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PHYSICS 002
Midterm
Date: 16 March 2006
Time allowed: 120 minutes
Total: 100 marks


Name:

Student ID:

Seat:
A




Section
Marks

A


B


C


D1


D2


Total









Physical data:

1 AU = 1.5 108 km
1 radian = 206,265 arc sec.
1pc = 206,265 AU = 3.26 ly (light years)
Velocity of light = 300,000 km/s
Synodic period = 29.5 days
G = gravitational constant = 6.67 10-11m3/s2kg
Stefan-Boltzmann Constant = 5.67 10-8 J/s/m2/K4













Section A: Multiple choice (32 marks)

1. Two spaceships that have different masses but identical rocket engines providing the same force are at rest in space. If they fire their rockets at the same time, which spaceship will speed up faster than the other?

A.
They will not speed up at all but will move at a constant speed since they are in space and the rockets have nothing against which to push.


B.
We cannot tell since there is no reference object in space to compare their speeds.


C.
They will increase speed at the same rate since they have identical rocket engines.



D. The one with the lower mass.
E. The one with the higher mass.
Ans. ______


2. The constellation Leo (the Lion) extends for about 30 along and close to the celestial equator. In Singapore (which is located close to the Earths equator), roughly how long does it take for Leo to rise completely above the East horizon?

A. 5 hours
B. 30 seconds
C. 30 minutes
D. 2 hours
E. 2 minutes
Ans. ______


3. You observe a planet orbiting a star in a clockwise direction (from your perspective), but you note that the planet spins counter-clockwise about its own axis (from your perspective). From this you could conclude

A. that the sidereal day is shorter than the solar day observed on the planet.
B. that the sidereal day has the same duration as the solar day observed on the planet.
C. that the sidereal day is longer than the solar day observed on the planet.
D. nothing about the relative durations of the sidereal and solar days observed on the planet.
E. that the sidereal day is sometimes longer and sometimes shorter than the solar day observed on the planet.

Ans. ______


4. What measurement(s) should we usually try to make if we want to directly determine the mass of a planet of a close-by planetary system similar to our solar system?

A. Observe the planets orbit around the star and measure the period and average distance from the star.
B. Observe how the planets orbit is disturbed by neighboring planets.
C. Measure the angular size of, and distance to the planet so as to