HESI A2
HESI A2 Physics Practice Test
1. Enthalpy (H) is a thermodynamic property defined as the sum of a system's internal energy (U) and the product of its pressure (P) and volume (V). The relationship between these is:
- A. H = U + PV
- B. H = U - PV
- C. H = U / PV
- D. H = PV / U
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Enthalpy (H) is defined as H = U + PV, where U represents internal energy, P is pressure, and V is volume. Enthalpy includes both the internal energy of a system and the energy required to create space for the system against an external pressure. Therefore, the correct relationship between enthalpy, internal energy, pressure, and volume is H = U + PV. Choice B is incorrect as subtracting PV would not account for the work done against pressure. Choice C is incorrect as dividing U by PV doesn't represent the definition of enthalpy. Choice D is incorrect as dividing PV by U is not the correct relationship based on the definition of enthalpy.
2. When a hot cup of coffee is placed on a cold table, heat transfer primarily occurs through which process?
- A. Radiation
- B. Conduction
- C. Convection within the coffee
- D. A combination of conduction and convection
Correct answer: B
Rationale: When a hot cup of coffee is placed on a cold table, heat transfer primarily occurs through conduction. Conduction is the process of heat transfer through direct contact between objects at different temperatures. In this scenario, the heat from the hot coffee cup is transferred to the cold table through direct contact, making conduction the primary mode of heat transfer. Choice A (Radiation) is incorrect because radiation is the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves, which is not the primary mode of heat transfer in this scenario. Choice C (Convection within the coffee) is incorrect because convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids, which is not the primary mode of heat transfer in this scenario. Choice D (A combination of conduction and convection) is incorrect because while convection may play a minor role due to air currents around the cup, the primary mode of heat transfer in this scenario is conduction.
3. 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.
4. What is the electric field inside a hollow conductor with a net charge?
- A. Remains constant
- B. Decreases
- C. Zero
- D. Becomes unpredictable
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Zero. According to Gauss’s Law, the electric field inside a hollow conductor (a conductor with no charge inside but a net charge on its surface) is zero. The charges reside on the outer surface of the conductor, causing the electric field inside to cancel out. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because the electric field inside a hollow conductor with a net charge is not constant, does not decrease, and does not become unpredictable; it is zero due to the distribution of charges on its surface.
5. A key parameter in fluid selection is specific gravity (SG). For a submerged object in a reference fluid (often water), SG = ρ_object / ρ_reference. An object with SG > 1 will:
- A. Experience a net buoyant force acting upwards
- B. Experience a net buoyant force acting downwards
- C. Remain neutrally buoyant
- D. Require knowledge of the object's volume for buoyancy determination
Correct answer: A
Rationale: When the specific gravity (SG) of an object is greater than 1, it indicates that the object is denser than the reference fluid, which is often water. According to Archimedes' principle, an object with SG > 1 will experience a net buoyant force acting upwards when submerged in the fluid. This is because the buoyant force is greater than the weight of the object, causing it to float. Therefore, the correct answer is A: 'Experience a net buoyant force acting upwards.' Objects with SG < 1 would sink as they are less dense than the fluid, while objects with SG = 1 would be neutrally buoyant, neither sinking nor floating.
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