International Physics Olympiad

IPhO 1989

Warsaw, Poland · 3 theory problems with complete solutions

  1. Problem 1: Boiling of two immiscible liquids

    Consider two liquids A and B insoluble in each other. The pressures \(p_i\) (\(i=\mathrm{A}\) or \(\mathrm{B}\)) of their saturated vapors obey, to a good approximation, the formula:

    \[ \ln(p_i/p_o)=\frac{\alpha_i}{T}+\beta_i,\qquad i=\mathrm{A}\text{ or }\mathrm{B}, \]

    where \(p_o\) denotes the normal atmospheric pressure, \(T\) – the absolute temperature of the vapor, and \(\alpha_i\) and \(\beta_i\) (\(i=\mathrm{A}\) or \(\mathrm{B}\)) – certain constants depending on the liquid. (The symbol \(\ln\) denotes the natural logarithm, i.e. logarithm with base \(e=2.7182818\ldots\))

    The values of the ratio \(p_i/p_0\) for the liquids A and B at the temperature \(40^\circ\mathrm{C}\) and \(90^\circ\mathrm{C}\) are given in Tab. 1.1.

    Table 1.1

    \(t\ [^\circ\mathrm{C}]\) \(p_i/p_0\), \(i=\mathrm{A}\) \(p_i/p_0\), \(i=\mathrm{B}\)
    40 0.284 0.07278
    90 1.476 0.6918

    The errors of these values are negligible.

    A. Determine the boiling temperatures of the liquids A and B under the pressure \(p_0\).

    B. The liquids A and B were poured into a vessel in which the layers shown in Fig. 1.1 were formed. The surface of the liquid B has been covered with a thin layer of a non-volatile liquid C, which is insoluble in the liquids A and B and vice versa, thereby preventing any free evaporation from the upper surface of the liquid B. The ratio of molecular masses of the liquids A and B (in the gaseous phase) is:

    \[ \gamma=\mu_A/\mu_B=8. \]

    Figure 1

    Fig. 1.1

    Figure 2

    Fig. 1.2

    The masses of the liquids A and B were initially the same, each equal to \(m=100\mathrm{g}\). The heights of the layers of the liquids in the vessel and the densities of the liquids are small enough to make the assumption that the pressure in any point in the vessel is practically equal to the normal atmospheric pressure \(p_0\).

    The system of liquids in the vessel is slowly, but continuously and uniformly, heated. It was established that the temperature \(t\) of the liquids changed with time \(\tau\) as shown schematically in the Fig. 1.2.

    Determine the temperatures \(t_1\) and \(t_2\) corresponding to the horizontal parts of the diagram and the masses of the liquids A and B at the time \(\tau_1\). The temperatures should be rounded to the nearest degree (in \(^\circ\mathrm{C}\)) and the masses of the liquids should be determined to one-tenth of gram.

    REMARK: Assume that the vapors of the liquids, to a good approximation,

    (1) obey the Dalton law stating that the pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the gases forming the mixture and

    (2) can be treated as perfect gases up to the pressures corresponding to the saturated vapors.

    Official English text of the problem.

  2. Problem 2: Three gravitating masses rotating as a rigid body

    Three non-collinear points \(P_1\), \(P_2\) and \(P_3\), with known masses \(m_1\), \(m_2\) and \(m_3\), interact with one another through their mutual gravitational forces only; they are isolated in free space and do not interact with any other bodies. Let \(\sigma\) denote the axis going through the center-of-mass of the three masses, and perpendicular to the triangle \(P_1P_2P_3\). What conditions should the angular velocities \(\omega\) of the system (around the axis \(\sigma\)) and the distances:

    \[ P_1P_2=a_{12},\qquad P_2P_3=a_{23},\qquad P_1P_3=a_{13}, \]

    fulfill to allow the shape and size of the triangle \(P_1P_2P_3\) unchanged during the motion of the system, i.e. under what conditions does the system rotate around the axis \(\sigma\) as a rigid body?

    Official English text of the problem.

  3. Problem 3: From an electron microscope to a proton microscope

    The problem concerns investigation of transforming the electron microscope with magnetic guiding of the electron beam (which is accelerated with the potential difference \(U = 511\ \mathrm{kV}\)) into a proton microscope (in which the proton beam is accelerated with the potential difference \(-U\)). For this purpose, solve the following two problems:

    A. An electron after leaving a device, which accelerated it with the potential difference \(U\), falls into a region with an inhomogeneous field \(\boldsymbol{B}\) generated with a system of stationary coils \(L_1, L_2, \ldots, L_n\). The known currents in the coils are \(i_1, i_2, \ldots, i_n\), respectively.

    What should the currents \(i'_1, i'_2, \ldots, i'_n\) in the coils \(L_1, L_2, \ldots, L_n\) be, in order to guide the proton (initially accelerated with the potential difference \(-U\)) along the same trajectory (and in the same direction) as that of the electron?

    HINT: The problem can be solved by finding a condition under which the equation describing the trajectory is the same in both cases. It may be helpful to use the relation:

    \[ \boldsymbol{p}\frac{d}{dt}\boldsymbol{p} = \frac{1}{2}\frac{d}{dt}\boldsymbol{p}^{\,2} = \frac{1}{2}\frac{d}{dt}p^2. \]

    B. How many times would the resolving power of the above microscope increase or decrease if the electron beam were replaced with the proton beam? Assume that the resolving power of the microscope (i.e. the smallest distance between two point objects whose circular images can be just separated) depends only on the wave properties of the particles.

    Assume that the velocities of the electrons and protons before their acceleration are zero, and that there is no interaction between own magnetic moment of either electrons or protons and the magnetic field. Assume also that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the moving particles can be neglected.

    NOTE: Very often physicists use 1 electron-volt (1 eV), and its derivatives such as 1 keV or 1 MeV, as a unit of energy. 1 electron-volt is the energy gained by the electron that passed the potential difference equal to 1 V.

    Perform the calculations assuming the following data:

    Rest energy of electron: \(E_e=m_ec^2=511\ \mathrm{keV}\)
    Rest energy of proton: \(E_p=m_pc^2=938\ \mathrm{MeV}\)

    Official English text of the problem.