Advanced Problem and MCQ set on Introduction to Physics

1. The volume of a body varies with time as 𝑉 = 𝛼𝑡 + 𝛽𝑡 , where 𝑡 is measured in seconds and 𝑉 in cc.
Determine the dimensions and SI units of the constants 𝛼 & 𝛽.
2. The potential energy, 𝑈, of a particle as a function of position, 𝑥, is given by 𝑈 = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐. Find the
dimensions and SI units of the constants 𝑎, 𝑏 & 𝑐.
3. What do you mean by relative error, percentage error and standard deviation? Prove the following:
(a) ±∆𝑧 = ±∆𝑥 ± 𝑦, 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑦
(b) ±∆𝑧 = ±∆𝑥 ∓ 𝑦, 𝑧 = 𝑥 − 𝑦
∆ ∆ ∆
(c) ± =± ± , 𝑧 = 𝑥𝑦
∆ ∆ ∆
(d) ± =± ∓ , 𝑧 = 𝑥/𝑦
∆ ∆
(e) = ±𝑛 , 𝑧 = 𝑥±
𝑘𝑥 𝑦 ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆
(f) If 𝑢 = 𝑧 , show that =𝑎 +𝑏 −𝑐 .

4. The coefficient of viscosity, 𝜂, of a gas depends on the intermolecular force. 𝐹, which depends upon the
molecular separation, 𝑟 by 𝐹 = 𝜇𝑟 , where 𝜇 & 𝑛 are constants. If 𝜂 is a function of molecular mass, 𝑚, their
mean speed, 𝑣, and the constant, 𝜇, then show that,

𝜂∝𝑚 𝑣 𝜇
If 𝜂 ∝ 𝑇 , show that 𝑥 = 𝑛 + 3 2𝑛 − 2.
5. Suppose instead of mass, length and time, we choose velocity, acceleration and force as the fundamental
dimensions. Find out the dimensions of linear momentum, angular momentum and Young’s modulus
(dimensionally equal to stress) in terms of the above dimensions.
6. The mass, 𝑚, of the largest stone that can be flown by a flowing river, is assumed to be dependent on the
speed 𝑣 of the river-current, the density 𝜌 of the water and acceleration due to gravity 𝑔. Show that 𝑚 ∝ 𝑣 .
7. The speed 𝑣 of surface waves of wavelength 𝜆 on a liquid of density 𝜌 under the influence of both gravity and
surface tension (tensile force per unit length), 𝛾, is given by 𝑣 = 𝑔𝜆/2𝜋 + 2𝜋𝛾/𝜌𝜆 . Check the validity of
the equation.
8. The magnitude of force acting on a particle is given by 𝐹 = 𝐴𝑚𝑒 /𝑟 , where 𝑚 is the mass of the particle
and 𝑟 is the distance from the origin. Find the dimensions of the constants 𝐴 & 𝛼.
9. Redlich-Kwong equation of states of gas is given by 𝑃 = − ( )√
, find out the dimensions of the
unknown parameters 𝑎 & 𝑏 where all other terms have their usual meanings.
10. In Vernier Calipers, 𝑛 divisions on the main scale have the same length as (𝑛 + 1) divisions on the Vernier
scale. If one main scale division is 𝑎 units, show that least count is 𝑎/(𝑛 + 1) units.
11. If one end of a cylinder of length L and radius R is fixed and the other end is twisted by a ‘couple of torque’
( rotational analogue to that of equal and opposite force in inertial frame), 𝐶, the twisting angle,
𝜑 = 2𝐿𝐶/𝜋𝜂𝑅
where 𝜂 is the shear modulus of the cylinder. In an experiment the couple and length are measured within 2%
each and the twisting angle and radius are measured within 3%. If 𝜂 = 8 × 10 N/m2, find the limits of 𝜂.
12. The dimensions of a rectangular metal plate are measured to be (15.6 ± 0.2) cm by (9.40 ± 0.10) cm.
(a) What is the area of the plate?
(b) Find the percentage uncertainty in the calculated area.
13. A swimming pool has length 𝑙 = (25.0 ± 0.2) m, width 𝑤 = (12.4 ± 0.1) m and depth 𝑑 = (2.10 ± 0.05) m.
The pool is completely filled with water.
(a) What is the mean value of the volume of the water?
(b) What is approximate uncertainty and percentage uncertainty in the measurement of volume of water?
(c) Write down the final expression of water.
14. The mass length and diameter of a uniform cylinder are measured as 𝑚 = (7.54 ± 0.01) gm, 𝑙 = (12.25 ±
0.05) mm and 𝑑 = (9.47 ± 0.04) mm. Calculate the density of the cylinder in Kg/m3.
15. A pendulum consists of a steel sphere of radius 𝑅 and density 𝜌 suspended by a string. The motion of the
sphere experiences air drag which decreases the amplitude of oscillation, 𝐴, as 𝐴 = 𝐴 𝑒 ; 𝛾 = 9𝜂/4𝑅 𝜌.
Where 𝐴 is amplitude at 𝑡 = 0 and 𝜂 is air-viscosity. The measurement of amplitude is accurate to 1%, while
other measurements are: 𝜂 = (1.80 ± 0.02) × 10 Kg/m-s, 𝑅 = (6.4 ± 0.1) mm and 𝜌 = (7.81 ± 0.05) ×
10 Kg/m3. Calculate the time at which the amplitude falls to 75% of its initial value. What is the error in
your calculation? Which experimental parameter makes maximum contribution to your measurement?
16. The power, 𝑃, is required by a hovering helicopter depends on the vertical force, 𝐹, provided by its blade. The
blade-length, 𝑙, and the density, 𝜌, of the air. By what factor does the power recruitment increase when the
helicopter carries a load equaling to its own weight?
17. The radius of solid sphere is measured to be (4.30 ± 0.1) cm and its mass is measured to be (3.15 ± 0.02)
Kg.
(a) Find the volume of the sphere in SI and the error in the calculated volume.
(b) Find the density of the sphere in Kg/m3 and the error in the calculated density.
18. Bernoulli’s equation, which applies to the steady flow of an ideal fluid in a pipe states: + 𝑣 + 𝑔ℎ =const.
In this expression 𝑃 is the pressure, 𝜌 is the density of the fluid, 𝑣 is fluid-speed, 𝑔 is acceleration due to
gravity and ℎ is the height of fluid column (the three terms in the LHS are known as pressure-height, velocity-
height and gravitational height respectively, which we will learn later). Show that the equation is
dimensionally consistent and hence find the dimension of the constant. What will be the SI unit of the RHS
term?
19. The radius of the atomic nucleus of an element of mass-number, 𝐴, is measured from Bethe-Weisacker Semi
Empirical Mass-formula as, 𝑟 = 𝑟 𝐴 / , 𝑟 = 1.2 fermi = 1.2 × 10 m. Estimate the density of the nucleus.
20. The drag force acting on a speeding car is given by the formula 𝐹 = 𝐶𝜌𝐴𝑣 where 𝜌 is the air-density, 𝐴 is
the projected area and 𝑣 is the speed of the car. Find the dimension and SI units of the drag-coefficient 𝐶.
21. The angular frequency of deep-water gravity wave is given by 𝜔 = √2𝜋𝜌 𝑔 𝜆 where 𝜆 is the wavelength, 𝑔
acceleration due to gravity and 𝜌 water-density. Find the exponents.
22. If a beam is placed symmetrically on two knife-edges near its ends and loaded at the middle by a block of
mass, 𝑀, the depression, 𝛿, of the mid-point of the beam is given by 𝛿 = 𝑀𝑔𝑙 /4𝑤ℎ 𝑌 where 𝑙, 𝑤, ℎ are the
dimensions of the beam and 𝑌 is the Young’s Constant (elastic constant of rigid bodies, dimensionally equal
to stress). Verify the relation stated above.
23. The radius of a sphere is measured to be (16.0 ± 0.2) cm. Calculate the surface area and the volume of the
sphere.
24. Consider the data given below:
Reading Diameter(cm) Length(cm)
1 2.45 4.04
2 2.42 4.02
3 2.46 4.01
4 2.48 4.00
5 2.44 3.98
6 2.46 4.05
7 2.42 4.04
8 2.47 4.00
9 2.45 4.02
10 2.43 4.01

(a) Prepare the difference table of diameter and length (∆𝑥 = 𝑥 −< 𝑥 >).
(b) Calculate relative error and percentage error in measure of curved surface area of a solid cylinder using
the above data-sheet.
(c) Also calculate the standard deviation for the above measurement.
 MCQ SET
1. A physical quantity 𝜂 is given by 𝜂 = 0.1𝑥𝑦 /𝑧 / where 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 are experimentally measured quantities with
errors 2%, 1% & 3% respectively. Calculate the error in 𝜂.
(a) 3%
(b) 5%
(c) 6%
(d) 7%
2. A liquid of coefficient of viscosity 𝜂 is flowing through a pipe of length 𝑙 and radius 𝑟 under a pressure
difference of 𝑃. The volume of liquid flowing in time 𝑡 might be given by
(a) 𝜋𝜂𝑙𝑡/8𝑃𝑟
(b) 𝜋𝜂𝑟 𝑡/8𝑃𝑙
(c) 𝜋𝑃𝑟 𝑡/8𝜂𝑙
(d) 𝜋𝑃𝑙𝑡/8𝜂𝑟
3. The dimensional formula for the product of the pressure gradient and speed gradient is
(a) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(b) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(c) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(d) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
4. A wire has mass 𝑚 = (0.5 ± 0.005) gm, radius 𝑟 = (0.3 ± 0.003) mm and length 𝑙 = (7.0 ± 0.07) cm. The
maximum percentage error in the measurement of its density is
(a) 4%
(b) 3%
(c) 2%
(d) 1%
5. If 𝜖 is the permittivity of free-space and 𝐸 is the electric field, the dimension of 𝜖 𝐸 /2 is
(a) Equal to energy
(b) Equal to torque
(c) Equal to total power radiated within a certain time interval.
(d) All of these
6. If force, 𝐹 = 𝑎𝑡 + 𝑏𝑡 , then the dimensions of the constants 𝑎 & 𝑏 are
(a) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ] & [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(b) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ] & [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(c) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ] & [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(d) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ] & [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
7. A screw gauge of pitch 1 mm has a circular scale with 100 equal divisions. The diameter of a cable measured
by the screw gauge should be reported as
(a) 1.4 cm
(b) 1.42 cm
(c) 1.420 cm
(d) 1.4200 cm
8. If 𝑛 droplets of water each of radius 𝑟 combine to form a large drop, the latter’s radius will be
(a) 𝑛𝑟
(b) 𝑛 / 𝑟
(c) 𝑛𝑟
(d) 𝑛𝑟 /
9. Among the following pairs the dimensionally matchless pair is
(a) Angle and Strain
(b) Tension and Surface Tension
(c) Stress and Pressure
(d) Angular Momentum and Angular Impulse
10. A students wants to find the acceleration due to gravity, 𝑔 = 4𝜋 𝑙/𝑇 , by using a simple pendulum. If he
makes a positive error of 2% in measuring the length of suspension-wire and a negative error of 2% in
measuring the time period of the pendulum, then the error in measurement of 𝑔 will be
(a) 2%
(b) 4%
(c) 6%
(d) 8%
11. Two quantities 𝑋 & 𝑌 are dimensionally non-identical. Which of the following operations will be meaningful?
(a) 𝑋 ± 𝑌
(b) 𝑋𝑌 & 𝑋/𝑌
(c) Both
(d) None
12. The time period of oscillation, 𝑇, of a cubic block is known to be dependent on the mass of the block, 𝑚,
dimension of the block, 𝑙, and shear-modulus 𝜂. The correct formula of 𝑇 is
(a) 𝑇 = 2𝜋 𝑚𝜂/𝑙
(b) 𝑇 = 2𝜋 𝑚𝑙/𝜂
(c) 𝑇 = 2𝜋 𝑚/𝜂𝑙
(d) 𝑇 = 2𝜋 𝜂/𝑚𝑙
13. Period of bubble-oscillation depends on its radius, density and surface tension denoted by 𝑟, 𝜌 & 𝛾
respectively. The correct formula for 𝑇 is
(a) 𝑇 = 𝑘 𝜌 𝛾/𝑟
(b) 𝑇 = 𝑘 𝑟 𝜌/𝛾
(c) 𝑇 = 𝑘 𝛾 𝜌/𝑟
(d) 𝑇 = 𝑘𝑟 𝜌𝛾
14. The symbols 𝑃, 𝑚, 𝐽 & 𝐺 represent power, mass, angular impulse and gravitational constant respectively. The
dimensions of 𝑃𝐽 /𝑚 𝐺 is same that of
(a) Mass
(b) Length
(c) Time
(d) Frequency
15. The specific heat of a particular solid near absolute zero is given by 𝐶 = 𝜎𝑇 , where 𝜎 is the characteristic
constant of the solid and 𝑇 is the absolute temperature. The SI unit of 𝜎 is
(a) m2/sec2-K4
(b) Kg-m2/sec2-K4
(c) m2/sec2-K
(d) Kg-m/sec-K3
16. If 𝜖 & 𝜇 represents the permittivity and permeability of free-space respectively
(Electric potential, 𝑉 = ( )𝑟 , Coulombs law and speed of light in vacuum 𝑐 = 1/ 𝜇 𝜖 ), then the
correct one is ([𝐼] dimension of electric current)
(a) [𝜖 ] = [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 𝐼 ]
(b) [𝜇 ] = [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 𝐼 ]
(c) [𝜖 ] = [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 𝐼 ]
(d) [𝜖 ] = [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 𝐼 ]
17. A stationary wave equation can be written as 𝑦(𝑥, 𝑡) = 𝐴 sin 𝐵𝑥 cos 𝐶𝑡. The dimension of 𝐴/𝐵𝐶 is
(a) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(b) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(c) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(d) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
18. The areal velocity, 𝑑𝐴/𝑑𝑡, of a planet revolving in an elliptical orbit round its sun depends on its angular
velocity, 𝜔, and its distance from the sun, 𝑟. The dependence is correctly described by
(a) ∝ 𝜔𝑟
(b) ∝𝜔 𝑟
(c) ∝ 𝜔𝑟
(d) ∝ √𝜔𝑟
19. In the relation 𝑃 = exp (− ), 𝑃, 𝑘 & 𝑇 are pressure, Boltzmann Constant (1.38 × 10 Joule/K) and
absolute temperature respectively. The dimension of 𝛽 is
(a) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(b) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(c) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
(d) [𝑀 𝐿 𝑇 ]
20. If force, acceleration and time are chosen as fundamental quantities with dimensions denoted as [𝐹], [𝐴] & [𝑇]
respectively, the dimensional formula of energy will be
(a) [𝐹𝐴𝑇]
(b) [𝐹 𝐴𝑇]
(c) [𝐹𝐴 𝑇]
(d) [𝐹𝐴𝑇 ]