Question 1

At night you get in your car to drive to the store. The car starts but none of the lights work. Which of the following activities would not be considered part of the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

A)  Slam the hood down hard. 
B)  Check the fuse in the light circuit. 
C)  Check the wiring from the battery to the lights. 
D)  Replace the light bulbs with new bulbs.

Question 2

The numerical factor 109 corresponds to what quantity?

Accepted Answer

A)  A million 
B)  A billion 
C)  A millionth 
D)  A trillionth

Question 3

Which of the following units is not appropriate for measuring volume?

Accepted Answer

A)  cup. 
B)  liter. 
C)  centimeter. 
D)  pint. 
E)  milliliter.

Question 4

A scout steps off a distance of 120 steps. If each step is 70 cm, what is the distance in meters?

Accepted Answer

A)  8.4 m 
B)  84 m 
C)  840 m 
D)  8400 m

Question 5

The increase in the average atmospheric temperature for the entire planet Earth over the last few centuries can be explained by the

Accepted Answer

A)  greenhouse effect 
B)  increase in size of gaps in the ionosphere 
C)  melting of the polar icecaps 
D)  change in the average salt levels in the oceans

Question 6

Two different hypotheses are developed to explain why balls bounce. Experiments using basketballs show each hypothesis works equally well. To decide which one is more likely to be correct, you could

Accepted Answer

A)  find out which one was developed by the more educated person. 
B)  use the one that involved more mathematics. 
C)  ask three physicists and choose the hypothesis that got the most votes. 
D)  try an experiment using baseballs.

Question 7

A person claims that he can start fires by using his mental powers. If we start with the hypothesis that his claim is true, we can

Accepted Answer

A)  put him in a room with just a newspaper and watch him start a fire. 
B)  do nothing; this is not a testable hypothesis. 
C)  make him explain how he starts fires with his mind. 
D)  watch a video of him starting a fire with his mind.

Question 8

The subfield of _________ is the study of forces and motion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The subfield of _________ is the study...

Question 9

A new system of units is invented where the basic unit of length is the "dak." The "dak" is defined as equal to 2 inches, and there are 2.54 centimeters in an inch. How many "daks" are there in a centimeter?

Accepted Answer

A)  4 
B)  0.197 
C)  2 
D)  0.254

Question 10

If a car travels at a constant speed, the distance the car travels in a certain time can be found using the relation d = st where d represents distance, s speed, and t time. This relationship can be expressed in words as

Accepted Answer

A)  distance equals speed minus time. 
B)  multiply speed and time to obtain the distance traveled. 
C)  distance equals speed divided by time. 
D)  speed is the reciprocal of time and the inverse of distance.

Question 11

Suppose a theory is used to make a prediction. A measurement is carried out to test the prediction. The measurement is found to have a value far larger than the prediction. This means

Accepted Answer

A)  the theory must be completely incorrect and must be rejected entirely. 
B)  nothing because theories are not facts; theories often make incorrect predictions but are still regarded as true by scientists. 
C)  the measurement must be incorrect; theories by definition cannot be incorrect. 
D)  the theory might have correct elements but must be modified to account for some unforeseen influences.

Question 12

Which of the following is a correct metric unit for volume?

Accepted Answer

A)  Smidgens. 
B)  Drops. 
C)  Microns. 
D)  Liters.

Question 13

Physics is considered the "Fundamental Science" because

Accepted Answer

A)  if a person understands physics, he or she does not need to know anything about other sciences. 
B)  physics offers the only exact explanations of how things work; other sciences only provide approximate answers. 
C)  it makes the most use of mathematics. 
D)  the ideas and concepts of physics are an important part of the foundation of other sciences.

Question 14

The development of physics concepts depends heavily on measurements because

Accepted Answer

A)  measurements are needed to prove ideas true or false. 
B)  without measurements, we would not know what to explain with physics. 
C)  measurements involve mathematics. 
D)  physicists like numbers more than words.

Question 15

The principal advantage of metric units over English units is that

Accepted Answer

A)  metric units are of more convenient size. 
B)  conversions between units are easier. 
C)  metric units are more familiar. 
D)  there are fewer metric units to remember than English units.

Question 16

The main reason that physics is perceived to be difficult is because people think that

Accepted Answer

A)  all of its concepts seem incompatible with our everyday experience. 
B)  it frequently changes its explanations of common occurrences. 
C)  the laws of physics are often shown to be wrong. 
D)  math is required to understand its ideas.

Question 17

To prepare two servings of hot cereal, a cook mixes 1/3 cup of ground cereal with one cup of hot water. To prepare six servings will require ______ cup(s) of cereal and _____ cup(s) of hot water.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To prepare two servings of hot cereal,...

Question 18

When trying to make sense of the universe, it is useful to study everyday physics of things you see in your hometown, even in your own kitchen, because

Accepted Answer

A)  no one knows any of the physical principles that govern the universe outside our planet, Earth. 
B)  we expect the same laws govern physics in your hometown and everywhere else in the universe. 
C)  only astrology governs the planets. 
D)  when you finish, you can eat the experiment.

Question 19

Suppose you are told that the force on a body (F) is given by the product of its mass (m) and the acceleration of the body (a). Which of the following mathematical equations is the correct expression of this relationship?

Accepted Answer

A)  F = m/a 
B)  F = m + a 
C)  F = a/m 
D)  F = m $\times$ a 
E)  F = 1/(m $\times$ a)

Question 20

A certain parcel of real estate is sold for 7.0 Mega dollars. What is the correct scientific notation for this selling price?

Accepted Answer

A)  7.0 $\times$ 106 dollars 
B)  7 $\times$ 106 dollars 
C)  70 $\times$ 105 dollars 
D)  10 $\times$ 107 dollars

Exam 1: Physics, the Fundamental Science