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ZIMSEC O Level · 4023/1

Physics Paper 1 Specimen 2026

Questions
40
Time allowed
60 min
Syllabus code
4023/1

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Questions
40
Pass mark
24
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Answer every question in the printed order, get marked at the end, then see the answers.

The questions

Question 1

Measurement
Which one is the SI unit of temperature?
  1. A°C
  2. B°K
  3. CK
  4. DC

Question 2

Scalars and vectors

The diagram shows two forces that are perpendicular to each other.

What is the magnitude of the resultant force?

  1. A2 N
  2. B10 N
  3. C14 N
  4. D48 N

Question 3

Kinematics

The diagram shows a velocity-time graph of an athlete competing in a race.

At which point is the acceleration greatest?

  1. AA
  2. BB
  3. CC
  4. DD

Question 4

Kinematics
Terminal velocity of an object is the velocity
  1. Aof a falling object when the acceleration is zero.
  2. Bof a falling object when acceleration is increasing.
  3. Cwhen the upward force is greater than the downward force.
  4. Dwhen the downward force is greater than the upward force.

Question 5

Kinematics
A parachutist demonstrating some skills at the national independence celebrations jumps off a helicopter. The acceleration of the parachutist
  1. Ais decreasing uniformly.
  2. Bis increasing uniformly.
  3. Cremains constant.
  4. Dis decreasing non-uniformly.

Question 6

Pressure
How do air pressure patterns help to predict weather?
  1. AHigh pressure always indicate rain.
  2. BLow pressure indicates clear skies.
  3. CChanges in pressure can indicate approaching weather systems.
  4. DPressure patterns have no relation to weather.

Question 7

Moments
It is better to use a long spanner rather than a short one to tighten a bolt because
  1. Aa longer spanner reduces the friction between the bolt and the nut.
  2. Ba longer spanner produces more torque with the same force.
  3. Ca longer spanner increases the pressure applied directly on the bolt head.
  4. Da longer spanner makes the bolt thread stronger.

Question 8

Momentum

A dancer of mass 60 kg jumps and lands on the floor with a velocity of 5 m/s.

What is the dancer's momentum just before landing?

  1. A300 kgms−1\mathrm{kgms^{-1}}
  2. B65 kgms−1\mathrm{kgms^{-1}}
  3. C12 kgms−1\mathrm{kgms^{-1}}
  4. D0.08 kgms−1\mathrm{kgms^{-1}}

Question 9

Energy
When an ox-drawn cart accelerates up a hill
  1. Ait gains both kinetic energy and potential energy.
  2. Bit gains kinetic energy but loses potential energy.
  3. Cit gains potential energy but loses kinetic energy.
  4. Dboth kinetic energy and potential energy decrease.

Question 10

Work, energy and power

A bucket of maize seed of mass 20 000 g is raised through a vertical height of 10 m.

What is the work done?

  1. A20 J
  2. B200 J
  3. C2 000 J
  4. D20 000 J

Question 11

Machines
Machines are lubricated in industry in order to
  1. Aincrease energy gained.
  2. Bincrease efficiency.
  3. Cincrease velocity ratio.
  4. Dreduce mechanical advantage.

Question 12

Machines
The mechanical advantage of a single moveable pulley is
  1. A1.
  2. B2.
  3. C3.
  4. D4.

Question 13

Structures
Which joining method is most appropriate to join plastic to plastic materials?
  1. Agluing
  2. Bnailing
  3. Cbrazing
  4. Dsoldering

Question 14

Structures
What shape is most commonly used in trusses for stability?
  1. Asquare
  2. Bcircle
  3. Crectangle
  4. Dtriangle

Question 15

Thermal physics

The diagrams show a bimetallic strip when it is at room temperature and after it has been heated during use.

The change in shape occurs because

  1. Abrass expands more than iron.
  2. Biron expands more than brass.
  3. Cboth expand at the same rate.
  4. Dneither brass nor iron expands.

Question 16

Thermal physics
In a vacuum flask both walls are silvered in order to
  1. Areduce heat gain by conduction only.
  2. Breduce heat gain or heat loss by radiation.
  3. Creduce heat gain or heat loss by convection.
  4. Dreduce heat gain or heat loss by conduction and convection.

Question 17

Kinetic theory
Which graph illustrates Boyle's Law?
  1. AA
  2. BB
  3. CC
  4. DD

Question 18

Engines

Modern car manufacturers prefer engines with multiple cylinders.

Which statement is not true about the use of multiple cylinders?

  1. AThey have more power strokes per revolution.
  2. BThey increase the car's acceleration.
  3. CThey facilitate the function of computers in the car.
  4. DThey reduce the vibration of the car.

Question 19

Engines
The efficiency of a car engine can be measured by the
  1. Acar's speed.
  2. Bsound produced.
  3. Csmoke produced.
  4. Dfuel economy.

Question 20

Waves

The diagram shows how displacement varies with time for a wave passing through a point.

What is the frequency of the wave?

  1. A0.25 Hz
  2. B0.50 Hz
  3. C1.00 Hz
  4. D2.00 Hz

Question 21

Sound

A sound wave is emitted downwards from a ship to a seabed a distance, dd.

Which expression can be used to find the speed of sound in seawater if the time taken for the echo to be detected at the ship is tt?

  1. Adt\dfrac{d}{t}
  2. Bd×td \times t
  3. Ctd\dfrac{t}{d}
  4. D2dt\dfrac{2d}{t}

Question 22

Light

A student observes that a swimming pool appears shallower than its actual depth.

Which phenomenon is responsible for this effect?

  1. Adispersion of light
  2. Brefraction of light
  3. Creflection of light
  4. Dconvergence of light

Question 23

Electricity
The correct formula used to calculate electrical power is
  1. AP = VI.
  2. BP=VIP = \dfrac{V}{I}.
  3. CP = VItt.
  4. DP=I2RtP = I^2Rt.

Question 24

Electricity

The diagram shows a combination of resistors.

What is the effective resistance between A and B?

  1. A1.33 Ω\Omega
  2. B2.00 Ω\Omega
  3. C3.33 Ω\Omega
  4. D8.00 Ω\Omega

Question 25

Electricity
How long would it take for a charge of 10 C to flow through a cellphone, when there is a current of 2 A?
  1. A20.0 s
  2. B12.0 s
  3. C5.0 s
  4. D0.2 s

Question 26

Electricity
What is the resistance of a lamp when the voltage across it is 12 V and the current flowing through it is 4 A?
  1. A48.0 Ω\Omega
  2. B16.0 Ω\Omega
  3. C3.0 Ω\Omega
  4. D0.3 Ω\Omega

Question 27

Magnetism

In mining communities, magnets were sometimes used to separate iron-rich ores from the soil.

Which material is most strongly attracted to a magnet?

  1. Acopper
  2. Baluminium
  3. Ciron
  4. Dwood

Question 28

Magnetism
In a relay switch, the electromagnet is used to
  1. Astore electrical energy.
  2. Breduce resistance in the circuit.
  3. Cconvert mechanical energy into heat.
  4. Dpull a contact to close or open a circuit.

Question 29

Electromagnetic induction
The voltage generated by an alternating current generator cannot be increased by
  1. Aturning the coil more rapidly.
  2. Busing a coil with a smaller surface area.
  3. Cusing a coil with more turns.
  4. Dincreasing the strength of the magnet.

Question 30

Transformers

In rural Zimbabwe, electricity from power stations must be transmitted over long distances to reach villages.

Transformers are used in the process to

  1. Achange A.C to D.C.
  2. Bstore electricity for later use.
  3. Cincrease the brightness of bulbs.
  4. Dreduce energy losses by stepping up voltage.

Question 31

Electromagnetism
When a student builds a simple d.c electric motor, what is the role of the commutator?
  1. Ato increase the magnetic field strength
  2. Bto reverse the direction of current flow
  3. Cto reduce friction between the moving parts
  4. Dto insulate the coil from the surroundings

Question 32

Cathode rays
Which form of energy is possessed by an electron emitted from a hot metal surface by thermionic emission?
  1. Anuclear energy
  2. Bchemical energy
  3. Ckinetic energy
  4. Dgravitational potential energy

Question 33

Potential divider

The diagram shows a potentiometer with a resistive wire XY.

What happens to the voltmeter reading when the sliding contact is moved towards Y?

  1. Aremains constant
  2. Bbecomes zero
  3. Cincreases
  4. Ddecreases

Question 34

Electronics

The diagram shows an experiment set up by a Physics learner.

What happens to bulbs Y and Z when the switch is closed?

  1. Abulb Y on, bulb Z off
  2. Bbulb Y off, bulb Z off
  3. Cbulb Y on, bulb Z on
  4. Dbulb Y off, bulb Z on

Question 35

Electronics
What is an actuator?
  1. AA device which converts energy to motion.
  2. BA device which converts a.c to d.c.
  3. CA device which converts electrical energy to heat.
  4. DA device which converts electrical energy to sound.

Question 36

Electronics
The following are disadvantages of using robots except that robots
  1. Alead to high unemployment.
  2. Blead to deskilling.
  3. Cwork the whole day without stopping.
  4. Dare expensive to buy.

Question 37

Electronics
What is the primary purpose of a robot's control system?
  1. Ato provide power to the robot
  2. Bto sense the environment
  3. Cto execute programmed instructions
  4. Dto communicate with humans

Question 38

Atomic structure
How many electrons are there in a neutral atom of sodium 1123^{23}_{11}Na?
  1. A11
  2. B12
  3. C23
  4. D34

Question 39

Atomic structure
Which one is an isotope of Uranium (92235U)\left(^{235}_{92}U\right)?
  1. A23592U^{92}_{235}U
  2. B23892U^{92}_{238}U
  3. C146238U^{238}_{146}U
  4. D92238U^{238}_{92}U

Question 40

Radioactivity

A miner buys 100 g of a radioactive substance with a half-life of 2 years which decays to a stable compound.

What mass of radioactive substance remains after 6 years?

  1. A0 g
  2. B12.5 g
  3. C25.0 g
  4. D87.5 g

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