FOUNDATION IN SCIENCE

APRIL 2008 EXAMINATION

PHYSICS 1
Paper No: PY011
TIME ALLOWED: 3 HOURS
INSTRUCTION TO CANDIDATE:
1.

Answer ALL questions from SECTION-A (Section A is compulsory)

2.

Answer any THREE (3) out of FOUR (4) questions from

SECTION-B

INFORMATION TO CANDIDATE:
1.

You are permitted to use a non-programmable electronic calculator in

this examination.

SECTION A
Answer ALL questions
Question 1

a)

Define scalar quantity and vector quantity. Give two examples for each.
(4 marks)

b)

Three vectors 1N, 2N and 3N are pointing in the directions 0, 135 and 270
degrees respectively.
What is the resultant?
(6 marks)
(Total: 10 marks)

Question 2
a)

What is the difference between distance and displacement?

(2 marks)

b)

A particle is traveling in a straight line. It has a velocity of 10ms-1 when it is

subjected to an acceleration of -2 ms 2 for 8 seconds. Draw a velocity-time graph
for this interval of 8 seconds and find:
i)

The increase in displacement.

ii)

The distance covered for the interval of 8 seconds

(8 marks)
(Total: 10 marks)

Question 3
A cement block accidentally falls from rest from the ledge of a 53m high building. When
the block is 14m above the ground, a man, 2m tall, looks up and notices that the block is
directly above him. How much time, at most, does the man have to get out of the way?
(Total: 10 marks)

Question 4

a)

A 1580-kg car is moving at a speed of 15ms-1. What is the magnitude of the net
horizontal force that is required to halt the car in a distance of 50 m?
(6 marks)

b)

A man lifts 20 boxes each of mass 15 kg to a height of 1.5m. Find the work done
by the man against gravity
(4 marks)
(Total: 10 marks)

SECTION B
Answer THREE out of FOUR questions

Question 5
A 10kg mystery box rests on a horizontal floor as shown in Figure 1. The coefficient of
static friction s =0.4 and the coefficient of kinetic friction k =0.3. Determine the force
of friction, F fr , acting on the box if a horizontal external applied force FA is exerted on
it of magnitude: a) 0, b) 10N, c) 20N, d) 38N, and e) 40N.

Figure 1
(Total: 20 marks)
Question 6
a)

A particle of mass 5kg slides down a smooth plane inclined at 30 degrees to the
horizontal. Find the acceleration of the particle.
(10 marks)

b)

A car of mass 1000kg is brought to rest from a speed of 40ms-1 in a distance of

80m. Find the braking force of the car assuming that it is constant and that there is
a constant resistance motion of 100N.
(10 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)

Question 7

In a testing device, a spring stretches 0.15m when a 0.3kg mass is hung from it as shown
in Figure 2. The spring is then stretched an additional 0.1m from this equilibrium point
and released. Determine:

Figure 2
a)

The values of the spring constant k and the angular frequency w;

(4 marks)

b)

The amplitude of the oscillation A;

(2 marks)

c)

The maximum velocity, Vmax ;

(3 marks)

d)

The magnitude of the maximum acceleration of the mass;

(4 marks)

e)

The period T and frequency f;

(4 marks)

f)

The displacement x as a function of time.

(3 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)

Question 8

a)

A uniform rod AB of length 2m and weight 20N rests horizontally on smooth

supports at A and B as shown in Figure 3. A load of 10N is attached to the rod at a
distance 0.4m from A. Find the forces X and Y exerted on the rod by the supports.

Figure 3
(12 marks)
b)

A train has a maximum speed of 40 ms-1on the level against resistive force of
magnitude 30000N. Find the maximum power of the engine.
(8 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)