Dawson College

Physics 203-NYC-05 Waves, Optics & Modern Physics

Sample Final Examination

This exam is divided into two parts:
Part I: Problems (10 marks each) Solve all six problems. Show all of your work, clearly and
in order, to receive full marks. If you use a formula not given on the formula sheet, a derivation
must be shown.
Part II: Multiple Choice Questions (2 marks each) Answer all twenty questions. Circle
the best response from the choices given. If your final selection is unclear you will not
be given the marks. No marks will be awarded for diagrams, calculations, or reasoning.
Additional instructions:
1. The time allotted for this examination is three hours.
2. Answer directly on the question sheet. If you need extra room, you may use the back of
another page.
3. Use vsound = 343 m/s.
4. When finished, return this entire package and the formula sheet to your instructor.

Good luck! ,

P1

203-NYC Sample Final

P2

P3

P4

P5

P6

MC

Total /100

Page 1 of 22

Part I: Problems (10 marks each)

Solve all six problems. Show all of your work, clearly and in order, to receive full marks. If you
use a formula not given on the formula sheet, a derivation must be shown.
1. A transverse wave with an amplitude of 2.00 cm travels down a string under 50.0 N of tension.
The distance between one wave crest and the next is 70.0 cm. A fixed point on the string
oscillates 200 cycles in 12.0 s.
(a) What are the wave speed and the maximum transverse speed of a point on the string?
(b) Explain the difference between the speeds found in part (a).
(c) What is the mass-per-unit-length of the string?
(d) What is the power transmitted along the string by these oscillations?

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 2 of 22

2. A speaker emitting sound of frequency 440 Hz is attached to a block that oscillates in simple
harmonic motion with a maximum speed of 6.00 m/s and an amplitude of 0.500 m. The
speaker moves towards and away from a listener who is standing in front of it. The minimum
separation between the speaker and the listener as it oscillates is 1.50 m.

listener

1.50 m

(a) What are the highest and lowest frequencies heard by the listener?
(b) If the maximum sound intensity level heard by the listener is 60.0 dB when the speaker
is closest to him, what is the sound intensity level he hears when the speaker is furthest
away from him?

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 3 of 22

3. A source, S, emits an electromagnetic wave of wavelength 250 m. The source is located

3.00 km from a flat surface that reflects the wave. A receiver, R, is 8.00 km away from the
source along a line parallel to the reflecting surface. The reciever detects the superposition
of two waves: the one that travels directly from S to R and the one that leaves S, reflects off
of the surface, and arrives at R. The reflected wave has a phase shift of radians.
S

8.00 km

3.00 km

S0

reflecting surface

(a) What is the phase difference between the two waves arriving at the receiver?
(b) At what distance from S along the line SS 0 is the phase difference the same as in (a)?
(c) At how many points along the line SS 0 is there constructive interference?
(d) At how many points along the line SR is there constructive interference?

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 4 of 22

4. Shown below is the path of a ray of orange light ( = 620 nm) passing through a transparent
plastic cylinder with an index of refraction of 1.63. The radius of the cylinder is 0.20 mm.

1
d

R
n = 1.63

(a) What is the angle of incidence 1 ? [Hint: The identity sin(2) = 2 sin cos is useful]
(b) What is the distance d between the incident ray and a line parallel to it and passing
through the centre of the cylinder?
(c) What are the frequency and the wavelength of the light inside the cylinder?

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 5 of 22

5. Hydrogen emits visible light at specific wavelengths. The wavelengths are traditionally named
as follows: H = 656.3 nm (red), H = 486.1 nm (cyan), H = 434.1 nm (blue), H =
410.2 nm (violet). Light from hydrogen passes through a diffraction grating creating an
emission spectrum of fringes.
(a) If the second-order H line is observed at 41.018 , what is the number of lines per
millimetre of the grating?
(b) What is the angular separation of the H and H lines in the 1st order? [Keep at least
3 decimal places in your work.]
(c) How many complete orders are visible on one side of the centre of the spectrum?
(d) Are there any overlapping orders? If yes, which ones?

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 6 of 22

6. A by-product of some nuclear power reactors is the isotope 239 Pu. This isotope has a half-life
of 24120 years and decays by alpha emission: 239 Pu 235 U + . Suppose a sample of this
plutonium isotope has a mass of 0.7939109 kg at t = 0.
(a) How many atoms are initially in the sample?
(b) What is the initial activity of the sample in Becquerels?
(c) How many years does it take for the activity to decrease to 0.100Bq? [Use the conversion
factor: 1 year = 365.25 days]
(d) What the total energy released between t = 0 and the time found in part (c)? [Use the
masses: mPu = 239.052157 u, mU = 235.043924 u, m = 4.002602 u]

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 7 of 22

Part II: Multiple Choice Questions (2 marks each)

Answer all twenty questions. Circle the best response from the choices given. If your final selection
is unclear you will not be given the marks. No marks will be awarded for diagrams, calculations,
or reasoning.
1. A mass at the end of an ideal spring vibrates with period T . If you double the mass, how
must you change the force constant of the spring to achieve a period of 2T ?
(a) Decrease it by a factor of 4.

(b) Increase it by a factor of 2.

(c) Decrease it by a factor of 2.

(d) Decrease it by a factor of 2.
(e) Increase it by a factor of 2.
2. Which of following graphs represents simple harmonic motion with an amplitude of 4 cm and
an angular frequency of 2 rad/s?
x (cm)

x (cm)

4
2

4
2
t

-2
-4

10

t
-2
-4

(a)

10

10

(b)

x (cm)

x (cm)

4
2

4
2
t (s)

-2
-4

10

t
-2
-4

(c)

4
(d)

x (cm)
4
2
t
-2
-4

10

(e)

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 8 of 22

3. Which of the following is a false statement?

(a) The speed of a wave and the speed of the vibrating particles that constitute the wave
are different entities.
(b) For a transverse wave the particle motion is perpendicular to the direction of propagation
of the wave.
(c) A wave in which the particle motion is parallel to the direction of propagation of the
wave is called a longitudinal wave.
(d) Waves transport energy and matter from one region to another.
(e) Not all waves are mechanical waves.
4. Four separate travelling waves are described by the following equations, where y(x, t) represents the displacement:
I:

y(x, t) = (0.12 m) cos [(3.0 rad/m)x + (2.0 rad/s)t]

II: y(x, t) = (0.15 m) sin [(6.0 rad/m)x (3.0 rad/s)t]

III: y(x, t) = (0.23 m) cos [(3.0 rad/m)x + (6.0 rad/s)t]
IV:

y(x, t) = (0.29 m) sin [(1.5 rad/m)x + (1.0 rad/s)t]

Which two waves have the same wave speed?

(a) I and III
(b) I and II
(c) I and IV
(d) III and IV
(e) II and III
5. An open-open tube 0.46 m long supports a standing wave of frequency 1114 Hz. What is the
distance from the centre of the tube to the nearest antinode?
(a) 0.15 m
(b) 0.12 m
(c) 0.077 m
(d) 0.038 m
(e) There is an antinode exactly at the centre of the tube.

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 9 of 22

6. A 137 cm long wire that is fixed at both ends has a fundamental frequency of 87.5 Hz. The
tension in the wire is then changed so that the fundamental frequency becomes 175.0 Hz.
What is the ratio of the new fundamental wavelength to the old fundamental wavelength,
new /old ?
(a) 1

(b) 2
(c) 2

(d) 1/ 2
(e) 1/2
7. A car is on a road parallel to a railroad track and right beside it. The car is travelling east
at 30.0 m/s while a train travelling west at 50.0 m/s is approaching it. If the car honks its
horn at a frequency of 1.00 kHz, what is the wavelength of the sound perceived by a person
riding in the train?
(a) 0.235 m
(b) 0.275 m
(c) 0.294 m
(d) 0.313 m
(e) 0.344 m
8. If the distance from a point source of sound is tripled, the intensity will be what multiple of
its original value?
(a) 3
(b) 1/3
(c) 1
(d) 9
(e) 1/9
9. At a distance of 2.00 m from a point source of sound, the sound intensity level is 80.0 dB. At
a distance of 4.00 m from the source, what is the sound intensity level?
(a) 74.0 dB
(b) 77.0 dB
(c) 60.0 dB
(d) 20.0 dB
(e) 40.0 dB

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 10 of 22

10. Which one of the following is a correct ranking of electromagnetic waves from longest wavelength to shortest wavelength?
(a) radio waves, infrared, microwaves, UV, visible, X-rays, gamma rays
(b) radio waves, microwaves, visible, X-rays, infrared, UV, gamma rays
(c) radio waves, infrared, X-rays, microwaves, UV, visible, gamma rays
(d) radio waves, UV, X-rays, microwaves, infrared, visible, gamma rays
(e) radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, UV, X-rays, gamma rays
11. A ray of light strikes a boundary between two transparent materials and there is no transmitted ray, as shown in the figure. What can you conclude about the indices of refraction of
these two materials?
n1 n2

(a) n1 n2
(b) n1 > n2
(c) n1 = n2
(d) n1 < n2
(e) n1 n2

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 11 of 22

12. A tank holds a layer of oil, 1.88 m thick, which floats on a layer of syrup that is 0.69 m thick.
Both liquids are transparent and do not intermix. A ray of light originates from the bottom of
the tank and crosses the oil-syrup interface a horizontal distance of 0.90 m its starting point.
The ray continues and arrives at the oil-air interface a horizontal distance of 2.00 m from the
starting point. The angle of incidence at the oil-air interface is the critical angle. What is
the index of refraction of the oil?
Air

2.00 m
c
1.88 m

Oil
0.90 m

0.69 m

Syrup

(a) noil = 2.02

(b) noil = 1.94
(c) noil = 2.00
(d) noil = 1.96
(e) noil = 1.98
13. In a double-slit experiment, if the slit separation is increased, which of the following happens
to the interference pattern shown on the screen?
(a) The minima and maxima stay at the same positions.
(b) The maxima stay at the same positions.
(c) The minima stay at the same positions.
(d) The minima get closer together.
(e) The maxima get further apart.
14. Light passes through a pair of very thin parallel slits. The resulting interference pattern is
viewed far from the slits at various angles relative to the centre-line coming outward from
the midpoint between the slits. The central bright fringe is at = 0 , and the next bright
fringes on either side of the centre are at = 15 . If the central bright fringe has an intensity
I0 , what is the intensity of the next bright fringe on either side of it?
(a) I0
(b) I0 cos(15 )
(c) I0 cos2 (15 )

(d) I0 / 2
(e) I0 /2

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 12 of 22

15. A diffraction grating has 450 lines per mm. What is the highest order that contains the entire
visible spectrum from 400 nm to 700 nm?
(a) m = 2
(b) m = 3
(c) m = 4
(d) m = 5
(e) m = 6
16. If the diameter of a radar dish is doubled, what happens to its resolving power assuming that
all other factors remain unchanged? [Use the small angle approximation]
(a) The resolving power is reduced to 1/4 of its original value.
(b) The resolving power is reduced to 1/2 of its original value.
(c) The resolving power doubles.
(d) The resolving power quadruples.
(e) The resolving power does not change unless the focal length changes.
17. A laser pulse of duration 25 ms has a total energy of 1.2 J. If the wavelength of the light is
463 nm, how many photons are emitted in that one pulse?
(a) 3.4 1019 photons
(b) 1.1 1017 photons
(c) 2.2 1017 photons
(d) 6.9 1019 photons
(e) 2.8 1018 photons
18. Monochromatic light strikes a metal surface and electrons are ejected from the metal. If the
intensity of the light is increased, what will happen to the ejection rate and maximum energy
of the electrons?
(a) Same ejection rate; same maximum energy
(b) Greater ejection rate; same maximum energy
(c) Same ejection rate; greater maximum energy
(d) Greater ejection rate; greater maximum energy
(e) Electrons would no longer be ejected

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 13 of 22

19. When a blackbody has a temperature T , the peak intensity of its radiation is at wavelength
. If the blackbody has a temperature 2T , what is the wavelength of the peak intensity?
(a) 16
(b) /2
(c)
(d) /16
(e) 2
20. The hydrogen emission wavelength 434.0nm is produced by the transition to the n = 2 energy
level from which energy level?
(a) n = 3
(b) n = 4
(c) n = 5
(d) n = 6
(e) n =

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 14 of 22

Answers
Problems
1. (a) v = 11.7 m/s, vy,max = 2.10 m/s
(b) The wave speed is a property of the medium while the maximum transverse speed is
determined by the source. These speeds are independent of each other.
(c) = 0.365 kg/m
(d) P = 9.40 W
2. (a) fhigh = 448 Hz, flow = 432 Hz
(b) 2 = 55.6 dB
3. (a) = 17 rad
(b) d = 2.00 km
(c) 24 points of constructive interference
(d) 16 points of constructive interference
4. (a) 1 = 70.8
(b) d = 0.19 mm
(c) f = 4.84 1014 Hz, = 380 nm
5. (a) 500 lines/mm
(b) = 0.701
(c) 3 complete orders
(d) m = 2 and m = 3
6. (a) N0 = 2.00 1024 atoms
(b) R0 = 1.82 1012 Bq
(c) t = 1.06 106 years
(d) E = 1.68 1012 J

Multiple Choice
1. (d)

5. (c)

9. (a)

13. (d)

17. (e)

2. (a)

6. (a)

10. (e)

14. (a)

18. (b)

3. (d)

7. (d)

11. (b)

15. (b)

19. (b)

4. (c)

8. (e)

12. (e)

16. (c)

20. (c)

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 15 of 22

Solutions
Problems
1. (a) The wave speed is v = f . Were given that = 0.700 m, and determine that
f=

200 cycles
= 16.7 Hz
12.0 s

Thus,
v = f = (0.700 m)(16.7 Hz) = 11.7 m/s.
The maximum transverse speed of a piece of the string is vy,max = A. This is because
each piece is performing simple harmonic motion. From the given data:
vy,max = A = (2f )A = 2(16.7 Hz)(0.0200 m) = 2.10 m/s
(b) The wave speed is a property of the medium while the maximum transverse speed is
determined by the source. These speeds are independent of each other.
p
(c) Since v = F/ we find that
= F v 2 = (50.0 N)(11.7 m/s)2 = 0.365 kg/m
(d) The average power transmitted is
1
P = v 2 A2
2
1
P = v(2f )2 A2
2
1
P = (0.365 kg/m)(11.7 m/s)4 2 (16.7 Hz)2 (0.0200 m)2
2
P = 9.40 W
2. (a) The source reaches its maximum speed at the equilibrium position. As the source moves
with its maximum speed towards the listener
fhigh =

v + vL
343 m/s + 0
fS =
(440 Hz) = 448 Hz
v + vS
343 m/s + (6.00 m/s)

Moving with the same speed away from the listener

flow =

v + vL
343 m/s + 0
fS =
(440 Hz) = 432 Hz
v + vS
343 m/s + 6.00 m/s

(b) When the source is closest to the listener

 
I1
1 = (10 dB) log
I1 = I0 101 /10 dB
I0
I1 = (1012 W/m2 )1060 dB/10 dB
I1 = 106 W/m2

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 16 of 22

When the source is furthest from the listener (i.e. further away by twice the amplitude)
I2 =

(1.50 m)2
r12
I
=
(106 W/m2 ) = 3.6 107 W/m2
1
(2.50 m)2
r22

At this intensity, the corresponding sound intensity level is


2 = (10 dB) log

I2
I0


= (10 dB) log

3.6 107 W/m2

1012 W/m2

!
= 55.6 dB

3. (a) The path length from S directly to R is r1 = 8.00 km. The path length of the reflected
wave is r2 = 10.0km, because it goes from S to the midpoint of the reflecting surface then
back up to R. The reflected light also gets a phase shift of radians, which is analogous
to having out of phase sources (0 = ). Thus, the phase difference between the two
waves that arrive at the listener is
2
r + 0

2
(10.0 km 8.00 km) +
=
0.250 km
= 17
=

(b) If the point in question is a distance d from the source, then the path length from S
directly to the point is r1 = d. The path length of the reflected wave is r2 = 3.00 km +
(3.00 km d) = 6.00 km d, because it travels from from S to S 0 then back up again.
We can solve for d using the phase difference
2
r + 0

2
17 =
((6.00 km d) d) +
0.250 km
d = 2.00 km
=

(c) Consider the point S 0 . The path length from S directly to S 0 is r1 = 3.00 km. The path
length of the reflected wave is r2 = 3.00 km, because it also travels from S to S 0 but no
further. The phase difference is
2
r + 0

2
=
(3.00 km 3.00 km) +
0.250km 
1
= = 0 +
2
2
=

Therefore m = 0 at point S 0 .
Now Consider the point S. The path length from S to itself r1 = 0 km. The path length
of the reflected wave is r2 = 6.00 km, because it also travels from S to S 0 then all the

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 17 of 22

way back again. The phase difference is

2
r + 0

2
=
(6.00 km 0 km) +
0.250 km


1
2
= 49 = 24 +
2
=

Therefore m = 24 at point S.
This means that along the line SS 0 there are 24 0 = 24 points of constructive interference.
(d) At R the phase difference (found in part (a)) is = 17, which corresponds to m = 8.
At the source m = 24, which means that along the line SR there are 24 8 = 16 points
of constructive interference.
4. (a) The geometry inside the cylinder shows
(180 1 ) + 22 = 180 1 = 22
Applying Snells law at the point of incidence gives
n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2
n1 sin(22 ) = n2 sin 2
2n1 sin 2 cos 2 = n2 sin 2
2n1 cos 2 = n2



n2
2 = cos
2n1


1 1.63
2 = cos
2(1)

2 = 35.4
1

Returning back to the first line, we can now solve for the angle of incidence


1 n2 sin 2
n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2 1 = sin
n1


1.63
sin 35.4
1
2 = sin
1

2 = 70.8
(b) From the geometry in the diagram its plain to see
d = R sin 1 = (0.20 mm) sin 70.8 = 0.19 mm
(c) Due to conservation of energy the frequency of an electromagnetic wave remains constant
regardless of what medium it is in. Thus the frequency in the plastic is the same as
outside
3 108 m/s
c
=
= 4.84 1014 Hz
f=
vac
620 109 m

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 18 of 22

The wavelength, however, does change on entering the plastic

mat =

vac
620 nm
=
= 380 nm
n
1.63

5. (a) Using the angle given we can find the grating spacing
d sin = m d =

(2)656.3 nm
m
=
= 2000 nm = 2.00 103 mm
sin
sin 41.018

The inverse of the grating spacing is the number of lines per millimetre
1
1
=
= 500 lines/mm
d
2.00 103 mm
(b) For the blue wavelength
1

d sin = m = sin

m
d

m
d

(1)434.1 nm
2000 nm

= 12.536

(1)410.2 nm
2000 nm

= 11.835

= sin

For the violet wavelength

1

d sin = m = sin

= sin

And so the angular separation

= blue violet = 12.536 11.835 = 0.701
(c) The longest wavelength, and therefore the most deviated in each order, is H (red). All
complete orders have the H line at an angle 90 . Solving for the order in which
the red line appears at 90 we get
d sin = m m =

d sin
(2000 nm) sin 90
=
= 3.047

656.3 nm

Since m must be an integer we round down, so there are three (3) complete orders.
(d) Overlapping orders means that the most deviated wavelength from order m appears
before the least deviated wavelength from order m + 1:
red,m > violet,m+1
mred
(m + 1)violet
>
d
d
violet
m>
red violet
410.1 nm
m>
656.3 nm 410.1 nm
m > 1.666
Since m must be an integer this tells us that the m = 2 and m = 3 orders overlap. If
any higher orders are even partially visible, they will overlap.

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 19 of 22

6. (a) The mass of a single atom of plutonium is

mPu = (239.052157 u)(1.660539 1027 kg/u) = 3.696554 1025 kg
If we divide the total mass of the sample by the mass of one atom we get the total
number of atoms
N0 =

msample
0.7939109 kg
=
= 2.00 1024 atoms
mPu
3.696554 1025 kg

(b) Using the conversion factor given we find t1/2 = 24120 years = 7.6117 1011 s. From the
equation for activity we find
R0 = rN0 =

ln 2
ln 2
N0 =
(2.00 1024 ) = 1.82 1012 Bq
t1/2
7.6117 1011 s

(c) Using the decay equation we can solve for time

 
R
R = R0 et/ t = ln
R0
 
t1/2
R
ln
t=
ln 2
R0


24120 years
0.100 Bq
t=
ln
ln 2
1.82 1012 Bq
t = 1.06 106 years
(d) The energy released in each decay is
Edecay = (mPu (mU + m ))c2
Edecay = (239.052157 u (235.043924 u + 4.002602 u))(931.494061 MeV/u)
Edecay = 5.245243 MeV
At the time found in part (c), the number of atoms remaining is
N=

t1/2 R
R
(7.6117 1011 s)(0.100 Bq)
=
=
= 1.098 1011 atoms
r
ln 2
ln 2

The total number of decays is N = N0 N . The number above is thirteen orders of

magnitude smaller than the value of N0 we found in part (a), meaning that N N0 .
Thus, the total energy released is
E = Edecay N
E = (5.245243 MeV/decay)(2.00 1024 decays)
E = 1.05 1025 MeV
E = 1.68 1012 J

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 20 of 22

Multiple Choice
p
1. Since T = 2 m/k for a mass on a spring, a doubling of the mass must be joined by a
halving of the spring constant. The answer is (d).
2. Only graphs (a), (c), and (d) have the 4 cm amplitude. An angular frequency of 2 rad/s
corresponds to a period T = 2/ = s. Only graph (a) has the proper period. The answer
is (a).
3. Waves transport energy, but they do not transport material. The answer is (d).
4. In each equation the argument of the function is kx t. The wave speed v = f = /k.
The values of wave speed are vI = 0.67 m/s, vII = 0.5 m/s, vIII = 2 m/s, and vIV = 0.67 m/s.
The answer is (c).
5. The wavelength of the sound = v/f = 0.308 m. Using the wavelength and length of the
tube we can find the mode number m = 2L/ = 3. For the m = 3 mode there is a node at
the centre of the tube. The nearest antinode is /4 = 0.077 m away. The answer is (c).
6. For a fixed-fixed string the fundamental wavelength 1 = 2L. If we change the tension, but
not the length, the fundamental wavelength will stay the same. The answer is (a).
7. The wavelength of the sound is affected by the motion of the source only, not by the motion
of the listener. All listeners, whether moving or not, should measure the same wavelength.
The frequency measured by a person standing at rest as the car approaches is




v
343 m/s
fL =
fS =
1.00 kHz = 1.096 kHz
v + vS
343 m/s + (30 m/s)
Which corresponds to a wavelength = v/f = 0.313 m. The answer is (d).
8. Intensity decreases as the inverse-square of the distance. The answer is (e).
9. Doubling the distance will decrease the intensity by a factor of four. The change in the
sound intensity level = (10 dB) log(I2 /I1 ) = (10 dB) log(1/4) = 6.0 dB. The new sound
intensity level is 2 = 80.0 dB 6.0 dB = 74.0 dB. The answer is (a).
10. Recalling the electromagnetic spectrum, radio waves have the largest wavelength (lowest
frequency), followed by microwaves, infrared, visible, UV, X-rays, and finally gamma rays.
The answer is (e).
11. The figure shows total internal reflection, which happens only when n2 < n1 . Having n2 = n1
is like having no boundary at all. The answer is (b).
12. The ray travelling across the oil is incident at the oil-air interface at an angle


1 2.00 m 0.90 m
= tan
= 30.33
1.88 m
If this is the critical angle at that interface, then c = sin1 (nair /noil ) noil = 1.98. The
answer is (e).

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 21 of 22

0 = (m + 1/2). Increasing d decreases , and thus the separation

13. For a double-slit d sin m
between minima decreases. The answer is (d).

14. Ideally, all the bright fringes of a double-slit interference pattern are equally intense. The
answer is (a).
15. 450 lines/mm means a grating spacing d = 2.22 106 m. The most deviated colour is the
one that corresponds to the longest wavelength. We can find the order at which red (700 nm)
deviates at 90 : m = d sin 90 / = 3.17. Rounding down, m = 3 is the highest complete
order. The answer is (b).
16. For a circular aperture 1 1.22/D. Doubling the size of the aperture will halve the value
of 1 , but the means the resolving power doubles (the smaller 1 , the greater the resolving
power). The answer is (c).
17. The number of photons N = Etotal /Ephoton = Etotal /hc = 2.8 1018 photons. The time is
not needed. The answer is (e).
18. Increasing the intensity increases the number of photons hitting the cathode, but has no effect
on the energy carried by each photon. So more electrons are released from the cathode, but
with the same maximum energy. The answer is (b).
19. According to Wiens law peak = 2.90 106 nm K/T . Doubling the temperature halves the
peak wavelength. The answer is (b).
20. Using the hydrogen energy levels
hc
13.6 eV 13.6 eV
=

n = 5

n2
22
The answer is (c).

203-NYC Sample Final

Page 22 of 22