J16/4/PHYSI/SP3/ENG/TZ0/XX

Option A: RELATIVITY

A1. This question is about length contraction and simultaneity.

(a) Define proper length.

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(b) A spaceship is travelling to the right at speed 0.75 c, through a tunnel which is open at
both ends. Observer A is standing at the centre of one side of the tunnel. Observer A, for
whom the tunnel is at rest, measures the length of the tunnel to be 240 m and the length of
the spaceship to be 200 m. The diagram below shows this situation from the perspective of
observer A.

Observer B, for whom the spaceship is stationary, is standing at the centre of the
spaceship.

(i) Calculate the Lorentz factor, γ, for this situation.

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(ii) Calculate the length of the tunnel according to observer B.

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(iii) Calculate the length of the spaceship according to observer B.

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(iv) According to observer A, the spaceship is completely inside the tunnel for a short
time. State and explain whether or not, according to observer B, the spaceship is
ever completely inside the tunnel.

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(c) Two sources of light are located at each end of the tunnel. The diagram below shows this
situation from the perspective of observer A.

According to observer A, at the instant when observer B passes observer A, the two
sources of light emit a flash. Observer A sees the two flashes simultaneously. Discuss
whether or not observer B sees the two flashes simultaneously.

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A2. This question is about relativistic kinematics.

(a) Define inertial frame of reference.

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(b) Ann and Sue are twins. Sue remains on Earth. Ann travels to the star Sirius in a spaceship
moving at a speed of 0.80 c, as measured by Sue. The distance between Earth and Sirius is
8.8 ly, as measured by Sue.

(i) Calculate the time elapsed, as measured by Sue, between Ann leaving Earth and
reaching Sirius.

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(ii) State and explain whether Ann or Sue measures the proper time between Ann
leaving Earth and arriving at Sirius.

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(iii) Calculate the time taken for the spaceship to reach Sirius, as measured by Ann.

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(iv) As Ann approaches Sirius, she sends a radio message back to Sue. The distance
between Sirius and Earth, as measured by Ann, is 5.28 ly. Determine the time, as
measured by Ann, that it takes for the signal to reach Sue.

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Option B: ENGINEERING PHYSICS

B1. This question is about gravitation and ocean tides.

(a) State Newton’s law of universal gravitation. [2]

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(b) Use the following information to deduce that the gravitational field strength at the
1
surface of the Earth is approximately 10 N kg . [2]
24
Mass of the Earth 6.0 10
kg Radius of the Earth 6400
km

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(Question B1 continued)
The Moon’s gravitational field affects the gravitational field at the surface of the Earth. A
high tide occurs at the point where the resultant gravitational field due to the Moon and to the
Earth is a minimum.

Moon
Earth

(a) (i) On the diagram above label, using the letter P, the point on the Earth’s surface that
experiences the greatest gravitational attraction due to the Moon. Explain your
answer. [2]

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(ii) On the diagram above label, using the letter H, the location of a high tide.
Explain your answer. [2]

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(iii) Suggest two reasons why high tides occur at different times of the day in different
locations. [2]

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B2. This question is about a diesel engine and the Carnot cycle.

The diagram below shows the pressure-volume (p-V) changes of the gas that take place in one
cycle of an ideal diesel engine.

B C
pressure p

volume V

A t B and C t D are adiabatic changes.

(a) (i) State what is meant by an adiabatic change.

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(ii) State what is represented by the area ABCD. [1]

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(b) State and explain during which part of the cycle, ABCD, is thermal energy given to the
system. (This
questi
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page)
[2]
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A heat engine that operates in a Carnot cycle has a greater efficiency than the ideal diesel
engine. A particular Carnot engine has a hot reservoir at 1000 C and a cold reservoir at 300 C.

(c) (i) Outline the processes that take place in a Carnot cycle. [2]

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(ii) Calculate the efficiency of this Carnot engine. [2]

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(iii) The useful power output of the engine is 2.0 kW. Calculate the rate at which energy is
absorbed from the hot reservoir. [2]

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Option C: IMAGING
C1. This question is about an astronomical telescope.

(a) Light from a star is incident on a bi-convex lens, AB. The diagram below shows three rays of
light from the star incident on the lens. The image of the star is formed at the point marked *.

Light from
star
X Y

(i) Explain why the light rays from the star are essentially parallel. [2]

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(ii) Complete the ray diagram by showing the path of the three rays after they have passed
through the lens. [2]

(iii) Mark on the XY axis the position of the principal focus F of the lens. [1

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(b) The lens, AB, in part (a) is used as the objective lens of an astronomical telescope. The
diagram below shows the relative positions of the objective and eyepiece lens, CD, and the
position of the * image formed by the objective lens when the telescope is used to view the
star.

A C

Light from X Y
star

B D
Objective lens Eyepiece lens

(i) If the final image of the star is formed at infinity, mark on the axis XY the positions of
the principal focus of the eyepiece lens and the principal focus FO of the objective
FE [1]
lens.

(ii) Complete the ray diagram to determine the direction in which the final image is
formed. [3]

(iii) Show on the above diagram where the eye should be placed in order to view the final
image. [1]
C2. This question is about the simple magnifying glass.

O
An objectFO is placed in front of a converging lens in the principal axis
F position shown in the diagram below.
The principal foci of the lens are marked F.

converging lens

(a) On the diagram,

(i) construct rays to locate the position of the image. [1]

(ii) draw in the image and label it I. [1]

(iii) show on the diagram where the eye must be placed in order to view this image. [1]

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For a particular lens, the focal length is 10.0 cm and the distance of O from the lens is such that the
image is formed at the near point of the eye. The distance of the lens from the eye is 3.0 cm.

(b) (i) Explain what is meant by the term near point. [1]

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(ii) Calculate the distance of the object from the lens if the near point is 25.0 cm from the
eye. [4]
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(iii) State, and explain, where the object should be placed if the image is to be formed at the
far point. [2]

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Option D:ASTROPHYSICS

D1. This question is about the characteristics of the stars Procyon A and Procyon B.

(a) The stars Procyon A and Procyon B are both located in the same stellar cluster in the
constellation Canis Minor. Distinguish between a constellation and a stellar cluster.

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(b) The table shows some data for Procyon A and Procyon B.

Apparent magnitude Absolute Apparent brightness

magnitude / W m–2
Procyon A (PA) +0.400 +2.68 2.06 × 10–8
Procyon B +10.7 +13.0 1.46 × 10–12
(PB)

Explain, using data from the table, why

(i) as viewed from Earth, PA is much brighter than PB.

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(ii) the luminosity of PA is much greater than that of PB.

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(c) Deduce, using data from the table in (b), that PA and PB are approximately the same
distance from Earth.

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(d) State, using your answers to (a) and (c), why PA and PB might be binary stars.

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LA
(e) Calculate, using data from the table in (b), the ratio L B where LA is the luminosity of PA
and LB is the luminosity of PB.

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(f) The surface temperature of both PA and PB is of the order of 104 K. The
luminosity of PA is of the order of 10LS, where LS is the luminosity of the Sun.
The diagram shows the grid of a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

Label, on the grid above, the approximate position of

(i) star PA with the letter A.

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(ii) star PB with the letter B.

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(g) Identify the nature of star PB.

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D2. This question is about the Big Bang model and red-shift.

(a) Describe what is meant by the Big Bang model.

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(b) In the 1960s, Penzias and Wilson discovered a uniform cosmic background
radiation (CMB) in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

(i) Explain how the CMB is consistent with the Big Bang model.

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(ii) State why the red-shift of light from galaxies supports the Big Bang model.

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