B.Sc.

ITEA – Physics 1 2020

Final Exam
Answer Sheet

#1 enric.alavedra.arumi

Instructions

ˆ Provide your answers in this answer sheet. Use ballpen, not pencil. Exercises left unanswered
in this answer sheet will not be graded.
ˆ Use a max ONE page for each exercise to present your derivations.
ˆ Correctly answered exercises add one point. Incorrect answers do not subtract points. Correct
answers without proper justification subtract 0.5 points. The grade will be computed over
a max of 10 points (100%).
ˆ In multichoice questions there is only one correct answer. Draw a clearly visible circle around
the selected option. “NOPE” stands for “None of the Other Provided answErs is correct”.
ˆ Unless stated otherwise, data is in the MKSC system of units.
ˆ Data with no decimal point is assumed to have 3 significant digits.
ˆ The language of this test is English.
ˆ The allotted time for this test is 180 min.

1. a b c d e

2. a b c d e

3. Deliver a detailed derivation.

4. a b c d e

5. a b c d e

6. a b c d e

7. Deliver a detailed derivation.

8. a b c d e

9. a b c d e

10. a b c d e

11. a b c d e
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ˆ I am the person with the ID indicated in the front page.

ˆ The submitted exam is solely the result of my own work. I have not received any
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Physics-1 2020 — Final 2

Mechanics

Physics-1 2020 — Final 3

Exercise 1
A point particle with a mass of 9 kg travels, starting from rest, 4.730 m down a 27%
slope. With the speed thus acquired it enters a 13% upward slope and travels 2.391 m
before momentarily coming to a halt and falling back again. (Note: An, e.g., 10% slope
means that for every 100 m of horizontal distance, the altitude changes by 10 m.) Both
slopes have the same coefficient of kinetic friction µ. Calculate µ.
Choose one option:

(a) 0.29

(b) 0.13

(c) 0.17

(d) 0.23

(e) NOPE

Answer:
0.13
Sol:
Let αi (i = 1, 2) be the angles of slopes 1 (downwards) and 2 (upwards), respectively.
Note that an, e.g., 10% slope corresponds to an angle such that

tan α = 10% = 0.1 ⇒ α = arctan 0.1 .

The forces of friction fi acting on each slope are related with the normals from the
surfaces,
Ni = mg cos αi ,
through the coefficient of kinetic friction, namely,

fi = µNi = µmg cos αi .

To find µ we shall apply the relation

∆E = Wnocon ,

where E is the mechanical energy and Wnocon is the non-conservative work caused by
the friction forces.
The change in mechanical energy between the initial and final instants, when the particle
is at rest, comes from the potential energies alone,

∆E = mgh2 − mgh1 = mg(h2 − h1 ) ,

where the heights hi are

hi = si sin αi .

Physics-1 2020 — Final 4

The work produced by friction between these same instants equals the product, with
negative sign, of the (constant) force fi times the displacement si ,

Wnocon = −f1 s1 − f2 s2 = −µmg(s1 cos α1 + s2 cos α2 ) .

Equating both expressions and isolating the sought coefficient,

s1 sin α1 − s2 sin α2
µ= .
s1 cos α1 + s2 cos α2

Physics-1 2020 — Final 5

Exercise 2
The point-like particle of the figure, with mass 3, can slide frictionlessly along the
~ = −1y̂ is applied and the particle is released
depicted wire. An external force field F
at rest from point A, which is at a height yA = 9. No gravitational field is present.
Calculate the speed at point B, located at a height yB = 4. (All units in MKS.)

Source: X Jaen et al., UPC (2019)

Choose one option:

(a) 2.1 m/s

(b) 4.7 m/s
(c) 3.6 m/s
(d) 2.7 m/s
(e) NOPE

Answer:
4.7 m/s
Sol:
The force field is conservative and its associated potential energy is
1
U = ky 2 .
2
Since there is no friction, the mechanical energy is conserved. Its value at A is
1
EA = kyA2
2
and its value at B is
1 1
EB = mv 2 + kyB2 ,
2 2
where v is the sought speed. Equating EA = EB and isolating v,
r
k 2
v= (y − yB2 ) .
m A

Physics-1 2020 — Final 6

Exercise 3
A bullet of mass m and velocity v passes through a vertical pendulum bob of mass
M and emerges with velocity v/2 (see figure). The pendulum bob is at the end of a
massless string of length `. Both masses can be considered point-like. Calculate the
minimum value of v such that the pendulum bob will swing through a complete circle.

Source: M Alonso, E J Finn, vol. 1, Addison-Wesley (1967)

Answer: √
(2M/m) 5g`
Sol:
The problem consists of two stages: (i) A partially inelastic collision between the bullet
and the pendulum; (ii) the swing of the pendulum. In (i) momentum is conserved. In
(ii), mechanical energy is conserved. If the bob passes through the highest point of the
circular trajectory in its swing, it will complete the circle. The critical point to reach
is therefore the top of the circle, because that is where its speed will be minimal and it
may not make it.
Stage (i):
The momentum right before the collision (1D notation, axis positive to the right) is
pin = mv .
An instant later, right after the collision,
1
pout = mv + M u ,
2
where u is the velocity of the pendulum bob at the bottom of its circular trajectory.
Thus, equating and isolating u,
m
u=v .
2M
Stage (ii):
The mechanical energy of the pendulum right after the collision at the bottom of its

Physics-1 2020 — Final 7

trajectory, and taking that point as the zero of the gravitational potential energy, is

1 v 2 m2
Ebottom = M u2 = .
2 8M
The mechanical energy of the pendulum at the top of its trajectory is
1
Etop = M u2top + M g(2`) .
2
Equating both expressions,
v 2 m2 1
2
= u2top + 2g` . (1)
8M 2

The bob is attached to the center of rotation with a string, which provides a downward
pull tension T at the top. Newton’s second law at that point therefore implies (downward
forces assumed positive)
u2top
T + Mg = M ,
`
where T + M g is the total force acting on M and u2top /` is the normal acceleration. In
this eq. the minimum utop occurs when T is null, since T < 0 is impossible—the string
cannot “push” upwards. That is,

u2top
Mg ≤ M ⇒ u2top ≥ g` .
`
Using this in eq. (1),
v 2 m2 5
2
≥ g`
8M 2
which implies r
M2
v≥ 20g` .
m2

Physics-1 2020 — Final 8

Exercise 4
The figure shows the positions of three particles of masses m1 = 400, m2 = 2m1
and m3 = 3m1 at time t = 0 in an inertial reference frame, when their distances
are d(m1 , m2 ) = 3 and d(m2 , m3 ) = 1. At that moment the velocity of the center of
mass of the system is 0.76 ı̂ − 0.80 ̂. The particles attract each other by gravity, but
are otherwise isolated from the rest of the Universe. Calculate the x coordinate of the
center of mass for t = 8. (All units MKS.)

Source: X Jaen et al., UPC (2019)

(Not to scale)

Choose one option:

(a) 5.1 m

(b) 6.6 m

(c) 3.9 m

(d) −2.6 m

(e) NOPE

Answer:
6.6 m
Sol:
Since there are no external forces, the velocity of the CM remains constant. Thus, the
x coordinate of the CM moves as

xcm (t) = xcm (t = 0) + vx,cm t .

The initial position is

1 1 d(2, 3)
xcm (t = 0) = m3 d(2, 3) = 3m1 d(2, 3) = .
m1 + m2 + m3 6m1 2

Physics-1 2020 — Final 9

Exercise 5
A car with a mass of 1260 kg is going east at 100 km/h. A truck with mass 2555 kg and
heading south at 81 km/h collides with the car. After the crash, the car and the truck
become entangled as a single object. Disregarding friction with the asphalt during the
brief instants of the collision (impulse approx) and any motion of the internal parts in
the vehicles, calculate the loss of kinetic energy in the process.
Choose one option:

(a) 4.98 MJ

(b) 0.539 MJ

(c) 2.34 MJ

(d) 1.08 MJ

(e) NOPE

Answer:
0.539 MJ
Sol:
This process is a completely inelastic collision. Since, in the impulse approx, there are
no external forces during the short time of the collision, the CM travels at constant
velocity. Consider a ref frame with the x axis pointing east and the y axis pointing
north. Labeling the car as ‘1’ and the truck as ‘2’, the velocity of the CM is
1
~
vcm = [m1 v1 ı̂ − m2 v2 ̂] .
m1 + m2
The initial kinetic energy is
1 1
Kin = m1 v12 + m2 v22 .
2 2
The final kinetic energy is
1 2 1
Kout = (m1 + m2 )vcm = (m2 v 2 + m22 v22 ) .
2 2(m1 + m2 ) 1 1

The kinetic energy lost is therefore

m1 m2
Elost = Kin − Kout = (v 2 + v22 ) .
2(m1 + m2 ) 1

Physics-1 2020 — Final 10

Thermodynamics

Physics-1 2020 — Final 11

Exercise 6
A cubic box with a side of 37 cm is filled with air at a pressure of 1 atm and 300 K. The
box is then sealed and heated to 539 K. Assuming that the box has constant volume
throughout the process and that air behaves as an ideal gas, calculate the force that the
air in the interior exerts on one of the faces of the box.
Choose one option:

(a) 50. kN

(b) 25. kN

(c) 12. kN

(d) 5.7 kN

(e) NOPE

Answer:
25. kN
Sol:
From the definition of pressure as force per unit surface, the force on one face of a cube
of side b caused by the gas in its interior at pressure P is

F = P b2 .

If P0 and T0 are the initial pressure and temperature, respectively, the corresponding
pressure P reached when the temperature changes to T keeping the volume constant is,
by the law of ideal gases,
T
P = P0 .
T0
This result is also known as Gay-Lussac’s law. Thus,
T 2
F = P0 b .
T0

Physics-1 2020 — Final 12

Exercise 7
A space probe visits Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, which has no appreciable atmo-
sphere. The spacecraft leaves behind, on the surface, an insulated container of 5.04 L
of volume with 4.22 × 10−2 kg of N2 at 0.472 MPa of pressure. It can be assumed that
nitrogen behaves as an ideal gas. The container has a pinhole which allows nitrogen to
leak out. Let us focus on a single nitrogen molecule leaving the container flying at the
root-mean-square speed for the gas. Will it be able to escape from Europa? Neglect the
effect of other nearby celestial objects, like Jupiter. Justify your answer in detail.
Data: (i) Europa’s surface gravity is gE = 1.314 m/s2 ; (ii) Europa’s radius is RE =
1561 km; (iii) N2 molar mass is 28.0134 g/mol.
Answer:
No
vN2 = 411 m/s  vescape = 2025 m/s
Sol:
If P , V , T represent the pressure, volume and temperature of the gas, respectively, N is
the no. of molecules in the box and mmolec is their molecular mass, then the rms speed
of the nitrogen molecules is
r r r r
3kB T 3RT 3P V 3P V
vrms = = = = = 411 m/s ,
mmolec NA mmolec N mmolec m
where m is the total mass of gas.
Europa’s gravity on the surface is given by its force of gravity per unit mass,
GM
gE = ,
RE2

where M is the satellite’s mass and G is the gravitational constant. In addition, the
escape velocity vesc required to run away from the satellite’s gravity is determined by
imposing that the total mechanical energy E = K + U is null—so that the projectile
reaches infinity with just null velocity. That is,
1 2 Mm
m vesc −G =0 ⇒
2 RE
r
2GM p
vesc = = 2gE RE = 2025 m/s .
RE
Since the nitrogen rms speed is much smaller than vesc , the molecule will not be able to
escape Europa’s gravitational field.

Physics-1 2020 — Final 13

Exercise 8
Consider an ideal diatomic gas undergoing the cycle A → B → C → A sketched in the
figure, with PA = 3.82 × 105 Pa, PC = 1.45 × 105 Pa and VA = 3.47 L. The process
AB is isobaric, BC is isochoric and CA is isothermal. Calculate the work done by the
environment on the system.

Source: P A Tipler, Ed. Reverté (1984)

Choose one option:

(a) −1.41 × 103 J

(b) 883. J
(c) 1.41 × 103 J
(d) −883. J
(e) NOPE

Answer:
−883. J
Sol:
Since the CA process is isothermal,
VC PA
PA V A = PC V C ⇒ = .
VA PC
The process BC is isochoric (VB = VC ) and AB is isobaric, PB = PA . The work done
by the environment in the system in leg AB is then, in terms of the input data,
   
VC PA
WAB = −PA (VC − VA ) = PA VA 1 − = PA VA 1 − .
VA PC
The work in BC is zero. The work in CA is
Z VA Z VC
dV VC PA
WCA = − dV P = PA VA = PA VA log = PA VA log .
VC VA V VA PC

Physics-1 2020 — Final 14

The total work is therefore
 
PA PA
W = WAB + WBC + WCA = PA VA 1 − + log .
PC PC

Physics-1 2020 — Final 15

Exercise 9
One mole of an ideal diatomic gas at 49◦ C occupies 5.0 L. The gas is compressed isother-
mally down to 1.2 L. This process is the first leg of a Carnot cycle that uses a heat reser-
voir at the said temperature and a hotter one at 145◦ C. Calculate the work produced
in one cycle.
Choose one option:

(a) 4.5 × 103 J

(b) 5.3 × 102 J

(c) 2.3 × 103 J

(d) 1.1 × 103 J

(e) NOPE

Answer:
1.1 × 103 J
Sol:
Since the temperature Tc stays constant during the first (cold) leg, so does the internal
energy of the ideal gas. Consequently, the heat and work (in absolute value) of that leg
coincide,
V0
|Qc | = Wc = nRTc log ,
V
where V0 and V are the initial and final volumes, respectively.
The total work delivered in one cycle can be inferred from the (ideal, Carnot’s) efficiency
 and the cold heat Qc . Indeed,

Tc |W | |W |
=1− = = ⇒
Th Qh |Qc | + |W |

Th − Tc
|W | = |Qc | ,
Tc
which, substituting the expression for |Qc | found above, yields

V0
|W | = nR(Th − Tc ) log .
V

Physics-1 2020 — Final 16

Exercise 10
A reversible engine works between a hot reservoir at a temperature Th and a heat sink
(cold reservoir) at Tc . When the temperature of the heat sink is reduced by 22◦ C the
engine efficiency increases by a factor 2.36. Calculate the temperature jump Th − Tc .
Choose one option:

(a) 7.7◦ C

(b) 67.◦ C

(c) 16.◦ C

(d) 33.◦ C

(e) NOPE

Answer:
16.◦ C
Sol:
The efficiency of the reversible engine is
Tc
=1− .
Th
When the temperature of the sink is reduced to Tc − ∆ the efficiency becomes f , i.e.,
Tc − ∆
f = 1 − .
Th
These two eqs. can be recast, multiplying by Th , so that the sought quantity x ≡ Th − Tc
appears explicitly,
Th = x
f Th = x + ∆ .
Isolating x,
∆
x= .
f −1

Physics-1 2020 — Final 17

Exercise 11
A mass of 433 g of water at 24◦ C is heated at atmospheric pressure until all water has
been evaporated at its boiling point, i.e., 100◦ C. Calculate the change of entropy of the
water in this process.
Data:
Water specific heat capacity at 1 atm cp = 4.184 J g−1 K−1 . It can be assumed constant
with temp.
Water latent heat of evaporation at 1 atm Levap = 2.265 kJ/g.
Choose one option:

(a) 0.727 kJ/K

(b) 0.343 kJ/K

(c) 3.04 kJ/K

(d) 1.50 kJ/K

(e) NOPE

Answer:
3.04 kJ/K
Sol:
The process can be split into two steps, namely, (i) heating a mass m of liquid water
from its initial temperature T0 up to Tevap = 100◦ C; and (ii) evaporating that mass of
water at constant T = 100◦ C. For (i),
Z T evap Z T evap
δQrev mcp dT Tevap
∆S1 = = = mcp log = 0.413 kJ/K ,
T0 T T0 T T0

where the temperatures must be entered in kelvin. For (ii) the temperature is constant,
so Z
δQfusion mL
∆S2 = = = 2.63 kJ/K .
Tevap Tevap
The total variation of entropy is the sum

∆S = ∆S1 + ∆S2 .

Physics-1 2020 — Final 18

Physics-1 2020 — Final 19