PHYSICS

2001 National Qualifying Examination

SOLUTIONS
SECTION A - Multiple Choice
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9
Q10
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17
Q18
Q19
Q20

B. 1KW.
E. 6,000 m/s.
E. equal: the original charge is shared equally between the two balls.
A.
A. Only the R clearly.
E. The incident ball is at rest and the hit ball moves at 2 m/s.
E. its wavelength is too short.
D. Successive wave crests have less distance to travel when the source is approaching you.
B. 80 kW.
D. They are the same.
D. 5 m.
C.
A. deflected up.
B. 2 N/m.
E. Parallel and 2 cm across.
C. 1 Ohm.
A. A.
C. B goes out, A dims, C brightens.
A.
E. Yes, the yacht experiences a wind and can tack into it.

Explanations
Q1

Power has units of Watts (W). A Watt is a Joule (J) per second, and 1 kJ per second is 1 kW.

Q2

Only answer E has the correct units.

Q3

Since steel is a conductor, charge can move between the balls. Since the balls are identical each has
the same charge after contact.

Q4

Circuit A applies twice the battery voltage. Circuits B and D apply zero voltage. Circuits C and E
apply apply the battery voltage. The highest applied voltage makes the light brightest.

Q5

Only blue light can be seen through the filter. The white paper and blue B reflect the blue component
of the illuminating light equally well. Hence the B cannot be seen against the background. The red
R, however, does not reflect blue light well and hence looks dark against the background. It can be
seen.
Options B and C do not conserve momentum. The kinetic energy of each ball is proportional to the
square of its speed. The initial kinetic energy is 22 = 4 units. Option B has 2 units. Option D has 12

Q6

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2001 Physics NQE

+ 32 = 10 units. Option E has 4 units and therefore is the only one that conserves both energy and
momentum.
Q7

Options A, B, and C are unrelated to diffraction, which occurs for all waves. Visible light has a
wavelength of about 0.5 micrometers, which means that diffraction is only strong around objects of
this size. On the micron scale light does diffract around corners! For everyday objects the
wavelength of visible light is much too short for diffraction to be easily visible.

Q8

The relevant physics is the Doppler effect, described in D.

Q9

Every second 2000 kg of water moving at 10 m/s enters the turbine. The kinetic energy of this water
is (mv2)/2 = 2000 x100/2 = 100,000 J = 100 kJ. The corresponding power in the waters kinetic
energy is 100 kJ/s = 100 kW. This is converted with an efficiency of 0.8, for an electrical power
output of 80 kW.

Q10

According to Newtons first law, the forces are equal in magnitude.

Q11

The speed of a wave is the product of its frequency and wavelength. Hence its wavelength is the
speed divided by the frequency (this is also the only combination giving the correct units).
(10 m/s) / (2 Hz) = 5 m.

Q12

An electron is negatively charged and hence will be attracted by the positive charge and repelled by
the negative one. Hence options D and E are not correct. Electric field lines at a point are tangential
to the electrical force on a test charge at that point. Hence the acceleration of a charge is parallel to
the local field line. Hence option A is not correct. Once the electron is moving the acceleration
vector and velocity vector will point in different directions. Option B has them in the same direction.
Hence option C is the correct trajectory.

Q13

A positive potential on the upper plate attracts the electron beam and hence deflects it upwards. It
would only be deflected downwards by a negative potential on the top plate.

Q14

Since the springs are identical, each contributes half the total extension x of the combined spring.
Each also exerts the same force F as the combined spring, but with half the total extension. Therefore
the combined spring exerts the force of a single spring when at twice the single spring extension. Its
spring constant K is therefore half the spring constant k of a single spring. Mathematically: F = Kx =
k(x/2) implies K = k/2.

Q15

This is solved by sketching a ray diagram, and

using similar triangles. Rays emerge parallel to the
optical axis and twice as far from it.

Q16

The resistors connecting the two branches have no

voltage across them, due to the symmetry of the
circuit. The circuit is then two 3 Ohm branches in
parallel, for a total
resistance of 3/2 Ohm.

Q17

All current in the circuit must pass through light A. Therefore it is the brightest.

1 cm

2f

2 cm

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SOLUTIONS

2001 Physics NQE

Q18

If D blows then B goes out because it is no longer part of a circuit. This increases the total resistance
following A in the circuit, since the parallel branch BD is lost. Hence A dims. If A dims the voltage
drop across C must increase, hence it brightens.

Q19

Since the violet light has a higher refractive index in the prism, it is refracted more. Refraction
occurs at both air-prism interfaces. E is incorrect because the red ray is being refracted towards the
normal at both interfaces.

Q20

As far as the yacht drifting down the river is concerned there is a breeze, and it can be used to gain
speed in the conventional way. It is expected that this option will be selected after elimination of the
other options.

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2001 Physics NQE

SECTION B - Short Answer Questions

Guidance for marking short and long answer questions
The following answers, and detailed mark allocations, are provided as a guide only. Individual correct
answers may differ from those provided. As a guide, half the marks may be given for a demonstration of the
basic principles needed for solving the problem. The remaining half of the marks should be given for the
detailed solution. Gaining the last mark, or two, requires clarity and accuracy in the solution.
Q21

[2 marks]
[1 mark]

(a) The speed of the rotor tip relative to the helicopter is vt = 2fL.
Substituting in the given parameter values: vt = 2 x 9 x 5 = 283 m/s.
The air-speed of the rotor tip is this speed plus the speed of the helicopter
through the air vh. Hence we require vh + 283 m/s < 340 m/s or
vh < 340 - 283 = 57 m/s. The maximum speed of the helicopter is 57 m/s,
or about 200 km/hr.

[1 mark]

(b) The centripetal force required is

2
F = m(2 ) f 2 L = 0.1 x 39.5 x 81 x 5 = 1.6 x 103 N
This force is spread over the glued area of 5 cm2 = 5 x 10-4 m2, and therefore
corresponds to a force per unit area of F/A = (1.6/5) x 107 N/m2 = 3 x 106 N/m2.
This is three times the glue's yield strength and hence the glue is not able to
provide the required centripetal force.

[1 mark]

[1 mark]

Total [6 marks]
Q22

Without replacement, a small mass m of water leaving through the hole would lead to a drop in the
water level. The change in gravitational potential energy of the water due to the drop h between the
top of the water and the hole is mgh.
10cm
10cm
D

(a) Ignoring effects such as viscosity, conservation of energy implies that this
change is converted to kinetic energy in the stream (mv2)/2, where v is the
stream speed:

[2 marks]

mgh = 12 mv v = 2gh

[1 mark]

Inserting g = 9.8 m/s2 and h = 0.1 m: v = 2 9.8 0.1 = 1.96 = 1.4 m/s

[1 mark]

(b) Under the constant acceleration due to gravity g, the water takes time t to fall
2
through height H, where H = 12 gt t = 2H / g

[1 mark]

Inserting g = 9.8 m/s2 and H = 0.1 m, t = 2 0.1 / 9.8 = 0.0204 = 0.143 s

In this time its horizontal velocity v = 1.4 m/s takes it the distance

[1 mark]
Total [6 marks]

vt = 1.4 x 0.143 = 0.20 m.

Q23

(a) The focal length of the convex lens is the distance between the centre

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SOLUTIONS

2001 Physics NQE

of the lens and the point where it focuses the parallel light rays to a point.

[1 mark]

Therefore, to measure its focal length one should setup the light source,
the lens, and the screen in that order. The screen should be moved until the
light focuses to the smallest, sharpest point. The distance scale is then used
to measure the distance between the centre of the lens and the screen.

[1 mark]

Diagram.

[1 mark]

screen
light source

convex lens

(b) If the concave lens is placed after the convex lens, with both focii at the same
point, parallel light entering the convex lens will emerge as parallel light from
the concave lens.

[1 mark]

Therefore arrange in order; the light source, the convex lens, the concave lens,
between the convex lens and its focal point, and finally the screen. The screen
is then moved to determine whether the output light is parallel. If the lit area
changes size as the screen moves the focii are not coincident. By trial and error
the distance between the lenses such that the focii are coincident may be found.
The focal length of the concave lens, a negative number, is this distance minus
the focal length of the convex lens.
Diagram.

[1 mark]
[1 mark]

screen
light source convex concave
lens
lens
N.B. This procedure also works with the order of the lenses swapped.
Total [6 marks]

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2001 Physics NQE

SECTION C - Long Question

Q24

(a) There are two unknowns in this collision: the speeds of the head and ball
after the collision: vhf and vbf . Momentum is conserved so:

Mv hi = Mv hf + mv bf

[2 marks]

where we have noted that the ball was initially stationary. We are also
given that: vbf vhf = ev hi vhf = v bf evhi
Substituting this into the momentum conservation equation:

Mv hi = M v bf ev hi + mvbf M (v hi + evhi )= ( M + m)v bf v bf =

M (1 + e)v hi
[2 marks]
M +m

which is the required expression for final the ball speed.

(b) The horizontal and vertical components of the balls velocity are:

v x = vbf cos , v y = vbf sin

[1 mark]

The time of flight t is given by: gt = 2v y t = 2vy / g . The distance

travelled is:

D = v x t = 2v x v y / g =

2 2
v sin cos
g bf

[1 mark]

(c) This is a similar problem to part (b). Making the appropriate substitutions
the first bounce distance

B1 = 2 vrx vry / g

[1 mark]

We need to sum all the bounce distances using the previous result, but
halving the vertical velocity at each bounce

(
= (2v

) (
/ g)(1+

) (
+ L) = (2v

B = 2v rxv ry / g + 2v rx 12 v ry / g + 2v rx 14 v ry / g + L

rx ry

1
2

+ 14

v / g 2 = 4v rxv ry / g = 2B1

rx ry

The total bounce distance is twice the initial bounce distance. The more
bounces there are, the closer this estimate is to the actual distance. (Give
two marks for the correct terms in the series, and one mark for summing
the series to 2, or to some number less than but close to 2.)

[3 marks]

(d) The rolling is stopped by the constant frictional force F. The work done
by this force FR must equal the initial kinetic energy:

[1 mark]

mv 2rx
FR = 12 mvrx2 R =
2F

[1 mark]
Total [12 marks]