Units

1. Which measurement of an average classroom door is closest to 1 meter?

(1) thickness (2) width (3) height (4) surface area

2. Which quantity and unit are correctly paired?

(1) velocity — m/s²  (2) momentum-kg m/s²  (3) energy—kg m2/s²  (4) work —kg/m

3. Which combination of fundamental units can be used to express the weight of an object?

(1) kilogram/second  (2) kilogramxmeter (3) kilogramxmeter/second (4) kilogramxmeter/second²

4. Which object weighs approximately 1 newton?

6. The maximum time allowed for the completion of this examination is approximately

(1) 10² s (2) 10³ s (3) 10⁴  s (4) 10⁵  s

7. Which is a derived unit?

1 meter 2 second 3 kilogram  4 newton

8. The mass of a physics textbook is closest to

(1) 10³ kg (3) 10⁰ kg
(2) I0¹ kg (4) 10^-2 kg

9. What is the approximate diameter of a dinner plate?

(1) 0.0025 m (2) 0.025 m (3) 0.25 m  (4) 2.5 m

10. A mass of one kilogram of nickels has a monetary value in United States dollars of approximately

(1) $1.00 (2) $0.10 (3) $10.00  (4) $1000.00

Kinematics and Motion in a Plane

13. Which two terms represent a vector quantity and the scalar quantity of the vector’s magnitude, respectively?

(1) acceleration and velocity (2) weight and force (3) speed and time (4) displacement and distance

14. What is the period of orbit of a communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit about Earth?

(1) 1 year (2) 24 hours (3) 12 hours (4) 60 minutes

15.  A red ball and a green ball are simultaneously thrown horizontally from the same height. The red ball has an initial speed of 40. meters per second and the green ball has an initial speed of 20. meters per second. Compared to the time it takes the red ball to reach the ground, the time it takes the green ball to reach the ground will be

(1) the same (3) half as much
(2) twice as much (4) four times as much

16.  A baseball player throws a ball horizontally. Which statement best describes the ball’s motion after it is thrown? [Neglect the effect of friction.]

(1) Its vertical speed remains the same, and its horizontal speed increases.
(2) Its vertical speed remains the same, and its horizontal speed remains the same.
(3) Its vertical speed increases, and its horizontal speed increases.
(4) Its vertical speed increases, and its horizontal speed remains the same.

17.  The Moon’s orbit is not classified as geosynchronous because

(1) the Moon’s position over Earth’s surface varies with time
(2) the Moon’s mass is very large compared to the mass of all other Earth satellites
(3) the Moon is a natural satellite, rather than an artificial one
(4) the Moon always has the same half of its surface facing Earth

18.  A softball player leaves the batter’s box, overruns first base by 3.0 meters, and then returns to first base. Compared to the total distance traveled by the player, the magnitude of the player’s total displacement from the batter’s box is

(1) smaller (2) larger (3) the same

19. Which terms both represent scalar quantities?

(1) displacement and velocity (2) distance and speed (3) displacement and speed (4) distance and velocity

20.  The path of a projectile fired at a 30° angle to the horizontal is best described as

1 parabolic 3 circular
2 linear 4 hyperbolic

21.  A satellite is in geosynchronous orbit. Compared to Earth’s period of rotation, the satellite’s period
of revolution is

1 less 2 greater 3 the same

Dynamics & Gravity & Momentum

25.  If the speed of a moving object is doubled, which quantity associated with the object must also double?

(1) its momentum   (2) its kinetic energy
(3) its acceleration  (4) its gravitational potential energy

26.  The radius of Mars is approximately one-half the radius of Earth, and the mass of Mars is approximately one-tenth the mass of Earth. Compared to the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Earth, the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Mars is

(1) smaller (2) larger (3) the same

27.  When a satellite is a distance R from the center of Earth, the force due to gravity on the satellite is F. What is the force due to gravity on the satellite when its distance from the center of Earth is 3R?

(1) F/9 (2) F/3 (3) F (4) 9F

28.  What is an essential characteristic of an object in equilibrium?

(1) zero velocity (2) zero acceleration (3) zero potential energy (4) zero kinetic energy

29.  Two cars having different weights are traveling on a level surface at different constant velocities. Within the same time interval, greater force will always be required to stop the car that has the greater

1 weight 2 kinetic 3 velocity  energy 4 momentum

Energy

30.  Which action would require no work to be done on an object?

(1) lifting the object from the floor to the ceiling
(2) pushing the object along a horizontal floor against a frictional force
(3) decreasing the speed of the object until it comes to rest
(4) holding the object stationary above the ground

31.  A girl rides an escalator that moves her upward at constant speed. As the girl rises, how do her gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy change'?

(1) Gravitational potential energy decreases and kinetic energy decreases.
(2) Gravitational potential energy decreases and kinetic energy remains the same.
(3) Gravitational potential energy increases and kinetic energy decreases.
(4) Gravitational potential energy increases and kinetic energy remains the same.

Electricity

32.  Compared to the charge on a proton, the charge on an electron has the

(1) opposite sign and a smaller magnitude (2) opposite sign and the same magnitude
(3) same sign and a smaller magnitude (4) same sign and the same magnitude

33.  A cylinder fitted with a piston contains a fixed mass of an ideal gas. Heat is added to the gas, causing it to expand and raise the piston. If all the added heat is converted to work done in raising the piston, the internal energy of the gas will

(1) decrease  (2) increase  (3) remain the same

34.  A magnetic force acts on a charged particle moving at a constant speed perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field. The magnitude of the magnetic force on the particle will increase if the

(1) flux density of the magnetic field increases
(2) time of travel of the charge increases
(3) magnitude of the charge decreases
(4) speed of the charge decreases

36. An electrostatic force of magnitude F exists between two metal spheres having identical charge q. The distance between their centers is r. Which combination of changes would produce no change in the electrostatic force between the spheres?

(1) doubling q on one sphere while doubling r
(2) doubling q on both spheres while doubling r
(3) doubling q on one sphere while halving r
(4) doubling q on both spheres while halving r

37.  Compared to insulators, metals are better conductors of electricity because metals contain more free

(1) protons (3) positive ions
(2) electrons(4) negative ions

38. Electrostatic force F exists between two point charges. If the distance between the charges is tripled, the force between the charges will be

(1) F/9 (2) F/3 (3) 3F (4) 9F

39.  A metal wire has length L and cross-sectional area A. The resistance of the wire is directly proportional
to

40. A glass rod becomes positively charged when it is rubbed with silk. This net positive charge accumulates because the glass rod

1 gains electrons 2 gains protons3 loses electrons  4 loses protons

41.  A wire conductor is moved at constant speed perpendicularly to a uniform magnetic field. If the strength of the magnetic field is increased, the induced potential across the ends of the conductor

1 decreases 2 increases 3 remains the same

Waves

42. What occurs when light passes from water into flint glass?

(1) Its speed decreases, its wavelength becomes shorter, and its frequency remains the same.
(2) Its speed decreases, its wavelength becomes shorter, and its frequency increases.
(3) Its speed increases, its wavelength becomes longer, and its frequency remains the same.
(4) Its speed increases, its wavelength becomes longer, and its frequency decreases.

43 The diagram below shows straight wave fronts passing through an opening in a barrier.

44.  Two points on a transverse wave that have the same magnitude of displacement from equilibrium
are in phase if the points also have the

(1) same direction of displacement and the same direction of motion
(2) same direction of displacement and the opposite direction of motion
(3) opposite direction of displacement and the same direction of motion
(4) opposite direction of displacement and the opposite direction of motion

 The diagram below shows a ray of light passing from medium X into air.

45.  An opera singer’s voice is able to break a thin crystal glass when the singer’s voice and the vibrating glass have the same

(1) frequency (2) speed (3) amplitude (4) wavelength

46.  Which phenomenon can not be exhibited by longitudinal waves?

(1) reflection (3) diffraction
(2) refraction (4) polarization

47.  As a monochromatic beam of light passes obliquely from flint glass into water, how do the characteristics of the beam of light change?

(1) Its wavelength decreases and its frequency decreases.
(2) Its wavelength decreases and its frequency increases.
(3) Its wavelength increases and it bends toward the normal.
(4) Its wavelength increases and it bends away from the normal.

48. Which phrase best describes a periodic wave?

(1) a single pulse traveling at constant speed
(2) a series of pulses at irregular intervals
(3) a series of pulses at regular intervals
(4) a single pulse traveling at different speeds in the same medium

49. The hertz is a unit that describes the number of

(1) seconds it takes to complete one cycle of a wave
(2) cycles of a wave completed in one second
(3) points that are in phase along one meter of a wave
(4) points that are out of phase along one meter of a wave

50.  As a sound wave travels through air, there is a net transfer of

(1) energy, only  (2) mass, only (3) both mass and energy  (4) neither mass nor energy

51.  A nearby object may vibrate strongly when a specific frequency of sound is emitted from a loudspeaker. This phenomenon is called

(1) resonance (2) the Doppler effect(3) reflection  (4) interference

52.  Two identical guitar strings are tuned to the same pitch. If one string is plucked, the other nearby string vibrates with the same frequency. This phenomenon is called

(1) resonance (2) reflection (3) refraction (4) destructive interference

53.  When a student looks into a plane mirror, she sees a virtual image of herself. However, when she looks into a sheet of paper, no such image forms. Which light phenomenon occurs at the surface of the paper?

(1) regular reflection (2) diffuse reflection(3) polarization  (4) resonance

54.  Light from the star Betelgeuse displays a Doppler red shift. This shift is best explained by assuming that Betelgeuse is

(1) decreasing in temperature (2) increasing in temperature (3) moving toward Earth (4) moving away from Earth

57. What occurs as a ray of light passes from air into water?

(1) The ray must decrease in speed.  (2) The ray must increase in speed.
(3) The ray must decrease in frequency.  (4) The ray must increase in frequency.

58.  In which part of the electromagnetic spectrum does a photon have the greatest energy?

(1) red (2) infrared (3) violet (4) ultraviolet

59.  If all parts of a light beam have a constant phase relationship, with the same wavelength and frequency, the light beam is

A light spring is attached to a heavier spring at one end. A pulse traveling along the light spring is incident on the boundary with the heavier spring. At this boundary, the pulse will be

1 totally reflected
2 totally absorbed
3 totally transmitted into the heavier spring
4 partially reflected and partially transmitted
into the heavier spring

As a wave travels through a medium, the particles of the medium vibrate in the direction of the wave’s travel. What type of wave is traveling through the medium?

1 longitudinal 3 transverse
2 torsional 4 hyperbolic

The driver of a car blows the horn as the car approaches a crosswalk. Compared to the actual pitch of the horn, the pitch observed by a pedestrian in the crosswalk is

1 lower 2 higher 3 the same

Compared to wavelengths of visible light, the wavelengths of ultraviolet light are

1 shorter
2 longer
3 the same

As a pulse travels along a rope, the pulse loses energy and its amplitude

1 decreases
2 increases
3 remains the same

Two waves traveling in the same medium interfere to produce a standing wave. What is the phase difference between the two waves at a node?

(1) 0° (3) 180°
(2) 90° (4) 360°

Modern Physics

Experiments performed with light indicate that light exhibits

1 particle properties, only
2 wave properties, only
3 both particle and wave properties
4 neither particle nor wave properties

An atomic nucleus emits energy as it decays from an excited state to a more stable state without a change in its atomic number. This energy is emitted in the form of

1 an alpha particle 3 a gamma ray
2 an electron 4 a beta particle

The nuclear force that holds nucleons together is

1 weak and short range
2 weak and long range
3 strong and short range
4 strong and long range

In the currently accepted model of the atom, a fuzzy cloud around a hydrogen nucleus is used to represent the

(1) electron’s actual path, which is not a circular orbit
(2) general region where the atom’s proton is most probably located
(3) general region where the atom’s electron is most probably located
(4) presence of water vapor in the atom

Alpha particles were directed at a thin metal foil. Some particles were deflected into hyperbolic paths due to

(1) gravitational attraction
(2) electrostatic repulsion
(3) electrostatic attraction
(4) magnetic repulsion

The momentum of a photon is inversely proportional to the photon’s

(1) frequency (2) mass (3) weight  (4) wavelength

Protons and neutrons are composed of smaller particles called

(1) quarks (3) alpha particles
(2) baryons (4) bosons

One atomic mass unit is defined as

(1) the mass of an electron
(2) the mass of an alpha particle
(3) the mass of an atom of carbon-12
(4) the mass of an atom of carbon-12

What occurs when an atom emits gamma radiation?

(1) The excited nucleus changes to a more stable state by absorbing a photon.
(2) The excited nucleus changes to a more stable state by emitting a photon.
(3) The stable nucleus changes to an excited state by emitting a photon.
(4) The stable nucleus changes to an excited state by absorbing a photon.

Modern Physics

(1) gain energy (3) lose protons
(2) lose energy (4) gain protons

Which statement best describes what occurs when the control rods are inserted into a nuclear reactor?

(1) The number of fission reactions decreases because the control rods absorb neutrons.
(2) The number of fission reactions decreases because the control rods absorb electrons.
(3) The number of fission reactions increases because the control rods release neutrons.
(4) The number of fission reactions increases because the control rods release electrons.

In an experiment, Ernest Rutherford observed that some of the alpha particles directed at a thin gold foil were scattered at large angles. This scattering occurred because the

(1) negatively charged alpha particles were attracted to the gold’s positive atomic nuclei
(2) negatively charged alpha particles were repelled by the gold’s negative atomic nuclei
(3) positively charged alpha particles were attracted to the gold’s negative atomic nuclei
(4) positively charged alpha particles were repelled by the gold’s positive atomic nuclei

During a collision between a photon and an electron, there is conservation of

(1) energy, only  (2) momentum, only
(3) both energy and momentum  (4) neither energy nor momentum

Compared to the gravitational force between two nucleons in an atom of helium, the nuclear force between the nucleons is

(1) weaker and has a shorter range (2) weaker and has a longer range
(3) stronger and has a shorter range (4) stronger and has a longer range

The subatomic particles that make up protons are called

(1) hyperons (3) positrons
(2) baryons: (4) quarks