Physics Olympiad

(Πηψσιχσ Ολψµπιαδ)

1995 MULTIPLE CHOICE SCREENING TEST

30 QUESTIONS—40 MINUTES

INSTRUCTIONS

DO NOT OPEN THIS TEST UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO BEGIN

This test contains 30 multiple choice questions. Your answer to each question must be marked on
the optical mark answer sheet that accompanies the test. Only the boxes preceded by numbers 1
through 30 are to be used on the answer sheet.
Select the single answer that provides the best response to each question. Please be sure to use a
No. 2 pencil and completely fill the box corresponding to your choice. If you change an answer,
the previous mark must be completely erased.
A hand-held calculator may be used. However, any memory must be cleared of data and
programs. Calculators may not be shared.
Your grade on this multiple choice test will be your number of correct answers. There is no
penalty for guessing. It is to your advantage to answer every question.
The values of some possibly useful constants are given below:
mass of electron me = 9.1 x 10-31 kg
mass of proton mp = 1.7 x 10-27 kg
electronic charge e = 1.6 x 10-19 C
speed of light c = 3.0 x 108 m/s
Coulomb's constant k = 9.0 x 109 N·m2/C2
permittivity constant ε0 = 8.9 x 10-12 C2/N·m2
permeability constant µ0 = 4¹ x 10-7 T·m/A
gravitational constant G = 6.7 x 10-11 N·m2/kg2
acceleration due to gravity g = 10 m/s2
speed of sound (20 oC) vs = 340 m/s

DO NOT OPEN THIS TEST UNTIL YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO BEGIN

Copyright © 1995, AAPT
1. The accompanying figure is a graph of an +x
object’s position as a function of time. Which C
lettered segment corresponds to a time when the B
object has a negative acceleration?
D
A. A
A
B. B
C. C t
D. D E
E. E

2. A car is moving at a constant velocity to the right along a straight level highway. Just as the
car passes a cliff, a rock falls straight down in the cliff’s reference system. Which of the
accompanying curves best depicts the path the rock takes in the car’s reference system?
A. B. C. D. E.

3. Three blocks – 1, 2, and 3 – rest on a horizontal 1 2 3 F

frictionless surface, as shown in the accompanying figure. m m m
Each block has a mass m, and the blocks are connected by
massless strings. Block 3 is pulled to the right by a force F. The resultant force on block 2 is:
A. Zero B. (1/3) F C. (1/2) F D. (2/3) F E. F

4. Which solid vector in the accompanying figures best represents the acceleration of a pendulum
mass at an intermediate point in its swing?
A. B. C. D. E.

16 cm

5. A mass attached to a horizontal massless spring is displaced 16 cm

to the right of its equilibrium position (see accompanying figure) and
released from rest. At its 16 cm extension, the spring-mass system has 8 cm
1.28 joules of potential energy. Upon release, it slides across a rough
surface and comes momentarily to rest 8 cm to the left of its
equilibrium position. How much mechanical energy was dissipated by friction?
A. 0.16 J B. 0.32 J C. 0.64 J D. 0.96 J E. 1.12 J

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6. Two identical masses m are connected to a massless string which is hung over two frictionless
pulleys as shown on the right. If everything is at rest,
what is the tension in the cord?
A. Less than mg.
B. Exactly mg.
C. More than mg but less than 2mg. m m
D. Exactly 2mg.
E. More than 2mg.

7. Car A and car B are both traveling down a straight highway at 25 m/s (about 56 mph). Car A
is only 6.0 m behind car B. The driver of car B brakes, slowing down with a constant
acceleration of 2.0 m/s2. After a time 1.2 s, the driver of car A begins to brake, also at 2.0 m/s2.
What is the relative velocity of the two cars when they collide? Hint: Both cars are still moving
forward when they collide.
A. 2.4 m/s B. 5.0 m/s C. 9.5 m/s D. 21 m/s E. 24 m/s

8. During the collision between car A and car B described in Problem # 7 above, which car
experiences the greater change in momentum?
A. The more massive car.
B. The less massive car.
C. Car A because its velocity at the start of the collision is greater.
D. Car B because its velocity at the start of the collision is less.
E. Both cars experience the same magnitude of momentum change.

9. A 70 kg hunter ropes a 350 kg polar bear. Both are initially at rest, 30 m apart on a
frictionless and level ice surface. When the hunter pulls the polar bear to him, the polar bear will
move:
A. 5 m B. 6 m C. 15 m D. 24 m E. 25 m

10. A bullet of mass m is fired at a block of mass M initially at rest. The bullet, moving at an
initial speed v, embeds itself in the block. The speed of the block after the collision is:
Mv (M + m )v  m   M + m mv
A. B. C.  v D.  v E.
M +m m  M + m  m  M +m

11. The driver of a 1000 kg car tries to turn through a circle of radius 100 m on an unbanked
curve at a speed of 10 m/s. The maximum frictional force between the tires and the slippery road
is 900 N. The car will:
A. Slide into the inside of the curve.
B. Make the turn.
C. Slow down due to the centrifugal force.
D. Make the turn only if it speeds up.
E. Slide off to the outside of the curve.

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12. A solid cylinder weighing 200 N has a fixed axis and a string wrapped around it. The string
is pulled with a force equal to the weight of the cylinder. The acceleration of the string is
approximately:
(A) 10 m/s2 (B) 20 m/s2 (C) 30 m/s2 (D) 40 m/s2 (E) 50 m/s2

13. A spinning ice skater has an initial kinetic energy (1/2)Iω2. She pulls in her outstretched
arms, decreasing her moment of inertia to (1/4)I. Her new angular speed is:
A. ω/4 B. ω/2 C. ω D. 2ω E. 4ω

1 2
14. A heavy rod of length L and weight W is suspended L/4
horizontally by two vertical ropes as shown on the right. The
first rope is attached to the left end of the rod while the second L
rope is attached a distance L/4 from the right end. The tension
in the second rope is:
A. (1/2)W B. (1/4)W C. (1/3)W D. (2/3)W E. W

15. A block of ice with mass m falls into a lake. After impact, a mass of ice m/5 melts. Both the
block of ice and the lake have a temperature of 0oC. If L represents the heat of fusion, the
minimum distance the ice fell is:
L 5L gL mL 5gL
A. B. C. D. E.
5g g 5m 5g m

16. Which of the accompanying PV diagrams best represents an isothermal (constant

temperature) process?
A. B. C. D. E.
P P P P P

V V V V V

17. If the heat is added at constant volume, 6300 joules of heat are required to raise the
temperature of an ideal gas by 150 K. If instead, the heat is added at constant pressure, 8800
joules are needed for the same temperature change. When the temperature of the gas changes by
150 K, the internal energy of the gas changes by:
A. 2500 J B. 6300 J C. 8800 J D. 11,300 J E. 15,100 J

1995 Physics Olympiad page 3

18. A firecracker exploding on the surface of a lake is heard as two sounds – a time interval t
apart – by the paddler of a nearby canoe. Sound travels with a speed u in water and a speed v in
air. The distance from the exploding firecracker to the canoe is:
uvt t ( u + v) t ( u − v) uvt
A. B. C. D. vt E.
u +v uv uv u −v

19. Two interfering waves have the same wavelength, frequency, and amplitude. They are
traveling in the same direction but are 90o out of phase. Compared to the individual waves, the
resultant wave will have the same:
A. amplitude and velocity but different wavelength.
B. amplitude and wavelength but different velocity.
C. wavelength and velocity but different amplitude.
D. amplitude and frequency but different velocity.
E. frequency and velocity but different wavelength.

20. An organ pipe which is open at both ends resonates with fundamental frequency 300 Hz. If
one end of the pipe is closed, it will resonate with a fundamental frequency of:
A. 75 Hz B. 150 Hz C. 300 Hz D. 600 Hz E. 1200 Hz

21. You are given two lenses, a converging lens with focal length + 10 cm and a diverging lens
with focal length - 20 cm. Which of the following would produce a virtual image that is larger
than the object?
A. Placing the object 5 cm from the converging lens.
B. Placing the object 15 cm from the converging lens.
C. Placing the object 25 cm from the converging lens.
D. Placing the object 15 cm from the diverging lens.
E. Placing the object 25 cm from the diverging lens.

22. Light shining through two very narrow slits P

produces an interference maximum at point P when
the entire apparatus is in air (see accompanying
figure). For the interference maximum represented, x
light through the bottom slit travels one wavelength
further than light through the top slit before reaching θ
d
point P. If the entire apparatus is immersed in water,
the angle θ to the interference maximum:
A. is unchanged
B. decreases because the frequency decreases.
C. decreases because the wavelength decreases.
D. increases because the frequency increases.
E. increases because the wavelength increases.

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23. The magnitude of the field due to an infinite plate of charge is
σ/(2εo), where σ is the charge per unit area and εo is the vacuum +
permittivity. The figure to the right depicts three infinite plates of + + -
+
charge perpendicular to the plane of the page with charge per unit area + + -
+ σ1, + 2σ1, and - σ1. The total field at the point labeled X is: X +
+ + -
A. 4σ1/(2εo) to the left. +
B. σ1/(2εo) to the left. + + -
C. 0 +σ + 2σ1 - σ1
D. σ1/(2εo) to the right. 1
E. 4σ1/(2εo) to the right.

24. There are three conducting spheres of 1 2

identical diameter, shown to the right.
Spheres 1 and 2 are separated by a distance
that is large compared to their diameter. They 3
have equal charges and repel each other with
an electrostatic force F. Sphere 3 is initially
uncharged and has an insulated handle. It is touched first to sphere 1, then to sphere 2, and then
removed. If the distance between spheres 1 and 2 has not changed, the force between these two
spheres is:
A. 0 B. (1/16)F C. (1/4)F D. (3/8)F E. (1/2)F

25. Two conducting spheres, A of radius a and B of radius b,

are shown in the accompanying figure. Both are positively
charged and isolated from their surroundings. They had been a b
connected by a conducting wire but the wire has been removed.
B
Assuming the potential an infinite distance away is zero, which A
of the following statements about the spheres are true:
I. Sphere A is at the higher potential. IV. Sphere A has the larger charge.
II. Sphere B is at the higher potential. V. Sphere B has the larger charge.
III. Both spheres have the same potential. VI. Both spheres have the same charge.
A. I and IV B. I and VI C. II and VI D. III and IV E. III and V

26. The accompanying figure shows two concentric spherical shells

isolated from each other. The smaller shell has radius b and net charge +Q
+ q. The larger shell has radius B and net charge + Q. Assume that
the potential is zero at an infinite distance from the shells. If R is the b
+q
distance from the common center, the highest electric potential V
occurs:
B
A. only at R = 0, where V is infinite.
B. anywhere R ≤ b, where V is constant
C. in the region b < R < B.
D. immediately outside the larger shell; V is zero everywhere within it.
E. far away from the shells; V increases with distance.

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27. In the circuit represented to the right, the current I equals:
R R
A. V/5R V
B. V/4R R R
C. 2V/5R I
D. 2V/4R V
E. 2V/R

Use the circuit below to answer questions 28 and 29. L1, L2, L3, and L4 are identical light bulbs.
There are six voltmeters connected to the circuit as shown. Assume that the voltmeters do not
effect the circuit.

L1
V1 L3 V3
V0
V2 L2 V5

L4 V4

28. Which of the following combinations are equal to V0?

A. V1 + V3 B. V2 + V3 + V4 C. V1 + V5 D. V3 + V4 E. V1 + V4

29. If L3 were to burn out, opening the circuit, which voltmeter(s) would read zero volts?
A. None would read zero.
B. only V3
C. only V4
D. only V3, V4, and V5
E. they would all read zero

30. Identical currents flow in two perpendicular wires, as shown in

the accompanying figure. The wires are very close but do not touch. 2 1
The magnetic field can be zero: I I
A. at a point in region 1 only
B. at a point in region 2 only
C. at points in both regions 1 and 2 3 4
D. at points in both regions 1 and 4
E. at points in both regions 2 and 4

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 1995 MULTIPLE CHOICE SCREENING TEST
ANSWER KEY

1. C 11. E 21. A
2. D 12. B 22. C
3. B 13. E 23. C
4. D 14. D 24. D
5. D 15. A 25. D
6. B 16. B 26. B
7. A 17. B 27. A
8. E 18. E 28. C
9. A 19. C 29. C
10. E 20. B 30. E