acceleration
Acceleration is normally written as m/s/s. Why is this an irregular construction in terms of the math?
..................................................................
...................................................................
accelerometer
When an accelerometer is put into a car to measure lateral acceleration in corners it is called a ...
..............................
Action and reaction
Which of the following in not likely to be a consequence of the principle of action and reaction, described by Newton in his so called third 'law'?
a ... a motorbike wheelstands at the start of a race.
b ... a boxer has a bandaged hand.
c ... there are teeth marks on both sides of the leg of a shark attack victim.
d ... Dr Jacobs has many teeth fillings.
approximations
The equations of mathematical physics are best described as ....
a ... applying to exactly to physical situations.
b ... applying approximately to physical situations.
c ... applying exactly to physical situations only near the Earth's surface.
d ... applying to physical situations only at the present time.
Atwood's machine
The acceleration of the physics toy known as Atwood's machine is zero when ...
a ... the pulley has no inertia.
b ... the gravitational field is uniform.
c ... the hanging masses are equal.
d ... the string is liight.
banking (on corners)
Corners on motorways are banked to....
a .... look 'cool' (improve the appearance of motorways).
b ... drain surface water off the road.
c ... make high speed cornering more enjoyable.
d ... reduce lateral friction force between the tires and the road.
The atomic nature of matter
The first person to show from theoretical assumptions that the devision of matter into atoms had a direct physical consequence was....
a ... Aristotle.
b ... Moseley.
c ... Bernoullie.
d ... JJ Thomson.
blackout
The blackout that a pilot my experience is due to ...
a ... high altitude.
b ... extreme acceleration.
c ... extreme cold.
d ... low cabin pressure.
Bouncing
Conservation of momentum requires the angle of incidence and reflection of a bouncing ball to be the same only when ...
a ... the collision is elastic.
b ... there is no friction between the ball and the surface.
c ... the collision is elastic and there is no friction between the ball and the surface.
d ... none of the above. The angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection.
Boyle's law
Reducing the volume of an inflated balloon by 50%, by submerging it in deep water, increases the pressure inside the balloon by ...
a ... four times.
b ... two times.
c ... 50%.
d By none of the above. The pressure is unchanged.
Brownian motion
Brownian motion ...
i ... was first reported by Brown.
ii ... is direct evidence for the atomic nature of matter.
iii ... is the reason bacteria are able to move when placed in water.
The following combination of completed statements is true.
a One only
b Two only.
c One and two only.
d All three are correct
buoyancy
Who was Lawn Chair Larry?
a An American manufacturer of garden furniture.
b An ISB student called Larry who took chairs from the front of school to his house.
c A fool with helium balloons and a rifle who wanted a quiet place to drink.
d A world war two pilot, who replaced the uncomfortable pilots seat with his own.
calibrate
A frog misses twenty flies with its long ejection tongue in tewnty attempts. According to the cartoonist, the frog is in need of....
a ... repair.
b ... retraction
c ... recalibration.
d ... relocation.
center of gravity
The center of gravity of a non uniform steel bar, thin at one end and thick at the other, balanced on a pin point, is....
a ... on a vertical line through the point of the pin.
b ... half way between the point of the pin and the thick end of the bar.
c ... half way between the point of the pin and the thin end of the bar.
d ... in the center of the bar, half way between the ends.
center of mass
The center of mass of the Earth and the Moon lies ...
a ... half way between the Earth and the Moon.
b ... on a line between Earth and Moon.
c ... at the center of the Earth
d ... close to the Moon.
Data: ... mass of the Earth = 6.0 x 1024 kg
Data: ... mass of the Moon 0.073 x 1024 kg
Data: ... distance from Earth ~380 x 106 m
Data: ... radius of the Earth ~6.4 x 106 m
Charles' law
The absolute temperature of a fixed volume of an ideal gas, is proportional to ...
a ... the volume.
b ... the pressure.
c ... one over the volume.
d ... one over the pressure.
Cluster ballooning
Given that the density of air is 1.2 kg/m3, the volume of helium required to just lift a man is closest to....
a ... the size of a back-pack.
b ... the size of a car.
c ... the size of a small classroom.
d ... the size of a very large house.
Conservation laws
Which of the following concepts was the last to be developed in it modern form?
a Time
b Weight
c Energy
d Speed
In any collision between two bodies, if there are no external forces....
a ... momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.
b ... kinetic energy is conserved.
c ... momentum is conserved.
d ... momentum is conserved only if there is no heat produced.
damping
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1 The motion of a ball oscillating on a rubber band is shown at right. There is a regular reduction in the .... a ... period of the motion. b ... velocity of the motion. c ... amplitude of the motion. d ... kinetic energy of the motion.
2 The motion is said to be.... a ... damped. b ... strangled. c ... leaking. d ... frictionated. |
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density
As the temperature of a substance rises it expands. The density of that substance....
a ... increases with increasing temperature.
b ... decreases with increasing temperature.
c ... is constant.
d ... may increase or decrease. The temperature dependence of density is not related to the coefficient of linear expansion.
Dimensions
The dimensions of power are....
a ... MLT-2
b ... ML2T
c ... ML2T-2
d ... ML2T-3
displacement
The area under a velocity-time graph has the units of....
a ... acceleration.
b ... displacement.
c ... time.
d ... speed.
Drag coefficient
The drag on a golf ball in flight due to air resistance is proportional to....
a ... the velocity of the ball.
b ... the velocity of the ball and the density of the air.
c ... the velocity and radius of the ball and the density of the air.
d ... the velocity of the ball squared.
elastic
Collisions are most perfectly elastic are associated with....
a ... tennis.
b ... baseball.
c ... snooker.
d ... gas molecules.
Energy
An clear understanding of the principle of the conservation of energy ...
a ... as first enunciated by Aristotle in 300 BC.
b ... was important in the development of Ohm's law.
c ... was developed from the science of thermodynamics.
d ... emerged gradually in the nineteenth century.
equipartition of energy
A container holds the same number of hydrogen gas molecules and helium gas atoms, mass ratio 2:4. The ratio of energies of the hydrogen molecules and helium atoms is....
a ... 4:2
b ... 2:4
c ... 1:1
d ... impossible to say. It depends on the temperature.
equilibrium
Which of the following can be said to be in thermal equilibrium?
a ... A cup of hot coffee.
b ... An iceberg,
c ... A glowing pot in a kiln (pottery furnace).
d ... The living human body.
escape velocity
To find escape velocity on the Moon it would be sufficient to know....
i ... the radius of the Moon.
ii ... the mass of the Moon.
iii ... the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the Moon.b ... i only.
c ... ii only.
d ... i and iii only.
d ... i, ii only.
expansion (linear thermal)
A negative coefficient of thermal expansion is....
a ... impossible.
b ... possible only in exceptional circumstances.
c ... uncommon but useful in many applications.
d ... very common.
Frame of reference
The concept of a frame of reference is very important when describing....
a ... large scale movements of air in the atmosphere.
b ... the kinetic energy of a moving train.
c ... the workings of a pendulum clock.
d ... the workings of a cathode ray tube.
friction
The coefficient of kinetic friction is....
a ... the same for all dry surfaces in contact.
b ... larger than the coefficient of static friction.
c ... smaller than the coefficient of static friction.
d ... always independent of velocity.
'g-force'
A 'g-force' is properly called....
a ... an apparent force.
b ... a fictitious force.
c ... an inertial force.
d ... an acceleration.
Gravity
Gravitational field strength is....
a ... defined as force per unit mass.
b ... zero inside the Earth.
c ... a maximum at the center of the Earth.
d ... a minimum at the surface of the Earth.
Horsepower
Horsepower ....
a ... has nothing to do with a horse.
b ... is no longer the preferred unit of power.
c ... is a unit of energy, not power.
d ... cannot be properly defined.
hysteresis
Hysteresis is responsible for....
a ... damping the motion of a mass oscillating on a rubber band.
b ... the heating of car tires when being driven at constant speed.
c ... the heating of a transformer core.
d ... the production of X-rays.
Ideal gas
Ideal gas is....
a ... a mathematical model of a real gas.
b ... any real gas at low pressures.
c ... any gas that has been cleaned.
d ... made only in the USA and at two sites in Europe.
impulse
A commonly used description of an impulse is....
a ... an impact.
b ... a kick.
c ... a concussion.
d ... a precession.
inelastic
An inelastic collision conserves....
a ... momentum only.
b ... kinetic energy only.
c ... momentum and kinetic energy.
d ... momentum and total energy.
inertia
An inertial balance measures....
a ... weight.
b ... weight only on the surface of the Earth.
c ... mass only in the absence of a gravitational field.
d ... mass.
Joule
The Watt is the....
a ... Joule per second.
b ... Joule second
c ... Newton second.
d ... Newton per second.
Kinematic equations
The kinetic energy relationship (one half mass times velocity squared) is usually introduced to students first as....
a ... a term in one of the kinematic equations.
b ... as a result of the conversion of potential energy in falling.
c ... as a consequence of the conservation of energy.
d ... as a consequence of the conservation of momentum.
Kinetic energy
The temperature of an ideal gas depends on....
a ... the pressure and volume.
b ... the average kinetic energy of the molecules and the pressure.
c ... the average kinetic energy of the molecules and the pressure and volume.
d ... the average kinetic energy of the molecules only.
Kinetic theory of gasses
In a real gas....
a ... the molecules occupy space.
b ... the molecules occupy space and are attracted to each other.
c ... the molecules occupy space, are attracted to each other and the collisions between molecules are not perfectly elastic.
d ...the molecules occupy space, are attracted to each other and the collisions between molecules and the walls of a container are not perfectly elastic.
Magnus effect
Top spin on a tennis ball makes it....
a ... go faster.
b ... swerve in the air.
c ... bounce with a larger angle of reflection.
d ... bounce with a smaller angle of reflection.
mass
Which one of the following statements is true?
a ... the mass of the products of a chemical reaction is the same as the reactants.
b ... the mass difference for chemical reactions is too small to measure.
c ... nuclear reaction rates are unaffected by temperature.
d ... chemical reactions always involve a minute reduction in mass.
moment (of a force)
The moment of a force of 200 Newtons acting at an angle of 45° a distance of 5 meters from a pivot is....
a ... 1000 N/m
b ... 100 N.m
c ... 1000 kg m s2
d ...100 kg/m
Moment of inertia
The moment of inertia of a small mass of 5 kg swinging in a circle if radius 2.0 meters at 10 radians per second on the end of a light chain is....
a ... 50 kg m2
b ... 20 kg m2
c ... 10 kg m2
d ... 5 kg m2
Four uniform bodies have the same mass and radius.Which option places the moments of inertia, about a perpendicular axis through the center of mass, in increasing order....
a ... solid sphere, hollow sphere, disc, ring.
b ... solid sphere, hollow sphere, ring, disc.
c ... hollow sphere, solid sphere, disc, ring.
d ... ring, disc, hollow sphere, solid sphere.
momentum (angular)
1 The normal expression for angular momentum is....
a ... I
b ... Iw
c ... Iw2
d ... I/w
2 The angular kinetic energy of the mass in question 1 above is....
a ... 10 J
b ...100 J
c ... 500 J
d ... 100 J
3 The total angular momentum of the wheels in the question below is....
a ... zero
b ... a small positive value.
c ... a small negative value.
d ... impossible to quantify.
momentum (linear)
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The total linear momentum .of the two carts shown in MKS units is.... a ... 8 b ... 6 c ... 4 d ... 2 |
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Motion detectors
Why are ultrasound motion detectors sometimes referred to as a BATs?
a ... They look like a bat.
b ... They sound like a bat.
c ... BAT stands for the makers; Bonds Acoustic Technology.
d ... Bats have ultrasound detection.
Newton's balls (cradle)
One ball strikes an identical stationary ball and stops. The previously stationary ball leaves with the velocity of the incident ball.
For this to happen it is necessary and sufficient that ...
a ... the collision is elastic.
b ... there are no external forces (eg. friction).
c ... the collision is elastic and there are no external forces (eg. friction.
d ... momentum is conserved and there are no external forces (eg. friction.
Newton's 'law' of universal gravitation
Newton's inverse square law of attraction between bodies separated by a distance d is....
a ... true in all circumstances.
b ... known to be true everywhere only at the present time.
c ... known to be true only within the orbit of the Moon.
d ... untested at large separations.
Newton's Rules (laws)
Newton's three 'laws' are the basis of Newtonian mechanics that govern the motions of material objects at low velocities compared with the speed of light. Which of the following statements is not true....
a ... Newton's laws were published in a hand-set, hand-bound book, now simply called the 'Principia'. Several original copies survive.
b ... His first law is now sometimes called the 'law of inertia'.
c ... His second law in the Principia, is the famous equation f = ma.
d ... His third law became the basis for the modern principle known as the 'conservation of momentum'.
parabolic motion
The path of a cathode ray between the parallel charged metal plates is most likely to be a....
a ... circle.
b ... parabola.
c ... hyperbola.
d ... straight line.
power
The concept of power was used by Watt before engineers had a clear idea of energy or the modern definition of work.
This occurred because....
a ... the concept of work has no practical applications.
b ... power - the amount that can be accomplished in a day - is a more intuitively obvious concept.
c ... the power relationship contains less variables.
d ... Newton had defined power a hundred years earlier. Watt just used his definition.
pressure
Pressure....
a ... is a vector.
b ... is a scalar.
c ... is a dimensionless ratio.
d ... has the units of kg/m2.
projectile motion
1 Which completed statement is not correct?
The acceleration of a projectile at the top of its flight when launched at an angle of elevation of 45° is....
a ... zero.
b ... negative.
c ... g.
d ... vertical.
2 Which one of the following completed statements is not correct?The time of flight of a projectile launched with a given kinetic energy does not depend on....
a ... the horizontal wind velocity.
b ... the maximum height.
c ... the launch angle.
d ... air resistance.
Reaction force (R or N)
The reaction force is....
a
b
c
d
recoil
A gun will recoil.when fired,....
a ... only if energy is conserved.
b ... only if momentum is conserved.
c ... only if energy and momentum are conserved.
d ... in any circumstances.
relativity
The special theory of relativity is important....
i ... when dealing with subatomic particles in partial accelerators.
ii ... when dealing with any velocity close to the velocity of light.
iii ... when doing any accurate measurements in mechanics in the laboratory or on the race track.
a ... i only. b ... ii only c ... i and ii d ... all three.
restitution (coefficient of ...)
The coefficient of restitution of a golf ball is closest to....
a ... 1.00
b ... 0.85
c ... 0.45
d ... 0.25
rigid body
A simple pendulum is said to hang from a rigid support, on a light, inextensible, string. In this sense rigid means ...
a ... motionless.
b ... heavy.
c ... hard.
d ... solid.
Rockets
The principle of the rocket engine is....
a ... the conservation of energy.
b ... Newton's first law.
c ... Newton's second law.
d ... Newton's third law.
scalar
Which of the following is not a scalar?
a ... time.
b ... temperature
c ... humidity.
d ... displacement.
Simple harmonic motion
Simple harmonic motion is studied in all introductory physics courses because....
a ... it is simple.
b ... the math is elegant and a good introduction to the beauty and power of the calculus.
c ... almost all small amplitude oscillations are simple harmonic.
d ... the is a mathematical link with circular motion via the reference circle.
Simple pendulum
A pendulum is made from a long, thin, light string, and a lead ball. Which one of the following completed statements is not correct?
The period of the simple pendulum (for small amplitudes) is....
a ... independent of the mass of the pendulum.
b ... independent of the string material.
c ... independent of the amplitude.
d ... independent of the size of the ball.
skid distance
The distance a car skids on a given road is proportional to the initial velocity squared.
The rule is a consequence of....
a ... the conservation of energy.
b ... the design of modern tires.
c ... the similar nature of all roads.
d ... the equivalence of mass and inertia.
speed
1 A mass performing uniform circular motion at constant energy has....
a ... constant speed and changing acceleration.
b ... constant speed and constant acceleration.
c ... constant velocity and changing acceleration.
d ... none of the above.
2 The speed of light is ...a ... known to four significant figures. ....
b ... known to eight significant figures. ....
c ... known to twelve significant figures. ....
d ... defined.
spring constant (k)
1 The spring constant of two identical springs with spring constant ko in series is....
a ... ko
b ... 2ko
c ... 1/2ko
d ... 1/4ko
2 The spring constant of two springs in parallel attached to a single spring in series is (when the springs are identical, of spring constant ko)....a ... 3ko
b ... 3/2ko
c ... 2/3ko
d ... 1/3ko
3 The units of the spring constant k are....
a ... Newtons per meter.
b ... Newton . meters.
c ... meters per Newton.
d ... none of these.
surface tension
1 The spherical shape of a water droplet is due to ....
a ... adhesion.
b ... cohesion.
c ... surface tension.
d ... compulsion.
2 The restoring force for very short wavelength capillary waves on water is provided by....
a ... gravity.
b ... surface tension.
c ... cohesion.
d ... adhesion.
Terminal velocity
1 The terminal velocity of an object falling in air depends on....
a ... its weight.
b ...the drag coefficient.
c ... the cross sectional area.
d ... all of the above.
2 It is not possible to kill a mouse by dropping it because....
a ... the mouse is covered in fur.
b ... the internal organs are protected by fat.
c ... the terminal velocity is too low.
d ... mice always land on their feet.
trajectory
The trajectory of cannon ball, fired at an angle of 60° above the horizontal, is a parabola because....
a ... the acceleration is constant.
b ... all projectiles have parabolic paths.
c ... air resistance is not important because of the large mass.
d ... the cannon ball is not spinning.
vectors
1 Which of the following is a vector quantity?
a ... wavelength.
b ... kinetic energy.
c ... momentum.
d ... frequency.
2 The block is resting on the incline without slipping..The diagram that best illustrates the forces acting on the block is....
velocity
The slingshot effect is responsible for the acceleration of space probes into the outer solar system. The probe is sent on an open hyperbolic orbit around towards a planet (Jupiter) and is sent on its way by the gravity of the planet (which saves a lot on fuel). Which one of the following completed statements is not correct?
During the process the space craft....
a ... gains kinetic energy.
b ... accelerates.
c ... changes velocity.
d ... changes direction.
viscosity
The viscosity of a colored sugar solution in water depends on....
i ... the temperature.
ii ... the concentration of sugar.
iii ... the color.a ... i only
b ... i and ii only
c ... i and iii only
d ... all three.
Watt (James)
James Watt was....
a ... a traveling salesman.
b ... an engineer.
c ... a writer.
d ... an academic.
weight
Which of the following will not make you weigh a little less?
a Moving from Lima to London.
b Moving from the North pole to Mombassa.
c Climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro.
d Eating at McDonalds.
Work
The concept of work was....
a ... developed by Ptolemy of Alexandria.
b ... imported into Europe from the Arab world in the 1400's.
c ... developed by Watt to advertise steam engines.
d ... none of these.