2010

Degree Entry Programme

Entry Physics
Examination Paper
Attempt all questions.
Complete all working in the examination booklet provided
Section A is worth 15 Marks
Section B is worth 60 Marks
Duration of Exam, 2hrs
Students are recommended to spend approximately
30 minutes on Section A
90 minutes on Section B
A data sheet is provided

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SECTION A
1) Which of the following groups contains two vector quantities and one scalar quantity?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Time, distance and force

Acceleration, mass and momentum
Velocity, force and momentum
Displacement, velocity and acceleration
Speed, distance and momentum
2) Which of the following velocity-time graphs best describes a ball being thrown vertically into
the air and returning to the throwers hand, vertical is a positive displacement?

(A)

(C)

(E)

(B)

(D)

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3) An object of mass 1 kg hangs from a spring balance which is suspended on the inside of a
small rocket as shown below,

What is the reading on the balance when the rocket is accelerating upwards from the Earths surface
at 2 m/s? Use g = 10.0 m/s.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

0N
2.0 N
8.0 N
10.0 N
12.0 N

4) To what height must a 5kg mass be raised to gain a potential energy equal in value to the
kinetic energy possessed by a mass of 5 kg moving with a velocity of 10 m/s? Use g = 10
m/s
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

1m
5m
10 m
50 m
100 m
5) Which of the following statements about the absolute zero of temperature is/are true?

I
II
III
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

The absolute zero of temperature is 0 K.

At absolute zero, movement of molecules ceases in an ideal gas.
At absolute zero, the mass of an ideal gas is zero.
I only
II only
I and II only
II and III only
I, II and III

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6) A student connects an a.c. supply to an a.c. ammeter and a component X.

As the frequency of the a.c. supply is steadily increased, the ammeter reading also increases.
Component X is a
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

capacitor
diode
lamp
resistor
transistor.
7) A battery of e.m.f of 15 V and internal resistance 5 , is connected to two 5 resistors as
shown. Switch S is initially open.

When the switch is closed the reading on the ammeter changes from
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

from 1 A to 2 A
from 1.5 A to 2 A
from 1 A to 1.5 A
from 1.5 A to 0.75 A
from 1 A to 0.6 A

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8) An immersion heater can be operated either from an ac supply or dc supply. The graph
represents the ac supply voltage.

What dc supply voltage would produce the same rate of heating from this heater?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

6V
8.5 V
12 V
17 V
24 V
9) The magnitude of photoelectric current

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

increases with increase in frequency of incident radiation

increases with decrease in frequency of incident radiation
increases with increase in intensity of the incident radiation
increases with decrease in intensity of the incident radiation
remains constant when frequency of incident radiation increases

10)During an electrical discharge, 20 C of charge moves through a potential difference of 40 kV in

a time of 6 ms. Determine the energy released by this discharge in Joules.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

6.0 x 105 J
1.2 x 105 J
2.4 x 105 J
8.0 x 105 J
4.8 x 106 J

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11) In a year, a worker in a nuclear power station receives the following absorbed dose:
15 mGy of gamma radiation (Q-factor: 1)
300 Gy of thermal neutrons (Q-factor: 5)
Determine the dose equivalent for the year.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

1.5 mSv
15.0 mSv
16.5 mSv
20.0 mSv
30.0 mSv

12)The following op-amp circuit is set up for a series of experiments:

What is the output voltage if the input is 5 V ?

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

20 V
- 20 V
15 V
- 15 V
5V

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13)Light of frequency 5 1014 Hz passes from air into glass. The refractive index of the glass for
this light is 1.5. The speed of light in air is 3 108 m/s. What is the wavelength of this light in
the glass?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

4.0 x 10-7 m
6.0 x 10-7 m
9.0 x 10-7 m
1.0 x 1023 m
1.5 x 1023 m
14)Which of the following statements is false:

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Alpha particles can penetrate thin aluminium sheet

Alpha particles are electrically neutral
Beta particles are emitted from the nucleus of the atoms
Beta particles are high velocity electrons
Gamma radiation has no mass

15)The half value thickness of an absorber for a particular gamma source is 5.0 mm. With no
absorber present, a detector records a corrected count of 2000 counts per minute. Determine
the thickness of absorber which must be placed between the source and the detector to
reduce this count to 250 counts per minute.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

5.0 mm
20.0 mm
40.0 mm
15.0 mm
125.0 mm

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SECTION B
STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
16)A projectile is fired horizontally from the top of a 45 m high wall at 5 m/ s.

(a) What time does the projectile take to hit the ground?

(2)

(b) What is the projectile's range (horizontal distance travelled)?

(2)

(c) What is the projectile's horizontal component of velocity just before hitting the ground?
(1)
(d) What is the projectile's vertical component of velocity just before hitting the ground?
(1)
[6 marks]
17)Two identical cars X and Y are crashed at 14 m/s into a wall as part of a car safety test. Car X
carries a dummy of mass 75 kg. The dummy is restrained by a seatbelt. The dummy is brought
to rest by the seatbelt in a time of 35 ms. Car Y carries an identical dummy that is not
restrained by a seatbelt.
(a)

Calculate the average force exerted by the seatbelt on the dummy in car X.
(2)

(b)

The dummy in car Y is brought to rest in a time of 15 ms due to collision with the steering
wheel.
(i)
What is the impulse on the dummy in car Y during this time?
(ii) Which dummy is more likely to be damaged as a result of the
crash. You must explain your answer?
(4)
[6 marks]

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18)A partially inflated balloon containing helium carries meteorological equipment up through the
atmosphere.

a)
b)
c)
d)

Copy and label the diagram to show the forces acting on the balloon.(1)
Over a short distance the balloon rises with constant speed. What is the resultant force on the
balloon?
(1)
Explain why the balloon wouldnt rise if the helium were replaced by an identical volume of air
at the same temperature and pressure. (1)
A partially inflated, sealed balloon containing 1 kg of Helium of 0.178 kg/m at a pressure of
100 kPa and temperature 300 K. As the balloon goes up the pressure reduces to 90 kPa and
the temperature to 283 K. Find the density of helium at this pressure and temperature. (3)
[6 marks]
19)A student connected two loudspeakers to a signal generator, then moved a sound level meter
from the central maximum at A to the first minimum at B.

a) What was the wavelength of the sound coming from two loudspeakers ?

(2)

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b) A student sets up this apparatus to measure the wavelength of greenlight.
He measures the angle between the central maximum and second order maximum and finds it
to be 33.

(i)

Calculate the wave length obtained by the student.

(2)

(ii)What effect will there be on the separation of the maxima on the screen if he uses a grating
with 700 lines /mm.
(2)
[6 marks]

20)A cell delivers current to a load whose resistance can be varied. The table gives values for the
voltmeter and ammeter readings for a number of different load resistances.

a)
b)

Voltage (V)

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.5

1.4

1.3

Current (A)

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Draw a graph, on graph paper, of voltage against current.

By using the straight line of the graph, estimate:
(i)
the cells internal resistance.
(ii)
the cells e.m.f.

(2)
(4)
[6 marks]

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21)A designer uses the circuit shown for the sidelights of a car. The battery used is of negligible
internal resistance. Each lamp has a resistance of 3 .

i)
ii)
iii)
iv)

Find the total resistance.

(1)
Find the total current in the circuit.
(1)
A user replaces both the front lights with lights of resistance 6 . State and explain whether
this change has any effect on the brightness of the rear lights (you must show the calculation).
(2)
The original circuit is not normally used. In practice, four lamps are connected in parallel as
shown below. Give one reason why this is preferred.
(1)

[5 marks]

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22)An uncharged 2200 F capacitor is connected in a circuit as shown.

The battery has negligible internal resistance.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Switch S is closed. Calculate the initial charging current.

(2)
At one instant during the charging process the potential difference across the resistor is 3.8V.
Calculate the charge stored in the capacitor at this instant.
(2)
The current in the circuit is kept constant during the charging process
Calculate the maximum energy the capacitor stores in this circuit. (2)
by adjusting the resistance of R . Explain whether R is increased or decreased during the
charging period.
(2)
[8 marks]
23)A pupil connects an op-amp as in the circuit shown below.

a)

i)
ii)

In which mode is this op- amp working?

Calculate the gain of the op-amp in this mode .

(1)
(1)

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The input voltage varies with time as shown in the graph below .

(iii)

Draw a graph showing how the output voltage varies with time, in the graph paper
provided . Numerical values must be given on both axes.
(2)

Now the op-amp is connected in a different mode as shown in the figure .

b)

(i)

In which mode is the op-amp working?

(1)

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The input voltages are given below.

(iii)

Draw a sketch of the output voltage in the graph paper given. You should have numerical
values on both axes.
(2)
[7 marks]

24)A nuclear reaction which occurs in the Sun produces helium

The reaction is represented by the statement below.

a)
What is the name given to this type of nuclear reaction?
(1)
3
2
b) The symbols 1 H and 1 H both represent hydrogen nuclei. What is the name given to two
such nuclei which have the same atomic number?(1)

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c)

The masses of the nuclei involved in the nuclear reaction are given below
Nuclei

3
1

Mass of nuclei
(kg)

5.004x10-27

2
1

3.342x10-27

4
2

He

6.642x10-27

1
o

1.675x10-27

Calculate the energy released when on nucleus of Helium 24 He is formed.

(2)
d)Astrophysicists believe the mass of the sun is decreasing at a rate millions of tonnes each
second. Explain.
(2)
[6 marks]

25)

a) Light of frequency 6.7 1014 Hz shines to a clean cesium metal. What is the maximum
kinetic energy of electrons emitted? The work function of cesium is 3.43 1019 J.
(2)
b) If the frequency of the incident light is increased, what will happen to the kinetic energy
Draw a graph to show the relationship..
(2)
[4 marks]
END OF PAPER