BOTSWANA EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education

CANDIDATE
NAME

CENTRE CANDIDATE
NUMBER NUMBER

PHYSICS 1427/01
Paper 1 Theory For Examination from 2025
SPECIMEN PAPER
1 hour 30 minutes
Candidates answer on the Question Paper
Additional Materials: No additional materials required.

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer all questions.
• Write your candidate name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided at the
top of this page and on all work you hand in.
• Write in dark blue or black pen.
• Write your answer to each question in the spaces provided.
• You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working. For Examiner’s Use
• Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
1
• Do not write in any barcodes.
• Electronic calculators may be used. 2
• Take the weight of 1.0 kg to be 10 N. (g = 10 m / s2) 3
INFORMATION 4
• The total mark for this paper is 70.
• You may lose marks if you do not show your working or if 5
you do not use appropriate units. 6
• The number of marks for question or part question is shown in
brackets [ ]. 7

10

Total

This document consists of 16 printed pages.

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1 (a) Give one example of a fundamental quantity. For

Examiners
………………..…………………………………………………………………………………. [1] Use

(b) Fig. 1.1 shows two measuring cylinders P and Q.

ml
ml 25
5

20
4

15
3

10
2

1 5

P Q
Fig. 1.1

(i) State the accuracy of measuring cylinder P.

accuracy = …………………….…… [1]

(ii) Identify the measuring cylinder that is more appropriate when measuring a liquid of
volume 10 ml. Explain your answer.

measuring cylinder …………………………………………………………………………..

explanation ……………………………………………………………….…………………..

.…………………………………………………………………………………………………
[1]

(c) The lengths of some quantities are given.

21 cm 2 cm 0.02 cm

Complete the table with the values given to show the length of the quantity measured.

quantity length

width of a sheet of A4 paper

thickness of a physics textbook

thickness of a sheet of paper

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[2] For
(d) Fig. 1.2 shows part of a sugar cane. Examiners
Use

internode

Fig. 1.2

The sugar cane is cut into single internodes for selling.

Each internode is sold at the same price.

(i) Suggest why it is not fair to sell the internodes at the same price.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………... [1]

(ii) Suggest a fair method that can be used for pricing.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………..…………………. [1]

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2 Fig. 2.1 shows a circular path of a conical pendulum with a bob of mass 0.050 kg. For
The radius of the circle is 0.20 m. Examiners
Use

string

F
bob

Fig. 2.1

(a) The pendulum bob experiences a force F towards the centre as it rotates.

State the name of the force F.

………………………………...………………………………………………………………… [1]

(b) The pendulum bob rotates with a constant acceleration at a constant speed of 1.6 m / s.

(i) Explain why the bob accelerates even though the speed is constant.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………..…….… [1]

(ii) Calculate the value of force F.

F = ………………………….. [2]

(c) The pendulum bob takes 0.79 s to make a complete rotation.

Determine the distance the bob moves in one rotation.

distance = …………………… m [2]

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3 (a) Table 3.1 shows a list of quantities. For

Examiners
Complete the table by classifying them into scalars and vectors. Use

Table 3.1

quantity classification

acceleration

mass

speed

volume

weight
[2]

(b) Fig. 3.1 shows some forces used to pull a tree off the road.
Force F1 is 800 N and force F2 is 600 N.
The angle between the two forces is 40°. The diagram is not drawn to scale.

road

F1 = 800 N
tree

F2 = 600 N
Fig. 3.1

(i) Draw a vector diagram to determine the magnitude of resultant force FR of the two
forces. State the scale used.

scale …………………………………

FR = …………………………..[4]

(ii) State how the magnitude of FR can be increased without increasing the magnitudes
of F1 and F2.

………………………………………………………………………..……………………. [1]

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4 (a) Give one application of pressure. For

Examiners
………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Use

………………………………………………………………………………………………...… [1]

(b) Fig. 4.1 shows the legs of a woman of weight 600 N wearing high heeled shoes.

heel

sole

Fig. 4.1

(i) The total area of contact of the shoes with the ground is 9.6 × 10 − 3 m2.

Calculate the pressure exerted by the woman when standing by both shoes on the
ground.

pressure ……………..……….. [2]

(ii) Explain why the heel of the shoes is more likely to sink than the sole of the shoes
when the woman walks on sandy ground.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………..……………………………………………………………………………………. [2]

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(c) Fig. 4.2 shows a hydraulic jack used to lift a car. For
F1 Examiners
Use

A1
F2
A2

Fig. 4.2

The force F1 is 50 N. The area A1 is 20 cm2 and the area A2 is 2800 cm2.

Calculate the force F2 required to lift the car.

F2 = …………………………… [2]

(d) A mountain climber boils water at the bottom and at the top of a mountain.

State and explain how the boiling point of the water at the bottom of the mountain
compares to that at the top of the mountain.

statement …………………………………………………………………………………………..

explanation ………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
[2]

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5 Fig. 5.1 shows a ball of mass 0.20 kg suspended 4.5 m above the ground. For
Examiners
Use
ball

4.5 m

1.5 m

ground

Fig. 5.1

(a) Calculate the potential energy of the ball when suspended 4.5 m above the ground.
(g = 10 m / s2)

potential energy = ………………………. [2]

(b) The ball is released to fall freely.

Determine:

(i) the kinetic energy of the ball when it is 1.5 m above the ground,

kinetic energy = ………………………… [2]

(ii) the velocity of the ball when it is 1.5 m above the ground.

velocity = ……….……………………….. [2]

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6 Fig. 6.1 shows an object O placed in-front of a concave mirror. For

Examiners
Use

mirror

● ●
O C F

Fig. 6.1

(a) On Fig. 6.1, draw:

(i) the rays to locate the image of object O, [2]

(ii) the image and labelling it I. [1]

(b) State two properties of the image formed.

1 …………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
[2]

(c) State, with a reason, the type of mirror used as rear-view car mirror.

type of mirror ………………………………………………………………………………………

reason ……………………………………………………………………………………………...
[2]

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7 (a) Explain how refraction of light occurs. For

Examiners
………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Use

…………………………………………………………………………………………………... [2]

(b) Fig. 7.1 shows a ray of light travelling from water into glass.
The angle of incidence of the ray is 40°.
The refractive index of water is 1.33.
The refractive index of glass is 1.52.

The diagram is not drawn to scale.

normal

40°
water

glass

Fig. 7.1

Calculate the angle of refraction r of the ray of light.

r = ………………………. [2]

(c) Fig. 7.2 shows a simple periscope made from plane mirrors.

mirror 1
light rays

mirror 2

Fig. 7.2

(i) On Fig. 7.2, complete the paths of the light rays as they travel through the
periscope. [2]

(ii) State one characteristic of an image formed by a plane mirror.

……………………..………………………………………………………………………. [1]

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8 (a) State any two factors that affect the strength of an electromagnet. For
Examiners
1 ……………….………………………………………..………………………….…….………… Use

2 ………………………..…………………………………………………………..……………….
[2]

(b) Fig. 8.1 shows soft iron rods placed inside a long coil of wire connected to a power
supply.
transparent
plastic

long coil

soft-iron

switch

Fig. 8.1

The switch is closed.

State and explain the observation made.

observation ..……………………………………………………………………………………….

explanation …………………………………………………………………………………..........

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
[3]

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(c) Fig. 8.2 shows the structure of a circuit breaker. For

Examiners
iron armature reset button Use

current in springy metal

pivot

iron core
current out

Fig. 8.2

Describe how the circuit breaker works.

…………………………….………………………………….……………………………………..

…………………………………………………….…………….…………………………………..

.………………………………………………..………………………………………………..…..

.………………………………………………...……..………………………………………… [3]

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9 Fig. 9.1 shows an electric circuit to investigate the effect of current on the voltage across a For
lamp. Examiners
Use

9.0 V
S

variable resistor lamp

Fig. 9.1

(a) State the function of:

(i) the battery,

.…………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]

(ii) the variable resistor.

…………………………………………………………...………………………………… [1]

(b) The switch S is closed.

The variable resistor is adjusted, and the ammeter reads 1.6 A and the voltmeter reads
4.0 V.

Calculate:

(i) the charge Q passing through the lamp every 60 seconds,

Q = ………….……………. [2]

(ii) the resistance R of the lamp.

R = ………………………… [2]

(c) Suggest why thicker wires are used for wiring electrical sockets in a house.

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………. [1]

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10 (a) Define half-life. For

Examiners
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Use

…………………………………………………………………………………………...……… [1]

(b) Radon-222 has a half-life of 3.8 days.

A Radon sample has 2000 radioactive nuclei.

Calculate the number of radioactive nuclei present after 8.6 days.

Use the equation N = Noe(-0.693t/t1/2).

number of nuclei = ……………………….. [2]

(c) State one difference between fusion and fission.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………... [1]

(d) The equation represents part of a chain reaction that occurs in a nuclear reactor.

1
0n + 235
92 U → 141
Y Ba + 92 1
36Kr + X 0n

Determine the values of X and Y in the equation.

X = …………………………

Y = …………………………
[2]

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