq$ = h

Answer

A. $\Delta$x . $\Delta$p = h

Answer

B. $\Delta$x . $\Delta$p $\leq$ = h

Answer

D. $\Delta$x . $\Delta$p > h

Question 2

The pair of musical instruments that works on the vibration of air in pipes is

Accepted Answer

D. flute and the trumpet

Answer

A. piano and the organ

Answer

B. guitar and the flute

Answer

C. trumpet and the violin

Question 3

Which of the following statements correctly defines the boiling point of a liquid? The temperature at which the

Accepted Answer

A. saturated vapour pressure equals the atmospheric pressure

Answer

B. molecules leaves the liquid at a rate equal to the rate at which they return

Answer

C. molecules leave the liquid at a rate higher than that at which they return

Answer

D. molecules leave the liquid at a rate lower than the rate at which they return

Question 4

In the clinical thermometer, the function of the kink is to i. Prevent the back flow of mercury after use. ii. Ensure the back flow of mercury after use. iii. Maintain the thermometric property of mercury. iv. Allow the temperature attained to be read.

Accepted Answer

C. i and iv only

Answer

A. i only

Answer

B. i and ii only

Answer

D. iii and iv only

Question 5

The mouth piece of a telephone handset converts

Accepted Answer

B. sound energy to electrical energy

Answer

A. electrical energy to sound energy

Answer

C. sound energy to radiowave

Answer

D. radiowave to sound energy

Question 6

The dimensions of momentum are

Accepted Answer

C. MLT-1

Answer

A. MLT

Answer

B. ML-1T-1

Answer

D. ML-1T

Question 7

Total internal reflection. i. is a phenomenon of refraction of light. ii. occurs when light rays travel into a denser medium. iii. occurs when the critical angle is just exceeded. iv. is a phenomenon of reflection of light. Which of the statements above are correct?

Accepted Answer

D. i, iii and iv only

Answer

A. i and ii only

Answer

B. i and iii only

Answer

C. i, ii and iii only

Question 8

Two different materials, rubbed against each other acquired opposite charges when separated. This is an example of charging by

Accepted Answer

B. friction

Answer

A. induction

Answer

C. conduction

Answer

D. convection

Question 9

Which of the following statements is correct about the effect of dissolved salt on the freezing point of water?

Accepted Answer

A. the freezing point is lowered

Answer

B. the freezing point is increased

Answer

C. there is no change in the freezing point

Answer

D. the change in the freezing point depends on the temperature of the surrounding

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

D. direction of current in the wire

Answer

A. magnitude of the current passing through the wire

Answer

B. material of the core of the magnet

Answer

C. material of the coil

Question 11

In storing magnets, keepers are used to

Accepted Answer

A. reduced self-demagnetization

Answer

B. cancel the effect of the earth's magnetic field

Answer

C. protect the magnet from stray electric field

Answer

D. increase the strangth of the magnets

Question 12

Complementary colours are those which

Accepted Answer

D. add-up to produce white light

Answer

A. have the same refractive index

Answer

B. have the same wavelength

Answer

C. add-up to produce black light

Question 13

The distance between two successive trough of a wave is 0.4m. If the frequency of the source is 825Hz, Calculate the speed of the wave

Accepted Answer

B. 330.0$ms^{-1}$

Answer

A. 165.0 $ms^{-1}$

Answer

C. 41.5$ms^{-1}$

Answer

D. 85.0$ms^{-1}$

Question 14

The image formed by a concave mirror is real, inverted and magnified, when object is placed

Accepted Answer

D. between the centre of curvature and the focus

Answer

A. at the focus

Answer

B. at the centre of curvature

Answer

C. beyond the centre of curvature

Question 15

The p.d across a parallel-plate capacitor is 103V. If the distance between the two plates is 10cm. Calculate the magnitude of the electric field strength between the plates.

Accepted Answer

A. 1.0 x 104Vm-1

Answer

B. 1.0 x 105Vm-1

Answer

C. 1.5 x 105Vm-1

Answer

D. 2.0 x 105Vm-1

Question 16

A mercury-in-glass thermometer read 4cm at ice point and 29cm at steam point. Calculate the temperature when the mercury level is at 9cm

Accepted Answer

B. 20oC

Answer

A. 13oC

Answer

C. 33oC

Answer

D. 38oC

Question 17

How many beta particle(s) are emitted in the radioactive decay of $^{198}_{79}Au \leftarrow ^{198}_{80}Hg$?

Accepted Answer

A. 1

Answer

B. 2

Answer

C. 3

Answer

D. 5

Question 18

The continuous stirring in the method of mixtures to determine the specific thermal capacity of a substance ensures

Accepted Answer

B. uniform distribution of thermal energy to all parts of the mixture

Answer

A. continuous dissipation of heat to the room

Answer

C. that the thermal energy is confined to the mixture

Answer

D. that there is rapid heat exchange

Question 19

The electricity meters in houses measure energy unit consumed in

Accepted Answer

A. kilowatt-hour

Answer

B. volt

Answer

C. ampere

Answer

D. coulomb

Question 20

A 10$\mu$C charge moves with a velocity of 1.0 x 105 $ms^{-1}$ at right angle to a uniform magnetic field of flux density 5.0 x 10-4T. Calculate the force on the charge

Accepted Answer

B. 5.0 x 10-4N

Answer

A. 5.0 x 10-5N

Answer

C. 5.0 x 105N

Answer

D. 5.0 x 106N

Question 21

At a birthday party, the celebrant pops a corked fruit wine. If the cork shoots out of the bottle at an angle of 40o to the horizontal and travels a horizontal distance of 4.50m in 1.25s. Calculate the initial speed of the cork.

Accepted Answer

B. 4.7$ms^{-1}$

Answer

A. 4.2$ms^{-1}$

Answer

C. 5.6$ms^{-1}$

Answer

D. 7.1$ms^{-1}$

Question 22

An object of volume 400cm3 and 2.5gcm-3 is suspended from a spring balance with half its volume immersed in water. Determine the reading on the spring balance. (Density of water = 1gcm-3)

Accepted Answer

C. 800g

Answer

A. 1200g

Answer

B. 1000g

Answer

D. 400g

Question 23

A man and his friend have masses 70kg and 60kg respectively. If they are seated 1.0m apart, calculate the gravitational force of attraction between them. (G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2 kg-2)

Accepted Answer

B. 2.80 x 10-7 N

Answer

A. 1.59 x 10-14 N

Answer

C. 1.30 x 10-2 N

Answer

D. 6.30 x 1013 N

Question 24

A ball is dropped from the top of a tower. Due to air resistance,it reaches terminal velocity. Which of the following statement(s) about its motion is/are correct? i. The acceleration of the ball is zero. ii. The net force on the ball is zero. iii. The velocity of the ball increases.

Accepted Answer

B. i and ii only

Answer

A. i only

Answer

C. ii and iii only

Answer

D. i, ii and iii

Question 25

Which of the following factors does not affect the e.m.f of a primary cell? Its

Accepted Answer

A. size

Answer

B. internal resistance

Answer

C. operating temperature

Answer

D. duration of usage

Question 26

Resonance occurs when one vibrating object causes a second object to vibrate at its own natural

Accepted Answer

C. frequency

Answer

A. amplitude

Answer

B. speed

Answer

D. intensity

Question 27

When a body is thrown vertically upwards, its velocity at the maximum height is

Accepted Answer

B. zero

Answer

A. maximium

Answer

C. double its initial value

Answer

D. half its initial value

Question 28

A uniform metre rule is balanced on a fulcrum placed at the 35cm mark by suspending a mass of 120g at the 10cm mark. Calculate the mass of the metre rule.

Accepted Answer

D. 200g

Answer

A. 60g

Answer

B. 80g

Answer

C. 120g

Question 29

An astronomical telescope has objectives and eye-piece lenses of focal length 3.5m and 5cm respectively. Determine the magnifying power of the telescope when in normal adjustment

Accepted Answer

A. 70.0

Answer

B. 17.5

Answer

C. 7.0

Answer

D. 0.7

Question 30

In a p-type semiconductor, the?

Accepted Answer

D. holes are the majority charge carriers

Answer

A. number of holes are equal to the number of electrons

Answer

B. electrical resistivity increases

Answer

C. electrons are the majority charge carriers

Question 31

An aluminium rod of length 1.8m at 10°C is heated to proceed produce a difference in length of 0.007m. Calculate the temperature to which it is heated. (Linear expansivity of aluminium = 2.3 x 10$^{-5}$K$^{-1}$

Accepted Answer

D. 179oC

Answer

A. 155oC

Answer

B. 160oC

Answer

C. 169oC

Question 32

A pressurized perfume bottle is left on the window pane of a room. What happens to he gas molecules of the perfume on a sunny day? They

Accepted Answer

C. move more rapidly

Answer

A. expand

Answer

B. collide less often

Answer

D. contract

Question 33

A student measures the volume of a liquid using a measuring cylinder. What else needs to be measured by the student in order to determine the density of the liquid?

Accepted Answer

C. mass of the liquid

Answer

A. depth of the liquid in the cylinder

Answer

B. mass of the cylinder

Answer

D. tempersture of the liquid

Question 34

Which of the following substances lowers the surface tension of water?

Accepted Answer

C. detergent

Answer

A. metal

Answer

B. sand

Answer

D. paper

Question 35

An aluminium cable of diameter 4 x 10-3m and resistivity 3.0 x 10-8$\omega$m has a resistance of 21$\Omega$. Calculate the length of the cable. ($\pi = 3.14$)

Accepted Answer

B. 8.8 x 103m

Answer

A. 8.0 x 102m

Answer

C. 8.0 x 104m

Answer

D. 8.8 x 104m

Question 36

X-rays and infrared rays are both electromagnetic. Which common property do the waves have? Both waves

Accepted Answer

D. travel at the same speed in a vacuum

Answer

A. are longitudinal

Answer

B. have same frequency

Answer

C. have the same wavelength

Question 37

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

Accepted Answer

A. steel is more magnetized than soft iron

Answer

B. permanent magnets are usually made of steel

Answer

C. soft iron is more readily magnetized than steel

Answer

D. soft iron more readily loses its magnetism than steel

Question 38

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

Accepted Answer

B. nuclear fusion

Answer

A. radioactivity

Answer

C. nuclear fission

Answer

D. chain reaction

Question 39

The two person of a body undergoing a uniformly accelerated motion are (10s, 10$ms^{-1}$) and (30s, 50$ms^{-1}$). On the velocity-time graph pf the body.

Accepted Answer

B. 2.0$ms^{-2}$

Answer

A. 0.5$ms^{-2}$

Answer

C. 10.0$ms^{-2}$

Answer

D. 40.0$ms^{-2}$

Question 40

Given that v, f and $\lambda$ are the velocity, frequency and wavelength of a wave respectively. Which of the following equations is correct?

Accepted Answer

B. f = $\frac{v}{\lambda}$

Answer

A. v = f2$\lambda$

Answer

C. f = $\frac{v}{\lambda^2}$

Answer

D. $\lambda = \frac{f}{v^2}$

2016 WAEC (WASSCE) Physics Past Questions

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I prepare for WAEC (WASSCE) Physics?

Where can I find WAEC (WASSCE) Physics past questions?

How close is the DeeepSolve CBT simulator to the real WAEC (WASSCE)?

Are the AI explanations accurate?