SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
26
PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
LICENSURE EXAMINATION FOR TEACHERS (LET)
REFRESHER COURSE

WHAT TO EXPECT

SPECIALIZATION:

AREA: PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda

LET Competencies:

1. Analyze quantitatively the motion of objects and the forces acting on them.
2. Infer how force and energy affect the motion of objects.
3. Relate work, power and energy.
4. Use Newton’s laws of motion to explain everyday phenomena.
5. Apply conservation of energy on physical problems involving moving objects.

Prepared by: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda

PART I – CONTENT UPDATE

PART I: CONTENT UPDATES

PART I – CONTENT UPDATE

Mechanics is a field of physics which focuses on the study of motion particularly what produce
and affect it. Mechanics has two branches – kinematics and dynamics. Kinematics deals with the
description of motion without considering what causes and affects the motion while dynamics analyzes
the cause of change in motion.

MOTION

A body that changes position with respect to a reference point is said to be in motion. Everything
in the universe is actually moving with respect to some reference point. Vehicles running, leaves swaying,
children playing and yes, even objects that are physically at rest are in motion, if treated microscopically.
Motion is very easy to recognize but oftentimes difficult to describe.

26 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
27
 The physical quantities that are used to describe the motion of an object are as follows.

Instrument
Physical Symbol/ Unit of used to
Description
Quantity Equation Measure measure the
quantity
meter (m),
 Length of the path covered or kilometer (km),
traveled by an object moving from d , x or y
Distance inch (in),
an initial to a final position
centimeter
 A scalar quantity (cm), etc…
Pedometer,
 A measure of how far an object
odometer,
has moved in a particular
fathometer
direction from its original position Unit of
r r r
Displacement  Displacement is expressed as d , x or y distance,
magnitude (distance) with the direction
corresponding direction.
 A vector quantity
Instantaneous speed –
speed at an instant dx
 How fast v
(i.e. as read in the dt
somethi
speedometer) meter per
ng is
Average speed – sum second (m/s);
moving
of instantaneous kilometer per
Speed  Rate of hour (km/h);
speeds divided by the
distance number of dt miles per hour
travelled instantaneous speed v
tt (mi/h), etc….
 A scalar or the total distance
Speedometer
quantity traveled divided by the
total time of travel
 Speed in a given direction. It is
known as the rate of change in 
displacement of an object at a d
v Unit of speed,
Velocity given time interval t direction
 A vector quantity


 dv meter per
a
 Measure of how fast the velocity dt second square
(m/s2);
Acceleration of an object is changing  Accelerometer
 v kilometer per
 A vector quantity a hour square
t
(km/h2)

Example:

The figure shows the path taken by an object as it moves from the starting point to its point of
destination. The actual path taken by the object is equal to the total distance travelled while the
total displacement of the object is the distance measured from the starting point to the point of
destination. The direction of this displacement is about north of east relative to the starting point.

27 Mechanics
Figure 1. Distance and Displacement
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
28
 Generally, there are two types of motion based on the object ’s velocity and acceleration – (a)
uniform speed motion and (b) accelerated motion.

a. Uniform Speed/Velocity Motion

 An object moving with a uniform speed/velocity has zero acceleration. The moving object
will cover the same distance at the same time interval. There is zero net force acting on
the object.

 Useful Equation:
d
v d  vt
t

b. Accelerated Motion
 When a moving object changes its velocity, then the motion of the object is said to be
accelerated. A net force acting on an object causes this acceleration. A constant net force
acting on an object produces a constant acceleration.
 Since velocity is speed in a given direction, there are three ways to change the velocity,
that is, to accelerate an object:
a. Changing the speed without changing the direction of motion
b. Changing the direction of motion without changing the speed
c. Changing both the speed and the direction of motion
 Acceleration is a vector quantity. Depending on the reference point, a positive or negative
acceleration indicates the direction of acceleration. A positive acceleration would also
mean that the object changes its speed from a smaller value to a higher value such as a
car starting to move from rest. A negative acceleration or deceleration would also mean
that the object changes its speed from a higher value to a smaller value such as a
moving car that is brought to a stop.

 Useful Equations

v  v0 1 2
a d  v0 t  at
t 2

 v  v0 
2
v 2  v0  2ad
a t
 2 
 The motion of objects can also be classified according to the path taken by an object as it moves.
The movement of an object along a straight line path, such as falling objects or trucks moving
along a straight highway, is referred to as linear motion while the movement of an object along a
curved path, such as projectiles and objects moving along circular paths, is referred to as
curvilinear motion. Linear motion can either be uniform in speed or accelerated but curvilinear
motions are always accelerated.

 Uniformly Accelerated Motion

a. Free fall
 Free falling objects are examples of a constant linear accelerated motion. The motion is
solely influenced by gravity thus the constant net force causing the change in the velocity
of the object comes from the earth’s gravitational pull.

 The acceleration is constant, popularly known as the acceleration due to gravity or the
gravitational acceleration (g in symbol) which is equal to 9.8 m/s 2. This means that in
each second that the object falls, its velocity changes by 9.8 m/s. Often, g = - 9.8 m/s2
where the negative sign indicates the direction of acceleration. The acceleration due to
gravity is directed downward.


 Useful Equations

28 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
 SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
29
For objects that are thrown straight up
For objects that are dropped ( v 0) or straight down ()
v  gt v  v 0  gt

v  v  v0 
g   t g  t
2  2 
1 1
h  gt 2 h  v0 t  gt 2
2 2
2
v 2  2 gd v 2  v0  2 gd

For objects that are thrown straight up

For objects that are dropped ( v  0 )
or straight down ()
v  gt v  v 0  gt

v  v  v0 
g   t g  t
2  2 
1 1
h  gt 2 h  v0 t  gt 2
2 2
2
v 2  2 gd v 2  v0  2 gd

b. Projectile Motion
 Objects undergoing projectile motion are called projectiles. Projectiles move in a curve
path called trajectory, solely because of the influence of gravity.
 It is a combination of horizontal and vertical components of motion which are
independent of each other. The horizontal component of motion of a projectile is a
uniform velocity/speed motion while the vertical component of motion of a projectile is a
constantly accelerated motion. The acceleration of a projectile is a constant (g) which is
equal to 9.8 m/s2. Figure 2, shows the trajectory of a projectile and the changes in its
horizontal and vertical components of velocity.

v0 = initial velocity
θ = angle of projection

Horizontal Motion
vx = v0x = constant
No net force acting
R = range
ΣF=0; a = 0

Vertical Motion
vy = v0y is changing
net force is provided by
gravity
acceleration is 9.8 m/s2
H = maximum height

Figure 2. Projectile Motion

 The horizontal velocity of a projectile does not change. The longest horizontal distance
covered by a projectile is called the range. A maximum range is attained when the
projectile is launched at an angle of 450. Complementary angles such as 60 0 and 300
results to the same range.

29 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
30
 The vertical velocity of a projectile decreases as it goes up the trajectory and increases
as it goes down. At maximum height (the highest vertical distance attained by a
projectile), the vertical velocity of the projectile is zero but its acceleration is still equal to
9.8 m/s2.
 The time it takes for the projectile to go up is equal to the time it takes for the projectile to
go down. The total time of flight of the projectile is equal to the sum of the time it takes for
the projectile to go up the trajectory and the time it takes for the projectile to go down the
trajectory.

c. Uniform Circular Motion (UCM)

 An object moving around an axis in a circular manner is in circular motion while an object
moving about and axis is in rotational motion. Rotational and circular motions are very
much related in the sense that rotating objects are actually moving in a circular manner
around the axis. Uniform circular motion occurs when an object moves in a circular path
with a constant velocity like a car rounding a rotunda. Although the speed is constant, the
direction of the object moving in UCM changes, thus the velocity, not the speed, changes
resulting to acceleration.
 The force that keeps an object moving in a circular path is called centripetal force or a
center seeking force. Centripetal force can be provided by friction, tension or gravitation.

FORCE

A force is an interaction between two or more bodies. A thing could not in itself possess a force. A
force is a vector quantity. It has both magnitude and direction. The standard international unit of force is
newton (N). In the English system, the unit of force is pound (lb).

1 N = 1 kg m/s2 = 0.225 lb
1 lb = 1 kg in/s2 = 4.45 lb
Forces can produce changes in the motion of an object. A stationary object can be set into motion
by a force. A force can also speed up or slow down a moving object or change the direction of its motion.
In other words, a force can produce a change in the velocity of the object thereby causing acceleration.
Acceleration maybe produced by the combined effect of a number of forces acting on a body. The sum of
all forces acting on a body is called the net force or the resultant force. The force that tends to balance or
bring an object into a state of balance is called the equilibrant force.

Forces are capable of producing acceleration, rotation and deformation. The tendency of a force
to produce rotation is called torque. A force that causes deformation is known as stress. Stress can either
be tensile, compressive or shear.

Forces are sometimes classified as either a contact or a non-contact force. Contact forces arise
when there is a physical contact between the interacting bodies. For example, when you push on a door
to open it, you exert a contact force on the door. Non –contact forces are forces that occur when bodies
interact at a distance. The bodies are not themselves touching each other but their force fields interact
with one another. Gravitational force, electrical force and magnetic force are examples of non – contact
forces.

 Contact Forces

a. Friction
 Friction is a force between two bodies that are in contact with each other. Friction
naturally opposes the motion of an object that is why it is often described as the
resistance an object meets when its surface is rubbed against another surface.
 Friction depends on the nature of the surface that are in contact with each other and the
normal force that is often related to the weight of the object that is in contact with the
surface. The greater the weight of the object, the greater the amount of frictional force.
Rough surfaces have greater frictional force compared to smooth surfaces.
 Frictional force can either be static of kinetic. Static friction is the friction between the
surfaces of objects that are at rest. This is the amount of force one needs to overcome
when setting an object that is at rest into motion. Kinetic friction is the resistance that a
moving object meets as it slides or rolls on a surface. This is the amount of force one
needs to supply in order to keep a moving object moving.
 Useful Equations
Static Friction Fs  N s
Kinetic Friction Fk  N k

30 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
31
where Fs and Fk is the static friction and kinetic friction respectively, N is the normal
force (force that is perpendicular to the surface) and  s and  k is the coefficient of static
and kinetic friction respectively.
 Kinetic friction can either be rolling of sliding. Sliding friction is always greater than rolling
friction.

b. Tension
 Refers to the force applied to an object through a cable, string, ropes, chains, tendons,
wires, and the like.

 Non – contact force

a. Gravitational force
 Gravitational force is an interaction of two bodies primarily because of its mass. It is
attractive in nature.
 Newton’s universal law of gravitation: “Every object in the universe is attracting every
other object in the universe with a force that is directly proportional to the masses of the
objects and inversely proportional to the square of their distances.”
 When an object with a mass m is at the surface of the Earth, the Earth and that object
interact gravitationally. Since the Earth has a greater mass than the object, the
gravitational force of the earth to the object is greater than the gravitational force of the
object to the Earth. So the object tends to be pulled towards the Earth. The amount of
gravitational pull by the Earth to the object on its surface is equivalent to the weight of the
object. This also holds true to objects that are on the surface of any planet.
 The weight of an object changes but the mass of the object remains constant. The weight
of an object on earth can be determined using the equation w  mg where w is the
weight of the object, m is the mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

b. Electrical force
 This is the force between interacting charges. Like charges repel each other while unlike
charges attract. A positive charge will attract a negative charge and repels another
positive charge. A negative charge repels another negative charge.

c. Magnetic Force
 Magnetic force is a force between interacting magnets or between materials with high
magnetic properties. Like poles of a magnet repel each other while unlike poles of a
magnet attract each other. A north magnetic pole attracts a south magnetic pole and vice
versa. A north magnetic pole repels another north magnetic pole and a south magnetic
pole repels another south magnetic pole.

NEWTON’ S LAWS OF MOTION

1. Law of Inertia

 “An object that is at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will continue moving
at a constant speed in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. ” In other
words, if you are not going to do anything, nothing will happen.
 This tendency of a body to preserve its state motion, that is, to stay at rest when it is at
rest and to continue moving with a constant speed in a straight line when it is already
moving is called inertia.
 The inertia of an object depends on its mass. The greater the mass, the greater the
inertia. The smaller the mass, the smaller the inertia of the object. Massive objects that
are at rest are difficult to set into motion because massive objects have high inertia. In
the same way, massive objects that are already moving are also difficult to stop because
they have high inertia. This is the reason why buses and passenger jeepneys should not
be overloaded.
 There is zero net force acting on an object that is at rest or that is moving with a constant
speed in a straight line. An object that is at rest or that is moving in a straight line with a
constant speed is in translational equilibrium.

31 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
32
 First condition for equilibrium: The sum of the forces or the net force acting on an object
is equal to zero.

2. Law of Acceleration
 “The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied on the
object, is in the same direction as the net force, and is inversely proportional to the mass
of the object.” Mathematically, it is expressed as

Fnet
a
m
 In other words, if you are going to do something, this is what will happen – a greater
applied net force produces greater acceleration and a lesser applied net force produces
lesser acceleration. Given the same amount of applied net force, a massive body will
accelerate less compared to a less massive body.


3. Law of Interaction
 “Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an
equal force on the first.” In other words, to every action there is always an equal and
opposite reaction. Forces always come in pairs.
 Action and reaction forces are equal in magnitude, are in opposite direction with each
other, and are acting on different objects.

Steps in getting the net force or resultant force acting on an object

a. Draw a free-body diagram of the object under study. Label all the forces that are
acting on the body.
b. When the forces are acting on the same direction simply add the magnitudes of the
forces and copy the direction.
c. When the forces are acting on opposite directions, subtract the magnitude of the
forces and then copy the direction of the force with a greater magnitude.
d. When the forces are perpendicular to each other, use the Pythagorean theorem to
get the resultant force and then use the trigonometric laws for right triangles in
determining the direction of the net force.

Example:
A 30 kilogram box of mangoes resting on a smooth and level surface is being pulled by a 30 N
force directed to the right. A frictional force of 10 N is present as the box slides through the
surface. What is the acceleration of the box?

32 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda

Figure 3. Free body diagram of forces acting on a box

SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
33
Answer:
Figure 3 above shows the free body diagram of the box and all the forces acting on the box.
Based on Newton’s law of interaction, the weight of the box pushing on the surface gives rise to a
force exerted by the surface to the box. This force exerted by the surface to the box is
perpendicular (normal force) to the surface, has the same magnitude as the weight of the box
and is directed opposite to the direction of the weight of the box. The sum of these two forces
then is equal to zero. The applied force of 30 N and the frictional force of 10 N are also directed in
opposite directions. Getting the difference, the net force will be 20 N going to the right. The
wooden box will then accelerate to the right because of this net force. Using Newton ’s second law
of motion, we can calculate the acceleration of the box.

WORK, POWER AND ENERGY

A. Work

Work is done on a system or an object whenever a force applied on that object causes a change
in the position (displacement) of an object. When the displacement of the object is parallel to the line of
action of the force causing the displacement, the work done on the object is a maximum. There is zero
work done when there is no displacement or when the displacement of the object is perpendicular to that
of the applied force.

Work can also be defined as a measure of the transfer of energy, particularly kinetic energy on a
system. When energy is not transferred on a system there is no work done on the system.

Mathematically work is expressed as

W  Fd cos  ; W  Fd for maximum work done

B. Energy

Energy is the ability of an object to do work, that is, the capability of an object to interact or exert
a force on another object which will cause the other object to change position. Energy takes the following
forms:
a. Chemical
b. Electrical
c. Electromagnetic Radiation
d. Thermal Energy
e. Mechanical Energy
 Potential energy – the energy possessed by an object by virtue of its position or
configuration. Potential energy can either be gravitational or elastic.
1 2
Elastic Potential Energy: PE E  kx
2
Gravitational Potential Energy: PE G  mgh

where PE E and PEG is the elastic and the gravitational potential energy respectively, k is
the spring constant, x is the change in length of the spring, m is the mass of the object g
is the gravitational acceleration and h is the height of the object relative to the ground.
 Kinetic energy – the energy possessed by a moving object.

1 2
KE  mv
2

where KE is the kinetic energy, m is the mass of the object and v is the speed of the
object.
f. Nuclear

33 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
34
g. Wave

C. Work and Energy

 Work – energy theorem: The work done on an object is equal to the change in the kinetic energy
of the object.
a. When work is done on a system, the system acquires an amount of energy equivalent to the
work done on it. When work is done by the system, the system dissipates energy.
b. The relationship of work and energy is expressed mathematically as

Wnet  E  KE  PE

 Law of conservation of energy: The total energy of an isolated system is conserved. Energy is
neither created nor destroyed but is just transformed from one form to another.
The conservation of total mechanical energy is mathematically expressed as

E  E0
KE  PE  KE 0  PE 0
E and E 0 are the final and initial energy of a system respectively.
 Units used for work and energy are joule (J), calorie (cal) and newton – meter (N·m)

1 J = 1 N·m = 0.239 cal

1 kcal = 4186 J

 Power is the rate of doing work or the rate of expending energy. It tells us how fast work is being
done by the system or how fast the energy is transferred or expended. An appliance that has a
high power rating does more work at a given time interval and also expends more energy at a
given time interval. Mathematically, power is expressed as

W E
P 
t t

 Units used for power are horsepower (hp), watt (W) and joule per second (J/s)

1 W = 1 J/s
1 hp = 746 W

D. Simple Machines and Efficiency

 Simple machines are mechanical devices that are used to change the direction and magnitude of
its output force to do work on an external system. Simple machines are the building blocks of all
complicated mechanical machines.
 There are six classical types of simple machines as defined by Renaissance scientists. These are
a. Levers
b. Pulleys
c. Wedge
d. Inclined Plane
e. Wheel and Axle
f. Screw
 The efficiency of a machine or system tells us how much of the input work or input energy is
converted into useful output work or output energy. It is the ratio of the energy output and the
energy input of the machine or the ratio of the output and input work. Since friction could not be
eliminated, no machine reaches an efficiency of 100%. A machine with efficiency of 80%
indicates that 80% of the input energy is converted by the machine into useful work and the
remaining 20% is converted into heat.

 Mathematically, the efficiency of a machine is expressed as

Wout E out Pout

Eff   
Win E in Pin

34 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
35

PART II – ANALYZING TEST ITEMS

PART II – ANALYZING TEST ITEMS

PART II: ANALYZING TEST ITEMS

1. Which of the following statements is/are true about forces?

I. Forces are vector quantities.
II. Forces are present only when objects interact.
III. Forces cause an object to change its state of motion.

a. I and II c. I and III

b. II and III d. I, II and III

Answer: D
All the statements are true. Forces have magnitude and direction thus forces are vector
quantities. Forces arise only when there is an interaction between two or more bodies and forces
can cause an object to change its state of motion.

2. Seatbelts are used to protect passengers in automobiles from injuries that may be caused by the
sudden changes in the motion of the automobile. Which of the following laws of motion best
explains the use of seatbelts?
a. Law of inertia c. Law of interaction
b. Law of acceleration d. Law of inertia and Law of interaction

Answer: A
The law of motion that best explains the use of seatbelts is the law of inertia. When a moving car
suddenly stops, the tendency of the passengers is to keep on moving in the direction of the car ’s
initial motion. The primary factor for the passenger ’s tendency to collide with the car ’s dashboard
or to a part of the car in front of the passenger is his inertia, not an outside force. So, the law of
acceleration which relates the acceleration and mass of an object and the force acting on it could
not be the primary reason why seatbelts are used. Although this law is also vital in the operation
of the seatbelt since the force provided by the seatbelt will eventually stop the person ’s
movement, its application is only secondary. The law of interaction on the other hand relates the
force exerted by the passenger to the seatbelt and the force of the seatbelt to the passenger.

3. A bow is drawn so that it has 50 J of potential energy. Assuming that there is no air resistance,
the bow will ideally have a kinetic energy of _______ when fired.
a. 0 J c. less than 50 J
b. 50 J d. more than 50 J

Answer: B
Based on the law of conservation of energy, the energy in an isolated system is constant. Energy
is not lost but is simply transformed from one form to another. When the bow is fired, all of its
potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy.

4. Two forces of magnitude, 20 N and 30 N, are acting on a 30kg object that is lying on a frictionless
surface. What is the acceleration of the object when the two forces are directed in the same
direction?
a. 0.3 m/s2 c. 1.67 m/s2
2
b. 0.6 m/s d. 3.0 m/s2
Answer: C
Since there are two forces acting on the object, we need to determine first the net force before
calculating the acceleration of the object. The two forces are acting on the same directions so the
net force is 50 N. Using Newton’s second law of motion

35 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
36

5. The power rating of machines indicates which of the following?

a. The amount of power dissipated per unit time.
b. The amount of energy consumed per unit time.
c. The total amount of work done by the machine.
d. The amount of fuel required to make the machine function.

Answer: B
Power is the rate of doing work. Since work done on an object is just equivalent to the energy
transferred on the object according to the work-energy theorem, power can also be defined as
the amount of energy expended or consumed by a system per unit time.

6. According to the work – energy theorem, the energy gained by a system and the work done on
the system are ____________.
a. equal. c. less than input work.
b. not equal. d. greater than input work.

For numbers 7 – 13, refer to the diagram: A small bead slides without friction along the wire
shown, beginning at point A. The wire does not touch itself at point C, so the bead has room
enough to pass that point.

A D F

B C
E
A
7. At what point would the bead acquire the maximum kinetic energy?
a. A c. D
b. B d. E

8. At what point would the bead have the maximum potential energy?
a. A c. C
b. B d. E

9. At what point would the bead have the maximum speed?

a. A c. C
b. B d. E

10. At what point would the bead have the minimum speed?
a. B c. D
b. C d. E

11. Compared to point A, the potential energy of the bead at point F is ____________.
a. the same. c. lesser.
b. greater. d. may be more or less.

12. Compared to point A, the kinetic energy of the bead at point F is _____________.
a. the same. c. lesser.
b. greater. d. may be more or less.

13. When the bead reaches the other end of the loop, the bead will ideally be at a point that is
_____________.
a. higher than F. c. exactly at F.
b. lower than F. d. slightly higher than F.

14. A picture frame is hanging on a wall as shown in the figure. How many forces
are acting on the picture frame? (Assume that the frame is not touching the wall) Physics

36 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
37
a. 1 c. 3
b. 2 d. 4

15. What do you call the force that tends to bring an object or system into a state of equilibrium?
a. Equilibrant force c. Resultant force
b. Normal force d. Torque

16. What do you call the magnitude of the gravitational pull of the earth towards objects that are at
the surface of the earth?
a. Gravity c. Tension
b. Normal force d. Weight

17. It is very difficult to push a heavy object because of the force that tends to oppose the motion of
the object. What is the term referred to this opposing force?
a. Friction c. Torque
b. Normal force d. Weight

18. Which of the following forces provides the centripetal force that keeps the moon in orbit around
the Earth?
a. Friction c. Tension
b. Gravity d. Magnetic force

For numbers 19 – 22, refer to the following situation: A stone is dropped from the roof top of a tall
building. The stone reached the ground after 3 s. The stone made a soft splat as it breaks upon
impact to the ground.

19. How high is the building?

a. 88.2 m c. 29.4 m
b. 44.1 m d. 14.7 m

20. What is the speed of the stone before it hits the ground?
a. 3.3 m/s c. 29.4 m/s
b. 14.7 m/s d. 88.2 m/s

21. The soft splat produced upon the impact of the stone on the ground, indicates that some of the
energy of the stone was transformed into ___________.
a. Kinetic energy c. Sound energy
b. Mechanical energy d. Thermal energy

22. Which of the following forces influences the motion of the stone?
a. Friction c. Air resistance
b. Gravity d. Force applied by the person dropping the stone

23. Which of the following statements is true?

a. Frictional forces can be eliminated.
b. Friction is acting opposite to any applied force.
c. Friction is present in bodies that are at rest or that are moving.
d. Friction is not present when the two bodies in contact are at rest.

24. What is the speed of an object that travels a distance of 100 m in 35 s?

a. 0.35 m/s c. 65 m/s
b. 2.86 m/s d. 3500 m/s

25. The efficiency of the human body in converting food energy into work varies with activity. When
swimming the efficiency of the body is only 4%. What does this indicate?
I. Only 4% of the energy is converted into useful work.
II. 96% of the energy is stored in the body for future use.
III. 96% of the energy is converted into heat.

a. I only c. I and II
b. II only d. I and III

37 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
38
26. Using 1000 J of work, a toy elevator is raised from the ground floor to the second floor in 20
seconds. How much power does the elevator used?
a. 20 W c. 100 W
b. 50 W d. 1000 W

27. A 70 kg person climbs a 2.0 – m high flight of stairs within 8 s when he walks and 2 s when he
runs up the stairs. What is the work done by the person as he walks up the stairs?
a. 280 J c. 1372 J
b. 560 J d. 10976 J

28. A 70 kg person climbs a 2.0 – m high flight of stairs within 8 s when he walks and 2 s when he
runs up the stairs. What is the work done by the person as he runs up the stairs?
a. 280 J c. 1372 J
b. 560 J d. 10976 J

29. A 70 kg person climbs a 2.0 – m high flight of stairs within 8 s when he walks and 2 s when he
runs up the stairs What is the power dissipated by the person when he walks up the stairs?
a. 2744 W c. 686 W
b. 1372 W d. 171.5 W

30. A 70 kg person climbs a 2.0 – m high flight of stairs within 8 s when he walks and 2 s when he
runs up the stairs. What is the power dissipated by the person when he runs up the stairs?
a. 2744 W c. 686 W
b. 1372 W d. 171.5 W

31. Which of the following is referred to in Newton’s First Law of Motion?

a. Acceleration c. Inertia
b. Gravitation d. Interaction

32. Which of the following objects is NOT in equilibrium?

a. A car in the parking lot. c. A bus moving with constant speed
b. A boy sitting in a seesaw d. A ball thrown vertically upward

33. Which of the following has the greatest inertia?

a. 1 kg nails c. 2 kg of iron filings
b. 2 kg of gravel d. 3 kg of cotton candy

34. When a rock, connected to the end of a string, is whirled, the rock follows a circular path. If the
string breaks, the tendency of the rock is to _______________.
a. continue to follow a circular path c. move around and fly away
b. follow a straight line path d. become a projectile

35. A girl pulls a 10 kg wooden cart with a constant force of 30 N. What is the cart ’s acceleration?
a. 0.3 m/s2 c. 10 m/s2
b. 3 m/s2 d. 30 m/s2

36. Which of the following is true about the action and reaction force referred in Newton ’s Third Law
of Motion? The action and reaction force ___________________.
a. act on the same object c. are not equal in magnitude
b. act on different objects d. are directed to the same direction

37. A car has a mass of 1000 kg and accelerates at 2 m/s. What is the magnitude of the force
exerted on the car?
a. 500 N c. 1500 N
b. 1000 N d. 2000 N

38. A girl holding a balloon is sitting inside an airtight car stuck in traffic. The car suddenly
accelerates forward. Which of the following is true about the movement of the girl and the
balloon?
a. The girl will pitch forward and the balloon will pitch backward.
b. The girl will pitch backward and the balloon will pitch forward.
c. The girl and the balloon will pitch backward.
d. The girl and the balloon will pitch forward.

38 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
39
39. A tow truck exerts a force of 3000 N on a car accelerating it at 2 m/s. What is the mass of the
car?
a. 500 kg c. 1500 kg
b. 1000 kg d. 3000 kg

40. A girl whose weight is 500 N is standing on the ground. How much force does the ground exert
on the girl?
a. less than 500 N c. equal to 500 N
b. more than 500 N d. any of the above

PART III – ENHANCING TEST TAKING SKILLS

PART III – ENHANCING TEST TAKING SKILLS

PART III: PRACTICE TEST

1. A player hits a baseball with a bat. The action force is the impact of the bat against the baseball.
Which of the following is the reaction force?
a. The weight of the baseball

39 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
40
b. Air resistance on the baseball
c. The force of the baseball against the bat
d. The grip of the player’s hand against the baseball

2. Who formulated the universal law of gravitation?

a. Isaac Newton c. Galileo Galilei
b. Albert Einstein d. Johannes Kepler

3. Which of the following statements is true about gravity?

I. Gravity decreases with increasing distance.
II. Gravity causes the occurrence of ocean tides.
III. Gravity is directly proportional to the masses of interacting objects.

a. I only c. II and III

b. I and II d. I, II and III

4. A ball rolls off and falls at the edge of the table as shown. In which of the three positions does
gravity act on the ball?

Position A
Position B
Position C
a. A c. C
b. B d. A, B and C

5. A woman of mass 48 kg moves to the moon. What would be her mass on the moon?
a. 8 kg c. 80 kg
b. 48 kg d. 480 kg

6. What would be the weight of the woman in question number 5 on the surface of the moon?
a. 8 N c. 78 N
b. 48 N d. 780 N

7. Work is done in the following cases EXCEPT ____________.

a. a girl holding a tray c. a boy pulling a cart
b. a boy closing the door d. a girl climbing a flight of stairs

8. A 2 kg book is held 1 m above the ground for 50 s. What is the work done on the book?
a. 0 J c. 100 J
b. 10.2 J d. 980 J

9. What is the work done in lifting a 30 kg bricks to a height of 20 m on a building under

construction?
a. 61 J c. 2940 J
b. 600 J d. 5880 J

10. A job is done slowly while an identical job is done quickly. Both jobs require the same amount of
work but different amounts of _______________.
a. energy c. power
b. mass d. time

11. How much power is delivered by a 1 N force exerted for a distance of 1 m in 1 s?

a. 1 W c. 3 W
b. 2 W d. 1/3 W

12. Which of the following is true about an object that is moving?

I. It has speed and acceleration
II. There is a change in its position
III. It may have zero acceleration

a. I only c. I and II
b. II only d. I, II and III

13. A person jogs in place. Is the person in motion?

40 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
41
a. Yes, because there is movement
b. Yes, because the person has speed when he jogs.
c. No, because although he is moving his acceleration is zero.
d. No, because there is no change in the person’s initial position.

14. Which of the following statements is true about friction between the road and the tires of a car?
I. Friction is present when the car is slowed down by breaking.
II. Friction is not present when the car rounds a curve.
III. Friction is less when the car is moving.

a. I only c. I and II
b. II only d. I and III

15. Block A and block B in the system shown weighs 10 N each. If the system is in equilibrium, what
is the net force on B?

A 30 N
20 N B

a. 0 N c. 20 N
b. 10 N dc. 30 N

16. Block A and block B in the system shown weighs 10 N each. If the system is in equilibrium, in
what direction would blocks A and B move due to the net force acting on them?

A 30 N
20 N B

a. Upward c. To the right

b. To the left d. Stays at their position

17. Which of the following is true about work, energy and efficiency of a system?
I. The total energy of a system is constant.
II. The efficiency will never reach 100% because of friction.
III. The energy gained by a system is equal to the work done on it.

a. I and II c. II and III

b. I and III d. I, II and III

18. A nurse pushes a gurney. The action force is the force exerted by the nurse on the gurney. The
reaction force would be the force of ______________.
a. the hand of the nurse. c. the gurney on the nurse.
b. the gurney on the floor. d. the handle of the gurney.

For numbers 19 – 22, consider the situation: Two forces 10 N, east and 5 N, west are acting on a
5 kg object that is lying on a smooth frictionless surface.

19. What is the magnitude of the net force acting on the 5 kg object?
a. 0.2 N c. 5 N
b. 2 N d. 50 N

20. What is the direction of the net force acting on the 5 kg object?
a. East c. Northeast
b. West d. East-west

21. What is the acceleration of the 5 kg object?

a. 0.04 m/s2 c. 1 m/s2
b. 0.04 m/s2 d. 10 m/s2
22. In what direction would the 5 kg object move?

41 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
42
a. East c. Northeast
b. West d. East-west

23. Two boys are pushing a cart with a force of 30 N each. The cart does not move. Which of the
following is true about the frictional force between tires and the road?
a. Frictional force is less than 60 N
b. Frictional force is equal to 30 N
c. Frictional force is equal to 60 N
d. Friction force is less than 30 N

24. Which of the following results to a change in the velocity of an object?

I. When there is change in speed of object.
II. When there is change in direction of motion.
III. When there is change in energy of the object

a. I only c. I and II
b. III only d. I and III

25. A simple way of measuring a person’s reaction time is to let the person catch a freely falling ruler
or meter stick and then measure the distance from the point where the fingers of the person was
placed before the ruler is released to the point where the person ’s finger was located after the
ruler was released. If the distance of fall is 19 cm, what is the person ’s reaction time?
a. 19 s c. 0.2 s
b. 1.9 s d. 0.1 s

26. An aspirin is dropped from a certain height. Which of the following is true about the object as it
moves down?
a. The acceleration increases c. The speed increases
b. The speed stays the same d. The speed decreases

27. A car travels a distance of 150 km in 2 hours. What is the car ’s average speed?
a. 75 m/s c. 48 km/s
b. 75 km/h d. 48 km/h

28. A vehicle running at a speed of 40 km/h decelerates and stops after 10 s. What is the
acceleration of the vehicle?
a. 4 m/s2 c. 1.1 m/s2
2
b. – 4 m/s d. – 1.1 m/s2
29. A vehicle running at a speed of 40 km/h decelerates and stops after 10 s. What is the final speed
of the vehicle?
a. 0 m/s c. 11 m/s
b. 4 m/s d. 40 m/s

30. A vehicle running at a speed of 40 km/h decelerates and stops after 10 s. What is the distance
covered by the vehicle?
a. 55 m c. 165 m
b. 55 km d. 165 km

31. When is the work done on a system equal to zero?

I. The force applied is perpendicular to the displacement of the system
II. The system changes its position due to the force applied
III. Energy is transferred to the system

a. I only c. I and II
b. II only d. II and III

32. What will happen to the energy of a system when work is done on it?
a. It will increase. c. It stays the same.
b. It will decrease. d. It is equal to zero.

33. What will happen to the energy of a system when work is done by it?
a. It will increase. c. It stays the same.
b. It will decrease. d. It is equal to zero.

34. Which of the following will indicate the direction of the acceleration of a moving object?
a. Frictional force c. Initial velocity
b. Final velocity d. Net force

42 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
43
35. A heavy ball is suspended as shown in the diagram. The upper and the lower string are made up
of the same material. A quick jerk on the lower string will break the lower string but a slow pull on
the lower string will cause the upper string to break. Which of the following best explains the
result of a quick jerk applied on the lower string?

a. A quick jerk results to a force that is not enough to break the upper string.
b. The upper sting is stronger than the lower string.
c. The ball and the upper string has a lot of energy
d. The heavy ball has inertia.

36. How much force is needed to keep an object with a constant speed moving?
a. Zero
b. Equal to the weight of the object
c. Just enough to produce acceleration
d. Greater than the frictional force met by the object.

37. A person stands on a weighing scale inside an elevator. In which of the following cases, is the
reading on the weighing scale greatest?
a. When the elevator is stationary
b. When the elevator is moving upward with increasing speed
c. When the elevator is moving upward with decreasing speed
d. When the elevator is moving downward with increasing speed

38. The action and reaction force referred to in Newton ’s Law of Interaction has the same magnitude
and are directed in opposite directions. Why won’t the action and reaction force cancel each
other?
a. Because the reaction force is present only when the action force is removed
b. Because action and reaction forces are acting on different objects
c. Because action and reaction forces produces acceleration
d. Because Isaac Newton said so

For numbers 39 – 40, consider: A wooden crate is pulled by a force P along a rough surface as
shown below. In the diagram, f is the frictional force, N is the normal force and Fg is the weight of

the wooden crate.

39. If the wooden crate moves with a constant speed to the right, which of the following is true?
a. P > f and N = Fg c. P > f and N > Fg
b. P < f and N = Fg d. P = f and N = Fg
40. If the wooden crate accelerates to the right, which of the following is true?
a. P > f and N = Fg c. P > f and N > Fg
b. P < f and N = Fg d. P = f and N = Fg

43 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
SPECIALIZATION: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Focus: Mechanics
By: Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
44

PART IV: KEY TO CORRECTION

PART IV– KEY TO CORRECTION

Part II
D 11. A 21. C 31. C
A 12. C 22. B 32. D
B 13. C 23. C 33. D
C 14. C 24. B 34. B
B 15. A 25. D 35. B
A 16. D 26. B 36. B
D 17. A 27. C 37. D
A 18. B 28. C 38. C
D 19. B 29. D 39. C
C 20. C 30. C 40. C

Part III
C 11. A 21. C 31. A
A 12. D 22. A 32. A
D 13. D 23. C 33. B
D 14. D 24. C 34. D
B 15. A 25. B 35. D
C 16. D 26. C 36. A
A 17. D 27. B 37. A
A 18. C 28. D 38. B
D 19. C 29. A 39. D
C 20. A 30. A 40. A

44 Mechanics
Prof. Jasmine Angelie V. Albelda