At which point on a roller coaster does the car have the greatest potential energy?
- A. The start of the ride
- B. The highest peak
- C. The lowest trough
- D. The end of the ride
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B, the highest peak. At the highest peak of the roller coaster, the car reaches its maximum height above the ground. This point represents the car's greatest potential energy because it has the highest potential to do work due to its elevated position. The potential energy is directly proportional to the height of an object, so the highest point on the roller coaster track corresponds to the car's greatest potential energy. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because potential energy is highest at the peak due to its elevated position, not at the start of the ride, the lowest trough, or the end of the ride.
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Which of the following statements is true about a refrigerator?
- A. It operates on a Carnot cycle and removes heat from a cold reservoir at a lower temperature.
- B. It violates the first law of thermodynamics by creating cold.
- C. It increases the total entropy of the universe.
- D. It operates isothermally at both the hot and cold reservoirs.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A refrigerator operates on a Carnot cycle by transferring heat from a cold reservoir to a hot reservoir. Choice A is correct because a refrigerator removes heat from a cold reservoir at a lower temperature. Choice B is incorrect as a refrigerator does not violate the first law of thermodynamics but rather requires work input to transfer heat. Choice C is incorrect as a refrigerator does not increase the total entropy of the universe. Choice D is incorrect because a refrigerator does not operate isothermally at both the hot and cold reservoirs.
When a small object floats on the surface of a liquid, the surface tension creates a:
- A. Buoyant force acting upwards
- B. Pressure difference causing sinking
- C. Drag force opposing motion
- D. Restoring force towards equilibrium
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Surface tension creates a restoring force that holds the object on the surface. The liquid's surface behaves like a stretched membrane, and when disturbed, it tends to return the object to its original position, creating a restoring force. The other choices are incorrect: A buoyant force acts on objects submerged in a fluid, not floating on the surface; pressure differences usually affect sinking objects, not floating ones; drag force is a resistance force that opposes motion, not related to surface tension.
When light travels from air into a denser medium like glass, its speed:
- A. Increases
- B. Decreases
- C. Remains constant
- D. Becomes unpredictable
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When light travels from air into a denser medium like glass, its speed decreases. This is because the higher refractive index of the denser medium causes light to slow down as it propagates through the medium. Choice A is incorrect because the speed of light decreases in a denser medium. Choice C is incorrect because the speed of light changes when it enters a denser medium. Choice D is incorrect because the change in speed is predictable based on the refractive index of the medium.
Viscosity, μ, is a transport property of a fluid that reflects its:
- A. Inertia
- B. Resistance to flow
- C. Compressibility
- D. Buoyancy generation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Viscosity refers to a fluid's resistance to flow. A fluid with high viscosity (like honey) flows slowly, while a fluid with low viscosity (like water) flows more easily. It is a measure of internal friction in the fluid. Choice A, 'Inertia,' is incorrect as inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. Choice C, 'Compressibility,' is incorrect as it refers to the ability of a fluid to be compressed. Choice D, 'Buoyancy generation,' is incorrect as it relates to the upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object.
Which mathematical quantity is scalar?
- A. Distance
- B. Velocity
- C. Acceleration
- D. Displacement
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Distance is a scalar quantity because it has only magnitude and no direction. It is simply the total length of the path travelled by an object. Scalars are quantities that are fully described by their magnitude alone, without any reference to direction. Velocity and acceleration are vector quantities as they have both magnitude and direction. Displacement is also a vector quantity as it is the change in position of an object and includes both magnitude and direction.