1.
What does the "m" stand for in maser, the predecessor of the laser?
Correct Answer
A. Microwave
Explanation
The "m" in maser stands for "microwave." A maser is a device that produces coherent and amplified electromagnetic waves in the microwave range of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is the predecessor of the laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), which operates in the optical or infrared range.
2.
The Bernoulli Effect concerns what physical system?
Correct Answer
C. A Moving Fluid
Explanation
The Bernoulli Effect concerns a moving fluid. It is a principle of fluid dynamics that describes the behavior of a fluid (such as air or water) as it flows through a region of varying pressure. According to the Bernoulli's principle, as the speed of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases, and vice versa.
3.
Masses are to Newton's Gravitational Law as charges are to what?
Correct Answer
B. Coulomb's Law
Explanation
The analogy between masses in Newton's Gravitational Law and charges in Coulomb's Law lies in their roles in determining the respective forces. Newton's Gravitational Law governs the gravitational force between two masses, with force increasing as masses or their proximity grow. Similarly, Coulomb's Law deals with the electrostatic force between charged particles, illustrating that force intensifies with the magnitudes of charges and decreases with their separation.
4.
What does the word "quantum" mean?
Correct Answer
B. Portion
Explanation
The word "quantum" means "portion" or "quantity" in Latin. In the context of physics, particularly in quantum mechanics, it refers to the smallest possible discrete unit of any physical property. The term was introduced to describe the quantized values that certain physical properties, such as energy and angular momentum, can take.
5.
How many quarks are in an electron?
Correct Answer
D. None
Explanation
An electron is a type of elementary particle and is not composed of quarks. Quarks are fundamental constituents of particles known as hadrons, such as protons and neutrons. Electrons, along with other elementary particles like neutrinos, are classified as leptons and are not made up of quarks. Each electron is considered a point-like particle with no substructure, and its properties are described within the framework of the Standard Model of particle physics.
6.
What word describes a material that maintains a magnetic field after an external field is removed?
Correct Answer
D. Ferromagnetic
Explanation
A material that maintains a magnetic field after an external field is removed is called "ferromagnetic." Ferromagnetic materials have a high magnetic permeability, and they exhibit strong and persistent magnetic properties. When exposed to an external magnetic field, the magnetic domains within a ferromagnetic material align in the direction of the field.
7.
What physical constant did Henry Cavendish first determine using two weights and a cantilever?
Correct Answer
D. Gravitational Constant
Explanation
Henry Cavendish first determined the gravitational constant using two weights and a torsion balance, not a cantilever. The experiment, conducted in the late 18th century, involved measuring the twisting or torsional effect caused by the gravitational attraction between lead spheres on the ends of a horizontal bar and smaller lead spheres placed nearby. The gravitational constant (denoted by G) quantifies the strength of the gravitational force between two masses and is a fundamental constant in physics.
8.
What Scottish physicist's name adorns both a set of electromagnetic equations and the distribution of velocities within a gas at equilibrium?
Correct Answer
C. James Clerk Maxwell
Explanation
The Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell is associated with both a set of electromagnetic equations, known as Maxwell's equations, and the distribution of velocities within a gas at equilibrium, known as the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. Maxwell's equations describe the behavior of electric and magnetic fields and played a crucial role in the development of classical electromagnetism and the understanding of light.
9.
What measure is used to express reactance in conductors and capacitors?
Correct Answer
A. Ohms
Explanation
Reactance in conductors and capacitors is expressed in ohms (Ω). Reactance is a concept in AC (alternating current) circuits that represents the opposition to the flow of electric current. In the context of capacitors, capacitive reactance (XC​) is measured in ohms and depends on the frequency of the AC signal and the capacitance of the capacitor.
10.
What form of spectroscopy is concerned with the strength of the magnetic field surrounding atoms?
Correct Answer
A. NMR
Explanation
NMR spectroscopy is concerned with the strength of the magnetic field surrounding atomic nuclei. In NMR, the behavior of atomic nuclei, particularly those containing certain isotopes with magnetic properties (like hydrogen nuclei in organic compounds), is studied in the presence of a strong external magnetic field. The nuclei absorb and re-emit radiofrequency radiation and the resulting spectra provide information about the local environment of the nuclei.
11.
How much would a 150-pound person weigh at the center of the earth?
Correct Answer
D. Nothing
Explanation
The weight of an object is determined by the force of gravity acting on it. At the center of the Earth, the gravitational forces from the surrounding mass effectively cancel each other out, leading to a net force of zero or no weight.
12.
What is the force of gravity on the moon compared to that of the Earth?
Correct Answer
D. 1/6 That Of The Earth
Explanation
The force of gravity on the moon is approximately 1/6th that of the Earth. This is because the gravitational force between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. The moon has much less mass than the Earth, and its gravitational field strength is weaker. As a result, an object on the moon weighs about 1/6th of what it would weigh on Earth.
13.
Who discovered the neutron, and in what year?
Correct Answer
D. James Chadwick In 1932
Explanation
The neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932. Chadwick's experiments provided evidence for the existence of the neutron, a subatomic particle with no electric charge but with a mass similar to that of a proton.
14.
What is a Beta particle?
Correct Answer
B. Electron
Explanation
A Beta particle is an electron. In the context of nuclear physics, beta particles refer to electrons emitted from a nucleus during a process called beta decay. Beta decay involves the transformation of a neutron into a proton within the nucleus, and in the process, a beta particle (electron) is emitted. This emission helps maintain the balance of charge and energy within the nucleus.
15.
What physical laws state that no two particles may occupy the same quantum state simultaneously?
Correct Answer
D. The Pauli Exclusion Principle
Explanation
The physical law that states that no two particles may occupy the same quantum state simultaneously is known as the Pauli Exclusion Principle. This principle, formulated by Wolfgang Pauli, applies to fermions, which include particles like electrons. According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, no two fermions within a system can have identical quantum numbers, which include properties such as spin, orbital angular momentum, and magnetic quantum number.