2021-2022 EXAM

PHYSICS: PHYS130 Part 1 - Modules PHYS131-132 – June 2022 (1 hour)

• Candidates should attempt the sections on ALL modules for which they are
registered.
• The time allocated is 30 minutes per section.
• In each section candidates should answer all parts of the question.
• Mark weighting is indicated by the numbers in square brackets following each part.
• Use a SEPARATE ANSWER BOOK for EACH SECTION. Please write in INK.

PHYSICAL CONSTANTS

Planck’s constant h = 6.63 × 10−34 J s

~ = 1.05 × 10−34 J s
Boltzmann’s constant kB = 1.38 × 10−23 J K−1
Mass of electron me = 9.11 × 10−31 kg
Mass of proton mp = 1.67 × 10−27 kg
Atomic mass unit u = 1.66 × 10−27 kg
Electronic charge e = 1.60 × 10−19 C
Speed of light c = 3.00 × 108 m s−1
Avogadro’s number NA = 6.02 × 1023 mol−1
Permittivity of the vacuum 0 = 8.85 × 10−12 F m−1
Permeability of the vacuum µ0 = 4π × 10−7 H m−1
Gravitational constant G = 6.67 × 10−11 N m2 kg−2
Wien’s displacement constant = 2.90 × 10−3 m K
Stefan-Boltzmann constant σ = 5.67 × 10−8 W m−2 K−4
Bohr magneton µB = 9.27 × 10−24 J T−1 (or A m2 )
Bohr radius a0 = 5.29 × 10−11 m
Rydberg energy Ry = 2.18 × 10−18 J
Gas constant R = 8.31 J K−1 mol−1
Acceleration due to gravity g = 9.81 m s−2
Standard atmosphere atm = 1.01 × 105 N m−2
Mass of Sun 1M = 1.99 × 1030 kg
Mass of Earth ME = 5.97 × 1024 kg
Radius of Earth RE = 6.38 × 106 m
1AU = 1.50 × 1011 m
1 parsec pc = 3.09 × 1016 m

Please turn over

1
 Section A: Module 131 - Vectors and Vector Algebra

Start a NEW ANSWER BOOK for this section

and answer all parts of the following questions.

In the following questions ı̂, ̂ and k̂ are the Cartesian basis vectors.

A1. Consider the vectors ~u = (−3, −4, −4), ~v = (−2, 0, 1) and w

~ = (−6, 1, 5).

(a) Calculate the vector 2(~u − 3w).

~
(b) Calculate |~v + ~u|.
(c) Calculate the angle between ~v and w.
~
(d) Calculate (2~v × ~u).
[10]
A2. Consider the vectors ~a = 3ı̂ − 5k̂, ~b = ı̂ + 4̂ and ~c = −2ı̂ + 2̂ + 4k̂.

(a) Determine whether the set of vectors ~a, ~b, ~c (in this order) is right-handed,
left-handed or linearly dependent.
(b) Find a new vector d~ that is perpendicular to ~b and ~c. State whether the set of
vectors ~b, ~c, d~ (in this order) is right-handed or left-handed for the value of d~
that you found.
[7]
A3. (a) Show that p~ × (~p − ~q) = ~q × p~ .
(b) Show that (~p × ~q) × (~r × p~) = p~ [~r · (~q × p~)] . [5]

A4. Consider a particle of mass m. The position of the particle at time t is given by

gt2
 
~r(t) = (v − bt)tı̂ + h − k̂
2

where v, b, h, g and t are real constants.

(a) Determine the linear momentum p~(t) of the particle.

(b) Determine the total force F~ (t) acting on the particle.
(c) Determine the torque ~τ (t) acting on the particle about the origin.
[8]

2
 Section B: Module 132 - Basic Physics Skills

Start a NEW ANSWER BOOK for this section

and answer all parts of the following questions.

B1. Consider a parallelogram with side lengths of a = 3.5 ± 0.3 cm and b = 2.5 ± 0.2 cm.
Determine the value of the parallelogram’s perimeter and its uncertainty. [5]

B2. Consider a cube with side length of a ± αa .

(a) Derive the uncertainty of the cube’s volume using the calculus approach.
(b) Derive the uncertainty of the cube’s volume using the functional approach.
(c) Calculate the fractional uncertainty of the cube’s volume provided a = 1.0 ±
0.1 m. [6]

B3. Two variables are measured to be A = 300.0±2.0 nm and B = 55.0◦ ±2.0◦ . Another
variable Z is related to A and B by Z = A cos(B).

(a) Derive the analytical expression for the uncertainty of Z as a function of A, B

and the standard errors αA , αB .
(b) Calculate the uncertainty of Z. [7]

B4. The values of capacitors bought for a project follow the normal distribution with a
mean µ and a standard deviation σ. Provided 0.15% of the capacitors have a value
smaller than 21.4 pF and 97.5% of the capacitors have a value larger than 22.4 pF
determine

(a) the mean value µ and

(b) its standard deviation σ.
[6]
B5. A nuclear explosion produces instantaneous release of energy E in a small region of
space creating a spherical shock wave that expands with time. Using dimensional
analysis obtain the equation for the radius R of this shock wave as a function of
variables E, time t, and the initial air density ρ0 . [6]

End of Paper