IB PHYSICS HL
MULTIPLE CHOICE REVIEW
KINEMATICS
1.
The diagram below shows the path of a projectile in the absence of air resistance.
Vertical
position
Horizontal position
Which one of the following diagrams best represents the path of the projectile under the same
initial conditions when the air resistance is taken into account? (The path in absence of air
resistance is shown for comparison as a dotted line.)
A.
B.
Vertical
position
Vertical
position
Horizontal position
C.
Horizontal position
D.
Vertical
position
Vertical
position
Horizontal position
Horizontal position
(1)
2.
A sailing boat is moving with constant velocity v to the right parallel to the dock.
Sailor Hulot, up on the mast, drops his telescope at the moment he is opposite Lucie who is
standing on the dock. Which one of the following best shows the path of the falling telescope as
seen by Lucie?
A.
B.
C.
D.
(1)
1
3.
A car is heading due East at a speed of 10 m s−1. A bird is flying due North at a speed of
4 m s−1, as shown below.
N
W
4ms
E
–1
S
Car
Bird
10 m s–1
Which one of the following vectors represents the velocity of the bird relative to a person in the
car?
A.
B.
C.
D.
(1)
4.
A stone is thrown from O at an angle to the horizontal. Which sketch below best shows the path
of the stone when air resistance is not neglected? On each sketch, the broken line shows the
path for the same stone in a vacuum.
A.
B.
O
C.
O
D.
O
O
2
(1)
5.
A ball is dropped from rest at time t = 0 on to a horizontal surface from which it rebounds.
Which one of the following graphs best shows the variation of speed v of the ball with time t
from the time t = 0 to the time that the ball leaves the surface?
A.
B.
v
0
C.
v
0
D.
v
0
0
t
0
t
0
t
0
t
v
0
(1)
6.
Which one of the following is a true statement concerning the vertical component of the
velocity and the acceleration of a projectile when it is at its maximum height? (The acceleration
of free fall is g.)
Vertical component of velocity
Acceleration
A.
maximum
zero
B.
maximum
g
C.
zero
zero
D.
zero
g
(1)
3
7.
A stone X is thrown vertically upwards with speed v from the top of a building. At the same
time, a second stone Y is thrown vertically downwards with the same speed v as shown.
v
X
Y
v
Building
Air resistance is negligible. Which one of the following statements is true about the speeds with
which the stones hit the ground at the base of the building?
A.
The speed of stone X is greater than that of stone Y.
B.
The speed of stone Y is greater than that of stone X.
C.
The speed of stone X is equal to that of stone Y.
D.
Any statement about the speeds depends on the height of the building.
(1)
8.
The minute hand of a clock hung on a vertical wall has length L.
P
L
The minute hand is observed at the time shown above and then again, 30 minutes later.
What is the displacement of, and the distance moved by, the end P of the minute hand during
this time interval?
displacement
distance moved
A.
2L vertically downwards
πL
B.
2L vertically upwards
πL
C.
2L vertically downwards
2L
D.
2L vertically upwards
2L
(1)
4
9.
A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a cliff. Air resistance is negligible. Which of the
following diagrams best represents the subsequent path of the ball?
A.
B.
C.
D.
(1)
10.
A ball is held at rest in air. The ball is then released. Which one of the following graphs best
shows the variation with time t of the distance d fallen by the ball?
A. d
0
B. d
0
t
C. d
0
0
0
t
0
t
D. d
0
t
0
(1)
5
11.
A boy throws a small stone at an angle to the horizontal.
Which one of the following sketches best shows the path of the stone as it rises and then falls
back to Earth? Air resistance is negligible and the acceleration of free fall is constant.
A.
B.
C.
D.
(1)
12.
A stone is thrown at an angle to the horizontal. Ignoring air resistance, the horizontal component
of the initial velocity of the stone determines the value of
A.
range only.
B.
maximum height only.
C.
range and maximum height.
D.
range and time of flight.
(1)
13.
The graph below shows the variation with time t of the acceleration a of a spaceship.
a
0
0
T
t
The spaceship is at rest at t = 0.
The shaded area represents
A.
the distance travelled by the spaceship between t = 0 and t = T.
B.
the speed of the spaceship at t = T.
C.
the rate at which the speed of the spaceship changes between t = 0 and t = T.
D.
the rate at which the acceleration changes between t = 0 and t = T.
6
14.
A stone is projected horizontally from the top of a cliff. Neglecting air resistance, which one of
the following correctly describes what happens to the horizontal component of velocity and to
the vertical component of velocity?
Horizontal component of velocity
Vertical component of velocity
A.
Decreases
Increases
B.
Decreases
Constant
C.
Constant
Constant
D.
Constant
Increases
(1)
15.
An archer shoots an arrow at an angle to the horizontal. Air resistance is negligible. Which of
the following graphs best represents the variation with time of the horizontal component of the
arrow’s velocity from the time it is launched to the time just before it hits the ground?
A.
velocity
B.
velocity
0 0
0
C.
0
time
velocity
D.
0
0
time
time
velocity
0
0
time
(1)
7
16.
The graph below shows how a quantity y varies with time t for a falling object.
y
0
0
t
Which one of the following quantities could be represented by y?
A.
Speed when air resistance is negligible
B.
Speed when air resistance is not negligible
C.
Distance moved from rest when air resistance is negligible
D.
Distance moved from rest when air resistance is not negligible
(1)
17.
A stone is thrown with speed v from the top of a cliff of height H, as shown below.
h
v
cliff
H
sea
The stone is thrown at an angle to the horizontal so that it rises to a height h above the top of the
cliff before falling into the sea. The acceleration of free fall is g. Air resistance is negligible.
Which one of the following expressions gives correctly the speed of the stone as it hits the sea?
A.
v
2 gh
B.
v
2 gH 
C.
2 g h  H 
D.
v
2
 2 gH

(1)
8
18.
A ball is thrown vertically upwards at time t = 0. Air resistance is not negligible and the
acceleration of free fall is g. The ball reaches a maximum height at time t = T and then
descends, reaching a terminal speed.
Which graph best shows the variation with time t of the acceleration a of the ball?
A. a
g
0
B. a
g
0
T
0
t
–g
–g
C. a
g
D. a
g
0
0
T
0
t
0
T
t
0
T
t
–g
–g
(1)
19.
A ball rolls off a horizontal table with velocity v. It lands on the ground a time T later at a
distance D from the foot of the table as shown in the diagram below. Air resistance is negligible.
v
table
D
A second heavier ball rolls off the table with velocity v. Which one of the following is correct
for the heavier ball?
Time to land
Distance from table
A.
T
D
B.
T
less than D
C.
less than T
D
D.
less than T
less than D
(1)
9
20.
A projectile is fired from the ground at time t = 0. It lands back on the ground at time t = T.
Which of the following sketch graphs best shows the variation with time t of the vertical speed
VV and horizontal speed VH of the projectile? Air resistance is negligible.
A.
B.
VH
speed
VH
speed
VV
VV
0
0
T
0
t
0
T
t
T
t
D.
C.
speed
speed
VH
VV
0
0
VH
T
VV
0
0
t
(1)
21.
Two forces P and Q act at a point X. The individual forces are represented in magnitude and
direction in the diagram below.
Which of the following diagrams best shows the value of S, where S = (P – Q)?
B.
A.
P
P
Q
S
S
Q
S
D.
C.
Q
Q
P
S
P
(1)
10
22.
Two identical metal spheres X and Y are released at the same time from the same height above
the horizontal ground. Sphere X falls vertically from rest. Sphere Y is projected horizontally as
shown below.
X
Y
ground
Air resistance is negligible.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A.
Sphere X hits the ground before sphere Y because it travels a shorter distance.
B.
Sphere Y hits the ground before sphere X because its initial velocity is greater.
C.
The spheres hit the ground at the same time because horizontal motion does not affect
vertical motion.
D.
The spheres hit the ground at the same time because they have equal weights.
(1)
23.
The graph below shows the variation with time t of the acceleration a of a body moving in a
straight-line.
a
0
0
t1
t2
t
The shaded area represents
A.
the change in velocity from t1 to t2.
B.
the velocity at t2.
C.
the average velocity between t1 and t2.
D.
the velocity at t1.
(1)
11
24.
A particle is projected horizontally with speed v from a height H. It lands a horizontal distance R
from the point of launch as shown in the diagram below.
v
H
R
A second particle is projected horizontally from the same height with speed 2v. Neglecting air
resistance the horizontal distance travelled by this particle is
A.
B.
R.
2R.
C.
2R.
D.
4R.
(1)
25.
A stone is thrown from the top of a cliff with speed v at an angle θ above the horizontal, as
shown.
cliff
Air resistance is negligible and the acceleration of free fall is g.
What is the horizontal velocity of the stone a time t after the stone has been thrown?
A.
v sinθ
B.
v sinθ – gt
C.
v cosθ
D.
v cosθ – gt
(1)
12
26.
The graph below shows the variation with time t of the acceleration a of an object from t = 0 to
t = T.
a
0
0
T
t
The shaded area under the graph represents change in
A.
displacement.
B.
velocity.
C.
momentum.
D.
kinetic energy.
(1)
27.
The diagram below shows the trajectory of a ball thrown into the air. There is no air resistance.
trajectory of ball
A
X
B
C
D
Which arrow gives the direction of the resultant force on the ball at the point X?
A.
A
B.
B
C.
C
D.
D
(1)
13
28.
The graph below shows the variation with time t of the velocity v of an object moving on a
straight-line.
Which of the graphs below best represents the variation with time t of the acceleration a of the
object?
(1)
14
MARK SCHEME!
1.
A
[1]
2.
C
[1]
3.
B
[1]
4.
B
[1]
5.
A
[1]
6.
D
[1]
7.
C
[1]
8.
A
[1]
9.
A
[1]
10.
D
[1]
11.
C
[1]
12.
A
[1]
13.
B
[1]
14.
D
[1]
15.
C
[1]
16.
B
[1]
17.
D
[1]
18.
C
[1]
15
19.
A
[1]
20.
B
[1]
21.
A
[1]
22.
C
[1]
23.
A
[1]
24.
C
[1]
25.
C
[1]
26.
B
[1]
27.
D
[1]
28.
A
[1]
16