Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
BURAMU 3 Examinations
PHYSICS
232/1 -
- Paper 1
(THEORY)
JULY 2026 – 2 hours
Name………………………………………..……………………………….Adm. No.…………..…………
School……………………………………………………………...…………………………Class……………
Candidates Signature……………………………Index No………………………………….Date………………….
Instructions to candidates
(a) Write your name index number, admission number and class in the spaces provided
above.
(b) Sign and write the date of examination in the spaces provided above.
(c) This paper consists of two sections A and B.
(d) Answer all the questions in sections A and B in the spaces provided.
(e) All working must be clearly shown.
(f) This paper consists of 15 printed pages
Section
A
For Examiner’s Use Only
Questions
Maximum Score
1-13
25
B
Total Score
14
14
15
14
16
07
17
10
18
10
Candidate’s Score
80
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SECTION A (25 MARKS)
1. A micrometer screw gauge has a zero error of −0.03𝑚𝑚. It is used to measure the
diameter of a wire. If the actual diameter of the wire is 0.32𝑚𝑚, draw the micrometer
screw gauge showing the measured diameter of the wire.
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2. State the reason why gases art easily compressible while solids and liquids are not easily
compressible.
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3. State TWO properties of a clinical thermometer that make it suitable for measuring body
temperature.
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4. One of the rules on road transport is that a passenger in a moving vehicle should put on
the safety belt. Explain how the belt enhances safety in case of an accident.
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5. Explain why trucks that carry heavy loads are fitted with many wide tyres.
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6. Smoke particles in air when strongly illuminated were observed to describe a continuous
random motion. Explain what would be observed if air temperature is decreased.
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7. The figure below shows two aluminium containers A and B placed on a wooden bench.
The containers have equal volume of water initially at the same temperature.
In which container will the water cool faster? Explain
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8. Explain why a glass container with a thick wall is more likely to crack than one with a thin
wall when a very hot liquid is poured into them.
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9. State TWO ways in which the stability of a body can be increased
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10. Sketch a velocity-time graph to show motion of a body thrown vertically upwards with
initial velocity 20m/s up to the maximum height.
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11. State TWO forces that determine the shape of a liquid drop on a surface.
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12. Two 10g masses were fixed using wax on the sides of two aluminium plates of the same
thickness. One of the plates was polished shiny while the other was painted dull black. A
heater was placed between them same distance from each plate.
State and explain on which plate the 10g mass falls off faster.
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13. State Bernoulli’s effect.
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SECTION B (55 MARKS)
14. a) The figure below shows a simple hydrometer.
(i) State and explain the reason why the bulb is wide.
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(ii) State the purpose of the lead shots in the glass bulb.
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(iii) How would the hydrometer be made more sensitive?
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(iv) Indicate between P and Q on the diagram above the minimum and the maximum
measurement to be taken.
(1mark)
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b) The figure below shows a burning candle, weighted non-drip candle, floating upright
in water. Explain what will happen after the candle burns for some time.
(2marks)
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c) The figure below shows a piece of cork held with a light thread attached to the bottom
of a beaker. The beaker is filled with water.
(i) Indicate and label on the diagram the forces acting on the cork.
(3marks)
(ii) Write an expression showing the relationship between the forces.
(1mark)
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d) The figure below shows a cork floating on water and held to the bottom of the beaker
by a thin thread.
Describe how each of the forces acting on the cork changes when water is added into the
beaker until it fills up.
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15. (a) Define the term heat capacity
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(b) You are provided with the apparatus shown in the figure below and stop watch.
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Describe an experiment to determine the specific latent heat of steam L v, using the set up. In your
answers clearly explain the measurements to be made and how these measurements could be
used to determine Lv.
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(c) A block of metal of mass 150g at 100oC is dropped into a lagged calorimeter of heat capacity
40JK-1 containing 100g of water at 25oC. The temperature of the resulting mixture is 34oC. (Specific
heat capacity of water=4200JK-1)
Determine:
(i) Heat gained by calorimeter;
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(ii) Heat gained by water;
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(iii) Heat lost by the metal block;
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(iv) Specific heat capacity of the metal block
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16. (a) Define the term velocity ratio as used in machines
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(b) Figure 6 shows a block and tackle pulley system lifting a load of 500N
(i) Determine the velocity ratio of the machine.
(1mark)
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(ii) If an effort of 120N is required to lift the load using the machine, determine the efficiency of
the pulley system
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(iii) In the space provided below, sketch a graph of efficiency against load for the system. (2marks)
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17. a) Define angular velocity.
(1mark)
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b) The diagram below shows an object of mass 2.0kg whirled in a vertical circle of radius
0.8m at a uniform speed of 50ms-1.
A
O
r=0.8m
2.0Kg
B
Determine;
i) The centripetal force on the object.
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ii) The tension in the string when the object is at A.
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iii) The tension in the string when the object is at B.
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b) The speed of rotation is gradually increased until the string snaps. At what point is the
string likely to snap? Explain.
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18. a) Define “absolute zero temperature” for an ideal gas.
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b) The diagram shows an experiment to investigate the relationship between volume and
temperature of a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure.
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i) Explain the function of;
(I) Concentrated sulphuric acid
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(II) Stirrer
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ii). Explain how the set up above can be used to verify Charles law for an ideal gas. (3marks)
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iii. In the space below sketch a graph of volume (cm3) against temperature (0c). Mark with
letter T the absolute zero temperature.
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(c) A column of air 20cm long is trapped by mercury thread 6cm long as shown in the figure below.
6cm
x
Air
20cm
6cm
(a)
(b)
If the tube is now inverted, determine column X in figure b).Take atmospheric pressure as 76cm
of mercury.
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