Additional Exam Practice

2023 – 2024
Quarter 1
Grade 12AM

Name: _______________________________
Section: ______________________________

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 1. When an object is moving with uniform circular motion, the object’s tangential speed
a. is circular.
b. is perpendicular to the plane of motion.
c. is constant.
d. is directed toward the center of motion.
____ 2. When an object is moving with uniform circular motion, the centripetal acceleration of the object
a. is circular.
b. is perpendicular to the plane of motion.
c. is zero.
d. is directed toward the center of motion.
____ 3. What term describes a change in the speed of an object in circular motion?
a. tangential speed c. centripetal acceleration
b. tangential acceleration d. centripetal force
____ 4. What is the term for the net force directed toward the center of an object’s circular path?
a. circular force c. centripetal force
b. centrifugal force d. orbital force
____ 5. Which of the following can be a centripetal force?
a. friction c. tension
b. gravity d. all of the above
____ 6. The centripetal force on an object in circular motion is
a. perpendicular to the plane of the object’s motion.
b. in the plane of the object’s motion and perpendicular to the tangential speed.
c. in the plane of the object’s motion and in the same direction as the tangential speed.
d. in the plane of the object’s motion and in the direction opposite the tangential speed.
____ 7. The centripetal force on an object in circular motion is
a. in the same direction as the tangential speed.
b. in the direction opposite the tangential speed.
c. in the same direction as the centripetal acceleration.
d. in the direction opposite the centripetal acceleration.

A child rides a bicycle in a circular path with a radius of 2.0 m. The tangential speed of the bicycle is 2.0 m/s.
The combined mass of the bicycle and the child is 43 kg.

____ 8. What is the magnitude of the bicycle’s centripetal acceleration?

a. 1.0 m/s2 c. 4.0 m/s2
2
b. 2.0 m/s d. 8.0 m/s2
____ 9. What is the magnitude of the centripetal force on the bicycle?
a. 4.0 N c. 86 N
b. 43 N d. 3.7 kN
____ 10. What kind of force provides the centripetal force on the bicycle?
a. gravitational force c. air resistance
b. friction d. normal force

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
____ 11. When a car makes a sharp left turn, what causes the passengers to move toward the right side of the car?
a. centripetal acceleration c. centrifugal force
b. centripetal force d. inertia
____ 12. A ball is whirled on a string, then the string breaks. What causes the ball to move off in a straight line?
a. centripetal acceleration c. centrifugal force
b. centripetal force d. inertia
____ 13. Why does an astronaut weigh less on the moon than on Earth?
a. The astronaut has less mass on the moon.
b. The astronaut is farther from Earth’s center when he or she is on the moon.
c. The gravitational field strength is less on the moon’s surface than on Earth’s surface.
d. The astronaut is continually in free fall because the moon orbits Earth.
____ 14. If you lift an apple from the ground to some point above the ground, the gravitational potential energy in the
system increases. This potential energy is stored in
a. the apple.
b. Earth.
c. both the apple and Earth.
d. the gravitational field between Earth and the apple.
____ 15. An object’s tendency to resist acceleration is measured by the object’s
a. gravitational mass. c. gravitational field strength.
b. inertial mass. d. weight.
____ 16. The degree to which an object attracts other objects is measured by the object’s
a. gravitational mass. c. gravitational field strength.
b. inertial mass. d. weight.
____ 17. In this text, which of the following symbols represents gravitational field strength?
a. F c. g
b. G d. F

____ 18. In this text, which of the following symbols represents the constant of universal gravitation?
a. F c. g
b. G d. F

____ 19. Which of the following equations expresses Newton’s law of universal gravitation?
a. c.

b. d.

____ 20. When calculating the gravitational force between two extended bodies, you should measure the distance
a. from the closest points on each body.
b. from the most distant points on each body.
c. from the center of each body.
d. from the center of one body to the closest point on the other body.

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
____ 21. The gravitational force between two masses is 36 N. What is the gravitational force if the distance between
them is tripled? (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )
a. 4.0 N c. 18 N
b. 9.0 N d. 27 N
____ 22. Two small masses that are 10.0 cm apart attract each other with a force of 10.0 N. When they are 5.0 cm
apart, these masses will attract each other with what force? (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )
a. 5.0 N c. 20.0 N
b. 2.5 N d. 40.0 N
____ 23. Newton’s law of universal gravitation
a. is equivalent to Kepler’s first law of planetary motion.
b. can be used to derive Kepler’s third law of planetary motion.
c. can be used to disprove Kepler’s laws of planetary motion.
d. does not apply to Kepler’s laws of planetary motion.

____ 24. The equation for the speed of an object in circular orbit is . What does m represent in this
equation?
a. the mass of the sun c. the mass of the central object
b. the mass of Earth d. the mass of the orbiting object
____ 25. How would the speed of Earth’s orbit around the sun change if Earth’s distance from the sun increased by 4
times?
a. It would increase by a factor of 2. c. It would decrease by a factor of 2.
b. It would increase by a factor of 4. d. The speed would not change.
____ 26. How would the speed of Earth’s orbit around the sun change if Earth’s mass increased by 4 times?
a. It would increase by a factor of 2. c. It would decrease by a factor of 2.
b. It would increase by a factor of 4. d. The speed would not change.
____ 27. Centripetal acceleration must involve a change in
a. an object’s tangential speed.
b. an object’s velocity.
c. both an object’s speed and direction.
d. the radius of an object’s circular motion.
____ 28. What is the speed of an object in circular motion called?
a. circular speed
b. centripetal speed
c. tangential speed
d. inertial speed

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
____ 29. Which of the following is the correct equation for centripetal acceleration?
a.
ac =
b.
ac =
c.
ac =
d.
ac =

____ 30. What is the centripetal acceleration of a skater moving with a tangential speed of 2.0 m/s in a circular path
with radius 2.0 m?
a. 1.0 m/s2
b. 2.0 m/s2
c. 4.0 m/s2
d. 8.0 m/s2
____ 31. What term describes a force that causes an object to move in a circular path?
a. circular force
b. centripetal acceleration
c. centripetal force
d. centrifugal force
____ 32. A centripetal force acts
a. in the same direction as tangential speed.
b. in the direction opposite tangential speed.
c. perpendicular to the plane of circular motion.
d. perpendicular to tangential speed but in the same plane.
____ 33. Centripetal force can be calculated from centripetal acceleration by
a. dividing by the mass.
b. multiplying by the mass.
c. squaring the acceleration and dividing by the radius.
d. squaring the acceleration, multiplying by the mass, and dividing by the radius.
____ 34. Which of the following is due to inertia?
a. A ball whirled in a circular motion stays in one plane.
b. A ball whirled in a circular motion experiences centripetal acceleration directed toward the
center of motion.
c. A ball whirled in a circular motion experiences a centripetal force directed toward the
center of motion.
d. A ball whirled in a circular motion will move off in a straight line if the string breaks.
____ 35. What is the centripetal force that holds planets in orbit?
a. inertia
b. gravitational force
c. planetary force
d. Kepler’s force

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
____ 36. The force that Earth exerts on the moon
a. is greater than the force the moon exerts on Earth.
b. is less than the force the moon exerts on Earth.
c. is equal in magnitude to the force the moon exerts on Earth.
d. causes tides.
____ 37. How does the gravitational force between two objects change if the distance between the objects doubles?
a. The force decreases by a factor of 4.
b. The force decreases by a factor of 2.
c. The force increases by a factor of 2.
d. The force increases by a factor of 4.
____ 38. What does G stand for?
a. free-fall acceleration
b. gravitational field strength
c. the constant of universal gravitation
d. gravitational force
____ 39. Which of the following is an expression of gravitational field strength?
a.
G
b.
G
c.
G
d.
G

____ 40. When an object is moving with uniform circular motion, the object’s tangential speed
a. is circular.
b. is perpendicular to the plane of motion.
c. is constant.
d. is directed toward the center of motion.
____ 41. The centripetal force on an object in circular motion is
a. in the same direction as the tangential speed.
b. in the direction opposite the tangential speed.
c. in the same direction as the centripetal acceleration.
d. in the direction opposite the centripetal acceleration.
____ 42. A ball is whirled on a string, then the string breaks. What causes the ball to move off in a straight line?
a. centripetal acceleration
b. centripetal force
c. centrifugal force
d. Inertia

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
____ 43. If you lift an apple from the ground to some point above the ground, the gravitational potential energy in the
system increases. This potential energy is stored in
a. the apple.
b. Earth.
c. both the apple and Earth.
d. the gravitational field between Earth and the apple.
____ 44. When calculating the gravitational force between two extended bodies, you should measure the distance
a. from the closest points on each body.
b. from the most distant points on each body.
c. from the center of each body.
d. from the center of one body to the closest point on the other body.
____ 45. The gravitational force between two masses is 36 N. What is the gravitational force if the distance between
them is tripled?
(G = 6.673 10–11 N•m2/kg2)
a. 4.0 N
b. 9.0 N
c. 18 N
d. 27 N

Short Answer

1. Explain how an object moving at a constant speed can have a nonzero acceleration.

2. Two horses are side by side on a carousel. Which has a greater tangential speed—the one closer to the center
or the one farther from the center? Explain your answer.

3. What provides the centripetal force for a car driving on a circular track?

4. What provides the centripetal force for a ball whirled on a string?

5. Show how the equation for centripetal force can be derived by substituting the equation for centripetal
acceleration into Newton’s second law.

6. Is there an outward force in circular motion? Explain.

7. A ball is whirled in a horizontal circular path on the end of a string. Predict the path of the ball when the
string breaks. Explain your answer.

8. A parent holds a child by the arms and spins around in a circle at a constant speed. If the parent spins fast
enough, will the child’s feet leave the ground? Explain your answer.

9. A tether ball is tied to a string and whirled in a horizontal circular path at a constant speed. What causes the
ball and string to move away from the post?

10. What provides the centripetal force for the moon’s orbit around Earth?

11. What is the significance of the word universal in Newton’s law of universal gravitation?

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
 12. Compare the gravitational force the sun exerts on Earth to the gravitational force Earth exerts on the sun.

Earth exerts a 1.0 N gravitational force on an apple.

13. Does the apple accelerate toward Earth, or does Earth accelerate toward the apple? Explain your answer.

14. What is the magnitude of the gravitational force the apple exerts on Earth?

15. What is Earth’s weight in the apple’s gravitational field?

16. State Kepler’s third law of planetary motion, both in words and symbolically.

17. The moon has a mass of 7.35 ´ 1022 kg and a radius of 1.74 ´ 106 m.
What is the gravitational force between the moon and an 85 kg astronaut?
(G = 6.673 ´ 10-11 N•m2/kg2)

18. Explain how an object moving at a constant speed can have a nonzero acceleration.

19. What provides the centripetal force for a car driving on a circular track?

20. Is there an outward force in circular motion? Explain.

Problem

1. A 35 kg child moves with uniform circular motion while riding a horse on a carousel. The horse is 3.2 m from
the carousel’s axis of rotation and has a tangential speed of 2.6 m/s. What is the child’s centripetal
acceleration?

2. What is the centripetal force on the child?

3. A car on a roller coaster loaded with passengers has a mass of 2.0 ´ 10 kg. At the lowest point of the track,
the radius of curvature of the track is 24 m and the roller car has a tangential speed of 17 m/s. What is the
centripetal acceleration of the roller car at the lowest point on the track?

4. What centripetal force is exerted on the roller car at the lowest point?

5. A satellite in a circular orbit experiences a centripetal acceleration of 8.89 m/s . The tangential speed of the
satellite is 7.76 ´ 10 m/s. What is the altitude of the satellite? (r = 6.38 ´ 10 m)

6. A 69.8 kg student sits at a desk 1.75 m away from a 78.9 kg student. What is the magnitude of the
gravitational force between the two students? (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )

7. Two trucks with equal mass are attracted to each other with a gravitational force of 5.3 ´ 10 N. The trucks
are separated by a distance of 2.6 m. What is the mass of either of the trucks? (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam
 8. Show how the constant of proportionality in Kepler’s third law can be found by equating gravitational force
and the centripetal force in a circular orbit.

9. A new planet is discovered orbiting a star with a mass 3.5 ´ 10 kg at a distance of 1.2 ´ 10 m. Assume
that the orbit is circular. What is the orbital speed of the planet? (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )

10. What is the orbital period of the planet? (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )

11. A new moon is discovered orbiting Neptune with an orbital speed of 9.11 ´ 10 m/s. Neptune’s mass is
1.0 ´ 10 kg. What is the radius of the new moon’s orbit? What is the orbital period? Assume that the orbit is
circular. (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )

12. Earth’s mean distance from the sun is 1.50 ´ 10 m. The length of one Earth year is 3.16 ´ 10 s. Use this
data to calculate the mass of the sun. (G = 6.673 ´ 10 N·m /kg )

13. A planet has twice the mass of Earth. How much larger would the radius of the planet have to be for the
gravitational field strength, g, at the planet’s surface to be the same as on Earth’s surface?

14. A bucket filled with water has a mass of 33 kg and is attached to a rope wound around a cylinder with a radius
of 0.043 m at the top of a well. What torque does the weight of the water and bucket produce on the cylinder?
(g = 9.81 m/s )

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G12AM-Physics-Additional Exam Practice-Q1-Exam