Physics of Human Affairs Test 3

How do the mass and charge of a 14C nucleus compare with the mass and charge of a 12C nucleus? A. The mass of 14C is one-sixth larger, while the charge is the same. B. The mass is the same, while the charge of 14C is one-sixth larger. C. Both the mass and charge of 14C are one-sixth larger. D. The mass of 14C is 50% larger, while the charge is the same. E. Both the mass and the charge of 14C are the same as those of 12C.

A

How does quantum uncertainty differ form the uncertainty involved in a coin flip? A. With sufficient information, a coin flip's outcome can be predicted, but no amount of information can remove quantum uncertainties. B. They don't differ in any essential way--no amount of information can remove either type of uncertainty. C. With sufficient information, quantum uncertainties can be removed, but no amount of information can make a coin flip's outcome predictable. D. They don't differ in any essential way--with sufficient information, both types of uncertainty can be removed.

A

If the frequency of a photon is halved, what happens to its energy? A. It is halved. B. It is reduced by one-fourth. C. It is tripled. D. It is doubled. E. It is quadrupled.

A

In which of the following processes does the system's rest mass change? A. A rubber ball is squeezed. B. An automobile speeds up. C. The rest mass changes in both of the above processes. D. The rest mass changes in neither of the above processes.

A

One practical application of matter waves is A. the electron microscope. B. lasers. C. photovoltaic cells. D. X-rays. E. television.

A

Two different isotopes of the same element have A. the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. B. different numbers of electrons. C. different chemical properties. D. different numbers of both protons and neutrons. E. different numbers of protons but the same number of neutrons.

A

A 60-W bulb is operating at an efficiency of 6.20%. What is the number of photons per second given off by the bulb assuming the wavelength of light to be 580 nm? A. 5.42 × 1018 photons/s B. 10.8 × 1018 photons/s C. 25.3 × 1018 photons/s D. 21.7 × 1018 photons/s E. 16.2 × 1018 photons/s

B

A meter stick having a rest mass of 1 kg moves past you. Your measurements show it to have a mass of 2 kg and a length of 1 m. How is the stick oriented, as observed by you? A. parallel to its direction of motion B. perpendicular to its direction of motion C. It is impossible to say anything about the orientation without further information. D. Nonsense--if the stick's mass has increased to 2 kg, then it must be longer than 1 m

B

A real experiment, analogous to the "twin paradox," has actually been done in order to check the predictions of Einstein's relativity. In the experiment, A. two kilograms oscillated on springs, one of them in on Earth and the other in a space satellite. B. an atomic clock took a trip on a jet plane, while an identical clock stayed on the ground. C. a mass took a trip in a jet plane, while a second identical mass stayed on the ground. D. a human took a trip in a space satellite, while a second human stayed on Earth. E. a mouse went on a jet airplane trip and returned, while a second mouse stayed on the ground.

B

According to Einstein, gravity is A. the force that masses exert on each other. B. the warping of space that is caused by masses. C. due only to velocity. D. due only to acceleration. E. caused by the electromagnetic force.

B

If you were in a rocket ship in distant space, far from all gravitational influences, and accelerating at 2g, you would feel A. your normal weight. B. twice your normal weight. C. weightless. D. This cannot be answered without knowing your speed.

B

The amount of dark matter in the universe is A. about the same as the amount of visible matter. B. many times less than the amount of visible matter. C. about twice as much as the amount of visible matter. D. entirely unknown at the present time. E. many times more than the amount of visible matter.

B

The big bang is thought to have occurred about A. 14 million years ago. B. 14 billion years ago. C. 5000 years ago. D. a million years ago. E. 14 trillion years ago.

B

We know that light is quantized because, in the double slit experiment with light, A. when the experiment is done in strong light, no interference pattern shows up on the screen. B. when dim light is used, the light hits the screen at tiny separated impact points. C. an interference pattern shows up on the screen. D. when one slit is closed, the light hits the screen at tiny separated impact points. E. when one slit is closed, no interference pattern shows up on the screen.

B

When the radioactive isotopeC undergoes beta-decay, the atomic number of the resulting nucleus is A. 6. B. 7. C. 8. D. 5. E. 4.

B

Which of the following is a feature of quantum physics that is not valid according to Newtonian physics? A. The universe is made of tiny particles. B. Nature is non-local, i.e., separated objects are sometimes instantaneously connected with each other. C. The principle of conservation of energy. D. The second law of thermodynamics. E. The future is entirely determined by the present.

B

Which of the following scientists was not associated either relativity or quantum mechanics? A. Schroedinger B. Joule C. Einstein D. Planck E. de Broglie

B

According to Einstein's mass-energy relation, A. a heated object has slightly greater mass than the same object when it was cooler. B. a stretched rubber band has slightly greater mass than the same rubber band when unstretched. C. Both of the above. D. None of the above.

C

According to quantum theory, A. nature is "non-local," i.e., instantaneously connected across a distance. B. individual microscopic events are inherently unpredictable. C. Both of the above. D. the overall statistics of large numbers of microscopic events are inherently unpredictable. E. All of the above.

C

According to the principle of equivalence, acceleration is equivalent to A. net force. B. velocity. C. gravity. D. energy. E. the state of free-fall

C

Before Einstein, scientists thought that the substance that was "waving" when a light wave was transmitted was A. plasma. B. air. C. ether. D. phlogisten. E. They didn't think any material substance was waving.

C

Can anything go faster than light? A. No, special relativity forbids it. B. No, general relativity forbids it. C. Yes, space can expand at faster then lightspeed. D. Yes, certain subatomic particles can move through space at faster than lightspeed. E. Superman can.

C

If two electrons are entangled, then A. if one particle suddenly alters its wave packet, the other must also. B. both are part of a single matter wave. C. Both of the above. D. they must exert forces on each other. E. All of the above.

C

In the electron double-slit experiment with electrons, what happens when a detector is used to determine through which slit the electron actually passes? A. The pattern on the screen suddenly becomes an wave-interference pattern. B. Batman arrives. C. The pattern on the screen suddenly becomes a non-interference pattern. D. The electron suddenly jumps into a state of higher energy. E. The electron then acquires both a precise velocity and a precise position.

C

Mort, who is standing on the ground, throws a ball at 20 m/s westward as measured by him. What is the ball's velocity relative to Velma, who is in a train moving eastward past Mort at 70 m/s? A. 70 m/s westward B. 50 m/s eastward C. 90 m/s westward D. 90 m/s eastward E. 50 m/s westward

C

One unusual aspect of dark energy is A. its pushes outward on everything in the universe instead of pulling inward as gravity ordinarily does. B. it's made of a material that has not yet been observed in our laboratories. C. Both of the above. D. it exerts no gravitational force. E. it exerts a new kind of fundamental force, never observed before.

C

Schroedinger's equation enables scientists to predict A. the statistical pattern formed by impacts of large numbers of microscopic particles. B. the matter wave for a microscopic particle. C. Both of the above. D. the exact path followed by a microscopic particle. E. All of the above.

C

The big bang created A. matter and energy. B. space and time. C. Both of the above. D. None of the above.

C

The scientific consensus regarding the age of Earth is that A. there is insufficient data to determine Earth's age. B. Earth is about 5 thousand years old. C. Earth is about 5 billion years old. D. Earth is about 100 billion years old. E. Earth is about 5 million years old.

C

Do quantum uncertainties differ in any essential way from the uncertainty in a coin flip, and why or why not? A. They don't differ in any essential way--both uncertainties are "inherent in nature" and cannot be removed by additional information. B. With sufficient information, quantum uncertainties can be removed, but no amount of information can make a coin flip predictable. C. They don't differ in any essential way--both are a consequence of the observer's insufficient information and can be removed by obtaining additional information. D. With sufficient information, a coin flip's outcome can be predicted, but no amount of information can remove quantum uncertainties. E. You can make money with coin flips but you can't make a red cent out of quantum theory.

D

If you drop a coin inside a car that is slowing down, the coin will land A.in St. Louis. B. to the side of the drop point. C. right under the drop point. D. in front of the drop point. E. to the rear of the drop point.

D

In a nuclear accident such as occurred at Chernobyl, the long-term biological damage is caused by A. the high energy vibrations of the water molecule that are caused by radioactive isotopes. B. nuclear fusion occurring within the biological cells. C. the thermal energy produced by radioactive decay within biological cells. D. alpha, beta, and gamma particles passing through biological cells. E. nuclear fission occurring within the biological cells.

D

Which of the following is the strongest fundamental force acting between microscopic particles? A. electromagnetic force B. weak force C. gravity D. strong force E. Elmer's glue

D

Which of the following statements best describes Einstein's contributions and views about quantum theory? A. He didn't make any significant contributions to the theory, but he did accept quantum theory. B. Although his work on the quantum theory of atoms was an important contribution, Einstein never really accepted quantum theory. C. His work on the photoelectric effect was an important contribution to quantum theory, and he accepted the theory as a correct description of the microscopic world. D. Although his work on the photoelectric effect was an important contribution to quantum theory, Einstein never really accepted quantum theory. E. Despite his important work on relativity, Einstein didn't make any important contributions to quantum theory, and furthermore he never really accepted quantum theory.

D

A photon is A. the "anti-particle" to the electron. B. a high-energy electromagnetic wave. C. an electron that has been ejected from a metal surface by electromagnetic radiation. D. one of the two types of nuclear particles. E. a particle-like quantum of radiation.

E

Einstein believed that the principle of relativity should apply to Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism. Which basic principle or law did this lead Einstein to propose? A. the law of inertia B. the relativity of time C. length contraction D. E=mc2 E. the constancy of lightspeed

E

If Planck's constant were smaller than it is, would this affect the sizes of atoms? A. No, because atomic orbits do not exhibit quantum uncertainties. B. No, because the sizes of atoms are determined by the electromagnetic force acting between the nucleus and the electrons and this force is not affected by quantum phenomena. C. Yes, atoms would then be larger than they are, because quantum uncertainties would be larger. D. Yes, atoms would then be larger than they are because the electromagnetic force would be weaker. E. Yes, atoms would then be smaller than they are, because quantum uncertainties would be smaller.

E

If a radioactive isotope has a one year halflife, what fraction will remain after 5 years? A. None B. 1/5 [one fifth] C. Half D. 1/64 E. 1/32

E

In coming to the conclusion that lightbeams are bent by gravity, Einstein reasoned that A. since all observers experience the same laws of physics, Newton's theory of gravity must apply to lightbeams. B. since lightspeed is the same for all observers, moving observers would observe that lightbeams bend. C. increased mass at higher velocities causes increased gravitational effects, so lightbeams moving at lightspeed should have gravitational effects. D. fast-moving observers would find that lightbeams bend, so gravity must also bend lightbeams. E. accelerated observers would find that lightbeams bend, so gravity must also bend lightbeams.

E

In the double-slit experiment, the entire matter field or EM field instantaneously collapses to the single interaction point when the field interacts with the screen. This is an example of A. quantum uncertainty. B. quantum interference. C. quantum annihilation. D. quantum tunneling. E. quantum non-locality

E

The de Broglie wavelength of an electron is 380 nm. What is the speed of this electron? A. 5.22 × 103 m/s B. 4.12 × 103 m/s C. 3.83 × 103 m/s D. 2.04 × 103 m/s E. 1.92 × 103 m/s

E

The forces that hold the nucleus together A. act over only very short distances. B. are much stronger than electromagnetic forces. C. Both of the above. D. are attractive, that is, they pull in the inward direction. E. All of the above

E

When an atom emits radiation A. a proton strikes a neutron to create a photon. B. it emits a small portion of its electric charge. C. an electron moves in precisely one complete orbit around the nucleus. D. a photon makes a quantum jump from one quantum state to another. E. an electron makes a quantum jump from one quantum state to another.

E

Where does most of Earth's 14C come from? A. It was deposited on Earth when the solar system first evolved. B. It was deposited on Earth many years ago by meteors. C. It is continually being formed as a result of the photosynthesis process D. It comes to Earth from outer space along with other cosmic rays. E. It is continually being formed by the impact of cosmic rays on the atmosphere.

E

Which of the following observations lend support to the big bang theory? A. the cosmic background radiation B. the ripples, or variations, in the cosmic background radiation C. Both of the above. D. the "red shift" of the light from distant galaxies E. All of the above.

E