Physics Final Exam Review
Momentum
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Know the definition of momentum.
Know the Law of Conversation of Momentum
Know Impulse
Know what happens when objects collide elastically and inelastically
Energy
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Know the definitions of Work, Power, Energy
Know the Law of Conservation of Energy and how to apply it
Know the difference between Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy
Know the difference between mass and weight
Thermal Energy
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Know the definition of Temperature
Know Absolute Zero
Know the difference between the Celsius and Kelvin scales
Know how heat is transferred between objects (Thermal Equilibrium)
Know the difference between a conductor and an insulator
Know the definition of entropy
Know conduction, convection, and radiation
Know the properties of specific heat. Know which substance has a higher specific heat
between copper and steel
Electricity
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Know Ohm’s Law
Know how the following properties affect resistance in a circuit: length of wire, thickness
of wire, temperature, conductivity of material
Know the difference between a series circuit and parallel circuit
Magnetism
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Know the properties of magnets
Know the difference between the geographic poles and the magnetic poles here on Earth
Know the properties of electrical currents and magnetic fields
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Know what happens when you place current carrying loops in the same direction and in
opposite directions
Know the definition of a solenoid
Know the properties of a solenoid
Waves/ Sound/ Light
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Know the difference between constructive interference and destructive interference
Know the definitions of frequency and period and how to apply those definitions to word
problems
Know the definition of refraction and what it looks like
Know the definition of reflection and what it looks like
Know the relationship between frequency and wavelength
Know the Visible Light spectrum (which colors are low frequency and which colors are
high frequency)
Know the colors that are made when you mix the primary colors of light
Know the properties of seeing color (if I see a blue shirt, what color is being reflected)
Know the definition of polarization and what it looks like
Nuclear
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Know the purpose of a neutron
Know the properties of alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays
Know the properties of nuclear fission
Know the properties of nuclear fusion
Know what happens during Alpha decay and Beta decay
Example Problems
M1V1 = M2V2
1. Two ice skaters stand facing each other. Melissa (60 kg) pushes off of Brandon
(85kg). If Melissa moves backward at a velocity of 2.3 m/s, what is Brandon’s final
velocity?
2. A billiard ball strikes a stationary billiard ball and comes to a stop. What is the velocity
of the second billiard ball after the collision?
3. If two blocks of equal mass are traveling with equal and opposite velocity collide
inelastically, what is their final velocity?
4. Car A has a larger mass than car B. If they are pushed toward each other at the same
velocity, which direction will they move after an inelastic collision?
5. Car A and B have the same mass, but Car B is traveling twice as fast as Car A. What
direction will they move after an inelastic collision?
6. A city’s water tower has a capacity of 2.0 x 103 kg of water. A pump is filling the water
F=ma
tower to an average height of 15m. How much work is done by the pump to fill the
W=Fd
tower?
7. How high can a mechanical lift, lift a 100 kg grand piano if it can produce a maximum of
work load of 2600 J.
F=ma
8. What is the weight of a 87 kg crate?
9. What work is done to lift the above crate a distance of 15 m? W=Fd
P=W/t
10. How much power is there if this is accomplished in 20 seconds?
V=IR
11. What is the voltage of a circuit with 0.4 amps of current and 15 Ω of resistance?
12. What is the current of a circuit that is hooked up to a 9V battery and a 50 Ω resistor?
13. A test bomb is detonated in a remote New Mexico desert. A family, living 4 km away,
hears the blast 35 seconds later. What is the velocity of the sound wave produced by the
v=d/t
bomb?
14. Vanessa is trapped in a building and calls you for help. You set off an explosion and ask
Vanessa to count the seconds until she hears the explosion from her location. After you
tell Vanessa to start counting, she counts 2 seconds until she hears the explosion. If
sound travels at 353 m/s, how far away is Vanessa?
15. Show what happens to a Berkelium atom that undergoes alpha decay.
16. Show what happens to an Einsteinium atom that undergoes beta decay.
17. Look at the diagram above. Is this a series or parallel circuit? What is the total resistance
running through the circuit? What is the current running through the entire circuit?
Rtotal= R1+ R2 + R3
V=IR
18. Look at the diagram above. Is this a series or parallel circuit? What is the total resistance
running through the circuit? What is the current running through the entire circuit?
1/Rtotal= 1/R1+ 1/R2 + 1/R3
V=IR