Graphing Schemes for Physics Practice Test

Review the following concepts if needed:

• Rectangular Coordinates for Physics Help
• The Polar Plane for Physics Help
• Other Coordinate Systems for Physics Help

Graphing Schemes Practice Test

1. A polar plane defines points according to

(a) two distance coordinates.

(b) a distance and an angle.

(c) two angles.

(d) a distance and two angles.

2. Suppose that you plot the graphs of two equations in the cartesian plane, and the curves meet at a single point. How many solutions are there to this pair of simultaneous equations?

(a) None

(b) One

(c) Two

(d) There is not enough information to tell.

3. In a semilog coordinate plane,

(a) both axes are semilogarithmic.

(b) one axis is semilogarithmic, and the other is logarithmic.

(c) one axis is linear, and the other is logarithmic.

(d) both axes are linear.

4. What is the general shape of the graph of the equation x ² + y ² = 16 as plotted in rectangular coordinates?

(a) A straight line

(b) A parabola

(c) A circle

(d) There is not enough information to tell.

5. What is the equation of problem 4 if its graph is plotted in polar coordinates, where r is the radius and q is the angle?

(a) r = 4

(b) q = 4

(c) r ² + q ² = 16

(d) There is not enough information to tell.

6. Which three-dimensional coordinate scheme described in this chapter locates a point by defining three different angles relative to a reference axis?

(a) The polar plane

(b) Cylindrical coordinates

(c) Spherical coordinates

(d) None of the above

7. Suppose that two equations are graphed and that their plots are curves A and B in Fig. 3-21. Suppose that both graphs extend infinitely far in both directions. How many solutions are there to this pair of equations?

(a) None

(b) Several

Fig. 3-21 . Illustration for problem 7. The graphs of the two equations are curves A and B . Assume that the graphs extend infinitely in either direction.

(c) Infinitely many

(d) It is impossible to tell.

8. Suppose that two equations are graphed and that their plots are curves A and B in Fig. 3-22. Suppose that both graphs extend infinitely far in both directions. How many solutions are there to this pair of equations?

(a) None

(b) Several

Fig. 3-22 . Illustration for problem 8. The graphs of the two equations are curves A and B . Assume that the graphs extend infinitely in either direction.

(c) Infinitely many

(d) It is impossible to tell.

9. Suppose that two equations are graphed and that their plots are curves A and B in Fig. 3-23. Suppose that both graphs extend infinitely far in both directions. How many solutions are there to this pair of equations?

(a) None

(b) Several

(c) Infinitely many

(d) It is impossible to tell.

Fig. 3-23 . Illustration for problem 9. The graphs of the two equations are curves A and B . Assume that the graphs extend infinitely in either direction.

10. In which graphing scheme does neither axis extend all the way down to zero?

(a) Rectangular coordinates

(b) Cylindrical coordinates

(c) Spherical coordinates

(d) Log-log coordinates

Answers:

1. b

2. b

3. c

4. c

5. a

6. d

7. b

8. c

9. a

10. d