SPH3U Physics Practice Exam
Part 1 – Problem solving and
short answer
80 mks
100 minutes
Part 2 – Multiple choice
20 mks
20 minutes
1. A separate Scantron sheet is provided for the multiple-choice section. You
may write on the multiple-choice questions but be sure to record your answers
on the Scantron sheet.
2. Answer the remainder of the questions in the space provided. Be sure to report
your final response in the space/box provided for your answer. You may write
your short answers in point form.
3. A list of equations and constants is found at the end of the exam package. It
can be removed for your convenience.
4. At the end of the exam package, the Rough Work Sheet can be removed and
used. It will not be marked!
5. A calculator is permitted, however, no borrowing or sharing of calculators is
allowed.
6. A ruler and protractor may also be used, but not shared.
7. Should you have any questions or concerns, please notify a proctor.
8. Please ensure that the exam package is complete and that you have entered
your name on it.
Good luck!
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Part 1 – Short answer & problem solving
Please show all your work for full marks. Report your final answers in the space provided and
pay attention to units and significant digits.
1. The following table represent the data collected in a motion lab. Plot the data to produce a
velocity-time graph. (1.5 mks)
Time (s)
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
1.25
1.50
Velocity ( m/s)
3.7
5.7
7.9
9.9
12.1
14.3
15.0
Velocity
(m/s)
10.0
5.0
1.0
0.5
1.5
Time (s)
a ) At what speed did the object start the motion at 0.0 s? (1/2 mk)
Answer b ) Calculate the acceleration of the object’s motion. (1 mk)
Answer c ) Use the graph to determine the displacement of the object while it travelled from 0 – 1.5 s.
(3 mks)
Answer -
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2. A stone is dropped from a bridge that is 75.0 m above the water. The person waits 2.00 s after
releasing the stone and throws a second stone so that the two stones hit the water at the same
time. Calculate the initial velocity the second stone must be released with? (4 mks)
Answer 3. A large 45.5 kg box is pushed along the floor at a constant velocity of 0.75 m/s [forward].
Calculate the coefficient of friction if the applied force is 375 N [forward]. (4 mks)
Answer -
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4. As 7700 kg airplane glides to a landing. It has a 12500 N [down] force of gravity pulling it
toward the Earth’s surface and a 58800 N [horizontally forward] force of lift acting on it.
a ) At what angle, relative to the horizontal, does the airplane approach the ground? (1 mk)
Answer -
5. Describe a situation where an object is in motion but no physical work is being accomplished.
Explain why there is no work being done in this case. (2 mks)
6. A 75.0 g arrow is fired vertically into the air. At a point in its flight, it is determined that the
arrow has 33.4 J of gravitational potential energy. How high above the surface of the Earth is it
with this energy? (3 mks)
Answer -
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7. A candle has 7525 J of energy stored in its chemical bonds. That energy is used to heat 150 g of
o
water, which has a starting temperature of 21.0 C. Calculate the final temperature of the water
o
if all the energy is transferred to the water. The specific heat capacity for water is 4186 J/kg C.
(3 mks)
Answer 8. Use graphing techniques to determine how much work is required to stretch an elastic bungee
cord to a final length of 6.0 m. (4 mks)
Force (N)
2000
1500
1000
500
2
Length (m)
4
6
Answer 9. An elevator has a motor that can produce 25000 W. If this power were used to raise an 850 kg
elevator to a height of 35.5 m, how much time would be required for the motion? (3 mks)
Answer -
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o
10. A tow truck pulls a car by a cable that makes an angle of 30 to the
3
horizontal. The force applied to the tow cable is 7.2 x 10 N. How
much work is done in pulling the car horizontally 5.5 km?
(3 mks)
30
o
Answer 11. A wave with an amplitude of 50.0 cm travels down a 7.75 m spring in 3.00 s. The student who
creates the wave moves their hand through 4 cycles in 1.00 s. Calculate the wavelength of the
wave? (3 mks)
Answer 12. When two tuning forks are vibrating at the same time one observes that the sound grows louder
then softer at regular intervals. The change in volume occurs at a rate of exactly 48 times in
16.0 s. If one tuning fork is known to have a frequency of 256.0 Hz, what are the two possible
frequencies of the second tuning fork? (3 mks)
Answer -
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13. A vibrating tuning fork with a frequency of 324 Hz is held over a tube of air whose length can
be adjusted by raising and lowering a column of water in the tube. The starting length of the
column of air is very short and letting the water out slowly gradually lengthens it. If the speed
of sound in air is 336 m/s, how long is the column of air when the first constructive interference
is heard. (4 mks)
Answer 14. A cannon is fired from a distant hilltop and you see the smoke followed by hearing the
explosion. Calculate how far away the cannon is if the temperature on the day this is observed
o
is 18 C and time between the smoke and the sound is 4.7 s. (2 mks)
Answer 15. A nuclear physicist carries out a nuclear reaction where the reactants had a total mass of 3.251
438 g and the products had a mass of 3.251 429 g. Determine the maximum amount of energy
involved in this reaction and whether it was produced or consumed. (3 mks)
Answer -
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16. A bullet is fired horizontally from a rifle and hits a target that is 150 m away. If the bullet
landed 15 cm below the point at which the marksmen aimed, how fast was the bullet travelling?
(5 mks)
Answer 17. Determine the missing values in the following circuit. (5 mks)
#1 V (V) I (A) R ()
1
2
3
0
120
1
45
2
5
3
4
5
5
4
15
6
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18. Label the current and the north pole of the magnetic field in each coil. (2 mks)
G
This magnet is being
pulled away.
N
Part 2 – Multiple Choice
Select the best answer for each question. You may write on these questions but be sure to record
your final selections on the provided Scantron sheet.
1. Which of the following values is a scalar value?
a ) velocity
b ) time
c ) displacement
d ) force
e ) acceleration
2. Which of the following velocity-time graphs represents the motion of an arrow, which is fired
vertically upward, upon leaving the bow?
v
v
t
a)
t
b)
v
v
c)
t
v
t
d)
3. Which of the following fundamental forces is the weakest?
a) Gravitational
b) Weak
c) Strong
d) Electromagnetic
nuclear
nuclear
4. Which of the following vectors represents the resultant
force acting on object “X”?
e)
t
e) Frictional
X
e)
a)
b)
c)
d)
5. As a truck moves down the road the driver slams on the brakes to avoid hitting a cat. The fuzzy
dice hanging on his mirror swing toward the window. The motion of the dice show
a) Newton’s
b) Newton’s
c) Newton’s d) the universal e) cats are “big
first law of
second law
third law
law of
time” trouble.
motion.
of motion.
of motion.
gravitation.
6. Which of the following are equivalent to a watt (W)?
a) (kg m)/s3
b) (N m)/s
c) (kg J)m
d) (C V)/
e) (kg m3)/s2
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7. Which of the following forms of energy is a form of potential energy?
a) sound
b) thermal
c) nuclear
d) radiant
e) mechanical energy
8. As you sit on the stool in the science lab, you place your hand on the metal leg of the stool and
o
the wooden counter top. The science lab has been maintained at 18 C for the past week. Apply
the concept of thermal equilibrium to identify the correct statement.
a) The leg of the b) The wooden
c) The leg and
d) Thermal
e) It is impossible
stool’s
counter top’s
the counter
equilibrium
to determine
temperature
temperature is
top are both at
predicts that
which object
is less than
greater than
a temperature
cold will flow
will be cooler
o
o
o
to the object
without
18 C.
18 C.
of 18 C
with the lowest
knowing their
specific heat
specific heat
capacity.
capacities.
9. A student throws their physics text vertically upward. As the textbook rises, which of the
following quantities increases?
a) mechanical
energy
b) speed c) acceleration d) kinetic
energy
e) gravitational potential
energy
10. The frequency range for human hearing is approximately
a) 2 Hz to
2000 Hz.
b) 20 Hz to
20 000 Hz.
c) 200 Hz to
200 000 Hz.
d) 2 Hz to 2 kHz.
e) 2 kHz to 2 MHz.
11. An ambulance races toward you with the siren sounding. The property of sound that accounts
for the siren sounding different as it approaches as compared to when it departs is
a) resonance.
b) a standing
c) frequency
d) nodal lines.
e) the Doppler effect.
wave.
beats.
14. The process of combining two smaller nuclei into one larger nucleus is called . . .
a) nuclear
b) nuclear
c) chemical
d) chemical
e) one heck of an
fusion.
fission.
fusion.
fission.
explosion!
15. Consider the following nuclear reaction and identify the missing entity in the balanced reaction.
232
228
90Th  88Ra + ??
a)
4
2He
b)
0
+1e
0
−1e
c)
d)
16. Which of the following units is a unit for power?
kg m
kg m
kg s
f)
g)
h)
3
s
s
m3
i)
1
0n
e)
Nm
j)
s
1
1p
Jm
s3
17. Which of the following situations represents the correct relationship between the current,
magnetic field and force acting on the conductor?
a)
Force
N
S
b)
Force
S
N
c)
Force
N
S
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d)
e)
Force
N
S
Force
N
S
18. Which of the following compass needles is accurately representing the direction of the magnetic
field associated with this coil?
E
C
A
B
D
a)
A
b) B
c)
C
d) D
e)
E