Professional Documents
Culture Documents
XII International Physics Olympiad Varna, Bulgaria, July 1981
XII International Physics Olympiad Varna, Bulgaria, July 1981
XII International Physics Olympiad Varna, Bulgaria, July 1981
Theoretical Problem 1
A static container of mass M and cylindrical shape is placed in vacuum. One of its
ends is closed. A fixed piston of mass m and negligible width separates the volume of the
container into two equal parts. The closed part contains n moles of monoatomic perfect gas
with molar mass M0 and temperature T. After releasing of the piston, it leaves the container
without friction. After that the gas also leaves the container. What is the final velocity of the
container?
The gas constant is R. The momentum of the gas up to the leaving of the piston can be
neglected. There is no heat exchange between the gas, container and the piston. The change
of the temperature of the gas, when it leaves the container, can be neglected. Do not account
for the gravitation of the Earth.
Theoretical Problem 2
Theoretical Problem 3
Up to the moment when the piston leaves the container, the system can be considered
as a closed one. It follows from the laws of the conservation of the momentum and the energy:
( M + nM 0 )v1 mu = 0 (1)
( M + nM 0 )v12 mu 2
+ = U , (2)
2 2
where v1 velocity of the container when the piston leaves it, u velocity of the piston in the
same moment, U the change of the internal energy of the gas. The gas is perfect and
monoatomic, therefore
3 3
U = nRT = nR(T T f ) ; (3)
2 2
Tf - the temperature of the gas in the moment when the piston leaves the container. This
temperature can be determined by the law of the adiabatic process:
pV = const.
Using the perfect gas equation pV = nRT , one obtains
1
TV 1 = const. , TV 1 = T f V f
Using the relation V f = 2V , and the fact that the adiabatic coefficient for one-atomic gas is
cp 5 R
5
= = 2 = , the result for final temperature is:
cv 3 R 3
2
V T 2
T f = T ( ) 1 = 2 = T 2 3 (4)
Vf 2 3
Solving the equations (1) (4) we obtain
mnRT
v1 = 3(1 2 3 )
2
(5)
(nM 0 + M )(m + nM 0 + M )
If the gas mass nM0 is much smaller than the masses of the container M and the piston m,
then the equation (5) is simplified to:
mnRT
v1 = 3(1 2 3 )
2
(5)
M (m + M )
When the piston leaves the container, the velocity of the container additionally increases to
value v2 due to the hits of the atoms in the bottom of the container. Each atom gives the
container momentum:
p = 2m A v x ,
M0
where mA mass of the atom; m A = , and v x can be obtained by the averaged quadratic
NA
velocity of the atoms v 2 as follows:
v2
v x2 + v y2 + v z2 = v 2 , and v x2 = v y2 = v z2 , therefore v x =
. It appears that due to the elastic
3
impact of one atom the container receives averaged momentum
M 0 v2
p=2
NA 3
All calculations are done assuming that the thermal velocities of the atoms are much larger
than the velocity of the container and that the movement is described using system connected
with the container.
Have in mind that only half of the atoms hit the bottom of the container, the total
momentum received by the container is
1 v2
pt = nN A p = nM 0 (6)
2 3
and additional increase of the velocity of the container is
pt M v2
v2 = =n 0 . (7)
M M 3
Using the formula for the averaged quadratic velocity
3RT f
v2 =
M0
as well eq. (4) for the temperature Tf , the final result for v2 is
1 n M 0 RT
v2 = 2 3 . (8)
M
Therefore the final velocity of the container is
2 mnRT 1 n M 0 RT
v = v1 + v2 = 3(1 2 3 ) +2 3
(nM 0 + M )(m + nM 0 + M ) M
mnRT 1 n M 0 RT
3(1 2 3 )
2
+2 3 . (9)
M (m + M ) M
1) The signal, registered by the detector A, is result of the interference of two rays:
the ray 1, incident directly from the star and the ray 2, reflected from the sea surface (see the
figure).
B
A
2 2
h
C
The phase of the second ray is shifted by due to the reflection by a medium of larger
refractive index. Therefore, the phase difference between the two rays is:
h h
= AC + AB = + cos(2 ) =
2 sin 2 sin
h
= + [1 cos(2 )] = + 2h sin (1)
2 sin 2
The condition for an interference maximum is:
+ 2h sin max = k , or
2
1
sin max = (k ) = (2k 1) , (2)
2 2h 4h
where k = 1,2,3,,19. (the difference of the optical paths cannot exceed 2h, therefore k
cannot exceed 19).
The condition for an interference minimum is:
+ 2h sin max = (2k + 1) , or
2 2
k
sin min = (3)
2h
where k = 1,2,3,,19.
2) Just after the rise of the star the angular height is zero, therefore the condition for
an interference minimum is satisfied. By this reason just after the rise of the star, the signal
will increase.
3) If the condition for an interference maximum is satisfied, the intensity of the
electric field is a sum of the intensities of the direct ray Ei and the reflected ray Er ,
respectively: Emax = Ei + Er .
n cos n cos max
Because Er = Ei , then Emax = Ei 1 + .
n + cos n + cos max
From the figure it is seen that max = max , we obtain
2
n sin max 2n
Emax = Ei 1 + = Ei . (4)
n + sin max n + sin( 2 max )
At the interference minimum, the resulting intensity is:
2 sin min
E min = Ei Er = Ei . (5)
n + sin min
The intensity I of the signal is proportional to the square of the intensity of the electric
field E, therefore the ratio of the intensities of the consecutive maxima and minima is:
2
I max Emax n2 (n + sin min ) 2
= = . (6)
I min E min sin 2 min (n + sin max ) 2
Using the eqs. (2) and (3), the eq. (6) can be transformed into the following form:
2
n+k
I max 4n 2 h 2 2h .
= 2 2 (7)
I min k n + (2k 1)
4h
Using this general formula, we can determine the ratio for the first maximum (k =1) and the
next minimum:
2
2 2 n+
I max 4n h 2h = 3.104
=
I min 2 n +
4h
4) Using that n >> , from the eq. (7) follows :
2h
I max 4n 2 h 2
2 2 .
I min k
So, with the rising of the star the ratio of the intensities of the consecutive maxima and
minima decreases.