NEWTON’S LAWS TAKS QUESTIONS
JULY 2004 – 11:
12 After shooting a cannonball, a cannon recoils with a much lower velocity than the
cannonball. This is primarily because, compared to the cannonball, the cannon has a —
F* much greater mass
G smaller amount of momentum
H greater kinetic energy
J smaller force applied to it
JULY 2004 – 11:
20 How many newtons of force does a 50.0 kg deer exert on the ground because of gravity?
Record and bubble in your answer on the answer document. (490)
JULY 2004 – 11:
38 Which factor would most likely cause a communications satellite orbiting Earth to return to
Earth from its orbit?
F An increase in the satellite’s forward momentum
G An increase in solar energy striking the satellite
H A decrease in the satellite’s size
J* A decrease in the satellite’s velocity
SPRING 2003 – 10:
(13) The table shows times required for the same toy car to travel 10 m across an
identical section of a floor after it is pushed. The difference in times was probably caused
by differences in —
A* force exerted
B surface friction
C air resistance
D car mass
SPRING 2003 – 11:
(11) The frog leaps from its resting position at the lake’s bank onto a lily pad. If the frog
has a mass of 0.5 kg and the acceleration of the leap is 3 m/s 2, what is the force the frog
exerts on the lake’s bank when leaping?
A 0.2 N
B 0.8 N
C* 1.5 N
D 6.0 N
APRIL 2004 – 10:
(1) The illustration above shows a student about to throw a ball while standing on a
skateboard. Which illustration below correctly shows the skateboard’s direction of
motion after the student releases the ball? Answer: D
APRIL 2004 – 11:
(41) Which of these is the best description of the action-reaction force pair when the
space shuttle lifts off from the launchpad?
A The ground pushes the rocket up while exhaust gases push down on the ground.
B Exhaust gases push down on air while the air pushes up on the rocket.
C* The rocket pushes exhaust gases down while the exhaust gases push the rocket
up.
D Gravity pulls the rocket exhaust down while friction pushes up against the
atmosphere.
OCTOBER 2005 – 11, FALL 2005 – 11:
11 The picture above shows the directions in which water leaves this scallop’s shell.
Which picture below shows the direction the scallop will move? (ANS: D)
OCTOBER 2005 – 11:
44 A wet bar of soap slides 1 meter across a wet tile floor without appearing to slow
down. Which of these statements explains why the bar of soap fails to slow down?
F A constant force on an object produces a constant positive acceleration.
G* An object in motion tends to remain in motion in the absence of an external
force.
H A moving object having constant velocity contains kinetic energy.
J An object’s weight is proportional to its mass.
FALL 2005 – 11:
17 A leaf from an apple tree falls to the ground more slowly than an apple
falls. As an explanation of this observation, the ancient Greeks’ theory of
natural place has been replaced by a more recent theory involving
gravitational force and —
A atomic weight
B inertial mass
C* air resistance
D kinetic energy
FEBRUARY 2006 – 11:
46 Which of these would cause the gravitational force between Earth and the sun to
decrease?
F An increase in the length of a day on Earth
G* An increase in the distance between Earth and the sun
H An increase in the number of planets orbiting the sun
J An increase in the masses of Earth and the sun
APRIL 2006 – 11:
52 When the air is released from a balloon, the air moves in one direction, and the
balloon moves in another direction. Which statement does this situation best illustrate?
F What goes up must come down.
G* For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
H The shape and size of an object affect air resistance.
J The acceleration due to Earth’s gravity is 9.8 m/s2.
JULY 2006 – 11:
8 A hockey player pushed a puck toward the opposite side of a level ice rink. The player
expected the puck to continue all the way across the ice, but the puck slowed and stopped
before reaching the other side. Which of these best explains why the puck failed to slide
all the way to the opposite side?
F The puck’s temperature changed.
G An upward force acted on the puck.
H The puck’s momentum remained unchanged.
J* An opposing force acted on the puck.
JULY 2006 – 11:
20 The pictures show how an air bag functions in a collision. How much momentum in
kg m/s does the air bag absorb from the crash-test dummy if all the crash-test dummy’s
momentum is absorbed by the air bag? Record and bubble in your answer to the nearest
whole number on the answer document. Ans: 630