1991

Section A
Answer four questions from this section.
1 (a) Define acceleration. An object is thrown vertically upwards from the surface of the
arth. Air resistance can be ne!lected. S"etch labelled !raphs on the same a#es to
show how (i) the velocity$ (ii) the acceleration of the object vary with time. %ar" on
the !raphs the time at which the object reaches ma#imum hei!ht and the time at which
it returns to its ori!inal position. &'(
(b) %odern !ravity meters can measure !$ the acceleration of free fall$ to a hi!h de!ree of
accuracy. )he principle on which they wor" is of measurin! t$ the time of fall of an
object throu!h a "nown distance h in a vacuum. Assumin! that the object starts from
rest$ deduce the relation between !$ t and h. &*(
(c) State +ewton,s law of !ravitation relatin! the force - between two point objects of
masses m and %$ their separation r and the !ravitational constant .. &*(
(d) -i!. 1.1 shows a standard "ilo!ram mass at the surface of the arth and a spherical
re!ion S of radius */// m with its centre 0/// m from the surface of the arth. )he
density of the roc" in this re!ion is *1// "! m
23
. 4hat force does the matter in re!ion
S e#ert on the standard mass5 &3(
(e) 6f re!ion S consisted of oil of density 9// "!m
23
instead of roc"$ what difference would
there be in the force on the standard mass5 &3(
(f) Su!!est how !ravity meters may be used in oil prospectin!. -ind the uncertainty
within which the acceleration of free fall needs to be measured if the meters are to
7aper 3 (1991) 2 1
detect the (rather lar!e) quantity of oil stated in (e). &0(
* (a) #plain$ usin! dia!rams where necessary$ the meanin! of the terms displacement$
amplitude$ frequency$ wavelen!th and period of a transverse wave. &8(
(b) Deduce the relationship between the wavelen!th$ the period and the speed of a wave.
&*(
(c) -i!. *.1 is a full2scale dia!ram showin! the rest positions and the actual positions of a
series of particles throu!h which a sinusoidal lon!itudinal wave is passin!.
Describe the movement of a sin!le particle. Describe how the compressions and
rarefactions move. %easure the wavelen!th from the dia!ram. &3(
(d) Describe an e#periment which you could do with either sound waves or microwaves to
demonstrate interference. #plain how you could use the e#periment to find a value
for the wavelen!th of the waves. &'(
(e) 4hy would an e#periment usin! two separate sources of li!ht not show interference5
9ow could you modify the e#periment in order to show interference of li!ht5 &0(
3. (a) Define
(i)potential difference and the volt:
(ii) resistance and the ohm. &0(
(b) )wo resistors havin! resistances of 1.1 "; and 0.< "; are connected in series with a
battery of e.m.f. 1* = and ne!li!ible internal resistance as shown in -i!. 3.1.
7aper 3 (1991) 2 *
(i) 4hat is meant by the e#pression an e.m.f. of 1* =5 &*(
(ii) 4hat is the potential difference across each of the resistors5 &3(
(c) 4hen a particular voltmeter of fi#ed resistance >$ which is "nown to be accurately
calibrated$ is placed across the 1.1 " resistor in -i!. 3.1 it reads *.98 =. 4hen placed
across the 0.< " resistor it reads <.</ =.
(i) 4hy do these two readin!s not add up to 1* =5 &3(
(ii) ?alculate the resistance > of the voltmeter. &0(
(d) A second$ identical$ voltmeter is used so that a voltmeter is placed across each resistor.
4hat will each voltmeter read5 &0(
0. (a) 1.// "! of water contains 3.30 #1/
*8
molecules.
(i) )he density of water at /? and standard atmospheric pressure is 1/// "! m
23
.
4hat volume is occupied$ on avera!e$ by one water molecule5 &3(
(ii) )he density of steam at 1//? and standard atmospheric pressure is /.891 "! m
2
3
. -ind the volume occupied$ on avera!e$ by a molecule in steam at 1//? and
standard atmospheric pressure. &*(
(iii) stimate$ from your answers to (i) and (ii)$ the ratio of the separation of
nei!hbourin! molecules in steam to their separation in water. &*(
(iv) Describe and e#plain two differences in the microscopic properties of water at /
and steam at 1//? apart from the chan!e in the separation of the molecules.
&0(
(b) Derive the equation @p A B!@h for the chan!e in pressure @p caused by a chan!e in
the depth @h in a liquid of density B. &*(
(c) (i) A perpetual motion machine would be able to produce a continuous output of
7aper 3 (1991) 2 3
wor" with no ener!y input. State the physical principle which ma"es this
impossible.
&*(
(ii) -i!. 0.1 shows one su!!estion put forward as a perpetual motion machine. )he
ball in position A would fall off the top of the water doin! wor" on the pulley
belt. At C it would move sideways doin! no wor" and enter the bottom of the
tan" by a valve system which would prevent water from escapin!. 6t would then
float to the top ready to start a!ain.
#plain why this system will not behave as a perpetual motion machine. &8(
8. (a) #plain what is meant by the terms internal ener!y and molar heat capacity. &3(
(b) #plain why the molar heat capacity of a !as at constant pressure is different from the
molar heat capacity at constant volume. 4hich of these is the lar!er5 #plain your
answer. &0(
(c) 4hat additional fact may be stated about the internal ener!y of a !as if the !as is ideal5
&1(
(d) (i) A quantity of /.*// mol of air enters a diesel en!ine at a pressure of 1./0 # 1/
8
7a and at a temperature of *9< D. Assumin! that air behaves as an ideal !as find
the volume of this quantity of air. &*(
(ii) )he air is then compressed to one twentieth of this volume$ the pressure havin!
risen to E.19 # 1/
'
7a. -ind the new temperature. &*(
(iii) 9eatin! of the air then ta"es place by burnin! a small quantity of fuel in it to
supply '18/ F. )his is done at a constant pressure of '.19 # 1/
'
7a as the
volume of air increases and the temperature rises to */ 0/ D.
-ind
(1) the molar heat capacity of air at constant pressure$
7aper 3 (1991) 2 0
(*) the volume of air after burnin! the fuel$
(3) the wor" done by the air durin! this e#pansion$
(0) the chan!e in the internal ener!y of the air durin! this e#pansion. &1(
'. (a) +aturally occurrin! radioactivity results in the emission of three types of ionisin!
radiation2 alpha$ beta and !amma. Distin!uish between the three types in terms of
their relative char!es$ masses and speeds. &'(
(b) 6n the early years of this century %me ?urie drew an illustration similar to -i!. '.1
which indicated how the three radiations travelled in air in a uniform ma!netic field.
)he illustration and -i!. '.1 were not drawn to scale.
(i) 6dentify the radiations G$ H$ and I.
(ii) 4hat is shown by the fact that the lines for G all have appro#imately the same
len!th5
(iii) 4hat is shown by the fact that the lines for I have different curvatures5
(iv) 6n what direction does the ma!netic field e#ist5 &8(
(c) Jne particle of radiation I has a mass of 9.1 # 1/
231
"!$ a velocity of 0.1 # 1/
<
ms
21
and
a char!e of 2 1.'/ # 1/
219
?. -ind the radius of curvature of its circular path in a
uniform ma!netic field of flu# density /.3* ). &0(
(d) Cy reference to information you have !iven in (a) estimate the radius of curvature of
the path of a particle of radiation G in this ma!netic field. &3(
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(e) .ive two reasons why it is difficult$ if not impossible$ to ta"e a photo!raph which is
li"e -i!. '.1. &*(
Section C
Answer two questions from this section.
Option C
Communications
1/. (a) 4hat is meant by the terms inductance and reactance5 &*(
(b) S"etch a !raph to show how the reactance G of an inductor varies with frequency f.
&*(
(c) A variable frequency power supply has a fi#ed output potential difference of amplitude
*/ =. 6t is connected in series with a resistor and another component$ C. )he current
throu!h the components varies with frequency in the way shown in the !raph$ -i!.
1/.1.
(i) 6dentify component C. &1(
(ii) ?alculate the resistance of the resistor. &3(
(iii) )he reactance of C at a frequency of 1/// 9K is '.9 ";.
Deduce the value of the electrical quantity for C. &3(
(iv) -or each of the two components$ the resistor and C$ draw a labelled s"etch to
illustrate the phase relationship between current and potential difference. &0(
7aper 3 (1991) 2 '
11. 4rite an article on the practical propa!ation of radio waves. Hour article should include
reference to the principle of operation of a transmittin! and receivin! aerial$ to the
difficulties associated with the curvature of the arth and to the use and position of
communications satellites. &18(
1*. )he !raphs$ -i!. 1*.1$ show an analo!ue si!nal from a microphone and the same si!nal after
stora!e in di!ital form and processin! when ready to be used by a loud spea"er.
(a) Deduce from the !raphs
(i) the fundamental frequency of the si!nal$
(ii) another frequency present in the si!nal$
(iii) the samplin! frequency of the analo!ue to di!ital converter. &0(
(b) 6n di!ital form the si!nal is put into a series of 02bit binary numbers with the most
si!nificant bit first. State the first si# of these numbers$ as shown by the !raph. &3(
(c) Discuss the advanta!es and disadvanta!es of usin! di!ital si!nals rather than analo!ue
7aper 3 (1991) 2 <
ones. 6n your answer !ive the reasons why a hi!h samplin! frequency and a hi!h bit
number are desirable. &8(
(d) )he time ta"en for an analo!ue si!nal to be converted into a di!itised si!nal is usually
very much shorter than the time for each sample to be ta"en. Jutline the advanta!e
ta"en of this in transmittin! di!ital si!nals. &3(
7aper 3 (1991) 2 1