Physics 140, Winter 2020

Final Exam

April 24, 2020

The exam is 140 minutes long. There are 25 multiple-choice questions. All questions are of equal
value. There is no penalty for guessing. There is only one correct answer for each question.

The exam is open textbook and open class notes. You are allowed to use the following resources:

– The Young and Freedman textbook.

– Your personal notes taken in class.
– Lecture slides posted on Canvas.
– Four 3" × 5" (7.5 cm × 12.5 cm) notecards.
– Your calculator (including graphing calculator).

The following activities are expressly prohibited during the exam:

– Communicating with any other human being(s) in any shape or form, including electronic
means. You cannot use anyone’s help, from our class or from outside. Your exam submissions
should be based on your individual work only.
– Using the Internet for any reason other than the three allowed reasons listed below. This
includes searches, communication, posting anything anywhere, and reading anything posted by
anyone else.
– Using problem-solving software more sophisticated than a graphing calculator (including, but
not limited to, Mathematica, Matlab, Maple, or Wolfram Alpha).

There are three legitimate uses of the Internet during the exam:

– Accessing the exam and the lecture slides on Canvas (and only these two functionalities).
– Using a BlueJeans Events chat at [Link] to ask questions about exam
problems and to read class-wide announcements made by the instructors.
– Emailing your instructor in case of emergency or other extraordinary circumstances.

In addition to the 25 regular physics problems, there is Problem 26. Problem 26 asks you to affirm
your compliance with the above rules and policies during the exam. You need to select one of the two
possible answer choices: “I affirm” or “I do not affirm”. In order to receive credit for your exam,
you have to make this affirmation. If you select “I do not affirm”, your test will receive a zero score.

Constants and equations you may find useful:

x = x0 + v0xt + axt2/2
vx = v0x + axt
vx2 = v0x2 + 2ax(x – x0)
θ = θ0 + ω0zt + αzt2/2
ωz = ω0z + αzt
ωz2 = ω0z2 + 2αz(θ – θ0)
(continued on the next page)
(continued from the previous page)

I = m1r12 + m2r22 + ··· = ∫r2dm rCM = (m1r1 + m2r2 + ···)/(m1 + m2 + ···)

I = ICM + Md2 Fx = – dPE/dx
v = Rω τ=r×F
atan = dv/dt = Rα L = r × p = Iω
arad = v2/R = ω2R x(t) = Acos(ωt + φ)
vA/C = vA/B + vB/C ax = – ω2x
Fk = μkN ω = (k/m)1/2 or (g/L)1/2 or (mgd/Ipivot)1/2
Fs,x = – kx ω = 2πf = 2π/T
Fg = Gm1m2/r2 k = 2π/λ
vorb = (GM/r)1/2 v = ω/k = λ/T = λf = (F/μ)1/2
vesc = (2GM/r)1/2 g = 9.8 m/s2
! G = 6.67 × 10-11 N·m2/kg2
𝑊 = $ 𝐹⃗ · 𝑑𝑠⃗ REarth = 6.38 × 106 m
"
p = mv MEarth = 5.97 × 1024 kg
! patm = 1 atm = 1.013 × 105 Pa
∆𝑝⃗ = 𝐽⃗ = $ 𝐹⃗ 𝑑𝑡 = 𝐹⃗#$%& ∆𝑡 ρpure_water = 1000 kg/m3
" Asphere = 4πr2
TKE = mv2/2 Vsphere = (4/3)πr3
RKE = Iω2/2
GPE = – Gm1m2/r
EPE = kx2/2
TKEi + RKEi + GPEi + EPEi + Wnon-cons = TKEf + RKEf + GPEf + EPEf
1. Which of the following statements is false?

a) Simple harmonic oscillations can only exist around a stable equilibrium point.
b) A linear restoring force is required for simple harmonic oscillations to occur.
c) The period of simple harmonic oscillations is determined by the properties of the system and does
not depend on the initial conditions.
d) For a mass on a spring, the frequency of the kinetic or potential energy oscillations is equal to the
frequency of the position oscillations.
e) Total mechanical energy of a simple harmonic oscillator is proportional to the square of the
oscillation amplitude.

2. What is the result of the superposition of two waves described by the following two equations?
y1(x,t) = 2 sin(6x − 7t) and y2(x,t) = 2 sin(6x + 7t)

a) A traveling wave of amplitude 2

b) A traveling wave of amplitude 4
c) A standing wave with amplitude 2
d) A standing wave with amplitude 4
e) None of the above
3. Which of the following statements is false?

1. Resonance occurs when the driving frequency matches the natural frequency of an oscillating
system
2. In the absence of friction and fluid/air resistance, the amplitude of mechanical oscillations grows
indefinitely at the resonant frequency
3. Destructive effects of mechanical resonance may be decreased by increasing damping
4. There must be an external source of energy to produce a resonance in an oscillating system

a) Statement 1
b) Statement 2
c) Statement 3
d) Statement 4
e) None, all are true

4. A transverse wave on a string is described by the following equation: y ( x, t ) = 7 cos(2 x - 5t ) , where

y and x are in meters and t is in seconds. What is the ratio of the maximal speed of an oscillating
particle on that string to the wave speed?

a) 10
b) 14
c) 35
d) 44
e) 70
5. A particle traveling in one dimension has potential energy U(x) shown in the figure. The particle’s
total mechanical energy is TME. The particle is initially located at point C and is moving to the right.
Which of the following statements is/are true?

1. The particle cannot reach point H at some later time

2. The force acting on the particle at point E is pointing to the right
3. The particle has the largest speed at point D

a) None, all are false

TME
TME
b) Statement 1 only
c) Statement 2 only
d) Statement 3 only
e) Statements 1 and 2 only
f) Statements 1 and 3 only
g) Statements 2 and 3 only

6. A mass m1 on a table is attached by a massless string to a constant speed

second mass m2 hanging from a pulley as shown. The pulley is
massless and frictionless. The table has a rough surface so there is
a frictional force on mass m1. Mass m1 is observed to be sliding m1
B

sideways at a constant speed. What is the magnitude of the

frictional force? Neglect any air resistance.

a) m1 g m2B

b) m2 g
c) (m2 – m1)g
d) (m1 + m2)g
e) m1m2g/(m1 + m2)
f) m1m2g/(m2 – m1)
7. You are taking an Amtrak train from Ann Arbor to Chicago. Your little cousin hangs a toy on a
string attached to the luggage shelf above your seats. When the train is rounding a curve to the right,
you observe that the toy deviates from the vertical to the left and hangs motionless with respect to the
train. What is the correct analysis of the situation?

a) The tension force balances the force of gravity, while the centrifugal force balances the centripetal
force.
b) The horizontal component of the tension force balances the centrifugal force, while the vertical
component of the tension force balances the force of gravity.
c) Two forces act on the toy – the tension force and the force of gravity – which necessarily balance
each other.
d) Three forces act on the toy – the force of gravity, the tension force, and the centripetal force – and
the three forces balance each other.
e) The vertical component of the tension force balances the force of gravity, and the horizontal
component of the tension force is not balanced by any other forces.

8. A disturbance (a pulse) propagating along the x axis is described by the following equation:
y(x,t) = A exp(– [ax + bt]2), where x is position, t is time, and A, a, and b are some positive constants.
What is the speed of propagation of this pulse (first answer) and the direction of its propagation
(second answer)?

a) a/b; + î
b) a/b; − î
c) b/a; + î
d) b/a; − î
e) b; + î
f) b; − î
9. Consider two big rocks deep in outer space and far away from any other objects. These two rocks
undergo a complex interaction that involves gravitational, normal and frictional forces as well as
permanent deformations of their surfaces before coming apart and continuing on their own. Which of
the following statements about this interaction are correct?

1. The total mechanical energy of the system consisting of both rocks is conserved.
2. The total mechanical energy of the system consisting of only one of the two rocks is conserved.
3. The total momentum of the system consisting of both rocks is conserved.
4. The total momentum of the system consisting of only one of the two rocks is conserved.

a) Statements 1 and 2 only

b) Statements 1 and 3 only
c) Statements 1 and 4 only
d) Statements 2 and 3 only
e) Statements 3 and 4 only
f) Statement 1 only
g) Statement 3 only
h) None, all are incorrect

10. A block of mass 0.4 kg is oscillating on a horizontal spring of force constant 100 N/m. At a certain
moment of time, the block is observed to be a distance 0.03 m away from the equilibrium position and
moving with velocity 0.7 m/s. At what distance is the block from the equilibrium when its velocity is
0.3 m/s? Neglect friction and air resistance.

a) 0.01 m
b) 0.02 m
c) 0.03 m
d) 0.04 m
e) 0.05 m
f) 0.06 m
g) 0.07 m
11. An object moving in the xy-plane is acted upon by a conservative force described by the potential
æ 1 1 ö
energy function PE ( x, y ) = a ç 3 + 3 ÷, where α is a constant. Find the corresponding conservative
çx y ÷ø
è
force.

3a ˆ 3a ˆ
a) - i- 4 j
x4 y
b) -
a ˆ a ˆ
2
i- 2 j
2x 2y
c) -
a ˆ a ˆ
3
i- 3 j
x y
a ˆ a ˆ
d) 2
i+ 2 j
2x 2y
3a 3a
e) 4 ˆi + 4 ˆj
x y

12. A nylon guitar string of mass 6.48 g and length 0.9 m is supposed to resonate in such a way that
the third harmonic of this oscillation has frequency of 240 Hz. What tension should be applied to the
string?

a) 59 N
b) 83 N
c) 149 N
d) 317 N
e) 550 N
f) 1344 N
13. An apple is initially sitting on the bottom shelf of a pantry. A
hungry physics student picks up the apple to eat it, but changes his mind
and puts the apple down on another shelf somewhere above its original
location. During this process, the work done on the apple by the
student:

a) is positive
b) is negative
c) is zero
d) may be positive or negative; the sign depends on how much time the
apple spent in the student’s hand
e) may be positive or negative; the sign depends on the specific path
along which the apple was moved from the bottom shelf to the top shelf

14. A soldier on a firing range fires an assault weapon at a full automatic rate of 600 rounds per minute.
Each bullet has a mass of 5 g and a speed of 400 m/s relative to the ground as it leaves the barrel of the
weapon. Calculate the average recoil force exerted on the weapon while it is firing.

a) 10 N
b) 20 N
c) 30 N
d) 40 N
e) 50 N
15. A physical pendulum consists of a thin uniform rod of length L and mass M and two point masses,
each of mass M, one attached to the end of the rod and the other one attached in the middle of the rod,
as shown. The pendulum is pivoted around a frictionless axis at the upper end of the rod. What is the
angular frequency of small oscillations of this physical pendulum?

'( *
a) .') +

,- *
b) .') +

,. *
c) .') +

/*
d) ., +

/0 *
e) .') +
*
f) .6 +

16. A spacecraft of mass m is in a circular orbit of radius r around a planet of mass M. How much
work must the spacecraft engines perform to move the spacecraft to a new circular orbit of radius 3r
from the center of the planet? Ignore fuel losses and assume the mass of the spacecraft remains
constant during this maneuver.

a) Zero
123
b) 0&
123
c) /&
123
d) ,&
,123
e) /&
123
f) &
17. An old grandfather’s clock has a pendulum with a period of oscillations T. If this clock is
transported from Earth to Planet X, which has half the Earth’s radius, but the same density as that of
Earth, what would the period of oscillations of the clock’s pendulum be on that planet? Model both
planets as spherically symmetric bodies of identical uniform density (but different radii).

a) 𝑇/(2√2)
b) 𝑇/2
c) 𝑇/√2
d) 𝑇
e) √2𝑇
f) 2𝑇
g) 2√2𝑇

18. The position vector of a particle is given as 𝐫(𝑡) = 2𝑡 , ı̂ + 4𝑡 - ȷ̂, where time is measured in seconds
and position in meters. At what time t does the acceleration of the particle make an angle of 45 degrees
with the x- and y-axes?

a) 1/12 s
b) 1/6 s
c) 1/(2√3) s
d) 1/2 s
e) 1/√3 s
19. Two uniform solid disks (cylinders) are made of the
same material and have the same thickness, but the radius
of disk A is three times the radius of disk B. Each disk can
rotate without friction around a fixed axle at its center. Two
forces of the same magnitude are applied to the two disks at
their rims as shown. What is the relationship between the
resulting angular accelerations αA and αB of the two disks?

a) αB = αA/3
b) αB = 3αA
c) αB = 9αA
d) αB = 27αA
e) αB = 81αA

20. A thin uniform rod of length L and mass m has a point mass m attached
at one end. The rod can rotate around a frictionless horizontal axle at the
other end. This combined object is initially held at rest at an angle of 45o to
the horizontal (as shown in the figure). The object is subsequently released
and falls downward (rotates clockwise around the axle) due to gravity.
What is the magnitude of the angular velocity of this combined object
when it is strictly horizontal (i.e. when it passes the position along the
dashed line in the figure)?

a) =1.25𝑔/𝐿
b) =1.59𝑔/𝐿
c) =1.77𝑔/𝐿
d) =2.12𝑔/𝐿
e) =2.25𝑔/𝐿
f) =2.77𝑔/𝐿
g) =3.00𝑔/𝐿
21. A uniform solid disk of mass M = 3m and radius R = 0.5 m is
initially spinning clockwise with angular speed 2 rad/s around a
frictionless axis passing through its center perpendicularly to the
plane of the disk. A Physics 140 student throws a mass m of putty
with speed v = 4 m/s at an angle θ = 40° to the radial direction, as
shown. The putty sticks to the rim of the disk. What is the angular
speed of the disk’s subsequent rotation as a result of this event?

a) 0.86 rad/s
b) 1.00 rad/s
c) 1.20 rad/s
d) 2.06 rad/s
e) 3.26 rad/s

22. A thin rod of length L is placed parallel to the x-axis, so that its
left end is at x = 0 and its right end is at x = L. The rod is non-
uniform, and its linear density (mass per unit length) increases with
the distance from its left end according to λ(x) = αx2, where α is a positive constant. How far from the
left end is the center of mass of this rod?

a) xCM = (1/2)L
b) xCM = (2/3)L
c) xCM = (3/4)L
d) xCM = (4/5)L
e) xCM = (5/6)L
23. Block A has mass m, and block B has mass 2m. The blocks are forced together, compressing a
spring S of negligible mass and spring constant k between them. The system is then released from rest
on a horizontal frictionless surface. The spring is not fastened to either block and drops to the surface
after it has expanded. Block B acquires a speed of v. What was the initial compression of the spring?

a) =2𝑚𝑣 , /𝑘
A B
b) =3𝑚𝑣 , /𝑘
c) =4𝑚𝑣 , /𝑘
d) =6𝑚𝑣 , /𝑘
e) =8𝑚𝑣 , /𝑘

24. A uniform wire of mass M is bent into a circular arc spanning a quarter of a
circle of radius R as shown in the figure. What is the gravitational potential energy
of the interaction of this wire with a point mass m placed at the center of curvature
of this circular arc? (As usual, the zero of the GPE is chosen at infinite separation.)

√, 23
a) − 5
𝐺 6
, 23
b) − 5 𝐺 6
,√, 23
c) − 5
𝐺 6
23
d) −𝐺 6
23
e) −√2𝐺 6
5 23
f) − , 𝐺 6
25. A solid sphere of mass m rolls without slipping down an inclined ramp at an angle of 30° to the
horizontal. Find the frictional force acting on the sphere. Ignore the deformation of the ramp and the
sphere and view them as absolutely rigid.

a) mg/14
b) mg/10
c) mg/7
d) mg/5
e) mg/2

26. I affirm my compliance with all the rules and policies outlined in the instructions section above. In
particular:

– I have only used the resources that I was allowed to use

– I have not used any resources prohibited above
– This is my own, unassisted work, and I have not communicated with anyone during the exam
– I have not used the Internet, other than for the legitimate uses listed above
– I have complied with the LS&A standards of academic integrity and/or the CoE honor code

Please make this affirmation below.