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Physics Pre Test

Total questions: 85

Worksheet time: 53mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The following graph models the motion of a hiker.


Which segment on the graph represents the hiker’s greatest speed?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

2.

The following graph models the motion of a hiker.


What is the hiker’s velocity represented by line segment B (t= 2 - 10 seconds).

a)

0.375 m/s

b)

0.6 m/s

c)

2.67 m/s

d)

0 m/s

3.

The following graph models the motion of a car.


What is the car’s acceleration from t = 10 seconds to t = 12 seconds?

a)

2 m/s/s

b)

-2m/s/s

c)

4 m/s/s

d)

-4 m/s/s

4.

The following graph models the motion of a car.


What is the car’s displacement from t = 0-10 seconds?

a)

64 meters

b)

80 meters

c)

72 meters

d)

100 meters

5.

In the study of thermodynamics, which statement is true about the ENTROPY?

a)

Entropy refers to DISORDER, the unusable energy that escapes a system.

b)

Entropy refers to the balance of temperature among two or more systems.

c)

Entropy refers to the average kinetic energy of the molecules.

d)

Entropy refers to the inability to destroy or create energy.

6.

Rank the following samples from greatest kinetic energy of the molecules to least kinetic energy of the molecules:

a)

A > B > C > D

b)

B > A > C > D

c)

B > A > D > C

d)

D > C > B > A

7.

A tuning fork vibrating in air produces sound waves. These waves are best classified as

a)

Transverse, because the air molecules are vibrating parallel to the direction of wave motion

b)

Transverse, because the air molecules are vibrating perpendicular to the direction of wave motion

c)

Longitudinal, because the air molecules are vibrating parallel to the direction of wave motion

d)

Longitudinal, because the air molecules are vibrating perpendicular to the direction of wave motion

8.

Suppose a scientist detects an electromagnetic wave with a frequency higher than those of gamma rays. The scientist labels this wave a Z-ray. Which of the following would always be true of a Z-ray?

a)

A Z-ray would have a lesser amplitude than gamma rays.

b)

A Z-ray would have a greater amplitude than gamma rays.

c)

A Z-ray would have a shorter wavelength than gamma rays.

d)

A Z-ray would have a longer wavelength than gamma rays.

9.

Red light is passed through two narrow slits and forms a pattern of bright and dark lines on a screen. The two wave behaviors primarily responsible for this pattern are:

a)

Resonance and Interference

b)

Diffraction and Interference

c)

Polarization and Doppler Effect

d)

Reflection and Refraction

10.

Doctors often use sonograms rather than X-rays to produce images of interior structures of people. Which of these best describes the advantage of using sound waves rather than X-rays in this situation?

a)

Sound waves travel fast, which allows the doctor to quickly view the image.

b)

Sound waves have no radiation, which reduces the chance of harming the person.

c)

Sound waves stimulate the person's hearing.

d)

Sound waves travel through liquids, which allow them to pass through structures.

11.

Light passes from medium 1 into medium 2 and bends along the path shown below. Which of the following statements is correct?

a)

Medium 1 is less dense than medium 2

b)

Medium 1 is denser than medium 2

c)

The speed of the light is greater in medium 2 than in medium 1.

d)

The frequency of light is greater in medium 1

12.

Consider four charges, A, B, C, D, which exist in a region of space. Charge A attracts B, but B repels C. Charge C repels D, and D is positively charged. What is the sign of charge A?

a)

Negative

b)

Positive

c)

Neutral

d)

All of the charges are positive

13.

A negatively charged plastic tube is brought near a neutral aluminum can sitting on its side. Which of the following statements is true?

a)

The side of the can marked A will become positive and the can will roll toward the tube.

b)

The side of the can marked B will become positive and the can will roll toward the tube.

c)

The side of the can marked A will become negative and the can will roll away from the tube.

d)

The side of the can marked B will become negative and the can will roll away from the tube.

14.

Which of the following diagrams represents resistors connected in series?

a)

Diagram A only

b)

Diagram B only

c)

Diagram C only

d)

Diagrams A and C

15.

What actions could strengthen the electromagnetic field represented in the following image?

a)

Increase the number of turns in the coil

b)

Increase the voltage of the battery

c)

Insert a better temporary magnet

d)

All of the above

16.

An emission spectrum is produced when

a)

Electrons in an excited gas fall down to a lower energy level and release photons

b)

Electrons in an excited gas jump up to a higher energy level and absorb photons

c)

Electrons are released from the outer orbitals of an excited gas

d)

An unstable nucleus releases energy

17.

John turns on an electric fan to keep cool in the summer. Which sequence could describe the process of supplying electrical energy to the fan?

a)

A transformer creates voltage, then a generator changes the voltage, then the motor creates mechanical energy.

b)

The motor creates electricity, the generator induces mechanical energy, and the transformer changes voltage.

c)

The generator creates electricity, the transformer changes the voltage, and the motor creates mechanical energy

d)

The generator creates electricity, the motor changes the voltage, and the transformer turns electrical energy into mechanical energy.

18.

Which one of the following traits or behaviors is an indicator that light is a wave?

a)

Light occupies space.

b)

Light travels at enormous speeds.

c)

Light particles possess mass.

d)

Light is observed to undergo diffraction and interference

19.

Imagine a scientist completes a nuclear experiment and the mass of the products is less than the mass of the reactants. Which answer choice could account for this observation?

a)

Part of the mass was transformed into binding energy.

b)

Part of the mass was destroyed.

c)

The scientist must have measured wrong.

d)

None of the above

20.

What is the branch of science that is concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy? Its subject matter includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms.

a)

kinematics

b)

Classical physics

c)

Modern physics

d)

physics

21.

The degree of refinement in the performance of an operation, or the degree of perfection in the instruments and methods used to obtain a result is called _______________

a)

accuracy

b)

uncertainty

c)

precision

d)

error

22.

What is the process of detecting an unknown physical quantity using standard quantity?

a)

measurement

b)

kinematics

c)

vectors

d)

errors

23.

It is the velocity of an object in motion at a specific point in time. This is determined similarly to average velocity, but we narrow the period of time so that it approaches zero.

a)

instantaneous velocity

b)

instantaneous displacement

c)

instantaneous acceleration

d)

instantaneous resultant

24.

You drive your car from your house all the way to your school which is 50km away. After you are done with classes you drive back through the same route and park exactly where you had your car at the beginning of the day. By the end of the day, what were the distance and displacement of your motion?

a)

Distance=100km, Displacement=0km

b)

Distance=−50km, Displacement=50km

c)

Distance=50km, Displacement=50km

d)

Distance=0km, Displacement=−100km

25.

A student measures the mass, volume, weight, and density of a solid in SI units. Which measurement(s) has/have units that are not a type of derived unit?

a)

Mass and volume

b)

Mass and weight

c)

Weight and density

d)

Only mass

26.

An airplane is in flight. Which of the following is an example of a vector?

a)

None of these are vectors

b)

The angle at which the plane flies

c)

The speed of the plane

d)

The velocity of the plane

27.

The systematic errors are those errors that tend to be in one direction, either positive or negative. Some of the sources of systematic errors are the following EXCEPT

a)

Instrumental errors that arise from the errors due to imperfect design or calibration of the measuring instrument, zero error in the instrument, etc.

b)

Imperfection in experimental technique or procedure.

c)

Unpredictable fluctuations in experimental conditions.

d)

Personal errors that arise due to an individual’s bias, lack of proper setting of the apparatus or individual’s carelessness in taking observations without observing proper precautions.

28.

What uniformly accelerated motion occurs wherein the state of a body moves freely in any manner in the presence of gravity?

a)

acceleration

b)

circular motion

c)

free fall

d)

projectile motion

29.

What path of a massive object in motion follows through space as a function of time?

a)

trajectory

b)

projectile

c)

range

d)

displacement

30.

What is the tendency of all matter to stay still, or, if in motion, to continue moving in the same direction, unless acted upon by an outside force?

a)

inertia

b)

impulse

c)

momentum

d)

trajectory

31.

What is the law of motion that pertains to an external force requiring the body to move in uniform motion?

a)

law of inertia

b)

law of dynamic

c)

law of acceleration

d)

law of ellipse

32.

All of the following statements are true. Which of them is NOT explained by Newton's first law of motion?

a)

A baseball thrown in space will keep moving in the same direction until it hits something.

b)

A ball rolling straight down a tilted plane hill won't veer left or right unless something pushes it.

c)

Dropping a box causes it to accelerate downwards.

d)

A book lying on a desk doesn't start moving without an external force.

33.

You are traveling on an airplane at constant speed of 650mph. Your friend is traveling in his car at a constant speed of 60mph. Who experiences a larger acceleration?

a)

Neither you nor your friend

b)

Your friend

c)

You

d)

Cannot be determined; we must know the force due to friction

34.

You are sitting in a car, at rest, when another car rear ends your vehicle. Why do you and the passengers experience a whiplash, in terms of Newton's laws of motion?

a)

Acceleration is the time derivative of velocity

b)

None of these

c)

A larger/more massive object means a larger inertia

d)

An object at rest tends to stay at rest

35.

Suppose that two people skydive out of a plane. Person A is 40 kg, while person B is 80 kg. After both people open their parachutes, they begin to slow down until they both reach a constant velocity. How does the net force between persons A and B differ?

a)

The net force on person A is four times as great

b)

The net force on person A and B are equal

c)

The net force on person A is twice as great

d)

The net force on person B is four times as great

36.

What law of motion states that the total linear momentum of a closed system remains constant through time, regardless of other possible changes within the system?

a)

equilibrium of particle

b)

conservation of momentum

c)

friction

d)

law of acceleration

37.

What force pertains to the resistance to motion of one object relative to one another?

a)

friction

b)

momentum

c)

work

d)

energy

38.

What is the energy that exists by virtue of the relative positions (configurations) of the objects within a physical system?

a)

kinetic energy

b)

potential energy

c)

mechanical energy

d)

gravitational energy

39.

What principle of work and kinetic energy states that the work done by the sum of all forces acting on a particle equals the change in the kinetic energy of the particle?

a)

Aristotelian’s law

b)

law of inertia

c)

work – energy theorem

d)

power

40.

The same force F pushes in three different ways on a box moving with a velocity v, as the drawings show. Rank the work done by the force F in ascending order (smallest first):

a)

(C, A, B)

b)

(A, C, B)

c)

(B, C, A)

d)

(A, B, C)

41.

In a totally inelastic collision between two objects, all of the following are true, except that __________.

a)

momentum is conserved

b)

the two objects stick together

c)

energy is conserved

d)

kinetic energy is conserved

42.

In an elastic collision, which of the following quantities is not conserved?

a)

Potential energy

b)

Momentum

c)

Kinetic energy

d)

All of these are conserved

43.

Scientists invent a frictionless surface that allows any object to slide without losing energy to friction. How would the energy of a ball change if it were rolled down the side of a bowl made of this frictionless material in a vacuum?

a)

Internal energy would decrease when the ball rolls upward

b)

There would be no change in energy

c)

Potential and kinetic energy would both gradually decrease and eventually become zero

d)

Both kinetic and potential energy would constantly change

44.

What principle in physics states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant irrespective of whatever internal changes may take place with energy disappearing in one form reappearing in another?

a)

conservative force

b)

conservation of energy

c)

non – conservative force

d)

impulse – momentum theorem

45.

What are the forces that are exerted on any part of the system by other objects outside the system?

a)

conservative forces

b)

non-conservative forces

c)

external forces

d)

internal forces

46.

What principle of physics states that for an isolated system, the total momentum before an interaction is equal to the total momentum after the interaction?

a)

conservation of energy

b)

collisions

c)

conservation of momentum

d)

center of mass

47.

What forces are exchanged by the objects in the system?

a)

external forces

b)

internal forces

c)

conservative forces

d)

non-conservative forces

48.

Which of these would NOT be an example of an inelastic collision?

a)

A match scrapes a matchbook and bursts into flame

b)

Two hydrogen atoms fuse together to form a helium atom and gamma radiation

c)

Neutrons fuse with hydrogen atoms in a nuclear reactor core such that kinetic energy is conserved

d)

A man is clapping his hands such that they move with equal, but opposite velocities

49.

Which of the following changes would increase a pendulum's frequency?

a)

Decreasing the angle of displacement

b)

Increasing the angle of displacement

c)

Shortening the length of the pendulum's string

d)

Increasing the length of the pendulum's string

50.

Consider a spring undergoing simple harmonic motion. When the spring is at its maximum velocity __________.

a)

kinetic energy is at a minimum and potential energy is at a maximum

b)

kinetic energy is at a maximum and potential energy is at a minimum

c)

kinetic energy and potential energy are at a minimum

d)

kinetic energy and potential energy are at a maximum

51.

Ignoring air resistance, which of the following is true regarding the motion of a pendulum?

a)

At the bottom of the oscillation potential energy is at a minimum and kinetic energy is at a minimum

b)

At the bottom of the oscillation potential energy is at a minimum and kinetic energy is at a maximum

c)

At the bottom of the oscillation potential energy is at a maximum and kinetic energy is at a maximum

d)

At the bottom of the oscillation potential energy is at a maximum and kinetic energy is at a minimum

52.

What is defined as the distance from the axis of rotation to a point where the total mass of the body is supposed to be concentrated, so that the moment of inertia about the axis may remain the same?

a)

radius of gyration

b)

torque

c)

moment arm

d)

moment of inertia

53.

What angular kinematics in physics refers to the rate of velocity at which an object or a particle is rotating around a center or a specific point in a given time period?

a)

moment of inertia

b)

angular displacement

c)

angular acceleration

d)

angular velocity

54.

What rotational motion tends the force applied to an object to make it rotate about an axis?

a)

angular velocity

b)

moment of inertia

c)

torque

d)

angular momentum

55.

What law of planetary motion states that the ratio of the squares of the orbital period for two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their mean orbit radius?

a)

law of ellipses

b)

law of equal areas

c)

law of period

d)

escape velocity

56.

A mechanic is using a wrench to loosen and tighten screws on an engine block and wants to increase the amount of torque he puts on the screws to adjust them more easily. Which of the following steps will not help him to do so?

a)

Using a wrench of a different material

b)

Pulling or pushing at an angle that is less perpendicular to the wrench

c)

Increasing the magnitude of the force he puts on the wrench

d)

Using a longer wrench

57.

What is the difference in the angular velocity of the second hand of radius 1cm on a wristwatch, compared to the second hand of radius 5m on a large clock tower?

a)

The clocktower second hand has an angular velocity that is 500 times faster than that of the wristwatch

b)

The clocktower second hand has an angular velocity that is 5 times faster than that of the wristwatch

c)

The clocktower second hand has an angular velocity that is 500 times slower than that of the wristwatch

d)

No difference

58.

Two cars are racing side by side on a circular race track. Which has the greater angular velocity?

a)

Impossible to determine

b)

They are the same

c)

The inside car

d)

The outside car

59.

The ukulele is a short instrument, relative to a guitar. How does this affect the frequencies of sounds that these two instruments produce? Assume the two instruments use the same strings.

a)

The shorter length creates a higher speed of sound

b)

The shorter length strings produce higher frequencies

c)

The shorter length strings produce lower frequencies

d)

The shorter length creates a lower speed of sound

60.

What is defined as a relatively massive object hung by a string from a fixed support?

a)

physical pendulum

b)

underdamped oscillation

c)

simple pendulum

d)

overdamped oscillation

61.

What do you call the wave motion, in which the particles of the medium oscillate about their mean positions at right angles to the direction of propagation of the wave?

a)

mechanical wave

b)

longitudinal wave

c)

transverse wave

d)

electromagnetic wave

62.

The speed of sounds is the fastest in which of the following media?

a)

Glass

b)

Water

c)

Air

d)

Vacuum

63.

Three substances are added to a mug to make coffee: the coffee, which is 65oC, the milk, which is 65oC, and the sugar, which is in thermal equilibrium with the coffee. Describe the thermal state of the sugar.

a)

The sugar is in equilibrium with the milk, based on the zeroth law of thermodynamics

b)

Heat will be transferred from the coffee to the sugar to reach equilibrium

c)

The sugar is 65oC, based on the second law of thermodynamics

d)

None of these conclusions are valid

64.

Which will produce the greatest increase in flow velocity through a tube?

a)

Doubling the tube radius

b)

Halving the tube radius

c)

Dividing the tube area by three

d)

Doubling the tube area

65.

Cazzie is holding onto an ice cube. Why does it melt in her hand?

a)

The cold leaves the ice cube

b)

Her hand took energy from the ice cube

c)

The ice cube gave off energy to her hand

d)

The heat from her hand warms it

66.
When you know speed and direction you know
a)
force
b)
acceleration
c)
velocity
d)
momentum
67.
What is the SI unit of speed?
a)
m/s
b)
m/s2
c)
kg
d)
miles/hour
68.
In a speed vs. time graph, a straight line shows that acceleration is
a)
decreasing
b)
increasing
c)
constatnt
d)
zero
69.
On a graph showing distance versus time, a horizontal line represents an object that is
a)
moving at constant speed
b)
decreasing its speed
c)
increasing its speed
d)
not moving
70.
How can you increase the acceleration of an object?
a)
decrease its mass
b)
increase its friction
c)
increase its mass
d)
decrease the force applied to it
71.
You push a 10 kg cart and it accelerates at 2 m/s2. What force did you push with?
a)
2 Newtons
b)
5 Newtons
c)
10 Newtons
d)
20 Newtons
72.
What determines the strength of gravitational attraction between two objects?
a)
mass and distance
b)
size and mass
c)
density and mass
d)
density and size
73.
A person has a mass of 24 kg on Earth. What is the persons mass on the Moon (1/6 of Earth's gravity)?
a)
24 kg
b)
144 kg
c)
6 kg
d)
4 kg
74.
If you exert a force of 20 N to push a desk 10 M, how much work did you do to the desk?
a)
20 N
b)
200 N
c)
200 J
d)
2 J
75.
The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves is called
a)
conduction
b)
convection
c)
radiation
d)
insulation
76.
The type of energy stored in food is called
a)
chemical energy
b)
electrical energy
c)
thermal energy
d)
electromagnetic energy
77.
If tight scissors have an efficiency of 50%, half of your work is wasted due to 
a)
changes in direction
b)
input force
c)
output force
d)
friction
78.
Which is NOT a characteristic of a magnetic field produced by a current?
a)
It can be turned on and off
b)
It can be changed
c)
Its direction can be reversed
d)
Its speed can be slowed
79.
Mechanical waves are created when a source of energy causes a medium to 
a)
move
b)
vibrate
c)
expand
d)
compress
80.
The shorter the wavelength
a)
the higher the frequency
b)
the lower the frequency
c)
the higher the amplitude
d)
the lower the energy
81.
What term refers to how high or low a sound seems to a person?
a)
Pitch
b)
Loudness
c)
Frequency
d)
Intensity
82.
What occurs when parallel rays of light hit a rough or bumpy surface?
a)
regular reflection
b)
diffuse reflection
c)
refraction
d)
diffraction
83.
How would a tomato look under blue light?
a)
Black
b)
Blue
c)
Red
d)
Purple
84.
The changing pitch of a police car’s siren as it moves by you is an example of
a)
resonance
b)
intensity
c)
the speed of sound
d)
the Doppler effect
85.
The light coming through a red glass window appears red because
a)
the light from the sun is red
b)
the window transmits all colors except for red
c)
the window absorbs all colors except for red
d)
the window absorbs red light