QUALIFYING EXAMINATION FOR APPLICANTS FOR JAPANESE

GOVERNMENT (MONBUKAGAKUSHO) SCHOLARSHIPS 2022

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
PHYSICS

Exercise List #3
May 3, 2021

M.Sc. Thiago Felı́cio de Souza

felicio@fisica.ufc.br

1. Give your correct answer in each item below. The Coulomb constant of the vacuum is k0 and the
universal gravitational constant is G.

(1) Particles whose masses are m and M respectively are connected by an inextensible string of
length a. Initially the string is taut and the mass m is projected with velocity ~v at right angles
to the string. What is the distance of each particle from the original positions when the string
has made a complete rotation? Also find the tension of the string.

2πam mM v 2 2am mM v 2 2am (m + M )v 2

(a) ; (c) ; (e) ;
m + M a(m + M ) m + M a(m + M ) M a
πam 2mM v 2 am 2mM v 2
(b) ; (d) ;
m + M a(m + M ) m + M a(m + M )

(2) A smooth wedge, length `, angle α and mass M rests on a smooth horizontal table. A particle
of mass m is placed at the top and allowed to move. Find the distance moved by the wedge
when the particle reaches the bottom. Also find the time taken.
s s
m` cos α 2`(M + m sin2 α) m` tan α 2`(M + m cos2 α)
(a) ; (d) ;
m+M (m + M )g sin α m+M (m + M )g cos α
s s
m` sin α 2`(M + m cos2 α) m` sin α 2`(M + m sin2 α)
(b) ; (e) ;
m+M (m + M )g cos α M M g sin α
s
m` tan α 2`(M + m sin2 α)
(c) ;
m+M (m + M )g sin α

(3) Consider a flat planet, whose density of matter is constant and equal to ρ. A cylindrical tunnel
is made such that its axis is perpendicular to the planet. A particle is released at one end of
this tunnel and begins to oscillate with a pulse ω. Then

(a) ρ = ω 2 /(4πG). (c) ρ = ω 2 /(2πG). (e) ρ = ω 2 /G.

(b) ρ = ω 2 /(3πG). (d) ρ = ω 2 /(πG).

(4) Consider two rings concentric and located on the same plane. The ring of radius R1 has a
charge q1 and the ring of radius r2 has a charge q2 . Determine the modulus of the electric field
at a point at a distance r from the center, r being much greater than (r1 + r2 ).

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 (a) k0 q1 /r2 (b) k0 q2 /r2 (c) k0 (q1 +q2 )/r2 (d) ∞ (e) Zero

(5) Which of the following parameters does not characterize the thermodynamic state of matter?

(a) Temperature (b) Pressure (c) Work (d) Volume

2. Give your correct answer in each item below. The acceleration of local gravity is g and the universal
gravitational constant is G.

(1) A force acts on a 2 kg object so that its positive is given as a function of time as x = 3t2 + 5.
What is the work done by this force in first 5 seconds?

(a) 850 J (b) 950 J (c) 875 J (d) 900 J

(2) A block of mass m is kept on a platform which starts from rest with constant acceleration g/2
upward, as shown in Fig. 2-1. The work done by normal reaction on block in time t is

m
g g/2

Fig. 2-1

(a) −mg 2 t2 /8. (b) mg 2 t2 /8. (c) 0. (d) 3mg 2 t2 /8.

(3) If the angular momentum of a planet of mass m, moving around the Sun in a circular orbit is
L, about the center of the Sun, its areal velocity

(a) L/m. (b) 4L/m. (c) L/(2m). (d) 2L/m.

(4) A solid sphere of mass M and radius a is surrounded by a uniform concentric spherical shell of
thickness 2a and mass 2M . The gravitational field at distance 3a from the centre will be
2GM GM GM 2GM
(a) . (b) . (c) . (d) .
9a2 9a2 3a2 3a2
(5) A test particle is moving in circular orbit in the gravitational field produced by a mass density
ρ(r) = k/r2 . Identify the relation between the radius R of the particle‘s orbit and its period T .

(a) T /R is a constant (c) T /R2 ia a constant

(b) T 2 /R3 is a constant (d) T R is a constant

3. A container holds a mixture of Oxygen gas and Nitrogen gas. The mass fraction of Oxygen is
assumed to be 20% and that of Nitrogen 80%. The atomic weights of Oxygen and Nitrogen are 16
and 14 respectively.

(1) The volumetric fraction of Oxygen is approximately

(a) 22%. (b) 20%. (c) 18%. (d) 16%.

(2) If the sum of the mole number of Oxygen gas and that of Nitrogen gas is unity, then total mass
of the gas is

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 (a) 0.0288 kg. (b) 0.0287 kg. (c) 0.0286 kg. (d) 0.0285 kg.

(3) If the said gas is at 273.15 K and 0.1013 × 106 Pa, the volume of the gas is approximately

(a) 0.0230 m3 . (b) 0.0224 m3 . (c) 0.0218 m3 .

(4) The density of the mixture in the same condition is

(a) 1.30 kg/m3 . (b) 1.28 kg/m3 . (c) 1.26 kg/m3 .

(5) The ratio of the specific heat at a constant pressure to that at a constant volume is

(a) 9/7. (b) 7/5. (c) 5/3. (d) other.

4. An ambulance is running along straight main road at a speed of u with a siren of frequency ν. It is
assumed that a wind is blowing at speed w in the same direction as that of the ambulance. Let ν+
and ν− be the frequency of the ambulance and its leaving respectively. Let v be the sound velocity
in air. In the following three categories, choose the appropriate one in each.

(1) (a) Always v > u + w (b) Always v < u + w (c) Neither (a) nor (b)

(2) (a) ν+ − ν = 0 (c) ν+ − ν = νu/(v − w − u) (e) ν− − ν = νu/(v + u)

(b) ν+ − ν = νu/(v − u) (d) ν− − ν = νu/(v − w − u)

(3) (a) ν− − ν = 0 (c) ν− − ν = −νu/(v − w + u) (e) ν− − ν = −νu/(v − u)

(b) ν− − ν = −νu/(v + u) (d) ν− − ν = −νu/(v + w + u)

5. There are four points, A, B, C, and D on a smooth horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 5-2. AC =
BC = CD = a, and AB and CD are mutually perpendicular. First we assume that a charge +q is
placed at A and a charge −q is placed at B (q > 0) and the Coulomb constant is k.

A C B

Fig. 5-2

(1) Find the direction of the electric field at point D.

(a) A → B (b) B → A (c) C → D (d) D → C

(2) Find the magnitude of the electric field at point D.

kq kq kq
(a) (c) (e) √
a2 2a2 2a2
kq kq kq
(b) √ (d) (f)
2a2 a 2a
(3) What is the relation between the electric potential VC at point C and the electric potential VD
at point D?

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 (a) VC > VD (b) VC = VD (c) VC < VD

Next, we assume that a charge +q is placed at both points A and B, and a particle of mass m,
charge −q moves on the straight line including CD.
(4) The particle is initially at rest at point C. Find the work required to move the particle slowly
from point C to D.
√
√

2kq 2 2 + 2 kq 2 2 − 2 kq 2
(a) (c) (e)
a2 a 2
√
2 √a
2
2 − 2 kq 2 2 + 2 kq
2kq
(b) (d) (f)
a2 a a
(5) The particle at point D starts to move with initial speed v toward the point C and reaches the
point of infinity. Find the minimum speed v that is required to make the particle reach the
point of infinity.
r r r √
2kq 2 4kq 2 2 2kq 2
(a) 2
(c) 2
(e)
r ma√ r ma r ma
2
2 2kq 2 2kq 4kq 2
(b) (d) (f)
ma2 ma ma