Exploring Physics Level M

Chapter 1 – Pressure

Section 1.1 Introduction to Pressure

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1. A coin is placed vertically inside a liquid in equilibrium, such that its center C is at
a depth h below the surface. What is the direction of the force on the right face?

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2. In each of the following cases, specify the direction of the force due to:
a) Pressure exerted by the foot of a man on the horizontal ground.
b) Pressure exerted by water on the sides of a vertical container.

Section 1.2 Pressure – Definition and Properties

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3. Define and give the unit of pressure.

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4. A block of stone has a mass of 700 kg and measures 3 m × 3 m × 1 m. When it is
standing on a bench what is the maximum pressure it can exert on the bench?

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5. A tube is filled with water to a height of 0.2 m. Calculate the water pressure at a
point 0.13 m below the surface of water. (The density of water is 1000 kg/m3.)

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6. [G] A box, with a square bottom of side 30.0 cm, has a mass of 18.0 kg. What is
the pressure exerted by the box on the floor it is placed on? Use g = 10.0 m/s2.

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7. [G] A submarine can be modeled as a cylinder of length L and radius R, capped
by two hemispherical shells of radius R. Its dimensions can be considered
negligible compared to the depth. Calculate the pressure acting on the submarine
when it is cruising at a depth of 200 m.
(You may assume that the pressure inside the cabin is equal to the atmospheric
pressure and that water density is equal to 103 kg/m3)

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8. State Pascal’s law.

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9. Under weightless conditions, how does pressure transmit in a liquid?

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Section 1.3 Atmospheric Pressure

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10. What is the pressure 100 m below the surface of the sea water of density 1150
kg/m3?

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11. The pressure in a water pipe in the ground floor of a building is 4.0 × 105 Pa but
three floors up it is only 2 × 105 Pa. What is the height between the ground floor
and the third floor?
(The water in the pipe may be assumed to be stationary; density of water = 1.0 ×
103 kg/m3; g = 10 m/s2).

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12. [G] The diagram below shows a simple barometer.

Consider two points at the same level in the liquid mercury, where B is just under
the surface of mercury and A is inside the tube.

a) Express the atmospheric pressure in terms of the density of mercury Hg and
the height of the mercury column h.

b) If the height of the mercury column is 75.0 cm, what is the atmospheric
pressure? Given Hg = 13,600 kg/m3 and g = 10.0 m/s2.

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Section 1.4 Applications

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13. The adjacent diagram shows a simple barometer.

a) What is the region A?

b) What keeps the mercury in the tube?
c) What is the value of the atmospheric pressure being shown by the barometer?
d) What would happen to this reading if the barometer were taken up a high
mountain? Give a reason

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14. What would be the height of a water barometer if atmospheric pressure is 1.0 ×
105 Pa and the density of water is 1.0 × 103 kg/m3? (g = 10 N/kg).

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15. A thin-walled metal can contain air at atmospheric pressure, kept by an air-tight
lid. Experiments show that air outside the can exerts a considerable pressure on
the outside of the can.

a) Explain in terms of the motion of the air molecules inside the can why the can
does not collapse.

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b) When the can is heated strongly with a Bunsen burner, the lid is blown off.
Explain in terms of the air molecules inside the can why this happens.

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16. Describe three experiments, one for each of the following cases, to show that the
pressure exerted by a liquid:
a) varies with the depth of the liquid.
b) varies with the density of the liquid.
c) is the same in all directions at a given depth.

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17. A tank with a base area of 4 m2 is connected at the bottom to a vertical tube of
cross-sectional area 0.01 m2 by a horizontal tube. A liquid of density 1000 kg/m3
is poured into the tank until the depth of liquid in the tank is 0.5 m.
Sketch the arrangement of the tank and tubes (not to scale) showing clearly the
depth of liquid in the tank and in the vertical tube. Calculate:
a) the pressure due to the liquid on the base of the tank.
b) the pressure due to the liquid at the base of the vertical tube.
c) If the atmospheric pressure at the time was 120,000 Pa, what would be the total
pressure on the base of the tank? (Use g = 10 N/kg)

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18. [G] a) In the diagram below the liquid used in the closed-end manometer is
mercury; h1 = 20 cm, h2 = 70 cm. Atmospheric pressure is 76 cm of Hg. The
pressure of the gas, to the nearest cm of Hg, is

b) Differentiate between an open-end manometer and a closed-end manometer.

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19. [G] In hydraulic press, a force of 20 N is applied to a piston of area of 0.20 m2.
The area of the other piston is 2.0 m2. Find:
a) the pressure transmitted through the liquid, and
b) the force on the other piston

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20. [T] A hydraulic lift diagram is shown below. Both pistons are circular.

a) Describe in brief how a hydraulic press works.

b) The radius of the left cylinder is 2.0 cm and that of the right cylinder is 10 cm.
A downward force of 25 N is applied to the left cylinder.
i. Calculate the area of the left cylinder.
ii. Calculate pressure applied to the left cylinder.
iii. Calculate the total upward force caused by the liquid.

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21. [T] An ice cube, of density 920 km/m3 and side 5.0 cm, is floating in water, of
density 1,000 kg/m3. Use g = 9.8 m/s2.

a) Calculate the weight of the ice cube.

b) Determine the magnitude upward force exerted by the surrounding water on the
cube.

c) Deduce the value of x (height of the ice cube above the water).

d) Using your answer to c. explain why icebergs constitute a danger to the ships
sailing near them.

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Chapter 2 – Electronics

Section 2.1 Semiconductors

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1. a) In which direction does a pn junction conduct current?
b) Explain the way a pn junction conducts electric current.

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2. Define an ideal diode, and draw its characteristics.

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3. Determine the current in the circuit when a p.d. of 6 V is applied across a silicon
diode and a 600 Ω resistor in series.

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4. [G] Define semiconductors.

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5. [G] Describe the process of doping to produce n-type and p-type semiconductors.

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6. [G] Describe how a pn junction is reverse-biased.

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7. [G] What are the conditions necessary for a pn junction to be forward-biased?

Section 2.2 Rectification

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8. How is a diode used as a half–wave rectifier?

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9. [G] Define rectification.

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10. [G] Describe the working principle of the four-diode bridge rectifier. Draw a
diagram of the rectifier.

Section 2.3 Capacitors

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11. Draw the current–time graph and voltage–time graph for charging and
discharging a capacitor.

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12. Draw a diagram of a simple power supply and explain briefly the role of each
component.

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13. In a capacitor-smoothed full-wave rectifier,
a) Why can’t the charged capacitor discharge in the secondary coil of the
transformer?
b) What would the steady output voltage of the unloaded rectifier be?
c) Would you expect the degree of smoothening to depend on the resistance of the
load? If yes how, if no why?

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14. [G] A capacitor is a device that stores charge and energy. How can a capacitor
be charged and discharged?

Section 2.4 Transistors

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15. What are the two types of a bipolar junction transistor? Name the corresponding
terminals.

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16. Consider the diagram below.

If the resistance of A is 450 Ω and the resistance of B is variable,

a) What resistance of B is required to have a base-emitter voltage of 1 volt?
b) What resistance of B is required to have a base-emitter voltage less than 0.6
volt? Would the transistor then be on?

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17. [G] Explain how the transistor acts as an amplifier.

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18. [G] What are the electrical connections that should be made for an npn transistor
to be properly biased?

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19. [G] Describe the behavior of an npn transistor at different input voltages.

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20. [G] What is the gain of the transistor below?

12 V

2.0 kΩ
Ic

8.0 kΩ
1.4 V
Ib

0V

Section 2.5 Other Semiconducting Devices

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21. Draw a circuit showing the use of an LDR in a light-dependent switch. Explain
how this circuit works.

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22. With the aid of a diagram describes the principle of the time-operated switch.

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23. [G] Draw the intensity-resistance graph of an LDR and the temperature-
resistance graph of a thermistor.

Section 2.6 Digital Electronics

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24. Write the truth table of the following combination of logic gates.

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25. Show that the following circuits are logically identical.

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26. [G] a. Draw the symbols for the following logic gates:

- NOT logic gate

- AND logic gate
- OR logic gate
- NOR logic gate
- NAND logic gate

b. Complete the following truth table for the NOR logic gate.

Input A Input B Output Y

1 1

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27. [G] Design a logic control for a lift motor. The lift operates between the ground
floor and the first floor and there are two operating buttons.
The control system must turn the motor on only if:
• the lift doors are closed AND
• only one lift-operating button is pressed.
Hint: When closed, the doors send a logic 1 to the logic control.

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28. [T]
a. In the figure below B is a variable resistor and C is a buzzer. The setup is connected to
a 6.0 V supply.

i. Name the component labelled A.

ii. At 20C the lamp is off. Explain what happens to the circuit as the ambient
temperature increases.

b. Suggest an application for this circuit.

c. What is the advantage of using a resistor of variable resistance as B?

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29. [T] Consider the circuit shown below. Switch S has remained closed for a long
time.

a. Name the circuit component labelled P.

b. The resistance of R is 100 .

i. Calculate the current through this resistor.
ii. Calculate the power dissipated in the resistor.

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c. The switch is now opened. On the axes below sketch how the current in the resistor
varies with time.

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30. [T] Consider the circuit shown below where D is a buzzer.

a. State the name of component A.

b. Explain what happens to the resistance of A when the intensity of incident light
decreases.

c. Describe the advantage of using a variable resistor B instead of the fixed resistor.

d. State the name of the gate C.

e. What should be the input of the gate C for the buzzer to operate?

f. Suggest a practical application for this circuit. Explain how it works.

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31. [T]
a. Consider the logic gate shown below.

i. State the name of this gate.

ii. Complete its truth table.

A B C
0 0
0 1
1 0
1 1

b. Consider the following system of gates operating a street light.

i. Describe the conditions when the street light turns on.

ii. Complete the truth table to support your statement in i.

Switch Light detector Output

0 0
1 1
0 1
1 0

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32. [T] Consider the circuit shown below.

a. Name the components of the circuit labelled

i. A, and
ii. B.

b. Name one use of component A in electric circuits.

c. List two primary uses of component B in the electric circuits.

d. The switch is initially closed and has remained closed for a long time. Explain what
happens in the circuit when it is opened again.

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Chapter 3 – Waves

Section 3.1 Pulses and Waves

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1. Differ between a pulse and a wave.

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2. [G] Is energy and matter transmitted by a wave?

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3. [G] Define compression and rarefaction.

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4. [G] a) Define a progressive transverse wave? Give examples.
b) Define a progressive longitudinal wave? Give examples.

Section 3.2 Sound Waves

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5. Describe the movement of air molecules and the pressure variation as a sound
wave propagates through air.

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6. To what category of waves do sound and light belong?

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7. Sound is thought of as a train of pulses traveling in a medium.
a) How sound is produced?
b) Would you expect sound waves in air to be transverse or longitudinal? Explain.

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8. [G] Define sound waves.

Section 3.3 Speed of Propagation of a Wave

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9. Two cans connected by a rope can form a primitive interphone (telephone). How
can you explain that?

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Section 3.4 Periodic Progressive Waves

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10. a) A train of waves travels in a stretched spring at the rate of two waves per
second. Find the period.
b) The time for one complete cycle of a musical note is 4 × 10-3 s. Find the
frequency of the sound.
c) A radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 100 MHz. Find the period of
the electromagnetic waves it broadcasts.

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11. Draw and label a displacement-position graph of the particles along the wave
train at a single moment.

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12. Draw and label a displacement-time graph of a single particle in the wave.

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13. [G] Define frequency, wavelength, amplitude, and wave speed.

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14. [G] What is the speed of a wave of frequency 4.0 × 1014 Hz and wavelength 750
nm?

Section 3.5 Characteristics of Sound Waves

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15. a) Which sound travels faster, a loud sound or a quiet one?
b) Which sound travels faster, the one produced by a guitar or by a drum?

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16. [G] Wave A undergoes several changes to give waves W, X, Y, and Z.

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a. Describe how the pitch of wave A changes in W and Z.

b. Describe how the loudness of wave A changes in X and Y.

Section 3.6 Principle of Superposition of Waves

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17. a) Do different sound pulses pass through each other without change? How can
you justify that?
b) Do different light pulses pass through each other without change? How can you
justify that?

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18. [G] Draw two waves that interfere constructively and two waves that interfere
destructively.

Section 3.7 Boundary Behavior of a Pulse (Wave)

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19. Does sound pass through and reflect from a barrier simultaneously? If you clap
your hands 30 meters from the flat window of a building, can you hear the echo?
Can people inside the building hear you clap as well?

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20. [G] Draw the reflected pulse for each of the following scenarios.

a. at a fixed end:

b. at a free end:

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Section 3.8 Waves in Two Dimensions

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21. [G] A plane wave strikes a straight reflector, as shown below.

Draw the reflection of the wave after the reflector.

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22. [G] When a water wave travels from shallow water to deep water, it changes its
direction.

a. What wave phenomenon is being observed?

b. How does the speed and wavelength of the wave change?

Section 3.9 Diffraction and Interference

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23. How does the interference pattern depend on the wavelength?

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24. Design an experiment using double slit to study the interference of light.

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25. [G] Once a water wave reaches a narrow barrier, it spreads out after the barrier
as shown below.

What wave phenomenon is being described?

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26. [G] Michael sends a train of sound waves into a barrier. The waves leave the
barrier making the shapes shown below.

How can Michael make the waves spread out more after the barrier? List two ways.

Section 3.11 Standing Waves

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27. a) What is the distance between adjacent nodes?
b) Where are the anti-nodes situated?

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28. [G] A particular string resonates in three loops at a frequency of 150 Hz. What
is the fundamental frequency and the 5th harmonic?

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29. [G] What are the factors affecting the resonant frequency of a string?

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30. [G] The length of a pipe open at both ends is 0.60 m. Calculate the wavelength
and the frequency of the third harmonic. Use vsound in air = 340 m/s.

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31. [G] The length of a closed open at both ends is 0.600 m. Calculate the
wavelength and the frequency of the third harmonic. Use vsound in air = 340. m/s.

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32. [T] The diagram below shows the displacement of the particles of matter at
different points in space as a mechanical wave spreads through the matter.

a. Use the graph to determine the wavelength of this wave.

b. How would the graph change if the frequency of the wave was higher?

c. The disturbance in the medium is along the same line as that in which the wave is
travelling. What type of wave is it?

d. The frequency of the wave is 1500 Hz. Calculate the speed of this wave.

e. Calculate the time it takes the wave to propagate through a sample of matter of length
40 cm.

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33. [T] The diagram below shows the wave front of waves in a ripple tank moving
towards the boundary. The waves are moving from the region where their speed is low is
to the region where their speed is high.

a. Name the phenomenon observed in waves as they enter the new medium.

b. Complete the diagram to show the position of the crests of waves after the boundary.

c. Calculate the wavelength of the incident wave.

d. The speed of the wave in the low speed medium is 0.24 m/s. Calculate the frequency of
the incident wave.

e. The speed of wave in the high-speed medium is 1.5 greater than that in the low-speed
medium. Calculate the wavelength of the wave in the high-speed medium.

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34. [T] A laser beam passes through a grating and produces a pattern of light and dark
fringes on the screen. The distance between the central bright fringe and the next one is
denoted by x.

a. Name the phenomenon illustrated in the diagram.

b. Put one tick in each row of the table to indicate how each of the following changes to
the experiment would affect the value of x.

x is increased x remains the same x is decreased

using a laser light with a lower
frequency
using a grating with thinner
slits
immersing the setup in water

c. The wavelength of the red light is 700 nm. Calculate the frequency of this light.

d. Name three types of electromagnetic waves whose wavelength is longer than that of red
light.

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