NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

SEMESTER I EXAMINATION 2017-2018

PH1011 - Physics

November 2017 Time Allowed: 2.5 HOURS

SEAT NUMBER:

MATRICULATION NUMBER:

____________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question and answer booklet contains EIGHT (8) questions and comprises of
SEVENTEEN (17) printed pages.

2. Answer ALL EIGHT (8) questions. All workings must be clearly shown.

3. Total marks for each question are as indicated.

4. This is a CLOSED BOOK examination.

5. All your solutions should be written in this booklet within the space provided after each
question.

____________________________________________________________________________

For examiners:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Questions
(10) (10) (15) (15) (15) (15) (10) (10) (100)

Marks
 PH1011
/10
Q1 (10 marks)
Usually a simple analysis of the motion of an object in two dimensions can provide us with
some basic insights into the problems that we need to solve. Here, you will analyze two rather
different problems. In both cases, ignore the effects of air resistance.

Figure 1(a)

(a) Bursting of water pipes can happen due to long-term corrosion or careless drilling by
the workers. Figure 1(a) shows the cross-section of a punctured water pipe and the
trajectory of water gushing out of the hole. We will focus on studying the path of the
water that gives the maximum range.
i) Using the information provided in Figure 1(a), determine the vertical
component of the velocity of the water coming out of hole that gives the path
with maximum range.

ANS: ____________________
ii) Using the information provided in Figure 1(a), determine the magnitude and the
angle ! of the velocity of the water coming out of hole that follows the path that
gives maximum range.

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 1 continues on page 3
2
 PH1011
(b) This year, there has been many treats to world peace because of missile tests. Missiles
differ from usual projectile motion because there is an additional propelling force on the
missile. We will do a basic analysis of missiles. Here we will regard the missile as a
point object.

Figure 1(bi)

Figure 1(bii)

Figure 1(c)
As shown in Figure 1(bi), if the missile is projected horizontally from a cliff of height
180 m but the propulsion is not turned on, the position of the missile is given in
Figure 2(c) at intervals of 1 s for the first 6 s.

i) However, usually fuel is burnt to propel the missile as shown in Figure 1(bii). If
the propulsion provides a constant acceleration of 40 m/s 2 , determine the angle
) such that the missile will fly at a constant height.

ANS: ____________________
ii) Based on your answer in part b(i) and same initial horizontal velocity in Figure
1(c), determine the horizontal distance the missile (with propulsion) travelled in
the first 6 s.

ANS: ____________________

3
 PH1011
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Q2 (10 marks)
A block B with mass 2* is initially at rest on a frictionless ground. Another block A with mass
* is moving on top of the block B with initial velocity + to the right. The kinetic friction
between the contact surface of A and B is ,- .

+
A

Ground

Figure 2

(a) After a while, block A and B will travel at the same velocity +. . Assuming the length of
0
block B is enough for A not to fall off, show that +. = +.
1

Note: Question 2 continues on page 5

4
 PH1011

(b) Determine the time it takes for both blocks to reach +. .

ANS: ____________________
(c) Find the minimum length of block B for block A not to fall off.

ANS: ____________________

5
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Q3 (15 marks)
(a) An external force is applied to an object with mass 2 kg at 2 = 0 which is initially at rest
on a frictionless surface. The figure below shows the acceleration-time graph of the
object.

Figure 3

(i) What is the impulse of the object from 2 = 0 to 2 = 4 s?

ANS: ____________________
(ii) What is the net work done by the external force on the object during 2 = 0 to
2 = 4 s?

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 3 continues on page 5
6
 PH1011
(b) An experiment is performed in deep space with two uniform spheres, one with mass
22.0 kg and the other with mass 101.0 kg. They have equal radii, 5 = 0.20 m. The
spheres are released from rest with their centres 25.0 m apart. They accelerate towards
each other because of their mutual gravitational attraction. You can ignore all
gravitational forces other than that between the two spheres.

(i) When their centres are 20.0 m apart, find the speed of each sphere.

ANS: ____________________
(ii) When their centres are 20.0 m apart, find the magnitude of the relative velocity
with which one sphere is approaching the other.

ANS: ____________________
(iii) How far from the initial position of the centre of the 22.0-kg sphere do the
surfaces of the two spheres collide?

ANS: ____________________

7
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Q4 (15 marks)
(a) A bead of mass * is suspended on one arm of a Y-shape pole. When the pole rotates
around the vertical axis at an angular velocity 7, the bead maintains a distance ℎ from
the center of the pole. Ignore friction for this question.

bead

Figure 4(a)

(i) Derive an expression for the normal force on the bead.

ANS: ____________________
(ii) Derive an expression for 7.

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 4 continues on page 9

8
 PH1011
(b) A mobile elevated working platform as shown in Figure 4(b) consists of three parts:
a car, an arm, and a platform. The distance between the front and the back wheels is
9. The mass of the car is : and its center of mass is located at the top of the front
;
wheel. The arm, assuming uniform, has a mass of and its pivot point is located at
<
;
the top of the back wheel. The platform and the engineer have a total mass of and
=
their centre of mass is assumed to be at the end of the arm. When the arm is tilted at
30° from the vertical axis, what will be the maximum working distance of the
extensible arm before the platform topples?

platform

extensible
arm

Figure 4(b)

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 4 continues on page 10
9
 PH1011
(c) Consider two identical, uniform rods each of length @ and mass * forming a
symmetrical T-shaped pendulum, pivoted at one end as shown in Figure 4(c).
pivot

Figure 4(c)
0A
(i) Show that the moment of inertia about the pivot is *@B .
0B

(ii) The pendulum is released at some angle ! (less than 90D ). Show that, at
the position when ! = 0, the angular velocity of the pendulum is
1EF 0GHIJ K
7= .
0AL

ANS: ____________________

10
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Q5 (15 marks)
(a) A laboratory vacuum pump attained a pressure of 9.05 x 10-13 atm in a sealed chamber.
Air contains mostly N2 molecules, so the air can be treated as a diatomic ideal gas.
i) At a temperature of 295.0 K, how many molecules are present in a volume of
1.05 cm3?

ANS: ____________________
ii) What is the average translational kinetic energy of the air molecules?

ANS: ____________________
iii) What is the average internal energy of the air molecules?

ANS: ____________________
(b) Nine moles of an ideal, diatomic gas go through cycle abc as shown below in Figure 5.
For this gas, the molar heat capacity at constant pressure is MN = 29.1 J mol-1 K-1.
Process ca is at constant pressure, process ab is at constant volume and process bc is
adiabatic. The temperatures of the gas in states a, b and c are Ta = 300 K, Tb = 600 K
and Tc = 492 K.

Figure 5

i) Write down the relationship between the ideal gas constant R, the molar heat
capacity at constant pressure MN and the molar heat capacity at constant volume
MO .

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 5 continues on page 12

11
 PH1011
ii) Fill in the blanks for each of the quantities in each process. Include the
calculations in that cell. Leave your answers in units of kJ (kilo-joules).
Work done Heat supplied Change in internal
by the gas (kJ) to the gas (kJ) energy of the gas (kJ)
Process ab
(constant
volume)

Process bc
(adiabatic)

Process ca
(constant
pressure)

iii) From your results in the table, calculate the efficiency of this cycle.

ANS: ____________________

12
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Q6 (15 marks)
Figure 6(a) shows a circuit where P0 , PB , P1 = 1 V, 2 V, 3 V respectively and S0 , SB , S1 , S= =
1 Ω, 2 Ω, 3 Ω, 4 Ω respectively. Calculate the current passing through S1 .

P0 S1

S=
PB
S0 SB

P1
Figure 6(a)

Current through resistor S1 : __________________

Note: Question 6 continues on page 14

13
 PH1011
(b) Consider a RC circuit in Figure 6(b) with P = 15 V, S0 = 10 Ω and SB = 20 Ω. The
capacitors have capacitances U0 = 1 ,F, UB = 2 ,F and U1 = 3 ,F.

S0
V
U0 UB U1 SB

Figure 6(b)
(i) Immediately after switch V is closed, find the current passing through S0 .

ANS:____________________
(ii) Switch V has been closed for a long time, find the energy stored in U1 .

ANS: ____________________

14
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Q7 (10 marks)
(a) As shown in Figure 7(ai), a finite line of charge length @ with the right end at W = 2 m
has a uniform charge density of X C/m.

Finite line of charge of length @

with right end at W = 2 m
W-axis
Figure 7(ai) W = 2 m

(i) Show that the electric potential due to the finite line of charge at any point W
Y _GB`L
(greater than W = 2 m) is given by P = ln .
=Z[\ _GB

ANS: ____________________
(ii) As shown in Figure 7(aii), a point charge of 4 ,C and mass 1.5 kg held at
W = 5 m is released from rest. Given that @ = 100 m and X = 3 ,C/m, find its
velocity when it is at W = 12 m.

Finite line of charge of length @

with right end at W = 2 m
W-axis

Figure 7(aii) W = 2 m W = 5 m

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 7 continues on page 16

15
 PH1011
(b) Consider the electric field inside a uniformly charged ring. 2 Students gave the
following explanations:
Student 1: Using Coulomb’s law, it can be shown that the E-field is not zero except
at the centre of the ring.
Student 2: If Gauss’s law is used with a concentric cylindrical Gaussian surface as
shown in Figure 7(b), there is no charge enclosed and hence E-field is
entirely zero within the plane of the ring.

Which student is correct?

Gaussian Surface

Charged Ring

Figure 7(b)
Circle the correct explanation: Student 1 or Student 2

Give a SHORT reason why the other explanation is incorrect:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

16
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Q8 (10 marks)
As shown in Figure 8(a), two horizontal conducting rails, in a uniform magnetic field, is
connected to a circuit on the left. The circuit consists of a capacitor charged to a potential
difference of Pb . A frictionless conducting rod of mass *, length @ and resistance S is placed
perpendicularly onto the track. The switch V is then turned to the right and the rod slides to the
right.

@ Uniform field c pointing into paper

Pb U

Figure 8(a)

Derive expressions for the maximum velocity of the rod and the remaining charge in the
capacitor.

ANS: ____________________

ANS: ____________________
----- End of Paper -----
17
 NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SEMESTER I EXAMINATION 2017-2018
PH1011 - Physics

November 2017 Time Allowed: 2.5 HOURS

SEAT NUMBER:

MATRICULATION NUMBER:

____________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question and answer booklet contains EIGHT (8) questions and comprises of
SEVENTEEN (17) printed pages.

2. Answer ALL EIGHT (8) questions. All workings must be clearly shown.

3. Total marks for each question are as indicated.

4. This is a CLOSED BOOK examination.

5. All your solutions should be written in this booklet within the space provided after each
question.

____________________________________________________________________________

For examiners:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Questions
(10) (10) (15) (15) (15) (15) (10) (10) (100)

Marks
 PH1011
/10
Q1 (10 marks)
Usually a simple analysis of the motion of an object in two dimensions can provide us with
some basic insights into the problems that we need to solve. Here, you will analyze two rather
different problems. In both cases, ignore the effects of air resistance.

Figure 1(a)

(a) Bursting of water pipes can happen due to long-term corrosion or careless drilling by
the workers. Figure 1(a) shows the cross-section of a punctured water pipe and the
trajectory of water gushing out of the hole. We will focus on studying the path of the
water that gives the maximum range.
i) Using the information provided in Figure 1(a), determine the vertical
component of the velocity of the water coming out of hole that gives the path
with maximum range.

ANS: ____________________
ii) Using the information provided in Figure 1(a), determine the magnitude and the
angle ! of the velocity of the water coming out of hole that follows the path that
gives maximum range.

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 1 continues on page 3
2
 PH1011
(b) This year, there has been many treats to world peace because of missile tests. Missiles
differ from usual projectile motion because there is an additional propelling force on the
missile. We will do a basic analysis of missiles. Here we will regard the missile as a
point object.

Figure 1(bi)

Figure 1(bii)

Figure 1(c)
As shown in Figure 1(bi), if the missile is projected horizontally from a cliff of height
180 m but the propulsion is not turned on, the position of the missile is given in
Figure 2(c) at intervals of 1 s for the first 6 s.

i) However, usually fuel is burnt to propel the missile as shown in Figure 1(bii). If
the propulsion provides a constant acceleration of 40 m/s 2 , determine the angle
) such that the missile will fly at a constant height.

ANS: ____________________
ii) Based on your answer in part b(i) and same initial horizontal velocity in Figure
1(c), determine the horizontal distance the missile (with propulsion) travelled in
the first 6 s.

ANS: ____________________

3
 PH1011
/10
Q2 (10 marks)
A block B with mass 2* is initially at rest on a frictionless ground. Another block A with mass
* is moving on top of the block B with initial velocity + to the right. The kinetic friction
between the contact surface of A and B is ,- .

+
A

Ground

Figure 2

(a) After a while, block A and B will travel at the same velocity +. . Assuming the length of
0
block B is enough for A not to fall off, show that +. = +.
1

Note: Question 2 continues on page 5

4
 PH1011

(b) Determine the time it takes for both blocks to reach +. .

ANS: ____________________
(c) Find the minimum length of block B for block A not to fall off.

ANS: ____________________

5
 PH1011
/15
Q3 (15 marks)
(a) An external force is applied to an object with mass 2 kg at 2 = 0 which is initially at rest
on a frictionless surface. The figure below shows the acceleration-time graph of the
object.

Figure 3

(i) What is the impulse of the object from 2 = 0 to 2 = 4 s?

ANS: ____________________
(ii) What is the net work done by the external force on the object during 2 = 0 to
2 = 4 s?

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 3 continues on page 5
6
 PH1011
(b) An experiment is performed in deep space with two uniform spheres, one with mass
22.0 kg and the other with mass 101.0 kg. They have equal radii, 5 = 0.20 m. The
spheres are released from rest with their centres 25.0 m apart. They accelerate towards
each other because of their mutual gravitational attraction. You can ignore all
gravitational forces other than that between the two spheres.

(i) When their centres are 20.0 m apart, find the speed of each sphere.

ANS: ____________________
(ii) When their centres are 20.0 m apart, find the magnitude of the relative velocity
with which one sphere is approaching the other.

ANS: ____________________
(iii) How far from the initial position of the centre of the 22.0-kg sphere do the
surfaces of the two spheres collide?

ANS: ____________________

7
 PH1011
/15
Q4 (15 marks)
(a) A bead of mass * is suspended on one arm of a Y-shape pole. When the pole rotates
around the vertical axis at an angular velocity 7, the bead maintains a distance ℎ from
the center of the pole. Ignore friction for this question.

bead

Figure 4(a)

(i) Derive an expression for the normal force on the bead.

ANS: ____________________
(ii) Derive an expression for 7.

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 4 continues on page 9

8
 PH1011
(b) A mobile elevated working platform as shown in Figure 4(b) consists of three parts:
a car, an arm, and a platform. The distance between the front and the back wheels is
9. The mass of the car is : and its center of mass is located at the top of the front
;
wheel. The arm, assuming uniform, has a mass of and its pivot point is located at
<
;
the top of the back wheel. The platform and the engineer have a total mass of and
=
their centre of mass is assumed to be at the end of the arm. When the arm is tilted at
30° from the vertical axis, what will be the maximum working distance of the
extensible arm before the platform topples?

platform

extensible
arm

Figure 4(b)

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 4 continues on page 10
9
 PH1011
(c) Consider two identical, uniform rods each of length @ and mass * forming a
symmetrical T-shaped pendulum, pivoted at one end as shown in Figure 4(c).
pivot

Figure 4(c)
0A
(i) Show that the moment of inertia about the pivot is *@B .
0B

(ii) The pendulum is released at some angle ! (less than 90D ). Show that, at
the position when ! = 0, the angular velocity of the pendulum is
1EF 0GHIJ K
7= .
0AL

ANS: ____________________

10
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/15

Q5 (15 marks)
(a) A laboratory vacuum pump attained a pressure of 9.05 x 10-13 atm in a sealed chamber.
Air contains mostly N2 molecules, so the air can be treated as a diatomic ideal gas.
i) At a temperature of 295.0 K, how many molecules are present in a volume of
1.05 cm3?

ANS: ____________________
ii) What is the average translational kinetic energy of the air molecules?

ANS: ____________________
iii) What is the average internal energy of the air molecules?

ANS: ____________________
(b) Nine moles of an ideal, diatomic gas go through cycle abc as shown below in Figure 5.
For this gas, the molar heat capacity at constant pressure is MN = 29.1 J mol-1 K-1.
Process ca is at constant pressure, process ab is at constant volume and process bc is
adiabatic. The temperatures of the gas in states a, b and c are Ta = 300 K, Tb = 600 K
and Tc = 492 K.

Figure 5

i) Write down the relationship between the ideal gas constant R, the molar heat
capacity at constant pressure MN and the molar heat capacity at constant volume
MO .

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 5 continues on page 12

11
 PH1011
ii) Fill in the blanks for each of the quantities in each process. Include the
calculations in that cell. Leave your answers in units of kJ (kilo-joules).
Work done Heat supplied Change in internal
by the gas (kJ) to the gas (kJ) energy of the gas (kJ)
Process ab
(constant
volume)

Process bc
(adiabatic)

Process ca
(constant
pressure)

iii) From your results in the table, calculate the efficiency of this cycle.

ANS: ____________________

12
 PH1011
/15

Q6 (15 marks)
Figure 6(a) shows a circuit where P0 , PB , P1 = 1 V, 2 V, 3 V respectively and S0 , SB , S1 , S= =
1 Ω, 2 Ω, 3 Ω, 4 Ω respectively. Calculate the current passing through S1 .

P0 S1

S=
PB
S0 SB

P1
Figure 6(a)

Current through resistor S1 : __________________

Note: Question 6 continues on page 14

13
 PH1011
(b) Consider a RC circuit in Figure 6(b) with P = 15 V, S0 = 10 Ω and SB = 20 Ω. The
capacitors have capacitances U0 = 1 ,F, UB = 2 ,F and U1 = 3 ,F.

S0
V
U0 UB U1 SB

Figure 6(b)
(i) Immediately after switch V is closed, find the current passing through S0 .

ANS:____________________
(ii) Switch V has been closed for a long time, find the energy stored in U1 .

ANS: ____________________

14
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/10

Q7 (10 marks)
(a) As shown in Figure 7(ai), a finite line of charge length @ with the right end at W = 2 m
has a uniform charge density of X C/m.

Finite line of charge of length @

with right end at W = 2 m
W-axis
Figure 7(ai) W = 2 m

(i) Show that the electric potential due to the finite line of charge at any point W
Y _GB`L
(greater than W = 2 m) is given by P = ln .
=Z[\ _GB

ANS: ____________________
(ii) As shown in Figure 7(aii), a point charge of 4 ,C and mass 1.5 kg held at
W = 5 m is released from rest. Given that @ = 100 m and X = 3 ,C/m, find its
velocity when it is at W = 12 m.

Finite line of charge of length @

with right end at W = 2 m
W-axis

Figure 7(aii) W = 2 m W = 5 m

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 7 continues on page 16

15
 PH1011
(b) Consider the electric field inside a uniformly charged ring. 2 Students gave the
following explanations:
Student 1: Using Coulomb’s law, it can be shown that the E-field is not zero except
at the centre of the ring.
Student 2: If Gauss’s law is used with a concentric cylindrical Gaussian surface as
shown in Figure 7(b), there is no charge enclosed and hence E-field is
entirely zero within the plane of the ring.

Which student is correct?

Gaussian Surface

Charged Ring

Figure 7(b)
Circle the correct explanation: Student 1 or Student 2

Give a SHORT reason why the other explanation is incorrect:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

16
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/10

Q8 (10 marks)
As shown in Figure 8(a), two horizontal conducting rails, in a uniform magnetic field, is
connected to a circuit on the left. The circuit consists of a capacitor charged to a potential
difference of Pb . A frictionless conducting rod of mass *, length @ and resistance S is placed
perpendicularly onto the track. The switch V is then turned to the right and the rod slides to the
right.

@ Uniform field c pointing into paper

Pb U

Figure 8(a)

Derive expressions for the maximum velocity of the rod and the remaining charge in the
capacitor.

ANS: ____________________

ANS: ____________________
----- End of Paper -----
17
 PH1011
/10

Q8 (10 marks)
As shown in Figure 8(a), two horizontal conducting rails, in a uniform magnetic field, is
connected to a circuit on the left. The circuit consists of a capacitor charged to a potential
difference of Pb . A frictionless conducting rod of mass *, length @ and resistance S is placed
perpendicularly onto the track. The switch V is then turned to the right and the rod slides to the
right.

@ Uniform field c pointing into paper

Pb U

Figure 8(a)

Derive expressions for the maximum velocity of the rod and the remaining charge in the
capacitor.

ANS: ____________________

ANS: ____________________
----- End of Paper -----
17