Practice Exam 2
Practice Exam 2
1. Which of the following combinations have the correct units for power?
⋅
A)
⋅
B)
C)
⋅
D)
⋅
⋅
E)
2. The net force on an object in intergalactic space is constant and in the negative x direction.
Which of the plots below could represent the velocity components of the object in the x and y
directions:
v v v
t
t
t
Graph 1 Graph 2 Graph 3
v v
t
t
Graph 4
Graph 5
vx vy
A) graph 1 graph 4
B) graph 3 graph 4
C) graph 2 graph 5
D) graph 3 graph 5
E) graph 2 graph 3
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3. An astronaut aboard the international space station (ISS), (which is visible to the naked eye at
dawn and dusk) holds a ball about 1m above the floor and then lets it go. Which free body
diagram below shows all the forces acting on the ball just after it is released.
4. A hand is pushing a block across a horizontal table as shown, at a constant non-zero velocity.
The force from the hand on the block has components 5.0 N vertically downwards and 10 N to
the left. The block has mass 2.0 kg. What is the coefficient of kinetic (sliding) friction between
the block and the table (to 2 significant figures)?
A) 0.23
B) 0.41
C) 0.50
D) 0.51
E) 1.4
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5. A car is rounding a circular banked curve at the exact speed v such that the force of friction
between the tires and the road is zero. The road surface is banked at an angle θ, as shown. The
free body diagram for the car is shown, with the forces in the correct directions, but not
necessarily with the correct magnitudes. Which equation shows the correct relation between the
magnitude of the net force on the car and the magnitudes of the other forces, N and mg. (Hint: It
may help to first determine the direction of the acceleration.)
N
v
mg
A) 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔 sin 𝜃
B) 𝐹 = 𝑁 cos 𝜃 − 𝑚𝑔
C) 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔 sin 𝜃 + 𝑁 sin 𝜃
D) 𝐹 = 𝑁 sin 𝜃
E) Zero vector
6. A 70 kg person does a bungee jump from a bridge. The natural length of the bungee cord is 20m
and it has a spring constant k of 80 N/m. When the bungee cord has a total length of 25m, what
is the acceleration of the jumper (to 2 significant figures)?
Hint: Draw a FBD showing the magnitudes and directions of all forces on the jumper at the
instant described.
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7. A block of mass m is given a quick push and then slides across a horizontal table in the positive x
direction as shown.
Friction between the block and the table causes it to gradually slow down. The coefficient of
sliding friction is µ. What is the correct expression for the force of kinetic friction on the table by
the block at the instant shown?
Note! We are asking for the force of friction on the table, NOT on the block.
A) −𝜇𝑚𝑔 𝚤̂
B) −𝜇𝑚𝑣 𝚤̂
C) 𝜇𝑚𝑔 𝚤̂
D) 𝜇𝑚𝑔𝑣 𝚤̂
E) Zero vector
8. A block of mass 2.0kg experiences the following steady forces while moving a displacement of
3.0m to the left (there may be additional forces on the block). Each square on the grid has a side
of 1.0N. What is the work done by the sum of these 3 forces?
A) -33 J
B) -15 J
C) 7.5 J
D) 18 J
E) Cannot be determined from the information given
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9. A horizontal string with constant tension of magnitude T 3 pulls on a three-block system which is
on a frictionless, horizontal surface. The three blocks have masses m, 2m and 3m, as shown. The
magnitudes of the tensions in the strings connecting the blocks are T 1 and T2, as shown. How do
the magnitudes of the tensions T3 and T2 compare?
A) T3 = 4 T2
B) T3 = 3 T2 T2 3m T3
T1 2m
m
C) T3 = 2 T2
D) T3 = (4/3) T2
E) T3 = T2
10. A glider slides up and over a circular portion of a frictionless air track. (The path of the glider is
shown with the dashed line.) At the moment when the glider is at the top of it trajectory, which
free-body diagram most accurately represents the directions and relative magnitudes of all the
forces on the glider.
A) B) C) D) E)
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A) 9.8 N
B) 13.7 N
C) 19.6 N
D) 5.0 N
E) None of these
How many of these quantities have the SAME value at the bottom
top and at the bottom of the swing?
A) Only 1 of these quantities has the same value at the top and the bottom.
B) 2 are the same at top and bottom.
C) 3 are the same at top and bottom.
D) All 4 quantities have the same value at the top and the bottom.
E) None are the same at top and bottom.
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13. A block of mass m travels up a frictionless incline a distance d, after being given a brief shove.
The incline makes an angle θ with the horizontal. A free-body diagram shows all the forces
acting while the block it is moving up the incline: a normal force of magnitude N and a weight
force of magnitude W. What the correct expression for the work done by the net force on the
block as it moves up the incline the distance d?
d
N
W
m
14. A block of mass m = 5.00 kg slides down a ramp with a constant speed v = 3.00 m/s. The ramp
is 1.50 m long and 0.50 m high. To 3-place precision, what is the magnitude of the work done
by friction as the box slides down from the top to the bottom of the ramp at constant speed?
1.50 m
m= 5.00 kg
v = 3.00 m/s = constant
0.50 m
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k x2
A) k x cos B) 2g h
m
k x2 k x2
C) 2gh D) 2 g (h x)
m m
1
E) k x2 m g h
2
16. Two sleds are being pulled across a frictionless ice rink by two motors. The mass of sled 2 is
twice as large as the mass of sled 1. The sleds start at rest and each is pulled with the same
constant force F for the same distance d.
F motor 1
M
d
motor 2
F
2M
d
Which motor produces more average power while moving its sled?
A) Motor 1, which pulls the smaller sled, produces more average power.
B) Motor 2, which pulls the larger sled, produces more average power.
C) Both motors produce the same average power while moving their sleds
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17. The graph shows the gravitational potential energy of a cart of mass m = 200 kg on a frictionless
roller coaster track as a function of horizontal position x (in meters). It is known that the cart is
at position x = 120 m and moving to the right at speed is v = 8 m/s. What will eventually
happen to the cart? (There are no other hills on the track, besides those shown.)
A) The cart will roll back and forth between hills 1 and 2, staying in the valley indefinitely.
B) The cart will make it over the 3rd hill and exit to the right of the graph.
C) The cart will eventually roll back over hill 1 and exit to the left of the graph.
D) The cart will eventually roll back and forth between hills 2 and 3, staying in that valley.
E) The cart will roll back and forth between hills 1 and 3, moving between the two valleys
indefinitely.
PE (J) 10,000
Hill 1 Hill 3
5000
Hill 2
0
0 50 100 150 200
x (meters)
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18. A block of mass m = 2.0 kg, is shoved up a rough incline with an initial speed of v = 2.0 m/s.
The block slides a distance d = 2.0 m up the incline and comes to a stop. To 2-place precision,
what is the magnitude of the net force on the block while it was moving up the incline?
Hint: The work – KE theorem may be useful.
d = 2.0 m
v= 2.0 m/s
m = 2.0 kg
19. Two test probes (X and Y) are launched from earth towards the sun. Probe Y has a greater
mass than Probe X. At some later time, when both probes are very far from earth, they are at the
same distance R from the sun. Which of the following are true about the magnitudes of the
accelerations and the forces on the 2 probes, when the probes are both the same distance R from
the sun?
A) ax = ay, Fx = Fy
B) ax = ay, Fx < Fy
C) ax < ay, Fx < Fy
D) ax > ay, Fx = Fy
E) none of the above are true
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20. A small asteroid of mass M is near a big asteroid of mass 2M. There
are no other gravitating objects nearby. The magnitudes of the
accelerations of the big and small asteroids are aBig and aSmall,
respectively. 2M M
a Big
What is the ratio of the magnitudes of the accelerations ?
a Small
A) 1/2 B) 2 C) 1 D) 1/4 E) 4
21. A tardigrade (a small organism which can survive being desiccated (or dried out) in space) of
mass m is between the two asteroids in the previous question, distance r B from the larger mass,
and distance rS from the smaller one. If the net force on the tardigrade is zero, what is r S/rB?
A) √2
B)
C)
√
D) Something else
E) Not possible for net force to be zero
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22. A small projectile of mass m is initially located at distance r 0 from the center of an airless planet.
The planet has mass M and radius R (r0 >> R). The projectile is fired upwards with initial speed
v0. The projectile rises to rmax and then falls back down to the surface, reaching final speed v f
just before it hits the ground. Which of the equations below could be used to solve for r max?
rmax
r0 v0
R
vf
M
A) 𝑚𝑣 =
B) 𝑚𝑣 − = 𝑚𝑣 −
C) 𝑚𝑣 − =−
D) 𝑚𝑣 − =−
23. The gravitational PE, U(r) = GMm/r of a two mass system (m << M) is plotted. Mass M is
stationary at the origin and mass m is at r = r0. Also shown is the total energy Etot .
B
A
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24. A clay block of mass m is moving to the right with speed v o towards a second block of mass 2m
moving to the left with the same speed v0. If the blocks stick together, what will their final
velocity be?
m 2m
v0 v0
A) vo to the right
B) vo to the left
C) vo/2 to the left
D) vo/3 to the left
E) None of these
25. You and a friend are both standing at either end of a long, stationary, skateboard on level ground.
There is zero friction in the bearings of the wheels. Which of the following results in the greatest
final speed of the skateboard?
I) You throw a ball to her, and she hits it back over your head with final speed s o.
II) She throws a ball over your head with final speed s o.
A) I
B) II
C) I and II result in same final speed.
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