douglas (jed3339) – Practice Midterm 01 – yao – (54790) 1

This print-out should have 15 questions. 4. they have the same magnitude of acceler-
Multiple-choice questions may continue on ation. correct
the next column or page – find all choices
before answering. 5. sphere 1 accelerates 4 times as fast as
sphere 2.
001 10.0 points
What happens to the speed and the wave- 6. sphere 2 accelerates 16 times as fast as
length of the light as it crosses the boundary sphere 1.
in going from air into water?
Explanation:
Speed Wavelength The force of repulsion exerted on each mass
is determined by
1. Remains the same Remains the same
1 Q1 Q2
F = = ma
2. Increases Remains the same 4 π ǫ0 r 2

3. Decreases Increases where r is the distance between the centers of

the two spheres. Since both spheres have the
4. Increases Decreases same mass and are subject to the same force,
they have the same acceleration.
5. Remains the same Decreases
003 10.0 points
6. Decreases Decreases correct Suppose a telescope has a perfect objective
mirror and its resolution is limited only by
Explanation:
diffraction. When viewing with light with a
When light passes from air into water, the
wavelength of 400 nm, what is the smallest
frequency of the light remains the same.The
diameter of the mirror in order to resolve two
speed of light in water is less than that in
v objects separated by 1.0 km on Mars from the
air. Since λ = , the wavelength in water is Earth at a time when the Earth-Mars distance
f
also less than that in air. So both speed and is 80 million kilometers?
wavelength decrease when the light goes from
air into water. 1. 390 m

002 10.0 points 2. 39 km

Two spheres, fastened to “pucks”, are rid-
ing on a frictionless airtrack. Sphere 1 is 3. 3.9 km
charged with 3 nC, and sphere 2 is charged
with 12 nC. Both objects have the same mass. 4. 0.39 m
1 nC is equal to 1 × 10−9 C.
As they repel, 5. 39 m correct

1. they do not accelerate at all, but rather 6. 3.9 m

separate at constant velocity. Explanation:
According the Rayleigh criterion, the small-
2. sphere 1 accelerates 16 times as fast as est separation ∆xmin that can be resolved by a
sphere 2. circular aperture of diameter D at a distance
L and for a wavelength λ is given by
3. sphere 2 accelerates 4 times as fast as
sphere 1. λ
∆xmin ≈ 1.22 L.
D
 douglas (jed3339) – Practice Midterm 01 – yao – (54790) 2

Using ∆xmin = 1.0 km, L = 8 × 107 km,

and λ = 400 nm = 4 × 10−7 m, we find 5. −30 cm
D = 39 m.
6. −40 cm
004 10.0 points Explanation:
Alice is farsighted and cannot see objects The object distance is s = 20 cm. The
clearly that are closer to her eyes than magnification is given by
80.0 cm. What is the refractive power of
the contact lenses that will enable her to com- s′
M =− = 2,
fortably see objects at a distance of 25.0 cm s
from her eyes? thus the image distance is s′ = −40 cm. Using
the mirror equation
1. +2.75 diopters correct
1 1 1
+ ′ = ,
2. −2.75 diopters s s f
we can solve for the focal length: f = 40 cm
3. −7.00 diopters
006 10.0 points
4. −5.25 diopters The thin composite lens has |R1 | = R and
R
5. +5.25 diopters |R2 | = , as shown in the figure.
2
6. +7.00 diopters
R1
Explanation:
To correct farsightedness, an object placed
R2
at s = 25 cm should form a virtual image at
the far point (s′ = −80 cm). Using the lens n1 n2
equation,
The lens has focal length
1 1 1 n1
P = = + ′ 1. f = R.
f s s n2 − n1
1 1 n1
= + 2. f = R.
0.25 m −0.80 m 2 (n1 − n2 )
= +2.75 diopters n1
3. f = R.
4 (n1 − n2 )
n2
4. f = R.
005 10.0 points 2 (n2 − n1 )
John’s face is 20 cm in front of a concave n1
5. f = R.
shaving mirror. If he observes his image to 4 (n2 − n1 )
be twice as big and upright, what is the focal n2
6. f = R.
length of the mirror? n1 − n2
n1
7. f = R . correct
1. −10 cm n1 − n2
n1
8. f = R.
2. +10 cm 2 (n2 − n1 )
n2
9. f = R.
3. +40 cm correct n2 − n1
n2
10. f = R.
4. +30 cm 2 (n1 − n2 )
 douglas (jed3339) – Practice Midterm 01 – yao – (54790) 3
Explanation:
Use the lens makers equation
  
1 n2 1 1 θ1 n = 1.55
= −1 −
f n R R2
 1  1 
n2 − n1 1 2 n = 1.40
= −
n1 R R
  
n1 − n2 1 n = 1.20
=
n1 R
n1 θ2
f= R . n = 1.10
n1 − n2

007 10.0 points If θ1 = 34 ◦ , what is the angle θ2 of the

Monochromatic light of wavelength 500 nm emerging beam?
is incident normally on a diffraction grating 1. 42.9554
that has 4500 slits per cm. What is the 2. 59.9957
highest order maximum that can be observed 3. 59.0061
on a screen behind the grating? 4. 40.8
5. 48.8615
1. m = 5 6. 47.7946
7. 55.04
2. m = 2 8. 51.9947
9. 51.0653
3. m = 7 10. 45.8278

4. m = 4 correct Correct answer: 51.9947◦ .

5. m = 6 Explanation:

6. m = 3 Given : n1 = 1.55 ,
Explanation: n2 = 1.10 ,
The angle θ at which the maximum in the
n3 = 1.40 ,
interference pattern due to a diffraction grat-
ing occurs is given by n4 = 1.20 , and
λ θ1 = 34◦ .
sin θ = m ,
d
where m is the order number, λ is the wave-
length and d is the slit separation. In order
for a maximum to be observed, sin θ must be θ1 n1

less than 1. For λ = 500 nm = 5 × 10−5 cm

and d = 1/4500 cm = 2.22 × 10−4 cm, the θ3 n3
θ3
maximum possible order number is m = 4.
n4 θ4
θ4
008 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points

The figure shows the path of a beam of light n2

θ2

through several layers of different indices of

refraction.
 douglas (jed3339) – Practice Midterm 01 – yao – (54790) 4
Applying Snell’s law at each surface be- Charges q1 and q2 are on the x axis, with q1
tween two different media, at x = a and q2 at x = 2a. For the net force
on another charge at the origin to be zero, it
n1 sin θ1 = n3 sin θ3 must be true that:
n3 sin θ3 = n4 sin θ4
n4 sin θ4 = n2 sin θ2 1. q2 = 4q1

Thus 2. q2 = −4q1 correct

n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2 3. q2 = −2q1

 
−1 n1 sin θ1
θ2 = sin
n2 4. q2 = −q1 /4
 ◦
−1 1.55 sin 34
= sin 5. q2 = 2q1
1.1
= 51.9947◦ . Explanation:
Forces can simply be added together. We
know that the total force on the unspecified
009 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points charge q at the origin must be zero, so, sum-
What is the minimum incident angle θ1 in ming up the contributions from charges q1
order to have total internal reflection at the and q2 , we have:
surface between the n = 1.2 medium and the
n = 1.1 medium?
1. 44.6864 qq1 qq2
F =k 2 +k 2
2. 39.4363 r1 r2
3. 45.2087
 
q1 q2
4. 42.6111 0 = kq +
a2 (2a)2
5. 42.1355 
4q1 q2

6. 41.4718 = +
4a2 4a2
7. 40.5647
8. 46.3595 ⇒ q2 = −4q1
9. 43.8131
10. 38.3978
011 10.0 points
Correct answer: 45.2087 .◦ An object O and its real, inverted image I
formed by a certain lens are separated by a
Explanation:
distance d = 90 cm. The image size is half the
The critical angle occurs when the angle of
object size, and the lens sits somewhere on the
refraction is 90◦ , so
line between the image and its object. What
◦ are the object distance to the lens, the image

−1 n2 sin 90
θ1 = sin distance to the lens, and the focal length of
n
 1 the lens, respectively?
n2
= sin−1
n 1. 60 cm, 30 cm, 20 cm correct
 1 
1.1
= sin−1
1.55 2. 60 cm, 30 cm, 30 cm
= 45.2087◦ .
3. 30 cm, 60 cm, 20 cm

010 10.0 points 4. 30 cm, 60 cm, 30 cm

 douglas (jed3339) – Practice Midterm 01 – yao – (54790) 5

5. 30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm 5. 12.5 N

Explanation:
6. 60 cm, 30 cm, 90 cm
Since the force between any two point par-
Explanation: ticles is given by
We know that s + s′ = d, and we know the
magnification of the lens is −0.5, since the q1 q2
F =k ,
size of the image is halved and the image is r2
inverted. if the distance between the particles is reduced
We start with the equation for magnifica- to one fifth of its original value, then the force
tion, will be multiplied by 52 = 25, so we have the
new force as being
s′
M =− F = (2.5 N)(25) = 62.5 N.
s
d−s
−0.5 = −
s
d 013 10.0 points
0.5 = − 1 Two point charges, 8 × 10−9 C and
s
d −2 × 10−9 C are separated by d = 4 m. The
s= magnitude of the electric field midway be-
1.5
= 60 cm tween them is (use 9 × 109 N · m2 /C2 for the
electrostatic constant):
s′ = d − s = 30 cm
So, now that we have the image and object 1. 3.6 × 10−8 N/C
distances, the focal length can be found just
by using the lens equation: 2. 13.5 N/C

3. 22.5 N/C correct

1 1 1
= + ′
f s s 4. 9 × 109 N/C
 −1
1 1
f= +
60 cm 30 cm 5. 1.35 × 105 N/C
= 20 cm Explanation:
So the right answer is 60 cm, 30 cm, 20 cm. Consider an arrangement where the nega-
tive charge is located at x = +d/2, and the
positive charge is located at x = −d/2.
012 10.0 points
Then, the field due to the positive charge
Two charges attract each other with a force
points to the right at the origin, since field
2.5 N. What will be the force if the distance
lines point away from positive charges, while
between them is reduced to one fifth of its
the field due to the negative charge also points
original value?
to the right, since field lines point toward
negative charges.
1. 0.5 N
Therefore, the two fields add at their mid-
point, and since the field due to a point charge
2. 0.1 N q
is E = k 2 , the net field is (we drop vector
r
3. 10 N notation since the fields point in the same di-
rection and the two charges lie on a line with
4. 62.5 N correct the point where we are calculating the field):
 douglas (jed3339) – Practice Midterm 01 – yao – (54790) 6

q1 q2 015 10.0 points

Enet = k 2 +k 2
r1 r2 Lenses #1 and #2 are two convergent lenses
k that have the same focal length f . An object
= (q1 + q2 ) 4
(d/2)2 is placed at a distance s1 = f to the left of
3
9 × 109 N · m2 /C2 lens #1.
=
((4 m)/2)2 Determine s′2 , i.e., the final image location
× 8 × 10−9 C + 2 × 10−9 C

for the two-lens combination measured with
respect to lens #2.
= 22.5 N/C
#1 #2
014 10.0 points
A 360-nm thick oil film floats on the surface
of a pool of water. The indices of refraction f
of the oil and the water are 1.50 and 1.33,
respectively. When the surface of the oil is
illuminated from above at normal incidence
with white light, what is the wavelength in s1 d=f
the visible light spectrum that is most weakly
reflected? 1. s′2 = 2 f

1. 520 nm 3
2. s′2 = f correct
4
2. 560 nm 2
3. s′2 = f
5
3. 620 nm 1
4. s′2 = f
4
4. 600 nm
5. s′2 = 4 f
5. 540 nm correct
1
6. s′2 = f
6. 580 nm 5
1
Explanation: 7. s′2 = f
2
Since the oil film has a refractive index that
is greater than those for air and that for wa- 2
8. s′2 = f
ter, the light reflected from the oil surface 3
undergoes a π phase shift and the light re- 3
9. s′2 = f
flected from the water surface within the oil 2
film undergoes no phase shift. In order for 5
the reflected light to interfere destructively, 10. s′2 = f
2
the total distance traveled by the light inside
Explanation:
the oil film must be an integer multiple of the
Let’s first consider the image formed by
wavelength inside the film,
lens #1. Using the lens equation with s1 =
λ 4f /3, f1 = f ,
2t = m ,
noil
where t = 360 nm is the film thickness, noil =
1.5 is the refractive index of oil, and m is an 1 1 1
=− +
integer. Using m = 2, we find λ = 540 nm. ′
s1 s1 f
 douglas (jed3339) – Practice Midterm 01 – yao – (54790) 7
3 1
=− +
4f f
1
=
4f
s′1 = 4 f

For lens #2, s2 = d − s′1 = −3 f, f2 = f

1 1 1
= − +
s′2 s2 f
1 1
= +
3f f
4
=
3f
3
s′2 = f
4

Note: Since the object for the second lens

is behind the lens it is virtual and therefore
s2 < 0.