International Physics Olympiad

IPhO 2006

Singapore · 3 theory problems with complete solutions

  1. Problem 1: Gravity in a Neutron Interferometer

    Enter all your answers into the Answer Script.

    Figure 1

    Figure 1a

    Figure 2

    Figure 1b

    Physical situation We consider the situation of the famous neutron-interferometer experiment by Collela, Overhauser and Werner, but idealize the set-up inasmuch as we shall assume perfect beam splitters and mirrors within the interferometer. The experiment studies the effect of the gravitational pull on the de Broglie waves of neutrons.

    The symbolic representation of this interferometer in analogy to an optical interferometer is shown in Figure 1a. The neutrons enter the interferometer through the IN port and follow the two paths shown. The neutrons are detected at either one of the two output ports, OUT1 or OUT2. The two paths enclose a diamond-shaped area, which is typically a few \(\mathrm{cm^2}\) in size.

    The neutron de Broglie waves (of typical wavelength of \(10^{-10}\ \mathrm{m}\)) interfere such that all neutrons emerge from the output port OUT1 if the interferometer plane is horizontal. But when the interferometer is tilted around the axis of the incoming neutron beam by angle \(\phi\) (Figure 1b), one observes a \(\phi\) dependent redistribution of the neutrons between the two output ports OUT1 and OUT2.

    Geometry For \(\phi=0^\circ\) the interferometer plane is horizontal; for \(\phi=90^\circ\) the plane is vertical with the output ports above the tilt axis.

    1.1 (1.0) How large is the diamond-shaped area \(A\) enclosed by the two paths of the interferometer?

    1.2 (1.0) What is the height \(H\) of output port OUT1 above the horizontal plane of the tilt axis?

    Express \(A\) and \(H\) in terms of \(a\), \(\theta\), and \(\phi\).

    Optical path length The optical path length \(N_{\mathrm{opt}}\) (a number) is the ratio of the geometrical path length (a distance) and the wavelength \(\lambda\). If \(\lambda\) changes along the path, \(N_{\mathrm{opt}}\) is obtained by integrating \(\lambda^{-1}\) along the path.

    1.3 (3.0) What is the difference \(\Delta N_{\mathrm{opt}}\) in the optical path lengths of the two paths when the interferometer has been tilted by angle \(\phi\)? Express your answer in terms of \(a\), \(\theta\), and \(\phi\) as well as the neutron mass \(M\), the de Broglie wavelength \(\lambda_0\) of the incoming neutrons, the gravitational acceleration \(g\), and Planck’s constant \(h\).

    1.4 (1.0) Introduce the volume parameter

    \[ V=\frac{h^2}{gM^2} \]

    and express \(\Delta N_{\mathrm{opt}}\) solely in terms of \(A\), \(V\), \(\lambda_0\), and \(\phi\). State the value of \(V\) for \(M=1.675\times10^{-27}\ \mathrm{kg}\), \(g=9.800\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}\), and \(h=6.626\times10^{-34}\ \mathrm{J\,s}\).

    1.5 (2.0) How many cycles — from high intensity to low intensity and back to high intensity — are completed by output port OUT1 when \(\phi\) is increased from \(\phi=-90^\circ\) to \(\phi=90^\circ\)?

    Experimental data The interferometer of an actual experiment was characterized by \(a=3.600\ \mathrm{cm}\) and \(\theta=22.10^\circ\), and 19.00 full cycles were observed.

    1.6 (1.0) How large was \(\lambda_0\) in this experiment?

    1.7 (1.0) If one observed 30.00 full cycles in another experiment of the same kind that uses neutrons with \(\lambda_0=0.2000\ \mathrm{nm}\), how large would be the area \(A\)?

    Hint: If \(|\alpha x|\ll1\), it is permissible to replace \((1+x)^\alpha\) by \(1+\alpha x\).

    Official English text of the problem.

  2. Problem 2: Watching a Rod in Motion

    Enter all your answers into the Answer Script.

    Figure 1

    Physical situation A pinhole camera, with the pinhole at \(x=0\) and at distance \(D\) from the \(x\) axis, takes pictures of a rod, by opening the pinhole for a very short time. There are equidistant marks along the \(x\) axis by which the apparent length of the rod, as it is seen on the picture, can be determined from the pictures taken by the pinhole camera. On a picture of the rod at rest, its length is \(L\). However, the rod is not at rest, but is moving with constant velocity \(\upsilon\) along the \(x\) axis.

    Basic relations A picture taken by the pinhole camera shows a tiny segment of the rod at position \(\tilde{x}\).

    2.1 (0.6) What is the actual position \(x\) of this segment at the time when the picture is taken? State your answer in terms of \(\tilde{x}\), \(D\), \(L\), \(\upsilon\), and the speed of light \(c=3.00\times10^8\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}\). Employ the quantities

    \[ \beta=\frac{\upsilon}{c} \quad\text{and}\quad \gamma=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-\beta^2}} \]

    if they help to simplify your result.

    2.2 (0.9) Find also the corresponding inverse relation, that is: express \(\tilde{x}\) in terms of \(x\), \(D\), \(L\), \(\upsilon\), and \(c\).

    Note: The actual position is the position in the frame in which the camera is at rest

    Apparent length of the rod The pinhole camera takes a picture at the instant when the actual position of the center of the rod is at some point \(x_0\).

    2.3 (1.5) In terms of the given variables, determine the apparent length of the rod on this picture.

    2.4 (1.5) Check one of the boxes in the Answer Script to indicate how the apparent length changes with time.

    Symmetric picture One pinhole-camera picture shows both ends of the rod at the same distance from the pinhole.

    2.5 (0.8) Determine the apparent length of the rod on this picture.

    2.6 (1.0) What is the actual position of the middle of the rod at the time when this picture is taken?

    2.7 (1.2) Where does the picture show the image of the middle of the rod?

    Very early and very late pictures The pinhole camera took one picture very early, when the rod was very far away and approaching, and takes another picture very late, when the rod is very far away and receding. On one of the pictures the apparent length is \(1.00\ \mathrm{m}\), on the other picture it is \(3.00\ \mathrm{m}\).

    2.8 (0.5) Check the box in the Answer Script to indicate which length is seen on which picture.

    2.9 (1.0) Determine the velocity \(\upsilon\).

    2.10 (0.6) Determine the length \(L\) of the rod at rest.

    2.11 (0.4) Infer the apparent length on the symmetric picture.

    2.4 Check one: The apparent length
    ☐ increases first, reaches a maximum value, then decreases.
    ☐ decreases first, reaches a minimum value, then increases.
    ☐ decreases all the time.
    ☐ increases all the time.
    1.5
    Very early and very late pictures For Examiners Use Only
    2.8 Check one:
    ☐ The apparent length is 1 m on the early picture and 3 m on the late picture.
    ☐ The apparent length is 3 m on the early picture and 1 m on the late picture.
    0.5

    Official English text of the problem.

  3. Problem 3: Five order-of-magnitude estimates: Digital Camera, Hard-boiled Egg, Lightning, Capillary Vessels, Skyscraper

    This question consists of five independent parts. Each of them asks for an estimate of an order of magnitude only, not for a precise answer. Enter all your answers into the Answer Script.

    Digital Camera Consider a digital camera with a square CCD chip with linear dimension \(L=35\ \mathrm{mm}\) having \(N_p=5\ \mathrm{Mpix}\) (\(1\ \mathrm{Mpix}=10^6\) pixels). The lens of this camera has a focal length of \(f=38\ \mathrm{mm}\). The well known sequence of numbers (2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22) that appear on the lens refer to the so called F-number, which is denoted by \(F\#\) and defined as the ratio of the focal length and the diameter \(D\) of the aperture of the lens, \(F\#=f/D\).

    3.1 (1.0) Find the best possible spatial resolution \(\Delta x_{\min}\), at the chip, of the camera as limited by the lens. Express your result in terms of the wavelength \(\lambda\) and the F-number \(F\#\) and give the numerical value for \(\lambda=500\ \mathrm{nm}\).

    3.2 (0.5) Find the necessary number \(N\) of Mpix that the CCD chip should possess in order to match this optimal resolution.

    3.3 (0.5) Sometimes, photographers try to use a camera at the smallest practical aperture. Suppose that we now have a camera of \(N_0=16\ \mathrm{Mpix}\), with the chip size and focal length as given above. Which value is to be chosen for \(F\#\) such that the image quality is not limited by the optics?

    3.4 (0.5) Knowing that the human eye has an approximate angular resolution of \(\phi=2\ \mathrm{arcmin}\) and that a typical photo printer will print a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch), at what minimal distance \(z\) should you hold the printed page from your eyes so that you do not see the individual dots?

    Data

    1 inch \(=25.4\ \mathrm{mm}\)
    1 arcmin \(=2.91\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{rad}\)

    Hard-boiled egg An egg, taken directly from the fridge at temperature \(T_0=4^\circ\mathrm{C}\), is dropped into a pot with water that is kept boiling at temperature \(T_1\).

    3.5 (0.5) How large is the amount of energy \(U\) that is needed to get the egg coagulated?

    3.6 (0.5) How large is the heat flow \(J\) that is flowing into the egg?

    3.7 (0.5) How large is the heat power \(P\) transferred to the egg?

    3.8 (0.5) For how long do you need to cook the egg so that it is hard-boiled?

    Hint You may use the simplified form of Fourier’s Law \(J=\kappa\Delta T/\Delta r\), where \(\Delta T\) is the temperature difference associated with \(\Delta r\), the typical length scale of the problem. The heat flow \(J\) is in units of \(\mathrm{W\,m^{-2}}\).

    Data

    Mass density of the egg: \(\mu=10^3\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}\)
    Specific heat capacity of the egg: \(C=4.2\ \mathrm{J\,K^{-1}\,g^{-1}}\)
    Radius of the egg: \(R=2.5\ \mathrm{cm}\)
    Coagulation temperature of albumen (egg protein): \(T_c=65^\circ\mathrm{C}\)
    Heat transport coefficient: \(\kappa=0.64\ \mathrm{W\,K^{-1}\,m^{-1}}\) (assumed to be the same for liquid and solid albumen)

    Lightning An oversimplified model of lightning is presented. Lightning is caused by the build-up of electrostatic charge in clouds. As a consequence, the bottom of the cloud usually gets positively charged and the top gets negatively charged, and the ground below the cloud gets negatively charged. When the corresponding electric field exceeds the breakdown strength value of air, a disruptive discharge occurs: this is lightning.

    Figure 1

    Idealized current pulse flowing between the cloud and the ground during lightning.

    Answer the following questions with the aid of this simplified curve for the current as a function of time and these data:

    Distance between the bottom of the cloud and the ground: \(h=1\ \mathrm{km}\);
    Breakdown electric field of humid air: \(E_0=300\ \mathrm{kV\,m^{-1}}\);
    Total number of lightning striking Earth per year: \(32\times10^6\);
    Total human population: \(6.5\times10^9\) people.

    3.9 (0.5) What is the total charge \(Q\) released by lightning?

    3.10 (0.5) What is the average current \(I\) flowing between the bottom of the cloud and the ground during lightning?

    3.11 (1.0) Imagine that the energy of all storms of one year is collected and equally shared among all people. For how long could you continuously light up a 100 W light bulb for your share?

    Capillary Vessels Let us regard blood as an incompressible viscous fluid with mass density \(\mu\) similar to that of water and dynamic viscosity \(\eta=4.5\ \mathrm{g\,m^{-1}\,s^{-1}}\). We model blood vessels as circular straight pipes with radius \(r\) and length \(L\) and describe the blood flow by Poiseuille’s law,

    \[ \Delta p=RD, \]

    the Fluid Dynamics analog of Ohm’s law in Electricity. Here \(\Delta p\) is the pressure difference between the entrance and the exit of the blood vessel, \(D=S\upsilon\) is the volume flow through the cross-sectional area \(S\) of the blood vessel and \(\upsilon\) is the blood velocity. The hydraulic resistance \(R\) is given by

    \[ R=\frac{8\eta L}{\pi r^4}. \]

    For the systemic blood circulation (the one flowing from the left ventricle to the right auricle of the heart), the blood flow is \(D\approx100\ \mathrm{cm^3\,s^{-1}}\) for a man at rest. Answer the following questions under the assumption that all capillary vessels are connected in parallel and that each of them has radius \(r=4\ \mu\mathrm{m}\) and length \(L=1\ \mathrm{mm}\) and operates under a pressure difference \(\Delta p=1\ \mathrm{kPa}\).

    3.12 (1.0) How many capillary vessels are in the human body?

    3.13 (0.5) How large is the velocity \(\upsilon\) with which blood is flowing through a capillary vessel?

    Skyscraper At the bottom of a 1000 m high skyscraper, the outside temperature is \(T_{\mathrm{bot}}=30^\circ\mathrm{C}\). The objective is to estimate the outside temperature \(T_{\mathrm{top}}\) at the top. Consider a thin slab of air (ideal nitrogen gas with adiabatic coefficient \(\gamma=7/5\)) rising slowly to height \(z\) where the pressure is lower, and assume that this slab expands adiabatically so that its temperature drops to the temperature of the surrounding air.

    3.14 (0.5) How is the fractional change in temperature \(dT/T\) related to \(dp/p\), the fractional change in pressure?

    3.15 (0.5) Express the pressure difference \(dp\) in terms of \(dz\), the change in height.

    3.16 (1.0) What is the resulting temperature at the top of the building?

    Data

    Boltzmann constant: \(k=1.38\times10^{-23}\ \mathrm{J\,K^{-1}}\)
    Mass of a nitrogen molecule: \(m=4.65\times10^{-26}\ \mathrm{kg}\)
    Gravitational acceleration: \(g=9.80\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}\)

    Official English text of the problem.