Second Year Short Questions Physics

CHAPTER NO. 19 (DAWN OF MODERN PHYSICS)

Question 19.1:- What are the measurements on which two observers in
relative motion will always agree upon?
Answer:- The measurements on which two observers in relative motion will
always agree upon are:-
1) Speed of light.
2) Magnitude of their relative velocity.
Question 19.2:- Does the dilation means that time really passes more
slowing in moving system or that it only seems to pass more slowly?
Answer:- According to result of Einstein’s special theory of relativity, time
dilation is a physical phenomenon. Time is not an absolute quantity, rather it is
relative. Time passes normally for any observer within his own frame of reference.
Time actually passes more slowly i.e. time dilates when an observer in one frame
of reference is in relativistic motion with respect to other frame of reference.
Question 19.3:- If you are moving in a space ship at very high speed relative
k
s.p
to the earth, would you notice a difference (a) in your pulse rate (b) in pulse
rate of people on earth?
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Answer:- (a) No difference in his pulse rate will be measured by a person who is
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itself travelling in a spaceship.

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(b) A person in spaceship will experience a change in pulse rate of the people on
𝑡𝑜
earth, according to the relation t = .
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2
√1− 𝑣2
𝑐

Question 19.4:- If the speed of light were infinite, what would the equations
of special theory of relativity reduce to?
Answer:- If we take speed of light c as infinity, then the equations of special
theory of relativity reduce to:-
𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑜
Time dilation:- t = 2
= 2
= to i.e. Time in motion = Proper time
√1− 𝑣2 √1− 𝑣 2
𝑐 ∞

𝑣2 𝑣2
Length contraction:- l = lo √1 − 𝑐 2 = lo √1 − ∞2 = lo i.e. Length in motion = Proper

length
𝑚𝑜 𝑚𝑜
Mass variation:- m = 2
= 2
= mo i.e. Mass in motion=Rest mass
√1− 𝑣2 √1− 𝑣 2
𝑐 ∞
Second Year Short Questions Physics

Question 19.5:- Since mass is form of energy, can we conclude that a

compressed spring has more mass than the same spring when it is not
compressed?
Answer:- According to Einstein’s special theory of relativity, mass is a form of
energy. As compressed spring has more energy in the form of elastic potential
energy, so there would be increase in mass of compressed spring according to the
∆𝐸
relation Δm = . However, this increase in mass is negligible due to very high
𝑐2

value of speed of light.

Question 19.6:- As a solid is heated and begins to glow, why does it first
appear red?
Answer:- At lower temperature, a body emits radiation of low energy i.e. longer
wavelength). Since longest wavelength in visible region is of red colour, so the
object appears red first.
Question 19.7:- What happens to total radiation from a black body if its
absolute temperature is doubled? k
s.p
Answer:- According to Stephen Boltzmann law, E = σ T4.
When absolute temperature of the body is doubled, T1 = 2T and E1 = σ T14 = σ
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(2T)4 = 16 (σ T4) = 16 E.
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Thus, if absolute temperature is doubled, the total radiation emitted by black

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body increases 16 times.

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Question 19.8:- A beam of red light and a beam of blue light have exactly
the same energy. Which beam contains the greater number of photons?
Answer:- The energy of a beam of photon is given as E = nhf where n is number
of photons in the beam. We can conclude that n = E/hf. The number of photons
will be inversely proportional to frequency provided energy is constant. Therefore,
two color beams having same energy will contain different number of photons.
The blue light, having photon of comparatively larger frequency contains less
number of photons.
The red light, having photon of comparatively smaller frequency contains greater
number of photons
Question 19.9:- Which photon, red, green or blue carries the most (a) energy
and (b) momentum?

Shahzad Ali Nasir, Government Postgraduate College, Sahiwal ([email protected])

Second Year Short Questions Physics
ℎ𝑐
Answer:- Energy According to the relation E = , the photons of blue light
𝜆

having shorter wavelength must have larger energy as compared to photons of

red or green color light.
ℎ
Momentum According to the relation P = , the photons of blue light having
𝜆

shorter wavelength must have larger momentum as compared to photons of red

or green color light.
Question 19.10:- Which has the lower energy quanta? Radiowaves or X-rays.
ℎ𝑐
Answer:- According to the relation E = , the quanta of X-rays having shorter
𝜆

wavelength must have larger energy as compared to quanta of radiowaves.

Question 19.11:- Does the brightness of a beam of light primarily depend on
the frequency of photons or the number of photons?
Answer:- The brightness of a beam depends upon intensity (number of photons)
and not on the frequency of light. Thus, brightness increases with intensity of
light.
k
s.p
Question 19.12:- When ultraviolet light falls on certain dyes, visible light is
emitted. Why does this not happen when infrared light falls on these dyes?
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Answer:- Ultraviolet (UV) light consists of photons having energy greater than
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energy of visible light photons. When UV light falls on dyes, atoms initially
become excited and then de-excited by emitting lower energy photons, which may
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be detectable by normal human eyes.

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Infrared (IR) light consists of photons having energy lower than energy of visible
light photons. When IR light falls on dyes, atoms initially become excited and
then de-excited by emitting lower energy photons, which do not lie in the visible
spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.
Question 19.13:- Will bright light eject more electrons from metal surface
than dimmer light of same color?
Answer:- We know that number of photoelectrons ejected from a metal surface
depend upon the intensity of light i.e. number of photons. Therefore, bright light
being more intense will eject more electrons from a metal surface than dimmer
light of same color.
Question 19.14:- Will higher frequency light eject greater number of
electrons than lower frequency light?

Shahzad Ali Nasir, Government Postgraduate College, Sahiwal ([email protected])

Second Year Short Questions Physics

Answer:- No, the higher frequency light will not eject greater number of electrons
than low frequency light. It is because of the reason that number of electrons
emitted from metal surface depends upon intensity of light i.e. number of
photons and not on frequency of light.
Question 19.15:- When light shines on a surface, is momentum transferred
to the metal surface?
Answer:- When light falls on the surface, incident light energy is absorbed in
each reflection. Light beam consists of photons, which carry both energy and
momentum. Hence, momentum and energy is transferred to the metal surface
when it is exposed to light.
Question 19.16:- Why can red light be used in photographic dark room when
developing films, but a blue or white light cannot?
Answer:- The frequency of red light is less as compared to blue or white light, so
red light has less energy as compared to blue or white light. Therefore,

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photographic films and the material concerned are less affected in the presence
s.p
of red light.
Question 19.17:- Photon A has twice the energy of photon B. What is the
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ratio of the momentum to A to that of B?

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Answer:- Given that the energy of photon A is twice the energy of photon B i.e. EA
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= 2 EB.
𝐸𝐴
ea

=2
𝐸𝐵
Momentum of photon A = PA = EA/c
Momentum of photon B = PB = EB/c
𝐸𝐴⁄
𝑃𝐴 𝑐 𝐸𝐴
= 𝐸𝐵⁄ = =2
𝑃𝐵 𝑐 𝐸𝐵

So, photon A has twice the momentum of photon B.

Question 19.18:- Why don’t we observe Compton effect with visible light?
Answer:- Compton’s effect is mostly observed in semimetals. The electrons in
semimetals such as graphite are semi loosely bound and their energy levels lie in
X-ray region. Therefore, we don’t observe Compton effect with visible light
because photons of visible light have smaller energy than the photons of X-rays.
Question 19.19:- Can pair production take place in vacuum? Explain.

Shahzad Ali Nasir, Government Postgraduate College, Sahiwal ([email protected])

Second Year Short Questions Physics

Answer:- No, pair production cannot take place in vacuum because, in vacuum,
there is no heavy nucleus present. Presence of heavy nucleus is necessary for
pair production because recoil energy is absorbed by the heavy nucleus.
The electron and positron created as a result of pair production always move in
opposite direction (their net momentum is zero), so a heavy nucleus should
always be there which can absorb the momentum of incident γ-ray photon. Pair
production in the absence of heavy nucleus is against the law of conservation of
momentum and hence cannot take place.
Question 19.20:- Is it possible to create a single electron from energy?
Explain.
Answer:- No, it is not possible to create a single electron from energy. The
creation of single electron from energy is violation of law of conservation of
electric charge. Whenever pair production takes place, the electrons and
positrons are created at the same time.

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Question 19.21:- If electrons behaved only like particles, what pattern
s.p
would you expect on the screen after the electron passes through double
slit?
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Answer:- If electron behave only like particles then, after passing through the
no

double slit, only those parts of the screen are affected which are in front of the
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slits. Two spots on the screen each in front of both slits will be observed as no
diffraction effects are visible.
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Question 19.22:- If an electron and proton have the same de Broglie

wavelength, which particle has greater speed?
Answer:- The de Broglie wavelength associated with moving particle is given by
ℎ ℎ
expression λ = which may be rearranged as v = . Speed is inversely
𝑚𝑣 𝑚𝜆

proportional to mass provided wavelength is same. As the wavelength is same for

both electron and proton, therefore speed of electron is greater due to smaller
mass of electron than proton.
Question 19.23:- We don’t notice the de Broglie wavelength for a pitched
cricket. Explain why?
Answer:- The de Broglie wavelength associated with moving particle is given by
ℎ
expression λ = . Due to large mass and small speed, the wavelength associated
𝑚𝑣

with moving cricket ball is very small. Therefore, it is impossible to measure de

Broglie wavelength for a pitched cricket ball.

Shahzad Ali Nasir, Government Postgraduate College, Sahiwal ([email protected])

Second Year Short Questions Physics

For a cricket ball of m = 200 g = 0.2 kg moving with a speed of v = 10 m s-1, the
6.63 𝑥 10−34
de Broglie wavelength is λ = = 3.31 x 10-34 m. The wavelength is of the
0.2 𝑥 10

order of 10-34 m and too short to be detected.

Question 19.24:- If the following particles have the same energy, which has
the shortest wavelengths? Electron, alpha particle, neutron, proton.
Answer:- The de Broglie wavelength associated with moving particle is given by
ℎ
expression λ = . For same energy of all the particles, de Broglie wavelength is
√2𝑚𝐸

inversely proportional to mass. Thus, alpha particle being the massive particle
has the shorter wavelength.
Question 19.25:- When does light behave as a wave? When does it behave as
a particle?
Answer:- Light behaves as a wave in the phenomenon of (i) Interference (ii)
Diffraction (iii) Polarization (iv) Reflection (v) Refraction (vi) Dispersion (vii)
Scattering.
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s.p
Light behaves as a particle in the phenomenon of (i) Photoelectric effect (ii)
Compton’s effect (iii) Pair production (iv) Black body radiation.
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Question 19.26:- What advantages an electron microscope has over an

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optical microscope?
Answer:- The magnifying and resolving power of electron microscope is thousand
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times greater than an optical microscope. The internal structure of an object can
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also be obtained by an electron microscope which is not possible with optical

microscope.
Question 19.27:- If measurement shows a precise position for an electron,
can those measurements show precise momentum also? Explain.
Answer:- According to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, it is impossible that
measure both position and momentum of an atomic particle precisely at the
ℎ
same time. Mathematically, Δx Δp = . Thus, if position is determined with
2𝜋

precision, the momentum cannot be measured precisely.