Question 1

Rockets that launch satellites into orbit need less thrust when fired from

Accepted Answer

A)  Edwards Air Force Base in California. 
B)  Cape Canaveral. 
C)  Hawaii. 
D)  These locations do not bear on the required rocket thrust. 
A)  Edwards Air Force Base in California. 
B)  Cape Canaveral. 
C)  Hawaii. 
D)  These locations do not bear on the required rocket thrust.

Question 2

Half way to the center of a completely hollow planet with a thin uniform shell, your weight there compared to your weight on the outer surface would be

Accepted Answer

A)  three-quarters. 
B)  the same as at the surface. 
C)  one-quarter. 
D)  one-half. 
E)  zero. 
A)  three-quarters. 
B)  the same as at the surface. 
C)  one-quarter. 
D)  one-half. 
E)  zero.

Question 3

A gun with a muzzle velocity of 100 m/s is fired horizontally from a tower. Neglecting air resistance, how far downrange will the bullet be 1 second later?

Accepted Answer

A)  98 
B)  490 
C)  50 m 
D)  100 
E)  none of these 
A)  98 
B)  490 
C)  50 m 
D)  100 
E)  none of these

Question 4

From Earth, one satellite appears to overtake another. The faster satellite is

Accepted Answer

A)  lower. 
B)  higher. 
C)  smaller. 
D)  can't say 
A)  lower. 
B)  higher. 
C)  smaller. 
D)  can't say

Question 5

Which would require the greater change in the Earth's orbital speed (30 km/s); slowing down so the Earth crashes into the sun, or speeding up so the Earth escapes the sun?

Accepted Answer

A)  speeding up 
B)  same each way 
C)  slowing down 
D)  More information about Earth-sun distance is needed. 
A)  speeding up 
B)  same each way 
C)  slowing down 
D)  More information about Earth-sun distance is needed.

Question 6

When the distance between two stars decreases by half, the force between them

Accepted Answer

A)  increases to four times as much. 
B)  decreases by one-quarter. 
C)  decreases by one-half. 
D)  increases to twice as much. 
E)  stays the same. 
A)  increases to four times as much. 
B)  decreases by one-quarter. 
C)  decreases by one-half. 
D)  increases to twice as much. 
E)  stays the same.

Question 7

If your mass, the mass of the Earth, and the mass of everything in the solar system were twice as much as it is now, yet everything stayed the same size, your weight on Earth would

Accepted Answer

A)  double. 
B)  be the same. 
C)  be eight times as much as now. 
D)  quadruple. 
E)  none of these 
A)  double. 
B)  be the same. 
C)  be eight times as much as now. 
D)  quadruple. 
E)  none of these

Question 8

An asteroid exerts a 360-N gravitational force on a nearby spacecraft. If the spacecraft moves to a point 3 times as far from the center of the asteroid, the force will be

Accepted Answer

A)  1080 N. 
B)  360 N. 
C)  zero. 
D)  40 N. 
E)  120 N. 
A)  1080 N. 
B)  360 N. 
C)  zero. 
D)  40 N. 
E)  120 N.

Question 9

Our moon travels the fastest as it orbits the Earth when it is

Accepted Answer

A)  performing an eclipse. 
B)  closest. 
C)  rotating. 
D)  revolving. 
E)  All of the above choices are true. 
A)  performing an eclipse. 
B)  closest. 
C)  rotating. 
D)  revolving. 
E)  All of the above choices are true.

Question 10

Inside a freely-falling runaway elevator, your

Accepted Answer

A)  apparent weight is zero. 
B)  acceleration is zero. 
C)  gravitational interaction with the Earth is zero. 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these 
A)  apparent weight is zero. 
B)  acceleration is zero. 
C)  gravitational interaction with the Earth is zero. 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these

Question 11

A vertically-oriented rocket that is somehow able to maintain a continuous upward velocity of 8 km/s will

Accepted Answer

A)  escape from the Earth. 
B)  be unable to escape the Earth. 
C)  eventually maintain a fixed orbit around the sun. 
A)  escape from the Earth. 
B)  be unable to escape the Earth. 
C)  eventually maintain a fixed orbit around the sun.

Question 12

An object is thrown vertically into the air. Because of air resistance, the time for its descent will be

Accepted Answer

A)  longer than the ascent time. 
B)  equal to the ascent time. 
C)  shorter than the ascent time. 
D)  Not enough information given to say. 
A)  longer than the ascent time. 
B)  equal to the ascent time. 
C)  shorter than the ascent time. 
D)  Not enough information given to say.

Question 13

Without air resistance, a projectile fired horizontally at 8 km/s from atop a mountain will

Accepted Answer

A)  return later to its starting position and repeat its falling behavior. 
B)  accelerate downward at g as it moves horizontally. 
C)  trace a curve that matches the earth's curvature. 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these 
A)  return later to its starting position and repeat its falling behavior. 
B)  accelerate downward at g as it moves horizontally. 
C)  trace a curve that matches the earth's curvature. 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these

Question 14

The period of a satellite, the time it takes for a complete revolution, depends on the satellite's

Accepted Answer

A)  weight. 
B)  mass. 
C)  radial distance. 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these 
A)  weight. 
B)  mass. 
C)  radial distance. 
D)  all of these 
E)  none of these

Question 15

Planets would crash into the sun if it weren't for

Accepted Answer

A)  the inverse-square law. 
B)  their relatively small masses. 
C)  their vast distances from the sun. 
D)  the fact that they are beyond the main gravitation of the sun. 
E)  their tangential velocities. 
A)  the inverse-square law. 
B)  their relatively small masses. 
C)  their vast distances from the sun. 
D)  the fact that they are beyond the main gravitation of the sun. 
E)  their tangential velocities.

Question 16

The direction of a gravitational field is

Accepted Answer

A)  away from the center of gravity of an object. 
B)  opposite to the direction of gravitational attraction. 
C)  in the same direction as the gravitational attraction. 
A)  away from the center of gravity of an object. 
B)  opposite to the direction of gravitational attraction. 
C)  in the same direction as the gravitational attraction.

Question 17

Acceleration due to gravity on the moon is less than on Earth, and the moon is smaller than Earth. So compared to an Earth satellite, a satellite in close orbit about the moon would travel

Accepted Answer

A)  faster. 
B)  the same. 
C)  slower. 
D)  Not enough information is given to say. 
A)  faster. 
B)  the same. 
C)  slower. 
D)  Not enough information is given to say.

Question 18

It takes Pluto a longer time to orbit the sun than the Earth does because Pluto

Accepted Answer

A)  has much further to go. 
B)  goes much slower. 
C)  Choices A and B are both correct. 
D)  Choices A and B are both incorrect. 
A)  has much further to go. 
B)  goes much slower. 
C)  Choices A and B are both correct. 
D)  Choices A and B are both incorrect.

Question 19

Roll a bowling ball off the edge of a table. As it falls, its horizontal component of velocity

Accepted Answer

A)  increases. 
B)  decreases. 
C)  remains constant. 
A)  increases. 
B)  decreases. 
C)  remains constant.

Question 20

An asteroid exerts a 360-N gravitational force on a nearby spacecraft. This force is directed

Accepted Answer

A)  toward the asteroid. 
B)  toward the sun. 
C)  away from the asteroid. 
A)  toward the asteroid. 
B)  toward the sun. 
C)  away from the asteroid.

Rockets that launch satellites into orbit need less thrust when fired from

Half way to the center of a completely hollow planet with a thin uniform shell, your weight there compared to your weight on the outer surface would be

A gun with a muzzle velocity of 100 m/s is fired horizontally from a tower. Neglecting air resistance, how far downrange will the bullet be 1 second later?

From Earth, one satellite appears to overtake another. The faster satellite is

Which would require the greater change in the Earth's orbital speed (30 km/s); slowing down so the Earth crashes into the sun, or speeding up so the Earth escapes the sun?

When the distance between two stars decreases by half, the force between them

If your mass, the mass of the Earth, and the mass of everything in the solar system were twice as much as it is now, yet everything stayed the same size, your weight on Earth would

An asteroid exerts a 360-N gravitational force on a nearby spacecraft. If the spacecraft moves to a point 3 times as far from the center of the asteroid, the force will be

Our moon travels the fastest as it orbits the Earth when it is

Inside a freely-falling runaway elevator, your

A vertically-oriented rocket that is somehow able to maintain a continuous upward velocity of 8 km/s will

An object is thrown vertically into the air. Because of air resistance, the time for its descent will be

Without air resistance, a projectile fired horizontally at 8 km/s from atop a mountain will

The period of a satellite, the time it takes for a complete revolution, depends on the satellite's

Planets would crash into the sun if it weren't for

The direction of a gravitational field is

Acceleration due to gravity on the moon is less than on Earth, and the moon is smaller than Earth. So compared to an Earth satellite, a satellite in close orbit about the moon would travel

It takes Pluto a longer time to orbit the sun than the Earth does because Pluto

Roll a bowling ball off the edge of a table. As it falls, its horizontal component of velocity

An asteroid exerts a 360-N gravitational force on a nearby spacecraft. This force is directed

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Exam 6: Gravity, Projectiles, and Satellites

Rockets that launch satellites into orbit need less thrust when fired from

Half way to the center of a completely hollow planet with a thin uniform shell, your weight there compared to your weight on the outer surface would be

A gun with a muzzle velocity of 100 m/s is fired horizontally from a tower. Neglecting air resistance, how far downrange will the bullet be 1 second later?

From Earth, one satellite appears to overtake another. The faster satellite is

Which would require the greater change in the Earth's orbital speed (30 km/s); slowing down so the Earth crashes into the sun, or speeding up so the Earth escapes the sun?

When the distance between two stars decreases by half, the force between them

If your mass, the mass of the Earth, and the mass of everything in the solar system were twice as much as it is now, yet everything stayed the same size, your weight on Earth would

An asteroid exerts a 360-N gravitational force on a nearby spacecraft. If the spacecraft moves to a point 3 times as far from the center of the asteroid, the force will be

Our moon travels the fastest as it orbits the Earth when it is

Inside a freely-falling runaway elevator, your

A vertically-oriented rocket that is somehow able to maintain a continuous upward velocity of 8 km/s will

An object is thrown vertically into the air. Because of air resistance, the time for its descent will be

Without air resistance, a projectile fired horizontally at 8 km/s from atop a mountain will

The period of a satellite, the time it takes for a complete revolution, depends on the satellite's

Planets would crash into the sun if it weren't for

The direction of a gravitational field is

Acceleration due to gravity on the moon is less than on Earth, and the moon is smaller than Earth. So compared to an Earth satellite, a satellite in close orbit about the moon would travel

It takes Pluto a longer time to orbit the sun than the Earth does because Pluto

Roll a bowling ball off the edge of a table. As it falls, its horizontal component of velocity

An asteroid exerts a 360-N gravitational force on a nearby spacecraft. This force is directed

About Science

Atoms

Equilibrium and Linear Motion

Newtons Laws of Motion

Momentum and Energy

Fluid Mechanics

Temperature, Heat, and Thermodynamics

Heat Transfer and Change of Phase

Static and Current Electricity

Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

Waves and Sound

Light Waves

Properties of Light

Quantum Theory

The Atomic Nucleus and Radioactivity

Physics of Rotation and Equilibrium

Filters