Question 1

In the "space" [or in "outer space"] between Earth and the moon there is

Accepted Answer

A)  a big cloud made of chocolate fudge. 
B)  air, but no force due to gravity. 
C)  both air and a force due to gravity. 
D)  no air, but there is a force due to gravity. 
E)  no air and no force [or pull] due to gravity. 
A)  a big cloud made of chocolate fudge. 
B)  air, but no force due to gravity. 
C)  both air and a force due to gravity. 
D)  no air, but there is a force due to gravity. 
E)  no air and no force [or pull] due to gravity. D

Question 2

Edgar Jones, angry at having purchased a tasteless pizza, drops his pizza off the Brooklyn bridge. As it falls, Edgar's pizza has a constant [or unchanging] (NOTE: Neglect air resistance.)

Accepted Answer

A)  velocity. 
B)  speed. 
C)  acceleration. 
D)  position. 
E)  All of the above. 
A)  velocity. 
B)  speed. 
C)  acceleration. 
D)  position. 
E)  All of the above. C

Question 3

According to Newtonian physics, an object with no forces acting on it must

Accepted Answer

A)  be at rest. 
B)  either be at rest or have constant velocity. 
C)  be accelerated, with an unchanging acceleration. 
D)  eventually come to rest. 
E)  fall. 
A)  be at rest. 
B)  either be at rest or have constant velocity. 
C)  be accelerated, with an unchanging acceleration. 
D)  eventually come to rest. 
E)  fall. B

Question 4

An object is dropped from rest on the planet Jupiter. At the end of 1 second, it has fallen 8 m and is moving at 16 m/s. What was its average speed during the entire first second [i.e., from t=0 until t=1 sec]?

Accepted Answer

A)  16 m/s 
B)  12 m/s 
C)  4 m/s 
D)  8 m/s 
E)  None of the above. 
A)  16 m/s 
B)  12 m/s 
C)  4 m/s 
D)  8 m/s 
E)  None of the above.

Question 5

Most meteoroids-- rocks moving through outer space--have been moving for billions of years. What, if anything, keeps them moving and why?

Accepted Answer

A)  According to Newton's law of motion, their own acceleration keeps them moving. 
B)  According to Newton's law of gravity, the force of gravity keeps them moving. 
C)  According to the law of inertia, nothing is needed to keep them moving. 
D)  According to current theories about the creation of the universe, the big bang keeps them moving. 
E)  According to Newton's law of gravity, nothing is needed to keep them moving. 
A)  According to Newton's law of motion, their own acceleration keeps them moving. 
B)  According to Newton's law of gravity, the force of gravity keeps them moving. 
C)  According to the law of inertia, nothing is needed to keep them moving. 
D)  According to current theories about the creation of the universe, the big bang keeps them moving. 
E)  According to Newton's law of gravity, nothing is needed to keep them moving.

Question 6

Which of the following describes an object that is moving with an unchanging speed but a changing velocity?

Accepted Answer

A)  A car rounding a curve at a steady 80 km/hr. 
B)  A car moving up a straight hill [a hill whose "slope" is unchanging] at a steady 80 km/hr, when the car is midway up the hill. 
C)  A car moving along a straight horizontal (level) line at a steady 80 km/hr. 
D)  A car slowing down while moving along a straight line. 
E)  Both answers C and D are correct. 
A)  A car rounding a curve at a steady 80 km/hr. 
B)  A car moving up a straight hill [a hill whose "slope" is unchanging] at a steady 80 km/hr, when the car is midway up the hill. 
C)  A car moving along a straight horizontal (level) line at a steady 80 km/hr. 
D)  A car slowing down while moving along a straight line. 
E)  Both answers C and D are correct.

Question 7

It is 6 km to Centerville, and you bicycle there in 20 minutes. Your speed is

Accepted Answer

A)  18 km/hr. 
B)  24 km/hr. 
C)  2 km/hr. 
D)  12 km/hr. 
E)  9 km/hr. 
A)  18 km/hr. 
B)  24 km/hr. 
C)  2 km/hr. 
D)  12 km/hr. 
E)  9 km/hr.

Question 8

According to Aristotelian physics, what outside influence acts on a stone while it falls?

Accepted Answer

A)  None. 
B)  Fire. 
C)  Acceleration. 
D)  The Olympic gods. 
E)  Gravity. 
A)  None. 
B)  Fire. 
C)  Acceleration. 
D)  The Olympic gods. 
E)  Gravity.

Question 9

A rock is dropped from rest off of a high cliff on another planet, planet X. There is no atmosphere, and thus no air resistance, on planet X. At the end of 1 second, the rock is moving at a speed of 6 m/s. At the end of 2 seconds, it is moving at 12 m/s. How fast will the rock be moving at 4 seconds after being dropped?

Accepted Answer

A)  36 m/s 
B)  24 m/s 
C)  20 m/s 
D)  40 m/s 
E)  18 m/s 
A)  36 m/s 
B)  24 m/s 
C)  20 m/s 
D)  40 m/s 
E)  18 m/s

Question 10

You ride a motor scooter 8 km in 10 minutes. Your speed is

Accepted Answer

A)  40 km/hr. 
B)  24 km/hr. 
C)  16 km/hr. 
D)  32 km/hr. 
E)  None of the above. 
A)  40 km/hr. 
B)  24 km/hr. 
C)  16 km/hr. 
D)  32 km/hr. 
E)  None of the above.

Question 11

What, if any, evidence did Galileo have for the law of inertia?

Accepted Answer

A)  A smooth ball slows down when rolling uphill, and speeds up when rolling downhill, so it should maintain an unchanging speed on a level surface. 
B)  Noting that the length of the year does not change, he concluded that Earth must maintain an unchanging speed when moving around the sun. 
C)  Using a telescope, he observed meteors and comets moving at unchanging velocity through outer space. 
D)  All of the above. 
E)  He didn't have direct evidence, but proposed the law of inertia only because of the known failures of Aristotelian physics. 
A)  A smooth ball slows down when rolling uphill, and speeds up when rolling downhill, so it should maintain an unchanging speed on a level surface. 
B)  Noting that the length of the year does not change, he concluded that Earth must maintain an unchanging speed when moving around the sun. 
C)  Using a telescope, he observed meteors and comets moving at unchanging velocity through outer space. 
D)  All of the above. 
E)  He didn't have direct evidence, but proposed the law of inertia only because of the known failures of Aristotelian physics.

Question 12

Jack rides a bicycle northward at 12 mph. Jill rides southward on the same road at 12 mph. As they pass each other

Accepted Answer

A)  their speeds are different but their velocities are identical. 
B)  their speeds are identical and their velocities are identical. 
C)  theoretical physics predicts, surprisingly enough, that they will turn into giant frogs. 
D)  their speeds are different and their velocities are different. 
E)  their speeds are identical but their velocities are different. 
A)  their speeds are different but their velocities are identical. 
B)  their speeds are identical and their velocities are identical. 
C)  theoretical physics predicts, surprisingly enough, that they will turn into giant frogs. 
D)  their speeds are different and their velocities are different. 
E)  their speeds are identical but their velocities are different.

Question 13

A bicyclist moves around a circular track at a constant [or unchanging] speed. The bicyclist has

Accepted Answer

A)  non- zero velocity but zero acceleration. 
B)  zero velocity and zero acceleration (in other words, no acceleration). 
C)  non- zero velocity and non- zero acceleration. 
D)  zero velocity but non- zero acceleration. 
E)  the heebie- jeebies. 
A)  non- zero velocity but zero acceleration. 
B)  zero velocity and zero acceleration (in other words, no acceleration). 
C)  non- zero velocity and non- zero acceleration. 
D)  zero velocity but non- zero acceleration. 
E)  the heebie- jeebies.

Question 14

According to Galileo, which of these is a "natural" or "unforced" motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  A stone falling straight downward. 
B)  A book coming to rest as it slides along the floor. 
C)  Both of the above. 
D)  Neither of the above. 
A)  A stone falling straight downward. 
B)  A book coming to rest as it slides along the floor. 
C)  Both of the above. 
D)  Neither of the above.

Question 15

In what way did Galileo improve on the physics of Aristotle?

Accepted Answer

A)  Galileo understood that no force is needed to keep an object moving in a circle at constant speed. 
B)  Galileo understood that "natural" (or unforced) motion occurs at constant velocity. 
C)  Galileo understood that a force is needed to keep an object moving at constant velocity. 
D)  Galileo understood that energy is always conserved in every physical process. 
E)  Galileo understood that the gravitational force acts between every pair of objects in the universe. 
A)  Galileo understood that no force is needed to keep an object moving in a circle at constant speed. 
B)  Galileo understood that "natural" (or unforced) motion occurs at constant velocity. 
C)  Galileo understood that a force is needed to keep an object moving at constant velocity. 
D)  Galileo understood that energy is always conserved in every physical process. 
E)  Galileo understood that the gravitational force acts between every pair of objects in the universe.

Question 16

Galileo's principle of falling is limited by the condition that

Accepted Answer

A)  air resistance must be negligible. 
B)  the two objects must have the same weight. 
C)  Both of the above. 
D)  the two objects must have the same size. 
E)  actually, this principle has no limitations. 
A)  air resistance must be negligible. 
B)  the two objects must have the same weight. 
C)  Both of the above. 
D)  the two objects must have the same size. 
E)  actually, this principle has no limitations.

Question 17

Suppose you are on the moon and you drop a rock and a feather at the same time. You will find that

Accepted Answer

A)  the rock falls faster than the feather, and both speeds are the same as they would be on Earth. 
B)  the two fall at the same speed, but this speed is slower than a rock would fall on Earth. 
C)  the two fall at the same speed, and this speed is the same as the speed of a rock falling on Earth. 
D)  the rock falls faster than the feather, although both of them fall slower than they would on Earth. 
E)  they don't fall-- they remain suspended above the surface of the moon. 
A)  the rock falls faster than the feather, and both speeds are the same as they would be on Earth. 
B)  the two fall at the same speed, but this speed is slower than a rock would fall on Earth. 
C)  the two fall at the same speed, and this speed is the same as the speed of a rock falling on Earth. 
D)  the rock falls faster than the feather, although both of them fall slower than they would on Earth. 
E)  they don't fall-- they remain suspended above the surface of the moon.

Question 18

Jack and Jill are both traveling straight north. Jack is walking at 4 mph, while Jill is riding a bicycle at 12 mph. Regarding their speeds and velocities:

Accepted Answer

A)  they have different speeds and different velocities. 
B)  they both have the same speed and the same velocity. 
C)  they both have the same speed but different velocities. 
D)  they have different speeds, but the same velocity. 
E)  None of the above. 
A)  they have different speeds and different velocities. 
B)  they both have the same speed and the same velocity. 
C)  they both have the same speed but different velocities. 
D)  they have different speeds, but the same velocity. 
E)  None of the above.

Question 19

Is it possible for the driver of a car to accelerate the car without pressing on the accelerator?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes, by turning the steering wheel. 
B)  Yes, by both of the above methods. 
C)  Yes, by pressing on the brake. 
D)  No, because the only way to speed up is to press on the accelerator. 
E)  No, because of the way that we define the word "acceleration" in physics. 
A)  Yes, by turning the steering wheel. 
B)  Yes, by both of the above methods. 
C)  Yes, by pressing on the brake. 
D)  No, because the only way to speed up is to press on the accelerator. 
E)  No, because of the way that we define the word "acceleration" in physics.

Question 20

According to Galileo, which of these is a "natural" or "unforced" form of motion?

Accepted Answer

A)  A stone falling straight downward. 
B)  A book coming to rest as it slides along the floor. 
C)  Both a stone falling straight downward and a sliding book coming to rest are natural motions. 
D)  Neither a stone falling straight downward nor a sliding book coming to rest are natural motions. 
A)  A stone falling straight downward. 
B)  A book coming to rest as it slides along the floor. 
C)  Both a stone falling straight downward and a sliding book coming to rest are natural motions. 
D)  Neither a stone falling straight downward nor a sliding book coming to rest are natural motions.

In the "space" [or in "outer space"] between Earth and the moon there is

Edgar Jones, angry at having purchased a tasteless pizza, drops his pizza off the Brooklyn bridge. As it falls, Edgar's pizza has a constant [or unchanging] (NOTE: Neglect air resistance.)

According to Newtonian physics, an object with no forces acting on it must

An object is dropped from rest on the planet Jupiter. At the end of 1 second, it has fallen 8 m and is moving at 16 m/s. What was its average speed during the entire first second [i.e., from t=0 until t=1 sec]?

Most meteoroids-- rocks moving through outer space--have been moving for billions of years. What, if anything, keeps them moving and why?

Which of the following describes an object that is moving with an unchanging speed but a changing velocity?

It is 6 km to Centerville, and you bicycle there in 20 minutes. Your speed is

According to Aristotelian physics, what outside influence acts on a stone while it falls?

You ride a motor scooter 8 km in 10 minutes. Your speed is

What, if any, evidence did Galileo have for the law of inertia?

Jack rides a bicycle northward at 12 mph. Jill rides southward on the same road at 12 mph. As they pass each other

A bicyclist moves around a circular track at a constant [or unchanging] speed. The bicyclist has

According to Galileo, which of these is a "natural" or "unforced" motion?

In what way did Galileo improve on the physics of Aristotle?

Galileo's principle of falling is limited by the condition that

Suppose you are on the moon and you drop a rock and a feather at the same time. You will find that

Jack and Jill are both traveling straight north. Jack is walking at 4 mph, while Jill is riding a bicycle at 12 mph. Regarding their speeds and velocities:

Is it possible for the driver of a car to accelerate the car without pressing on the accelerator?

According to Galileo, which of these is a "natural" or "unforced" form of motion?

The Way of Science: Experience and Reason

Atoms: the Nature of Things

Why Things Move As They Do

Newtons Universe

Conservation of Energy: You Cant Get Ahead

Second Law of Thermodynamics: and You Cant Even Break Even

Light and Electromagnetism

Electromagnetism Radiation and Global Climate Change

The Special Theory of Relativity

The General Theory of Relativity and the New Cosmology

The Quantum Idea

The Quantum Universe

The Nucleus and Radioactivity: an New Force

Fusion and Fission: and a New Energy

The Energy Challenge

Quantum Fields: Relativity Meets the Quantum

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Exam 3: How Things Move: Galileo Asks the Right Questions

In the "space" [or in "outer space"] between Earth and the moon there is

Edgar Jones, angry at having purchased a tasteless pizza, drops his pizza off the Brooklyn bridge. As it falls, Edgar's pizza has a constant [or unchanging] (NOTE: Neglect air resistance.)

According to Newtonian physics, an object with no forces acting on it must

An object is dropped from rest on the planet Jupiter. At the end of 1 second, it has fallen 8 m and is moving at 16 m/s. What was its average speed during the entire first second [i.e., from t=0 until t=1 sec]?

Most meteoroids-- rocks moving through outer space--have been moving for billions of years. What, if anything, keeps them moving and why?

Which of the following describes an object that is moving with an unchanging speed but a changing velocity?

It is 6 km to Centerville, and you bicycle there in 20 minutes. Your speed is

According to Aristotelian physics, what outside influence acts on a stone while it falls?

You ride a motor scooter 8 km in 10 minutes. Your speed is

What, if any, evidence did Galileo have for the law of inertia?

Jack rides a bicycle northward at 12 mph. Jill rides southward on the same road at 12 mph. As they pass each other

A bicyclist moves around a circular track at a constant [or unchanging] speed. The bicyclist has

According to Galileo, which of these is a "natural" or "unforced" motion?

In what way did Galileo improve on the physics of Aristotle?

Galileo's principle of falling is limited by the condition that

Suppose you are on the moon and you drop a rock and a feather at the same time. You will find that

Jack and Jill are both traveling straight north. Jack is walking at 4 mph, while Jill is riding a bicycle at 12 mph. Regarding their speeds and velocities:

Is it possible for the driver of a car to accelerate the car without pressing on the accelerator?

According to Galileo, which of these is a "natural" or "unforced" form of motion?

The Way of Science: Experience and Reason

Atoms: the Nature of Things

Why Things Move As They Do

Newtons Universe

Conservation of Energy: You Cant Get Ahead

Second Law of Thermodynamics: and You Cant Even Break Even

Light and Electromagnetism

Electromagnetism Radiation and Global Climate Change

The Special Theory of Relativity

The General Theory of Relativity and the New Cosmology

The Quantum Idea

The Quantum Universe

The Nucleus and Radioactivity: an New Force

Fusion and Fission: and a New Energy

The Energy Challenge

Quantum Fields: Relativity Meets the Quantum

Filters