PHYS1250 Fundamental Physics

Assignment Three
Due Date: November 11, 2023

The magnitude of gravitational acceleration is denoted by g throughout this paper.

The problems in this paper have a wide range of dif iculties. They are specially designed to strengthen
students’ concepts and to develop the problem solving skills. Students are expected to drill the problems
with perseverance.

1. A sinusoidal sound wave moves through a medium and is described by the displacement
wavefunction

s(x,t) = 2.00cos(15.7x − 858t)

where s is in micrometers (10−6 m), x is in meters, and t is in seconds.

(a) Find the amplitude of this wave. (2 marks)
s(x,t) = 2.00cos(15.7x − 858t)

𝑦 = 2.00 × 10 m

(b) Find the wavelength of this wave. (3 marks)

s(x,t) = 2.00cos(15.7x − 858t)

2𝜋
𝑘 = 15.7 =
𝜆
𝜆 = 0.400202885m

(c) Find the speed of this wave. (3 marks)

s(x,t) = 2.00cos(15.7x − 858t)

𝜆 = 0.400202885m
𝜔 = 858
𝜔 858
𝑣= = = 54.64968153ms
𝑘 15.7

(d) Determine the instantaneous displacement from equilibrium of the elements of the medium
at the position x = 0.050m at t = 3.00ms. (3 marks)
s(0.05,3.00) = 2.00cos(15.7× 0.05 − 858× 3.00)=−1.937519322 × 10 m

(e) Determine the maximum speed of the element’s oscillatory motion. (3 marks)
2. The sound level at a distance of 3.00m from a source is 120dB. At what distance is the sound
level (a) 100dB and (b) 10.0dB? [Hint: The sound level β = 10log10(I/I0), where I and I0 are the
intensity of sound at a distance r from the source and the threshold of hearing respectively.
The intensity I ∝ 1/r2 and I0 = 1.00 × 10−12 W/m2.] (8 marks)
(a)
𝐼
𝛽 = 10 log = 120
𝐼
1
𝐼
= 𝑟
𝐼 1
3
9
𝐼 = 𝐼
𝑟
𝐼
𝛽 = 10 log = 100
𝐼
9
𝐼
10 log 𝑟 = 100
𝐼
𝐼 9
10 log + 10 log = 100
𝐼 𝑟
9
120 + 10 log = 100
𝑟
9
log = −2
𝑟
9
= 10
𝑟
𝑟 = 30m

(b)
Similarly,
9
𝐼𝐼 =
𝑟
𝐼
𝛽 = 10 log = 10
𝐼
9
𝐼
10 log 𝑟 = 10
𝐼
𝐼 9
10 log + 10 log = 10
𝐼 𝑟
9
log = −11
𝑟
9
= 10
𝑟
𝑟 = 9.48683298 × 10 m
3. A car is moving on the road at 25m/s. An ambulance, behind the car, is moving at 42m/s in the
same direction of the car sounds its siren whose frequency is 450Hz. What frequency does a
person in the car hear
(a) as the ambulance approaches the car? (5 marks)

𝑢 25
1± 1−
𝑓 = 𝑣 343
𝑢 𝑓= 42
450 = 475.4152824Hz
1± 1 −
𝑣 343
(b) after the ambulance passes the car? (5 marks)

𝑢 25
1± 1+
𝑓 = 𝑣 𝑓= 343 450 = 430.1298701Hz
𝑢 42
1± 1+
𝑣 343

4. Show that the density of an ideal gas occupying a volume V is given by , where M is
the molar mass, P, T and R are the pressure, temperature and the gas constant R respectively.
Determine the density of oxygen gas at atmospheric pressure and 20.0 oC. The molar mass of
oxygen gas is 32.0g/mol, the gas constant R = 8.314Jkg−1mol−1 and 1atm = 1.013×105 Pa.
(12 marks)

𝑃𝑉 = 𝑛𝑅𝑇
𝑚
𝑃𝑉 = 𝑅𝑇, where 𝑚 is the total mass
𝑀
𝑚 𝑃𝑀
=𝜌=
𝑉 𝑅𝑇

(1.013 × 10 )(32.0 × 10 )
𝜌 = = 1.330704983kgm
8.314 × (20 + 273)
5. An ideal gas initially at 300K undergoes an isobaric expansion at 2.50kPa. If the volume
increases from 1.00m3 to 3.00m3 and 12.5kJ is transferred to the gas by heat, ind
(a) the change in its internal energy and (8 marks)

𝑊 = −∫ 𝑃𝑑𝑉 = −𝑃∫ 𝑑𝑉 = −𝑃Δ𝑉

𝑊 = −2500 × (3 − 1) = −5000
𝛥𝑈 = 𝑄 + 𝑊 = 12.5 × 10 + (−5000) = +7500J

(b) its inal temperature. (8 marks)

𝑃𝑉 𝑃𝑉
=
𝑛 𝑇 𝑛 𝑇
Since 𝑃 = 𝑃 and 𝑛 = 𝑛
𝑉 𝑉
=
𝑇 𝑇
1 3
=
300 𝑇
𝑇 = 900K

6. A sample of an ideal gas goes through the process shown in igure. From A to B, the process is
adiabatic; from B to C , it is isobaric with 100kJ of energy entering the system by heat; from C
to D, the process is isothermal; and from D to A, it is isobaric with 150kJ of energy leaving the
system by heat. Determine the difference in internal energy Eint,B − Eint,A.
(20 marks)
Note that, as ABCD is cyclic,

Δ𝑈 = Δ𝑈 + Δ𝑈 + Δ𝑈 + Δ𝑈 =0

Δ𝑈 = 𝐸 , − 𝐸 , = −(Δ𝑈 + Δ𝑈 + Δ𝑈 )

Δ𝑈 = 100 × 1000 − (0.4 − 0.09) × (3 × 1.013 × 10 ) = 5791J

Δ𝑈 = 0J

Δ𝑈 = −150 × 1000 + (1.2 − 0.2) × (1 × 1.013 × 10 ) = −48700J

𝐸 , − 𝐸 , = −(5791 + 0 − 48700) = 42909J

7. A cylinder contains a mixture of helium and argon gas in equilibrium at 150 oC. The molar
masses of helium and argon are 4.0g/mol and 39.9g/mol respectively.
(a) What is the average kinetic energy for each type of gas molecule? (6 marks)

3 3
𝐾 (ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑢𝑚) = 𝑘 𝑇 = ∙ 1.38066 × 10 ∙ (150 + 273)
2 2
= 8.7602877 × 10 J

3 3
𝐾 (𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑛) = 𝑘 𝑇 = ∙ 1.38066 × 10 ∙ (150 + 273)
2 2
= 8.7602877 × 10 J

(b) What is the rms speed of each type of molecule? (14 marks)
3𝑅𝑇 3 ∙ 8.314 ∙ (150 + 273)
𝑣 (ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑢𝑚) = = = 1624.074044ms
𝑀 4 × 10

3𝑅𝑇 3 ∙ 8.314 ∙ (150 + 273)

𝑣 (𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑛) = = = 514.2204846s
𝑀 39.9 × 10

END OF PAPER
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