UEE Sample Poseng THAN

Singapore Scholarship for Undergraduate Students

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMINATION

PHYSICS

Duration: 2 hours

Please read the following instructions carefully

1. This paper is made up of 50 Multiple-Choice questions and comprises FOURTEEN (14)

printed pages include this cover page.
2. Do not write on the question paper.
3. Answer all questions and indicate your answers on the answer sheet provided. Marks
will not be deducted for wrong answers.
4. Do not take any paper, including the question paper or unused answer sheets, out of
the examination hall.

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
Multiple Choice Questions

Answer all the questions in this section.

permeability of free space, 0 , and the permittivity of free space,  o . The speed of
1. The speed of light in a vacuum, c, depends on two fundamental constants; the

c   0 0 
light is related to these constants by
1/2

The SI units of  o are N 1C 2 m 2 . Recall that a force of 1N accelerates a mass of 1 1kg
at 1ms 1 . The units of 0 are
a. kg 1m1C 2
b. kg 1s 3C 2
c. kgms4C 2
d. kgmC 2
e. kg 2m2C 4
2. A heavy, decrepit bus has broken down and a small car with a public–spirited driver
is pushing it to a garage. While the vehicles are speeding up to cruising speed,
a. the amount of force with which the small car pushes against the bus is equal
to the amount of force with which the bus pushes back against the small car.
b. the amount of force with which the small car pushes against the bus is smaller
than the amount of force with which the bus pushes back against the small
car.
c. the amount of force with which the small car pushes against the bus is greater
than the amount of force with which the bus pushes back against the small
car.
d. the s all a ’s e gi e is u i g so the s all car pushes against the bus, but
the us’s e gi e is ot u i g so it a ’t push a k agai st the s all a .
e. neither the small car nor the bus exert any force on the other. The bus is
pushed forward simply because it is in the way of the small car.
3. A chunky tree frog jumps from a tree in an attempt to catch a small, speedy fly. Both
are in mid–air and have the same kinetic energy. Which of the following statements
is true?
a. The fly has a greater speed than the tree frog.
b. The tree frog has a greater speed than the fly.
c. The fly and the tree frog have the same speed.
d. The kinetic energy cannot give information about their speeds.
e. The direction of the fly and the tree frog must be taken into account to
compare their speeds.
4. A spherical drop of mercury with charge 8Q splits into eight identical spherical
droplets, each with the same charge and radius. The electrostatic potential energy of
a conducting sphere of radius r and charge q is , where is a constant.
After the droplets are separated far apart so that they no longer interact, the
percentage of the initial electrical energy that has been converted into other forms
of energy is
a.
b.

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
c.
d.
e.
5. A carbon atom decays into a nitrogen atom in the equation below. Which of the

6 C 7 N  ?
quantities correctly finishes the equation?
14 14

a. Alpha
b. Beta
c. Gamma
d. Neutron
e. Neutrino
6. A rocket is launched into the air during a fireworks show. Which of the following
statements about the parts of the rocket is appropriate immediately after the
explosion?
a. They have less mass than they had before the explosion.
b. They have more momentum than they had before the explosion.
c. They have less momentum than they had before the explosion.
d. They have the same momentum as they had before the explosion.
e. They have less kinetic energy than they had before the explosion.
7. Starting from one oasis, a camel walks 25 km in direction 30° south of west and then
walks 30 km toward the north to a second oasis. What is the direction from the first
oasis to the second oasis?
a. 21° N of W
b. 39° W of N
c. 69° N of W
d. 51° W of N
e. 42° W of N
8. A juggler throws two balls to the same height so that one is at the halfway point
going up when the other is at the halfway point coming down. At that point:
a. Their velocities and accelerations are equal.
b. Their velocities are equal but their accelerations are equal and opposite.
c. Their accelerations are equal but their velocities are equal and opposite.
d. Their velocities and accelerations are both equal and opposite.
e. Their velocities are equal to their accelerations.
9. We know the signs of the components of two vectors, ⃗ and ⃗⃗, which have equal
magnitudes. The signs are: Ax negative; Ay positive; Bx negative; By negative. Which
statement is always true?
a. A  B  0
b. A  B  0
c. A  B is perpendicular to A  B
d. B  A is perpendicular to A  B
e. The magnitude of A  B is equal to the magnitude of A  B
10. A particle moves along a circular path having a radius of . At an instant when
the speed of the particle is equal to and changing at the rate of ,
what is the magnitude of the total acceleration of the particle?
a. 7.5m/s2
b. 6.0m/s2
c. 5.4m/s2

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
2
d. 6.7m/s
e. 4.5m/s2
11. A particle moves in the xy plane in a circle centered on the origin. At a certain instant
the velocity and acceleration of the particle are 4.0j m/s, and (–3.0i – 2.0j) m/s2.
What are the x and y coordinates of the particle at this moment?
a. x=-4.4m, y=0
b. x=+5.3m, y=0
c. x=-5.3m, y=0
d. x=+4.4m, y=0
e. x=-1.8m, y=0
12. If = 40°, = 60°, and M = 4.0 kg, determine the tension in string 1 shown.

a. 15N
b. 22N
c. 17N
d. 20N
e. 36N
13.

a. 2.3m/s2
b. 4.6m/s2
c. 3.5m/s2
d. 2.9m/s2
e. 5.1m/s2
14. A 2.0-kg block slides on a frictionless 15° inclined plane. A force acting parallel to the
incline is applied to the block. The acceleration of the block is 1.5 m/s2 down the
incline. What is the applied force?
a. 8.1N down the incline
b. 3.0N down the incline
c. 2.1N up the incline
d. 3.0N up the incline
e. 8.1N up the incline

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15. A constant force is applied to a body that is already moving. The force is directed at
an angle of 60 degrees to the direction of the body's velocity. What is most likely to
happen is that:
a. The body will stop moving.
b. The body will move in the direction of the force.
c. The odys’ elo ity ill i ease i ag itude ut ot change direction.
d. The body will gradually change direction more and more toward that of the
force while speeding up.
e. The body will first stop moving and then move in the direction of the force.
16. A juggler throws two balls up to the same height so that they pass each other
halfway up when A is rising and B is descending. Ignore air resistance and buoyant
forces. Which statement is true of the two balls at that point:
a. There is an residual force from the hand on each ball.
b. There is a greater residual force from the hand on A than there is on B.
c. Only gravity acts on B but there is an additional residual force from the hand
on A.
d. There is an additional downwards force besides gravity on each ball.
e. The Only force acting on each ball is the gravitational force.
17. If M = 2.2 kg, what is the tension in the connecting string? The pulley and all surfaces
are frictionless.

a. 6.4N
b. 5.9N
c. 5.4N
d. 6.9N
e. 8.3N
18. Two bodies, A and B, collide as shown in Figures a and b below.

Which statement is true:

a. They exert equal and opposite forces on each other in (a) but not in (b).
b. They exert equal and opposite force on each other in (b) but not in (a).
c. They exert equal and opposite force on each other in both (a) and (b).

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
d. The forces are equal and opposite to each other in (a), but only the
components of the forces parallel to the velocities are equal in (b).
e. The forces are equal and opposite in (a), but only the components of the
forces perpendicular to the velocities are equal in (b).
19. When an acrobat hangs motionless from a pair of rings
a. she has no measurable weight.
b. her weight depends on the angles the ropes make with the ceiling.
c. her weight is reduced by the upward force the rings exert on her.
d. her weight is increased by the upward force the rings exert on her.
e. she exerts a gravitational force on the earth that is equal to the sum of the
forces the rings exert on her.
20. An object moving along the x axis is acted upon by a force Fx that varies with
position as shown. What work is done by this force as the object moves from
to

a. -10J
b. +10J
c. +30J
d. -30J
e. +40J
21. A 2.0-kg block slides down a frictionless incline from point A to point B. A force
(magnitude P = 3.0 N) acts on the block between A and B, as shown. Points A and B
are 2.0 m apart. If the kinetic energy of the block at A is 10 J, what is the kinetic
energy of the block at B?

a. 27J
b. 20J
c. 24J
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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
d. 17J
e. 37J
22. A 10-kg block on a horizontal frictionless surface is attached to a light spring (force
constant = 1.2 kN/m). The block is initially at rest at its equilibrium position when a
force (magnitude P) acting parallel to the surface is applied to the block, as shown.
When the block is 8.0 cm from the equilibrium position, it has a speed of 0.80 m/s.
How much work is done on the block by the force P as the block moves the 8.0 cm?

a. 8.3J
b. 6.4J
c. 7.0J
d. 7.7J
e. 3.8J
23. A large spring is used to stop the cars after they come down the last hill of a roller
coaster. The cars start at rest at the top of the hill and are caught by a mechanism at
the instant their velocities at the bottom are zero. Compare the compression of the
spring, xA, for a fully loaded car with that, xB, for a lightly loaded car. mA= 2mB.

a. xA 
1
xB

b. xA  xB
2

c. xA  2 xB
d. xA  2xB
e. xA  4xB
24. An all-terrain vehicle of 2000 kg mass moves up a 15° slope at a constant velocity of
6 m/s. The rate of change of gravitational potential energy with time is:
a. 5.25kW
b. 24.8kW
c. 30.4kW
d. 118kW
e. 439kW

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25. A 10-g bullet moving 1000 m/s strikes and passes through a 2.0-kg block initially at
rest, as shown. The bullet emerges from the block with a speed of 400 m/s. To what
maximum height will the block rise above its initial position?

a. 78cm
b. 66cm
c. 56cm
d. 46cm
e. 37cm
26. A 1.6-kg block is attached to the end of a 2.0-m string to form a pendulum. The
pendulum is released from rest when the string is horizontal. At the lowest point of
its swing when it is moving horizontally, the block is hit by a 10-g bullet moving
horizontally in the opposite direction. The bullet remains in the block and causes the
block to come to rest at the low point of its swing. What was the magnitude of the
bullet's velocity just before hitting the block?
a. 22J
b. 24J
c. 26J
d. 20J
e. 28J
27. At the instant a 2.0-kg particle has a velocity of 4.0 m/s in the positive x direction, a
3.0-kg particle has a velocity of 5.0 m/s in the positive y direction. What is the speed
of the center of mass of the two-particle system?
a. 3.8m/s
b. 3.4m/s
c. 5.0m/s
d. 4.4m/s
e. 4.6m/s
28. Two cylinders made of the same material roll down a plane inclined at a a gle θ
with the horizontal. Each travels the same distance. The radius of cylinder B is twice
the radius of cylinder A. In what order do they reach the bottom?
a. A reaches the bottom first because it has the greater acceleration.
b. A reaches the bottom first because it has a smaller moment of inertia.
c. B reaches the bottom first because is experiences a larger torque.
d. B reaches the bottom first because it travels a larger distance in one rotation.
e. They both reach the bottom at the same time, because each has the same
linear velocity.
29. A solid sphere (radius R, mass M) rolls down an incline as shown in the figure. Its
linear acceleration of the center of mass is

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN

5 / 7 g sin
3 / 5 g sin
a.

 2 / 3 g sin
b.

1/ 2 g sin
c.

 4 / 5 g sin
d.
e.
30. The diagrams below show forces of magnitude F applied to an equilateral triangular
block of uniform thickness. In which diagram(s) is the block in equilibrium?

a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
e. A and B
31. Which of the following statements is not necessarily true regarding mechanical
waves?
a. They are formed by some source of disturbance.
b. They are sinusoidal in nature.

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
c. They carry energy.
d. They require a medium through which to propagate.
e. The wave speed depends on the properties of the medium in which they
travel.
32. What happens to a sound wave as it travels from air into water?
a. Its intensity increases.
b. Its wavelength decreases.
c. Its frequency increases.
d. Its frequency remains the same.
e. Its velocity decreases.
33. A gas is at 200 K. If we wish to double the rms speed of the molecules of the gas, to
what value must we raise its temperature?
a. 283 K
b. 400 K
c. 566 K
d. 800 K
e. 1130 K
34. A compact air-conditioning unit is placed on a table inside a well-insulated
apartment and is plugged in and turned on. What happens to the average
temperature of the apartment?
a. It increases.
b. It decreases.
c. t remains constant.
d. It increases until the unit warms up and then decreases.
e. The answer depends on the initial temperature of the apartment.
35. Two point charges attract each other with an electric force of magnitude F. If the
charge on one of the particles is reduced to one-third its original value and the
distance between the particles is doubled, what is the resulting magnitude of the
electric force between them?
1
a. F
12
1
b. F
3
1
c. F
6
3
d. F
4
3
e. F
36. A capacitor stores charge Q at a potential difference V . What happens if the
2

voltage applied to the capacitor by a battery is doubled to 2V ?

a. The capacitance falls to half its initial value, and the charge remains the same
b. The capacitance and the charge both fall to half of their initial values.
c. The capacitance and the charge both double.
d. The capacitance remains the same, and the charge doubles.
e. None of the above.

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37. What is the time constant of the circuit shown in the figure? Each of the five
resistors has resistance R, and each of the five capacitors has capacitance C. The
internal resistance of the battery is negligible.

a. RC
b. 5RC
c. 10RC
d. 25RC
e. None of the above.
38. A ele t o o es ho izo tally a oss the Ea th’s e uato at a speed of 2.50 x 106
m/s and in a direction 35.0o N of E. At this poi t, the Ea th’s ag eti field has a
direction due north, is parallel to the surface, and has a value of 3.00 x 10-5 T. What
is the force acting on the electron due to its i te a tio ith the Ea th’s ag eti
field?
a. 6.88 x 10-18 N due west
b. 6.88 x 10-18 N to a d the Ea th’s su fa e
c. 9.83 x 10-18 N to a d the Ea th’s surface
d. 9.83 x 10-18 N a ay f o the Ea th’s su fa e
e. 4.00 x 10-18 N a ay f o the Ea th’s su fa e
39. A thin copper rod 1.00 m long has a mass of 50.0 g. What is the minimum current in
the rod that would allow it to levitate above the ground in a magnetic field of
magnitude 0.100 T?
a. 1.20A
b. 2.40A
c. 4.90A
d. 9.80A
e. None of the above.
40. Two long, straight wires cross each other at a right angle, and each carries the same
current I (Figure below). Which of the following statements is true regarding the
total magnetic field due to the two wires at the various points in the figure? More
than one statement may be correct.

a. The field is strongest at points B and D.

b. The field is strongest at points A and C.
c. The field is out of the page at point B and into the page at point D.
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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
d. The field is out of the page at point C and out of the page at point D.
e. The field has the same magnitude at all four points.
41. A circuit consists of a conducting movable bar and a light bulb connected to two
conducting rails as shown in Figure. An external magnetic field is directed
perpendicular to the plane of the circuit. Which of the following actions will make
the bulb light up? More than one statement may be correct.

a. The bar is moved to the left.

b. The bar is moved to the right.
c. The magnitude of the magnetic field is increased.
d. The magnitude of the magnetic field is decreased.
e. The bar is lifted off the rails.
42. What is the ti e a e age of the s ua e- a e potential shown in the figure?

a. 2Vmax
b. Vmax
c. Vmax / 2
d. Vmax / 2
e. Vmax / 4
43. Assume you charge a comb by running it through your hair and then hold the comb
next to a bar magnet. Do the electric and magnetic fields produced constitute an
electromagnetic wave?
a. Yes they do, necessarily.
b. Yes they do because charged particles are moving inside the bar magnet.
c. They can, but only if the electric field of the comb and the magnetic field of
the magnet are perpendicular.
d. They can, but only if both the comb and the magnet are moving.
e. They can, if either the comb or the magnet or both are accelerating.
44. A light ray containing both blue and red wavelengths is incident at an angle on a slab
of glass. Which of the sketches in Figure represents the most likely outcome?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
e. None of the above.

45. If plane polarized light is sent through two polarizers, the first at 45° to the original
plane of polarization and the second at 90° to the original plane of polarization, what
fraction of the original polarized intensity passes through the last polarizer?
a. 0
1
b.
4
1
c.
2
1
d.
8
1
e.
10
46. A monochromatic light beam is incident on a barium target that has a work function
of 2.50 eV. If a potential difference of 1.00 V is required to turn back all the ejected
electrons, what is the wavelength of the light beam?
a. 355nm
b. 497nm
c. 744nm
d. 1.42 pm
e. None of the above.
47. Which of the following statements are true according to the uncertainty principle?
More than one statement may be correct.
a. It is impossible to simultaneously determine both the position and the
momentum of a particle along the same axis with arbitrary accuracy.
b. It is impossible to simultaneously determine both the energy and momentum
of a particle with arbitrary accuracy.
c. It is impossible to dete i e a pa ti le’s e e gy ith a it a y a u a y in a
finite amount of time.
d. It is impossible to measure the position of a particle with arbitrary accuracy
in a finite amount of time.
e. It is impossible to simultaneously measure both the energy and position of a
particle with arbitrary accuracy.
48. If the de Broglie wavelength of an electron and a proton are equal, then
a. the velocity of the proton is greater than the velocity of the electron.
b. the velocity of the proton and the electron are equal.
c. the velocity of the proton is less than the velocity of the electron.
d. the energy of the proton is greater than the energy of the electron.
e. both (a) and (d) are correct.
49. Which two of the following circuits are high-pass filters?

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a. I and II
b. I and III
c. I and IV
d. II and III
e. II and IV
50. In the circuit shown above, the switch S is
closed at t = 0. Which of the following best
represents the voltage across the inductor,
as seen on an oscilloscope?

This is the end of the examination paper!

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UEE Sample Poseng THAN
Answer sheet
Name:
Examination Venue:
Seat Number:
Mark your answer here!
1. [ ] 26.[ ]
2. [ ] 27.[ ]
3. [ ] 28.[ ]
4. [ ] 29.[ ]
5. [ ] 30.[ ]
6. [ ] 31.[ ]
7. [ ] 32.[ ]
8. [ ] 33.[ ]
9. [ ] 34.[ ]
10.[ ] 35.[ ]
11.[ ] 36.[ ]
12.[ ] 37.[ ]
13.[ ] 38.[ ]
14.[ ] 39.[ ]
15.[ ] 40.[ ]
16.[ ] 41.[ ]
17.[ ] 42.[ ]
18.[ ] 43.[ ]
19.[ ] 44.[ ]
20.[ ] 45.[ ]
21.[ ] 46.[ ]
22.[ ] 47.[ ]
23.[ ] 48.[ ]
24.[ ] 49.[ ]
25.[ ] 50.[ ]

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