EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007

PHYSICS

DATE: 6th June 2007 (afternoon)

DURATION OF EXAMINATION :

3 hours (180 minutes)

MATERIAL ALLOWED :

Calculator (not programmable or graphic)

PARTICULAR REMARKS :

 Choose 4 questions from the 6 given questions.

 Indicate your choice of questions by placing a cross in each appropriate box on the
supplied form.

 Use a different examination sheet for each question.

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 EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007: PHYSICS

Question 1 Mark

In this question, all objects can be considered to be homogeneous spheres.

Tempel 1 is a typical comet. In 2005 NASA sent the probe, “Deep Impact”,
to collide with Tempel 1 at high speed, in order to gain information about the
structure of comets.

a) The orbit of Tempel 1 around the sun is elliptical, with the sun at one focus of
the ellipse. In this orbit, Tempel 1 is 2.26 × 108 km from the sun at its closest
approach, and 7.08 × 108 km from the sun at its furthest approach.

i. Calculate the force between the sun and Tempel 1 at the point of closest 3 points
approach.
ii. Describe how the total mechanical energy, the potential energy, and the 4 points
kinetic energy, of the comet, vary during a complete revolution.
iii. The speed of the comet at its furthest point from the sun is 5 points
9.57 × 103 m s1. Calculate the speed of the comet at its point of closest
approach to the sun.

b) i. Show, that for an object of mass m, in circular orbit around a mass M, 4 points
the relationship between the radius of the orbit r and the period T of the
orbit is given by:
GM
r3  2 T 2
4π

ii. Tempel 1 rotates about its own axis with a period of 5.4 × 107 s. It is 2 points
proposed that a future mission could put a satellite in stationary orbit
around the comet, i.e. always above the same point on the comet’s
surface. Calculate the height above the comet’s surface of such a
satellite.
c) In a future mission a probe could be placed on the comet’s surface to extract a
sample of the surface material.
i. Show that the minimum speed, with which the probe would have to 5 points
leave the surface in order to escape from the comet, is 1.27 m s1.
Ignore the motion of Tempel 1.
ii. The speed at which “Deep Impact” struck the comet’s surface was 2 points
1.02 × 103 m s1. Explain, whether or not, “Deep impact”, with this
speed, could have gone into orbit around the comet.
Given:
universal gravitational constant ............... G = 6.67  10–11 m3·kg–1·s–2;
mass of the sun ....................................... mS = 1.99 × 1030 kg ;
mass of Tempel 1 .................................... mT = 7.20 × 1013 kg;
Radius of Tempel 1 .................................. rT = 6.00 km.

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 EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007: PHYSICS

Question 2 Mark

In this question, any relativistic effects may be ignored and the laws of
classical mechanics apply. The gravitational forces on the particles are
negligible compared to the electromagnetic forces.

A cyclotron consists of two

 half-cylinders D1 and D2. Inside, there is a
uniform magnetic field B , perpendicular to the plane of the figure below.

A particle, of positive charge q and mass m, is emitted by a source S. The

particle enters D1, at point A1, with a speed v1. It completes a semi-circle of
radius R1. The particle is then accelerated between D1 and D2, by an electric
field parallel to the path of the particle. The particle enters D2, at point A2,
with speed v2 and completes a semicircle of radius R2.

The electric field reverses direction after every passage of the particle through
the narrow gap between D1 and D2.

a) i. Make a sketch of D1 and show on it the direction of the velocity of the 4 points
particle and the magnetic force exerted on it atpoint P.
Show also the direction of the magnetic field B .

ii. Explain why the magnetic field B does not change the kinetic energy of 2 points
the charged particle.
iii. Derive the following expression for the radius R1 : 4 points
mv
R  1
1 qB
iv. Derive an expression for the time interval t , for which the particle is in 4 points
D1 or D2, in terms of m, q and B.

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 EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007: PHYSICS

Question 2 Mark

b) i. Why is the direction of the electric field reversed on each successive 2 points
passage of the particle through the gap between D1 and D2?

ii. Show that the frequency of revolution f of the charged particle is given 3 points
by the expression:
qB
f 
2m

c) The particle exits when it reaches the maximum radius, Rmax, and
possesses the energy:
2
Emax = (qBR max)
2m

i. Ernest O. Lawrence constructed the first cyclotron in 1929. It 4 points

accelerated protons to energy of 80 keV and to a path of maximum
diameter of 11 cm. Calculate the magnitude of B applied in this
cyclotron.

ii. What are the factors, which limit the maximum energy, obtained by the 2 points
protons?

Given:
mass of a proton ...................................... mp = 1.67  10–27 kg ;
elementary charge ................................... e = 1.60  10–19 C.

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 EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007: PHYSICS

Question 3 Mark

a)
A metal wire has a mass per unit length, or linear density μ = 4.15 × 10-4 kg m-1.

i. The wire vibrates with the fundamental frequency f0 = 625 Hz, when the
tension is F = 250 N. Calculate the length of the wire. 4 points

ii. The length of the wire is now shortened to L = 0.500 m.

Calculate the tension required to keep the fundamental frequency of the wire
4 points
at f0 = 625 Hz.

b) A water tank with vertical, parallel sides and length 15.0 m is used to model
waves in the sea. An oscillator is placed at one end so that it produces plane
waves that move along the tank. These waves may be either reflected or
absorbed depending on the choice of physical conditions at the other end of the
tank. The speed of the waves is 14.4 m s-1. The amplitude of oscillation of the
water surface is 30.0 cm and the oscillator frequency is 1.60 Hz.

i. Calculate the wavelength λ.

3 points
ii. At time t = 0 the oscillator is moving upwards. The vertical displacement, y,
of the oscillator is zero at time t = 0. If the waves are not reflected, write the
equation for y, as a function of x and t, where x is the horizontal distance 4 points
from the oscillator, valid for values of x between 0 and 15.0 m.

iii. Calculate the vertical speed of the water surface at x = λ and t = 2.00 s. 5 points

iv. The end of the tank farthest from the oscillator is now made into a good 5 points
reflector and the oscillator frequency is increased slowly from zero. At
certain frequencies, a standing wave of large amplitude is produced. Assume
that the water at both ends of the tank moves with maximum amplitude.
Calculate the two lowest frequencies at which standing waves will be
produced.

Given:
Speed v of propagation of a wave along a stretched wire
F
v ,

where F is the tension and µ is the linear density (mass per unit length).

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 EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007: PHYSICS

Question 4 Mark

"Chromatic Aberration" is a problem for makers of optical instruments. Light

a)
of different wavelengths is refracted by slightly different amounts, causing
images to have coloured edges.
For a particular type of glass, the refractive indices for red and blue light are:
nred = 1.7130 and nblue = 1.7378.

i. A narrow beam of white light enters a rectangular block of this type of 4 points
glass, at an angle of 30º to the normal. Calculate the angle between the
red and the blue rays inside the glass block.

ii. White light is incident normally on one face of this block of glass, which 4 points
is 1.50 cm thick. Calculate the difference between the times taken by red
and blue light, to travel this distance, through the glass.

b) The wavelengths of the spectral lines in the light emitted by distant galaxies
can be used to determine the speed at which they are moving away from us.
The measured wavelengths of familiar spectral lines are always greater than
the corresponding wavelengths measured from a stationary source on earth.
In the following questions you may use the formula for Doppler effect.
The wavelengths of two lines in the hydrogen spectrum are 656.3 nm (red)
and 486.1 nm (blue). In an analysis of the light from a particular galaxy,
spectral lines are observed with wavelengths of 725.6 nm and 537.4 nm.

i. Show that these wavelengths of light from the galaxy must correspond to 4 points
the red and blue lines in the hydrogen spectrum.

ii. Calculate an approximate value for the speed at which this galaxy is 3 points
receding from the earth.

iii. The longest wavelength, which an eye can detect, is 750 nm. Hence, 3 points
calculate the speed at which a galaxy must recede from the earth, if the
red line is to disappear from visibility.

c) Young’s experiment is carried out by illuminating two very narrow parallel

slits with laser light of wavelength 486 nm. The centres of the slits are
8.00  10-5 m apart. A screen is placed parallel to the plane defined by the
slits and at a distance of 2.50 m from this plane.

i. Describe and explain the pattern observed on the screen.

3 points
ii. Calculate the distance between two consecutive minima observed on the
screen. 4 points

Given:
speed of light in a vacuum ..... c = 3.00  108 m·s–1.

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Question 5 Mark

A silver surface is illuminated by a mercury lamp emitting light, which

includes the following wavelengths:
253.7 nm, 365.0 nm, 435.8 nm and 546.0 nm.
The work function of silver is 3.8 eV.

a) Explain what is meant by the term “work function”. 2 points

b) Calculate the threshold frequency for silver. 4 points

c) What is the maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectrons emitted by light of 4 points
wavelength 253.7 nm?

d) Explain why the three other given wavelengths do not cause photoemission. 2 points

e) i. Explain what is meant by the term “stopping potential” in relation to a 2 points

photoelectric cell.
ii. What is the stopping potential when a photoelectric cell with a silver 2 points
cathode is illuminated with light of wavelength 253.7 nm?

f) The power of the light of wavelength 253.7 nm is 2.5 W. 5 points

One photoelectron is liberated for every 1.0  104 photons of wavelength
253.7 nm incident on the cathode.
Calculate the expected saturation current in this photoelectric cell.

g) The intensity of the radiation incident on the cathode is doubled.

i. Explain how the stopping potential will change. 2 points
ii. Explain how the saturation current will change. 2 points

Given:
speed of light in a vacuum ................. c = 3.00  108 m·s–1;
the Planck constant ............................. h = 6.63  10–34 J·s ;
elementary charge ............................... e = 1.60  10–19 C.

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 EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007: PHYSICS

Question 6 Mark

a) Carbon has two stable non-radioactive isotopes, carbon-12 and carbon-13. In

addition, there are tiny amounts of the unstable isotope carbon-14, 146 C . This
isotope is produced in the upper atmosphere by a neutron colliding with
nitrogen, 147 N , with the release of a proton. Plants take up carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere and incorporate the carbon into their tissues. This carbon
includes atoms of carbon-14. In living timber, there is approximately one atom
of carbon-14 for every 1012 atoms of carbon. Carbon-14 has a half-life of
5730 years, decaying to nitrogen by - emission. When a plant dies, the carbon-
14 in its tissues decays and the amount of carbon-14 per gram of carbon starts to
decrease.

i. Write the equation for the formation of carbon-14 from nitrogen-14 by 2 points
neutron bombardment.

ii. Write the equation for the - decay of carbon-14. 2 points

iii. Calculate, in MeV, the maximum kinetic energy of the - particle emitted 3 points
by the decay of 146 C .

iv. The average atomic mass of carbon is 12.01 u. 2 points

Calculate the number of atoms in 1.00 g of carbon.

v. A sample of living timber contains 1.00 g of carbon. 2 points

Calculate the number of carbon-14 atoms in this sample.

vi. Show that the activity of 1.00 g of carbon atoms contained in living 4 points
timber is approximately 0.19 Bq.

vii. A sample of timber containing 1.00 g of carbon is found to have an 5 points

activity of 6.7 counts per minute.
Calculate the time elapsed since this timber was cut down.
b) The radioisotope most widely used in medicine is technetium-99m, also called
Tc-99m, symbol 99 *
43Tc . Tc-99m is a metastable state of technetium-99, into
which it decays with a half-life of 6.0 h, emitting gamma rays with energy of
140.5 keV. Tc-99m is formed by the decay of molybdenum-99, 99 42 Mo .

i. Write the nuclear equation for the decay of Mo-99 to Tc-99m. 2 points

ii. Calculate the change in mass, in atomic mass units, when one nucleus of 3 points
Tc-99m decays into Tc-99.

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 EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE 2007: PHYSICS

Question 6 Mark

Given:
14
atomic mass of 6C ............................... 14.003 242 u ;
14
atomic mass of 7N .............................. 14.003 074 u ;

atomic mass unit .................................... 1 u = 1.66  10–27 kg = 931.5 MeV/c2 ;

elementary charge .................................. e = 1.60  10–19 C ;
Avogadro's constant................................. L = 6.02  10 23 mol -1;

speed of light in vacuum ........................ c = 3.00  108 m·s–1.

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