NAME OF STUDENT________________________________SCHOOL_________

MWANZA DISTRICT EXAMINATIONS BOARD

2024 MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION MOCK EXAMINATIONS

PHYSICS
Subject Number: M164/I
Friday, 22 March Time Allowed: 2 Hours
08:00 – 10:00 am

PAPER I
Theory
(100 marks)

Instructions Question Tick if Do not write in Marker’s

Number answered these columns name
1. This paper contains 12 pages.
Please check. 1
2. Fill in your Name at the top of
2
each page.
3. This paper contains two sections, 3
A and B. In Section A there are ten 4
short answer questions while in
Section B there are three restricted 5
essay questions. 6
4. Answer all the thirteen questions in the
7
spaces provided.
5. Use of electronic calculators is 8
allowed. 9
6. The maximum number of marks for
each question is indicated against 10
each question. 11
7. In the table provided on this page, tick
against the number of the question you 12
have answered. 13

© 2024MNCLUSTER Turn over

 NAME OF STUDENT________________________________SCHOOL_________

2024 Page 2 of 12 M164/I

SECTION A (70 marks)
1a. Mention any two factors that affect torque acting on a body
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(2 marks)
b. What type of waves are electromagnetic waves?
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(1 mark)
c. Give any two applications of infrared waves.
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(2 marks)
d. A convex lens forms an image whose magnification is −𝟐. Describe the nature of this
image.
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(2 marks)
2a. Why is the focal length in a camera fixed?
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(1 mark)
b. Give the two conditions for the occurrence of total destructive interference in transverse
waves.
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(2 marks)
c. State how the amplitude of an incident sound wave front is determined.

(1 mark)
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2024 Page 3 of 12 M164/I

d. Figure 1 shows two identical bottles containing water as shown.

Figure 1
(i) In which bottle will the sound have a greatest pitch?
(1 mark)
(ii) Explain the answer to 2d (i) above

(2 marks)
3a. Name the type of thermometer that is used as a flame sensor in safety devises.

(1 mark)
b. 4m3 of a fixed mass of argon gas initially at 770mmHg is compressed to half its original
volume at constant temperature. Calculate the final pressure of the gas.

(4 marks)
c. Differentiate absolute error from relative error
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(1 mark)
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2024 Page 4 of 12 M164/I

4a. The half-life of a certain radioisotope is 28 days.
(i) What does this mean?
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(1 mark)
(ii) What will happen to the value of this half-life if the radioisotope of this type was allowed to
decay in an environment of a higher temperature?
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(1 mark)
(iii) Give your answer to 4(ii) above.
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(1 mark)
b. Figure 2 shows radiation passing through an electric field between two plates R and S.

(i) Identify the charge in plate S in the Figure 2.

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(1 mark)
(ii) Explain the answer to 4b (i) above.
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(2 marks)
c. State how controlled chain reaction can be achieved in a nuclear reactor?
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(1 mark)
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2024 Page 5 of 12 M164/I

5a. Figure 3 shows a circuit diagram with the three light bulbs as shown.

(i) What does the rating of 4W mean?

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(1 mark)
(ii) What would be the effect on the power dissipated by the 10W bulb if the 6W bulb burns
out?
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(1 mark)
(iii) Give two reasons for the answer to 5a(ii) above.
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(2 marks)
b. Mention the two semiconductor electronic components that store energy.
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(2 marks)
c. State the functional difference between a light emitting diode and a photovoltaic cell.
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(1 mark)
6.a Name the law that is used to determine the direction of induced emf when a bar magnet is
moved into a fixed conductor.
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(1 mark)
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2024 Page 6 of 12 M164/I

b. State the advantage of using a zener diode as a safety devise over using a fuse in an electric
circuit.
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(1 mark)
c. Construct a truth table for the operation of a NOR logic gate.

(4 marks)
d. How does the magnitude of coefficient of static friction compare with that of a dynamic
friction?
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(1 mark)
7a. How much effort is required to lift a 200N load using a pulley system with four pulleys?

(2 marks)
 NAME OF STUDENT________________________________SCHOOL_________

2024 Page 7 of 12 M164/I

b. Describe how clothes dry up in an electric drier.
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(3 marks)
c. Figure 4 shows two bodies, A and B revolving around a fixed force, Q, along their own
orbits.

(i) How does the tangential velocity of body A compare with that of body B if they both take
same time to complete a revolution?
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(1 marks)
(ii) Give a reason for the answer to 6c (i) above.
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(1 mark)
8a. Calculate mass, in Kg, that can produce an extension of 5cm when two identical springs of
spring constant 50N/cm each are arranged in parallel.

(3 marks)
 NAME OF STUDENT________________________________SCHOOL_________

2024 Page 8 of 12 M164/I

b. Give two differences between elastic collision and inelastic collision
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(2 marks)
c. Why is a body moving in a uniform circular motion said to accelerate despite moving at a
constant speed?
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(1 mark)
9a. Describe how a crumple zone of a car provides safety to passengers in a car.
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(2 marks)
b. Figure 5 shows a 10 kg block lying on a flat, rough horizontal surface of a table. The block is
connected to a 2 kg block hanging over the side of the table. The string runs over a light
frictionless pulley. The blocks are stationary at the point when they are just about to move.

(i) Calculate coefficient of static friction force for the 10kg block.

(3 marks)
 NAME OF STUDENT________________________________SCHOOL_________

2024 Page 9 of 12 M164/I

(ii). What would happen to the value obtained in 9b (i)above if the mass of the 10kg block was
increased?
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(1 mark)
(iii). Give a reason for the answer in 9b(ii) above.
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(1 mark)
10a. Construct a fixed resistor using resistor color codes with the value of 25 kΩ ± 10%

(3 mark)
b. State the energy-work theorem
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(1 mark)
c. Give two factors that affect power loss in cables during transmission of electrical power.
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(2 marks)
d. State the meaning of phase of a wave
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(1 mark)
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2024 Page 10 of 12 M164/I

SECTION B (30 marks)
11a. Describe how a U – tube manometer works to measure gas pressure
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(5 marks)
b. Describe how fish survive in a freezing water body in cold regions.
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(5 marks)
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2024 Page 11 of 12 M164/I

12a. Briefly describe how p-type semiconductors are produced.
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(5 marks)
12b. With the aid of a well labeled diagram, describe the nature of reflected waves when
straight wave fronts are allowed to strike a convex reflecting surface.

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2024 Page 12 of 12 M164/I

13. With the aid of a well labeled graph, describe the motion of a body as it falls through a
liquid.

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(10 marks)
END OF QUESTION PAPER
NB: This paper contains 12 printed pages.