Name Class

09S

VICTORIA JUNIOR COLLEGE

2010 Preliminary Examination
PHYSICS 9646 / 02
Higher 2

Paper 2

16 September 2010 Thursday 1 hour 45 minutes

Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your name and class in the spaces provided at the top of this page.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.

Answer all questions.

Write your answers in the spaces provided in this booklet.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

For Examiner’s Use

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
s.f.
unit
Total /72

This booklet consists of 14 printed pages including the cover page.

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Data

speed of light in free space, c = 3.00 x 108 m s-1

permeability of free space, µo = 4π x 10-7 H m-1

permittivity of free space, εo = 8.85 x 10-12 Fm -1

(1 / (36 π)) x 10-9 Fm-1

elementary charge, e = 1.60 x 10-19 C

the Planck constant, h = 6.63 x 10-34 J s

unified atomic mass constant, u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg

rest mass of electron, me = 9.11 x 10-31 kg

rest mass of proton, mp = 1.67 x 10-27 kg

molar gas constant, R = 8.31 J K-1 mol-1

the Avogadro constant, NA = 6.02 x 1023 mol-1

the Boltzmann constant, k = 1.38 x 10-23 J K-1

gravitational constant, G = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2 kg-2

acceleration of free fall, g = 9.81 m s-2

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Formulae

uniformly accelerated motion, s = ut + ½at2

v2 = u2 + 2as

work done on/by a gas, W = p∆V

hydrostatic pressure, p = ρgh

gravitational potential, Gm
φ = −
r

displacement of particle in s.h.m. x = xo sin ωt

velocity of particle in s.h.m. v = vo cos ωt

= ±ω (x o
2
− x2 )
resistors in series, R = R1 + R2 + …

resistors in parallel, 1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + …

electric potential, V = Q / 4πεor

alternating current/voltage, x = xo sin ωt

transmission coefficient, T = exp(-2kd)

8π 2 m ( U − E )
where k =
h2

radioactive decay, x = xo exp (-λt)

decay constant 0.693

λ =
t1
2
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Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

1(a) Define electric potential energy at a point. [1]

(b) The figure below shows the path of a proton ( p ) travelling head-on towards a
1
1
235
uranium U nucleus.
92

1.5x10-14 m

path of proton

uranium nucleus

By considering only the electrostatic repulsion, the distance of closest approach of

the proton to the uranium nucleus is 1.5x10-14 m.

(i) Name the form of the energy to which the kinetic energy of the proton has
been converted when it is at the distance of closest approach. [1]

(ii) Calculate the initial speed of the proton, and state the assumption that you
have made in the calculation. [4]

(iii) In nuclear fission reactions, protons are not normally used to induce the
reactions. Suggest an alternative particle that you would use to penetrate the
nucleus and explain your choice. [2]
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2(a) State Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. [1]

(b) A plane coil of wire containing 50 turns each of diameter 5.0 cm and total resistance
5.0 Ω is placed so that the plane of the coil is normal to a uniform magnetic field B
of flux density 2.0 x 10-3 T.

The coil is moved with a speed of 15.0 m s-1, at right angles to the magnetic field
from P to the positions Q and R shown dotted in the figure below.

40.0 cm

B P

15.0 m s-1
40.0 cm
Fig.2.1

Q
-1
15.0 m s R

(i) Calculate the average induced e.m.f. in the coil as it travels from

1 P to Q;

2 Q to R. [4]
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2(b) (ii) Calculate the work done on the coil as it travels from

1 P to Q;

2 Q to R. [3]

(c) The coil is now replaced by a semi-circular wire MN with the same diameter of
5.0 cm and moved with a speed of 15.0 m s-1at right angles to the same magnetic
field as shown in Fig.2.2.

M N
B
15.0 m s-1

Fig.2.2

(i) Find the magnitude of the induced e.m.f. generated between M and N. [2]

(ii) State whether M or N is at a higher potential. [1]

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3(a) A 240 V r.m.s. voltage is applied across the primary coil of a step-down transformer
with a primary:secondary turns ratio of 20:1. Calculate the r.m.s. voltage induced
across the secondary coils. [2]

(b) A 6.0 Ω resistor is placed across the secondary coil. Calculate the maximum power
dissipated by the resistor. [3]

(c) It is desired that the voltage across the resistor be converted into a d.c. voltage.
Complete the circuit in Fig. 3 to show how this could be achieved. Include the
resistor in your circuit. [1]

B
Secondary
coil
Fig. 3

(d) Sketch a graph of the voltage across the resistor in (c) against time. [1]

(e) Suggest a disadvantage of the circuit in (c). [1]

(f) Indicate on Fig. 3 the polarity of A and B when a current is flowing through the
resistor. [1]
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4(a) An electron has kinetic energy 5.00 eV and its momentum is accurate to within
0.0100%. Find the minimum uncertainty in determining the position of this electron.
[4]

(b) The electron described in (a) is now incident on a potential barrier with thickness
0.200 nm and height 10.0 eV (see Figure 4 below).

Figure 4

(i) Calculate the probability that the electron will tunnel through the barrier.

(ii) Calculate the probability that the electron will be reflected. [3]

(c) Suppose that the barrier height is now reduced. Discuss how the amplitude of the
reflected wave function of the electron changes. [2]
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5(a) Explain the basic principles behind the production of laser light. [3]

(b) In the traditional setup for the Young’s double slit experiment, a single slit must be
placed between the light source and the double slits in order to produce an
observable fringe pattern. However, if a laser is used as the light source, the single
slit is not needed.

(i) State the property of laser light that makes the single slit unnecessary.

(ii) Explain how laser light acquires the property that makes the single slit
unnecessary. [3]

(c) In a certain laser medium, laser light is produced when electrons de-excite from the
metastable state of energy 3.98 x 10-19 J to the ground state, of energy 0 J. At
steady state, 2.51 x 1015 electrons de-excite per second. The cross-sectional area
of the laser beam is 7.07 x 10-6 m2. Calculate:

(i) the energy of one photon in the laser beam.

(ii) the power of the laser beam.

(iii) the intensity of the laser beam. [3]

(d) It can be seen that the power of the laser beam is rather low; however, the intensity
of the beam is quite high. Explain how this is possible. [1]
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6 A wire-wound resistor is manufactured by winding resistance wire on an insulating

former. A commonly used material for the wire is an alloy of nickel and chromium
called nichrome. The wire is produced by pulling the nichrome through a suitable
sized hole. Nichrome is sufficiently ductile to be drawn into a wire without danger of
it cracking or breaking after winding. It resists corrosion and has a fairly high
resistivity. The wire itself must be uniform and thin, and is covered with an insulating
material.

A manufacturer of resistors of this type supplies information concerning them in the

form of a family of lines shown in the graph of Fig. 6. Resistors of different
resistance R1, R2, … R5 etc are shown by the separate lines.

(a) By choosing some values of potential difference and current from Fig. 6, complete
the table showing the resistances R1, R2, … R5. [2]

Fig. 6

R1 =

R2 =

R3 = 1000 Ω

R4 =

R5 =

(b) Draw two additional lines on Fig. 6:

(i) one line for a resistance of 2000 Ω,
(ii) one line for a resistance of 47 Ω . [3]
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6(c) This particular set of resistors is manufactured so that the resistors can safely be
used with power dissipation up to 1 W. Complete the following table to show the
maximum safe current in the resistors for the potential differences given.

Potential difference / V Maximum current / A

1000

100

10

1
[2]

(d) Plot the points in (c) on the graph of Fig. 6. On the graph, indicate the region of safe
use for all these resistors. [4]

(e) The lines on Fig.6 represent ideal behaviour. Suggest, with a reason, how the line
for a real resistor might differ from the ideal. [2]
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7 Solar power is energy from the sun. The sun is 150 million kilometres away, but it is
over 1 million degrees Celsius at the core. If we could harness it, there is enough
solar power reaching the earth to provide all of our energy needs 10,000 times over.

Since almost the beginning of man, solar power has been used for drying clothes and
food. It was not until 1954 however, that scientists in the United States produced
electricity from the sun - to power satellites in space. They invented photoelectric
cells, which capture the sun's energy and turn it into electricity. A photoelectric cell is
an electric cell made from two layers of different materials that can produce an
electric current when light of certain frequencies shines on the cell.

Design an experiment to find how the power generated by a solar panel depends on
the frequency of the light falling on it.

The equipment available includes the following:

Connecting wires Rule

Voltmeter Micrometer screw gauge
Ammeter Variable power supply unit
Galvanometer Switch
Resistors Stopwatch
Solar panel Colour filters
Light intensity meter Spectrometer
Diffraction grating Lamp

You should draw diagrams to show the arrangement of your apparatus. In your
account you should pay particular attention to

(a) the equipment you would use for the investigation,

(b) the procedure to be followed,

(c) how the frequency of the light used is to be measured,

(d) the control of variables,

(e) any safety precautions,

(f) any precautions that you would take to improve the accuracy of the experiment.
[12]

(Write your answer in the following two blank pages.)

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End of paper