CAP High School Prize Exam

12 April 2010
9:00 – 12:00

Competitor’s Information Sheet

The following information will be used to inform competitors and schools of the exam results, to determine
eligibility for some subsequent competitions, and for statistical purposes. Only the marking code, to be assigned
by the local examination committee, will be used to identify papers for marking.

Marking Code:

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PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY IN BLOCK LETTERS.

Family Name:________________________________Given Name:_______________________

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Sponsored by:
Canadian Association of Physicists
Canadian Chemistry and Physics Olympiads
University of Toronto, Department of Physics
 Canadian Association of Physicists
Question 3
2010 Prize Exam The system in question 2 is attached to a spring of spring
This is a three-hour exam. National ranking and prizes will constant k which in turn is attached
be based on a student’s performance on sections A and B of to a vertical wall, as shown to the
the exam. Performance on the questions in parts A will be right. The spring is neither
used to determine whose written work in part B will be stretched nor compressed. The
marked for prize consideration by the CAP Exam National system is released from rest. The
Committee. Part A consists of twenty-two multiple-choice mass m2 falls and then oscillates
questions. The questions in part C span a range of about a mean displacement x from
difficulties, and may require graphing. Do be careful to its original position before release given by
gather as many of the easier marks as possible before
venturing into more difficult territory. If an answer to part m2 g ; m1 g ;
a) x = b) x =
(a) of a question is needed for part (b), and you are not able k k
to solve part (a), assume a likely solution and attempt the
rest of the question anyway. No student is expected to c) x =
(m1 + m2 ) g ; d) x = k .
complete this exam and parts of each problem may be very k m2 g
challenging.
Non-programmable calculators may be used. Please be Question 4
careful to answer the multiple-choice questions on the Four 100 ohm resistors and a 1 V
answer card/sheet provided; most importantly, write your battery are connected as shown in
solutions to the three long problems on three separate the circuit diagram. The potential
sheets as they will be marked by people in different parts of difference between points P1 and
Canada. Good luck. P2 is given by
Data
Speed of light c = 3.00x108 m/s a) 0.250 V; b) 0.333 V; c) .500 V; d) 0.667 V.
Gravitational constant G = 6.67x10-11 N·m2/kg2
Acceleration due to gravity g = 9.80 m/s2 Question 5
Density of fresh water ρ = 1.00x103 kg/m3 A heavy plate is held horizontal resting on two frictionless
The normal atmospheric pressure P0 = 1.01x105Pa pistons, each of which is placed in the opening of an
The specific heat of water c = 4,186x103J/(kg·K) asymmetric U tube filled with an incompressible fluid, as
Fundamental charge e =1.60x10-19 C shown in the figure. Once the restraints on the plate are
Mass of electron me = 9.11x10-31 kg released, then
Mass of proton mp= 1.67x 10-27 kg a) piston A1 will rise and A2
Planck’s constant h = 6.63x10-34 J·s will fall;
Coulomb’s constant 1/(4πε0) = 8.99x109 N·m2/C2 b) piston A2 will rise and A1
Boltzmann constant k = 1.38x10-23 J/K will fall;
c) the plate will remain level
Part A: Multiple Choice and not move;
Question 1 d) the plate will remain level
A ball is dropped from a height h. It hits the ground and and both pistons will sink a
bounces back up with a momentum loss of 10% due to the similar small distance.
impact. The maximum height it will reach is
a) 0.90 h; b) 0.81 h; c) 0.949 h; d) 0.3 h. Question 6
Two identical glasses, one completely filled with water, and
Question 2 the other filled with vodka, are viewed directly from above.
A mass m1 rests on a frictionless The refractive index of vodka is slightly greater than the
surface. It is attached to mass m2 refractive index of water. Which glass appears to have a
by a light string which passes greater depth of fluid?
over a massless, frictionless
pulley, as shown in the figure. a) the water glass;
The system is released from rest. b) the vodka glass;
The initial acceleration a of m2 is c) neither glass because the apparent depth is the same as
given by the real depth in both glasses;
d) neither glass, because the effect of the clear fluid is to
m2 reduce the apparent depth by the same factor in both
a) a = g ; b) a = g; glasses.
(m1 + m2 )
c) a = (m2 − m1 ) g ; d) a = m1 Question 7
g. The drawing shows a crown glass slab of refractive index
(m1 + m2 )
1.5 with a rectangular cross section. As illustrated, a laser
beam strikes the upper surface at an angle of 60°. After where θ is the contact angle
reflecting from between the surface of the liquid
the upper surface, and the tube, g is the acceleration
the beam reflects due to gravity, and γ is a constant
from the side and that depends on a number of
bottom surfaces. parameters. The dimensions of γ
If the glass is are given by
surrounded by
air, determine at a) ML-2; b) MLT-2; c) M-1LT-2
which point part d) MT-2; e) none of the above.
of the beam first exits the glass.
Question 13
a) A; b) B; c) C; d) none of the above. If the Earth’s polar land-based glaciers melted, water would
be redistributed on the planet, and the depression in the
Question 8 earth’s crust made by the weight of the ice would rebound,
A block of mass m is sandwiched between a rough vertical as the land rises when the weight of the glaciers is removed
wall and a horizontally (an effect known as Post-Glacial Rebound or Glacial
oriented spring with spring Isostatic Adjustment). Following post-glacial rebound, the
constant k. If the spring is length of day would
compressed a distance x
beyond its uncompressed a) increase;
length, then the minimum b) decrease;
coefficient of static friction for c) remain the same as the present length of day;
which the block does not fall is d) at first increase but then shortly return to the present
length of day;
mg kx kx mg e) at first decrease but then shortly return to the present
a) ; b) ; c) ; d) . length of day.
kx mg mg + kx mg + kx
Question 14
Question 9 Eight identical negative
A light wave has a high enough frequency to ionize an charges -q are arranged
atom. If the amplitude of the light wave is tripled, the symmetrically on a circle of
chance of an atom being ionized by the light wave increases radius r, each equidistant
by a factor of from the next. Assume the
point charges have zero
a) 1; b) 3 ; c) 3; d) 9.
potential at infinity. If the
Question 10 constant of proportionality
A 100-kg student eats a 200-calorie doughnut. To ‘burn off in Coulomb’s law is k, then
the sugar high’, he decides to climb the steps of a tall the magnitude of the electric
building. How high would he have to climb to expend an field and the electrostatic
equivalent amount of work? (1 food calorie = 103 calories ~ potential at the centre of the circle are given by
4200 J).
a) E = 8kq , V = − 8kq ; b) E = 8kq , V = − 8kq ;
a) 273 m; b) 428 m; c) 857 m; d) 8400 m. r2 r ( 2πr ) 2 ( 2πr )

Question 11 c) E = 8kq , V = 0 ; d) E = 0 , V = 0 ;
In an insulated vessel, 250 g of ice at 0°C is added to 600 g r2
of water at 18°C. The latent heat of fusion is ~ 3.33×105 e) E = 0 , V = − 8kq .
J/kg. The amount of ice remaining when the system reaches r
thermal equilibrium is
Question 15
a) 0 g; b) 114 g; c) 136 g; d) 45.2 g. Three of the negative
charges in the previous
Question 12 questions are replaced with
A liquid will rise in a narrow tube (capillary action) if the positive charges with the
adhesive forces between the molecules of the liquid and the same magnitude, and are
molecules of the tube are greater than the cohesive forces arranged as in the figure.
between the molecules of the liquid. The height of a column The magnitude of the
of liquid of density ρ drawn up a tube of radius r is given by electric field and the
electrostatic potential at the centre of the circle are given by
2γ
h= cos θ
ρgr
a) E=
2kq
r2
( )
1 + 2 2 ,V = 0 ;
c) The answer depends on the material of which the object
is made;
( )
b) E = 2kq 1 + 2 , V = − 2qk ;
r2 r
d) The answer depends on how much the temperature
increases;
e) Both c) and d) are correct.
( )
c) E = 2kq 1 + 2 2 , V = − 2qk ;
r2 r Question 20
d) E = 0 , V = − 2 qk . Two gear wheels of the same thickness, but with one twice
r the diameter of the other, are mounted on parallel light axles
e) None of the above. far enough apart not to mesh the teeth of the wheels. The
larger wheel is spun with angular velocity Ω and the wheels
Question 16 are then moved together so they mesh. What is the
An electric dipole consists of subsequent angular velocity of the larger wheel?
two small particles. Each has
mass m but opposite electric a) Ω ; b) Ω ; c) 2Ω ; d) 4Ω .
charge ± q . They are 2 5 5 5
separated by a light, non-
conducting rod of length l. Question 21
The dipole is placed in a For the meshed rotating gears of the previous question, what
fraction of the original energy is lost?
uniform electric field E such that it forms an angle θ to the
field, then is released. Its initial angular acceleration about a) 1/4; b) 1/8; c) 1/5; d) 2/5.
its centre of mass is given by
Question 22
The drawing shows
a) 2qE cos θ ; b) 2qE sin θ ; c) qEl cos θ ;
ml ml m a copper wire (of
qEl sin θ ; qE sin θ. negligible
d) e) resistance) bent into
2
m ml a circular shape
Question 17 with a radius of r.
At time t = 0 a block of mass m moves with momentum p The radial section
along a rough horizontal surface. If it comes to a complete BC is fixed in
stop in time t, then the coefficient of kinetic friction µk is place, while the
given by copper bar AC
sweeps around at an
a) p ; b) pg ; c) ptg ; d) pt ; angular speed of ω.
mgt mt m mg The bar makes
e) None of the above. electrical contact with the wire at all times. The wire and the
bar have negligible resistance. A uniform magnetic field
Question 18 exists everywhere, is perpendicular to the plane of the circle,
A fish swimming in water with constant velocity v0 and has a magnitude of B. Which of the following shows the
experiences a viscous drag force that is proportional to the magnitude of the current as a function of θ?
square of its velocity (i.e. Fdrag ∝ v ). If the fish doubles
2
a) b)
its velocity, then the thrust force F that it must generate to
maintain this new velocity is related to the fish’s original
thrust force F0 via

a) F = 2 F0 ; b) F = 2F0 ; c) F = 4 F0 ; d) F = F0 2 ;
e) None of the above. c) d)

Question 19
A solid object has a hole
in it. Which of these
illustrations more
correctly shows how the
size of the object and
the hole change as the
temperature increases?
a) illustration #1;
b) illustration #2;
Part B: Problems where λ is called the decay constant. We can integrate this
expression to get the relationship
Problem 1 N (t ) = N 0 e − λt
A double inclined plane is in the form of a wedge of weight where N0 represents the number of radioactive nuclei at time
10 g, held on the ground with its base horizontal and rough t = 0.
faces inclined at 30° and 45° respectively to the horizontal.
A 5 g particle on the face inclined at 30° is connected by a a) Show that the time taken for N(t) = N0/2 (known as the
mass less, flexible, inextensible string over a smooth mass
half-life), is given by T1/2 = (ln 2)/ λ.
less pulley at the ridge of the wedge to a 7 g particle on the
other face. If the coefficient of friction between each of the
Potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating is used in earth science to
particles and the wedge
determine the age of a rock sample. The potassium isotope
is 1/5, find the 40
accelerations of the 19 K is radioactive and decays over time to the argon
particles and the 40
isotope 18 Ar . When a rock is molten the argon gas is
magnitude of the
vertical force between released into the atmosphere but as the rock cools and
the wedge and the crystallizes, the daughter argon atoms are trapped within the
ground. rock matrix. Time since crystallization is calculated by
40
measuring the ratio of the amount of 18 Ar accumulated to
40
the amount of 19 K remaining.
Problem 2 40
The two possible nuclear reaction for 19 K to change to
Oceanographers have deployed an array of instruments off
40
the west coast of Vancouver Island, connected together by 18 Ar are:
cables carrying power and communication. The power is
supplied through a single DC line. The return path is
through the sea water. The grounds at each end of the line
40
19 K + 0−1 e→40
18 Ar + a neutrino
are large metal spheres. 40
19 K →40
18 Ar + +1 e + a neutrino
0

Consider two copper spheres, radii a, buried in an infinite

medium of resistivity ρ. Current flows out of one sphere and b) Describe the physical process that is occurring in these
is collected by the second sphere. The current flow in reactions.
vicinity of each sphere can be considered radially uniform c) Which of the two is the more likely to occur?
40
as the distance between the spheres is large compared with d) Most of the potassium 19 K (89.1%) decays to 40
20 Ca .
a. What is the equation for this reaction?
a) By considering the series resistance of many thin 40
spherical shells around a sphere show graphically (or by The approximate ratio of the amount of 18 Ar to that of
direct integration) that much of the resistance between 40
K is directly related to the time elapsed since the rock
19
the spheres is due to material within a radius 2a of each
sphere and thereby estimate the total resistance between was cool enough to trap the argon by the following
the spheres. equation:
b) If the current flow between the spheres is 1 A, calculate ⎛ Arf ⎞
⎜ Kf + ⎟
the charge in coulombs on each one. t1 / 2 0.109 ⎟
t= log e ⎜
log e (2) ⎜ Kf ⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎝ ⎠
Problem 3 40 40
Sir Ernest Rutherford, a very famous New Zealander who Where T1/2 is the half-life of 19 K , Kf is the amount of 19 K
worked at McGill University in Montreal and the Cavendish remaining in the sample, and Arf is the amount of
40
Ar
18
Laboratory in Cambridge, won the Nobel Prize for his
studies of the disintegration of nuclei. He established an found in the sample.
important relationship for a nuclear reaction, in which a
parent atom disintegrates into a daughter atom, which is e) If a rock sample has remained undisturbed for 50
40
called the Rutherford – Soddy law of radioactive million years and the half-life of 19 K is 1.248 x109
disintegration. This law states that if N is the number of years, what ratio of Ar/K should be measured in the
radioactive nuclei present at some instant, the number of sample?
nuclei ∆N that decay in a time ∆t is given by:

∆N = − λ N ∆ t