Canadian Association of Physicists

2000 Prize Exam

Part A: Multiple Choice

Question 1

This is a three hour exam. National ranking and prizes

will be based on a students performance on both sections A
and B of the exam. However, performance on the multiple
choice questions in part A will be used to determine whose
written work in part B will be marked for prize consideration by the National Committee. The questions in part
B of the exam have a range of difficulty. Please be careful
to gather as many of the easier marks as possible before
venturing into more difficult territory. In some cases an answer to part (a) of a question is needed for part (b). Should
you not be able to solve part (a), assume a likely solution
and attempt the rest of the question anyway. No student is
expected to completely finish this exam and parts of each
question are very challenging.
Non-programmable calculators may be used. Please
be very careful to answer the multiple choice questions on
the answer card/sheet provided to you and, most importantly, write your solutions to the three written problems
on separate sheets as they will be marked by different people in different parts of Canada. Good luck.
Data
Speed of light
Gravitational constant
Radius of Earth
Radius of Moon
Mass of Earth
Mass of Moon
Mass of Sun
Radius of Moons orbit
Radius of Earths orbit
Acceleration due to gravity
Fundamental charge
Mass of electron
Mass of proton
Mass of neutron
Plancks constant
Coulombs constant
Permeability of free space
Speed of sound in air
Density of air
Boltzmann constant
Absolute zero
Energy Conversion
Avogadros number

c = 3.00 108 m/s

G = 6.67 1011 Nm2 /kg2
RE = 6.38 106 m
RM = 1.70 106 m
ME = 5.98 1024 kg
MM = 7.35 1022 kg
MS = 1.99 1030 kg
REM = 3.84 108 m
RES = 1.50 1011 m
g = 9.81 m/s2
e = 1.60 1019 C
me = 9.11 1031 kg
mp = 1.673 1027 kg
mn = 1.675 1027 kg
h = 6.63 1034 Js
1/4o = 8.99 109 Nm2 /C2
o = 4 107 N/A2
vs = 340 m/s
= 1.2 kg/m3
k = 1.38 1023 J/K
T = 0 K, T = 273 C
1 eV=1.6 1019 J
NA = 6.02 1023 mol1

Two high performance bicycle wheels have the same

mass but one is a solid disk and the other is a hoop with
very light (as compared to the mass of the rim) spokes.
Which wheel takes the most energy to accelerate to a speed
v? Ignore any air and rolling resistances.
(a) The disk wheel requires more energy.
(b) The spoked wheel requires more energy.
(c) Both take the same amount of energy.
(d) It depends on the radius of each wheel.
Question 2
An astronaut on a strange planet finds that the acceleration due to gravity is two times greater than that on
earth. Which of the following could explain this?
(a) The mass of the planet is half that of the earths but
its radius is the same.
(b) The radius of the planet is half that of the earths but
its mass is the same.
(c) Both the mass and the radius are twice the earths
values.
(d) Both the mass and the radius are half the earths values.
Question 3
A ball of mass of 10 g is hung from the end of a
light vertical spring and set oscillating with an amplitude
of 10 cm. The period of the oscillation is 1 s. If the ball
is now replaced by another with a mass of 40 g and again
set oscillating with the same amplitude, its new period of
oscillation will be,
(a) 1 s.
(b) 2 s.
(c) 4 s.
(d) 8 s.
Question 4
The human ear canal, which is open to the atmosphere
and ends at the ear drum, is about 3 cm long. Which of
the following is the best approximation to the fundemental
resonant frequency of the ear canal?
(a) 1,500 Hz
(b) 3,000 Hz
(c) 6,000 Hz
(d) 11,000 Hz

Canadian Association of Physicists Prize Exam

Question 5
A metal ball is connected to the ground with a wire
via a switch. The switch is initally closed (i.e.the ball is
connected to ground) while a charge +Q is brought close
to the ball (but not touching). While the charge is near
the ball, the switch is opened and then the charge is taken
away. The charge on the ball is now,
(a) zero.
(b) positive.
(c) negative.
(d) unchanged from its initial charge.
Question 6
In the light from a distant star, a particular spectral
line is observed. The wavelength of this line varies between
being about 2% shorter than the same line as observed in
an earth based laboratory, and about 2% longer. Which of
the following best describes the star.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

The star is moving away from the earth.

The star is moving towards the earth.
The star is very, very massive as compared to the sun.
The star is orbiting about some massive hidden object.

Question 7
A metal bar rotates about a vertical axis which passes
through the center of the bar. The axis of rotation is perpendicular to the length of the bar. There is a uniform
magnetic field in the vertical direction. The emf (or potential difference) induced between the two ends of the bar
is,

2000
Question 9
In photographic darkrooms, the only source of light is
usually a red light bulb. After spending time in a darkroom,
a persons eye becomes adjusted to the light but everything
appears to be in black and white. Since a red surface reflects
all red light, it will appear white. Which of the following
colours will appear to be the brightest?
(a) Green
(b) Blue
(c) Purple
(d) Black
Question 10
Millikans oil drop experiment attempts to measure the
charge on a single electron, e, by measuring the charge on
tiny oil drops suspended in an electrostatic field. It is assumed that the charge on the oil drops is due to just a small
number of excess electrons. The charges 3.90 1019 C,
6.50 1019 C, and 9.10 1019 C are measured on three
drops of oil. The charge of an electron is deduced to be,
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

1.3 1019
1.6 1019
2.6 1019
3.9 1019

C.
C.
C.
C.

Question 11
Two mirrors are joined together so that they make an
angle of 60 as shown.

(a) zero.
(b) a sinusoidally oscillating value.
(c) a non-zero positive value.

60

(d) a non-zero negative value.

Question 8
A projector shows an image which is in focus but too
large for the screen on which it is shown. Since the projector
and the screen are fixed in place, the projectionist must,
(a) adjust the projectors lens by moving it closer to the
screen.
(b) adjust the projectors lens by moving it farther from
the screen.
(c) replace the projectors lens with one having a shorter
focal length.
(d) replace the projectors lens with one having a longer
focal length.

A person stands at a point P which is on the line which

bisects the 60 angle. How many images of herself does the
person see?
(a) 1
(b) 3
(c) 6
(d) infinite number

Canadian Association of Physicists Prize Exam

Question 12
Consider a roller coaster with a loop-the-loop. The
loop is not circular (that would be too dangerous) but has
a radius of curvature which decreases with height. A roller
coaster car starts from rest from the top of a hill which is
5 m higher than the top of the loop. It rolls down the hill
and through the loop. What must the radius of curvature
at the top of the loop be so that the passengers of the car
will feel, at that point, as if they have their normal weight?

2000
(a) 0.01 s
(b) 0.10 s
(c) 0.50 s
(d) 1.00 s
Question 16
A circuit is comprised of 8 identical batteries connected
in series as shown.

(a) 5 m
(b) 10 m

(c) 15 m
(d) 20 m
Question 13
Two identical conducting balls have positive charges
q1 6= q2 respectively. The balls are brought together so that
they touch and then put back in their original positions.
The force between the balls is,
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

The same as it was before the balls touched.

Greater than before the balls touched.
Less than before the balls touched.
Zero.

Each battery has an emf of 1.5 V and an internal

resistance of 0.2 . What is the reading on a voltmeter
connected across any one of the batteries?.
(a) 0.0
(b) 1.3 V
(c) 1.5 V
(d) 12 V
Question 17
Each branch in the following circuit has a resistance R.

Question 14
Helium 42 He becomes a superfluid at temperatures T <
2.18 K. A superfluid flows with no viscosity. This behaviour
can only be explained using quantum physics and it can
only happen if the de Broglie wavelength of a helium atom,
of mass m, is comparable to the inter-atomic spacing of the
fluid. Which of the following could be an expression for ,
the de Broglie wavelength?

(a) = h/ 3mkT

(b) = 3mkT /rh

(c) = h/3mkT

(d) = 3mkT / h
Question 15
In a game of egg-toss, two players toss an egg back and
forth between them while moving farther and farther apart.
The loser is the person who breaks the egg when catching it.
The force required to break an eggs shell is about 5 N and
a typical egg has a mass of about 50 g. If the players are
10 m apart, and the eggs are thrown with initial velocities
directed at 45 above the horizontal, what is the shortest
time that a player can take to arrest the motion of the egg
so as not to break it?

The equivalent resistance of the the circuit between the

points A and B is,
(a) R
(b) 2R
(c) 4R
(d) 8R
Question 18
Which of the following statements is true concerning
the elastic collision of two objects?
(a) No work is done on any of the two objects, since there
is no external force.
(b) The work done by the first object on the second is equal
to the work done on the second by the first.
(c) The work done by the first object on the second is
exactly the opposite of the work done on the second
by the first.
(d) The work done on the system depends on the angle of
collision.
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Canadian Association of Physicists Prize Exam

Question 19
Which of the following statements is false?
(a) The momentum of a heavy object is greater than that
of a light object moving at the same speed.
(b) In a perfectly inelastic collision, all the initial kinetic
energy of the colliding bodies is dissipated.
(c) The momentum of a system of colliding bodies may
be conserved even though the total mechanical energy
may not.
(d) The velocity of the center of mass of a system is the
systems total momentum divided by its total mass.
Question 20
Which of the following statements is true?
(a) The observed doppler shift for sound waves depends
only on the relative motion of the source and the receiver.
(b) Only transverse waves can diffract.
(c) Two wave sources that are out of phase by 180 are
incoherent.
(d) Interference patterns are only observed for coherent
sources.
Question 21
An airplane circumnavigates the globe by flying above
the equator and at a constant altitude above sea level. If
the plane repeats the journey but flies at an altitude which
is 1000 m higher than before, how much larger a distance
through the atmosphere does the plane travel as compared
to the first time?
(a) 6.283 km
(b) 62.83 km
(c) 628.3 km
(d) 6283 km
Question 22
A block of mass m is at rest on an inclined plane. The
coefficients of static and kinetic friction between the block
and the plane are s and k < s . The angle that the plane
makes with the horizontal satisfies tan = s . A string is
attached to the block. Is it possible to pull on the string in
such a way that the block will slide with constant velocity
along a horizontal line? That is to say, can the block slide
along a line of constant elevation?

2000
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Yes
Yes, but only if k mg cos < mg sin
Yes, but only if k mg cos > mg sin
No

Question 23
A proton is moving with a speed of u directly towards
an alpha-particle (Helium nucleus) which, when the two
particles were very far apart from one another, was initially
at rest. What is the separation of the particles at their point
of closest approach? You may assume that m = 4mp .
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

r
r
r
r

= e2 /o mp u2
= e2 /4o mp u2
= 5e2 /4o mp u2
= 5e2 /8o mp u2

Question 24
Red light from a HeNe laser has a wavelength of
630 nm. If it is normally incident upon an optical diffraction grating with 2000 lines per centimeter, how many maxima (including the central maximum) may be observed on
a screen which is far from the grating?
(a) 14
(b) 15
(c) 16
(d) 17
Question 25
Which of the following statements is true?
(a) The capacitance of a capacitor is the total amount of
charge it can store.
(b) The equivalent capacitance of two capacitors in series
is the sum of the two capacitances.
(c) A dielectric material inserted between the conductors
of a capacitor increases its capacitance.
(d) The electrostatic energy stored by a capacitor is equal
to the ratio of the charge on either conductor to the
potential difference between the conductors.

Canadian Association of Physicists Prize Exam

Part B
Problem 1
A mass spectrometer measures the mass of ions. An
ion is accelerated to a high speed and injected into a region
with a uniform magnetic field which is perpendicular to the
ions velocity. The ion will follow a curved trajectory and
impact a photographic plate some distance away from the
injection point. By measuring this distance, the ions mass
can be deduced.

P
film

2000
(b) If a wind vw blows from the west (i.e.to the east), find
the time that the plane would take for a round trip
from town A to B and back again. Show that it is
greater than T .
(c) If a wind vw blows from the south (i.e.to the north),
sketch a diagram showing the heading that the plane
must fly so as to fly in a straight line from town A to
town B. Again, find the round trip time for flying in
such a cross wind.
(d) Show that regardless of the wind direction, the round
trip time for a flight from town A to B and back again
is longer than if there was no wind whatsoever. Find
an expression for the round trip time if a wind vw blows
in an arbitrary direction.

m,q
41
Suppose singly charged (q = +e) ions of 39
19 K and 19 K
are accelerated to an energy of 500 eV and injected into a
magnetic field B = 0.7 T. The velocity of the ions upon
entering the magnetic field is perpendicular to the line OP .

(a) What speed do each of the ions have when they impact
the photographic plate at a point P ?
(b) What is the shape of the trajectory for the ions? Find
the distance OP for each of the two ions.
(c) In reality, things are not quite so simple. Variations
in the ions velocities can cause problems with the resolution of the machine. If the initial energy of the
ions cannot be held precisely at 500 eV, there will be
a small variation in the distances OP . Suppose that
the energy of the ions is 500 5 eV. Can the two ions
be distinguished from one another when they hit the
screen?
(d) Suppose that the velocity of the ions when they enter
the magnetic field cannot be held perpendicular to the
line OP . If there is a small variation of about a
perpendicular injection angle, find the variation in the
length of OP . Can the two ions be distinguished from
one another if = 3 ?
Problem 2
A town B is directly east of a town A. The two towns
are a distance L apart. In the absence of any wind, a plane
can fly from town A to B in a time T . The speed of the
airplane, vo = L/T is called the planes air-speed. Assume
in all that follows that the plane always has the same airspeed. If the plane flys with a tail wind of speed vw , then
it will have a speed with respect to the ground, vg given by
vg = vo + vw . This is called the planes ground-speed.

Problem 3
Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned by the Duke of
Milan to construct a Bronze statue as a tribute to his late
father. The proposed size was to be twenty three feet tall
and weigh 80 tons (73,000 kg). For this task Leonardo
had to develop new casting methods to construct this massive statue. By 1499 the French invaded Milan and he had
only completed a 22-foot clay model which was used by the
French soldiers for target practice. The project was never
completed.
Heavy statues need to be placed upon very strong concrete pedestals. The compressive strength of high strength
concrete ranges from 10 70 N/mm2 . Lets take a typical high-strength concrete with a compressive strength of
s = 50 N/mm2 and a density of = 1250 kg/m3 . This
concrete will crumble if a pressure of greater than this is
applied.
(a) Suppose Leonardos statue (a horse with four feet
touching the ground) is to be placed on such a concrete
pedestal. What must be the minimum area of each of
the horses feet so as not to damage the pedestal?
(b) Now, more generally, what is the maximum height of
a conical mountain made of high strength concrete?
(c) Finally, outline the design constraints that go into
making a free standing concrete structure with the
maximum possible height.

(a) Explain how the plane could have a ground-speed of

zero.
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