Questions from Modern Physics

Q: Some folks claim that ice cubes freeze faster if the trays are

Some folks claim that ice cubes freeze faster if the trays are filled with hot water, because hot water cools off faster than cold water. What do you think?

Q: (a). Normal body temperature. The average normal body temperature

(a). Normal body temperature. The average normal body temperature measured in the mouth is 310 K. What would Celsius and Fahrenheit thermometers read for this temperature? (b). Elevated body temperat...

Q: The intensity due to a number of independent sound sources is the

The intensity due to a number of independent sound sources is the sum of the individual intensities. (a). When four quadruplets cry simultaneously, how many decibels greater is the sound intensity le...

Q: We’re lucky that the earth isn’t in thermal equilibrium with the sun

We’re lucky that the earth isn’t in thermal equilibrium with the sun (which has a surface temperature of 5800 K). But why aren’t the two bodies in thermal equilibrium?

Q: When energy shortages occur, magazine articles sometimes urge us to keep

When energy shortages occur, magazine articles sometimes urge us to keep our homes at a constant temperature day and night to conserve fuel. They argue that when we turn down the heat at night, the wa...

Q: In deriving the ideal-gas equation from the kineticmolecular model,

In deriving the ideal-gas equation from the kineticmolecular model, we ignored potential energy due to the earth’s gravity. Is this omission justified? Why or why not?

Q: Consider two specimens of ideal gas at the same temperature. Specimen

Consider two specimens of ideal gas at the same temperature. Specimen A has the same total mass as specimen B, but the molecules in specimen A have greater molar mass than they do in specimen B. In wh...

Q: The temperature of an ideal monatomic gas is increased from 250C to

The temperature of an ideal monatomic gas is increased from 250C to 500C. Does the average translational kinetic energy of each gas atom double? Explain. If your answer is no, what would the final t...

Q: (a). If you apply the same amount of heat to

(a). If you apply the same amount of heat to 1.00 mol of an ideal monatomic gas and 1.00 mol of an ideal diatomic gas, which one (if any) will increase more in temperature? (b). Physically, why do di...

Q: The discussion in Section 18.4 concluded that all ideal monatomic

The discussion in Section 18.4 concluded that all ideal monatomic gases have the same heat capacity CV. Does this mean that it takes the same amount of heat to raise the temperature of 1.0 g of each o...