Deck 32: (AP) Physics: Introductory Physics

Question 1

In a large room, a sound wave traveling from a violin produces a tone with a frequency of 264 Hz. The speed of sound in the room is 340 m/s.What is the wavelength of the sound wave from the violin?

A) 0.004 m
B) 0.80 m
C) 1.3 m
D) 2.6 m

Answer 1

1.3 m

Question 2

Which of the following statements describes the electric force betweentwo oppositely charged particles as they approach each other?

A)The attractive electric force increases.
B)The electric force becomes repulsive.
C)The magnitude of the electric force decreases.
D)The repulsive electric force becomes attractive.

Answer 2

The attractive electric force increases.

Question 3

A student leaving school walks 2.5 km north and then walks 1.0 km south. What is the student's displacement?

A) 1.0 km south
B) 1.5 km north
C) 2.5 km north
D) 3.5 km south

Answer 3

1.5 km north

Question 4

A student touches a metal sink with her finger and notices that her finger feels cold. Which of the following statements explains this observation?

A)Heat energy flows from the student's finger to the metal sink.
B)Heat energy flows from the metal sink to the student's finger.
C)The student's finger was originally at the same temperature as the sink.
D)The student's finger was originally at a lower temperature than the sink.

Question 5

A student pushes a book across a classroom table. Which of the following statements best explains the difference between the amount of force needed to start the book moving and the amount of force needed to keep it moving?

A)Less force is needed to start the book moving, because there is less friction than when it is already moving.
B)Less force is needed to start the book moving, because there is less potential energy in the table than in the book.
C)More force is needed to start the book moving, because there is more potential energy in the table than in the book.
D)More force is needed to start the book moving, because there is more friction than when it is already moving.

Question 6

A racecar travels at an average speed of 80 m/s in a race. The total distance of the race is 640,000 m.How long does it take the racecar to finish the race?

A)800 s
B)8,000 s
C)6,400,000 s
D)51,200,000 s

Question 7

Electric charges can move most easily on which of the following objects?

A)glass tubes
B)metal plates
C)plastic cups
D)rubber tires

Question 8

The potential difference across a resistor is 12 V. When a current of 5 A is flowing through this resistor, what is the power used by the resistor?

A) 2.4 W
B)60 W
C)300 W
D)1500 W

Question 9

The molecules in which of the following have the greatest average molecular kinetic energy?

A)air in a person's lungs
B)ice cubes in a glass of iced tea
C)raindrops collecting in a puddle
D)water boiling in a pot on a stove

Question 10

A car with its horn sounding approaches a group of students. Assume the car's horn produces sound waves with a constant frequency.Which of the following statements bestexplains why the students hear a higher pitch as the car approaches than when it is stopped?

A)The sound waves increase in speed as the car approaches the students.
B)The sound waves decrease in speed as the car approaches the students.
C)The sound waves are heard at a lower frequency as the car approaches the students.
D)The sound waves are heard at a higher frequency as the car approaches the students.

Question 11

Two blocks of zinc with different masses are at room temperature. Each block then absorbs the same amount of heat over 10 minutes. When the temperature of each block is then measured, block 1 is at a higher temperature than block 2. Which of the following statements most likely describes the zinc blocks?

A)The mass of block 1 is less than the mass of block 2.
B)The mass of block 1 is greater than the mass of block 2.
C)The specific heat of block 1 is less than the specific heat of block 2.
D)The specific heat of block 1 is greater than the specific heat of block 2.

Question 12

A rock climber weighs 550 N and is carrying a backpack that weighs 50 N. How much total work has been done after she climbs 12 m?

A)50 J
B)600 J
C)6000 J
D)7200 J

Question 13

A 5 kg rock and a 10 kg rock are dropped from a height of 10 m. Which of the following statements describes what happens to the potential energy of the rocks?

A)Neither rock loses potential energy because no work is done on the rocks.
B)Both rocks lose the same amount of potential energy because they fall from the same height.
C)The 10 kg rock loses more potential energy than the 5 kg rock because the 10 kg rock falls faster.
D)The 10 kg rock loses more potential energy than the 5 kg rock because the 10 kg rock has more mass.

Question 14

A student is driving her car when an insect strikes her windshield. Which of the following statements best describes the forces in this situation?

A)The insect strikes the windshield with the same force as the windshield strikes the insect.
B)The insect strikes the windshield with a force, and the windshield exerts no force on the insect.
C)The insect exerts no force on the windshield, and the windshield strikes the insect with a large force.
D)The insect strikes the windshield with a small force, and the windshield strikes the insect with a large force.

Question 15

In which of the following examples is heat transferred primarily by radiation?

A)A fan blows warm air around a room.
B)A hot water bottle warms a person's feet.
C)Water vapor from a shower warms the room.
D)A spoon held near the side of a flame gets warm.

Question 16

Which of the following observations demonstrates that visible light waves are electromagnetic and not mechanical?

A)Sunlight can pass through gas.
B)Sunlight can pass through solids.
C)Sunlight can pass through liquids.
D)Sunlight can pass through a vacuum.

Question 17

A large container of cold water is moved from a refrigerator to a table. A hot piece of metal is placed into the water. Which of the following best describes the final temperature of the metal?

A)higher than the final temperature of the water
B)the same as the final temperature of the water
C)lower than the initial temperature of the water
D)the same as the initial temperature of the water

Question 18

Which of the following statements best explains why lightning is seen before thunder is heard?

A)Electromagnetic waves travel faster than mechanical waves in air.
B)Electromagnetic waves have a higher frequency than mechanical waves.
C)Electromagnetic waves experience less interference than mechanical waves.
D)Electromagnetic waves form faster than mechanical waves during a thunderstorm.

Question 19

A student is turning the handle of a generator. Another student connects a bulb to the generator. The bulb lights up. The first student continues to turn the handle of the generator at the same speed, but finds it harder to turn. Which of the following best explains this?

A)Less mechanical energy is required when the bulb is lit.
B)More energy is put into the generator when the bulb is lit.
C)Less mechanical energy is required the longer the generator is turned and the bulb is lit.
D)The energy requirement of the generator is the same at any speed whether or not the bulb is lit.

Question 20

Which of the following statements identifies the main difference between vector and scalar quantities?

A)Only vectors have direction.
B)Only scalars have magnitude.
C)Only scalars have units associated with them.
D)Only vectors have units associated with them.

Question 21

A meteoroid with a mass of 1,000 kg enters Earth's atmosphere with a locity of 4,400 m/s. What is the magnitude of the meteoroid's momentum at that instant?

A)44 kg • m/s
B)2,200,000 kg • m/s
C)4,400,000 kg • m/s
D)9,680,000,000 kg • m/s

Question 22

A balloon is inflated with roomtemperature air and then put in a sunny place. The balloon expands slightly due to a rise in temperature.Which of the following best describes the molecules of air inside the balloon when the balloon is left in the sunlight as compared to when it was first inflated?

A)The molecules are moving faster.
B)There are more molecules in the balloon.
C)There are fewer interactions between the molecules.
D)The molecules stop colliding with the walls of the balloon.

Question 23

Which of the following properties is the same for all electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?

A)amplitude
B)frequency
C)speed
D)wavelength

Question 24

Which of the following conditions results in the buildup of static charge on an object?

A)when neutrons outnumber electrons
B)when there are more protons than neutrons
C)when there are more electrons than protons
D)when all neutrons have been removed from the object

Question 25

What is the voltage across the terminals of a 23 ? resistor that has 0.065 A of current flowing through it?

A) 0.0028 V
B) 0.097 V
C) 1.5 V
D)350 V

Question 26

The momentum of an object in space is

A)dependent on its mass.
B)independent of its inertia.
C)independent of its velocity.
D)dependent on its potential energy.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of heat transfer by conduction?

A)sunlight heating a floor
B)an electric stove heating an iron pan
C)a wood stove heating nearby objects through electromagnetic waves
D)an electric heater heating air, which rises and is replaced with cooler air

Question 28

In a competition, weightlifter 1 lifts a 100 kg weight from the floor. Weightlifter 2 also lifts a 100 kg weight to the same height above the floor, but takes a longer time to do so.Which of the following statements describes the work done and the power used by the weightlifters?

A)Weightlifter 2 does the same work and uses less power compared with weightlifter 1.
B)Weightlifter 2 does less work and uses the same power compared with weightlifter 1.
C)Weightlifter 2 does the same work and uses more power compared with weightlifter 1.
D)Weightlifter 2 does more work and uses the same power compared with weightlifter 1.

Question 29

Which of the following properties determines a color in the visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum?

A)acceleration
B)amplitude
C)frequency
D)speed

Question 30

The source of a sound is moving away from an observer who is standing still. How do the sound waves received by the observer compare with those emitted by the source?

A)They are heard as having a greater velocity.
B)They are heard as having a higher frequency.
C)They are heard as having a lower frequency.
D)They are heard as having a smaller wavelength.

Question 31

When a student listens to music, sound waves propagate from the speaker to her ear. Which of the following is a physical description of this process?

A)Particles produced at the speaker move to the student's ear.
B)Energy is transported from the speaker to the student's ear.
C)Material is transferred from the speaker to the student's ear.
D)Clusters of air molecules are sent from the speaker to the student's ear.

Question 32

Which of the following statements best describes the force of Earth's gravity on a rocket moving upward?

A)The gravitational force is constant for all altitudes.
B)The gravitational force is weaker when the rocket is higher.
C)The gravitational force is stronger when the rocket is higher.
D)The gravitational force is zero when the altitude is greater than 10,000 miles.

Question 33

A student swings a bat horizontally, making contact with a ball thrown to her. The ball leaves the bat, and the bat continues moving through the rest ofthe swing. Which of the following statements describes the change in energy ecessary to do work on the ball?

A)All the kinetic energy of the bat is converted to work.
B)All the potential energy of the bat is converted to work.
C)Some of the kinetic energy of the bat is converted to work.
D)Some of the potential energy of the bat is converted to work.

Question 34

A star suddenly explodes. Which of the following types of waves reach Earth's surface?

A)light only
B)sound only
C)sound followed by light
D)light followed by sound

Question 35

A ball is thrown straight upward. The ball's initial speed is 30 m/s and its mass is 0.05 kg, resulting in an initial kinetic energy of 22.5 J.If the initial potential energy of the ball is 10 J and there is no frictional force, what would be the ball's total energy while it is moving?

A) 0.0 J
B) 10.0 J
C) 22.5 J
D) 32.5 J

Question 36

Which of the following actions would increase the current through a circuit component?

A)decreasing the power in the component
B)increasing the resistance of the component
C)increasing the voltage across the component
D)placing another identical component in series in the circuit

Question 37

The specific heat of wood is about 1,700 J/ kg• °C. How much energy is required to heat a 12 kg piece of wood from 20°C to 30°C?

A)1,400 J
B)17,000 J
C)204,000 J
D)612,000 J

Question 38

Which of the following is designed to produce an electromagnetic wave?

A)elastic cord
B)laser pointer
C)metal spring
D)ripple tank

Question 39

Two full 2 L bottles of water are placed on a table. Bottle 1 was just removed from a refrigerator; bottle 2 is at room temperature.Which of the following statements describes the average molecular kinetic energy and the speed of the molecules in each bottle?

A)Bottle 1 has the same average molecular kinetic energy as bottle 2, and the molecules have the same average speed in both bottles.
B)Bottle 1 has a smaller average molecular kinetic energy than bottle 2, and the molecules have the same average speed in both bottles.
C)Bottle 1 has a smaller average molecular kinetic energy than bottle 2, and the molecules have a slower average speed in bottle 1 than in bottle 2.
D)Bottle 1 has a larger average molecular kinetic energy than bottle 2, and the molecules have a slower average speed in bottle 1 than in bottle 2.

Question 40

Which of the following statements describes a result of Earth's gravitational pull on the Moon?

A)The Moon has craters.
B)The Moon orbits around Earth.
C)The Moon lacks an atmosphere.
D)The Moon has less gravity than Earth.

Question 41

Two students are standing next to each other on a level field. One of the students throws a table tennis ball forward toward a line 2.0 m away. At the same time, the second student throws a bowling ball in the same direction. Both balls take the same time to travel the 2.0 m.Only the second student feels a noticeable backward push when she throws her ball.Which of the following statements explains why only the second student feels a noticeable backward push?

A)The bowling ball exerts a much larger reaction force.
B)The bowling ball undergoes a much larger acceleration
C)The bowling ball requires more force to overcome gravity.
D)The bowling ball converts more inertia into kinetic energy

Question 42

A copper sphere, a glass sphere, a plastic sphere, and a rubber sphere are placed on individual insulating stands. A student touches each sphere with an electrically charged object.The sphere made of which material will distribute the electric charge fastest over its entire surface area?

A)copper
B)glass
C)plastic
D)rubber

Question 43

A person is using a force of 200 N to push a box. How much power does the person need to push the box a distance of 4 m in 10 s?

A)40 W
B)80 W
C)200 W
D)500 W

Question 44

Which of the following will always change when an object accelerates?

A)mass
B)potential energy
C)velocity
D)weight

Question 45

In a television set with a cathode ray tube display, a beam of negatively charged particles called cathode rays passes by a positively charged plate. The beam is deflected before it hits the television screen to produce an image. Which of the following changes would result in the greatest increase in the attraction between the negatively charged particles in the beam and the positively charged plate?

A)increasing the distance between the plate and the particles and increasing the charge on the plate
B)increasing the distance between the plate and the particles and decreasing the charge on the plate
C)decreasing the distance between the plate and the particles and increasing the charge on the plate
D)decreasing the distance between the plate and the particles and decreasing the charge on the plate

Question 46

Which of the following would cause a change in the speed of a mechanical wave?

A)the wave moving through a liquid
B)the wave moving from a solid to a gas
C)the wave being made by a larger vibration
D)the wave being made by a smaller vibration

Question 47

Which of the following is the best example of work being done on an object?

A)holding a 50 kg barbell
B)lifting a bag of groceries
C)keeping a board in place
D)pushing on a car that will not move

Question 48

Which of the following statements best explains why there is no change in temperature once thermal equilibrium between two objects in contact is reached?

A)Heat can flow between two objects in contact.
B)Heat does not flow between objects in contact at the same temperature.
C)Heat does not flow spontaneously from a cooler object to a warmer object.
D)Heat flows by conduction, convection, and radiation when the temperatures are the same.

Question 49

A large spring is stretched horizontally between two people. One person wiggles the spring up and down at one end. The up-and-down vibration then moves along the spring to the other person. Which of the following types of wave is created in the spring?

A)pressure wave
B)transverse wave
C)longitudinal wave
D)nonmechanical wave

Question 50

Which of the following statements best describes the visible spectrum of light as seen by the human eye?

A)The lowest frequency appears red, and the highest frequency appears violet.
B)The lowest frequency appears red, and the highest frequency appears yellow.
C)The lowest frequency appears green, and the highest frequency appears violet.
D)The lowest frequency appears green, and the highest frequency appears yellow.

Question 51

To locate objects in their environments, bats in flight and porpoises under water both use ultrasound waves with frequencies that are beyond human hearing. These animals produce an ultrasonic wave and then detect echoes from nearby objects.If a porpoise and a bat both produce ultrasonic waves when they are 16 m from an object, which animal would hear its echo first and why?

A)The bat would hear its echo first because sound travels faster in air than in water.
B)The porpoise would hear its echo first because sound travels faster in water than in air.
C)The bat would hear its echo first because the amplitude of sound waves is greater in air than in water.
D)The porpoise would hear its echo first because the amplitude of sound waves is greater in water than in air.

Question 52

Which of the following statements best explains why drops of liquid form on the outside of a glass of ice water on a hot day?

A)Water molecules in the air are attracted to the surface of the glass.
B)Water molecules in the ice water lose energy as they transfer heat to the air.
C)Water molecules in the air lose energy as they transfer heat to the cold glass.
D)Water molecules in the ice water move through the glass pores to the outside of the glass.

Question 53

Which of the following observations is a result of the Doppler effect?

A)Noise from across a lake is louder at night than during the day
B)A person walking notices that the pitch of a car's engine decreases as the car passes by.
C)Beats are produced when two tuning forks with different frequencies are heard together.
D)A person hears the sound from a radio more clearly in certain areas of a room than in others.

Question 54

Electromagnetic waves of various frequencies reach Earth from distant parts of the universe. Which of the following can be inferred from this?

A)The wavelengths must be very short.
B)A single material must fill all of space.
C)These waves can travel without a medium.
D)The speed of these waves is 300,000,000 m/s.

Question 55

Which of the following is an example of a vector quantity?

A)A student walks 2.0 km north.
B)An object has a mass of 10.5 kg.
C)A 1.0 kg object moves at 18 m/s.
D)A ball has an instantaneous speed of 15 m/s.

Question 56

Which of the following would be an advantage of using a 42 V battery in a car instead of a 12 V battery?

A)It would allow carmakers to use fewer circuits.
B)It would eliminate the use of generators and alternators.
C)It would produce the same amount of power using less current.
D)It would produce the same amount of power using more current.

Question 57

A balloon is rubbed against a sweater. Which of the following occurs because of the rubbing?

A)destruction of charged particles on the balloon
B)release of charged particles from the air in the balloon
C)movement of negatively charged particles from one material to the other
D)movement of positively charged particles from one material to the other

Question 58

A toy cart that has a weight of 10 N moves with a constant velocity of 2 m/s to the right on a horizontal table. According to Newton's laws of motion, which of the following statements is correct?

A)The table exerts a force of 10 N upward on the toy cart.
B)The toy cart exerts a force of 10 N upward on the table.
C)The toy cart exerts a force of 2 N downward on the table.
D)The table exerts a force of 2 N to the right on the toy cart.

Question 59

The speed of sound in a particular gas is 900 m/s. A sound wave propagating in this material has a wavelength of 15 m. What is the frequency of this sound?

A)30 Hz
B)60 Hz
C)6,800 Hz
D)13,500 Hz

Question 60

Which of the following statements best describes an electromagnetic wave with a long wavelength?

A)It has a low frequency and can travel in a vacuum.
B)It has a high frequency and can travel in a vacuum.
C)It has a low frequency and can only travel in a medium.
D)It has a high frequency and can only travel in a medium.

Question 61

In an electromagnetic wave, an electric field exists perpendicular to a magnetic field, and both fields are perpendicular to the direction of travel of the wave. These characteristics indicate that an electromagnetic wave is which of the following wave types?

A)gravitational
B)longitudinal
C)mechanical
D)transverse

Question 62

Large amounts of current can damage a circuit. Which of the following changes in a series circuit will result in an increase in current?

A)The voltage is halved and the resistance is halved.
B)The voltage is halved and the resistance is doubled.
C)The voltage is doubled and the resistance is halved.
D)The voltage is doubled and the resistance is doubled.

Question 63

Based on Ohm's law, which of the following statements explains what must happen when the voltage across a resistor is decreased?

A)The resistance of the resistor increases.
B)The resistance of the resistor decreases.
C)The current through the resistor increases.
D)The current through the resistor decreases.

Question 64

Which of the following is an example of a nonharmonic motion?

A)particles colliding with one another
B)a pendulum swaying back and forth
C)a child bouncing up and down on a large spring
D)waves created on the surface of a glass of water during an earthquake

Question 65

A ball has a mass of 0.1 kg and an initial velocity of 20 m/s. The ball is given an acceleration of 30 m/s2 for 5 s.What is the net force on the ball during acceleration?

A)0 N
B)3 N
C)10 N
D)15 N

Question 66

Which of the following has the greatest momentum?

A)a 60 kg deer moving west at a speed of 16.4 m/s
B)a 6300 kg elephant moving east at a speed of 0.11 m/
C)a 0.42 kg soccer ball moving downfield at a speed of 12 m/s
D)a 0.03 kg arrow moving toward a target at a speed of 150 m/s

Question 67

Which of the following is an example of an electromagnetic wave?

A)a radio wave
B)a water wave
C)the oscillation of a spring
D)the vibration of a violin string

Question 68

Which of the following statements best explains why it is usually easier to keep a sliding object moving than it is to start the object moving?

A)Kinetic friction is typically equal to static friction.
B)Kinetic friction is typically less than static friction.
C)Kinetic friction is a force that resists attempts to start an object moving.
D)Kinetic friction is a force that opposes the sliding of two objects over each other.

Question 69

Radio waves, visible light, and x-rays are examples of electromagnetic waves that always differ from each other in

A)amplitude.
B)intensity.
C)temperature.
D)wavelength.

Question 70

Two oppositely charged objects are separated by a small distance. The objects are then moved three times farther apart from each other. Which of the following statements best describes what happens to the electrical force between the objects?

A)The force of attraction increases.
B)The force of attraction decreases.
C)The force of attraction becomes zero.
D)The force of attraction stays the same.

Question 71

A sound wave can be transmitted through all of the following except

A)a gas.
B)a liquid.
C)a solid.
D)a vacuum.

Question 72

Three different boxes are lifted to different heights.
Box X weighs 115 N and is lifted to 15 m.
Box Y weighs 210 N and is lifted to 10 m.
Box Z weighs 305 N and is lifted to 5 m.
Which of the following statements best describes the boxes' change in mechanical energy?

A)Box X had the greatest change in mechanical energy.
B)Box Z had the smallest change in mechanical energy.
C)Boxes X and Y had the same change in mechanical energy.
D)Boxes Y and Z had the same change in mechanical energy.

Question 73

Which of the following statements applies to a longitudinal wave?

A)The motion of the medium is random.
B)The motion of the medium is in a circular pattern.
C)The motion of the medium is parallel to the motion of the wave.
D)The motion of the medium is perpendicular to the motion of the wave.

Question 74

A magnetic compass is placed near an insulated copper wire. When the wire is connected to a battery, the compass needle changes position.Which of the following is the bestexplanation for the movement of the needle?

A)The copper wire magnetizes the needle to create a force.
B)The needle magnetizes the copper wire to create a force.
C)The current in the wire produces a magnetic field and exerts a force on the needle.
D)The insulation on the wire becomes energized and exerts a force on the needle.

Question 75

Mike, who has a mass of 75 kg, is running north at 2.6 m/s. He accidentally collides with Tom, who has a mass of 125 kg and is not moving.Which of the following statements describes how much momentum each person has before the collision?

A)Mike has a momentum of 130 kg • m/s north, and Tom has no momentum.
B)Mike has a momentum of 195 kg • m/s north, and Tom has no momentum.
C)Both Mike and Tom have a momentum of 130 kg • m/s north.
D)Both Mike and Tom have a momentum of 195 kg • m/s north.

Question 76

X-ray waves and infrared waves are both electromagnetic waves. Which of the following describes another property x-ray waves and infrared waves share?

A)Both waves are longitudinal.
B)Both waves have the same frequency.
C)Both waves have the same wavelength.
D)Both waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum.

Question 77

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.

Question 78

The power of a toaster can be determined if which of the following values are known?

A)the dimensions of the toaster
B)the resistance of the toaster's insulation
C)the voltage applied to the toaster and the toaster's temperature
D)the current through the circuit and the voltage applied to the toaster

Question 79

How much power is required to carry a 35 N package a vertical distance of 18 m if the work on the package is accomplished in 30 s?

A)16 W
B)21 W
C)58 W
D)630 W

Question 80

A heavy box is at rest on an inclined plane. The box begins to slide down the inclined plane when a small force is applied to the box. The force is removed as soon as the box begins to slide. The speed of the box increases as the box slides down the inclined plane.Which of the following is the most likely cause of this increasing speed?

A)The force of gravity on the box is less when the box is not moving than when the box is moving.
B)The force of gravity on the box is greater when the box is not moving than when the box is moving.
C)The force of friction on the box is less when the box is not moving than when the box is moving.
D)The force of friction on the box is greater when the box is not moving than when the box is moving.