Sir Arthur Lewis Community College

Division of Technical Education and Management Studies

Department of Engineering
Final Examination Fall 2012
PROGRAMME TITLE(S)

Computer System Engineering

Electronic Engineering
Automotive Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering

PROGRAMME CODE(S)

3EE-CMS-AD

3EE-ESC-

COURSE TITLE
COURSE CODE
DURATION
TIME AND DATE

:
:

3ME-MEC-AD
3ME-AUT-AD
Applied Engineering Science 1
ESC 103
:
3 HOURS
9:00 p.m. Monday 17 December

ROOM
COURSE TUTOR

:
:

L1, L2
Mr. Narpaul Heeralall
Mr. Florian Combie

INVIGILATOR(S)

Mr. F Joseph & Mr. J Finisterre

Students ID Number

AD

2012

:
INSTRUCTIONS
1. This paper has TWELVE questions. All questions carry equal marks
2. You are to answer EIGHT QUESTIONS no more than FOUR from each
section.
3. Ensure your answers and pages are numbered correctly
4. You will be rewarded for neat clear explanations and presentation.
5. Ray diagrams MUST be neat and clear.
6. Do all work in blue or black ink pen.
7. Ensure that you complete the table at the bottom of this cover sheet and
attached to your answer booklet.

Note: Accurate ray constructions are not necessary but your ray diagrams
must convey a clear sense of how the final images are formed.

DO NOT TURN THIS COVER SHEET UNTIL

YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

Write the numbers of the questions you attempted (in the same order you
attempted them) in this table and attach it to your answer booklet

Question
s
Marks

SECTION A
(ANSWER ANY 4 QUESTIONS)
Question 1 -12 marks
a.

An applied engineering student developed an optical means of measuring the

alignment of the wheels of a vehicle. (vehicles wheels must be parallel to
each other). The device consists of two mirrors one fixed and the other free
to rotate - mounted parallel to each other on a frame. A LASER beam is
directed onto the fixed mirror and is reflected onto to the pivoted mirror and
then onto a graduated the scale.

The out-of-alignment wheel causes the pivoted mirror to rotate thereby causing
the laser bean to strike the scale away from the Zero mark.
i.
Determine the distance from A to the zero point when the wheels are
perfectly aligned.
ii.

Calculate the angle between the second incident ray and the final
reflected ray when the wheels are perfectly aligned.

iii.

Calculate the angle o when the laser strikes the graduated scale at
12mm.

b.

A vertical mirror oriented towards the sun throws a rectangular patch of light
on the floor 50 cm 65cm. If the sun is 55o above the horizon, and the

bottom of the mirror is 1.2 meters above the floor, what are the dimensions
of the mirror?

Question 2 -12 marks

a.

b.

A seagull sits on the still water of a calm sea. A shark swims towards the
seagull horizontally at a depth of 5.5 m shark. How close can the shark
approach before the seagull can see it?

An applied engineering student uses the apparatus shown to determine the

percentage concentration of a sucrose solution (cane
sugar).
A prism of refractive index 1.6640 is partially
immersed into the solution and a laser beam is
directed through the glass at various angles of
incidence which are precisely measured and the
critical angle at the glass-sucrose interface found.
The critical angle is then compared to the values on the graph to establish
the concentration of sucrose in the solution.
i.

By making sketches at various angles of

incidence explain what happens to the spot
of laser light on the bottom of the dish as the
angle is varied.

ii.

If at an incident angle of 30o 26 8.3 the

spot of the laser light at the bottom of the

dish instantly disappears, explain what

happens here?
iii.

From the information in part (b), what is the concentration of the sucrose
solution?

iv.

How would the wavelength of the laser light affect the results?

Question 3 -12 marks

A spherical mirror of radius of curvature 120 mm is used to form an image of an

object. If the image is to be upright and 3.5 times as tall as the object then
determine the following.
a) What type of mirror should be used?
b) Draw the ray diagram to show where should the object be placed relative to
the mirror?
c) Calculate the distance between the object and the mirror.
d) Calculate the image distance if instead an inverted image 2.5 times was
required.

Question 4 -12 marks

A luminous object is placed 120 cm

away from a screen as shown in the diagram to the right. A converging lens of focal
length 25 cm is placed between the object and the screen and moved left and right
until a sharp image is formed on the screen.
a)

Draw the ray diagram showing how a diminished image will be produces by
this lens

b)

What distance(s) from the object should the lens be located to produce the
sharp image?

c)

What is the magnification in each case?

Question 5

a.

Explain three pieces of evidence that support the wave nature of light. (3

Marks)
b.

Explain why a prism separates light into the various colours.

c.

Explain the essential features of optical fibers that allow them to transmit

light signal.

(2 marks)

Question 5 -12 marks

Figure shows two identical loud speakers 2.5 m
apart connected to the same channel emitting a
frequency of 1000Hz. A listener moves along the
line AB parallel to the line of the speakers and
observes diminishing and increasing loudness.
a) Explain the effect the listener will observer.
(1 Marks )
b) What is the significance of the speakers being:
i.
ii.

Connected to the same channel?

(1 Marks )
Emitting the same frequency? (1 Mark )

c) Assuming sound travels at a speed of 340m/s, how far away from the centre will
the listener observe the first and second minimum loudness?
(3 Marks )
d. In a Youngs Double slit experiment light of unknown wavelength is directed on
to two slits 0.12mm apart. If the distance between the screen and slits is 2.50
meters, and the distance between the central bright fringe and the first dark
band was 6.5 mm. Calculate the wavelength of the light used in the experiment.
(6 mks)

Question 6 -12 marks

a

State briefly Maxwells equations (in worded form).

Identify the frequency bands indicated in the Electromagnetic spectrum above

and state one application of each.

Helen FM transmits its broadcast at 101.1MHz FM.

i
ii

What is the wavelength of this signal?

What are the limitations of this type of transmission?

Explain why it is usually possible for us to see through the glass door into the
domestic microwave oven yet the microwave radiation cannot escape through
the door and cause

SECTION B
(ANSWER ANY 4 QUESTIONS)
Question 7 -12 marks
a)
b)

Define a simple harmonic oscillator

A vertical spring, fixed at the upper end, has a mass of 620g attached to the
lower end. When the spring is given a small extension it was observed to
oscillate at a rate of 45 cycles per minute. When an additional 180g mass is
attached to the spring, it oscillated at a rate of 30 cycles per minute.
(i)

Calculate the spring constant

(4

Mark )

(ii)

If the spring is then given a deflection of 12cm, what will be the

Potential energy stored in the system.
(1 Mark )

(iii)

What is velocity of the mass as it passes the equilibrium point?

(1 Mark )

(iv)

What is the maximum acceleration of the mass?

(1

Mark )

(v)

What is the velocity of the mass at a distance of 8cm from the

equilibrium point?
(2 Mark )

(vi)

Calculate the displacement at a time t= 0.5 millisecond.

(3 Marks )

Question 8 -12 marks

a)

A string under tension is set in vibration to produce its third harmonic, how
many antinodes will exists on the string.
(1 Mark )

b)

A cord of mass 200 grams and length 2.5 m is stretched between two
supports 2.2 meters apart
(i)

If the tension in the cord is 968N, how long will it take for a pulse to
travel from one support to the other?
(4 Marks )

(ii)

What are the first three resonant frequency will the string produce if
struck?
(3 Marks )

a)

By what percentage should the tension on a stretched string of unknown

length and mass be adjusted for the fundamental frequency to change by 10%
(4 Marks)

Question 9 -12 marks

a)

Calculate the time it takes a explosion occurring 500 meters away to reach
your location when the atmospheric temperature is -15 oC
(2 Marks)

b)

A tube 75 cm long and closed at one end is made to resonate at its lowest
frequency.
i.

Calculate the lowest resonant frequency

(2 Marks)

ii.

What are the next two resonant frequencies of this tube?

(2

Marks)

c)

An applied engineering student wished to determine the location of an

internal crack in a cast iron block. The student places a microphone,
connected to an oscilloscope, on the surface
of the block and strikes the block sharply
with a hammer at a point 10 cm away from
the microphone. On the oscilloscope the
student observes three signal spikes as the
block is struck the 2nd and 3rd each
occurring 214.3 microseconds and 535.7
microseconds respectively after the first
spike.

i.

Explain the presence of the three signal spikes

(1

Marks)

ii.

If sound travels at 3500m/s through cast iron, how long after impact
does the first spike appear?
(2 Marks)

iii.

At what depth is the crack located and what is the thickness of the
block?
(3 Marks)

Question 10 -12 marks

a)

State briefly Maxwells equations (in worded form).

(3

Marks)

b)

Identify the frequency bands indicated in the Electromagnetic spectrum

above and state one application of each.
(6 Mark)

c)

Helen FM transmits its broadcast at 101.1MHz FM.

(i)

What is the wavelength of this signal?

What are the limitations of this type of transmission?

(1 Mark)

(ii)
(1 Mark)

d)

A person argues that microwave ovens are DANGEROUS because since it is

possible for us to see through the glass door into the domestic microwave
oven, then similarly the microwave radiation can escape through the door
and cause harm. Explain if this is true or not.
(1 Marks)

Question 11 -12 marks

a)

Explain the difference between loudness and intensity of sound

(2 Marks)

b)

Explain what is significance of the threshold of hearing?

(1 Mark)

c)

Why is a logarithmic scale the preferred scale for measuring loudness sound?
(1 Mark)

d)

A person standing a certain distance away from five equally loud speakers
experiences a loudness at a level of 100dB.
(i)

What loudness (in decibels) will the person experience if all but one of
the speaker got disconnected from the amplifier?

...

(4 Marks)

(ii)

With just one speaker running, how close should the person approach
for the loudness to be at the same level as before the speakers got
disconnected?
...(4 Marks)

Question 12 -12 marks

a)

Explain Doppler Effect as an observer approaches a

stationary sound source. (1 Mark)
b)

The predominant frequency of a police siren is known to be 2500Hz when at

rest. What frequency will you detect if you approach the stationary police car
at a constant speed of 80 kilometers per hour?
(4 Marks)

c)

A technician in the pits at the NASCAR tracks observes the sound from an
approaching racecar to be of frequency of 12560 Hz. After the racecar passes
his location the frequency was measured to be 11860Hz. Calculate how fast
was the racecar moving?
(5 Marks)

d)

How will be if the frequencies detected be affected if temperature of the

atmosphere at the racetrack was 33oC?
(2 Marks)

Assume the speed of sound in air at 20oC vo = 343 m/s

END OF TEST