SEPTA-O-LEVEL PHYSICS SEMINAR SLATED FOR 23RD JUNE 2024 AT

ST. JOSEPH OF NAZARETH HIGH SCHOOL KAVULE-KATENDE

ELEMENTS OF CONSTRUCT AND THEIR CHAPTER BREAK DOWN

1. Physics 535/1 (Theory paper)
Construct: Appreciates physics in everyday life

Item Element of construct Topics covered

SECTION A: Compulsory
Item Understands how waves are Nature of light; reflection of light
one generated, propagated and at plane surfaces
their application in every Reflection of light at curved
day life surfaces
Refraction, dispersion, and
colour
Lenses and optical instruments
General wave properties
Sound waves

Item Understands the structure Atomic models

Two of atoms, nuclear Nuclear processes
processes and their
application in every day
life.

Item Understands solar system The solar system

Three ,galaxies, stars, satellites & Stars and galaxies
digital communication in
Satellites and communication
everyday life
Digital electronics
SECTION B
PART I
Item Understands effect of force Measurements in Physics
four and heat on properties of States of matter
and five matter Effects of forces
Work, energy, and power

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 Turning effect of forces,
centre of gravity, and
stability
Pressure in solids and fluids
Mechanical properties of
Materials and Hooke’s law
Linear and non-linear motion
Temperature measurements
Heat transfer
Expansion of solids, liquids, and
gases
Heat quantities and vapours

PART II
Magnets and magnetic fields
Appreciates electricity and Electromagnetic effects
Item magnetism in every day
Electrostatics
Six life
and Introduction to current
Seven electricity
Voltage, resistance and Ohm’s
law
Electric energy distribution and
consumption

NOTE:
 Section A will comprise of three compulsory items
 Section B comprises of Part I and Part II each having two questions and a
learner answers one question from each part.
 In total five questions must be attempted by the learner.
 The paper is for 2 hours 30 minutes

2. Physics practical 535/2/3

Construct: Appreciates scientific investigation in physics

Item Element of Sections

Construct
Item Appreciates Mechanics
One or Scientific
Two Optics

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 Investigation in Electricity
Physics

NOTE:
 The exam duration is 2 hours.
 There are two examination items in this paper.
 Students select one item from the options provided.
 The two items can cover either Mechanics and Electricity, Electricity and
Optics or Mechanics and Optics.
 Learners are encouraged to practice all three sections: Mechanics, Heat,
Electricity, and Optics.
 Avoid focusing solely on specific themes as any item may come from any
where
SEMINAR ITEMS
WAVES AND LIGHT
Item 1
In a certain music concert that took place at night, a man played a guitar on a
floating stage surrounded by disco lights flashing red, blue and green in the
middle of the lake. The audience on the boats and shores were wearing yellow
clothes with black spots on them. The audience was surprised about the new
appearance of the colours of their clothes. The sound waves from the guitar
travel through the air with a frequency of 𝟒𝟒𝟎𝑯𝒛. The organizers also projected
laser light, that travels through air with a frequency of 4.7× 𝟏𝟎𝟖 M𝑯𝒛
illuminating waves on the lake surface to aid visibility. The shores of the lake
were 𝟏𝟓𝒎 away from a tall storage building. Boys A and B standing in the same
direction and in line with the playing music from the lake heard the sound at
different intervals of time which attracted them to go and observe what was
taking place at the lake. Boy A heard the sound after 3s and boy B heard the
sound after 4s.
Hint: 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 𝟑𝟑𝟎𝒎𝒔−𝟏 , 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 𝟑. 𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝒎𝒔−𝟏
Task:
As a physics student;
(a) Help the two boys to understand why they heard the sound at different
intervals.
(b) Clearly explain why the colour of the clothes of the audience kept on
changing when coloured lights flashed on them.
(c) Why was laser source of light preferred to provide laser light that enhanced
visibility late in the late hours of the night.
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(d) Compare the wave length of the sound waves and laser light waves in air
medium.
Item 2
A war erupted in a certain mountainous areas surrounded by small water
bodies where soldiers only communicated by throwing a stone in water to alert
their colleagues of danger ahead. Instead, this alerted their enemies. One of the
soldiers had small sizable plane mirrors and torn paper box in his bag. Their
leader sent spies to peep behind hills to see if the enemies were hiding there
but many were captured and killed. They totally lacked knowledge on how to
solve this problem. The enemy troops had a radio call that was used for
communication and wave forms of wave length were produced on the receiver’s
computer clearly indicating the amplitude, period and time taken for the wave
to reach the receiver at the headquarter. One afternoon, it threatened to rain
and bright colours of different kind spread in the skies. This scared the soldiers
even more.
Hint;
A graph obtained from the receiver’s computer

Task:
As a physics student, help the soldiers to;
(a) Understand why the throwing of the stone in water always alerted their
enemies
(b) Know the best way they could reduce the rate at which their spies were
being killed and captured.
(c) Understand the strange appearance of the skies that sent them to hide
outs.
(d) Determine frequency at which the waves reached the receiver at the
home base of the army.
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STARS, GALAXIES, (EARTH AND SPACE PHYSICS) DIGITAL
ELECTRONICS.
Item 3
On a certain day at around 1:30pm while in the dining hall, learners watched
heavy fog-rains and floods being experienced in a certain outside country on an
international T.V live channel. To worsen matters, the floods were happening at
night and this risked many natives as many of them were ambushed while
asleep. Learners wondered how it would be night and seriously raining in an
area yet it was day and the Sun was highly shinning at that time in their
school.
Task:
As a physics learner help the learners clear their queries about;
a) Occurrence of the floods in one area yet it was shining in their school at
same time.
b) Why it was night in that outside country yet it was day-time in their
area?
c) How T.V signals broadcast from where the floods were happening
reached them.
Item 4
A child went out of the house at around 8:30pm and realized that security
lights were off. The child saw glittering substances in the space and wondered
why the clouds were so much glittering. While still wondering, the child heard
a person tip-toe and rushed to the corridor with light switches to switch on.
Unfortunately, the corridor was closed by parents who had mistakenly gone
with the keys and was not yet back. The person knocked on the gate but the
child was challenged whether the parent had come and had to open or the
person knocking was a thief. Later the parent came, and when the child
narrated, the parent said the glittering substances were artificial satellites in
the international Space Station (ISS).
Task:
As a physics learner, using the knowledge of space physics and digital
electronics, help the child and parent:
(a) Understand more types of those identified satellites and why they exist
there without falling.
(b) Solve the problem of operation of security lights.
Item 5

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In every year, there are various seasons which all people rely on to carry out
different activities. At the beginning of a year here in Uganda, many people
complain about too much sunshine wondering where the sun gets such too
much energy from. Such people even wished the sun to die to have peace
during the day and others prefer endless nights so that they don’t have to deal
with the sun. However, some people attributed the sun as the major source of
energy on the earth.
Task:
As a physics student explain to the people;
(a) Where the sun sources its much energy from.
(b) Why some people attribute the sun as the major source of energy on the
earth.
(c) About occurrence of various seasons and the likely stages that an average
star like the sun may undergo to satisfy the wish of some people.

NUCLEAR PROCESSES, ATOMIC MODELS

Item 6
A group of students visited the nuclear power plant and they were blocked from
entrance due to an accident that had occurred and several operators were
exposed to radiation. Only emergency cars were allowed to enter to transport
the operators to the hospital to undergo medical examination, including x-ray
scans to assess any potential radiation related injuries. Students wondered
how harmful radiations were. It became hard for them to understand even how
the power plant could generate electricity after being told at the entrance that
the plant was the only source of electricity in that area. If the plant’ s radiation
monitoring system detects a background radiation level of 30 counts per
minute, and when the radioactive source is placed in front of the radiation
detector, the reading on the detector is 550 counts per minute and the source
has a half-life of 25 minutes.
Hint: The power plant will be safe for use if the detector reads 95 counts per
minute.
Task
As a student of physics;
(a) Advise the Power plant team leader on how long they had to wait for the
power plant to be safe for use.
(b) Help the students to understand;
(i) the relevant nuclear process at the power plant
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 (c) How are the emitted radiations different from x-rays?
(d) Assist learners to appreciate that indeed the guide was right to stop them
and explain how the operators managed to be there always.

Item 7
In a certain hospital, a patient has come in with suspected broken bone in
their arm, and another patient is scheduled for a dental examination. Your x-
ray machine produces electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟖 𝑯𝒛.
Your supervisor asks you to;
(i) Take an x-ray image of the patient’s arm to confirm the bone fracture
diagnosis
(ii) Take a dental x-ray to examine the patient’s teeth and jaw alignment
Hint;
Wavelength of x- 5×10-11m 5×10-10m 5×10-9m
rays
Image resolution High Medium low

Task: As a learner of physics;

(a) Comment on the resolution of the image of patients arm and bone
fracture.
(b) Explain how the frequency and wavelength relate to the penetrating
power of the x-rays and how this affects your choice of settings for the
arm and dental exams
(c) Suggest possible precautions taken while dealing with x-ray machines.
Item 8
A certain town experienced an atomic bomb blast, many people were killed
in the incidence and others survived with severe injuries, the government
advised those survived to re-locate to other places of the country because
this village was not safe for them. The scientist carried out a scientific
investigation using detectors of radiations and found out that the
environment was still radioactive as shown in the table below.
Time (days) 0 22 42 62 82 102 122 142 162
Count rate (min-1) 106 83 66 56 47 36 31 26 15

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The scientists recommended that the environment will be safe for use again
when obtained half-life value is less than 60 days and they will need like 1 year
(365 days) for the environment to be free from radioactive wastes and
materials.

Task: As a student of physics, use your knowledge to:

a) Help the people to know the value of half-life and advise them
accordingly.
b) Sensitize the people about the risk associated with radioactive materials
and how they should be handled
c) Help the people to understand the value of number of neutrons of a
nuclide Y formed when a radioactive substance X of mass number 208
and atomic number 104 decays by emitting 3 alpha particles, 4 beta
particles and gamma rays to form a nuclide Y.

HEAT AND MECHANICS

Item 9
During holidays, a boy of mass 50 kg went to a play resort near the lake
shores on a certain beach and sat on one side of a see-saw at a distance of 2.4
m from its pivot. It was very hot that day and the diurnal temperatures that
were above 420C after afterwards he decided to enter the lake and swim to cool
himself. He was wearing heavy black shorts and white vest. After swimming, he
was left puzzled and wondering why his heavy black shorts dried quicker than
the white vest and beach cottages (semi-houses) roofed with grass instead of
iron sheets were cooler than those with iron sheets.
Hint:
Specific heat capacity of the boy (human body) = 3.5 kJkg-1K-1
Task:
As a physics student;
(a) Help the guide at the play resort to determine if another boy of mass 40
kg will restore equilibrium in the see-saw if he sits at a distance of 3m
from the pivot.
(b) Assist the boy to understand what has made him puzzled and keep
wondering.
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 (c) Determine the quantity of heat lost by the boy if his temperature in the
lake was 220C.

Item 10
A pump is used to fill a tank by drawing water from underground well to be
used at school power house. In order to minimize on power consumption its
use for limited time, the pump works at a constant rate of 𝟐. 𝟒 𝐱𝟏𝟎²𝐖 and it’s
able to raise 0.188 m³ of water every minute through a height of 6m. The
cooks complain that it is slow at work. At the power house the cook is always
surprised because water pumped in the morning is always above the normal
temperature at 30℃ when measured using a thermometer which the cook
checks before making morning tea. The pump is said to be efficient if the ratio
of its work out put to work input is above 0.75 and the cook boils 9.5l of water
for morning tea and 500g evaporated.
Support materials
Density of water is 1000kgm-3
Specific heat capacity of water = 4200Jkg-¹K-¹
Specific latent heat of vaporization of water 2.56 × 106 Jkg − ¹
Task.
(a) Obtain the rate at which the pump works in raising the water and
comment on its efficiency.
(b) Explain to the cooks why water pumped in the morning has such
temperature.
(c) How much heat is necessary to turn the lost volume of water into
vapour.
Item 11
On a construction site a builder uses an electric lifter to transfer the mortar
from the ground to a height of 17.0m on the building. When power went off
and work has to continue, the builders got a rope, a pail of negligible mass with
a handle that lift a maximum of 20kg of mortar. They want to design a simple
machine with a help of a grooved rim which can enable them resume work.
Given that the rope has a maximum thermal strength of 3.8kJ.
Hint;
Assume all the potential energy is converted to heat energy
Task.
(a) Help the builders to design the machine and guide the on how it works.
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 (b) Advise whether the rope will withstand the heat generated or it will
break.
(c) Suggest the necessary factor to consider that enable the rope to success
fully execute the work.
Item 12

A steel and tube industries company limited was contacted by the school to
make a number of new items to restock their kitchen. Among the items on the
invoice are; saucepan, strainer, saucepan covers (lids), ladles, cups and plates
for students. The school did not specify the type of materials these items
should be made of and therefore, the procurement officer of the company their
raw materials supplier and the following was supplied following the invoice.

 Plain sheets of copper  Clay

 Plain sheets of aluminum  Wood
 Melamine resin powder
For the production team to come up with the items requested by the school,
they have to subject these raw materials to either heat or force however these
materials behave differently under these two factors.

Support knowledge.

Heat capacity of copper is 400Jkg-1K-1

Heat capacity of aluminum is 900 Jkg-1K-1

Task

a) As a physics learner, with reason(s) help the production team to select

the raw material suitable for each item to be produced.
b) Explain at particle level how these materials behave when subjected to
either heat or when a force is applied.

ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM

Item 13

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 In a certain place, a house was connected to a 240V mains voltage supply and
the owner wished to connect a TV set rated 120V, 75W, a flat iron rated 120V,
600W, an electric bell of resistance 5 ohms that would instantly produce sound
to alert the house owner about the visitors at the gate when a switch was
pressed, and 4 bulbs rated 120V, 60W either in series or parallel connection
for lighting purposes. The house owner also bought a Power King extension
with a fuse rated 5A, where he plugged in his TV set and Flat iron. The T.V set
is operated for 5 hours per day.
Task:
(a) Comment on the effectiveness of the fuse in the extension if it would
support the above electrical appliances when plugged in the extension
altogether.
(b) Assist the house owner to know in which way to connect his bulbs in the
house and explain why?
(c) Explain how sound was produced when a switch was pressed.
(d) Determine the amount of money required to keep the T.V operating the
whole day, if the electricity rate is Ugsh. 680 per kWh.
Item 14
In a certain school, students visited a hydroelectric power plant and received
information that electricity at a dam is generated in form of alternating current
(a.c) at 12kV but transmitted at 400kV using aluminum transmission cables
yet in the physics laboratory electricity can be generated as direct current (d.c)
using dilute sulphuric acid and two electrodes of copper and zinc where a
filament is connected and after sometime its brightness fades. However,
learners are confused about how voltage is increased and have questions how
a.c is used to charge a mobile phone yet it is only d.c that can be used to
charge mobile phones.
Task:
(a) Explain how voltage is changed from 12 kV to 400 kV
(b) Explain how a.c from the dam is used to charge a mobile phone.
(c) Determine the current in the transmission cables, if 10% of its energy
lost in changing its voltage, if the current before the change is 20 A
(d) Explain why the brightness of the bulb faded and how it can be restored.
Item 15
A factory produces small metallic tanks for storing paint and uses a magnetic
lifting device to move tanks around the factory and packing them in lorries for
delivery. One construction company ordered for large size tanks. However, after
manufacturing them, the magnetic lifting device failed to lift the tanks due to
their increased weight. Even the packed tanks were
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other. The same day the factory engineer wasn't available which left the
attendants puzzled on how to ensure delivery is made in time.
Support material: A strong electric battery, copper wires, iron rods, current
controllers (variable resistors)
As a physics student;
(a) Advise the attendants on how and which device they can design to
effectively load them on lorries for timely delivery.
(b) Explain how the strength of the device used for loading can be improved.
(c) Explain why is that the tanks were found attracted to each other upon
delivery
(d) Advise the construction company on how they will be able to separate the
tanks that are in contact.

Item 16
The welders in a certain workshop are troubled with their tools being shocked
by electricity from a generator of 240V. When they visited a technician, they
were advised to wind a copper wire to 3000 turns around a soft iron ring on
the receiving part so as to output 120V suitable for their work shop operations
fixed in a box. However, the welders seem bothered of how this will be of help.
Task
As a learner of physics,
(a) Explain to the welders how the above design will produce power
corresponding to their consumption.
(b) Help the welder to determine the number of turns to be would on the
output part of the device
(c) Comment on how efficient the device is if the ratio of current output to
current input is 1.5
(d) Advise the welders on how to improve the efficiency of the device.

PRACTICAL PHYSICS P535/2 SEMINAR QUESTIONS

ITEM 1 (Mechanics)
A mobile money operator working along one of the busy streets in Kampala
faced a challenge one day when the Umbrella she was seated under got blown
away by a violent wind. She picked the broken umbrella a few metres away
from her work station but discovered that its springs were completely
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 destroyed. When she took the umbrella for repair, the mechanic requested her
to buy new springs of force constant 25 Nm-1, which she did. There was,
however, no label on the springs she bought indicating the value of the spring
constant.

Task:

You are provided with a spring X having the same properties as those of the
spring bought by the mobile money operator. Carry out a scientific
investigation to determine the force constant of the spring.

Hint:

J Spring X

M Pointer

Retort stand Metre rule Figure

 M is a standard (known) mass.

 Other experimental setups may be used.
 Hooke’s law: 𝐹 = 𝑘𝑒.

ITEM 2 (Light)
In most of Uganda’s homes, charcoal is the main source of heat energy for
cooking. Because there is high demand for charcoal, many trees have been
felled, leading to deforestation and an increase in global warming. To mitigate
the ever increasing effects of global warming, experts running a Non –
Governmental Organization (NGO) advised people to turn to alternative sources
of energy like solar, gas, electricity etc. The NGO donated concave mirrors of

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focal lengths in the range 15.0 cm – 20.0 cm to be used to harness solar energy
from the sun. The challenge is finding the solar heating points of the mirrors.

Task:

As a student of physics, carry out a scientific investigation to locate the solar

heating point of a concave mirror donated to your home.

Hint:
White screen
with wire gauze
Concave
mirror
Bulb
K

Screen

v
u

Figure 2.0

 Other experimental setups may be used.

1 1 1
 = +
𝑓 𝑢 𝑣

ITEM 3 (Electricity)
A box of new torch bulbs was delivered at a school laboratory for use in
practical physics investigations. The new bulbs looked identical to an old stock
of torch bulbs that had been supplied the previous term. When each of the new
bulbs was connected to a new dry cell, the light emitted was not as bright as
that obtained from each of the bulbs that were delivered earlier. This led to the
suspicion that the resistance of the filament in the new stock of torch bulbs
was higher than the recommended value of 1.0 Ω.

Hint:
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 Crocodile clip Crocodile clip
𝑙

Torch bulb
A
V

Figure 3.0
Other experimental setups may be used

Task.
As a student of physics working closely with the laboratory technician at your
school, carry out a scientific investigation to determine the resistance of one of
the new bulbs supplied.

SECONDARY PHYSICS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (SEPTA) EXTENDS

GREAT THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF PHYSICS
DEPARTMENT OF ST JOSEPH OF NAZARETH HIGH SCHOOL
SN NAME CONTACT
1 MR. ISMA OUMA (H.O.D) 0705-134080
2 Miss. NAKABAZZI ANNETIE 0754-156669
3 MR. LAGANYI AMBROSE 0705-425596
4 MR. EJANG BENARD 0706-466049
5 MR. ARINAITWE JULIUS 0744-588722
6 MR. NANDWA WYCLIFF 0703-329869
7 MR. KIVAINUMA SAMUEL 0752-456368

END

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