Questions from Modern Physics


Q: As we discussed in Section 15.1, water waves are

As we discussed in Section 15.1, water waves are a combination of longitudinal and transverse waves. Defend the following statement: “When water waves hit a vertical wall, the wall is a node of the lo...

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Q: Violins are short instruments, while cellos and basses are long.

Violins are short instruments, while cellos and basses are long. In terms of the frequency of the waves they produce, explain why this is so.

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Q: What is the purpose of the frets on a guitar? In

What is the purpose of the frets on a guitar? In terms of the frequency of the vibration of the strings, explain their use.

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Q: Discuss whether this statement is correct: “In the absence of

Discuss whether this statement is correct: “In the absence of air resistance, the trajectory of a projectile thrown near the earth’s surface is an ellipse, not a parabola.”

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Q: A communications firm wants to place a satellite in orbit so that

A communications firm wants to place a satellite in orbit so that it is always directly above the earth’s 45th parallel (latitude 45° north). This means that the plane of the orbit will not pass throu...

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Q: In the elliptical orbit of Comet Halley shown in Fig. 13

In the elliptical orbit of Comet Halley shown in Fig. 13.21a, the sun’s gravity is responsible for making the comet fall inward from aphelion to perihelion. But what is responsible f...

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Q: As part of their training before going into orbit, astronauts ride

As part of their training before going into orbit, astronauts ride in an airliner that is flown along the same parabolic trajectory as a freely falling projectile. Explain why this gives the same expe...

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Q: The sun pulls on the moon with a force that is more

The sun pulls on the moon with a force that is more than twice the magnitude of the force with which the earth attracts the moon. Why, then, doesn’t the sun take the moon away from the earth?

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Q: What should you do to the length of the string of a

What should you do to the length of the string of a simple pendulum to (a) double its frequency; (b) double its period; (c) double its angular frequency?

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Q: A 1.50-m-long rope is stretched between

A 1.50-m-long rope is stretched between two supports with a tension that makes the speed of transverse waves 62.0 m/s. What are the wavelength and frequency of (a) the fundamental; (b) the second over...

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