SY 2018 – 2019

Physics 3 – Level 2
4th Quarter – Problem Set #2

This problem set may be answered BY GROUPS OF 3 (There are currently 24 Level 2 students, so there should
exactly be 8 groups). Try to work with people you have not worked with previously. However, you should not
just divide the problems among the three members, then combine your papers for submission. Each
problem applies concepts and skills different from the other problems, so for all members to develop and
apply all necessary concepts and skills, you should all work together in answering each and every single
problem given.
SOLUTION SETS DONE INDIVIDUALLY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. THE INTERPERSONAL SKILL OF
COLLABORATING AND BEING A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF A TEAM, REGARDLESS OF THE TASK, IS
ESSENTIAL TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT. IN THE EVENT THAT YOU FORMED A GROUP (SINCE YOU DON’T
HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE), BUT THERE IS A MEMBER THAT DID NOT HELP AT ALL, INDICATE IT BESIDE
THE PERSON’S NAME SO I WILL GIVE HIM/HER A SCORE OF ZERO (SERIOUSLY).

Show complete solutions to the following problems. Place your solutions in whole sheets of intermediate pad.
TO AVOID CROWDED CHARACTERS ON EACH PAGE, SHOW SOLUTIONS TO AT MOST TWO PROBLEMS
ONLY PER PAGE (I’M SERIOUS ABOUT THIS; SOME OF YOU DID NOT FOLLOW THIS INSTRUCTION FOR
THE PAST SOLUTION SETS AND I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME CHECKING THEIR ANSWERS AND WRITING THE
NECESSARY CORRECTIONS.) Enclose each final answer in a box or a circle (or highlight final answers, if you
prefer to do so).
DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION: May 6, 2019, 5:00 PM
SPECIAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY

1. A Martian leaves Mars in a spaceship that is heading to Venus. On the way, the spaceship passes earth with
a speed v = 0.800c relative to it. Assume that the three planets do not move relative to each other during
the trip. The distance between Mars and Venus is 1.20 x 1011 m, as measured by a person on earth. (a)
What does the Martian measure for the distance between Mars and Venus? (b) What is the time of the trip
(in seconds) as measured by the Martian?

2. (a) How fast must a rocket travel on a journey to and from a distant star so that the astronauts age 10.0
years while the Mission Control workers on earth age 120. years? (b) As measured by Mission Control, how
far away (in lightyears) is the distant star?

3. As observed on earth, a certain type of bacterium is known to double in number every 24.0 hours. Two
cultures of these bacteria are prepared, each consisting initially of one bacterium. One culture is left on earth
and the other placed on a rocket that travels at a speed of 0.866c relative to the earth. At a time when the
earthbound culture has grown to 256 bacteria, how many bacteria are in the culture on the rocket, according
to an earth-based observer?

4. How much work (in eV) must be done to increase the speed of an electron from rest to 0.500c?

5. What must be the momentum (in terms of m and c) of a particle

with mass m so that the total energy of the particle is 3.00 times
its rest energy?

QUANTUM PHYSICS

6. The temperature of an electric heating element is 150.°C. At

what wavelength and in what region of the EM spectrum does
the radiation emitted from the heating element reach its peak?

7. (a) What is the surface temperature of Betelgeuse, a red giant

star in the constellation Orion which radiates with a peak
wavelength of about 970. nm?
(b) Rigel, a bluish-white star in Orion, radiates with a peak
wavelength of 145 nm. Find the temperature of Rigel’s
surface.
SY 2018 – 2019
Physics 3 – Level 2
4th Quarter – Problem Set #2

8. The stopping potential for electrons emitted from a surface illuminated by light of wavelength 491 nm is
0.710 V. When the incident wavelength is changed to a new value, the stopping potential is 1.43 V. (a)
What is this new wavelength? (b) What is the work function for the surface?

9. (a) What is the de Broglie wavelength of a red blood cell, with mass 1.00 x10 –11 g, that is moving with a
speed of 0.400 cm/s? (b) Considering this value, do we need to be concerned with the wave nature of the
blood cells when we describe the flow of blood in the body? Briefly explain your answer.

NUCLEAR PHYSICS

Use the values in the following table for problems 10 and 12.

10. Calculate the binding energy per nucleon (in eV) for the following: (a) 56𝐹𝑒 and (b) 238𝑈. (c) Based on
your answers to (a) and (b), compare the nuclear stability of the two nuclides. Briefly explain your answer.

11. Use conservation of nucleon number and atomic number to identify the unknown nuclide or particle (X).
(a) 𝑋 → 65
28𝑁𝑖 + 𝛾
(b) 215
84𝑃𝑜 →𝑋+𝛼
55
(c) 𝑋 → 26𝐹𝑒 + 𝑒 + + ν
238 234
12. Find the energy releases in the alpha decay 92𝑈 → 90𝑇ℎ + 42𝐻𝑒. Express your answer in eV.

Sources:

Cutnell, J. (2012). Physics (9th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Halliday, D., Resnick, R. and Walker, J. (2014) Fundamentals of Physics (10th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Serway, R.A. (2014). Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics (9th ed.). Brooks/Cole.

Prepared by: Reviewed and assessed by:

MICHELLE C. DALAY-ON GINETH GRACE C. CALIS

Subject Teacher PIE Unit Head