Q1. Consider two fluids in a U-tube as shown in the figure. Compare the pressures at points 1 (P1) and 2 (P2).

A. P1 < P2

B. P1 > P2

C. P1 = P2 1 2

D. Not possible to answer without knowing the height difference.

E. Not possible to answer without knowing the densities.

Q2. A hydraulic lift filled with water (density 1000 kg/m3) has two arms, one with a smaller radius 𝑟𝑟1 = 10 cm,
and the other with a larger radius 𝑟𝑟2 = 1 m. Two masses are in equilibrium as shown, with a height difference of
0.2 m. The mass on the larger radius piston is 1000 kg. What is the mass on the smaller radius piston?

?
A. 5.6 kg 𝑟𝑟1

B. 3.7 kg
0.2 m
C. 11.0 kg 1000
kg
D. 25.6 kg 𝑟𝑟2

E. 2000 kg

2
Q3. A rock is hanging in air from a string. The tension on the string is measured to be 20 N. A beaker of water
3
(density of 1000 kg/m ) is then raised up so that the rock is fully submerged in water but does not touch the
bottom. The reading on the string is now measured to be 12 N. What is the density of the rock?

A. 1500 kg/m3
B. 1700 kg/m3
C. 2000 kg/m3
D. 3500 kg/m3
E. 2500 kg/m3

Q4. Water is moving through a hose at a velocity v1 and pressure P1 . In a section of the hose, the diameter is
constricted to a half of the original diameter. You want the pressure in the constricted section to remain P1 . How
much higher or lower does that section of hose need to be, relative to the wider section, to keep the pressure at
P1 ?

A. Cannot tell without knowing the pressure at P1

3  v12 
B.   higher
2 g 

3  v12 
C.   lower
2 g 

15  v12 
D.   higher
2 g 

15  v12 
E.   lower
2 g 

3
Q5. Water flows through a pipe at 1.1 atm absolute pressure and velocity 2 m/s. A tube of water, open to air, is
connected to the pipe. What is the height, h, of the water in the tube? Pick the closest answer.

Patm = 101 kPa , ρ water = 1000 kg/m3

A. 17 m
B. 1.7 m
tube
C. 10 m
D. 1.0 m pipe
E. 100 m

Q6. Shown are three beakers of equal size, partially filled with water to the same level, with three cubes of equal
volume fully or partially immersed in water. The block in beaker C has sunk to the bottom of the beaker. Rank the
volume of water in each beaker.

A B C
A. VA = VB = VC
B. VA = VC < VB
C. VA = VC > VB
D. VA < VB < VC
E. VA > VB > VC

4
 Q7. Consider the graph of displacement as a function of time of a simple harmonic oscillator shown below. Which
equation describes this oscillator?

A. None of the choices

 π
B. x(t ) (1 cm) cos  π t + 
=
 2

 π
C. x(t ) (1 cm) cos  π t − 
=
 2

 π
D. x(t ) (1 cm) cos  π t − 
=
 3

 π
E. x(t ) (1 cm) cos  π t + 
=
 3

Q8. Consider three pendulums. The pendulum arms are all the same length. The masses attached to the
pendulums are m1 = 1 kg, m2 = m3 = 0.5 kg, and their maximum angular displacements are θ1 = θ2 = 0.4 rad and
θ3 = 0.2 rad.

Rank the speeds of these three pendulums as they pass through their equilibrium position.

A. v2 = v3 < v1
B. v3 < v1 < v2
C. v3 < v1 = v2
D. v1 = v3 < v2
E. v3 < v2 < v1

5
Q9 The graph shows the posi.on, 𝑥, of a block of mass 𝑚 = 1.0 kg on a spring as a func.on of
.me, 𝑡. Es.mate the damping constant, 𝑏, of this decay and choose the closest answer below.

A. 0.2 kg/s
B. 0.3 kg/s
C. 0.4 kg/s
D. 0.5 kg/s
E. None of these.

Q10. A horizontal-mass spring system on a wooden table undergoes damped simple harmonic motion
with initial amplitude A. Its amplitude is reduced to 50% of its original value after a certain time ( t ). The
mass-spring system is then moved to a lower-friction plastic table such that the damping constant ( b ) is
reduced to a third of its original value. The spring is then stretched to the same initial amplitude, Ai, and
released. What will its amplitude be after oscillating for the same amount of time ( t )?

A. 79% of A
B. 50% of A
C. 66% of A
D. 13% of A
E. Can’t determine without knowing the mass

6
Q11. A travelling wave is represented by the following equation
D( x, t ) (8 cm) sin(π x + 3π t )
=
Which of the following snapshot graphs represents this wave at t = 1 s?

A. B.

C. D.

E.

7
Q12. Below are a history and a snapshot graph of a transverse wave. What is the velocity and direction of the
wave (history for x = 1 m; snapshot at t = 1 s)

1
A. m/s and travelling to the left
3
B. 3 m/s and travelling to the right
C. 3 m/s and travelling to the left
1
D. m/s and travelling to the right
3
E. Cannot distinguish which way it’s travelling

Q13. Given the same two graphs as the previous question, what is the particle speed (or transverse velocity) of
the black dot?

1
A. cm/s
3
B. 0 cm/s

C. 3π cm/s
2

D. 3π cm/s
E. 3 cm/s

8
Q14. A mass ( m ) is hanging on the end of a string of length L . When you pluck the string, you observe that the
pulse moves along the string at 20 m/s. You replace the mass with one that is 3 times heavier (3 m ). This
stretches the string by 20% (1.2 L ) What is the new wave speed?

A. 72 m/s
B. 60 m/s
C. 35 m/s
D. 38 m/s
E. 32 m/s

3𝜋𝜋
Q15. A wave 𝐷𝐷(𝑥𝑥 , 𝑡𝑡) = (4 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐) sin �𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 − 𝑡𝑡� is travelling along a string. The coordinate 𝑥𝑥 is measured in
2
meters, the time 𝑡𝑡 in seconds. The speed of this wave is 𝑣𝑣 = 3 m/s. Which of the following waves, if propagated
on the same string together with this one, will produce a standing wave?

𝜋𝜋 3𝜋𝜋
A. 𝐷𝐷(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = (4 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐) sin � 𝑥𝑥 − 𝑡𝑡�
2 2
3𝜋𝜋
B. 𝐷𝐷(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = (4 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐) sin �3𝑥𝑥 − 𝑡𝑡�
2
𝜋𝜋 3𝜋𝜋
C. 𝐷𝐷(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = (4 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐) sin � 𝑥𝑥 + 𝑡𝑡�
2 2
3𝜋𝜋
D. 𝐷𝐷(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = (4 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐) sin �3𝑥𝑥 + 𝑡𝑡�
2
2𝜋𝜋 3𝜋𝜋
E. 𝐷𝐷(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = (4 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐) sin � 𝑥𝑥 − 𝑡𝑡�
3 2

9
Q16. A standing wave is oscillating on a string at 700 Hz, as shown in the figure. What is the speed of the
travelling waves that produce this standing wave?

A. 340 m/s
B. 210 m/s
C. 410 m/s
D. 280 m/s
E. 140 m/s

Q17. A violinist is tuning the A string on her violin by listening for beats when this note is played simultaneously
with a tuning fork of frequency 440 Hz. She hears 4 beats per second. She notices that when she decreases the
tension in the string slightly the beat frequency decreases. What was the frequency of the mistuned string before
decreasing the tension?

A. 434 Hz
B. 444 Hz
C. 442 Hz
D. 436 Hz
E. 446 Hz

10
Q18. A pipe has two consecutive resonances at frequencies 900 Hz and 1500 Hz. There are no other resonances
between these two. What is the fundamental frequency of the pipe and is it open at both ends or open at one
and closed at the other end?

A. 300 Hz open-closed
B. 300 Hz open - open
C. 600 Hz open - closed
D. 900 Hz open - open
E. None of the above options

Q19. Given that the power of a speaker is 0.001 W, what is the sound level at a distance of 5.0 m from the
speaker?

A. 25 dB
B. 65 dB
C. 48 dB
D. 37 dB
E. 100 dB

11
Q20. Two speakers, 5 m apart and in phase with each other, are generating sound waves of wavelength 2.0 m.
Consider a point P located in front of the speakers as shown in the figure. Which of the following statements
correctly describe the interference of the two waves at P?

12 m
P

5m

A. The two waves will interfere constructively at P.

B. The two waves will interfere destructively at P.

C . The two waves will interfere at P but the interference will neither be constructive or destructive.

D. This question cannot be answered without knowing the amplitudes of the two waves.

Q21. A race car is coming towards you at a constant velocity of 40m/s. You are standing at the side of the track
and hear a frequency of 960 Hz. What frequency do you hear when the car is moving away from you? The speed
of sound in air is 340 m/s.

A. 850 Hz
B. 1020 Hz
C. 1000 Hz
D. 920 Hz
E. 760 Hz

12
Q22. What is the path difference between two waves at the location on the screen where they form a second
order (m = 2) bright fringe at the position marked by the arrow? The picture is not to the scale.

A. Zero
B. λ
C. λ/2
D. 2λ
E. 3λ / 2

Q23. For the diffraction pattern shown, the screen was placed 2.0 m behind the slit and the wavelength of the
light used in the experiment was 600 nm. What was the width of the slit?

A. 0.6 mm

B. 0.1 mm

C. 1.0 mm

D. 4.0 mm

E. 6.0 mm

-4 -2 0 2 4 mm

13
Q24. You want to compare two datasets, the first has 10 measurements with a mean of 5.0 and a standard
deviation of 0.1. The second has 100 measurements with a mean of 4.9 and a standard deviation of 0.1. What is
the t-test value of these two data sets?

A. 0.5
B. 0.7
C. 3.2
D. 10
E. 1.0

Q25. You measure the amplitude of an oscillation to be 1.0 ± 0.1 m and you know the spring constant is 100 ± 5
N/m. What is the relative uncertainty on the maximum potential energy?

A. 0.11
B. 0.15
C. 0.21
D. 0.25
E. 5.00

14