Multiple Choice Questions for Practice

(Note: Only one of the options is correct)

Unit-I- Special Theory of Relativity
1. According to the special theory of relativity, physical laws are the same in frames of reference
which
(a) move at uniform velocity
(b) accelerate.
(c) move in circles.
(d) move in ellipses.
2. Clocks in a moving reference frame, compared to identical clocks in a stationary reference
frame, appear to run
(a) Slower
(b) at the same rate.
(c) faster.
(d) backward in time.
3. A spaceship, moving away from the Earth at a speed of 0.9c, fires a light beam backward.
An observer on Earth would see the light arriving at a speed of
(a) 0.1c.
(b) more than 0.1c but less than c.
(c) c.
(d) more than c but less than 1.9c.
4. The term "relativistic" refers to effects that are
(a) observed when speeds are near the speed of light.
(b) noticed about a moving object.
(c) observed when objects move backward in time.
(d) measured by stationary observers only.
5. The purpose of the Michelson-Morley experiment was to
a) determine the velocity of light.
b) detect possible motion of the Earth relative to the sun.
c) detect possible motion of the sun relative to the ether.
d) detect possible motion of the Earth relative to the ether
6. A spaceship approaches the Moon, traveling at 0.5c with respect to the Moon. Its crew shines
a laser at the Moon. The beam strikes a lunar mirror and is reflected back to the ship. The
crew on the ship will measure the speed of the reflected beam to be
(a) 2.0c.
(b) 1.5c.
(c) c.
(d) 0.75c.
7. A train has a rest length of 100 m. Traveling at a very high velocity, it goes through a tunnel
of length 80 m. Observers located at both ends of the tunnel note that at one instant the train
appears to exactly fit within the tunnel. What is the velocity of the train expressed in units of
c?
(a) 0.866c
(b) 0.333c
(c) 0.50c
(d) 0.60c
8. Starship "Alpha" is traveling at 0.8c (γ = 5/3) with respect to the identical starship "Beta."
Each starship has rest length 10,000 m. The ship's engineer aboard the "Beta" measures the
length of the "Alpha" as it passes by his window. What result should he get?
(a) 6,000 m
(b) 8,000 m
(c) 10,000 m
(d) 12,500 m
9. A spaceship, moving toward the Earth at a speed of 0.9c, shines a green laser at Earth. An
observer on Earth would see the light arriving at a speed of
(a) 0.1c but at a smaller frequency.
(b) c but at a shorter wavelength.
(c) 1.9c and with a shorter wavelength.
(d) 0.1c and with an inverted frequency
10. The decay of a sample of radioactive atoms is studied by observers moving in different ways.
One moves at 0.8c, another at 0.5c, another at 0.25c, and one at speed zero with respect to
the sample. The one with a speed of_________will measure the shortest half-life.
(a) 0.8c
(b) Zero
(c) 0.5c
(d) 0,25c
11. If an object reaches the speed of light, it’s length changes to
(a) Infinite
(b) Double of the value
(c) Half of the value
(d) Zero
12. The length of a rod seems shorter to an observer when it moves in a specific direction.

What change would he observe when the direction of rod changes by 180o?
(a) The rod becomes even smaller
(b) The length of the rod increases
(c) The length of the rod remains the same
(d) The rod has the length equal to its proper length
13. How fast does a rocket have to move relative to an observer for its length to be
contracted to 95% of its original length?
(a) 0.5 c
(b) 0.4 c
(c) 0.3 c
(d) 0.2 c

14. A particle with a lifetime of 2 X 10-6 s moves through the laboratory with a speed of
0.9 c. It’s lifetime, as measured by an observer in the laboratory, is

(a) 2 X 10-6 s

(b) 3.2 X 10-6 s

(c) 4.6 X 10-6 s

(d) 5.4 X 10-6 s

15. An atom A, moving relative to the observer, with velocity 2 X 108m/s emits a particle B

which moves with a velocity of 2.8 X 108m/s with respect to the atom. The velocity of the
emitter particle relative to the scientist is .

(a) 2.4 108m/s

(b) 3.4 108m/s

(c) 3 x 108m/s

(d) 2.95 X 108m/s

18. Relative to its period on the earth, the period a pendulum on the moon is
(a) Shorter
(b) Longer
(c) The same as on the earth
(d) Varies with time
19. Calculate the velocity of a body if its total energy is three times its rest energy.
(a) 0.54c
(b) 0.76c
(c) 0.94c
(d) C
20. As an object approaches the speed of light, it’s mass becomes
(a) zero
(b) double
(c) remain same
(d) infinite
21. In the Michelson-Morley experiments two light beams were raced at right angles to each other
to detect a possible slight difference in their speeds. The experiment showed that
(a) The beam traveling along the direction of the earth's motion always won.
(b) The beam traveling along the direction of the earth's motion always lost.
(c) The races always ended in ties.
(d) The results depended on the season of the year (i.e., on the direction of earth's motion)"
(e) A slight speed difference was observed, but declared too small to be taken seriously.
22. A train is traveling along a straight, horizontal track at a constant speed that is only very slightly
less than that of light. A warning light on the ground flashes once each second. An observer in
the train measures the time between flashes to be
(a) Somewhat greater than one second.
(b) Equal to one second.
(c) Somewhat less than one second.
(d) Much greater than one second.
(e) Much less than one second
23. On which of the following will observers in different inertial systems agree about the results?
(a) The simultaneity of events at separate locations.
(b) The rate at which their clocks run
(c) The lengths they measure along the direction of their relative travel
(d) The observers will agree on none of the above.
24. If you approach a light beacon while traveling at six-tenths the speed of light (0.6c), you will
measure the speed of light from the beacon to be
(a) 0.40 c
(b) 0.60 c
(c) 1.0c
(d) 1.6 c
25. A train has a rest length of 100 m. Traveling at a very high velocity, it goes through a tunnel
of length 80 m. Observers located at both ends of the tunnel note that at one instant the train
appears to exactly fit within the tunnel. What is the velocity of the train expressed in units of
c?
(a) 0.333c
(b) 0.50c
(c) 0.60c
(d) 0.80c
(e) 0.866c

Unit-I- Wave Optics

1. In Newton's Ring experiments , the diameter of dark rings is proportional to
a) Odd Natural numbers
b) Natural Number
c) Even Natural Number
d) Square root of natural number
2. In Fresnel diffraction
a) source of light is kept at infinite distance from the aperture
b) source of light is kept at finite distance from the aperture
c) Convex lens used
d) aperture width is selected so that it can acts as a point source
3. In plane transmission grating, the angle of diffraction for second order maxima for wavelength 5
x 10 -5 cm is 30 0. Calculate the number of lines in one centimeter of the grating surface.
a) 1000 lines/cm
b) 5000 lines/cm
c) 500 lines/cm
d) 10000 lines/cm
4. In Newton's ring experiment, the diameter of the 15 th ring was found to be 0.590 and that of the 5
th
ring was 0.336 cm. If the radius of Plano convex lens is 100 cm, compute the wavelength of
light used.
a. 5885 A0
b. 5880 Ao
c. 5890 Ao
d. 5850 Ao
5. In reflected light, the central fringes of Newton's ring is
a) dark
b) Bright
c) Uniform
d) Non uniform
6. For single slit Diffraction, the path difference between the two ends of the slit is
a) Δ = a Sin θ
b) Δ = a Cos θ
c) Δ = Cos θ
d) Δ = 0
7. Resolving power of grating is given by
a) λ/2
b) λ/dλ
c) dλ/λ
d) none of these
8. In Newton’s rings the central spot is _____________________ _ .
a) Always bright
b) always dark
c) can be bright or dark
d) of blue color
9. Interference in thin is mainly because of
a) Division of amplitude
b) Division of wavefronts
c) Addition of velocities
d) Addition of wavefronts
10. The condition for minima in Fraunhofer diffraction for single slit is
asinθ = mλ, What is ‘θ’?
a) Angle of diffraction at which rays are diffracted at slit
b) Angle of incidence of incident rays at the slit
c) Angle at which diffracted rays strikes the screen
d) Angle between slit and screen
11. What is the meaning of grating element for a diffraction grating?
a) It is the width of a single slit
b) It is the width of the opaque space
c) It is the distance between two slits
d) It is the width of diffraction grating
12. The condition for maxima for Fraunhofer diffraction due to a slit is d sinθ = nλ where d=grating
element = (a+b). What is the effect on diffraction pattern if d is reduced?
a) The separation between maxima and minima will increase
b) The separation between maxima and minima will decrease
c) There will not be any effect on diffraction pattern.
d) Maxima and minima will merge into each other
13. In interference experiment, monochromatic light is replaced by white light, we will see
a) Uniform illumination of screen
b) Uniform darkness on the screen
c) Equally spaced dark and white bands
d) Few colored bands and then general illumination
14. The Radius (or diameter) of dark rings in Newton’s rings is
a) Directly proportional to the square root of odd numbers
b) Inversely proportional to the square root of natural numbers
c) Directly proportional to the square root of even numbers
d) Directly proportional to the square root of natural numbers
15. Newtons’rings experiment is performed and radius (or diameter) is calculated. Now Plano-convex
lens is replaced with another Plano-convex lens of greater Radius of curvature. What will be
effect on radius (or diameter)?
a) Radius (or diameter) will remain constant but there will be more brightness
b) Radius or diameter will decrease
c) Radius (or diameter) will decrease
d) There will be no effect