P214Exam Form A

PHYSICS 214 - Midterm Exam

Fall 2007
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This exam is worth 100 points. It consists of 20 multiple-choice questions worth 5 points each. Indicate
your answers to the multiple-choice questions in the appropriate spaces on the answer sheet. Choose the
best answer for each question from among the choices provided.

Don't get hung up on the questions. They should only take a few minutes each. If you find yourself
spending more than a few minutes on a question you are probably looking at it the wrong way. You
should skip it for now and come back to it later.

Enter your student number on the scantron sheet prior to answering the first question. You will
not be given time at the end of the exam to do so.

Do not begin the examination until you are instructed to do so.

GOOD LUCK
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the exam. I have not solicited in any sense any information from others about any previous administrations of this
exam in this semester. I will hand in this entire printed copy of the exam at the end of the exam session and I will
make no copies of any of the material herein. At the end of the exam I will cease writing when instructed to put
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Failure to sign and return this copy may result in zero credit for this exam.
1. Monochromatic light, at normal incidence, strikes a thin film in air. If λ denotes the wavelength in
the film, what is the thinnest film in which the reflected light will be a maximum?
A. much less than λ
B. λ/4
C. λ/2
D. 3λ/4
E. λ

2. Two slits in an opaque barrier each have a width of 0.020 mm and are separated by 0.050 mm.
When coherent monochromatic light passes through the slits the number of interference maxima
within the central diffraction maximum:
A. is 1.
B. is 2.
C. is 4.
D. is 5.
E. cannot be determined unless the wavelength is given.

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3. Two wavelengths, 800 nm and 600 nm, are used separately in single-slit diffraction experiments.
The diagram shows the intensities on a far-away viewing screen as function of the angle made by
the rays with the straight-ahead direction. If both wavelengths are then used simultaneously, at
which angle is the light on the screen purely 800-nm light?

A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. E

4. 600-nm light is incident on a diffraction grating with a ruling separation of 1.7 × 10-6 m. The
second order line occurs at a diffraction angle of:
A. 0
B. 10°
C. 21°
D. 42°
E. 45°

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5. An erect object placed outside the focal point of a converging lens will produce an image that is:

A. erect and virtual.

B. inverted and virtual.
C. erect and real.
D. inverted and real.
E. impossible to locate.

6. A spherical concave mirror forms a real image at 15 cm when the object is at 30 cm. What is the
radius of curvature of the mirror?
A. 30 cm
B. 20 cm
C. 15 cm
D. 12.5 cm
E. 10 cm

7. A minimum in a single slit diffraction pattern occurs because:

A. every light wave from the slit interferes constructively with some other light wave from the
slit.
B. every light wave from the slit interferes destructively with some other light wave from the slit.
C. the light waves from the top and bottom edge of the slit interfere destructively with one
another.
D. light from every point in the slit interferes constructively with light from every other point in
the slit.
E. light from every point in the slit interferes destructively with light from every other point in the
slit.

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 8. One of the two slits in a Young's double slit experiment is painted over so that it transmits only
one-half the intensity of the other slit. As a result:
A. the dark fringes get brighter and the bright ones get darker.
B. the fringe system disappears.
C. the bright fringes get brighter and the dark ones get darker.
D. the bright fringes get dimmer and the dark fringes do not change.
E. just the dark fringes just get brighter.

9. When light travels from medium X to medium Y as shown:

A. both the speed and the frequency decrease.

B. both the speed and the frequency increase.
C. both the speed and the wavelength decrease.
D. both the speed and the wavelength increase.
E. both the wavelength and the frequency are unchanged.

10. Consider two sets of perfect polarizing sheets: (A) three polaroids, each rotated 45° with respect
to the previous one; and (B) four polaroids, each rotated 30° with respect to the previous one.
Which combination transmits more light when each set is separately illuminated with unpolarized
light?
A. A
B. B
C. A = B, because no light gets through
D. A = B, and light gets through both
E. not enough information is given

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11. Two coherent electromagnetic waves are incident simultaneously at some point in space. The
intensity of each independent wave is I0. What is the intensity of the superposition of these two
waves if the phase difference is 2π?
A. 4I0
B. 2I0
C. I0
D. zero
E. I0/4

12. Consider (I) the law of reflection and (II) the law of refraction. Huygens’ principle can be used to
derive:
A. only I.
B. only II.
C. both I and II.
D. neither I nor II.
E. the question is meaningless because Huygens’ principle is for wave fronts whereas both I
and II concern rays.

13. Microwaves differ from visible light waves in that microwaves

A. travel slower
B. have a longer wavelength
C. travel faster
D. have a shorter wavelength
E. can only exist in a physical medium

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14. A plane electromagnetic wave is traveling in the positive z direction and has polarization (electric
field) vector pointing in the positive y direction. The magnetic field vector points:
A. in the positive y direction.
B. in the negative y direction.
C. in the positive x direction.
D. in the negative x direction.
E. in the negative z direction.

15. In a Young's double-slit experiment, light of wavelength 500 nm illuminates two slits which are
separated by 1 mm. The separation between adjacent bright fringes on a screen 5 m from the
slits is:
A. 0.10 cm
B. 0.25 cm
C. 0.50 cm
D. 1.0 cm
E. none of the above

16. In the problem of single slit diffraction, phasors can be added up to represent contributions from
different elements of the slit. Rank the net intensity of the following four cases:
a) the phasors from a straight line.
b) the phasors form a complete circle.
c) the phasors form a semi-circle.
d) the phasors form two complete circles.
A. a > c > (d = b)
B. a>c>b>d
C. d>b>c>a
D. c > (a = d) > b
E. a > (d = b) > c

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17. A card marked IAHIO8 is standing upright in front of a plane mirror. Which of the following is
NOT true?
A. The image is virtual.
B. The image shifts its position as the observer shifts his position.
C. The image appears as 8OIHAI to a person looking in the mirror.
D. The image is caused mostly by specular rather than diffuse reflection.
E. The image is the same size as the object.

18. A point source emits electromagnetic energy isotropically at a rate of 100 W. The intensity 10 m
from the source is:
A. 10 W/m2
B. 1.6 W/m2
C. 1 W/m2
D. 0.024 W/m2
E. 0.080 W/m2

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19. The light waves represented by the three rays shown in the diagram all have the same frequency.
4.7 wavelengths fit into layer 1, 3.2 wavelengths fit into layer 2, and 5.3 wavelengths fit into
layer 3. Rank the layers according to the speeds of the waves, least to greatest.

A. 1, 2, 3
B. 2, 1, 3
C. 3, 2, 1
D. 3, 1, 2
E. 1, 3, 2

20. Light of wavelength 632 nm is incident upon a sapphire (n = 1.77) prism at an angle of incidence
(with respect to the normal) of 70°. If the angle of the prism is 60°, the angle of refraction at the
second face, θ, is:

A. 26°
B. 37°
C. 56°
D. 63°
E. 70°

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 Some useful constants and formulae

Speed of light c = 2.9979 × 108 m / s Gravitational constant G = 6.67 × 10−11 N ⋅ m 2 / kg 2

Permittivity constant ε 0 = 8.85 × 10−12 F / m Permeability constant μ 0 = 1.26 × 10−6 H / m
Near point PN = 25 cm Planck’s constant h = 6.63 x 10-34 J.s = 4.14 x 10-15 eV.s
e = 1.60 x 10-19 C atomic mass m(11H) =1.007825 u
me = 9.11 x 10-31 kg = 0.000549 u 1 u = 1.6605 x 10-27 kg = 931.5 MeV/c2
mp = 1.6726 x 10-27 kg = 1.00728 u 1eV = 1.602 x 10-19 J
mN = 1.6749 x 10-27 kg = 1.008665 u hc = 1240 eV ⋅ nm

Transverse Waves:
2π 2π λ ω
y ( x, t ) = ym sin(kx − ωt ) k= ω= = 2π f v= =λf =
λ T T k
Electromagnetic Waves:
Em
E ( x , t ) = E m sin( kx − ω t ) B ( x, t ) = Bm sin( kx − ω t ) =c
Bm
Em 1 r 1 r r
Erms = c= S= E×B
2 ε 0 μ0 μ0
1 1 1 Psource
S= EB = E2 I= 2
Erms I=
μ0 cμ0 c μ0 4π r 2
1
Unpolarized Light: I = I 0 Fully Polarized Light: I = I 0 cos 2 θ
2
'
Law of reflection θ1 = θ1 Snell’s Law n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ 2
n2 n2
Total internal reflection θ c = sin −1 Brewster angle θ B = tan −1
n1 n1
I 2I
Total Absorption pc = Total Reflection pr =
c c
Mirrors and Lenses:
1 1 1 i
Spherical Mirrors/Thin Lenses: + = m=−
p i f p
r
Spherical Mirrors: f =
2
n1 n2 n2 − n1 n2
Refracting Surface: + = i=− p
p i r n1

c λ 2π L 2πΔL
n= λn = Δφ = ( n2 − n1 ) Δφ =
v n λ λ
magnifier mθ = PN/f
microscope m = - [l PN]/fobfey
telescope m = - fob/fey
Constructive Interference: ΔL = d sin θ = mλ , m = 0,1, 2,...
 ⎛ 1⎞
Destructive Interference: ΔL = d sin θ = ⎜ m + ⎟ λ m = 0, 1, 2,...
⎝ 2⎠
2 φ 2π d
Intensity in double-slit interference I = 4 I 0 cos φ= sin θ
2 λ
⎛ 1⎞ λ λ
Interference from thin films: Maxima: 2 L = ⎜ m + ⎟ Minima: 2L = m
⎝ 2 ⎠ n2 n2

Single-slit Diffraction:
⎛ sin α ⎞ φ πa
2

Minima a sin θ = mλ Intensity I (θ ) = I m ⎜ ⎟ , where α = = sin θ

⎝ α ⎠ 2 λ

Resolvability:

Resolving angle θ = 1.22λ/a circular aperture θ = 1.22λ/D

Resolving power RP = θ L
Resolving power for microscope (telescope) RP = 1.22 λf/D

Double-slit Diffraction:
⎛ sin α ⎞ πa πd
2

I (θ ) = I m (cos β ) ⎜
2
⎟ , where α = sin θ and β = sin θ Maxima lines d sin θ = mλ
⎝ α ⎠ λ λ

Diffraction gratings:

λ
Half-width of line Δθ hw =
Nd cos θ
 Answer Key for Test "P214Mt1Fa07.tst", 11/7/2007
No. in No. on
Q-Bank Test Correct Answer
35.Sec07 18 1 B
36.Sec07 9 2 D
36.Sec05 19 3 C
36.Sec08 8 4 E
34.Sec07 42 5 D
34.Sec05 5 6 B
36.Sec03 6 7 B
35.Sec04 5 8 A
33.Sec08 22 9 C
33.Sec07 8 10 B
35.Sec06 1 11 A
35.Sec02 6 12 C
33.Sec02 10 13 B
33.Sec03 3 14 D
35.Sec04 17 15 B
36.Sec04 5 16 A
34.Sec03 11 17 B
33.Sec05 11 18 E
35.Sec02 7 19 D
33.Sec08 6 20 C

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