Physics Quiz

A passenger in the rear seat of a car moving at a steady speed is at rest relative to

• the side of the road

• a pedestrian on the corner ahead

• the front seat of the car

• the wheels of the car

Which distance can be most accurately measured with a ruler?

• the length of a river

• the width of a book

• the distance between two cities

• the size of an object under a microscope

One kilometer equals 1000 meters. What does the prefix kilo- mean?

• 1

• 10

• 100

• 1000

A person walks 1 mile every day for exercise, leaving her front porch at 9:00 A.M. and returning to her front porch at 9:25 A.M. What is the total displacement of her daily walk?

• 1 mile

• 0

• 25 minutes

• none of the above

A person drives north 3 blocks, then turns east and drives 3 blocks. The driver then turns south and drives 3 blocks. How could the driver have made the distance shorter while maintaining the same displacement?

• by driving east 3 blocks from the starting point

• by driving north 1 block and east 4 blocks

• by driving west 3 blocks from the starting point

• by driving back to the starting point by the same route

A ball is rolled uphill a distance of 3 meters before it slows, stops, and begins to roll back. The ball rolls downhill 6 meters before coming to rest against a tree. What is the magnitude of the ball’s displacement?

• 3 meters

• 6 meters

• 9 meters

• 18 meters

Displacement vectors of 1 km south, 3 km north, 6 km south, and 2 km north combine to a total displacement of

• 12 km

• 6 km

• 4 km

• 2 km

What is the most appropriate SI unit to express the speed of a cyclist in the last leg of a 10-km race?

• km/s

• km/h

• m/s

• cm/h

Speed is the ratio of the distance an object moves to

• the amount of time needed to travel the distance.

• the direction the object moves.

• the displacement of the object.

• the motion of the object.

Instantaneous speed is measured

• at the starting point.

• when the object reaches its destination.

• at a particular instant.

• over the duration of the trip.