Section A: Multiple-choice Questions.

1. When light undergoes total internal reflection, it:

(a) Bends towards the normal
(b) Bends away from the normal
(c) Experiences no bending
(d) Changes color
(e) None of the above (write answer)
2. A convex lens is directed at a garage and an A4 paper is placed at a distance equal to the
focal point. Choose the correct one(s):
(a) a miniature image of the garage forms on the paper

ATE
(b) a miniature image of the garage forms of the paper upside down
(c) no image forms on the paper
(d) a blurry image forms on the paper
3. Which of the following objects emit unpolarized light?
(a) The sun
(b) Laser
(c) Light bulb TED
(d) Radio antenna
4. What type of lens is commonly used in a magnifying glass?
(a) Concave lens
(b) Convex lens
(c) Plano-concave lens
(d) Plano-convex lens
(e) None of the above (write answer)
5. Which phenomenon explains why a pencil appears bent when partially submerged in
water?
(a) Reflection
(b) Refraction
(c) Diffraction

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(d) Dispersion
(e) None of the above (write answer)
6. In the human eye, the iris controls the:
(a) Amount of light entering the eye
(b) Shape of the lens EE
(c) Color perception
(d) Depth perception just reflected
(e) None of the above (write answer) by mirror no
7. Choose the correct ones. In a Michelson interferometer, a beam of light is split into two by
boundary
a beam splitter, both beams are reflected at the mirror, and a photodetector records the
incoming light, which is a combination of the two lights. Changing one of the mirrors leg
changes the observed light pattern in the photodetector due to interference between the
two beams so we can detect precisely any movement of the mirrors. We can increase our
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ability to record small movements of the mirrors by: boundary

0(a) increasing the frequency of the light

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O(b) increasing the length between the mirrors
 ON N N n
NONT
(c) rotating the equipment
8. What happens to the focal length of a convex lens when it is placed in water?

0
(a) It increases
(b) It decreases Lens maker
(c) It remains the same
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(d) It depends on the shape of the lens
(e) None of the above (write answer) F at n
9. Which color of light is refracted the least when passing through a prism?
(a) Red
(b) Green
(c) Blue
(d) Violet
4 4 4 FINE
(e) None of the above (write answer)
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10. A microscope consists of two lenses: a converging lens (Lens 1) with a focal length of

LEFT
𝑓1 = 10𝑐𝑚 and a diverging lens (Lens 2) with focal length 𝑓2 =− 5𝑐𝑚. To achieve
maximum magnification, where should second lens be placed relative to the first lens?
(a) At a distance equivalent to the focal length of the first lens

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(b) At a distance equivalent to the focal length of the second lens
(c) At a distance equivalent to the sum of the two focal lengths
(d) At a distance equivalent to the difference of the two focal lengths
(e) Something else (write answer)
11. Two convex lenses with focal lengths 𝑓1, 𝑓2 are used to emulate a telescope (light first
goes through convex lens 1). To make an effective telescope, the second lens should be
placed at the following distance away from the first lens:
(a) equivalent to the focal length of the first lens
(b) equivalent to the focal length of the second lens
(c) equivalent to the sum of the two focal lengths
(d) something else (write down answer)
12. According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, no two electrons in an atom can have the
same:
state
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(a) Spin
(b) Mass

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(c) Energy level
(d) Momentum
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13. The photoelectric effect is best explained by the: 2,004
(a) Wave theory of light
(b) Particle theory of light
(c) Wave-particle duality of light m f E4
And 0
(d) Electromagnetic theory of light
(e) None of the above (write answer)
14. What is the energy of a photon with a frequency of 5 × 10
14
Hz?
4 A.si Et
14
−19
(a) 3. 3 × 10 J

4142819
−19
(b) 1. 67 × 10 J
−19
(c) 3. 98 × 10 J
−19
(d) 9. 31 × 10 J
 I
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15. Consider an electron in a one-dimensional infinite square well potential with width 𝐿 = 2
nm. What is the ground state energy of the particle in electron volts (eV)?
(a) 0.09 eV

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(b) 0.9 eV
(c) 9.4 eV
(d) 99 eV
16. Consider an electron in a one-dimensional infinite square well potential with width L=2
nm. What is the second excited state energy of the particle in electron volts (eV)?
(a) 0.038 eV

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(b) 0.38 eV
(c) 3.8 eV
(d) 38 eV
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17. In the context of the hydrogen atom energy levels, what does "degeneracy" refer to?
(a) The number of energy levels within a given principal quantum number (n)
(b) The equal spacing of energy levels within a given principal quantum number (n)
(c) The overlapping of different energy levels
(d) The presence of multiple states with the same energy
18. Which of the following statements about degeneracy in the hydrogen atom is correct?
(a) All energy levels of the hydrogen atom are degenerate
(b) Only the ground state energy level of the hydrogen atom is degenerate.
(c) Degeneracy occurs only for certain energy levels with specific quantum numbers
(d) Degeneracy arises due to the repulsion between the electron and the nucleus.
19. What causes the hyperfine splitting in the hydrogen atom spectrum?
(a) Interaction between the electron and an external magnetic field
(b) Spin-orbit coupling of the electron
(c) Interaction between the electron and the nucleus’ magnetic moment
(d) Collisional broadening of spectral lines
20. Which of the following statements about hyperfine splitting is correct?
(a) It results from the interaction between the electron and external electric fields
(b) It leads to the splitting of spectral lines into multiple components
(c) It occurs due to the quantization of angular momentum
(d) It is observed only in the presence of strong magnetic field
21. When does Zeeman splitting occur in the hydrogen atom?
(a) When external magnetic field is present
(b) When the electron spin induces a magnetic moment that couples with the magnetic
moment of the proton
(c) When the hydrogen atom is in an excited state
22. A spaceship is traveling at 0.8c relative to Earth. What is the Lorentz factor (γ) associated
with this velocity? 0.8C
(a) 1.25
(b) 1.7
(c) 2.0
(d) 3.0
23. A particle exists in a box with energy E. When the particle is at n=2 excited state, it can
A energy will be:
emit a photon. The photon
2 2 2
(a) 𝐸γ = 4π ħ /(2𝑚𝐿 )
 2 2 2
(b) 𝐸γ = 3π ħ /(2𝑚𝐿 )
2 2 2
(c) 𝐸γ = 2π ħ /(2𝑚𝐿 )
2 2 2
(d) 𝐸γ = 8π ħ /(2𝑚𝐿 )
24. A spaceship is moving past Earth with a velocity of 0.6c. According to special relativity,
which of the following is true about the spaceship's clock compared to a stationary clock
on Earth? 0C
0(a) The spaceship's clock runs slower.
(b) The spaceship's clock runs faster.
(c) The two clocks run at the same rate.
(d) The spaceship's clock is stopped.
(e) None of the above (write answer)
Earth
25. If a spaceship travels from Earth to a distant star at 0.99, how much time passes on Earth
compared to the time experienced by the astronauts on the spaceship?
(a) More time passes on Earth

0
(b) Less time passes on Earth
(c) The same amount of time passes on Earth and the spaceship
0119C
(d) Time stops on Earth
26. In a particle decay process, which of the following statements about energy conservation
is true?
(a) The total energy of the decay products is always greater than the energy of the initial
particle.
(b) The total energy of the decay products is always less than the energy of the initial
particle
(c) The total energy of the decay products is equal to the energy of the initial particle
(d) Energy conservation does not apply to particle decay processes.
27. A particle decays into two particles. The two particles each will have:
(a) larger mass than the original particle
(b) smaller mass than the original particle
(c) equivalent mass
(d) depends on the original particle
28. A hydrogen atom consists of a proton and an electron of masses 𝑚𝑝 and 𝑚𝑒. Its rest energy
is:
2 2
(a) E=𝑚𝑝𝑐 + 𝑚𝑒𝑐
2 2
(b) Larger than E=𝑚𝑝𝑐 + 𝑚𝑒𝑐
2 2
(c) Smaller than E=𝑚𝑝𝑐 + 𝑚𝑒𝑐
29. A lecturer forgot their glasses and accidentally bumped into a door. According to quantum
mechanics:
(a) the lecturer can tunnel through the door
(b) the lecturer cannot tunnel through the door
(c) the lecturer can technically tunnel through the door, but the probability is so small it
will practically never happen
(d) something else (write down the answer)
30. Which of the following statements about black body radiation are correct?
 (a) Black body radiation is emitted only by black-colored objects
(b) Black body radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted by a perfect absorber and
emitter of radiation
(c) Black body radiation is not influenced by temperature.
(d) Black body radiation is only observed at extremely high temperatures
31. At a certain wavelength, a black body radiator emits the maximum intensity of radiation.
Which of the following is true for this wavelength:

0(a) The wavelength is inversely proportional to the temperature.

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(b) The wavelength is directly proportional to the temperature.
(c) The wavelength is independent of the temperature.
7
(d) The wavelength is equal to the temperature.
32. When a blacksmith heats a piece of iron in a furnace until it glows red-hot, how does the
color of the glowing iron change as it gets hotter?
(a) The color changes from red to blue.
(b) The color changes from blue to red.
(c) The color remains the same throughout.
(d) The color changes from red to white
33. Suppose you're tasked with measuring the position and velocity of a toy car on a track.
How does the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle affect your ability to make accurate
measurements?
(a) It allows for precise measurements of both the position and velocity of the toy car.
(b) It imposes a limit on the precision of either the position or velocity measurement, as
E
increasing accuracy in one measurement decreases accuracy in the other.
(c) It ensures that both the position and velocity of the toy car are always precisely known.
34. What happens to the energy levels of a particle in a finite box when the size of the box is
decreased?
(a) The energy levels increase.
(b) The energy levels decrease.
(c) The energy levels remain unchanged.
(d) The energy levels become quantized.
(e) None of the above (write answer)
35. How does the number of energy levels available to a particle in a finite box change when

FELT
the box size is increased?
(a) The number of energy levels increases.
(b) The number of energy levels decreases.
(c) The number of energy levels remains constant.
(d) The number of energy levels becomes infinite.
36. Consider a particle with energy E that is greater than the potential energy V of a finite box
with potential well depth V. The particle:
(a) Is not bound to the box (i.e., cannot escape the box)
(b) Is bound to the box (i.e., can escape the box)
37. Consider an electron in a box with 𝐿 = 0. 4nm. If the particle undergoes transition from
𝐸3 to 𝐸1, what type of radiation would be emitted?
(a) Visible light
(b) X-ray
E EEE
(c) Infrared
 (d) Ultraviolet
38. In a particle in a box system, how does the width of the energy levels influence the
likelihood of observing transitions between them?
(a) Wider energy levels result in more probable transitions.
(b) Narrower energy levels result in more probable transitions.
(c) The width of the energy levels has no effect on the probability of transitions.
(d) The likelihood of transitions depends solely on the particle's initial energy.
(e) None of the above (write answer)
39. What is the name of the phenomenon where an electron jumps to a higher energy level by
absorbing a photon?
(a) Photoelectric effect
(b) Compton scattering
(c) Atomic emission
(d) Atomic absorption
(e) None of the above (write answer)

Section B: Please show your steps and reasoning clearly.

Special relativity
1. A particle has an average lifetime of 80 picoseconds. When observed in the laboratory, a
physicist measures its average lifetime to be 403 ps as the particle moves. The rest mass of
−27
the particle is 2 × 10 kg.
(a) Determine the velocity of the particle as it moves in the laboratory frame
(b) Calculate the distance traveled as observed in the laboratory frame, over one average
lifetime
(c) Find the rest energy, kinetic energy, and total energy of particle in the laboratory frame
of reference.
(d) Determine the rest energy, kinetic energy, and total energy of the particle in its own
frame of reference.

0
2. Under typical laboratory conditions, hydrogen atoms emit light at a wavelength of
λ = 656. 3 nm, falling within the red portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. However,
when observing light f rom a distant galaxy, the same spectral line is found to be Doppler
shifted to λ = 953. 4 nm, now in the infrared portion of the spectrum. Determine the
velocity of the emitting atoms relative to Earth. Are they moving towards or away from
Earth?
3. In a futuristic racing competition on the surface of a distant planet, two rival spacecraft
pilots, Vega and Orion, participate in a high-speed relay race. The race track spans a
distance of 30.0 kilometers, and Vega and Orion are positioned at opposite ends of the
track. They use a specially designed relay baton with a mass of 0.0700 kg to pass between
each other. Assume all measurements are made by Vega and Orion unless stated otherwise.
(a) Vega launches the relay baton towards Orion with a velocity of 60.0 m/s. Determine
the kinetic energy of the baton.
(b) Orion catches the baton and accelerates it to a velocity of 1.50 x 10^8 m/s before
passing it back to Vega. Calculate the kinetic energy of the baton.
(c) During Orion's pass to Vega, a comet flies past the race track in the direction from
Orion to Vega. The comet has a velocity of 2.00 x 10^8 m/s relative to both pilots. What is
the speed of the comet relative to the relay baton?
 (d) What distance does the comet measure between Vega and Orion as it flies past the race
track?
(e) According to Vega and Orion, how long does it take for the comet to traverse the 30.0
kilometers distance?
(f) comet's onboard observer uses a stopwatch to measure the time it takes for the distance
between Vega and Orion to pass by beneath it. What time does the observer record?
4. In a science fiction story, two spaceships, Alpha and Beta, are traveling through deep
space. Alpha is moving towards Beta with a velocity of 0.8c (where c is the speed of
light), while Beta is stationary relative to a distant star.
(a) According to Alpha's crew, what is the observed length contraction factor (γ)
experienced by Beta's spaceship?
(b) Beta's crew observes Alpha's clock to be ticking slower compared to their own.
Calculate the time dilation factor (γ) experienced by Alpha's spaceship from Beta's
perspective.
(c) If Alpha's crew measures the distance between their spaceship and Beta's as 100
light-years, how far apart do Beta's crew measure the two spaceships to be?
(d) If Beta's crew measures the distance between their spaceship and Alpha's as 150
light-years, what is the distance measured by Alpha's crew?
Quantum mechanics
5. Consider a one-dimensional electron in a box of length L with infinite potential barriers at
its boundaries. The particle has a mass m and is confined to the box.
(a) Calculate the energy eigenvalues 𝐸𝑛 for the particle in terms of n, the quantum number
representing the energy levels
(b) Explain how the Pauli exclusion principle applies to the particle in a box system.
(c) Now suppose the particle occupies n=1 state of the box. Calculate the energy of this
state.
(d) If a second particle, identical to the first in all respects, is introduced into the same box,
what is the minimum energy state it can occupy due to the Pauli exclusion principle?
(e) Suppose the particle is now in an excited n=2 state and it emits a photon. What is the
photon’s energy?
(f) Suppose two electrons exist in the box at n=1 state and a third electron exists at n=3
state. What are the photon energies that the third electron can emit if it transitions to a
lower energy state?
6. Derive the solutions of the particle in a box starting from the Schrodinger equation:
2 2
ħ ∂
− 2𝑚 ∂𝑥2
ψ(𝑥) + 𝑉(𝑥) ψ(𝑥) = 𝐸ψ(𝑥)
7. Consider a harmonic oscillator with mass m and force constant k’ in an excited state
characterised by quantum number n.
(a) Define 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑚𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 where 𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 represents the maximum speed obtained in the
Newtonian analysis of the oscillator. Express 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 in terms of 𝑛, ħ, 𝑘', 𝑚.
(b) Determine an expression for the classical amplitude A in terms of 𝑛, ħ, 𝑘', 𝑚.
(c) Given that ∆𝑥 = 𝐴/ 2 and ∆𝑝𝑥 = 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥/ 2, calculate the uncertainty product ∆𝑥 ∆𝑝𝑥.
How does the uncertainty vary with n?
Hydrogen atom
8. A hydrogen atom in A hydrogen atom in the 5g state is placed in a magnetic field of 0.6 T
 that is in the z-direction.
(a) Into how many levels is this state split into by the interaction of the atom’s orbital
magnetic dipole moment with the magnetic field?
(b) What is the energy separation between adjacent levels?
(c) What is the energy separation between the levels of lowest energy and the highest
energy? [Note: ignore the effect of spin in this problem and use selection rules]
9. A free electron meets a potential barrier with height 𝑉0 and length 𝐿. What is the
probability that the electron tunnels through the barrier?
10. For an electron in a three-dimensional cubical box, what is the energy degeneracy (number
2 2 2
of different quantum states with the same energy) of the energy levels (a) 3π ħ /2𝑚𝐿
2 2 2
and (b) 9 π ħ /2𝑚𝐿 ? Assume that the electron has spin.
→
11. A hydrogen atom in a 3p state is placed in a uniform external magnetic field 𝐵. Consider
the interaction of the magnetic field with the atom’s orbital magnetic dipole moment.
(a) What field magnitude B is required to split the 3p state into multiple levels with energy
−5
difference of 2. 71 × 10 eV?
(b) How many levels will there be?
12. An electron is in a three-dimensional box with side lengths 𝐿𝑥 = 0. 6 nm and
𝐿𝑦 = 𝐿𝑧 = 2𝐿𝑥. What are the quantum numbers 𝑛𝑥, 𝑛𝑦, 𝑛𝑧 and the energies, in eV, for the
four lowest energy levels? What is the degeneracy of each (including the degeneracy due
to spin)?
13. Consider a hydrogen atom in its ground state, consisting of a single proton and a single
electron. Assume that the electron has spin.
(a) What are the four quantum numbers of the hydrogen atom?
(b) Which of these quantum numbers determine the energy of the electron state?
(c) If the electron is in an energy state is n=3, what photon energies can it emit according
to selection rules?
(d) Now assume that many-electron atoms have the same quantum numbers for each
electron. If there are 5 electrons, what are the 4 quantum numbers of each of these
electrons?
(e) If an external magnetic field is applied to the hydrogen, how does your answer to
(a)-(d) change, if it does?
14. Derive the solution to the particle in a box in three dimensions, starting from the
Schrodinger Equation.
15. An atom in a 3d state emits a photon of wavelength 475.082 nm when it decays to a 2p
state.
(a) What is the energy (in electron volts) of the photon emitted in this transition?
(b) Use the selection rules to find the allowed transitions if the atom is now in an external
magnetic field of 3.5 T. Ignore the effects of the electron’s spin.
(c) For the case in part (b), if the energy of the 3d state was originally -8.5 eV with no
magnetic field present, what will be the energies of the states into which it splits in the
magnetic field?
(d) What are the allowed wavelengths of the light emitted during the transition in part (b)?
Useful Physical Constants
Electron charge: e = 1.60×10-19 C
Electron volt: 1 eV = 1.60×10-19 J
Electron mass: me = 9.11×10-31 kg = 0.51 MeV/c2
Atomic mass unit: 1 u = 1.66×10-27 kg = 931 MeV/c2
Bohr's magneton: μB = 5.79∙10-5 eV/T
Permittivity of vacuum: ε0 = 8.85×10-12 C2 N-1 m-2
Speed of light: c = 3.00×108 m/s
Planck’s constant: h = 6.63×10-34 J s = 4.14×10-15 eV s
Useful Equations

⎯ END OF PAPER ⎯