A Spring

2018
1. A block of mass m on a horizontal surface is attached to a spring having spring constant 𝑘. We
pull the mass a distance 𝑥 = 𝐴 to the right of 𝑥 = 0, which is the equilibrium position, and let it
go. How far to the left of the equilibrium position 𝑥 = 0 will it reach, assuming that the kinetic
coefficient of friction between the mass and the surface is 𝜇𝑘?

(A) – 𝐴
2

(B) −2𝐴 + 2𝜇𝑘𝑚𝑔

𝑘
(C) 𝜇𝑘𝑚𝑔
𝑘
(D) −2𝐴
(E) −𝐴 + 2 𝜇𝑘𝑚𝑔
𝑘

2. A completely inelastic collision occurs between a mass 𝑚1 moving upward with velocity 𝑣1 and a
mass 𝑚2 moving downward at velocity 𝑣2. How high does the combined mass rise above the
point of collision? The collision occurs close to the surface of earth; ignore air resistance.

(A) 1 (𝑚1𝑣1−𝑚2𝑣2)
2𝑔 𝑚1+𝑚2

(B) 𝑚1𝑣1
𝑔
(C) 1 (𝑚1𝑣1+𝑚2𝑣2)
𝑔 𝑚1+𝑚2 (D) 1
( 𝑚 1𝑣 1 )
𝑔 𝑚1+𝑚2 (E) 1
( 𝑚2𝑣2 )
𝑔 𝑚1+𝑚2

3. A girl of mass M stands on the rim of a frictionless merry-go-round of radius R and rotational
inertia 𝐼 that is not moving. She throws a rock of mass m horizontally in a direction that is
tangent to the outer edge of the merry-go-round. The speed of the rock, relative to the ground,
is 𝑣. Afterwards what is the angular speed of the merry-go-round?

(A) 𝑚𝑣𝑅
𝐼

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(B) 𝑚𝑀𝑣𝑅𝑅2+𝐼

(C) 𝑀𝑚𝑣𝑅𝑅2+𝐼

(D) 𝑚𝑣

𝑀𝑅
𝑣
(E)
𝑅

4. A spherical charge distribution has charge density ρ that is constant from 𝑟 = 0 to

𝑟 = 𝑅 and zero beyond. What is the electric field for all values of 𝑟 less than 𝑅?
A) E = ρr
3𝜀0

B) E = ρ
3𝜀0𝑟

C) E = ρ 𝑟2

3𝜀0

D) E =

E) E= ρ

3𝜀0

5. Find the direction of the magnetic field acting on a positively charged particle moving in
the direction which is into the page, as shown in the figure. The direction of the magnetic
force acting on it is:
A) Into the page
B) To the right
C) To the left
D) Towards the bottom of the page (E) Towards the top of the page

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6. A sphere of radius R surrounds a particle with charge 𝑄 located at its center as shown in
the figure. The electric flux through a circular cap of half-angle is
A) Q/
B) Q/2

C) (𝑄) 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝜀0

D) ( 𝑄) (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃)
2𝜀0

E) (𝑄) (𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 − 1)
𝜀0

7. The expression for free energy of a system, connected to a heat bath at temperature T
and with two non-degenerate states, one at energy 0 and other at , is
A) F =−kTlog(1+e− /kT
) B) F =−kTlog(1−e− / kT ) (C) F =−kTlog(1−e )
/ kT

F
(D) =−kTlog(1+e /kT )
(E) =kTlog(1+e− /kT )F

8. An adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas is described by the expression PV =C , where

and C are constants. The work done by the gas in expanding from (Pi ,Vi )to (Pf ,V f ) is

Pf V f
(A)

Pi +Pf
(V

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(B) 2 f −Vi )

(C) (Pf V f −PiVi )

1−

(Pf V f −PiVi )
(D)
1+

Pf (Vf 1− −Vi1− )

1+
(E)

9. If we consider the spin of an electron, the maximal occupation number of an energy

level in an ideal electron gas is

A) Zero
B) One
C) Two
D) Three
E) Four

10. For an isolated quantum mechanical system originally in the state 𝛹 = 𝑎𝜙𝑛 + 𝑏𝜙𝑚 which on
measurement is found to be in state 𝜙𝑚 at time t. What state will it be found in if a second
experimental measurement is made at a time t' later than t?
A) 𝜙𝑚
B) 𝜙𝑛
C) 𝑎𝜙𝑛 + 𝑏𝜙𝑚
D) Both 𝜙𝑛 and 𝜙𝑚 will have equal chance to be found
E) None of the above

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11. At a given instant of time, a rigid rotator is in the state ψ(θ, ϕ) = √(¾π) sin θ sin ϕ, where θ is the
polar angle relative to the z-axis and ϕ is the azimuthal angle. Measurement will find which of
the following possible values of the z-component of the angular momentum Lz?
A) 0
B) ħ/2, −ħ/2
C) ħ, −ħ
D) 2ħ, −2ħ (E) ħ, 0, −ħ

12. What is the expectation value of positon for a free particle of mass m moving in one dimension
having momentum px?
A) 0
B) x
C) 2x
D) ∞
E) x/2

9ℏ𝜔
13. A three-dimensional Harmonic Oscillator is in state En = , what is the degeneracy of this
2
state? (A)
0
(B) 3
(C) 5
(D) 7
(E) 9

14. Consider a physical system associated with a three dimensional state space. An
orthonormal basis for this system is given by |1⟩, |2⟩, |3⟩ and the Hamiltonian of this
2 1 0
system in this basis is given by the matrix: (1 2 0). What are the possible results if a
0 0 3
measurement of energy is made, in appropriate units?
(A) 1,2,3 (B) 2,2,2
(C) 1,1,1
(D) 3 and 3

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(E) 1 and 3

15. You must have seen that one can obtain the classical Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
from the quantum Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions: 𝑒 1
𝛽(𝐸𝑖 −𝜇)±1

where 𝛽 = 𝑘𝑇 1. This is obtained when

(A) 𝑒𝛽(𝐸𝑖−𝜇) ≫ 1
(B) 𝑒𝛽(𝐸𝑖−𝜇) ≪ 1
(C) 𝑒𝛽(𝐸𝑖−𝜇) = 1
(D) 𝑒𝛽𝐸𝑖 = 1
(E) 𝑒𝛽𝜇 ≫ 1

16. Consider an ideal gas having N particles in a container attached to a piston. The system is
at temperature T. We let the gas expand isothermally in a quasi-static process from initial
volume 𝑉𝑖 to final volume 𝑉𝑓. If the workdone by the gas during the process is
𝑉𝑓
𝑁𝑘𝑇𝑙𝑛 ( ), what is the heat input?
𝑉𝑖

A) 𝑘𝑇
B) 𝑁𝑘𝑇
C) 𝑁𝑘𝑇𝑙𝑛 (𝑉𝑓)
𝑉𝑖

D) 3 𝑁𝑘𝑇

E) 𝑁𝑘𝑇

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17. The real and imaginary parts of z = 1 +i are
1−i

(A) (Re(z),Im(z)) = (0,1)

(B) (Re(z), Im(z)) = (1,1)
(C) (Re(z), Im(z)) = (−1,1)
(D) (Re(z), Im(z)) = (1, −1)
(E) (Re(z),Im(z)) = (0,0)

18. Eigenvalues of the matrix (0 1) are

1 0

A) (0,0)
B) (0,1)
C) (1,0)
D) (1,-1)
E) (-1,-1)

19. Expansion of sin2𝑥 about x = 0 is

A) 𝑥2 − 𝑥4 + 2𝑥6 +…
3 45

B) 𝑥2 + 𝑥4 − 2𝑥6 +…
3 45

C) 𝑥 − 𝑥3 + 2𝑥5 +…
3 15

D) 1 + 𝑥2 − 𝑥4 +… 3

E) 1 − 𝑥2 + 𝑥4 +… 3

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20. Consider the function 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑥 + 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑦. Which of the following points (𝑥, 𝑦) is the
stationary point of 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)?
𝜋 𝜋
A) ( , )
2 2
B) (0,0)
𝜋
C) ( , 0)
2
𝜋
D) (0, )
2
E) (𝜋, 𝜋)

21. For 𝒗 = (𝑦, 𝑎 𝑥, 𝑏 𝑧) to be a divergence-less and curl-less vector, the values of a and b are
A) (𝑎, 𝑏) = (0,0)

B) (𝑎, 𝑏) = (0,1)

C) (𝑎, 𝑏) = (1,0)

D) (𝑎, 𝑏) = (−1,0)

E) (𝑎, 𝑏) = (0, −1)

22. A classical system with one degree of freedom has a Hamiltonian 𝐻(𝑞, 𝑝) = 𝑝2 + 2𝑚
𝐴(𝑞)𝑝 + 𝐵(𝑞), where 𝐴 and 𝐵 are functions of the coordinate 𝑞 and 𝑝 is the momentum
conjugate to 𝑞. The velocity 𝑞 is
A) 𝑝 𝑚
B) 𝐴(𝑞)
C) 𝑝 + 𝐵(𝑞) 𝑚
D) 𝐵(𝑞)
E) 𝑝+ 𝐴(𝑞) 𝑚

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23. The equivalent capacitance between points a and b in the combination of capacitors shown
in Figure, is:
A) 12.9 F
B) 11.9 F
C) 14.9 F
D) 10.8 F
E) 9.9 F

24. The position vector of a particle moving in a circle of radius 𝑅 with angular velocity ω at
time t is 𝑟 (𝑡) = 𝑅(cos(𝜔𝑡) 𝑖 + sin (𝜔𝑡)𝑗) . Its velocity at time 𝑡 = 0 is A) 0
B) 2𝜔𝑅𝑗
C) 𝜔𝑅𝑖
D) 𝜔𝑅𝑗
E) −𝜔𝑅𝑗

25. Two point charges are located on the x-axis, 𝑞1 = −𝑒 at 𝑥 = 0 and 𝑞2 = +𝑒 at 𝑥 = 𝑎. The
work that must be done by an external force to bring a third point charge 𝑞3 = +𝑒 to 𝑥 =
2𝑎 from infinity is
A) +𝑒2
8𝜋𝜀0𝑎

B) +𝑒2
4𝜋𝜀0𝑎

C) −𝑒2
8𝜋𝜀0𝑎

D) +𝑒2 E) +𝑒
𝑎
8𝜋𝜀0𝑎