FORM 3 PHYSICS

APRIL, 2025 HOLIDAY ASSINGMENT

1) Define the term refraction of light. 1mk

i.
2) Distinguish between reflection and refraction of light 1 mk

3) State SNELL’S LAW

4) State the two laws of refraction of light(2mk)

5) Define refractive index of a substance. (1 mk)

6) A ray of light is incident on a glass oil interface as shown in figure below. Determine the value of r
(Take refractive index of glass and oil as 3/2 and 6/3 respectively)3mk
7)

300 Oil

Glass
r

8) The figure below shows a ray of light traveling through water, whose refractive index is 1.33 and
glass.

Water 600

Glass 660

9) Determine the refractive index of glass. (3mks)

10) State Newton’s 1st Law of Motion (1mk)

11) Define the term inertia (2mk)

12) A passenger experienced a sudden push when the driver applied the brakes. State the Newton’s law
of motion that explains this occurrence (1mk)

13) The figure below shows a smooth card placed on the open end of a car. A coin is placed on the card.
When the card is horizontally pulled away suddenly, the coin drops in the can.
14) Coin
Cardboard
Can

a. Explain this observation. (2mk)

15) Figure below shows a stone of weight W placed on an inclined plane. If the angle of inclination is θ

W
θ
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 a. Indicate with arrows, two other forces acting on the stone. (1mk)
b. State how each of the forces in (a) above is affected when the angle θ is increased.
(1mk)
16) A minibus of mass 1200kg travelling at a constant velocity of 15m/s collides with a stationary car of
mass 600kg. The impact takes 1.5 seconds before the two move together at a constant velocity for 25
seconds.

a. Calculate.
b. i) The common velocity (2mks)
c. ii) Distance moved after impact (2mks)
d. iii) The impulsive force (3mks)
e. iv) The change in kinetic energy (3mks)

17) A car of mass 2000kg traveling at 5m/s collides with a minibus of mass 5000kg traveling in the
opposite direction at 7 m/s. The vehicles stick and move together after collision. If the collision lasts
0.1seconds
a. a) Determine the velocity of the system after collision to 3 d.p (3mks)
b. b) Calculate the impulsive force on the minibus (3mks)
c. (c) Calculate the change in kinetic energy of the system to 5s.f (3mk)
d. (d) Explain the change in kinetic energy of the system (1mk)

18) A bus of mass 3000kg traveling at a velocity of 20m/s collides with a stationary car of mass 600kg.
The two then moves together at a constant velocity for 30 seconds. Find
i. (i) The common velocity after impact (3mks)
ii. (ii) The distance moved after impact (2mks)
iii. (iii) The impulse (2mks)
iv. (iv) Kinetic energy before collision (2mks)
v. (v) Kinetic energy after collision (2mks)
vi. (vi) State a reason why kinetic energy before collision is not the
same as kinetic energy after collision (1mk)

19) A minibus of mass 1200kg travelling at a constant velocity of 15m/s collides with a stationary car of
mass 600kg. The impact takes 1.5 seconds before the two move together at a constant velocity for 25
seconds.

a. Calculate.
b. i) The common velocity (2mks)
c. ii) Distance moved after impact (2mks)
d. iii) The impulsive force (3mks)
e. iv) The change in kinetic energy (3mks)
20) Two stationary trolleys A and B are separated by a compressed spring and held together by a thread.
The mass of trolley A is 2.0Kg and that of trolley B is 1.0Kg. When the thread is cut the trolleys
move rapidly apart.
a. (i) What is the cause of movement of trolleys when the thread is cut.(2mk)
b. (ii) What is the total momentum of the trolleys just before the thread is cut.
(4mk)
c. iii) If trolley A moves off with a speed of 0.25m/s. calculate the speed with
i. which trolley B moves off. (4mk)

21) A body is moving with uniform acceleration. Its velocity after 5 seconds is 26m/s and after 9 seconds
it is 42m/s. calculate
a. a) The acceleration of the body (2mks)
b. b) Its initial velocity (2mks)

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 c. c) The average velocity between the fifth and ninth second and hence the
d. displacement covered during this period (3mk)
e. d) Its displacement in 10 seconds (3mk)
i.

22) Figure below shows a tape made from a ticker tape timer running at 50Hz.
23) A B C D E

5cm 15cm

a. Find,
b. i) The time taken for one tick interval (1mk)
c. ii) Velocities between points AB and DE (3mk)
d. iii) Acceleration of the body over interval AE (2mk)

24) A stone was thrown vertically upwards with a velocity of 20m/s.

a. (i) State the acceleration of the stone at its maximum point (1mk)
b. (ii) Calculate the time taken for the stone to fall back to the throwers hands 1mk
25) Describe the motion represented by the following graphs. (2mk)
26)
ii
1.
Displacement (m)

Time (s)

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