2011

Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

2011
Part-1 (Total 6 Problems) -1 6
(9:00 am 12:00 pm, 02-10-2011)
(1 + x) 1 + x for x << 1, x n dx =

Math hints :

1 n +1
x , n 1 .
n +1

Q1 (8 points) 18
(a) A compound pendulum consists of a uniform rigid rod of mass m and
length L and a small ball of mass m attached to the end of the rod, as
shown in the figure. The upper end of the rod is attached to the joint
on the ceiling about which the rod can rotate freely. Find the simple
harmonic oscillation frequency of the pendulum. (4 points)
m L
m 4

(b) Two point charges q and 2q are fixed on a smooth horizontal rail separated by a
distance L. A small cart carrying charge q and with mass m
can move freely on the rail, as shown in the figure. Find the q
q
2q
simple harmonic oscillation frequency of the cart. (4 points)
q 2q L
m q 4
Q2 (9 points) 29
The mass of an electron at rest, in the unit of energy using the mass-energy equivalence
relation, is 0.511 106 eV, or 0.511 MeV, and eV is electron-Volt. Find the momentum of an
electron, in the unit of MeV/c (c is the speed of light in vacuum) and keep only two digits,
when its kinetic energy is (i) 1.0 10-6 MeV, (ii) 1.0 MeV, and (iii) 1.0 106 MeV.
- 0.511 106 eV,
0.511 MeVeV MeV/c
c 2 (i) 1.0 10-6 MeV, (ii) 1.0 MeV, and (iii)
1.0 106 MeV
Q3 (8 points) 38
(a) Find the capacitance per unit length between a pair of parallel cylindrical conductors with
radius R and separated by a distance d (>> R), as shown in Fig. a. (b) A cylindrical conductor
with radius R is placed at a distance d (>> R) above a grounded conductor plate, as shown in
Fig. b. Find the capacitance per unit length between the two conductors.

R
d

R
(b)

(a)

(a) aRd (>> R)

(b) bRd (>> R)

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Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

Q4 (10 points) 410

This problem demonstrates why the energy density of gravitational field is negative.

(a)

First, consider two large parallel flat sheets separated by a distance D, one carrying
uniform electric charge area density , and the other carrying .
D

(i) Find the electric force from one sheet exerted on a unit area of the other sheet. (1
point)
1
(ii) Find the electric field E near the sheets. (1 point)
E1
(iii) Assume the total area of a plate is A. Let the separation distance D decrease by a
small amount D . Find the work done by the electric force. (1 point)
A D D 1
(iv) Using the answer in (iii), find the energy density of the electric field and express the
energy density in terms of E. (2 point)
(iii) E 2

(b) Now, consider two neutral parallel flat sheets of uniform area mass density separated
by a distance D.
D
(i) Find the gravitational force from one sheet exerted on a unit area of the other sheet.
(1 point)
1
(ii) Find the gravitational field g near the sheets. (1 point)
g1
(iii) Assume the total area of a plate is A. Let the separation distance D decrease by a
small amount D . Find the work done by the gravitational force. (1 point)
A D D 1
(iv) Using the answer in (iii), find the energy density of the gravitational field and
express the energy density in terms of g. (2 points)
(iii) g 2
Q5 (5 points) 55
A magic transparent sheet can be placed onto the screen of a
notebook computer to prevent peeping at large angles. Give a brief
explanation of a possible working principle of such sheet.

Please turn to the next page

2

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Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

Q6 (10 points) 610

The operation of an internal combustion engine in automobiles can be modeled by the
following four-stroke cycle in the pressure-volume (P-V) diagram as shown in the figure:
A) Adiabatic compression from V1 to V2.
B) Heating raising the temperature from T1 to T2 at constant volume.
C) Adiabatic expansion from V2 to V1, producing mechanical work.
D) Cooling at constant volume lowering the temperature from T3 to T4.
Let n be the number of moles of gas operated in a cycle, CV and CP be the molar specific heat
of the gas at constant volume and constant pressure, respectively. Also let = CP/CV.
(a) Express the temperature ratios T2/T3 and T1/T4 in terms of the volume ratio V1/V2. (2
points)
(b) Let Q be the heat absorbed by the gas in the heating stroke, and W1 and W3 be the
work done by the gas in the compression and expansion strokes respectively.
Calculate the ratios W1/Q and W3/Q. (6 points)
(c) Find the efficiency of the engine in terms of V1, V2, and . (2 points)
P

B
C

V
V2

V1

-(P-V):
A) V1 V2
B) T1 T2
C) V2 V1
D) T3 T4
n CV CP = CP/CV
(a) T2/T3 T1/T4 V1/V2 2
(b) Q W1 W3
W1/Q W3/Q6
(c) V1V2 2

THE END

2011

Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

2011
Part-2 (Total 3 Problems) -2 3
(2:30 pm 5:30 pm, 02-10-2011)
Math hints :
Q1
(a)

(b)

(c)

cos( x)dx = sin( x) ; (1 + x) 1 + x for x << 1.

Neutrino Oscillation (15 points)

1 15
Neutrinos are very light particles with masses below 10 eV. Estimate the speed of a neutrino
with total energy of 108 eV in the unit of the speed of light in vacuum c. (3 points)
10 108
c 3
Neutrinos have one fascinating property that no other particles have, namely they keep
changing continuously from one type to another and changing back as time goes by. For
example, an electron neutrino (state-1) will change to a muon neutrino (state-2) and change
back over a time period of T. Its mass will change from m1 in state-1 to m2 in state-2. This
phenomenon is called neutrino oscillation. Quantum mechanics says that the period T is
h
determined by T =
, where E1 and E2 are the total energy of the neutrino in state-1 and
| E1 E2 |
state-2, respectively, | E2 E1 | is the absolute value of the energy difference, and h is the
Planck constant. For a neutrino of fixed momentum p, find T in terms of m1, m2, h, p, and c. (7
points)

1-2
T
h
E1 E2 -1 -2 | E2 E1 |
T=
| E1 E2 |
h p m1m2hpc
T7
Suppose electron neutrinos with energy of 108 eV change to muon neutrinos after traveling
through the Earth, (You need to recall roughly the order of magnitude of the Earth diameter.)
estimate the minimum value | m12 m22 | in the unit of (eV)2. You may find the constant

hc = 1.24 106 eV m useful. (5 points)

108
| m12 m22 | ()2
hc = 1.24 106 eV m 5
Q2

Bending Light with Gravity (15 points)

15

(a)
The path of light bent by gravitational field is an effect of General Relativity. However, one
can analysis such phenomenon and obtain an approximate answer using Newtonian mechanics by
assuming that a light beam is made of photons traveling at speed c, with the effective mass of each
photon being equal to m = E / c 2 , where E is the energy of the photon. Let us first consider the case of
a classical particle flying by a fixed point mass M at high initial speed v. The trajectory of the particle

2011

Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

will be bent due to the gravity of the point mass. Because of the high speed of the particle, the bending
angle is very small and can be approximately calculated in the following way.
c E
m = E / c 2
v M

(i) Assume that the trajectory of the particle remains straight, as if the point mass was not there.
The distance from the trajectory to the fixed point mass is b, as shown in the figure. Calculate
the total impulse the particle receives from the point mass as it travels from the far left to the
far right in terms of M, b, G the universal gravity constant, and m the mass of the particle. You
may find it easier to use the angle as the integration variable. (4 points)

(ii)

b
G m 4
Determine the bending angle of the particle. (1 point)
1

(b)
The angular distance of two stars in the sky happens to be the same as the suns angular
diameter.

(i)
The sun-earth distance is 1.5 1011 m, and the suns diameter is 1.4 109 m. Calculate the
suns angular diameter in the sky. (1 point)
- 1.5 1011 1.4 109 1
(ii) When the sun happens to be right between the two stars in the sky, the
Apparent Position
stars appear to be pushed outwards by the sun, as shown in the figure.
Draw a diagram to briefly explain the phenomenon. (2 points)

(Original Position) (Apparent Position)

2
(iii) Calculate the apparent angular distance between the two stars in (ii). The
Original Position
mass of the sun is 2.0 1030 kg. The speed of light in vacuum
is c = 3.0 108 m / s . The universal gravity constant is G = 6.67 1011 N m 2 / kg 2 . (5 points)
(ii) 2.0 1030 kg
c = 3.0 108 m / s G = 6.67 1011 N m 2 / kg 2 5
(iv) With the present technology, why the phenomenon in (ii) can only be observed during a total
solar eclipse? (1 point)
1
(v) If the moons orbit size were doubled, could we still observe total solar eclipse? (1 point)
1

2011

Q3

Magnetic monopoles (20 points)

Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

20

The uniqueness theorem of the theory of electric and magnetic fields ensures that virtual (image)
charges could be placed outside the closed space in which the fields are to be determined to mimic the
original boundary conditions. The fields in the closed space are then the same as the ones generated by
the real charges inside the space and the virtual charges outside the space. For an interface without
G
free charge and free electric current, the boundary conditions for electric field E , electric
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
displacement D , magnetic field B , and auxiliary field H are E1/ / = E2/ / , D1 = D2 , B1 = B2 , H1/ / = H 2/ / .
Here means the components perpendicular to the interface, and // means the components parallel
to the interface.

G
G
G
G
E D B H
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
E1/ / = E2/ / , D1 = D2 , B1 = B2 , H1/ / = H 2/ / //

(a)
Consider the case of a point charge q inside medium-1 at a distance d from the
x
2
1
interface between two ordinary dielectric media with dielectric constants 1 and 2 ,
respectively. The Z-axis is perpendicular to the interface, the point charge q is on the Zaxis, and the interface is at z = 0. Two image charges q1 and q2 are used to solve this
problem. In medium-2, the electric field is equal to what is generated by a point charge
of ( q1 + q / 1 ) at position (0, 0, d). The field in medium-1 is equal to the total field by a
point charge q / 1 at position (0, 0, d) and a point charge q2 at position (0, 0, d).
-1-2 1 2 q -1
d Z q Z z =
0 q1 q2-2 (0, 0, d) q1 + q / 1
-1 (0, 0, d) q / 1 (0, 0, d) q2
(i) Apply the above boundary conditions to determine q1 and q2. (3 points)
q1q23
(ii) Determine the total surface charge density at the interface. (1 point)
1
(iii) Verify your answer with the special condition 1 = 2 . (1 point)
1 = 2 1
(iv) Verify your answer with the special condition 1 << 2 . (1 point)
1 << 2 1
(b)
A magnetic dipole is made of a south pole and a north pole. Interestingly, so far no magnetic
monopoles, namely the objects carrying only a south pole or a north pole, have ever been discovered.
If a magnetic monopole of magnetic charge g ever exists, it will generate a magnetic field in the
same way as an electric point charge generates an electric field. Recently, pseudo particles behaving
like magnetic monopoles generated by the collective motions of electrons in a particular type of
materials, called the topological insulators, was theoretically predicted. Such particle can be induced
by an external electric point charge. Similar to part-a, a point electric charge q is placed at a distance d
from the interface between an ordinary dielectric medium (medium-1) with dielectric constant 1 and

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Pan Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad 2011

magnetic permeability 1 , and a topological insulator (medium-2) with dielectric constant 2 , magnetic
permeability 2 , and a magneto-electric coupling constant . The relations between various fields in
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
B1
B2
+ E2 .
medium-1 are D1 = 1 E1 , and H1 = .Those in medium-2 are D2 = 2 E2 B2 , and H 2 =

The electric field and the magnetic field in both media can again be found by using image charges as
in part-a. For simplicity, let us use a set of specially chosen units such that the electric field at position
G G
G G
r r0
G
G
r generated by a point electric charge q at position r0 is E (r ) = q G G 3 , and the magnetic field
| r r0 |
G G
G G
r r0
produced by a magnetic monopole of magnetic charge g in a similar spatial setting is B (r ) = g G G 3 .
| r r0 |
In medium-2, the electric field is generated by a point electric charge of ( q1 + q / 1 ) at position (0, 0,
d), and the magnetic field is generated by a magnetic monopole with charge g1 at position (0, 0, d). In
medium-1, the electric field is generated by a point electric charge of q / 1 at position (0, 0, d) and a
point charge q2 at position (0, 0, d), and the magnetic field is generated by a magnetic monopole with
charge g2 at position (0, 0, d).

g
topological insulator
(a)
q -1 -1 -2 d-1
1 1 -2 2 2
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
B1
-1 D1 = 1 E1 H1 = -2 D2 = 2 E2 B2 ,
G
H2 =

G
B2

G
+ E2 (a)

G G
G G
r r
G
G
r0 q r E (r ) = q G G0 3
| r r0 |
G G
G G
r r
g B (r ) = g G G0 3 -2 (0, 0, d) q1 + q / 1
| r r0 |
(0, 0, d) g1 -1 (0, 0, d) q / 1 (0, 0, d)
q2 (0, 0, d) g2
(i) Use the boundary conditions to determine q1, q2, g1, and g2. (10 points)
q1q2g1g210
(ii) Find the total surface electric charge density at the interface. To shorten the answers, you may
treat q1 and g1 as known. (1 point)
q1g1 1
(iii) Find the total electric current density at the interface. As the electric current density is a vector,
you should find both the components parallel and perpendicular to the interface. To shorten the
answers, you may treat q1 and g1 as known. (3 points)

q1g1 3
THE END