RISE Science — Physics

A high-speed train travels along a straight track at a constant velocity of 15 m/s. How far does the train travel in 12 seconds?

• A180 m
• B150 m
• C120 m
• D225 m

A sports car accelerates from rest (0 m/s) to 24 m/s in a time interval of 6.0 seconds. What is the average acceleration of the car?

• A4.0 m/s²
• B144 m/s²
• C0.25 m/s²
• D18 m/s²

A passenger sitting in a moving bus surges forward when the driver suddenly slams on the brakes. Which of Newton's laws best explains this phenomenon?

• ANewton's First Law (Law of Inertia), because the passenger's body tends to remain in its…
• BNewton's Second Law (F = ma), because net force on the passenger increases proportionally…
• CNewton's Third Law (Action-Reaction), because the road pushes back on the bus tires with…
• DNewton's Law of Universal Gravitation, because downward gravity increases when the bus st…

A net horizontal force of 3000 N acts on a 1200 kg vehicle. What is the resulting acceleration of the vehicle?

• A2.5 m/s²
• B0.40 m/s²
• C3.6 × 10⁶ m/s²
• D9.8 m/s²

An astronaut floating in space pushes a 50 kg satellite with a force of 100 N to the right. What force does the satellite exert on the astronaut?

• A100 N to the left
• B100 N to the right
• C50 N to the left
• D0 N because space is a vacuum

A 10 kg box rests stationary on a flat horizontal table. Which two forces acting on the box are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction?

• AThe downward force of gravity and the upward normal force from the table
• BThe static friction force and the gravitational force
• CThe force of kinetic friction and the normal force
• DThe applied force and the gravitational attraction to the moon

What is the weight of a 15 kg crate on Earth's surface, assuming gravitational acceleration g = 9.8 m/s²?

• A147 N
• B15 N
• C1.53 N
• D147 kg

A stone is dropped from rest from the top of a cliff. Neglecting air resistance, how far does it fall in 3.0 seconds? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A44.1 m
• B29.4 m
• C88.2 m
• D14.7 m

A motorcycle accelerates uniformly from rest at a rate of 5.0 m/s². What is its velocity after traveling for 4.0 seconds?

• A20 m/s
• B40 m/s
• C1.25 m/s
• D10 m/s

A runner enters a straight sprint lane moving at an initial velocity of 10 m/s and accelerates uniformly at 2.0 m/s² for 5.0 seconds. What is the total distance covered during this sprint?

• A75 m
• B50 m
• C100 m
• D25 m

A vehicle traveling at 20 m/s applies its brakes, causing a constant deceleration of 5.0 m/s². What is the stopping distance of the vehicle?

• A40 m
• B80 m
• C20 m
• D4.0 m

A steel ball is dropped from a height of 20 meters above the ground. What is its impact velocity just before touching the ground? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A19.8 m/s
• B392 m/s
• C14.0 m/s
• D9.8 m/s

A ball is launched horizontally at 12 m/s from the top of a 19.6 m high cliff. Neglecting air resistance, how long does the ball take to reach the ground? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A2.0 s
• B1.63 s
• C4.0 s
• D0.61 s

A 5.0 kg wooden block is pulled across a floor by a horizontal applied force of 35 N. If the kinetic friction force opposing motion is 10 N, what is the acceleration of the block?

• A5.0 m/s²
• B7.0 m/s²
• C2.0 m/s²
• D9.0 m/s²

A 10 kg box slides across a horizontal concrete floor. If the coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the floor is μ_k = 0.25, what is the magnitude of the kinetic friction force? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A24.5 N
• B2.5 N
• C98 N
• D39.2 N

A 20 kg crate rests on a horizontal wooden floor where the coefficient of static friction is μ_s = 0.40. What minimum horizontal push is required to start moving the crate from rest? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A78.4 N
• B8.0 N
• C196 N
• D49 N

An elevator cab of mass 800 kg accelerates upward at a constant rate of 1.5 m/s². What is the tension force in the supporting cable? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A9040 N
• B6640 N
• C7840 N
• D1200 N

A student with a mass of 60 kg stands on a scale inside an elevator that is accelerating downward at 2.0 m/s². What reading does the scale show in newtons? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A468 N
• B708 N
• C588 N
• D120 N

A car drives around a flat, horizontal circular track of radius 45 meters at a constant speed of 15 m/s. What is the centripetal acceleration of the car?

• A5.0 m/s²
• B0.33 m/s²
• C3.0 m/s²
• D225 m/s²

A 1200 kg car negotiates a circular turn of radius 45 m at a constant speed of 15 m/s. What centripetal force is required to keep the car on its circular path?

• A6000 N
• B400 N
• C270,000 N
• D18,000 N

If the speed of a car moving around a circular track of fixed radius is doubled, by what factor does the required centripetal force change?

• AIncreases by a factor of 4
• BIncreases by a factor of 2
• CDecreases by a factor of 2
• DRemains unchanged

Two forces act simultaneously on an object: F_1 = 30 N pushing East, and F_2 = 40 N pushing North. What is the magnitude of the net force acting on the object?

• A50 N
• B70 N
• C10 N
• D1200 N

A projectile is launched with an initial velocity of 50 m/s at an angle of 30° above the horizontal. What is the magnitude of its initial vertical velocity component? (sin 30° = 0.50, cos 30° = 0.866)

• A25 m/s
• B43.3 m/s
• C50 m/s
• D100 m/s

A frictionless ramp is inclined at an angle of 30° to the horizontal. What is the acceleration of a box sliding down this ramp? (g = 9.8 m/s², sin 30° = 0.50)

• A4.9 m/s²
• B9.8 m/s²
• C8.49 m/s²
• D2.45 m/s²

A 5.0 kg block slides down an incline angled at 30° above horizontal. If the coefficient of kinetic friction is μ_k = 0.20, what is the net acceleration of the block down the incline? (g = 9.8 m/s², sin 30° = 0.50, cos 30° = 0.866)

• A3.20 m/s²
• B4.90 m/s²
• C1.70 m/s²
• D6.60 m/s²

Two masses, m_1 = 3.0 kg and m_2 = 2.0 kg, are connected by a light string over a frictionless pulley (an Atwood machine). What is the acceleration of the system when released from rest? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A1.96 m/s²
• B9.8 m/s²
• C3.92 m/s²
• D4.90 m/s²

A car negotiates an unbanked curve of radius 50 m. If the coefficient of static friction between tires and road is μ_s = 0.50, what is the maximum speed the car can have without skidding? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A15.65 m/s
• B245 m/s
• C7.0 m/s
• D31.3 m/s

A sky diver of mass 70 kg reaches terminal velocity during free fall. What is the magnitude of the air resistance force acting on the sky diver at terminal velocity? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A686 N
• B0 N
• C70 N
• D1372 N

If a car's initial speed is doubled from 15 m/s to 30 m/s, how does its minimum braking distance change under constant braking acceleration?

• ABraking distance quadruples (4×)
• BBraking distance doubles (2×)
• CBraking distance increases by a factor of 1.41 (√2×)
• DBraking distance remains unchanged

A 1000 kg rocket accelerates vertically upward from launch pad with a thrust force of 15,000 N. What is the initial vertical acceleration of the rocket? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A5.2 m/s²
• B15.0 m/s²
• C24.8 m/s²
• D9.8 m/s²

A worker applies a constant horizontal force of 40 N to push a box across a floor over a distance of 8.0 meters. How much work is done on the box by the worker?

• A320 J
• B5.0 J
• C48 J
• D0 J

What is the kinetic energy of an 800 kg car traveling down a straight highway at a velocity of 15 m/s?

• A90,000 J
• B180,000 J
• C6,000 J
• D12,000 J

A 4.0 kg bowling ball is held stationary at a height of 5.0 meters above the floor. What is its gravitational potential energy relative to the floor? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A196 J
• B20 J
• C39.2 J
• D98 J

What is the magnitude of linear momentum for a 0.15 kg baseball thrown at a velocity of 40 m/s?

• A6.0 kg·m/s
• B120 kg·m/s
• C266.7 kg·m/s
• D0.00375 kg·m/s

A force of 50 N acts on an object for a duration of 0.20 seconds. What is the impulse delivered to the object?

• A10 N·s
• B250 N·s
• C100 N·s
• D2.5 N·s

Which statement correctly distinguishes an elastic collision from a perfectly inelastic collision in an isolated system?

• AKinetic energy is conserved in elastic collisions, but lost to thermal/deformation energy…
• BMomentum is conserved in elastic collisions, but momentum is lost in inelastic collisions.
• CKinetic energy is created in inelastic collisions, but conserved in elastic collisions.
• DNeither momentum nor kinetic energy is conserved in elastic collisions.

A sled is pulled across snow by a rope exerting a force of 50 N at an angle of 60° above the horizontal over a distance of 10 meters. How much work is done by the rope? (cos 60° = 0.50)

• A250 J
• B500 J
• C433 J
• D100 J

A 2.0 kg object moving initially at 4.0 m/s accelerates under a net force until its velocity reaches 10 m/s. According to the Work-Energy Theorem, how much net work was done on the object?

• A84 J
• B100 J
• C16 J
• D42 J

An electric motor applies a constant pushing force of 200 N to move a conveyor belt at a steady speed of 3.0 m/s. What mechanical power output does the motor deliver?

• A600 W
• B66.7 W
• C1800 W
• D60 W

A roller coaster cart of mass 500 kg starts from rest at the top of a frictionless hill 45 meters high. What is the speed of the cart at the bottom of the hill? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A29.7 m/s
• B882 m/s
• C21.0 m/s
• D441 m/s

A simple pendulum consists of a 2.0 kg mass suspended from a light string. If released from rest at height h = 0.80 m above its lowest point, what is its speed at the lowest point? (g = 9.8 m/s²)

• A3.96 m/s
• B15.68 m/s
• C2.80 m/s
• D7.84 m/s

A spring with a spring constant k = 400 N/m is compressed by 0.15 meters from its equilibrium length. How much elastic potential energy is stored in the spring?

• A4.5 J
• B9.0 J
• C30 J
• D60 J

A 0.14 kg baseball arrives horizontally at home plate at 30 m/s and is struck by a bat, launching it backward in the opposite direction at 40 m/s. If the bat and ball remain in contact for 0.0050 seconds, what average force does the bat exert on the ball?

• A1960 N
• B280 N
• C9.8 N
• D1400 N

Why does an automobile airbag reduce the risk of serious injury during a collision?

• AIt increases the contact time Δt over which momentum changes, thereby decreasing the aver…
• BIt decreases the overall change in momentum Δp experienced by the occupant.
• CIt eliminates the passenger's kinetic energy without doing negative work.
• DIt increases the passenger's deceleration rate compared to striking the rigid dashboard.

A 1000 kg car traveling east at 12 m/s collides with a stationary 1500 kg truck at an intersection. If the vehicles lock bumpers and slide together as a single unit, what is their combined velocity immediately after collision?

• A4.8 m/s East
• B8.0 m/s East
• C12 m/s East
• D6.0 m/s East

A cannon of mass 500 kg fires a 5.0 kg cannonball horizontally at a muzzle velocity of 100 m/s. What is the recoil velocity of the cannon?

• A-1.0 m/s (backward)
• B-5.0 m/s (backward)
• C1.0 m/s (forward)
• D-10 m/s (backward)

In a head-on 1D elastic collision, a moving billiard ball of mass m moving at velocity +v collides directly with an identical stationary billiard ball of mass m. What are the velocities of the two balls after collision?

• AFirst ball comes to rest (0), second ball moves forward at +v.
• BBoth balls move forward together at +0.5v.
• CFirst ball rebounds backward at -v, second ball remains stationary.
• DBoth balls bounce backward at -0.5v.

A 10 kg box slides along a rough horizontal path. If friction does -150 J of work on the box over a distance of 5.0 meters, what is the magnitude of the kinetic friction force?

• A30 N
• B750 N
• C15 N
• D3.0 N