General Physics Exam 1
A hydrogen nucleus, which has a charge +e, is situated to the left of a carbon nucleus, which has a charge +6e. Which statement is true? A) The electrical force experienced by the hydrogen nucleus is to the left, and the magnitude is equal to the force exerted on the carbon nucleus. B) The electrical force experienced by the hydrogen nucleus is to the left, and the magnitude is greater than the force exerted on the carbon nucleus. C) The electrical force experienced by the hydrogen nucleus is to the left, and the magnitude is less than the force exerted on the carbon nucleus. D) The electrical force experienced by the hydrogen nucleus is to the right, and the magnitude is equal to the force exerted on the carbon nucleus.
a
A little known fact is that both Robinson Crusoe and Friday wore eyeglasses. As it so happens, Robinson Crusoe was farsighted while Friday was nearsighted. Whose eyeglasses did they use whenever they wanted to start a fire by focusing the sun's rays? A) Robinson Crusoe's B) Friday's C) Both would work equally well. D) Both actually worked, but Friday's was a little bit better. E) Neither's worked, but fortunately they were in possession of matches.
a
A negatively-charged rod is brought close to (but does not touch) two neutral spheres that are in contact with each other but insulated from the ground. If the two spheres are then separated, what kind of charge will be on the spheres? A) The sphere near the charged rod becomes positive and the other one becomes negative. B) The sphere near the charged rod becomes negative and the other one becomes positive. C) The spheres do not get any charge. D) Both spheres become negative. E) Both spheres become positive.
a
Farsightedness can usually be corrected with A) converging lenses. B) diverging lenses. C) convex mirrors. D) cylindrical lenses. E) concave mirrors
a
If a object is placed between a convex lens and its focal point, the image formed is A) virtual and upright. B) virtual and inverted. C) real and upright. D) real and inverted.
a
In a double-slit experiment, it is observed that the distance between adjacent maxima on a remote screen is 1.0 cm. What happens to the distance between adjacent maxima when the slit separation is cut in half? A) It increases to 2.0 cm. B) It increases to 4.0 cm. C) It decreases to 0.50 cm. D) It decreases to 0.25 cm. E) None of these choices are correct
a
Light enters air from water. The angle of refraction will be A) greater than the angle of incidence. B) equal to the angle of incidence. C) less than the angle of incidence.
a
Light goes from material having a refractive index of n1 into a material with refractive index n2. If the refracted light is bent away from the normal, what can you conclude about the indices of refraction? A) n1 > n2 B) n1 ≥ n2 C) n1 < n2 D) n1 ≤ n2 E) n1 = n2
a
Light in a frozen block of ice reflects off the ice-air interface at the surface of the block. What phase shift does it undergo? A) 0° B) 90° C) 180° D) 270° E) It does not undergo any phase shift.
a
Single convex spherical mirrors produce images that A) are always smaller than the actual object. B) are always larger than the actual object. C) are always the same size as the actual object. D) could be larger than, smaller than, or the same size as the actual object, depending on the placement of the object. E) are sometimes real.
a
Spherical lenses suffer from A) both spherical and chromatic aberration. B) spherical aberration, but not chromatic aberration. C) chromatic aberration, but not spherical aberration. D) neither spherical nor chromatic aberration.
a
The index of refraction of a type of glass is 1.50, and the index of refraction of water is 1.33. If light enters water from this glass, the angle of refraction will be A) greater than the angle of incidence. B) equal to the angle of incidence. C) less than the angle of incidence.
a
What type of lens is used to make a magnifying glass? A) converging B) diverging C) Either type would work equally well.
a
Which statements about images are correct? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) A virtual image cannot be formed on a screen. B) A virtual image cannot be viewed by the unaided eye. C) A virtual image cannot be photographed. D) A real image must be erect. E) Mirrors always produce real images because they reflect light.
a
A conductor is placed in a steady external electric field. Which of the following statements are correct for this situation? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) The electric field is zero inside the conductor. B) All the free electrons go to the surface of the conductor. C) The surface of the conductor is neutral. D) The electric field just outside the surface of the conductor is perpendicular to the surface. E) None of the above statements are correct.
a, b, d
An electron and a proton are released simultaneously from rest and start moving toward each other due to their electrostatic attraction, with no other forces present. Which of the following statements are true just before they are about to collide? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) They are closer to the to the initial position of the electron that to the initial position of the proton. B) They are closer to the to the initial position of the proton that to the initial position of the electron. C) They are at the midpoint of their initial separation. D) They both have the same speed. E) The electrostatic force on the proton is greater than the electrostatic force on the electron.
b
An upright object is 50 cm from a concave mirror of radius 60 cm. The character of the image is A) real and upright B) real and inverted C) virtual and upright D) virtual and inverted
b
If a spherical concave mirror has a radius of curvature R, its focal length is A) R/4. B) R/2. C) R. D) 2R. E) 4R.
b
Nearsightedness is usually corrected with A) converging lenses. B) diverging lenses. C) convex mirrors. D) cylindrical lenses. E) concave mirrors.
b
The colors on an oil slick are caused by reflection and A) diffraction. B) interference. C) refraction. D) polarization. E) ionization.
b
The critical angle for a beam of light passing from water into air is 48.8°. This means that all light rays with an angle of incidence in the water that is greater than 48.8° will be A) totally absorbed by the water. B) totally reflected. C) partially reflected and partially transmitted. D) totally transmitted.
b
The image formed by a single concave lens A) is always real. B) is always virtual. C) could be real or virtual, depending on whether the object distance is smaller or greater than the focal length. D) could be real or virtual, but is always real when the object is placed at the focal point. E) is always inverted.
b
When a beam of light, originally traveling in air, enters a piece of glass having an index of refraction of 3/2, its wavelength A) increases by a factor of 3/2. B) is reduced to 2/3 its original value. C) is unaffected.
b
When a light wave enters into a medium of different refractive index, A) only its speed and frequency change. B) only its speed and wavelength change. C) only its frequency and wavelength change. D) its speed, frequency, and wavelength change.
b
Which of the following terms describe lenses that are thinner at the center than at the edges? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) converging lenses B) diverging lenses C) concave lenses D) convex lenses
b, c
Which of following statements about the image formed by a single diverging lens are true? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) The image is always real. B) The image is always virtual. C) The image is always inverted. D) The image is always upright. E) The image is always smaller than the object.
b, d
Monochromatic coherent light shines through a pair of slits. If the wavelength of the light is decreased, which of the following statements are true of the resulting interference pattern? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) The distance between the maxima stays the same. B) The distance between the maxima decreases. C) The distance between the minima stays the same. D) The distance between the minima increases. E) The distance between the minima decreases.
b, e
Which of the following statements about spherical mirrors is correct? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) A concave mirror always produces a real image. B) A convex mirror always produces a virtual image. C) A concave mirror always produces a virtual image. D) A convex mirror always produces a real image. E) A convex mirror always produces an upright image.
b, e
A beam of light that is parallel to the principal axis strikes a convex mirror. What happens to the reflected beam of light? A) It also is parallel to the principal axis. B) It is perpendicular to the principal axis. C) It appears to be coming from the focal point on the other side of the mirror. D) It appears to be coming from the center of curvature of the mirror. E) It appears to be coming from a point between the focal point and the center of curvature of the mirror.
c
A convex lens has focal length f. If an object is located at "infinity" (very far away), the image formed is located at a distance from the lens A) of 2f. B) between f and 2f. C) of f. D) between the lens and f. E) of infinity.
c
A single-slit diffraction pattern is formed on a distant screen. Assuming the angles involved are small, by what factor will the width of the central bright spot on the screen change if the wavelength of the illuminating light is doubled? A) It will be cut to one-quarter its original size. B) It will be cut in half. C) It will double. D) It will become four times as large. E) It will become eight times as large.
c
Chromatic aberration in lenses is due to the A) reflection of light by the lens. B) refraction of light by the lens. C) dispersion of light by the lens. D) polarization of light by the lens. E) None of the other choices is correct.
c
If the image distance is positive, the image formed is a A) mirage B) hologram C) virtual image. D) real image.
c
In a single-slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit through which light passes is reduced. What happens to the width of the central bright fringe in the resulting diffraction pattern? A) It stays the same. B) It becomes narrower. C) It becomes wider.
c
Light enters glass from air. The angle of refraction will be A) greater than the angle of incidence. B) equal to the angle of incidence. C) less than the angle of incidence.
c
The closest object that a typical young person with normal vision can focus on clearly is closest to A) 1 cm. B) 10 cm. C) 25 cm. D) 50 cm. E) 75 cm.
c
What principle is responsible for light spreading as it passes through a narrow slit? A) refraction B) polarization C) diffraction D) dispersion
c
Which one of the following is normally not a characteristic of a simple two-lens refracting astronomical telescope? A) The angular size of the final image is larger than that of the object. B) The final image is virtual. C) The objective forms a virtual image. D) The final image is inverted.
c
Which one of the following sets of characteristics describes the image formed by a plane mirror? A) real and inverted B) real and upright C) virtual and upright D) virtual and inverted E) virtual and larger than the object
c
With what color light would you expect to be able to see the finest detail when using a microscope? A) red, because of its long wavelength B) yellow, because of its intermediate wavelength C) blue, because of its shorter wavelength D) The color does not matter.
c
An object is placed on the left side of a thin lens, and the image of this object is formed on the left side of the lens. Which of the following statements must be true? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) The lens must be a diverging lens, and the image is upright. B) The lens must be a converging lens, and the image is upright. C) The image is upright and virtual. D) The lens could be either a converging or a diverging lens, and the image is upright. E) The image is inverted and real.
c, d
A beam of light that is parallel to the principal axis strikes a concave mirror. What happens to the reflected beam of light? A) It also is parallel to the principal axis. B) It is perpendicular to the principal axis. C) It passes through the center of curvature of the mirror. D) It passes through the focal point of the mirror. E) It passes between the focal point and the center of curvature of the mirror.
d
A light beam has speed c in vacuum and speed v in a certain plastic. The index of refraction n of this plastic is A) n = cv. B) n = (v/c)2. C) n = v/c. D) n = c/v. E) n = (c/v)2.
d
A negative magnification for a mirror means that A) the image is inverted, and the mirror could be either concave or convex. B) the image is upright, and the mirror is convex. C) the image is inverted, and the mirror is convex. D) the image is inverted, and the mirror is concave. E) the image is upright, and the mirror could be either concave or convex.
d
In a double-slit interference experiment you are asked to use laser light of different wavelengths and determine the separation between adjacent maxima. You observe that this separation is greatest when you illuminate the double slit with A) blue light. B) green light. C) yellow light. D) red light. E) The separation is the same for all wavelengths.
d
Single concave spherical mirrors produce images that A) are always smaller than the actual object. B) are always larger than the actual object. C) are always the same size as the actual object. D) could be smaller than, larger than, or the same size as the actual object, depending on the placement of the object. E) are always real.
d
Starting from very far away, an object is moved closer and closer to a converging lens, eventually reaching the lens. What happens to its image formed by that lens? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) The image gets closer and closer to the lens. B) The image gets farther and farther from the lens. C) The image eventually changes from virtual to real. D) The image eventually changes from real to virtual. E) The image keeps getting larger and larger.
d
Suppose you wanted to start a fire using a mirror to focus sunlight. Which of the following statements is most accurate? A) It would be best to use a plane mirror. B) It would be best to use a convex mirror. C) It would be best to use a concave mirror, with the object to be ignited positioned at the center of curvature of the mirror. D) It would be best to use a concave mirror, with the object to be ignited positioned halfway between the mirror and its center of curvature. E) One cannot start a fire using a mirror, since mirrors form only virtual images.
d
To maximize the magnification of a refracting telescope, what lenses should you choose? A) The objective lens and eyepiece should both have small focal lengths. B) The objective lens and eyepiece should both have large focal lengths. C) The objective lens should have a small focal length and the eyepiece should have a large focal length. D) The objective lens should have a large focal length and the eyepiece should have a small focal length. E) The objective lens should have a large focal length, but it doesn't matter what the focal length of the eyepiece is.
d
When light travels from air into water, A) its velocity, wavelength and frequency all change. B) its velocity changes, but its frequency and wavelength do not change. C) its frequency changes, but its velocity and wavelength do not change. D) its velocity and wavelength change, but its frequency does not change. E) its wavelength changes, but its velocity and frequency do not change.
d
Which one of the following numbers is the correct magnification produced by a plane mirror? A) ½ B) 1/4 C) 2 D) 1 E) 3/2
d
Which one of the following statements is correct? A) The image formed by the objective of a microscope is smaller than the object. B) The image formed by the objective lens of a telescope is larger than the object. C) The image formed by the eyepiece is real for both a microscope and a telescope. D) The image formed by the objective lens of a microscope is larger than the object.
d
Which statement about a single thin lens is correct? A) A converging lens always produces a real inverted image B) A diverging lens always produces a virtual inverted image. C) A converging lens sometimes produces a real upright image. D) A diverging lens always produces a virtual upright image. E) A diverging lens produces a virtual upright image only if the object is located between the lens and its focal point.
d
A beam of light traveling in air strikes a glass slab at an angle of incidence less than 90°. After entering the glass slab, what does the beam of light do? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) I follows the same path as before it struck the glass. B) It follows the normal to the glass slab. C) It bends away from the normal at the point of contact. D) It bends closer to the normal at the point of contact. E) It slows down.
d, e
Monochromatic coherent light shines through a pair of slits. If the distance between these slits is decreased, which of the following statements are true of the resulting interference pattern? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) The distance between the maxima stays the same. B) The distance between the maxima decreases. C) The distance between the minima stays the same. D) The distance between the minima increases. E) The distance between the maxima increases.
d, e
As you walk away from a plane mirror on a wall, the height of your image A) gets smaller. B) may or may not get smaller, depending on where the observer is positioned. C) is always a real image, no matter how far you are from the mirror. D) changes from being a virtual image to a real image as you pass the focal point. E) is always the same size.
e
If the back of a person's eye is too close to the lens, this person is suffering from A) nearsightedness. B) spherical aberration. C) astigmatism. D) chromatic aberration. E) farsightedness.
e
If the lens in a person's eye is highly curved, this person is suffering from A) farsightedness. B) spherical aberration. C) astigmatism. D) chromatic aberration. E) nearsightedness.
e
In a compound microscope A) both the objective and the eyepiece form real images. B) magnification is provided by the objective lens and not by the eyepiece. The eyepiece merely increases the resolution of the image viewed. C) magnification is provided by the objective and not by the eyepiece. The eyepiece merely increases the brightness of the image viewed. D) the magnification is m1 + M2, where m1 is the lateral magnification of the objective and M2 is the angular magnification of the eyepiece. E) the image of the objective serves as the object for the eyepiece
e
Two point charges, Q1 and Q2, are separated by a distance R. If the magnitudes of both charges are halved and their separation is also halved, what happens to the electrical force that each charge exerts on the other one? A) It increases by a factor of 16. B) It increases by a factor of 8. C) It increases by a factor of 2. D) It increases by a factor of 4. E) It remains the same.
e
Which of following statements about the image formed by a single converging lens are true? (There could be more than one correct choice.) A) The image is always real. B) The image is always virtual. C) The image is always inverted. D) The image is always upright. E) None of the above choices are correct.
e
Which one of the following is a characteristic of a compound microscope? A) The objective is a diverging lens. B) The eyepiece is a diverging lens. C) The final image is real. D) The image formed by the objective is virtual. E) The image formed by the objective is real.
e
You have a choice between two lenses of focal lengths fa and fb, where fb = 2fa, to use as the objective lens in building a compound microscope. If the magnification you obtain using lens a is Ma, what will be the magnification when using lens b? A) Mb = 2 Ma B) Mb = 4 Ma C) Mb = 8 Ma D) Mb = Ma/4 E) Mb = Ma/2
e
