conceptual physics pre-test
69 Question(s)
Test ID: 104212
Name:__________________________
Date:__________________
1) The following table gives the position of a boat at various times.
What is the average velocity of the boat over the time interval shown?
A.
B.
C.
D.
- 12.5 m/s
- 1.25 m/s
1.25 m/s
12.5 m/s
2) Four cities all lie along a straight line as shown in the diagram. A delivery driver
departs from City B, drives to City D, and then Drives to City A. The total time for the
trip is 0.70 hours.
What is the driver's average speed during the described trip?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7.1 mi/hr
30 mi/hr
52.9 mi/hr
60 mi/hr
3) Four cities all lie along a straight line as shown in the diagram. A delivery driver
departs from City B, drives to City D, and then Drives to City A. The total time for the
trip is 0.70 hours.
What is the driver's average velocity during the described trip?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7.1 mi/hr
30 mi/hr
52.9 mi/hr
60 mi/hr
4) Four cities all lie along a straight line as shown in the diagram. A delivery driver
departs from City B, drives to City D, and then Drives to City A. The total time for the
trip is 0.70 hours.
What is the dirver's displacement at the end of the described trip?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5 miles
37 miles
21 miles
11 miles
5) The diagram represents the position of two bowling balls (A & B) with one-second
intervals. The arrows are 2.0 meters apart.
What was the average velocity of ball B?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
5.0 m/s
4.0 m/s
2.5 m/s
2.0 m/s
1.25 m/s
6) One of the oldest rides at an amusement park is the Merry-go-round. It is favorite of
very young children, but not exciting enough for high school age students. There is still
much physics that can be studied with the Merry-go-round. Consider the following
Merry-go-round. The inner radius of the rider's platform is 10 ft. The outer radius is 20
ft. There are four rows of animals to ride in that 10 foot distance on the platform. When
the Merry-go-round is moving at full speed it takes just 40 seconds to make a complete
rotation. Some of the horses on the Merry-go-round move up and down in a periodic manner.
The horse on the innermost row of animals is located 12.0 ft from the center of rotation.
The horse on the outermost row of animals is located 18.0 ft from the center of rotation.
Answer the following as it relates to the above.
The kinetic energy of a person riding on the inner row as compared to the kinetic energy
of the same person riding on the outer row
A.
B.
C.
D.
is
is
is
is
the same
equal to
equal to
equal to
since they both take the same time to make one revolution
the ratio of their respective radii of rotation
the inverse ratio of their respective radii of rotation
the ratio of the square of their respective radii of rotation
7) Galileo performed experiments to determine the relationship between velocity and
acceleration using his own pulse as a timing device. Modern equipment is much better that
anything Galileo had available. Which statement describes the process that modern
scientists use?
A. Scientists must repeat Galileo’s work in each new experiment in order to use the most
recent measurements available.
B. Scientists can use the relationships discovered by Galileo because basic relationships
are true regardless of the measurements made.
C. Scientists can use the relationships discovered by Galileo because scientific
knowledge builds on past knowledge.
D. Scientists must repeat Galileo’s work in each new experiment because scientific
knowledge can change with new information.
8) The following table gives the position of a boat at various times.
How can the motion of the boat best be described?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The boat
The boat
The boat
There is
has a constant, non-zero velocity
has zero velocity, but non-zero acceleration
has a constant, non-zero acceleration
insufficient data here to accurately describe the boat's motion
9) One of the easier rides at a local amusement park is the steam engine driven train. The
train follows the track shown in the diagram below. The total length of the track is 1.4
miles. It takes the train 12.0 minutes to cover the length of the track. The train takes
4 sec. from stop to reach its speed, which it then maintains through the entire course
until it takes 6 sec. to stop back at the station.
Answer the following question as it relates to the above.
The
A.
B.
C.
D.
of the train during the 12 minute ride is
zero
11.7 mi/hr
7/0 mi/hr
10.3 ft/s
10) Which graph below represents the motion of an object with non-constant acceleration?
A.
B.
C.
D.
11) Jane is driving north at 20 m/s. Betty is driving south at 15 m/s. How would the
observed motion of each driver compare, relative to each other?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Each
Each
Jane
Jane
driver observes the other at 35 m/s, relative to herself
driver observes the other at 5 m/s, relative to herself
sees Betty driving at 20 m/s; Betty sees Jane driving at 15 m/s
sees Betty driving at 15 m/s; Betty sees Jane driving at 20 m/s
12) An airplane drops a rescue pack to a group of stranded hikers.
What type of path do the hikers observe that the packet follows?
A. The packet falls
B. The packet takes
C. The packet flies
downward
D. The packet falls
straight down vertically from the plane
a straight diagonally downward path
horizontally with the plane for a time and then falls diagonally
downward in a parabola-shaped path
13) Person A standing on the sidewalk observes car Z moving at a constant velocity. Person B
inside a car moving the opposite direction at a constant velocity also observes car Z.
Which graph shows how the observations made by person A and person B might compare?
A.
B.
C.
D.
14) Person A standing on the sidewalk observes a moving car, Z. Person B inside a car moving
the opposite direction also observes car Z. How would the observations of person A and
person B compare?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Person A observes the
Person B observes the
Both people will make
Both people will make
‘true’ velocity of the car because he is not moving.
‘true’ velocity of the car because she is also moving.
exactly the same observations because car Z only has one speed.
different but equally valid observations of the car’s motion.
15) Which of the situations below shows the concept of frames of reference having the
greatest effect on human life?
A. Passengers in an airplane notice the ground seems to fall away beneath the plane
during takeoff.
B. Astronauts notice that objects in the capsule with them seem weightless and float when
released.
C. A circus performer drops from a swinging bar into the back of a moving truck during a
live performance.
D. A person on the roadside sees a ball dropped out the window follow a forward curved
path to the ground.
16) The diagram shows various forces acting on a box. You know that F1 = F3 and that F2 =
F4. Which equation below best describes the motion of the box?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Velocity = 0 m/s
Acceleration = 0 m/s2
Velocity = 0 m/s and Acceleration = 0 m/s2
The forces are not balanced.
17) Which is an example of Newton’s first law applied to human life?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The cruise control on a car maintains a constant velocity.
A car’s brakes bring it to an emergency stop in an accident.
One tug-of-war team slowly overpowers the other team.
Astronauts notice that objects in the capsule with them seem weightless and float when
released.
18) A parachutist in free fall first reaches terminal velocity
A.
B.
C.
D.
at the time of collision with the earth
when the force of gravity is greater than the air resistance
when the force of gravity is just balanced by the air resistance
after the parachute is opened
19) Based on his observations, Aristotle taught that objects stopped moving because it was
‘natural’ for them to do so. Many hundreds of years later, Newton made other
observations and explained motion in terms of forces acting on objects. Which statement
best explains how modern scientists view Aristotle’s and Newton’s ideas?
A. Aristotle was correct because almost everything that moves stops without any help from
outside forces.
B. Newton was correct because he had better ways to make measurements to explain what he
observed happening.
C. Newton is more correct because scientific knowledge builds on past knowledge as new
information is learned.
D. Neither is correct by today’s standards because we now have access to technology to
make very precise measurements.
20) The diagram shows various forces acting on a box. As a result of the forces, the box
does NOT accelerate. Which of the equations below best expresses the relationship
between forces?
A.
B.
C.
D.
F1
F1
F1
F2
=
=
=
=
F3
F3
F3
F4
and F2 = F4
= F2 = F4
only
only
21) As you ride an elevator from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor, what forces do you
experience?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Gravity is the only force you experience.
Gravity and the force of the elevator accelerating and decelerating.
No forces because you move at a constant speed.
Only the force of the elevator accelerating.
22) A Pendulum is swinging back and forth. When the pendulum reaches the bottom of the swing
we could draw the forces acting on the pendulum. Which of the following diagrams would
show the forces acting on the pendulum?
A.
B.
C.
D.
23) A steel block is pulled along a steel surface. An experiment is conducted that compares
the forces needed to overcome friction when the weight is changed. Which graph depicts
the change in frictional force of the smooth steel surface?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
24) A Pendulum is swinging back and forth. When the pendulum reaches the top of the swing we
could draw the forces acting on the pendulum. Which of the following diagrams would show
the forces acting on the pendulum?
A.
B.
C.
D.
25) A police officer is investigating an automobile accident. He wants to know the speed of
the vehicle before the impact. Which of the following diagrams would show all the
possible forces acting on the car and could be used by the officer to determine the
speed of the vehicle before the impact?
A.
B.
C.
D.
26) Which is an example of Newton’s second law affecting human life?
A.
B.
C.
D.
An airplane cruises at a constant altitude and speed.
A physics student pushes a lawn mower at a constant velocity.
A bicyclist uses a scientifically designed bike to reduce wind drag.
A person sits on a table.
27) A box is at rest on a hill. What is the correct vector diagram?
A.
B.
C.
D.
28) Forces act on an object on a hill as shown in the diagram. What conclusion can be made
about the object's motion?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The
The
The
The
object is motionless because the forces are balanced
object will accelerate down the hill because there is insufficient friction
object will accelerate up the hill due to the force pulling on it that direction
diagram is too inconclusive to draw any conclusions from
29) You want to know the acceleration of an elevator when it starts to move up to the next
floor. Which of the following could you use to measure the acceleration of the elevator?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
A
A
A
bathroom scale
balance
meter stick
stop watch
30) Using a force plate (bathroom scale connected to a computer) on an elevator as it goes
down from one floor to another, you create the following graph:
Which of the following is an inference and not a factual statement?
A. The acceleration of the elevator is greater when starting out than when stopping.
B. The acceleration of the elevator is 0 at 20 seconds.
C. The elevator would experience the same acceleration returning to the floor it started
on
D. The force a person experiences at 20 seconds is only that of gravity.
31) Scientists generally accept Newton’s 3rd Law of motion. We are able to study the effects
of forces and show how they come in pairs that are equal and opposite. Why is this so?
A. Advances in technology have allowed for better measurements that continue to support
the law.
B. It has simply been around for so long no one dares challenge it.
C. Newton was brilliant and did not rely on past observations or previous primitive
measurements.
D. Newton’s 3rd Law has actually been proven false with advanced technology.
32) Newton refuted many earlier scientific ideas about motion when he developed his three
laws of motion. Which statement explains why we currently use Newton’s laws instead of
the earlier ones?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Newton’s Laws are based on observation and evidence.
Science revises old theories from time to time to modernize them.
Natural laws operate the same now as in the past.
Many people use Newton’s laws, not just scientists, so they are accepted.
33) Which is an example of Newton’s third law affecting human life?
A. Skis and snowboards glide gently over the surface on a snow covered mountain.
B. Car manufacturers install air bags in cars to slow people down more gently than seat
belts.
C. The force of a cold wind is blocked by heavy clothing providing extra insulation for
people in cold weather.
D. The anchorage at the top of the cable of an elevator must have as much force as the
weight of the elevator car.
34) Newton refuted many earlier ideas about motion when he developed his three laws of
motion. Which statement describes the process Newton used?
A. He knew his ideas were superior to the old ones so he threw the old ideas out.
B. Newton used the only correct scientific method of problem research, hypothesis,
procedure, test, conclusion
C. Natural laws are the same in the past, present, and future but Newton discovered them.
D. Newton performed experiments and recorded his observations and analyzed both the old
and new evidence.
35) Throughout history people have developed elaborate explanations to describe observations
of the physical world. Newton proposed simpler explanations to describe the motions of
objects, subject to a few basic rules. Why have Newton's laws achieved such importance
in our current understanding of the world?
A. Before Newton, people were uneducated and superstitious. We have come to understand
that their knowledge was therefore limited. We can discredit the old explanations for
this reason.
B. Newton was a rich nobleman who had more time to ponder his own ideas and then had the
money and prestige needed to publish his work and see that it was given importance
over the old ideas.
C. We have come to understand that new ideas are generally superior to old ideas, even if
it sometimes takes a long time for the new one to be accepted by everyone. Soon
Einstein will be more important than Newton.
D. New ideas are accepted only after being tested and tried against observations. Newton
was no exception. His ideas have stood the test of time and better alternatives have
not come along yet.
36) Geologists and oceanographers understand that tides are the result of gravitational
attractions between the moon and the water on the earth. The sun also has an effect on
the tides but its influence is less than half that of the moon. What would geology teach
about this?
A. The closer distance of the moon increases its gravity, since geologists use the same
evidence as physicists.
B. The closer distance of the moon increases its gravity, but geologists would not know
this.
C. The gravitational constant is different for the moon than for the sun, since
geologists use the same evidence as physicists.
D. The gravitational constant is different for the moon than for the sun, but geologists
would not know this.
37) If an astronaut took a rocket ship to Mars what would change?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Width of astronaut
Mass of astronaut
Height of astronaut
Weight of astronaut
38) Can Newton’s law of universal gravitation be used to calculate your weight on Jupiter
(if you could actually stand on the surface)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Yes – the value of gravity is the same everywhere.
Yes – the natural laws operate the same everywhere.
No – the value of gravity changes from place to place.
No – natural laws operate differently in different places.
39)
What would be the force between the objects shown above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5.9x10-9N
88.8N
7.99x1011N
9.8N
40)
In order for the force to be 1N what would the distance for these objects have to be?
A.
B.
C.
D.
1.35x1011m
1.16x107m
.001mm
.001m
41) Which example best describes how knowledge of the science of the electric force affects
everyday human life?
A. Lightning rods let charge leak off of a structure, thus preventing a build up of the
opposite charge from a cloud and preventing the dangerous discharge between them known
as lightning.
B. Doorbells and CD player motors use magnetism to move objects in a linear or rotational
fashion.
C. The mass of a skydiver and the mass of the earth, both affect the force between them
during the dive.
D. In the 1700's, Charles Coulomb made intricate measurements on charged spheres to
discover a relationship between force, charge, and distance now known as Coulomb's
Law.
42) The force between two static charges is +4N. The force is:
A. repulsive
B. attractive
C. can't tell
43) Two electrical charges are shown in the diagram.
How would the strength of the electrostatic force change if Q2 were halved?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The
The
The
The
electrical
electrical
electrical
electrical
force
force
force
force
would
would
would
would
be
be
be
be
twice as strong
half as strong
4 times as strong
¼ as strong
44) What will have a greater effect on the electric force?
A.
B.
C.
D.
45) Given that the charge on a single electron is approx. 1.6x10-19 Coulombs and k=9x109,
what would be the repulsive force between these two electrons shown?
A.
B.
C.
D.
46) What is the type and amount of energy in a wrecking ball weighing 100 pounds suspended
100 feet above the ground?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Accumulative energy of 1,000 lbs/ft
Floatational energy of 1,000 lbs
Kinetic energy of 5,000 ft. lbs
Potential energy of 10,000 ft. lbs
Weight energy of 10,000 lbs
47) A 5 kg box is at the top of a 2.7 m tall frictionless incline as shown in the diagram.
It slides to the bottom of the incline, reaching a speed of 7.3 m/s. What is the box’s
kinetic energy at the bottom of the incline?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7.3 J
18.3 J
58.3 J
133 J
48) A 5 kg box is at the top of a 2.7 m tall frictionless incline as shown in the diagram.
It slides to the bottom of the incline, reaching a speed of 7.3 m/s. What type of
potential energy does the box have at the top of the incline?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Chemical
Gravitational
Electrostatic
Elastic
49) The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed.
Which of the following correctly restates this law for the box on the wooden ramp?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The height of the ramp transforms into speed as the box slides down the ramp.
No heat is generated or lost as the box slides down the ramp.
The total amount of energy is the same at any point along the ramp.
The gravitational potential energy of the box at the top is equal to its kinetic
energy at the bottom.
50) A 5 kg box is at the top of a frictionless incline as shown in the diagram. It slides to
the bottom of the incline. What is the potential energy of the box at the top of the ramp?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7.3 J
18.3 J
58.3 J
133 J
51) How does the production of electrical energy affect social aspects of human life?
A. 200 years ago long distance communication was only as fast as a fast horse or ship.
B. Burning fossil fuels produces gasses that contribute to greenhouse effects.
C. The number of species has declined as a result of electrical transmission lines
spanning the country.
D. Since nuclear energy has become popular, the number of hydroelectric power plants has
decreased
52)
A.
B.
C.
D.
53) How does the production of electrical energy affect environmental issues directly
related to human life?
A.
B.
C.
D.
54)
Creating a dam floods a canyon, displacing
Central air conditioners can leak freon if
Wood-burning stoves used to heat buildings
Boy Scouts camping destroy the environment
the residents.
not properly maintained.
pollute the air.
for other campers.
A.
B.
C.
D.
55) At a hydroelectric dam, the head engineer calculates that there are 7,291,346 joules of
gravitational potential energy available in the water stored behind the dam. A
technician at the dam measures the electrical energy output to be 2,861,039 joules.
Which statement is best supported by this evidence?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Useful energy is NOT lost when it is transformed from mechanical to electrical.
The dam will burst at any moment and an evacuation warning should be issued.
People in many professions use scientific methods as a way of understanding the world.
The dam has environmental impacts that cannot be assessed by science alone.
56) Which statement below accurately describes an energy transformation used by people to
improve human life?
A. All of the chemical potential energy of the gasoline used
kinetic energy
B. The electrical potential energy possessed by the water in
kinetic energy of the water
C. The gravitational potential energy possessed by the water
electrical energy
D. The kinetic energy of a train is converted to heat as the
cars
by a car is converted to
a river is converted to the
behind a dam is converted to
train stops to take on more
57) The gasoline in a car’s gas tank contains 1,350,000 J of chemical potential energy. The
car’s engine converts this to 450,000 J of kinetic energy as the car travels down the
road. How much energy is apparently lost?
A.
B.
C.
D.
450,000 J
900,000 J
1,350,000 J
1,800,000 J
58) In the 1700’s, scientist and engineer James Watt made several important improvements to
the steam engine. Which choice below describes the energy transformations in the steam
engine and the practice of science?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
B
C
D
59) At a hydroelectric dam, the head engineer calculates that there are 7,291,346 joules of
gravitational potential energy available in the water stored behind the dam. A
technician at the dam measures the electrical energy output to be 2,861,039 joules.
Which statement is best supported by this evidence?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Useful energy is lost in the energy transformations within the dam’s power plant.
The power plant is functioning at a very low efficiency and should be abandoned.
The dam is harming wildlife habitat and a committee should evaluate the damage.
The power plant transforms mechanical to electrical energy and transmits it to people.
60) The __________ of a sound determines its loudness.
A.
B.
C.
D.
amplitude
resonance
timbre
frequency
61) A water wave in a ripple tank is moving at a speed of 10 cm/s with a wavelength of 4.0
cm. It moves into a new area of the ripple tank where the wavelength of the wave is 3.2
cm. The speed of the water wave in the new area is
A.
B.
C.
D.
12.5 cm/s
10 cm/s
8.0 cm/s
1.28 cm/s
62) A ray of light strikes a lake at 35 degrees with the normal. What is the angle between
the reflected ray and the lake?
A.
B.
C.
D.
15
35
55
75
degrees
degrees
degrees
degrees
63) Scientists know that waves can interfere constructively and destructively. How has this
understanding has affected our lives?
A.
B.
C.
D.
the
the
the
the
creation
creation
creation
creation
of
of
of
of
sound
noise
rooms
sound
recorders
canceling technologies
with louder echoes
transmitters
64) In an experiment, you adjust the frequency of a wave and measure the resulting
wavelengths. You obtain the following data:
What statement best describes the relationship between the variables?
A. Frequency and wavelength are directly proportional
B. Frequency and wavelength are not proportional
C. Frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional
65) Sound bounces off a surface and creates an echo. Light reflects off a mirror. By
comparing both of these phenomena what can you conclude?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Light and sound have completely different characteristics and nothing can be concluded
Light shows behavior of waves, but sound does not.
They both show behavior of waves.
Light and sound are exactly the same thing.
66) James Clerk Maxwell’s discovery and definition of electromagnetic waves lead to?
A. the ability to communicate over great distances without a wire
B. the ability to find and locate objects under the water
C. the ability to communication over great distances over a wire
D. the ability to take pictures of bones to diagnose when you have broken a bone
67) Marie Curie was a Polish scientist who worked with radiation. She isolated the
radioactive elements radium, thorium, and polonium. Why is her discovery important to
people?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Her
Her
Her
Her
work
work
work
work
has lead to the development of the computer.
has lead to the use of radiation treatments for cancer.
proved radioactivity was too dangerous to ever be used by people.
has lead to the use of the auto-focus camera.
68) You are conducting an experiment using a laser. You need to know the wavelength of light
coming from the laser. Which of the following could you use to measure the wavelength of
light?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
A
A
A
telescope
diffraction grating
mass spectrometer
light meter
69) Which of the following is not a characteristic of a gamma ray?
A.
B.
C.
D.
has a low frequency
has a great amount of energy
is an electromagnetic wave
is usually released after alpha and beta decay