2018 WAEC (WASSCE) Physics Past Questions & Answers

Question 1

Two plane mirrors are inclined to each other such that an object placed between them has 11 images. Determine the angle of inclination

Accepted Answer

A. 30°

Answer

B. 45°

Answer

C. 60°

Answer

D. 90°

Question 2

Which of the following quantities are dimensionally independent? I. Dielectric constant    II. Momentum   III. Efficiency   IV. Refractive index

Accepted Answer

D. I, III and IV

Answer

A. I and II

Answer

B. II, III and IV

Answer

C. I, II, III and IV

Question 3

A nuclide is represented by $_{32}^{70}B$. Determine its neutron-proton ratio

Accepted Answer

C. 1.2

Answer

A. 0.5

Answer

B. 0.8

Answer

D. 1.5

Question 4

The pitch of a note is not affected by

Accepted Answer

D. amplitude of sound wave

Answer

A. frequency

Answer

B. tension in a vibrating string

Answer

C. mass of a vibrating string

Question 5

The bob of a simple pendulum takes 8.0s to complete 10 oscillations. Determine the frequency of oscillation of the bob.

Accepted Answer

B. 1.25Hz

Answer

A. 0.125Hz

Answer

C. 7.50Hz

Answer

D. 8.00Hz

Question 6

In which of the following fields is radioisotopes not used?

Accepted Answer

D. Weather forecast

Answer

A. Medicine

Answer

B. Oil industry

Answer

C. Agriculture

Question 7

The S.I unit for sound energy is

Accepted Answer

D. J

Answer

A. Hz

Answer

B. cd

Answer

C. dB

Question 8

During a training session, two footballers pass a ball repeatedly between each other. The 'to and fro' motion of the ball is not simple harmonic because the I. Acceleration of the ball is not directed towards a fixed point II. Restoring force is not directed towards the centre III. Acceleration of the ball is not directly proportional to the displacement from a fixed point Which of the statements above are correct?

A.I and III only
B.I and II only
C.II and III only
D.I, II and III

Show answer

Answer: D. I, II and III

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Accepted Answer

D. I, II and III

Answer

A. I and III only

Answer

B. I and II only

Answer

C. II and III only

Question 9

Which of the following statements is not an advantage of an alkaline accumulator?

Accepted Answer

C. It has low internal resistance

Answer

A. The electrolyte does not need attention

Answer

B. It can be recharged

Answer

D. It has a much longer life than lead-acid accumulator

Question 10

According to Newton's law of cooling, the heat energy lost per unit area of a body depends on the I. Surface area II. Nature of the surface III. Temperature of the surface IV. Excess temperature over the surroundings

Accepted Answer

B. II and IV only

Answer

A. I and II only

Answer

C. I,II and III

Answer

D. I, II and IV

Question 11

To obtain a virtual, erect and magnified image from a thin converging lens, an object must be placed

Accepted Answer

A. between the focus and the lens

Answer

B. at the focus

Answer

C. between the focal length and twice the focal length

Answer

D. beyond twice the focal length

Question 12

The lens illustrated above can best be described as a

Accepted Answer

C. diverging meniscus

Answer

A. converging meniscus

Answer

B. plano-convex

Answer

D. bi-convex

Question 13

Rainbow formation is a natural phenomenon illustrating that white light

Accepted Answer

D. is dispersed into its constituent colours after rainfall

Answer

A. splits into three components after rainfall

Answer

B. is dispersed by glass prisms

Answer

C. splits into its constituent colours before rainfall

Question 14

Which electrical device is illustrated above?

Accepted Answer

A. a.c. generator

Answer

B. a.c. motor

Answer

C. d.c. generator

Answer

D. d.c. motor

Question 15

Which of the following radiations has the longest wavelength?

Accepted Answer

B. Radio wave

Answer

A. Gamma ray

Answer

C. Infrared ray

Answer

D. X-ray

Question 16

A student uses two compass needles to investigate the magnetic field around a bar magnet. Which of the following diagrams show the correct directions of the needles?

Accepted Answer

B. B

Answer

A. A

Answer

C. C

Answer

D. D

Question 17

An object at rest is said to possess

Accepted Answer

A. potential energy

Answer

B. kinetic energy

Answer

C. chemical energy

Answer

D. electrical energy

Question 18

Frequency is measured in

Accepted Answer

C. hertz

Answer

A. meter per second

Answer

B. seconds

Answer

D. farad

Question 19

Which of the following factors does not increase the rate of evaporation of water in a lake?

Accepted Answer

A. Increase in the pressure of the atmosphere

Answer

B. Rise in temperature

Answer

C. Increase in the surface area of the lake

Answer

D. Increase in the speed of the wind

Question 20

The primary of a transformer has 100 turns and its secondary has 200 turns. If the voltage at the primary is 100V, determine the voltage at the secondary.

Accepted Answer

C. 200V

Answer

A. 50V

Answer

B. 100V

Answer

D. 400V

Question 21

A body of mass m moving around a circle of radius r with a uniform speed v experiences a centripetal force F. The work done by the centripetal force on it is

Accepted Answer

B. zero

Answer

A. Fv

Answer

C. Fmr

Answer

D. $\frac{Fr}{m}$

Question 22

Which of the following statements about magnetic lines of force is not correct? They

Accepted Answer

D. intersect one another

Answer

A. pass through even non-magnetic materials

Answer

B. run from the north pole to the south pole

Answer

C. are in a state of tension and tend to be shorted

Question 23

Which of the following is emitted in a process of natural radioactivity?

Accepted Answer

A. $\alpha$- particles and $\beta$- particles

Answer

B. $\alpha$- particles and X-rays

Answer

C. $\beta$- particles and X-rays

Answer

D. $\lambda$- rays and X-rays

Question 24

A simple barometer is constructed using a liquid $Q_{1}$ of density 16.2$g/cm^{3}$. Calculate the least lenth of the tube to be used to measure pressure of 1.5atm.  [Density of mercury = 13.6$g/cm^{3}$, 1atm = 76.0 cm of Mercury]

Accepted Answer

B. 957mm

Answer

A. 1358mm

Answer

C. 760mm

Answer

D. 638mm

Question 25

Two objects P and Q of masses 100kg and 20kg respectively are 1.2m apart on a horizontal surface. Calculate the net gravitational force acting on Q.                                     $[G= 6.67 	imes 10^{-11} Nm^{2}kg^{-2}]$

Accepted Answer

C. $9.26	imes 10^{-8} N$ towards P

Answer

A. $1.11	imes 10^{-7} N$ towards P

Answer

B. $1.11	imes 10^{-7} N$ towards Q

Answer

D. $9.26	imes 10^{-8} N$ towards Q

Question 26

In which of the following situations is photoelectric effect employed? I. Automatic devices for switching on light at dusk II. Automatic doors in departmental stores III. Automatic devices for switching on air conditioners IV. Automatic voltage stabilizers

Accepted Answer

D. I and II only

Answer

A. I, II and IV only

Answer

B. I, III and IV only

Answer

C. III and IV only

Question 27

The ice point on the absolute scale of temperature is

Accepted Answer

D. 273K

Answer

A. 0K

Answer

B. 32K

Answer

C. 100K

Question 28

The general definition of elastic modulus is

Accepted Answer

A. $\frac{stress}{strain}$

Answer

B. $\frac{strain}{stress}$

Answer

C. $stress 	imes strain$

Answer

D. $\sqrt{\frac{stress}{strain}}$

Question 29

The property of a body to remain at rest or to continue in uniform motion in a straight line is called

Accepted Answer

B. Inertia

Answer

A. momentum

Answer

C. impulse

Answer

D. Energy

Question 30

When two flat plate conductors are arranged in such a way that they possess equal and opposite charges seperated by a dielectric, they form a/an

Accepted Answer

C. capacitor

Answer

A. electroscope

Answer

B. electrophorus

Answer

D. cell

Question 31

In which of the following activities is an induction coil not useful?

Accepted Answer

D. A.C. power transmission

Answer

A. Investigation of high voltages

Answer

B. Study of electric discharge

Answer

C. Operation of X-ray tubes

Question 32

A resistor with fixed resistance value is called a

Accepted Answer

B. standard resistor

Answer

A. resistance box

Answer

C. shunt resistor

Answer

D. multiplier resistor

Question 33

Which of the following electromagnetic waves is most energetic?

Accepted Answer

C. Gamma rays

Answer

A. Radio waves

Answer

B. X-ray

Answer

D. Ultra-violet rays

Question 34

A football is kicked at an angle of 45° to the horizontal over a defense line up with a velocity of 15$ms^{-1}$. Calculate the magnitudeof horizontal velocity of the ball at its highest point  [Neglect friction, g = 10$ms^{-2}$].

Accepted Answer

C. 10.6$ms^{-1}$

Answer

A. 0.0$ms^{-1}$

Answer

B. 5.6$ms^{-1}$

Answer

D. 15.0$ms^{-1}$

Question 35

When the speed of a car is halved, its kinetic energy is

Accepted Answer

B. quartered

Answer

A. doubled

Answer

C. halved

Answer

D. quadrupled

Question 36

In a series R-L-C circuit, R = 10$\Omega$, $X_{c}$= 4$\Omega$ and $X_{L}$ = 9$\Omega$. The impedance of the circuit is

Accepted Answer

D. 11.2$\Omega$

Answer

A. 4.1$\Omega$

Answer

B. 5.0$\Omega$

Answer

C. 10.8$\Omega$

Question 37

Which of the following statements about magnetic lines of force is not correct? They

A.pass through even non-magnetic materials
B.run from the north pole to the south pole
C.are in a state of tension and tend to be shorted
D.intersect one another

Show answer

Answer: D. intersect one another

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Accepted Answer

D. I, II and III

Answer

A. I only

Answer

B. I and II only

Answer

C. II and III only

Question 38

A body is projected with an initial velocity u at angle $	heta$ to the horizontal. If $R_{max}$ is the maximum range of the projectile, what does the relation $\frac{u^{2}}{R_{max}}$ represent?

Accepted Answer

B. Acceleration due to gravity

Answer

A. The vertical distance covered

Answer

C. The horizontal distance covered

Answer

D. The acceleration of the body

Question 39

A wire of length 400cm is stretched between two fixed points. When plucked, its fundamental frequency is 150Hz. Calculate the speed of the wave produced.

Accepted Answer

C. 1200$ms^{-1}$

Answer

A. 250$ms^{-1}$

Answer

B. 625$ms^{-1}$

Answer

D. 1500$ms^{-1}$

Question 40

A dam is able to hold a large quantity of water because its wall is

Accepted Answer

C. thickest at the bottom

Answer

A. thickest at the top

Answer

B. thickest at the middle

Answer

D. of the same thickness throughout

2018 WAEC (WASSCE) Physics Past Questions

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