NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

ROURKELA
MID-SEM EXAMINATION

PHYSICS-I (Sub. Code: PH1001)

Time: 2 hour Autumn Semester: 2022–23 Maximum Marks: 30

Speed of Light (c) Planck’s constant (h) Mass of Electron (me ) Charge of Electron (q)
3.0 × 108 ms−1 6.62 × 10−34 J.s 9.1 x 10−31 kg 1.6 x 10−19 C

Numbers at the right hand margin indicate marks.

All parts of a question should be answered at one place.

1. (a) State the two principles of special theory of relativity. [02]

(b) Use these principles to write the Lorentz transformation equations (no derivation) for an
inertial frame S 0 moving with respect to another inertial frame S with uniform velocity
V parallel to the postive Z-direction. [01]
(c) Write the expression for Z 2 − c2 t2 in terms of Z 0 and t0 with the help of the Lorentz
transformation equations. [02]

2. Two trains, A and B, each have proper length L0 and move in the same direction. A’s speed
is 4c/5 and B’s speed is 3c/5, and A starts behind B.
(a) How long, as measured by a person C on the ground, does it take for A to overtake B ?
By this we mean the time between the front of A passing the back of B, and the back of
A passing the front of B. [03]
(b) How long, as viewed by A, does it take for A to overtake B ? [02]

3. The average lifetime of a π meson in its own frame of reference is 26 ns.

(a) If the π meson moves with speed 0.95c with respect to the earth, what is its lifetime as
measured by an observer at rest on earth ? [02]
(b) What is the average distance it travels before decaying as measured by an observer at rest
on earth ? [02]

4. (a) Write the relativistic kinetic energy expression (no derivation) and then derive the non-
relativistic kinetic energy expression from it. [02]
(b) Prove E 2 = p2 c2 + m2 c4 relation for a relativistic particle. [02]

5. What is ultraviolet catastrophe ? How Planck radiation formula could help in resolving the
catastrophe ? Plot energy density versus wavelength for temperatures T1 =1000 K and T2 =
2000 K for a black body. [03]

6. (a) Explain the mechanism of photoelectric effect using Einstein’s photoelectric equation. [02]
(b) Light of wavelength 3000 Å falls on a photosensitive material having work function 4.2
eV. What is the maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectron ? [01]

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Physics-I Autumn Semester 2022–23 PH1001

7. (a) With a given crystal lattice plane spacing, how we can find an unknown X-ray wavelength. [01]
(b) What voltage must be applied to an X-ray tube for it to emit X-rays with a maximum
frequency of 1019 Hz. [02]

8. X-rays of wavelength 10.0 pm are scattered from a stationary electron.

(a) Find the wavelength of the X-rays scattered through 45◦ . [01]
(b) Find the maximum wavelength present in the scattered X-rays. [01]
(c) Find the maximum kinetic energy of the recoil electron. [01]

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