CLASS – XI NCERT PART - II
1. The average depth of Indian Ocean is about 3000 m. Calculate the fractional compression, ∆V/V, of water at the
bottom of the ocean, given that the bulk modulus of water is 2.2 × 109 N m–2. (Take g = 10 m s–2)
2. Read the following two statements below carefully and state, with reasons, if it is true or false.
a) The Young’s modulus of rubber is greater than that of steel
b) The stretching of a coil is determined by its shear modulus.
3. Two wires of diameter 0.25 cm, one made of steel and the other made of brass are loaded as shown in Fig. given
below. The unloaded length of steel wire is 1.5 m and that of brass wire is 1.0 m. Compute the elongations of the
steel and the brass wires.
4. A 14.5 kg mass, fastened to the end of a steel wire of unstretched length 1.0 m, is whirled in a vertical circle with
an angular velocity of 2 rev/s at the bottom of the circle. The cross-sectional area of the wire is 0.065 cm2. Calculate
the elongation of the wire when the mass is at the lowest point of its path.
5. How much should the pressure on a litre of water be changed to compress it by 0.10%?
6. A rod of length 1.05 m having negligible mass is supported at its ends by two wires of steel (wire A) and aluminium
(wire B) of equal lengths as shown in Fig. given below. The cross-sectional areas of wires A and B are 1.0 mm2 and
2.0 mm2, respectively. At what point along the rod should a mass m be suspended in order to produce
a) equal stresses and
b) equal strains in both steel and aluminium wires.
7. The Marina trench is located in the Pacific Ocean, and at one place it is nearly eleven km beneath the surface of
water. The water pressure at the bottom of the trench is about 1.1 × 108 Pa. A steel ball of initial volume 0.32 m3
is dropped into the ocean and falls to the bottom of the trench. What is the change in the volume of the ball when
it reaches to the bottom?
8. A metal block of area 0.10 m2 is connected to a 0.010 kg mass via a string that passes over an ideal pulley
(considered massless and frictionless), as in Fig. given below. A liquid with a film thickness of 0.30 mm is placed
between the block and the table. When released the block moves to the right with a constant speed of 0.085 m/s.
Find the coefficient of viscosity of the liquid.
KESHAV KOTHARI
9. The terminal velocity of a copper ball of radius 2.0 mm falling through a tank of oil at 20 oC is 6.5 cm s-1. Compute
the viscosity of the oil at 20oC. Density of oil is 1.5 ×103 kg m-3, density of copper is 8.9 × 103 kg m-3.
10. Fill in the blanks using the word(s) from the list appended with each statement:
a) Surface tension of liquids generally ... with temperatures (increases / decreases)
b) Viscosity of gases ... with temperature, whereas viscosity of liquids ... with temperature (increases / decreases)
c) For solids with elastic modulus of rigidity, the shearing force is proportional to ..., while for fluids it is
proportional to ... (shear strain / rate of shear strain)
d) For a fluid in a steady flow, the increase in flow speed at a constriction follows (conservation of mass / Bernoulli’s
principle)
e) For the model of a plane in a wind tunnel, turbulence occurs at a ... speed for turbulence for an actual plane
(greater / smaller)
11. Glycerine flows steadily through a horizontal tube of length 1.5 m and radius 1.0 cm. If the amount of glycerine
collected per second at one end is 4.0 × 10–3 kg s–1, what is the pressure difference between the two ends of the
tube? (Density of glycerine = 1.3 × 103 kg m–3 and viscosity of glycerine = 0.83 Pa s). [You may also like to check if
the assumption of laminar flow in the tube is correct].
12. In a test experiment on a model aeroplane in a wind tunnel, the flow speeds on the upper and lower surfaces of
the wing are 70 m s–1and 63 m s-1 respectively. What is the lift on the wing if its area is 2.5 m2? Take the density of
air to be 1.3 kg m–3.
13. During blood transfusion the needle is inserted in a vein where the gauge pressure is 2000 Pa. At what height must
the blood container be placed so that blood may just enter the vein?
14. In Millikan’s oil drop experiment, what is the terminal speed of an uncharged drop of radius 2.0 × 10 –5 m and
density 1.2 × 103 kg m–3. Take the viscosity of air at the temperature of the experiment to be 1.8 × 10 –5 Pa s. How
much is the viscous force on the drop at that speed? Neglect buoyancy of the drop due to air.
15. Mercury has an angle of contact equal to 140° with soda lime glass. A narrow tube of radius 1.00 mm made of this
glass is dipped in a trough containing mercury. By what amount does the mercury dip down in the tube relative to
the liquid surface outside? Surface tension of mercury at the temperature of the experiment is 0.465 N m–1.
Density of mercury = 13.6 × 103 kg m–3.
16. Find –
a) It is known that density ρ of air decreases with height y as
−𝑦
ρ = ρ0 (𝑒) 𝑦0
where ρ0 = 1.25 kg m–3 is the density at sea level, and y0 is a constant. This density variation is called the law of
atmospheres. Obtain this law assuming that the temperature of atmosphere remains a constant (isothermal
conditions). Also assume that the value of g remains constant.
b) A large He balloon of volume 1425 m3 is used to lift a payload of 400 kg. Assume that the balloon maintains
constant radius as it rises. How high does it rise?
[Take y0 = 8000 m and ρHe = 0.18 kg m–3].
17. A hole is drilled in a copper sheet. The diameter of the hole is 4.24 cm at 27.0 °C. What is the change in the diameter
of the hole when the sheet is heated to 227°C? Coefficient of linear expansion of copper = 1.70 × 10 –5 K–1.
18. Answer the following:
a) The triple-point of water is a standard fixed point in modern thermometry. Why? What is wrong in taking the
melting point of ice and the boiling point of water as standard fixed points (as was originally done in the Celsius
scale)?
KESHAV KOTHARI
b) There were two fixed points in the original Celsius scale as mentioned above which were assigned the number
0 °C and 100 °C respectively. On the absolute scale, one of the fixed points is the triple-point of water, which on
the Kelvin absolute scale is assigned the number 273.16 K. What is the other fixed point on this (Kelvin) scale?
c) The absolute temperature (Kelvin scale) T is related to the temperature tc on the Celsius scale by
tc = T – 273.15
Why do we have 273.15 in this relation, and not 273.16?
d) What is the temperature of the triple-point of water on an absolute scale whose unit interval size is equal to
that of the Fahrenheit scale?
19. Two ideal gas thermometers A and B use oxygen and hydrogen respectively. The following observations are made:
Temperature Pressure thermometer A Pressure thermometer B
Triple-point of water 1.250 × 105 Pa 0.200 × 105 Pa
Normal melting point of sulphur 1.797 × 105 Pa 0.287 × 105 Pa
Find –
a) What is the absolute temperature of normal melting point of sulphur as read by thermometers A and B?
b) What do you think is the reason behind the slight difference in answers of thermometers A and B? (The
thermometers are not faulty). What further procedure is needed in the experiment to reduce the discrepancy
between the two readings?
20. A steel tape 1m long is correctly calibrated for a temperature of 27.0°C. The length of a steel rod measured by this
tape is found to be 63.0 cm on a hot day when the temperature is 45.0°C. What is the actual length of the steel
rod on that day? What is the length of the same steel rod on a day when the temperature is 27.0°C? Coefficient of
linear expansion of steel = 1.20 × 10–5 K–1.
21. A large steel wheel is to be fitted on to a shaft of the same material. At 27 °C, the outer diameter of the shaft is
8.70 cm and the diameter of the central hole in the wheel is 8.69 cm. The shaft is cooled using ‘dry ice’. At what
temperature of the shaft does the wheel slip on the shaft? Assume coefficient of linear expansion of the steel to
be constant over the required temperature range:
αsteel = 1.20 × 10–5 K–1.
22. A brass wire 1.8 m long at 27 °C is held taut with little tension between two rigid supports. If the wire is cooled to
a temperature of –39 °C, what is the tension developed in the wire, if its diameter is 2.0 mm? Co-efficient of linear
expansion of brass = 2.0 × 10–5 K–1; Young’s modulus of brass = 0.91 × 1011 Pa.
23. The coefficient of volume expansion of glycerine is 49 × 10–5 K–1. What is the fractional change in its density for a
30°C rise in temperature?
24. A brass boiler has a base area of 0.15 m2 and thickness 1.0 cm. It boils water at the rate of 6.0 kg/min when placed
on a gas stove. Estimate the temperature of the part of the flame in contact with the boiler. Thermal conductivity
of brass = 109 J s–1 m–1 K–1; Heat of vaporisation of water = 2256 × 103 J kg–1.
25. A body cools from 80°C to 50°C in 5 minutes. Calculate the time it takes to cool from 60°C to 30 °C. The temperature
of the surroundings is 20 °C.
26. Two cylinders A and B of equal capacity are connected to each other via a stopcock. A contains a gas at standard
temperature and pressure. B is completely evacuated. The entire system is thermally insulated. The stopcock is
suddenly opened. Answer the following:
a) What is the final pressure of the gas in A and B?
b) What is the change in internal energy of the gas?
c) What is the change in the temperature of the gas?
d) Do the intermediate states of the system (before settling to the final equilibrium state) lie on its P-V-T surface?
KESHAV KOTHARI
27. A steam engine delivers 5.4×108 J of work per minute and services 3.6 × 109J of heat per minute from its boiler.
What is the efficiency of the engine? How much heat is wasted per minute?
28. A thermodynamic system is taken from an original state to an intermediate state by the linear process shown in
Fig. given below,
Its volume is then reduced to the original value from E to F by an isobaric process. Calculate the total work done
by the gas from D to E to F.
29. A refrigerator is to maintain eatables kept inside at 90C. If room temperature is 36 0C, calculate the coefficient of
performance.
30. An oxygen cylinder of volume 30 litres has an initial gauge pressure of 15 atm and a temperature of 27°C. After
some oxygen is withdrawn from the cylinder, the gauge pressure drops to 11 atm and its temperature drops to
17°C. Estimate the mass of oxygen taken out of the cylinder (R = 8.31 J mol–1 K–1, molecular mass of O2 = 32 u).
31. An air bubble of volume 1.0 cm3 rises from the bottom of a lake 40 m deep at a temperature of 12°C. To what
volume does it grow when it reaches the surface, which is at a temperature of 35°C?
32. Estimate the total number of air molecules (inclusive of oxygen, nitrogen, water vapour and other constituents) in
a room of capacity 25.0 m3 at a temperature of 27°C and 1 atm pressure.
33. Estimate the mean free path and collision frequency of a nitrogen molecule in a cylinder containing nitrogen at
2.0 atm and temperature 170C. Take the radius of a nitrogen molecule to be roughly 1.0 Å. Compare the collision
time with the time the molecule moves freely between two successive collisions (Molecular mass of N2 = 28.0 u).
34. A metre long narrow bore held horizontally (and closed at one end) contains a 76 cm long mercury thread, which
traps a 15 cm column of air. What happens if the tube is held vertically with the open end at the bottom?
35. From a certain apparatus, the diffusion rate of hydrogen has an average value of 28.7 cm 3 s–1. The diffusion of
another gas under the same conditions is measured to have an average rate of 7.2 cm3 s–1. Identify the gas.
[Hint: Use Graham’s law of diffusion: R1 /R2 = (M2 /M1 )1/2, where R1, R2 are diffusion rates of gases 1 and 2, and M1
and M2 their respective molecular masses. The law is a simple consequence of kinetic theory.]
36. Which of the following functions of time represent?
a) simple harmonic motion and
b) periodic but not simple harmonic?
Give the period for each case.
1) sin ωt – cos ωt
2) sin2 ωt
37. The figure given below depicts two circular motions. The radius of the circle, the period of revolution, the initial
position and the sense of revolution are indicated in the figures. Obtain the simple harmonic motions of the x-
projection of the radius vector of the rotating particle P in each case.
KESHAV KOTHARI
38. A block whose mass is 1 kg is fastened to a spring. The spring has a spring constant of 50 N m–1. The block is pulled
to a distance x = 10 cm from its equilibrium position at x = 0 on a frictionless surface from rest at t = 0. Calculate
the kinetic, potential and total energies of the block when it is 5 cm away from the mean position.
39. A 5 kg collar is attached to a spring of spring constant 500 N m–1. It slides without friction over a horizontal rod.
The collar is displaced from its equilibrium position by 10.0 cm and released. Calculate
a) the period of oscillation
b) the maximum speed and
c) maximum acceleration of the collar.
40. For the damped oscillator shown in Fig. given below, the mass m of the block is 200 g, k = 90 N m–1 and the damping
constant b is 40 g s–1. Calculate
a) the period of oscillation
b) time taken for its amplitude of vibrations to drop to half of its initial value, and
c) the time taken for its mechanical energy to drop to half its initial value.
➢ FOR READING ONLY –
SHM - how small should the amplitude be?
When you perform the experiment to determine the time period of a simple pendulum, your teacher tells you to
keep the amplitude small. But have you ever asked how small is small? Should the amplitude to 50, 20, 10, or 0.50?
Or could it be 100, 200, or 300? To appreciate this, it would be better to measure the time period for different
amplitudes, up to large amplitudes. Of course, for large oscillations, you will have to take care that the pendulum
oscillates in a vertical plane. Let us denote the time period for small-amplitude oscillations as T (0) and write the
time period for amplitude θ0 as T(θ0) = cT (0), where c is the multiplying factor. If you plot a graph of c versus θ0,
you will get values somewhat like this:
θ0 200 450 500 700 900
c 1.02 1.04 1.05 1.10 1.18
This means that the error in the time period is about 2% at an amplitude of 20 0, 5% at an amplitude of 500, and
10% at an amplitude of 700 and 18% at an amplitude of 900. In the experiment, you will never be able to measure
T (0) because this means there are no oscillations. Even theoretically, sin θ is exactly equal to θ only for θ = 0.
There will be some inaccuracy for all other values of θ. The difference increases with increasing θ. Therefore, we
have to decide how much error we can tolerate. No measurement is ever perfectly accurate. You must also
consider questions like these: What is the accuracy of the stopwatch? What is your own accuracy in starting and
stopping the stopwatch? You will realise that the accuracy in your measurements at this level is never better than
5% or 10%. Since the above table shows that the time period of the pendulum increases hardly by 5% at an
KESHAV KOTHARI
amplitude of 500 over its low amplitude value, you could very well keep the amplitude to be 50° in your
experiments.
41. Figures given below, correspond to two circular motions. The radius of the circle, the period of revolution, the
initial position, and the sense of revolution (i.e., clockwise or anti-clockwise) are indicated on each figure.
Obtain the corresponding simple harmonic motions of the x-projection of the radius vector of the revolving particle
P, in each case.
42. Figure given below (a) shows a spring of force constant k clamped rigidly at one end and a mass m attached to its
free end. A force F applied at the free end stretches the spring. Figure given below (b) shows the same spring with
both ends free and attached to a mass m at either end. Each end of the spring in Fig. given below(b) is stretched
by the same force F.
a) What is the maximum extension of the spring in the two cases?
b) If the mass in Fig. (a) and the two masses in Fig. (b) are released, what is the period of oscillation in each case?
43. Answer the following questions:
a) Time period of a particle in SHM depends on the force constant k and mass m of the particle:
𝑚
T = 2π√ , A simple pendulum executes SHM approximately. Why then is the time period of a pendulum
𝑘
independent of the mass of the pendulum?
b) The motion of a simple pendulum is approximately simple harmonic for small angle oscillations. For larger angles
𝑙
of oscillation, a more involved analysis shows that T is greater than 2π√𝑔. Think of a qualitative argument to
appreciate this result.
c) A man with a wristwatch on his hand falls from the top of a tower. Does the watch give correct time during the
free fall?
d) What is the frequency of oscillation of a simple pendulum mounted in a cabin that is freely falling under gravity?
44. A simple pendulum of length l and having a bob of mass M is suspended in a car. The car is moving on a circular
track of radius R with a uniform speed v. If the pendulum makes small oscillations in a radial direction about its
equilibrium position, what will be its time period?
45. A cylindrical piece of cork of density of base area A and height h floats in a liquid of density ρl . The cork is depressed
slightly and then released. Show that the cork oscillates up and down simple harmonically with a period –
hρ
T = 2π√ρ 𝑔,
1
where ρ is the density of cork. (Ignore damping due to viscosity of the liquid).
KESHAV KOTHARI
46. A circular disc of mass 10 kg is suspended by a wire attached to its centre. The wire is twisted by rotating the disc
and released. The period of torsional oscillations is found to be 1.5 s. The radius of the disc is 15 cm. Determine
the torsional spring constant of the wire. (Torsional spring constant α is defined by the relation J = –α θ, where J
is the restoring couple and θ the angle of twist).
47. Given below are some examples of wave motion. State in each case if the wave motion is transverse, longitudinal
or a combination of both:
a) Motion of a kink in a longitudinal spring produced by displacing one end of the spring sideways.
b) Waves produced in a cylinder containing a liquid by moving its piston back and forth.
c) Waves produced by a motorboat sailing in water.
d) Ultrasonic waves in air produced by a vibrating quartz crystal.
48. A wave travelling along a string is described by,
y (x, t) = 0.005 sin (80.0 x – 3.0 t),
in which the numerical constants are in SI units (0.005 m, 80.0 rad m–1, and 3.0 rad s–1). Calculate
a) the amplitude,
b) the wavelength, and
c) the period and frequency of the wave. Also, calculate the displacement y of the wave at a distance x = 30.0 cm
and time t = 20 s?
49. A transverse harmonic wave on a string is described by
y (x, t) = 3.0 sin (36 t + 0.018 x + π/4)
where x and y are in cm and t in s. The positive direction of x is from left to right.
a) Is this a travelling wave or a stationary wave? If it is travelling, what are the speed and direction of its
propagation?
b) What are its amplitude and frequency?
c) What is the initial phase at the origin?
d) What is the least distance between two successive crests in the wave?
50. For the travelling harmonic wave
y (x, t) = 2.0 cos 2π (10t – 0.0080 x + 0.35)
where x and y are in cm and t in s. Calculate the phase difference between oscillatory motion of two points
separated by a distance of
a) 4 m
b) 0.5 m
c) λ/2
d) 3λ/4
51. The transverse displacement of a string (clamped at its both ends) is given by
where x and y are in m and t in s. The length of the string is 1.5 m and its mass is 3.0 ×10–2 kg. Answer the following:
a) Does the function represent a travelling wave or a stationary wave?
b) Interpret the wave as a superposition of two waves travelling in opposite directions. What is the wavelength,
frequency, and speed of each wave?
c) Determine the tension in the string.
52. A train, standing in a station-yard, blows a whistle of frequency 400 Hz in still air. The wind starts blowing in the
direction from the yard to the station with a speed of 10 m s–1. What are the frequency, wavelength, and speed of
sound for an observer standing on the station’s platform? Is the situation exactly identical to the case when the
air is still and the observer runs towards the yard at a speed of 10 m s–1? The speed of sound in still air can be
taken as 340 m s–1.
KESHAV KOTHARI
53. One end of a long string of linear mass density 8.0 × 10–3 kg m–1 is connected to an electrically driven tuning fork
of frequency 256 Hz. The other end passes over a pulley and is tied to a pan containing a mass of 90 kg. The pulley
end absorbs all the incoming energy so that reflected waves at this end have negligible amplitude. At t = 0, the left
end (fork end) of the string x = 0 has zero transverse displacement (y = 0) and is moving along positive y-direction.
The amplitude of the wave is 5.0 cm. Write down the transverse displacement y as function of x and t that
describes the wave on the string.
54. Earthquakes generate sound waves inside the earth. Unlike a gas, the earth can experience both transverse (S)
and longitudinal (P) sound waves. Typically, the speed of S wave is about 4.0 km s–1, and that of P wave is 8.0 km
s–1. A seismograph records P and S waves from an earthquake. The first P wave arrives 4 min before the first S
wave. Assuming the waves travel in straight line, at what distance does the earthquake occur?
KESHAV KOTHARI
