Contemporary Arts Book
Contemporary Arts Book
Instructions:
This exam is closed book, closed notes. However, you may use a scientific calculator.
Mark your answers to the multiple-choice questions on a Scantron answer sheet.
Show all of your work on these test papers for full credit (no other scratch paper is allowed).
Turn in these test pages with your Scantron answer sheet at the end of the exam.
Each question is worth 3 points unless noted otherwise.
3. If Planck’s constant were ten times larger than it is, quantum effects would be
1. easier to detect
2. more difficult to detect
3. impossible to detect
4. The double-slit experiment with electrons demonstrated the surprising realization that
1. electrons are quanta of energy
2. light behaves both as a particle and a wave
3. electrons can sometimes behave like waves
4. the microscopic behavior of matter is predictable
6. About 10 visible photons (with a wavelength of ~500 nm) are needed to cause a single photosynthesis
reaction in living plants. Approximately how much energy is associated with this reaction?
1. 4 x 10-17 J
2. 4 x 10-18 J
3. 4 x 10-19 J
4. 4 x 10-20 J
7. Which has the more predictable behavior, an electron or a proton, and why?
1. an electron, because of its smaller mass
2. a proton, because of its larger mass
3. an electron, because it does not feel the nuclear force
4. a proton, because it does feel the nuclear force
8. What happens in the double-slit experiment with electrons if we place a detector behind one of the slits?
1. We can then predict the precise point at which each electron will strike the screen.
2. We can know which slit each electron passes through, and the pattern on the screen is not affected.
3. We can know which slit each electron passes through, but the pattern on the screen is affected.
4. Only half of the interference pattern on the screen will appear.
10. Which type of scientific measurement has given us the most information about the physical universe?
1. Thermometry: measurements of temperature
2. Energetics: measurements of the total energy produced by physical processes
3. Spectroscopy: measurements of electromagnetic spectra
4. Spatial measurements of distance, area, and volume
11. Use the uncertainty principle to estimate the speed of the electron in the ground state of hydrogen,
where the electron remains in a sphere that is roughly 0.1 nm across.
1. 104 m/s
2. 106 m/s
3. 108 m/s
4. 1012 m/s
2
12. How many spectral lines could be produced by an atom that has four energy levels?
1. 3
2. 6
3. 8
4. an infinite number
13. Reasoning from the fact that the nucleus is very small, we can conclude that the nuclear force must
1. be attractive and very strong
2. have a very long range
3. have a very short range
4. operate only between neutrons, and not between protons
15. Among the types of radiation, where should neutrons rank according to mass?
1. neutrons, alpha particles, beta particles, gamma-rays
2. alpha particles, neutrons, beta particles, gamma-rays
3. alpha particles, beta particles, neutrons, gamma-rays
4. alpha particles, beta particles, gamma-rays, neutrons
16. Can an element decay “forward” in the periodic table to a higher atomic number?
1. No, but an element can decay to a lower atomic number.
2. Yes, this can occur by means of both beta and alpha decay.
3. Yes, by alpha decay.
4. Yes, by beta decay.
17. Cs-137 has a half-life of 30 years. Approximately how much time is required for the radiation of this
isotope to decrease to 1% of its original level?
1. 100 years
2. 200 years
3. 500 years
22. Three essential components of a nuclear reactor are: fissionable fuel, control rods, and
1. tritium to speed up the reaction
2. lead to stop the neutrons
3. a coolant to transfer the heat away from the reactor
4. a “scrubber” to prevent radioactive isotopes from getting into the environment
23. What is needed to slow down the chain reaction in a nuclear power plant?
1. The control rods must be moved in.
2. The control rods must be moved out.
25. Does a nuclear power plant have a “smoke” stack, and why?
1. Yes, the plant releases its combustion products to the atmosphere through the stack.
2. Yes, the plant releases its nuclear waste products to the atmosphere through the stack.
3. No, because the plant creates no waste products.
4. No, because the plant does not combust its fuel.
26. Which of the following industrialized democracies is the least efficient in its use of energy?
1. United States
2. Japan
3. Italy
4. Great Britain
27. How much money is saved in terms of energy efficiency by using a compact fluorescent bulb that
consumes 13 watts of power but provides the same light output as a 60-W incandescent bulb? (Assume
the fluorescent bulb has a lifetime of 6,000 hours, and electrical energy costs $0.09/kW-h.)
1. $7.02
2. $25.38
3. $32.40
4. $70.20
28. (19 points) Explain what is meant by “the energy challenge” as defined in Chapter 17, and list at least
10 solutions to this dilemma. Identify three solutions that you believe are the best options, and provide
sufficient justification to support your claim. (Write your answer on the back of this page.)