TOPIC 31 Option C : The Physics of Material

1. A steel wire of length l and diameter d is found The pointer P is freely pivoted at H. Masses M
to have a strain of 8.0 x 10-4 when supporting a are hung from a loop of thread L, and the scale
certain load. If this, wire is replaced by a reading opposite the end of the pointer is
second steel wire of the same length but of recorded. When scale reading is plotted against
diameter d/2, the strain will be load M, a good straight line is obtained except
A. 3.2 x 10-3 D. 4.0 x 10-4 for the, last point K (Fig. 1 (b)).
B. 1.6 x 10-3 E. 2.0 x 10-4 Which one of the following statements is a
C. 8.0 x 10-4 J76/II/40; J85/I/30 possible explanation for the fact that K lies
above the straight line?
2. A suspended copper wire is gradually loaded A. The value recorded for M was less than its
until it is stretched just beyond the elastic limit, true value.
and it is then gradually unloaded. Which graph B. The scale reading was misread at less than
(with arrows indicating the sequence) best its true value.
illustrates the variation of tensile stress a with C. The loop L has been inadvertently moved
longitudinal strain ϵ? towards H.
A. C. D. The wire W has not been firmly fixed at Q.
E. The wire W has been loaded beyond its
limit of proportionality. N80/II/40
B. D.
5. In Fig. 2, a wire is subjected to a gradually
increasing force F, which causes an extension
e. The way in which e depends on F is shown
J79/II/39; J96/I/22 by the line OP.
The force is then
3. The stress a required to fracture a solid can be
gradually reduced and the
expressed as
relation between e and F
σ =k ( γE /d)1 /2
in this case is shown by
where k is a dimensionless constant, E is the
the line PQ.
Young modulus, and d is the distance between
planes of atoms separated in fracture. Which Which one of the shaded areas in the graphs
one of the following quantities could g be to below correctly represents the mechanical
make the equation dimensionally consistent? energy that can he recovered from the wire in
A. an energy per unit area this process?
B. a force per unit area
C. a force A. D.
D. an energy
E. a density J79/II/40

4. B. E.

C.

J84/II/40
Fig. 1 The diagram (Fig. 1 (a)) shows a simple
apparatus for investigating the extension of a
wire W tinder tension.
6. A thread is suspended vertically and loaded - extension = (4.0 ± 0.1) mm
with a steadily increasing load to a maximum. - acceleration of free fall = (9.8 ± 0.1) ms-2
The load is then steadily reduced to zero. The Which of the following leads to the greatest
graph represents the result when the extension uncertainty in the calculated value of the
is plotted against the force causing it. Young modulus?
A. measurement of length
B. measurement of diameter
C. measurement of load
D. measurement of extension
E. assumed value of the acceleration of free
fall J87/I/30; N90/I/4
Which row in the table below gives the correct
relation between the work done in stretching 9. Of the three materials, copper, glass and rubber,
the elastic thread, the energy recovered during which two best illustrate the properties
unloading and the areas shown on the graph? described in the table below when each is
extended at room temperature?
Work clone in Energy recovered
stretching in unloading obeys Hooke's tolerates a large strain
A. R P Law virtually up while still exhibiting
B. R P+Q to its breaking elastic behaviour
C. R+Q P point
D. R+Q P A. copper glass
E. R+Q R B. copper rubber
N85/I/30 C. glass copper
D. rubber glass
7. The diagram below represents the extension- E. glass rubber
N88/I/30
load curves for three specimens X, Y and Z,
which were of the same unextended 10. A uniform, vertical wire is stretched by hanging
dimensions. a mass from its lower end. Which of the
following does not effect the strain in the wire?
A. the stress
B. its unstretched length
C. its cross-sectional area
D. the load applied
E. the Young modulus of the metal
J90/I/23
Which of the following combinations could
indicate the materials from which the 11. A metal specimen is in the form of a thin wire.
specimens were made? This wire is gradually loaded until it passes the
X Y Z elastic limit to the point where the stress is X.
A. glass copper rubber The load is then taken off gradually. Which
B. glass rubber copper graph represents the stress against strain?
C. rubber glass copper A. D.
D. copper glass rubber
E. copper rubber glass
J86/I/30
8. In an experiment to find the Young modulus for B. E.
a brass wire a student used the data below.
- length of wire = (1.50 ± 0.01) m
- diameter or wire = (0.56 ± 0.01) mm
- mass of the load = (6.00 ± 0.01) kg C.
 J91/I/22
12. The graphs show how force F varies with
extension e for samples of live materials. The A. C.
breaking-point of the sample is indicated by X.
Which graph represents the behaviour of a
typical brittle material?
A. D. B. D.

J2000/I/23
B. E.
16. A wire stretches 8 mm under a load of 60 N.
A second wire of the same material, with half
the diameter and a quarter of the original length
C. of the first wire, is stretched by the same load.
Assuming that Hooke's law is obeyed, what is
the extension of this wire?
J93/I/22 A. 1 mm C. 8 min
B. 4 mm D. 16 mm
13. An iron wire and a brass wire, of equal lengths N2000/I/23
and equal cross-sectional areas, are joined at 17. The speeds of longitudinal and transverse
one end. A tensile force F is applied to the free waves on a stretched wire are
ends, as shown. E T
√ √
ρ
and
M
respectively, where E is the Young modulus, ρ
If the Young modulus of iron is twice that of is the density, T is the tension, and M is the
brass, which statement is true? mass per unit length, of the wire. Find the value
A. The extension of the brass wire is twice of the stress that would be required if the
that of the iron wire. transverse and longitudinal waves were to have
B. The extension of the iron wire is twice that the same speed, and comment on the result.
of the brass wire. J77/I/5
C. The tension in the brass wire is twice that
in the iron wire. 18. The maximum upward acceleration of a lift of
D. The tension in the iron wire is twice that in total mass 2500 kg is 0.5 m s -2. The lift is
the brass wire. J96/I/23 supported by a steel cable, which has a
maximum safe working stress of 1.0 x 10 8 Pa.
14. A vertical steel wire X of circular cross-section What minimum area of cross-section of cable
is used to suspend a load. A second wire, Y, should be used?
made of the same material but having twice the (g = 10 m s-2) N77/I/12
length and twice the diameter is used to
suspend an equal load. 19. The vertical pillar of a hydraulic jack
What is the value of the ratio supporting a load of 1.2 x 104 N is a steel rod of
extension of wire X length 0.25 m and cross-sectional area 5.0 x 10 -
? A. ½ B. 1
extension of wire Y 4
m2. What is the stress in the rod? By how
C. 2 D. 4 much is it compressed?
N96/I/23 [The Young modulus for steel = 2.0 x 1011 Pa.]
N80/I/ 11
15. Which diagram shows the force-extension
graph for a brittle material that is loaded to 20. An aluminium rod of original length 150 mm
breaking point? and area of cross-section 1.2 x 10 -4 m2 is
 compressed in a vice so that its length is (i) Calculate the extension of the cable.
reduced by 0.01%. What force must be (ii) the strain energy stored in the cable.
applied? How much elastic energy is then N93/II/6
stored in the rod? 24. The three graphs in Fig. 5 are load-extension
[The Young modulus of aluminium = 7.0 x 10 10 graphs for strands of three different materials
Pa.] N84/I/12 X, Y and Z. Each strand is of cross-sectional
area 1.0 mm2.
21. Fig. 3 shows a typical stress-strain curve for
vulcanized rubber.

(a) Which material is

When a piece of this rubber is placed between
(i) ductile.
some vibrating machinery and the floor, the
(ii) brittle,
rubber heats up. Explain how this observation
(iii) polymeric?
is consistent with the graph. N89/II/7
(b) Name a possible substance for each of the
three materials.
22. (a) Define stress and strain.
X Y Z
(b) An elastic cord of cross-sectional area 1.0
…. …. …
mm2 and unstretched length 30 cm is fixed
(c) (i) Deduce the strain energy stored in the
across a horizontal runway of width 30 cm
strand of material Y for an extension
as shown in Fig. 4. The Young modulus for
of 2.0 mm.
the elastic of the cord is 5.0 x 10 8 Pa. The
(ii) Estimate how much additional work
would have to be done on this strand
in order to break it. J94/II/4

25. A copper wire or length 2.5 m and area of

cross-section 1.5 x 10-6 m2 is fixed at one end.
A trolley of mass 0.60 kg, moving along A load of 96 N is attached to the free end so
the centre line of the runway with a speed that the wire hangs vertically. The Young
of 1.5 m-1, hits the cord and is brought modulus of copper is 1.1 x 1011 Pa.
momentarily to rest. (a) Calculate, for the loaded wire,
(i) Calculate the initial kinetic energy of (i) the stress applied,
the trolley. (ii) the strain,
(ii) that W, the energy of the stretched (iii) the extension.
cord is given by W = ½ (stress x (b) A student plans to determine the extension
strain) x (initial volume of the cord), of the wire by measuring its change of
calculate the maximum extension of resistance, assuming that the area of cross-
the cord. N90/II/6 section of the wire does not vary with the
load applied. The resistance of the
23. (a) Define the terms stress and strain. unloaded wire is 2.9x 10-2Ω.
(b) A support cable on a bridge has an area of (i) Calculate the change in resistance of
cross-section of 0.0085 m 2 and a length of the wire when the load of 96 N is
35 m. It is made of high tensile steel whose applied.
Young modulus is 2.8 x 1011 Pa. The (ii) Comment on whether this method for
tension in the cable is 720 kN. measuring extension is feasible.
N96/II/6
26. A sample of material is in the form of a
uniform cylinder of length 24 cm and area of
cross-section 0.73 mm2. Measurements are
made of the extension of the sample as it is
loaded and then unloaded. The results are
illustrated in Fig. 6.