Physics Start-of-the-Year Assessment
Part I: Multiple Choice: Select the best answer for each of the following.
S9-12:19
1. If you walked at the speed of 3.0 miles per hour, how far have you traveled in 30 minutes?
A. 0.10 miles B. 1.5 miles C. 6.0 miles D. 30 miles E. 900 miles
2. The difference between speed and velocity is that velocity ___.
A. is faster
B. is measured in meters per second squared.
C. includes the direction of motion
D. must be measured in meters per second
For questions #3-6, match each description with the d-t graphs below.
3. Constant velocity away from the reference point.
4. Constant velocity towards the reference point.
5. No motion.
6. Acceleration.
7. Neglecting air resistance, the speed of a falling object after 4 seconds will be ___.
A. less than its speed at 3 seconds
B. the same speed as it was after 3 seconds
C. more than its speed at 3 seconds
8. A rocket sled accelerates from 10 m/s to 50 m/s in 2.0 seconds. What is the acceleration of the sled?
A. 80 m/s2 B. 40 m/s2 C. 25 m/s2 D. 20 m/s2 E. 2.0 m/s2
9. If you increase the force exerted on an object, its acceleration will ___.
A. decrease B. increase C. stay the same D. drop to zero
10. Use the speed vs. distance graph to the right, to predict the speed of the car when the car is at 60 cm.
A. 60 cm/s
B. 200 cm/s
C. 220 cm/s
D. 240 cm/s
E. 260 cm/s
11. Using the distance vs. time graph to the right, at which of the following points is the speed the greatest?
A. Point 1
B. Point 2
C. Point 3
D. Point 4
12. In the speed vs. time graph to the right, the object at Point C ___.
A. has positive acceleration
B. has negative acceleration
C. has zero acceleration
D. is moving at constant speed
13. If an object’s motion is plotted on a position versus time graph, the slope at any point on the graph is equal to the object’s _____ at that point in time.
A. time B. distance C. velocity D. acceleration E. mass
14. If an objects motion is plotted on a velocity versus time graph, the slope on the graph is equal to _____.
A. time B. distance C. velocity D. acceleration E. mass
15. One-half second after starting from rest, a freely falling object on Earth will have a speed of about ___.
A. 20 m/s B. 10 m/s C. 5 m/s D. 2.5 m/s
16. Acceleration occurs when an object changes ___.
A. speed B. direction C. either speed or direction D. none of these
17. The SI (international metric) unit for time is ______.
A. millisecond B. second C. minute D. hour
18. The SI (international metric) unit for distance is ______.
A. millimeter B. centimeter C. meter D. kilometer E. mile
S9-12:20
19. Suppose your mass here on Earth is 50 kg. What is your mass on the Moon?
A. 8.3 kg B. 25 kg C. 50 kg D. 300 kg
20. A measure of an object’s inertia is its ______.
A. speed B. velocity C. mass D. acceleration E. position
S9-12:21
21. The SI (international metric) unit for force is ______.
A. kilogram B. meter C. second D. Newton
22. The reason a tennis ball and a solid metal ball will fall with the same acceleration, neglecting air resistance, is that ___.
A. the force of gravity acting on them is the same
B. they have the same mass
C. the ball with the larger mass also has a larger force of gravity
D. the ball with the smaller mass also has a larger force of gravity
23. The push or a pull on an object which is capable of causing a change in velocity is called ______.
A. an acceleration B. the object’s mass C. a force D. its speed
S9-12:22
24. The force of gravity between two objects is ___ proportional to the product of their masses.
A. directly B. inversely C. indirectly D. none of these
25. Newton realized that the gravitational force between two objects is ___.
A. directly proportional to the distance between them
B. inversely proportional to the distance between them
C. inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
D. equal to twice the distance between them
E. not related to the distance between them
26. If the mass of the Earth increased, with no change in its size, your mass would ___.
A. increase B. decrease C. stay the same D. none of the above
27. If the mass of the Earth increased, with no change in its size, your weight would ___.
A. increase B. decrease C. stay the same D. none of the above
Use the diagram below to answer questions #28-29. It shows the orbit of a planet as it revolves around the sun (assume a counter-clockwise motion).
28. At which point will the planet have the lowest speed?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
29. At which point will the planet feel the strongest gravitational pull towards the Sun?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
30. The true shape of a planet’s orbit is a/an ______with the sun at one focus.
A. ellipse B. circle C. parabola D. hyperbola
Constructed Response Section
Suppose you went to the moon and tossed a ball straight up. Fill in the chart, first by circling one of the options in the “Ball's motion” and then by giving the reasons for your choice in the right hand column.
Ball's Motion on the Moon Compared to Earth / My ReasoningDistance Traveled Upward / higher
lower
same
Rate of Acceleration / faster
slower
same
Time Before the Ball Hits the Ground / longer
shorter
same