IJSO 2024

1. After a shell explodes at the top of its trajectory, the center of gravity of the
fragments has an acceleration, in the absence of air resistance,
A) of less than g downward.
B) equal to g and downward.
C) greater than g and downward.
D) of g downward plus a forward component.
Ans: B

2. If you neglect the weight of the boom, what is the

maximum weight W that can be suspended from
the boom if the horizontal guy wire will break
under a tension of 5.60 kN?

A) 4.00 kN B) 5.60 kN C) 6.70 kN D) 3.00 kN

Ans: D

3. A heavy block is supported by three lines as

shown. Which of the following statements is true
in its entirety?

A) T1 > T2 and T2 > T3 D) T3 > T1 and T1 > T2

B) T2 > T1 and T1 > T3
C) T2 > T3 and T3 > T1
Ans: C

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 4. A ball of radius r and mass m is hung using a light string of length L
from a frictionless vertical wall. The normal force on the ball due to
the wall is
L

r
m
A) mgr/L D) mgL/r
B) mgr
L2  2LR
C) mgL
L2  2LR
Ans: B

5. A 10-m long plank (of negligible mass) is supported at each end by vertical cables, also
of negligible mass. A person of unknown weight sits on the plank between the cables. The
tension in the left cable is 300 N, and in the right cable it is 200 N. The person's weight is
A) 100 N B) 300 N C) 400 N D) 500 N E) 700 N
Ans: D

6. A 10-m long plank (of negligible mass) is supported at each end by vertical cables. A
person of unknown weight sits on the plank between the cables. The tension in the left
cable is 300 N, and in the right cable it is 200 N. How far is the person sitting from the left
cable?
A) 2.0 m B) 3.0 m C) 4.0 m D) 6.0 m
Ans: C7. The sign shown in the figure weighs 200 N. The boom is of uniform
construction. If the force exerted by the hinge on the boom is 300 N and acts at an angle
of 20º above the horizontal, the tension in the tie cable is

A) ~205 N D) ~625 N
B) ~145 N
C) ~413 N
Ans: C

8. The horizontal boom supporting the sign is of uniform construction and weighs 50 N. If
the sign weighs 150 N, the force exerted by the hinge on the boom is
A) ~350 N D) ~550 N
B) ~304 N
C) ~25 N
Ans: B

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9. A ladder is extended to a length of 8 m. It rests against a smooth frictionless vertical wall
at an angle of 55 degrees to the horizontal. The ladder has a mass of 30 kg, and its
center of mass is three-eighths of the way up the ladder from the floor. If the
coefficient of static friction between the ladder and the floor is 0.2, calculate how far a
man of 80 kg can stand along the ladder without it slipping away at the floor.
A) 3.7 m D) 5.4 m
B) 6.3 m
C) all the way to the
top Ans: D

10 A wire 2.5-m long has a cross-sectional area of 2.5 mm2. It is hung vertically, and a
4.5-kg mass is hung from it. By how much does the wire stretch if Young's modulus
for that material is 2.0  1011 N/m2?
A) 0.22 mm B) 2.2 mm C) 0.022 mm D) 0.72 mm
Ans: A

11. The bulk modulus of water is 2.0  109 N/m2. By how much must the pressure be
increased to reduce the volume of 1.0 kg of water from 1.00 to 0.998 L?
A) 2.0  106 N/m2 D) 40  106 N/m2
B) 4.0  106 N/m2
C) 20  106 N/m2
Ans: B

12. A wire of circular cross section of diameter d and length L is stretched an amount L
by a steady force F. An equal force would produce how much stretch in a similar wire
of diameter 2d and length 2L?
A) L/8 B) L/4 C) L/2 D) 2L
Ans: C

13. An 800-kg mass is hung from a 2-m steel wire with a cross-sectional area of 0.25 cm2.
Young's modulus for steel is 2.0  1011 N/m2. How much does the wire stretch?
A) 2.56 mm B) 2.97 mm C) 3.14 mm D) 3.86 mm
Ans: C

14. A wire has a diameter of 0.75 mm. It is stretched 0.2% of its original length when
a mass of 5 kg is hung from it. What is the Young's modulus of the wire?
A) 1.4  1010 N/m2 D) 5.6  108 N/m2
B) 5.6  10 N/m
10 2

C) 1.7  1011 N/m2

Ans: B

15 Two wires, A and B, have the same initial length, but the radius of A is four times that of
B, and the Young's modulus of A is a third that of B. If the same weight is attached to
both wires, what is the ratio of the extension of A divided by the extension of B?
A) 0.19 B) 48 C) 5.3 D) 1.3
Ans: C
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 16

A piece of wood is floating at the surface of some water as illustrated. The wood has
a circular cross section and a height of h = 3.0 cm. The density of the wood is 0.41
g/cm3. The distance from the surface of the water to the bottom of the wood is
A) impossible to determine because the area of the cross section is not given.
B) 0.81 cm
C) 3.2 cm
D) 1.2 cm
Ans: D

17. A block of material has a density . A second block of equal volume has three times
the mass of the first. What is the density of the second block?
A)  B) 3 C) /3 D) 9
Ans: B

18 A penny has a mass of 3.0 g, a diameter of 1.9 cm, and a thickness of 0.15 cm. What
is the density of the metal of which it is made?
A) 1.8 g/cm3 B) 3.4 g/cm3 C) 3.5 g/cm3 D) 7.1 g/cm3
Ans: D

19 If the atmosphere were compressed until it had the density of water, it would
cover Earth to a depth of about
A) 0.81 km B) 4.6 m C) 1.6 km D) 10 m
Ans: D

20 A glass is filled with water. The gauge pressure at the top of the glass is zero and the
gauge pressure at the bottom is P. A second glass with three times the height and
twice the diameter is also filled with water. What is the pressure at the bottom of the
second glass?
A) P B) 2P C) 3P D) 3P/2
Ans: C

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21.What is the gauge pressure at a depth of 6 cm in a glass filled with 4 cm of mercury and
4 cm of water? Water has a density of 1000 kg/m3, and mercury has a density 13.6 times as
great.
A) 3.1 kPa B) 5.6 kPa C) 5.8 kP D) 310 kPa

Ans: A

22. The atmospheric pressure deceases exponentially with height. At 5.5 km, the pressure
is half that at sea level. At what height is the pressure one eighth that of sea level?
A) 7.5 km B) 11 km C) 16.5 km D) 22 km
Ans: C

23.

The left-hand side of an open U-tube has a radius r1 = 0.82 cm, and the right-hand
side has a radius r2 = 0.41 cm. Mercury and oil are poured into the U-tube. The
density of mercury is 13.6 g/cm3. The heights shown in the diagram are h1 = 3.50 cm
and
h2 = 57.3 cm. The density of the oil is approximately
A) 0.83 g/cm3 B) 110 g/cm3 C) 7.9 g/cm3 D) 6.9 g/cm3
Ans: A

24 A tube with a radius of 4.2 cm is holding oil that has a density of 0.92 g/cm3. The
pressure in the oil at a depth of 64 cm from the top of the surface is
A) 5.8  102 Pa D) 1.0  106 Pa
B) 5.8  103 Pa
C) 1.0  102 Pa
Ans: B
25 A small sphere of wood with a density  = 0.40 g/cm3 is held at rest well under the
surface of a pool of water. The magnitude of the initial acceleration of the sphere when
it is released is
A) 15 m/s2 B) 9.8 m/s2 C) 33 m/s2 D) 23 m/s2
Ans: A

26. Two pistons of a hydraulic lift have radii of 2.67 cm and 20.0 cm. The downward
force on the 2.67-cm piston that is required to lift a mass of 2000 kg supported by the
20-cm piston is
A) 350 N B) 270 N C) 36 N D) 1.5  103 N
Ans: A5

27. If a column of liquid 52 cm high supports a column of mercury ( = 13.6 g/cm3) 10

cm high, the density of the liquid is
A) 6.0 g/cm3 B) 2.6 g/cm3 C) 3.8 g/cm3 D) 4.9 g/cm3
Ans: B

28 The force exerted by a stationary liquid on an inclined rectangular surface at rest in the
liquid
A) acts normally to the surface.
B) is exerted equally at all points on the surface.
C) acts parallel to the surface.
D) is independent of the density of the liquid.
Ans: A

29 A block of ice 30.5 cm thick floating in fresh water just supports a man weighing 801 N.
If the specific gravity of ice is 0.917, the smallest area the block can have is
A) 3.25 m2 B) 3.57 m2 C) 2.88 m2 D) 1.45 m2
Ans: A

30 A stone of volume 1.42  10–2 m3 lies at the bottom of a freshwater lake. If the rock's
specific gravity is 3.5, the work required to lift it 1 m through the water is approximately
A) 487 J B) 139 J C) 348 J D) 223 J
Ans: C
31. A solid wooden sphere of volume 0.0100 m3 floats freely exactly one-half submerged
in a liquid of density 800 kg/m3. A lightweight cord is now tied to the sphere and is
used to pull the sphere under the surface and hold it completely submerged. What is the
tension in the cord?
A) zero B) 2.00 N C) 39.2 N D) 4.00 N
Ans: C

32 Two identical beakers are filled with the same amount of

water. A ball of mass m is placed in the first beaker so that it
floats on the surface while a second identical ball is placed in the
second beaker but tied with a string of negligible mass so that the
ball is completely submerged. Each beaker is then placed on a
scale. Which scale has a higher reading?

(a) (b)

A) (a) B) (b) C) the same D) depends on how far the ball is submerged in (b)
Ans: C

33 A beaker is filled with water. A ball of mass m and density  <

water is tied to a string. The other end of the string is then tied
to the bottom of the beaker so that the ball is completely
submerged. What is the tension in the string?

A)  water  D)
mg   

  1 mg 1 
     water 
B) water
mg

C)
mg
Ans: A
34 A rock of mass M with a density twice that of water is sitting on the bottom of an
aquarium tank filled with water. The normal force exerted on the rock by the bottom of the
tank is
A) 2Mg
B) Mg
C) Mg/2
D) zero
Ans: C

35

A large tub is half full of water. A mass M = 25.0 kg, which has a specific gravity of
2.5, is attached to the right-hand side of the tub, out of the water. The entire apparatus
balances perfectly horizontally on a fulcrum at F, as in (a). The tub is clamped in place
and M is lowered to the bottom, completely submerged, as in (b). When the clamps are
removed, the tub
A) remains balanced.
B) tips, with point L going down.
C) tips, with point L going up.
D) There is not enough information to solve the problem.
Ans: B

36 You are floating in a boat in a swimming pool. There are some large stones, with a
density of 2.5 g/cm3, in the boat. You throw the stones out of the boat and they sink to the
bottom of the pool. The water level h, measured vertically at the end of the pool
as the stones are thrown out.
A) decreases
B) increases
C) There is not enough information to solve the problem.
D) stays the same
Ans: A
37 A block of wood of length L = 21.0 cm, width w = 9.53 cm, and height h = 5.92 cm is
just barely immersed in water by placing a mass m on the top of the block. The density of
the wood is  = 0.390 g/cm3. The value of m is
A) 0.72 kg B) 7.1 kg C) 1.2 kg D) 1.6 kg
Ans: A

38. A metal block suspended from a spring balance is submerged in water. You observe
that the block displaces 55 cm3 of water and that the balance reads 4.3 N. What is the
density of the block?
A) 7.0 g/cm3 B) 8.0 g/cm3 C) 9.0 g/cm3 D) 1.1 g/cm3
Ans: C

39. Water from a tap is flowing at a uniform rate of 24 cm3/s into a cylindrical container.
An exit tube is mounted on the side of the container at height h/2 from the base. The
height h of the water remains constant. The volume flow at which the water leaves the
container is
A) 12 cm3/s B) 24 cm3/s C) 36 cm3/s D) 48 cm3/s
Ans: B

40.

A tank is filled with water to a height H. A small hole is punched in one of the walls at
a depth h below the water's surface. The water leaves the hole in a horizontal direction.
The stream of water strikes the floor at a distance x, as shown. Neglecting viscosity,
you can calculate the value of x from
A) x = H – h D) x = 2[h(H – h)]1/2
B) x = [2h(H – h)]1/2
C) x = h
Ans: D
41 Water flows at speed v in a pipe of radius r. Neglecting viscosity, at what speed does
the water flow through a constriction in which the radius of the pipe is r/3?
A) v/9 B) v/3 C) v D 9v
Ans: D

42 Cities across the U.S. supply fresh water to the residents at constant pressure by the use
of water towers. If the diameter, d2, of the pipe coming out of the tower is 25 cm, and the
diameter, d1, of the pipe at your home is 2.0 cm, what is the ratio of the velocity of the
water at d1 compared to d2? Assume that all the taps are off except yours.
A) 12.5 B) 156 C) 0.0064 D) 0.08
Ans: B

43 A pipe of 2.54 cm inside diameter has a constriction in which the inside diameter is
1.27 cm. If water is flowing through this pipe with a velocity of 1.22 m/s in the main
section, the velocity in the constricted section is
A) 0.305 m/s B) 0.610 m/s C) 2.44 m/s D) 4.88 m/s
Ans: D

44.

A liquid, such as water, with a low but not negligible viscosity is flowing from A to C
with no turbulence through the horizontal tube, as shown in the figure. The cross-
sectional area at A is equal to that at C. Which of the following is observed?
A) The pressure at A is the same as the pressure at C, and this pressure is smaller
than the pressure at B.
B) The pressure at A is somewhat larger than that at C, and the pressures at both A
and C are larger than the pressure at B.
C) The pressures at A and C are the same, and this pressure is larger than the
pressure at B.
D) The pressure at A is larger than the pressure at B, which is larger than the
pressure at C.
Ans: B
45 Using a motion sensor, Susana finds that the acceleration of a 4-kg rock that has been
dropped from the roof of a building is 6 m/s2. She concludes that the magnitude of force of
air resistance acting on the rock is approximately
A) 39.2 N B) 24.0 N C) 15.2 N D) 9.81 N
Ans: C

46. A horizontal pipe of 30 cm2 cross-sectional area carries water at a speed of 2.5 m/s. This
pipe feeds a smaller pipe of cross section 10 cm2. Find the speed of water flow in the
smaller pipe.
A) 3.5 m/s B) 0.8 m/s C) 2.5 m/s D) 7.5 m/s Ans: D

47 A particle moving in a circle of radius 15 cm makes 33.3 rev/min. If the particle starts
on the positive x axis at time t = 0, what is the x component of the particle's velocity at
time
t = 1.2 s?
A) 45 cm/s B) –3.8 cm/s C) 26 cm/s D) –45 cm/s
Ans: A

Use the following to answer questions 32-34:

48. A light spring stretches 0.13 m when a 0.35 kg mass is hung from it. The mass is pulled
down from this equilibrium position an additional 0.15 m and then released. Determine
the maximum speed of the mass.
A) 1.10 m/s B) 2.75 m/s C) 11.4 m/s D) 1.25 m/s
Ans: D
49.

A mass of 0.50 kg is attached to a massless spring with a spring constant k = 600 N/m
(see figure above). The system rests on a level, friction-free surface and is initially at
rest. A second mass of 0.20 kg makes an elastic head-on collision with the mass
attached to the spring; thereafter, the oscillating system vibrates with an amplitude of
0.25 m. What was the incident speed of the second mass?
A) 16 m/s B) 8.7 m/s C) 6.1 m/s D) 11 m/s
Ans: A
50. A 10-kg block starts from rest at a vertical height of 1 m on a 30º frictionless inclined
plane. If the block slides down the incline and then 20 m along a frictionless horizontal
surface into a fixed spring with a force constant of 100 N/m, the spring is compressed
approximately
A) 1.4 m B) 2.0 m C) 0.33 m D) 0.98 m
Ans: A

51 A rocket ship is propelled vertically up with an acceleration of g in a uniform

gravitational field. A pendulum of length 1.0 m would have a period of
A) 0 B) 2.0 s C) 1.41 s D) 3.1 s
Ans: B

52. What must be the length of a simple pendulum with a period of 2.0 s if g = 9.8 m/s2?
A) 99 cm B) 97 m C) 6.2 cm D) 3.1 m
Ans: A

53 Which of the following statements concerning the motion of a simple pendulum is

incorrect?
A) The kinetic energy is a maximum when the displacement is a maximum.
B) The acceleration is a maximum when the displacement is a maximum.
C) The period is changed if the mass of the bob is doubled and the length of
the pendulum is halved.
D) The time interval between conditions of maximum potential energy is one period.

Ans: D

54. A simple pendulum has a mass of 10 kg. The

length of the pendulum is 1.0 m. The work
required to move the pendulum from its vertical
position at rest to a horizontal position at rest is
approximately
 A) 0 B) 10 J C) 16 J D) 98 J
Ans: D

55 Which of the following statements is true?

A) Waves transmit energy but not momentum.
B) Waves transmit momentum but not energy.
C) Waves transmit both energy and momentum.
D) Waves transmit neither energy nor momentum.

Ans: C

56 During the passage of a longitudinal wave, a particle of the medium

A) remains in a fixed position.
B) moves in a circle.
C) moves at right angles to the direction of propagation.
D) moves forward and backward along the line of propagation.

Ans: D
57 A longitudinal wave is distinguished from a transverse
wave by the fact that in longitudinal waves
A) the particle vibration is parallel to the direction of propagation.
B) the particle vibration is perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
C) energy is transported from one point in space to another point.
D) vibrations occur only in air or water.
Ans: A

59 Which of the following statements about longitudinal and transverse pressure waves
is NOT true?
Longitudinal pressure waves can travel through fluids.
E) Transverse pressure waves can travel through fluids.
F) Longitudinal pressure waves can travel through solids.
G) Transverse pressure waves can travel through solids.

Ans: B

60 Both particles and waves transfer energy from one location to another. Which of
the following statements is true?
H) Both methods of energy transfer follow the conservation of energy principle.
I) Energy transfer by particles follows the conservation of energy principle but
waves do not.
J) Energy transfer by waves follows the conservation of energy principle but
particles do not.
K) Whether the transfer of energy by a wave follows the conservation of
energy principle depends on the speed of the wave.
 Ans: A

61 A particle is subject to a wave motion. Its distance from the equilibrium position at
any particular time is called its
L) amplitude B) displacement C) phase D) wavelength

Ans: B

63 Sound travels at 340 m/s in air and 1500 m/s in water. A sound of 256 Hz is made
under water. In the air,
A) the frequency remains the same but the wavelength is shorter.
B) the frequency is higher but the wavelength stays the same.
C) the frequency is lower but the wavelength is longer.
D) the frequency is lower and the wavelength is shorter.

Ans: A

64. Increasing the temperature, expressed in kelvins, in a gas by 125% will produce an
increase in the speed of sound in the gas of approximately
A) 25% B) 18% C) 12% D) 9%
Ans: C

65. A stationary ship generates a sound signal at the bow and has a receiver system at the
stern of the ship 100 m away. The difference in time between the signal arriving at the
stern traveling directly through the air and the signal reflected from the sea bottom is
0.5 second. If the velocity of sound in air is 331 m/s and in water is 1435 m/s, calculate
the depth of water below the ship.
A) 1150 m B) 574 m C) 359 m D) 396 m
Ans: B

66 A traveling wave passes a point of observation. At this point, the time between successive
crests is 0.2 s. Which of the following statements can be justified?
A) The wavelength is 5 m.
B) The frequency is 5 Hz.
C) The velocity of propagation is 5 m/s.
D) The wavelength is 0.2 m.

Ans: B

67
 The graph shows a wave of frequency 3.0 Hz traveling to the right. The phase velocity
of this wave is
A) 6 m/s B) 13 m/s C) 60 m/s D) 0.12 km/s
Ans: D
Ans: C

68 The power transmitted by any harmonic wave varies directly as

A) the period. D) the amplitude squared.
B) the square root of the frequency.
C) the amplitude.
Ans: D
69 nIf you were to double the amplitude of a wave on a string while keeping the speed
and frequency of the wave constant, the energy delivered by the wave would
A) double.
B) quadruple.
C) be reduced 50%.
D) be reduced to 25% of its previous value.

Ans: B
70 The human ear can be sensitive to sound frequencies up to 20 kHz. What wavelength
does this correspond to at normal temperature and pressure?
A) 0.165 m B) 165 cm C) 16.5 mm D) 1650  104 m
Ans: C

71 The sound level of a dog's bark is 50 dB. The intensity of a rock concert is 10,000 times
that of the dog's bark. What is the sound level of the rock concert?
A) 10,050 dB B) 500,000 dB C) 90 dB D) 2000 dB
Ans: C

72 A musical pitch is played at 60 dB. Another is played that sounds four times as loud.
The sound intensity level of the second pitch is
A) 80 dB B) 100 dB C) 66 dB D) 64 dB

Ans: C

73 Two sounds differ by 30 dB. The intensity of the louder sound IL, compared with the
softer IS, is IL/IS. The value of the ratio is
A) 1000 B) 30 C) 9 D) 100
Ans: A

84 . If a sound of intensity I = 1.0  10–6 W/m2 falls on a detector of area A = 7.0  10–5 m2
(about the size of your eardrum), how much power is received by the detector?
A) 6.2  10–14 W D) 1.4  10–2 W
B) 1.0  10–6 W
C) 7.0  10–11 W
Ans: C
 75 The sound intensity in front of a loudspeaker diaphragm vibrating at 2 kHz is 4.3 W/m2,
with an acoustic power output of 0.3 W. Calculate the diameter of the diaphragm.
A) 3 cm B) 9 cm C) 15 cm D) 30 cm

Ans: D

76. While you are standing on a corner, a police car with a 1-kHz siren drives past you at
30 m/s with its siren on. The speed of sound is 340 m/s. After the car has passed, the
frequency you hear is about
A) 1.10 kHz B) 1.09 kHz C) 1.00 kHz D) 919 Hz
Ans: D

77. A blue line in the spectrum of the hydrogen atom has a wavelength  = 486 nm. In the
hydrogen-atom spectrum emitted by a distant galaxy, this line is observed on Earth at

= 550 nm. With what speed is this galaxy receding from us? (The speed of light is 3.0
 108 m/s.)
A) 1.31  107 m/s D) 3.49  107 m/s
B) 1.13  108 m/s
C) 2.65  108 m/s
Ans: D
78 The frequency of a car horn is f. What frequency is observed if both the car and the
observer are at rest, but a wind is blowing toward the observer?
A) f
B) greater than f
C) less than f
D) either greater or less than f
Ans: A

79 A siren of frequency 3.20 kHz moves away from a stationary observer with a speed of
30.5 m/s. If the speed of sound is 335 m/s, the frequency heard by the observer is
A) 2.66 kHz B) 2.93 kHz C) 3.49 kHz D) 3.52 kHz

Ans: B

80. A police car siren emits a sound at 600 Hz. If an observer moves toward the source at 50
km/hr, and the police car approaches the observer at 100 km/hr (all speeds relative to
the road), calculate the siren frequency heard by the driver of the police car (assume the
speed of sound in air = 343 m/s).
A) 626 Hz B) 600 Hz C) 679 Hz D) 577 Hz
Ans: B