Physics Introductory Quiz

Physics Introductory Quiz

This test is 30 multiple-choice questions covering various topics in general physics. While 30 questions can't cover every concept, or skill, your performance on this test will give you a good indication of your strengths and weaknesses. Take as much time as you need to do the pretest. When you are finished, check your answers with the answer key at the end of the book.

1. Consider the following conversion: 1 yd = 3 ft and 1 yd = 91.44 cm. The Millau Viaduct in France measures 1,222 feet and is 53 feet taller than the Eiffel tower. Find the size of both the Viaduct and the Eiffel tower in yards and in meters.
   1. 337 yards and 305 meters; 16 yards and 14 meters
   2. 441 yards and 403 meters; 18 yards and 16 meters
   3. 754 yards and 308 meters; 17 yards and 12 meters
   4. 312 yards and 142 meters; 12 yards and 14 meters
2. How many quartz are in a 2 liter bottle?
   1. 2.11
   2. 3.21
   3. 2.31
   4. 1.32
3. There are 250,000.00 miles between Earth and the moon. What is this distance in meters?
   1. 250,000.00 meters
   2. 250,000.00 kilomets
   3. 4.0225 · 10⁸ kilometers
   4. 4.0225 · 10⁸ meters
4. The largest speed known to us is the speed of light: 3 · 10⁸ miles/second. Convert this speed to miles/hour.
   1. 7 · 10⁸ miles/hour
   2. 3 · 10⁸ miles/hour
   3. 3 · 10⁸ miles/second
   4. 7 · 10⁸ miles/second
5. Light emitted by the sun takes 8.0 minutes to reach us at a speed of 3 · 10⁸ meters/second. Find the distance in meters it travels in that time.
   1. 3 · 10¹¹ meters
   2. 1.4 · 10¹¹ kilometers
   3. 1.4 · 10¹¹ meters
   4. 1.4 · 10⁸ meters
6. You have measured the size of an object's diameter seven times, and you have the following values: 3.5,3.5,3.4,3.3,3.2,3.1, and 3.6 cm. What is the average measurement expressed with the correct number of significant figures?
   1. 3.2 cm
   2. 3.6 cm
   3. 3.4 cm
   4. 3 cm
7. Write the following quantities in scientific notation: 0.034 kg, 123.34 in, 1,500.0 N, 1.013 · 10⁵ N/m²
   1. 3.4 · 10^–2 kg, 1.234 · 10² in, 1.5 · 10³ N, 0.1013 · 10⁶ N/m²
   2. 3.4 · 10^–2 kg, 1.234 · 10² in, 1.5 · 10³ N, 1.013 · 10⁵ N/m²
   3. 3.4 · 10^–2 kg, 12.34 · 10¹ in, 1.5 · 10³ N, 1.013 · 10⁵ N/m²
   4. 0.34 · 10^–1 kg, 1.234 · 10² in, 1.5 · 10³ N, 1.013 · 10⁵ N/m²
8. Perform the following additions to the correct number of significant figures: 75.20 + 0.135 + 1,254.25 + 101.05 = ?And 1,234.56 + 0.32 = ?
   1. 1,430.6 and 1,234.88
   2. 1,430.63 and 1,235
   3. 1,430.635 and 1,234.88
   4. 1,430.63 and 1,234.88
9. In a three-dimensional system, the vector represented by the following coordinates (second set of numbers is the tip of the vector) (3, – 2,5) and (6,0,5) is:
   1. 
   2. 
   3. 
10. Draw the following vectors and find their resultant (R = A + B) graphically and quantitatively: A= (3,3)and B = (–6,–5).
    1. R = 6.3

    

    2. R = 3.6

    

    3. R = 3.6

    

11. Consider two objects acted on by the same force and their final accelerations 2.00 m/s² and 4.00 m/s². If the mass of the first object is 3.25 kg, find the force and the mass of the second object.
    1. 1.62 kg and 6.5 N
    2. 16.2 kg and 6.5 N
    3. 1.62 kg and 65 N
    4. 1.62 kg and 0.65 N
12. Asmall object is acted upon by a force of 2.24 N and accelerates with 12.0 m/s². What is the mass of the object?
    1. 187 kg
    2. 18.7 kg
    3. 1.87 kg
    4. 0.187 kg
13. A car of mass 1,500 kilograms starts from rest and travels 10 meters in 2 seconds. What are the values of the acceleration, assuming uniform acceleration, and of the net force?
    1. 10 m/s² and 7,500 N
    2. 5 m/s² and 9,500 N
    3. 5 m/s² and 7,500 N
    4. 5 m/s² and 75 N
14. A book is sitting on a table. The book has a mass of 553 g. Find the weight and the normal force.
    1. W = 0 N and N = 5.5 N
    2. W = 5.5 N and N = 0 N
    3. W = N = 5.5 N
    4. W = 5.5 N and N = 10 N
15. Which of the free body diagrams below fully represents the forces acting on the two objects? The pulley and string are considered of negligible mass.
    1. 
    2. 
    3. 
16. An object of 50 g mass moves on a surface with the coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.3. Find the force of friction acting on the object.
    1. 1.5 N
    2. 15 N
    3. 0.15 N
    4. 0.015 N
17. Two different objects have the same momentum, but one object is ten times larger in mass than the other (m_l > m₂). How do the two velocities compare? Consider one-dimensional motion.
    1. m₁/m₂ = v₁/v₂ = 10
    2. m₂/m₁ = v₂/v₁ = 10
    3. m₁/m₂ = v₂/v₁ = 1
    4. m₁/m₂ = v₂/v₁ = 10
18. A car comes to a complete stop in 20 seconds. Considering the mass of the car to be 1,500 kg and the initial speed 18 m/s, find out the average breaking force.
    1. 1,350 N
    2. 1.350 N
    3. 135.0 N
    4. 13.5 N
19. Two objects of masses 25 and 5 kg collide perfectly elastically and head on. Object 1, which is heavier, is at rest initially, and object 2 is moving at a speed of 1.5 m/s. After collision, object 2 will recoil at a speed of 1.2 m/s. What is the speed of the heavy object? There is no external force acting on the system.
    1. 54 m/s
    2. 0.54 m/s
    3. 0 m/s
    4. 540 m/s
20. Consider a car collision in which one car is driving north at a 11 m/s speed and the other is moving east at 9 m/s. The cars are of similar mass. Find the velocity immediately after the collision if the cars get entangled and move together before they stop.
    1. 
    2. 
    3. 
    4. 0 m/s
21. Find the work done by the weight of an object (300.0 N) if the object moves a distance of 240.0 cm on the horizontal.
    1. 720 J
    2. 700 J
    3. 0 J
    4. 72,000 J
22. A work of W = –(50 · m) J, where m is the mass of the object, is done on an object. Find the change in kinetic energy.
    1. ΔKE = W = –(50 · m) J
    2. ΔKE = 0 J
    3. ΔKE = – 50 J
    4. ΔKE = – (50 · m) J
23. Find the centripetal acceleration on a car taking a curve at a speed of 60 miles/hour if the curvature of the road has a radius of 50 meters.
    1. 14.14 m/s
    2. 14.14 m/s²
    3. 14.14 m/s³
    4. 0 m/s²
24. Find the pressure exerted by a layer of water 5 feet deep on the bottom of a pool.
    1. 0 · 10³ Pa
    2. 5 · 10¹ Pa
    3. 5 · 10³ atm
    4. 5 · 10³ Pa
25. Water has a very large specific heat. Around the ocean shore or seaside, is the weather heating up fast? Why?
    1. No, the large heat capacity means that the temperature changes little with heat exchange.
    2. Yes, the water makes it feel colder.
    3. No, because there are winds blowing all the time. atm
    4. There is no connection between water and the temperature change.
26. Consider the PV diagram below. Find the work for the process.



1. –10² J
2. 0 J
3. 10² J
4. –10⁵ J
27. Consider two objects, one made of rubber and the other made of nylon, both initially electrically neutral. You rub the two objects together, and the rubber becomes charged with –2.88 · 10^–16 Coulombs. What is the nylon's charge and how many electrons have been shifted to the rubber from the nylon in the process?
    1. –2.88 · 10^–16 Coulombs; 1,800 protons
    2. +2.88 · 10^–16 Coulombs; 1,800 protons
    3. – 2.88 · 10^–16 Coulombs; 1,800 electrons
    4. +2.88 · 10^–16 Coulombs; 1,800 electrons.
28. A current passes through a wire. What is the ratio of the magnetic fields produced at a distance of r and 4 · r from the wire?
    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 4
    4. 16
29. Light travels from air to a medium with an index of refraction 1.55. What is the speed of light in that medium?
    1. 1.94 · 10⁸ km/s
    2. 1.94 · 10⁸ m/s
    3. 1.94 m/s
    4. 10⁸ m/s
30. An object is placed in front of two mirrors that make a 90° angle. The positions of the images formed by the two-mirror system are:
    1. 
    2. 
    3. 

Answer Key

1. b. 441 yd and 403 m; 18 yd and 16 m
2. a.
3. d. 4.0225 . 10⁸ m
4. a. 7 · 10⁸ miles/hour
5. c. 1.4 · 10¹¹ m
6. c. 3.4 cm
7. b. 3.4 · 10^–2 kg, 1.234 · 10² in, 1.5 · 10³ N, 1.013 · 10⁵ N/m²
8. d. 1,430.63 and 1,234.88
9. b.
10. b.
11. a. 1.62 kg and 6.5 N
12. d. 0.187 kg
13. c. 5 m/s² and 7,500 N
14. c. W = N = 5.5 N
15. a.
16. c. 0. 15 N
17. d. m₁/m₂ = v₂/v₁ = 10
18. a. 1,350 N
19. b. 0.54 m/s
20. c. v = (11k + 9j) m/s
21. b. 0 J
22. a. ΔKE = W= –(50 · m) J
23. b. 14.14 m/s²
24. d. 5 · 10³ Pa
25. a.
26. a. –10² J
27. d. +2.88 · 10^–16 Coulombs; 1,800 electrons
28. c. 4
29. b. 1.94 · 10⁸ m/s
30. b.