NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

SEMESTER I EXAMINATION 2021-2022

PH1011 - Physics

November 2021 Time Allowed: 2 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. A 2-page formula sheet is provided for your
reference.

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

6. This examination paper is NOT ALLOWED to be removed from the examination hall.
____________________________________________________________________________

For examiners only:

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

Marks
 PH1011
Q1 (10 marks) /10
Cars A and B are travelling in a straight line. Their velocity versus time graphs are shown in
Figure 1. At time 𝑡 = 0, car A is ahead of car B by 5 km.

Figure 1

(a) At time 𝑡 = 4 hours, both cars stop. What is the distance between car A and B, also
state which car is ahead.

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 1 continues on page 3
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(b) What is the time when car B meets car A for the first time?

ANS: ____________________
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Q2 (15 marks) /15
A cube of mass 𝑀 is submerged beneath the water surface and is attached by a string from the
bottom of the container as shown in Figure 2. The density of the cube is half of the water and
the side of the cube is 𝐿 = 25 cm. Initially, the surface of the water is at the same level (𝑦 = 0)
of the top surface of the cube. The density of water is 1000 kg/m3.

Figure 2
(a) What is the tension in the string?

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 2 continues on page 5

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(b) The string is cut and the cube starts to rise. Calculate the final height of the cube above
the water surface?

ANS: ____________________
(c) Now, suppose the setup is submerged at a great depth and the string is cut, calculate the
terminal velocity of the cube. Take the drag force to be 𝐹! = 4𝑣 " .

ANS: ____________________
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Q3 (10 marks) /10
Consider a thin uniform rectangular metal plate of total mass 𝑀 with sides 𝑎 and 𝑏 as shown in
Figure 3(a).
Axis 𝐵

𝑎 Axis 𝐶 (out of the page)

Axis 𝐴

𝑏
Figure 3(a)
#
(a) Derive the expression for the moment of inertia of the plate about axis A to be #" 𝑀𝑎" .
(Hint: Start with the CM moment of inertia of a rod of mass 𝑑𝑚 and length 𝑙 which is
# "
#"
𝑙 𝑑𝑚.)

ANS: ____________________
(b) Derive the expression for the moment of inertia of the plate about axis C to be
#
#"
𝑀(𝑎" + 𝑏 " ).

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 3 continues on page 7
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(c) Let 𝑎 = 40 cm, 𝑏 = 1 m, and 𝑀 = 5 kg. In Figure 3(b), the metal plate is pivoted at
point 𝑃 and held vertically. A 40 g bullet is shot into the plate with a velocity of 220
m/s and embeds into the plate 30 cm from the bottom. Determine the maximum height
that the centre-of-mass of the system rises after the collision.

20 cm
P

bullet Bullet embedded here

30 cm

Figure 3(b)

ANS: ____________________

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 PH1011
Q4 (15 marks) /15
A motor governor or speed limiter, invented by James Watt, is used to control the speed of a
motor, as shown in Figure 4. A fixed cylindrical shell of radius 𝑟 = 0.4 m houses two spheres
with mass 𝑚 = 1 kg each on massless rods attached to both sides of a spinning axle as
indicated. When the spinning axle rotates with the motor, the spheres and rods will rise to an
angle θ relative to the spinning axle. At 𝜃 = 45°, the spheres touch the inner surface of the
shell. When the rotational speed is too large, the spheres will push and deform the shell to
switch off the motor. Ignore the thickness of the cylinder and the size of the spheres.

Figure 4
(a) Calculate the angular speed of the motor when the spheres is about to touch the inner
surface of the shell.

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 4 continues on page 9

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(b) Calculate the normal contact force of the sphere on the inner surface of the shell when
the motor rotates at an angular speed of 6 rad/s.

ANS: ____________________
(c) If the coefficient of the kinetic friction between the inner surface of the shell and the
sphere is 𝜇$ = 0.25, and the motor rotates at an angular speed of 6 rad/s, calculate the
power loss due to friction.

ANS: ____________________
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 PH1011
Q5 (15 marks) /15
Consider 5 moles of a diatomic ideal gas undergoing the cycle ABCD shown in Figure 5.
Process A to B is an isothermal expansion; process B to C is an adiabatic expansion; process C
to D is an isothermal compression and process D to A is an isochoric process.
(Take 1 atm = 1.01 × 10% Pa)
P (atm)
A
3.0

D
1.0
C
3
V (m )
0.06 0.10
Figure 5 (not to scale)
(a) Show that the temperature of the gas at 𝐵 is 𝑇& = 298.04 K.

(b) Show that the volume of the gas at 𝐷 is 𝑉! = 0.0409 m3.

Note: Question 5 continues on page 11

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(c) Fill in the blanks for each of the quantities in each process. Include the calculations in
the respective cell.
Work done by the gas (J) Heat supplied to the gas (J) Change in internal energy
of the gas (J)
Process
𝐴𝐵

Process
BC

Process
CD

Process
DA

(d) Calculate the efficiency of this engine.

ANS: ____________________
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 PH1011
Q6 (15 marks) /15
(a) Figure 6(a) shows a circuit where 𝑉# , 𝑉" , 𝑉' = 1 V, 2 V, 3 V respectively and
𝑅# , 𝑅" , 𝑅' , 𝑅( = 1 Ω, 2 Ω, 3 Ω, 4 Ω respectively. Calculate the power loss in cell 𝑉# .

𝑉#
𝑅# 𝑅"

𝑉" 𝑅'
𝑅(
𝑉'

Figure 6(a)

ANS: __________________
Note: Question 6 continues on page 13
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(b) Consider a RC circuit shown in Figure 6(b) with 𝑉 = 4 V, 𝑅# = 1000 Ω,
𝑅" = 2000 Ω, 𝑅' = 3000 Ω and 𝑅( = 4000 Ω. The capacitor has capacitance
𝐶 = 6 𝜇F and the capacitor is initially uncharged.

𝑆
𝑅" 𝐶

𝑅' 𝑅(
𝑅#

Figure 6(b)
(i) A long time after the switch is closed, calculate the current passing through
resistor 𝑅' .

ANS:____________________
(ii) After the circuit has been closed for a long time, the switch is then opened.
Calculate the time it takes to discharge 30% of the energy stored in the
capacitor.

ANS: ____________________
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 PH1011
Q7 (10 marks) /10
A point charge 𝑄 = 5𝜇C with mass 0.15 kg, approaches a stationary uniformly charged rod
having linear charge density 𝜆 = 4 𝜇C/m and linear mass density 𝜇 = 0.100 kg/m on a
frictionless surface. The point charge approaches the middle of the rod along the perpendicular
bisector line (see Figure 7) with 𝑣 = 5 m/s from infinity. The charged rod has a finite length of
2.2 m. Calculate the closest distance of approach between the point charge and the rod.
(Hint: Take into account the fact that the rod will also slide on the surface.)

𝑣
Q

at 𝑟 = ∞
Figure 7 (Top View)

Note: Question 7 continues on page 15

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ANS: ____________________

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Q8 (10 marks) /10
(a) A nonconducting sphere has mass 𝑀 and radius 𝑟. A flat, compact coil of wire with 𝑁
turns is wrapped tightly around it, with each turn concentric with the sphere. The sphere
is placed on a rough inclined plane that slopes downward to the left (Figure 8(a)),
making an angle 𝜃 with the horizontal so that the coil is parallel to the inclined plane. A
uniform magnetic field 𝐵 pointing vertically upward exists in the region of the sphere.
Derive an expression for the current in the coil that enables the sphere to rest in
equilibrium on the inclined plane.

compact coil of wire

Figure 8(a)

ANS: ____________________
Note: Question 8 continues on page 17
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(b) A conducting rod OP of length 𝐿 rotates in the form of a conical pendulum with an
angular velocity 𝜔 about a fixed vertical axis passing through its end O (Figure 8(b)).
There is a uniform magnetic field 𝐵 pointing vertically downwards. The rod makes an
angle 𝜃 with the magnetic field. Derive an expression for the EMF induced across the
ends of the rod. Also, state which end of the rod is the positive terminal.

Figure 8(b)

ANS: ____________________

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

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