Sat Subject Test: Physics

348 Pages·6.594 MB·English

by  Hugh Henderson.

SAT® Subject Test:
PHYSICS
2011-2012
Hugh Henderson
~PUBLISHING
New York
SA~ is a registered trademark of the College Board, which is not affiliated with thrs book.
SAT® Subject Test:
PHYSICS
2011-2012
Hugh Henderson
~ PUBLISHING
SAT-' is a registered trademark of the College Board, which is not affiliated with this book.
SAT" is a registered trademark of the College Board, which neither sponsors nor endorses this product.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is
sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other profess·1onal service.
If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
C 2011 Grace Freedson's Publishing Network, LLC.
Published by Kaplan Publishing, a division of Kaplan, Inc.
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All rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced in any manner whatso~r
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ISBN-13: 978-1-60714-873-9
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Table of Contents
About the Author ................................................. xi
PART ONE: The Basics
Chapter 1: About the SAT Subject Tests ................................. 3
Common Questions About the SAT Subject Tests. . . . 3
SAT Subject Test Mastery.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2: Getting Ready for the SAT Subject Test: Physics ................. 9
Content.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 9
Scoring Information .. ····· .............. ········· ...... 12
Question Types. . ... ········ ...... 12
Kaplan Strategies .... . .•.. 16
Stress Management .............................................. 17
Tips for Just Before the Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
PART TWO: Diagnostic Test
How to Take the Diagnostic Test ................. . . ......... 28
How to Calculate Your Score ........... . . ........... 29
Diagnostic Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................. 31
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ 44
Answers and Explanations . . . .............................. 45
How to Use the Results of Your Diagnostic Test in Your Review ............. 51
PART THREE: Physics Review
Chapter 3: Measurement, Scalars, and Vectors .......................... 55
Exponents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... ,. .............................. 55
Graphing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... 57
Trigonometry ................................................... 60
Scalars and Vectors .......................................... 61
Measurement, Scalars, and Vectors Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 66
Solutions to Measurement, Scalars, and Vectors Review Questions ........... 68
Chapter 4: Kinematics ..............................................7 1
Distance and Displacement . . . ................... 71
Speed and Velocity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... 72
Acceleration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 72
The Kinematic Equations for Uniformly Accelerated Motion .......... . .73
Graphs of Motion .................. . . . . . . . . . . . ........... 80
Kinematics Review Questions ............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 85
Solutions to Kinematics Review Questions ,. ........ . . ... 88
Chapter 5: Dynamics ...............................................9 1
Newton's First Law of Motion... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Newton's Second Law of Motion ...... . .92
Newton's Third Law of Motion. . .... 97
Dynamics Review Questions .... . . 101
Solutions to Dynamics Review Questions . . .. '. 103
Chapter 6; Momentum and Impulse .................................• 105
Momentum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .--........ 105
Impulse ... . .106
Conservation of Momentum in One Dimension ........................ 107
Momentum and Impulse Review Questions ...................... . . 111
Solutions to Momentum and Impulse Review questions ..... . ......... 113
Chapter 7: Work and Energy ........................................ 115
Work............................... . ..... 115
Energy... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Conservation of Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... 118
Power................................. . .................. 120
Work and Energy Review Questions . . ................ 122
Solutions to Work and Energy Review Questions .................. 124
Chapter 8: Circular Motion and Rotation .............................. 127
Uniform Circular Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... 127
Torque................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Angular Momentum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......................... 131
Circular Motion and Rotation Review Questions. . . .................. 132
Solutions to Circular Motion and Rotation Review Questions .............. 134
Chapter 9: Vibrations .............................................. 137
The Dynamics of Harmonic Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 137
Energy Considerations in Harmonic Motion . . ..... 140
Vibrations Review Questions ...................................... 1~
Solutions to Vibrations Review Questions .... . 145
Chapter 10: Gravity ............................................... 147
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. . . . . . . . . . . 147
Orbiting Satellites.... . . . . . . . . . ........................... 149
Gravity Review Questions .......... . . . 151
Solutions to Gravity Review Questions ........ . . .................. 152
Chapter 11: Electric Fields, Forces, and Potentials ..................... ·. . 155
Charge. . . .......................................... 155
Coulomb's Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 156
Separation and Transfer of Charge in an Electroscope ........ , . . . . 157
Electric Field. . . . . . . . . . . . ............................... 159
'
Electric Fields, Forces, and Potential Review Questions . -=--. . ...... 163
Solutions to Electric Fields, Forces, and Potential Review Questions .......... 165
Chapter 12: Circuits ............................................... 167
Current, Voltage, and Resistance . . . . .......................... 167
Power and Joule's Law of Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., . . 169
Circuits with More Than One Resistor. . . . ................. 170
Capacitance and Resistance-Capacitance Circuits .......... . . ... 174
Circuits Review Questions ... . ............ 178
Solutions to Circuits Review Questions .. . ......................... 1W
Chapter 13: Magnetic Fields and Forces ............................... 183
Magnetism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 183
Electromagnetic Induction . . . . . . . . . ...... 187
Magnetic Fields and Forces Review Questions .......................... 189
Solutions to Magnetic Fields and Forces Review Questions ................ 191
Chapter 14: General Wave Properties ................................. 193
Basic Properties of Mechanical Waves. . ......................... 193
Sound Waves and the Doppler Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 195
Reflection, Refraction, Diffraction, and Interference of Mechanical Waves . 196
Standing Waves .................................. . . ......... 199
General Wave Properties Review Questions ........ . . ... 200
.solutions to General Wave Properties Review Questions. . .202
Chapter 15: Reflection and Refraction of Light .............. , .. , .. , .... 205
Electromagnetic Waves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Reflection of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Refraction of Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 206
Total Internal Reflection .......................................... 208
Reflection and Refraction of Light Review Questions ... .-................ 21 O
Solutions to Reflection and Refraction of Light Review Questions ........... 212
Chapter 16: Polarization, Diffraction, and Interference of Light ........... 215
Polarization ......... . . ........ 215
Diffraction and Interference ... .216
Polarization, Diffraction, and Interference of Light Review Questions ........ 218
Solutions to Polarization, Diffraction, and Interference
of Light Review Questions ..................... . . ......... 220
Chapter 17: Ray Optics ............................................. 223
Mirrors............... . .................. 223
Lenses ........................... . . .. 224
Ray Optics Review Questions ................................. 228.
Solutions to Ray Optics Review Questions. . . . . ................ 229
Chapter 18: Heat, Temperature, and Thermodynamics., ................. 231
Heat and Temperature............... .231
Specific Heat and Heat Capacity .. ........ .2TI
Phase Changes .............. . . ......................... 2M
The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics ........................ 236
Heat, Temperature, and Thermodynamics Review Questions .. . .239
Solutions to Heat, Temperature, and Thermodynamics Review Questions ..... 241
Chapter 19: Gases and Kinetic Theory ..................•............. 243
!deal Gases .............. . . .... 243
The Kinetic Theory of G~ses. . ..................... 245
Gases and Kinetic Theory Review Questions .. . .......... 246
Solutions to Gases and Kinetic Theory Review Questions ................. 248
Chapter 20: Quantum Phenomena ................................... 251
Photons and the Photoelectric Effect . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 251
The Momentum of a Photon and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. . .. 254
Matter waves and the de Broglie Wavelength of a Particle ......... . . .. 255
Quantum Phenomena Review Questions ............. . . .. 256
Solutions to Quantum Phenomena Review Questions. . .............. 258
Chapter 21: Atomic Physics ......................................... 261
Rutherford Model of the Atom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 261
Bohr Model of the Atom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Atomic Physics Review Questions... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Solutions to Atomic Physics Review Questions ................ 266
Chapter 22: Nuclear and Particle Physics .............................. 269
Nuclear Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... 269
Nuclear Binding Energy .. . . ........ 270
Nuclear Reactions ............... . . ....................... '.271
Nuclear and Particle Physics Review Questions .... . ........ 275
Solutions to Nuclear and Particle Physics Review Questions ...... . . .. 277
Chapter 23: Special Relativity ...........•........................... 279
The Two Postulates in the Theory of Special Relativity .................... 279
Special Relativity Review Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............. 283
Solutions to Special Relativity Review Questions ............ . . .284
PART FOUR: Practice Tests
How to Take the Practice Tests ............... . . .............. 288
How to Calculate Your Score ...................... . .289
Practice Test 1 .................................................... 291
Answer Key ......... . . .306
Answers and Explanations .............. . . ............. 307
Practice Test 2 ........................................•........... 315
Answer Key. . .............. 330
Answers and Explanations ... . .. 331
Practice Test 3 ................................................... 339
Answer Key ... . ...................... 3~
Answers and Explanations .. .355
Glossary ......................................................... 361
Index ...........................................................3 73