ZIMBABWE SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

General Certificate of Education Advanced Level

MATHEMATICS 9164/3
PAPER 3 Mechanics and Statistics
NOVEMBER 2015 SESSION 3 hours
Additional materials:
Answer paper
Graph paper
List of Formulae
Scientific calculator

TIME 3 hours

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided on the answer
paper/answer booklet.

Answer all questions.

If a numerical answer cannot be given exactly, and the accuracy required is not specified in the
question, then in the case of an angle it should be given to the nearest degree, and in other cases,
it should be given correct to 2 significant figures.

If a numerical value for g is necessary, take g = 9.81 ms-2.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

The total number of marks for this paper is 120.

Within each section of the paper, questions are printed in the order of their mark allocations and
candidates are advised, within each section, to attempt questions sequentially.

The use of a scientific calculator is expected, where appropriate.

You are reminded of the need for clear presentation in your answers.

_______________________________________________________________________________
This question paper consists of 8 printed pages.
Copyright: Zimbabwe School Examinations Council, N2015.

©ZIMSEC N2015 [Turn over

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Section (a): Mechanics

A particle of mass 2 kg is held in equilibrium by two light inextensible strings

PQ and PR which make angles of 30 and 45 respectively with the horizontal
(see diagram).

Find the tensions T1 and T2 in the strings. [4]

A block P of mass 2 kg, lies on a rough plane inclined at 30 to the horizontal.
It is connected to a block Q of mass 3 kg by a light inextensible string passing
over a smooth pulley (see diagram).

The blocks are released and Q falls vertically downwards. The coefficient
of friction between the block P and the plane is .

(a) Find the acceleration of the system. [4]

(b) Calculate the tension in the string. [2]

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3 A car breaking system can bring the car to rest from a speed of 80 km/h in a
distance of 22.5 m.

(a) Find the deceleration produced by the braking system. [3]

(b) A driver of the car reacts in half a second before applying the brakes.

Find the distance the car travels before stopping if the car is travelling
at 120 km/h. [4]

A stone is projected from a point 5 m above a horizontal plane, with a velocity of

30 and angle of projection . The stone just clears a barrier 10 m high and
15 m away from the point of projection (see diagram).

Find the possible values of .

[7]

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5

A uniform lamina ABCDEFGH is T-shaped and has dimensions shown in the

diagram. It is resting on a horizontal surface on the side EF.

(a) Find the centre of gravity of the lamina. [6]

(b) Calculate the maximum angle through which it can be tilted clockwise
before it topples. [4]

A sphere, P, of mass 0.2 kg is moving with velocity and approaches

another sphere, Q, of mass 0.1 kg which is moving with velocity 4 in the
same direction.

The spheres collide and P moves with velocity 3 and Q moves with velocity
v both in the same direction as before.

(a) If v = 10 , find u.
[2]

(b) Find the coefficient of restitution if u = 8 and v = 5 . [2]

(c) Given that the impulse of the collision is 1.5 Ns, determine u and v
assuming the coefficient of restitution is the same as in (b). [6]

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7 A car of mass 1 500 kg is travelling on a horizontal road at a steady speed of

64 km/h. The power developed by the engine is 8 kW and the frictional
resistance is 100 N.
(a) Calculate the air resistance. [3]

(b) The air resistance is now proportional to the square of the speed and the
car is now travelling up an incline of to the horizontal at a
steady speed of 24 km/h.
Calculate the power developed by the engine assuming the frictional
resistance does not change. [7]

8 An elastic string of natural length l, and modulus of elasticity mg is attached to

a fixed point O. A particle of weight is attached to the other end of the
string. The particle is pulled vertically downwards and is released from rest at
a point vertically below O.

(a) Show that the subsequent motion of the system is simple harmonic
motion, giving the amplitude and period. [7]

(b) Find the time taken for the particle to rise a distance of .
[2]
(c) Find the change in energy of the system between the lowest point and
the equilibrium point. [4]

9 A particle of mass m, moves on a smooth horizontal surface under the action of

a horizontal force of size kmv3, where v is the speed of the particle and k is a
constant.
The particle is initially at the origin and moving with speed 5 in the same
direction as the force.

(i) Show that

(ii) Hence express v in terms of x and k. [6]

(iii) Find the time, in terms of k, taken for the speed to double. [8]

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10 (a)

A right circular cone of vertex angle 120 is fixed with its axis vertical
and its vertex downwards.
A small particle of mass m kg performs circular motion inside the
smooth cone at a constant speed of 0.8 ( see diagram).
Find the distance of the particle from the vertex. [5]

(b)

The diagram shows a particle, P, of mass 0.3 kg attached to two light

inextensible strings, PR and PQ. The particle describes circular motion
with R vertically above Q. RQ = 4 m, PR = 2 m and PQ = 3 m.

(i) Show that:

1. cos

2. = .

(ii) Hence find the tensions in PR and PQ if the angular velocity of

the particle is [10]
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Section (c) : Statistics
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11 In a random sample of mothers, each was asked how old she was when her
first child was born. The histogram shows the results of the survey.

(a) State the modal age group. [1]

(b) Find the number of mothers who were between 25 years and 30 years
old when their first child was born. [1]
(c) Calculate the number of mothers in the survey. [2]
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12 A continuous random variable X has a probability density function given by

(a) Show that a = [2]

(b) Find
(i)

(ii) Var (X) [4]

13 The probability that a marksman hits a target when it is windy is 0.3 and the
corresponding probability when it is not windy is 0.8. The probability that
the wind will blow as he shoots is 0.2.

(a) Illustrate the above information on a well-labelled tree diagram. [2]

(b) Find the probability that

(i) he hits the target,

(ii) it is not windy given that he misses the target. [5]

14 The talk time of a certain type of a cell phone battery is normally distributed
with mean 5 hours and standard deviation 40 minutes.

(i) Calculate

1. the probability that the talk time of the battery lasts more than
6 hours,

2. the percentage of cell phone batteries that have a talk time of

more than 4 hours 30 minutes but less than 5 hours .

(ii) Six such batteries are chosen, find the probability that exactly four of
the batteries have a talk time of more than 4 hours 30 minutes but less
than 5 hours. [7]

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