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Secondary 1 Science Semestral Assessment 2 (End of Year) Paper 2
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Questions
TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - Science Secondary 1
TuitionGoWhere Secondary School (AI)
Subject: Science (Secondary 1) Level: Secondary 1 (G3) Paper: SA2 Practice – Version 2 of 5 Duration: 60 minutes Total Marks: 50
Name: ___________________________ Class: ___________________________ Date: ___________________________
Instructions to Candidates
- Write your name, class, and date in the spaces provided above.
- Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided.
- Write your answers in dark blue or black pen.
- You may use a pencil for any diagrams, graphs, or rough working.
- The number of marks for each question is shown in brackets [ ].
- The total mark for this paper is 50.
- Do not use correction fluid.
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions [10 marks]
Questions 1–10: Choose the most accurate answer. Each question carries 1 mark.
1. Which of the following is a derived quantity?
(a) Length (b) Time (c) Mass (d) Speed
Answer: _______________
2. A student measures the length of a wooden block using a metre rule. Which action helps to avoid parallax error?
(a) Placing the metre rule on a flat surface (b) Reading the scale with the eye directly in line with the marking (c) Using a longer metre rule (d) Rounding the reading to the nearest centimetre
Answer: _______________
3. A box of weight 20 N is lifted vertically upwards through a height of 3.0 m at constant speed. What is the work done on the box?
(a) 0 J (b) 6.7 J (c) 23 J (d) 60 J
Answer: _______________
4. Which energy conversion takes place when a battery-powered fan is switched on?
(a) Chemical energy → Kinetic energy + Electrical energy (b) Chemical energy → Electrical energy → Kinetic energy (c) Electrical energy → Chemical energy → Kinetic energy (d) Kinetic energy → Electrical energy → Chemical energy
Answer: _______________
5. An object is placed 15 cm in front of a plane mirror. The image formed is:
(a) real, inverted, and 15 cm behind the mirror (b) virtual, upright, and 15 cm behind the mirror (c) real, upright, and 30 cm behind the mirror (d) virtual, inverted, and 30 cm in front of the mirror
Answer: _______________
6. A car travels 120 km in 2 hours. What is its average speed in m/s?
(a) 16.7 m/s (b) 60 m/s (c) 120 m/s (d) 240 m/s
Answer: _______________
7. A spring is stretched by applying a force. The extension of the spring is directly proportional to the applied force:
(a) only when the spring is made of steel (b) only within the elastic limit of the spring (c) regardless of how much force is applied (d) only when the spring is compressed
Answer: _______________
8. Which of the following correctly describes the particles in a solid?
(a) Particles are far apart and move freely in all directions. (b) Particles are closely packed in a fixed arrangement and vibrate about fixed positions. (c) Particles are closely packed but can slide past one another. (d) Particles are far apart and move randomly.
Answer: _______________
9. A metal spoon placed in a cup of hot soup becomes warm. The main process by which thermal energy is transferred along the spoon is:
(a) convection (b) conduction (c) radiation (d) evaporation
Answer: _______________
10. The diagram below shows a ray of light striking a glass block at an angle.
Incident ray
\
\ θ
\___________
| |
| Glass |
| Block |
|___________|
Which labelled angle represents the angle of incidence?
(a) The angle between the incident ray and the glass surface (b) The angle between the incident ray and the normal (c) The angle between the refracted ray and the normal (d) The angle between the refracted ray and the glass surface
Answer: _______________
Section B: Structured Questions [25 marks]
Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided.
11. A student pushes a trolley of mass 15 kg across a level floor with a constant horizontal force of 45 N. The frictional force acting on the trolley is 15 N.
(a) Calculate the resultant (net) force acting on the trolley. [2]
(b) Calculate the work done by the pushing force when the trolley moves a distance of 4.0 m. [2]
(c) State the energy conversion that occurs as the trolley moves across the floor. [1]
12. The table below shows the speed of a cyclist at different times during a journey.
| Time (s) | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed (m/s) | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
(a) Describe the motion of the cyclist during the first 4 seconds. [1]
(b) Calculate the acceleration of the cyclist during the first 4 seconds. [2]
(c) Calculate the total distance travelled by the cyclist in the 10 seconds. Show your working. [3]
13. A ray of light travels from air into a rectangular glass block. The angle of incidence is 40°.
(a) State what happens to the speed of light as it enters the glass block. [1]
(b) Draw a labelled diagram to show the path of the light ray as it enters and leaves the glass block. Include the normal, incident ray, refracted ray, and angle of incidence. [3]
(Use the space below for your diagram.)
(c) Explain why the light ray bends towards the normal when it enters the glass. [2]
14. A student carries a 50 N bag of rice horizontally across a room for 10 m.
(a) Calculate the work done by the student on the bag of rice. Explain your answer. [2]
(b) The student then lifts the bag vertically to a shelf 1.5 m high. Calculate the work done in lifting the bag. [2]
(c) State the form of energy gained by the bag when it is lifted. [1]
15. The diagram shows a simple pendulum that swings from point A to point B and back.
A •<----------->• B
\ /
\ /
\ /
• •
(lowest point)
(a) At which point(s) does the pendulum bob have maximum gravitational potential energy? Explain your answer. [2]
(b) At which point does the pendulum bob have maximum kinetic energy? Explain your answer. [2]
(c) If air resistance is negligible, state the principle that explains why the bob reaches (nearly) the same height on each side. [1]
Section C: Data-Based and Application Questions [15 marks]
Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided.
16. A student investigated how the length of a spring changes when different masses are hung from it. The results are shown in the table below.
| Mass (g) | 0 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 | 600 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of spring (cm) | 10.0 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 18.0 | 20.0 | 23.0 |
(a) Calculate the extension of the spring when a mass of 300 g is hung from it. [1]
(b) Plot a graph of extension (y-axis) against mass (x-axis) on the grid provided. Use appropriate scales and label the axes. [3]
(Grid space provided — sketch your graph on paper.)
(c) Use your graph to determine the mass that would produce an extension of 7.0 cm. [1]
(d) Identify the mass beyond which the spring no longer obeys Hooke's law. Explain how you determined this from the data. [2]
17. The diagram below shows a man using a ramp to push a 600 N crate onto a lorry. The ramp is 5.0 m long and 2.0 m high.
_______________
/ /|
/ Ramp / |
/______________/ |
| | | 2.0 m
| Crate | |
|______________| /
5.0 m
(a) Calculate the minimum work needed to lift the crate vertically to the height of the lorry. [2]
(b) State one advantage of using the ramp instead of lifting the crate vertically. [1]
(c) In practice, the work done using the ramp is greater than the answer in (a). Suggest one reason for this. [1]
18. A student set up an experiment to investigate heat transfer using two identical metal rods — one made of copper and one made of iron. Wax blobs were placed at equal intervals along each rod. Heat was applied at one end of each rod simultaneously.
(a) Describe what the student would observe after 3 minutes. [2]
(b) Explain your observation using the concept of conduction. [2]
(c) State the variable that must be kept the same in both rods to ensure a fair test. Give one example. [1]
19. The speed-time graph for a toy car is shown below.
Speed (m/s)
8 | ___________
| / \
6 | / \
| / \
4 | / \
| / \
2 | / \
| / \
0 |__/_________________________\_____ Time (s)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
(a) Calculate the acceleration of the toy car during the first 4 seconds. [2]
(b) Calculate the total distance travelled by the toy car in 16 seconds. [3]
(c) Describe the motion of the toy car between t = 12 s and t = 16 s. [1]
20. A student drops a ball from a height of 2.0 m. The ball bounces back up to a height of 1.5 m.
(a) Calculate the gravitational potential energy of the ball at the starting point. Take the mass of the ball as 0.10 kg and g = 10 N/kg. [2]
(b) Explain, in terms of energy, why the ball does not bounce back to its original height. [2]
(c) State the law of conservation of energy. [1]
End of Paper
Answers
Secondary 1 Science – SA2 Practice Paper (Version 2 of 5)
Answer Key and Marking Scheme
Total Marks: 50
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions [10 marks]
1. (d) Speed [1]
- Marking note: Speed = distance ÷ time, making it a derived quantity. Length, time, and mass are base quantities.
2. (b) Reading the scale with the eye directly in line with the marking [1]
- Marking note: Parallax error occurs when the eye is not perpendicular to the scale marking.
3. (d) 60 J [1]
- Working: Work done = Force × Distance = 20 N × 3.0 m = 60 J
4. (b) Chemical energy → Electrical energy → Kinetic energy [1]
- Marking note: The battery stores chemical energy, which is converted to electrical energy, which then drives the motor to produce kinetic energy.
5. (b) virtual, upright, and 15 cm behind the mirror [1]
- Marking note: A plane mirror always produces a virtual, upright image at the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front.
6. (a) 16.7 m/s [1]
- Working: Average speed = 120 km ÷ 2 h = 60 km/h = 60 × (1000/3600) = 16.7 m/s (to 3 s.f.)
7. (b) only within the elastic limit of the spring [1]
- Marking note: Hooke's law states that extension is proportional to force only within the elastic limit.
8. (b) Particles are closely packed in a fixed arrangement and vibrate about fixed positions. [1]
9. (b) conduction [1]
- Marking note: Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy through a material without the bulk movement of the material itself.
10. (b) The angle between the incident ray and the normal [1]
- Marking note: The angle of incidence is always measured from the normal, not from the surface.
Section B: Structured Questions [25 marks]
11.
(a) Resultant force = 45 N − 15 N = 30 N in the direction of motion [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct subtraction, 1 mark for correct answer with direction or correct magnitude.
- Common mistake: Students may add the forces instead of subtracting.
(b) Work done = Force × Distance = 45 N × 4.0 m = 180 J [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct formula/substitution, 1 mark for correct answer.
- Note: Use the pushing force (45 N), not the resultant force.
(c) Kinetic energy (or kinetic energy and thermal energy due to friction) [1]
- Marking note: Accept "kinetic energy" or "kinetic energy and thermal energy." The work done by the resultant force increases the kinetic energy of the trolley.
12.
(a) The cyclist accelerates (or speeds up) uniformly from rest to 6 m/s. [1]
(b) Acceleration = (v − u) ÷ t = (6 − 0) ÷ 4 = 1.5 m/s² [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct substitution, 1 mark for correct answer with unit.
(c) Total distance = area under the speed-time graph [1]
- Area = area of triangle (0–4 s) + area of rectangle (4–8 s) + area of triangle (8–10 s)
- = (½ × 4 × 6) + (4 × 6) + (½ × 2 × 6)
- = 12 + 24 + 6
- = 42 m [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct method (area under graph), 1 mark for correct final answer.
13.
(a) The speed of light decreases (or slows down). [1]
(b) Diagram should show: [3]
- A normal (dashed line perpendicular to the surface) at the point of incidence
- Incident ray in air at 40° to the normal
- Refracted ray in glass bending towards the normal (angle of refraction < 40°)
- Light ray emerging from the opposite face, bending away from the normal, parallel to the incident ray
- Marking: 1 mark for normal, 1 mark for correct bending at both surfaces, 1 mark for correct labelling.
(c) Light travels slower in glass than in air. [1] When light enters a denser medium (glass), it slows down and bends towards the normal. [1]
- Marking: 1 mark for stating speed decreases, 1 mark for linking this to bending towards the normal.
14.
(a) Work done = 0 J [1]
- Explanation: The force applied by the student is vertical (upwards, to support the bag), but the displacement is horizontal. Since the force and displacement are perpendicular, no work is done by the student in the direction of displacement. [1]
- Common mistake: Students may calculate 50 N × 10 m = 500 J without considering the direction of force.
(b) Work done = Force × Distance = 50 N × 1.5 m = 75 J [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct substitution, 1 mark for correct answer.
(c) Gravitational potential energy [1]
15.
(a) Points A and B [1]
- Explanation: At the highest points (A and B), the bob is at its maximum height, so it has maximum gravitational potential energy. The bob momentarily stops at these points. [1]
(b) The lowest point (bottom of the swing) [1]
- Explanation: At the lowest point, the bob is moving at its fastest speed, so it has maximum kinetic energy. All the gravitational potential energy has been converted to kinetic energy. [1]
(c) The principle of conservation of energy (or law of conservation of energy) [1]
- Marking note: Energy is converted between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy, but the total energy remains constant (in the absence of air resistance).
Section C: Data-Based and Application Questions [15 marks]
16.
(a) Extension = Length − Original length = 16.0 − 10.0 = 6.0 cm [1]
(b) Graph: [3]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct scale and labelled axes (Extension/cm on y-axis, Mass/g on x-axis), 1 mark for correct plotting of points, 1 mark for best-fit straight line through the first 5–6 points.
- Note: The graph should be a straight line up to 500 g, then curve or deviate at 600 g.
(c) From the graph, extension of 7.0 cm corresponds to a mass of approximately 350 g (accept 340–360 g). [1]
(d) The spring no longer obeys Hooke's law beyond 500 g. [1]
- Explanation: Up to 500 g, the extension increases uniformly (by 2.0 cm for each 100 g added). At 600 g, the extension is 13.0 cm (from 10.0 to 23.0 cm), which is 3.0 cm more than the previous increment of 2.0 cm. This non-uniform increase indicates the elastic limit has been exceeded. [1]
17.
(a) Minimum work = Force × Vertical height = 600 N × 2.0 m = 1200 J [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct substitution, 1 mark for correct answer.
(b) The ramp reduces the force needed (a smaller force is required to push the crate up the ramp than to lift it vertically). [1]
(c) Friction between the crate and the ramp (or energy is lost as thermal energy due to friction). [1]
18.
(a) The wax blobs on the copper rod will melt and fall off first (or more quickly) than those on the iron rod. [1] The wax closest to the heated end melts first, followed by those further along the copper rod. [1]
(b) Copper is a better conductor of heat than iron. [1] In conduction, thermal energy is transferred through the vibration and collision of particles. Copper transfers thermal energy more efficiently, so heat travels along the copper rod faster, melting the wax blobs sooner. [1]
(c) Any one of: length of the rod, diameter/thickness of the rod, initial temperature, amount of wax on each blob, or heat source temperature. [1]
- Marking note: Accept any one valid controlled variable.
19.
(a) Acceleration = gradient of the speed-time graph (0–4 s) = (8 − 0) ÷ (4 − 0) = 2.0 m/s² [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct substitution, 1 mark for correct answer with unit.
(b) Total distance = area under the graph [1]
- Area = triangle (0–4 s) + rectangle (4–12 s) + triangle (12–16 s)
- = (½ × 4 × 8) + (8 × 8) + (½ × 4 × 8)
- = 16 + 64 + 16
- = 96 m [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct method, 1 mark for correct final answer.
(c) The toy car is decelerating (or slowing down) uniformly from 8 m/s to rest. [1]
20.
(a) Gravitational potential energy = mgh = 0.10 × 10 × 2.0 = 2.0 J [2]
- Marking: 1 mark for correct substitution, 1 mark for correct answer with unit.
(b) Some of the kinetic energy (or mechanical energy) is converted to thermal energy and sound energy when the ball hits the ground. [1] Because some energy is lost to the surroundings, the ball has less kinetic energy after the bounce and therefore cannot reach the original height. [1]
- Marking note: Accept any valid form of energy loss (thermal, sound, deformation energy).
(c) Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to another. [1]
- Marking note: Accept equivalent wording such as "The total energy in a closed system remains constant."
End of Answer Key