AP Physics Fall Semester Exam Practice

When a ball is tossed straight up, it momentarily comes to a stop at the top of its path. Is it in equilibrium during this brief moment?

• No, because it is weightless.

• Yes, because there are no net forces acting on it.

• No, because its motion is changing.

• Yes, because it is not moving.

• Yes, because it has no inertia.

A hockey puck slides across the ice at a constant speed. Is it in equilibrium?

• No, because friction is slowing it down.

• No, because it is moving.

• No, because it has inertia.

• Yes, because there are no net forces acting on it.

• Yes, because the ice exerts no forces on it.

A book is at rest on top of a table. Which of the following is correct?

• There is no force acting on the book.

• The book is in equilibrium.

• The inertia of the book is equal to the inertia of the table.

• There is no force acting on the table.

• The book has no inertia.

A parachutist falls toward the Earth's surface at a constant speed. How do the weight of the parachutist and the drag force on the parachute compare?

• There is no connection between the drag force and the weight of the parachutist.

• The drag force must be significantly less than the weight of the parachutist.

• The drag force must be significantly greater than the weight of the parachutist.

• This problem is impossible -- a parachutist cannot fall at a constant speed.

• The drag force must be equal to the weight of the parachutist.

Having made a slight miscalculation, Tarzan the ape man hangs motionless on a vertical grapevine suspended from a tall tree in the depths of the jungle. Which of the following is correct?

• There is no tension in the grapevine.

• Tarzan is in equilibrium.

• Tarzan has no inertia.

• There are no forces acting on Tarzan.

• Tarzan has no weight.

A firefighter slides down a pole at a constant speed. How do the weight of the firefighter and the force of friction between the firefighter and the pole compare?

• This problem is impossible -- a firefighter cannot slide at a constant speed.

• The frictional force must be significantly less than the weight of the firefighter.

• There is no connection between the frictional force and the weight of the firefighter.

• The frictional force must be equal to the weight of the firefighter.

• The frictional force must be significantly greater than the weight of the firefighter.

A painter weighing 750 newtons stands on a single board scaffold that is supported at each end by a vertical rope from above. If one rope has a tension of 500 newtons and the other has a tension of 350 newtons, what is the weight of the board?

• 500 newtons

• 250 newtons

• 600 newtons

• 850 newtons

• 100 newtons

A painter weighing 700 newtons stands on a single board scaffold that is supported at each end by a vertical rope from above. If one rope has a tension of 550 newtons and the other has a tension of 400 newtons, what is the weight of the board?

• 550 newtons

• 300 newtons

• 350 newtons

• 150 newtons

• 250 newtons

A painter weighing 800 newtons stands on a single board scaffold that is supported at each end by a vertical rope from above. If one rope has a tension of 550 newtons and the other has a tension of 450 newtons, what is the weight of the board?

• 250 newtons

• 100 newtons

• 200 newtons

• 350 newtons

• 150 newtons

The property of a moving object to continue moving is what Galileo called

• acceleration.

• speed.

• direction.

• velocity.

• inertia.