Physics Practice Problems

Units and Measurement problems.

1.0 mile =_____km = _____meters = _____yards = _____feet = _____inches = ____cm?

1.0 ft = _____inches = _____cm _____meters = _____yards?

1.0 ft2 = _____in2 = _____cm2 _____m2 = _____yard2 ?

1.0 ft3 = _____in3 = _____cm3 _____m3 = _____yard3 ?

150 pounds =_____kg = _____slug = _____Newton?

70 mph =_____ft/sec = _____m/sec = _____km/hour?

1 mph = 1.467 ft/sec

1 mph = 1.609 km/hr

1 km/hr = .278 m/s

1 pound = 4.448 Newton's

1 kg = 2.205 lbs

Acceleration due to earths gravity = 9.80 m/s2   or 32.2 ft/s2

Accuracy, Precision and Significant Digits 

The accuracy of a measurement refers to the number of digits, called significant digits, which indicates the number of units that we are
reasonably sure of having counted when making a measurement. 

Rules for Significant Digits

1. All nonzero digits are significant: 178.4 m has 4 significant digits.

2. All zeros between significant digits are significant: 707.07 m has 5 significant digits.
3. In a number greater than 1, a zero that is specially tagged, such as by a bar above it, is significant:
4. All zeros to the right of a significant digit and a decimal point are significant: 86.10 cm has 4 significant digits.
5. In whole-number measurements, zeros at the right that are not tagged are not significant: 3500 m has 2 significant digits.
6. In measurements of less than 1, zeros at the left are not significant: .00875 has 3 significant digits.
The precision of a measurement refers to the smallest unit with which a measurement is made, that is, the position of the last significant
digit. 

Thus, 456,000 km has a precision of 1000 km, 0.075 cm has a precision of .001 cm, and

.0900 sec has a precision of .0001sec

To add or subtract measurements:

1. Convert numbers to like units – example: meters and cm.

2. Add or subtract.
3. Round the results to the same precision as the least precise measurement.
Example:  Add 16.61 mi, 0.8 mi, 12 mi, and 3.52 mi.  The answer is 32.93 mi, but we must round to 12 mi as it is the least precise number. 
Thus, the answer is 33 mi.

To multiply or divide measurements:

1. Multiply or divide the measurements as given.

2. Round the result to the number that least number of significant values.
Example:  Multiply (2.7561 m)(0.75 m)(1.254 m) = 2.592112 m3   We must round the answer to the measure with the least accuracy so the
answer will by 2.6 m3 .

Combinations of operations with measurements:

1. Perform multiplications and divisions first and express correct accuracy.

 2. Perform additions and subtractions second and express correct precision.
Kinematics in One Dimension
Answers - Lab/Problem book, page 94      

2.  910 km/hour

3.  -5.0 ft/s2

4.  4.6 hours

5.  70 seconds

Online Problems 

1.         A box placed on a conveyor moving at constant speed travels 50.0 feet in 2.0 minutes.  What's the speed of the box (and the
conveyor)?    

0.42 ft/sec

2.         A chartered bus travels from Denver, Colorado to St. Louis, Missouri.  The bus changes speed frequently.  The total distance
traveled is 860 miles.  The total driving time is 18 hours.  What is the average speed of the bus for the trip from Denver to St. Louis?    

48 mi/hr

3.         Nicole travels at a speed of 70.0 km/hr, and has enough gas to last 4.0 hours at that speed.  How far can she travel?   

280 km

4.         A continuous-motion ski lift travels 2.0 x103 ft up the mountain.  It operates at a constant cable speed of 4.0 ft/sec.  How long will it
take for lift chair to travel up the mountain?    

5.0 x 102 sec   8.3 min or 8 min 20 sec

5.         The velocity of a car increases uniformly from 30.0 m/s to 60.0 m/s in 8.0 seconds.  Determine the average velocity, the distance
traveled, and the acceleration of the car.    

45 m/s, 360 m, 3.8 m/s2

6.        A motorcycle starts from rest and accelerates uniformly with an acceleration of  5.25 m/s2 for 9.50 seconds.  Determine the distance
traveled by the motorcycle.

237 meters

7.        A person falls out of an airplane to a velocity of 60.0 m/s.  How far did she fall? 

184 meters

8.         A penny is dropped from the top of a 10.0 meter building.  Determine the time it took to fall to the ground, the velocity when it hit
the ground, and the average velocity for the fall.

                                                                                        1.43 sec, 14.0 m/s, 7.00 m/s

 

 9.         The average car today weighs 3510 pounds, and when accelerating from rest, covers 0.250 mile in 15.0 seconds.  Determine the
cars average velocity, final velocity, and average acceleration for the trip.

                                                                                60.0 mph, 120 mph, 11.7 ft/sec2

10.       Randy throws a ball straight up with an initial velocity of 20.0 mph.  How high does the ball go, how long is the ball in the air, and
what is the balls velocity if Randy catches it on the way down?

                                                                                13.4 feet, 1.82 sec (0.911 seconds up and 0.911 seconds down), 20.0 mph

11.       Rene and Nigel push their physics professor’s car across the parking lot.  Starting from rest, they accelerate the car to a speed of 10.0
km/hr in a time of 20.0          seconds.  What was the acceleration of the car in m/s2 .                                     

.139 m/s2

12.       Prachi throws a tennis ball from her condominium balcony straight down to a friend standing in a parking lot 20.0 feet below with a
velocity of 15.0 mph.  At what speed does her friend catch the ball?  How long was the ball in the air? 

                                                                                                28.7 mph, .624 seconds

13.       If a rock is dropped off a really high bridge:

a.         How far in meters would it fall in 1.0 second?

                                                                                                4.9 m 

b.         What would be the average velocity in m/s during the first second?

                                                                                                4.9 m/s

c.         What would be the final velocity in m/s of the rock after 1.0 second of uniform acceleration?

                                                                                                9.8 m/s

 d.         How far in meters would it fall in 2.0 seconds?

                                                                                                19.6 m

e.         What would be the average velocity in m/s during the 2nd second?

                                                                                                14.7 m/s

f.          What would be the final velocity in m/s of the rock after 2.0 seconds of uniform acceleration?

                                                                                                19.6 m/s 

g.         How far in meters did the rock fall during the 2nd second only?

                                                                                                14.7 m

h.         How far in meters would it fall in 3.0 seconds?

                                                                                                44.1 m 

i.          What would be the average velocity in m/s during the 3rd second?

                                                                                                24.5 m/s

             j.          What would be the final velocity in m/s of the rock after 3.0 seconds of uniform acceleration?
                                                                                                29.4 m/s 

k.         How far in meters did the rock fall during the 3rd second only?

                                                                                                24.5 m                

l.          What was the average velocity in m/s for the three-second fall?

                                                                                                14.7 m/s

m.        Do you see a pattern?  If so, what is it?

                                                Velocity = gravity x 1.0 s…2.0 s…

                                                Distance = every odd integer = 4.9 meters x 1…3…5…

Dynamics in One Dimension 

1.         An object is acted on by three simultaneous forces:  50.0 lb. to the right, 180 lb. to the left, and 210 lb. to the right. Determine the
resultant force and the direction of the motion.

80 lb to the right

 2.         A net force of 1.0 x 102 N accelerates an object with a mass of 50.0 kg.  If the object was initially at rest, determine its speed after
three seconds.

                                                                                                                                                                           2.0 m/sec2 , 6.0 m/sec

3.         An elevator lifts a 1.0 x 103 -kg block upward.  If the tension in the cable is 1.0 x 104 N, what is the acceleration of the block? 

                                                                                                            0.20 m/sec2

 4.         How long does it take an object to accelerate from 30.0 m/sec to 150 m/sec if the object has a mass of 12 kg and is accelerated by a
force of 20.0 N?

                                                                                                            72 sec

5.         The average car today weighs 3510 lbs, and when accelerating from rest, covers  0.250 mile in 15.0 seconds.  What was the average
force accelerating the car?                                          

1280 lbs

6.         Randy throws a ball straight up with a velocity of 20.0 mph.  If Randy accelerates the ball through a distance of 3.0 ft, what would
be the force on the ball?  The ball weighs .308 lbs. 

                                                                                                            1.4 lbs

 7.         Rene and Nigel push their physics professor’s car across the parking lot.  Starting  from rest, they accelerate the car to a speed of
10.0 km/hr in a time of 20.0          seconds.  If together, Rene and Nigil apply a force of 209 N, what is the mass of Professor Voehl’s
car?                                                                                                                                                                                                 1500 kg

8.        A physics professor weighs 200.0 lbs.  What is his mass in slugs and kg?  

6.22 slugs, 91 kg

9.       A 1-kg mass undergoes a constant acceleration, and, when starting from rest, travels 10 m in 1 second.  Find the speed of the block at
the end of the first second, the acceleration of the block, and the force necessary to produce this  acceleration.

                                                            20 m/sec, a = 20 m/sec2 , 20 N

Work, Energy and Power 

1.         How much work does a 150.0-lb student do when climbing stairs to reach the third floor of a physics building?  The vertical distance
traveled by the student is 10.0 m.       

                                                                                                4920 ft·lb, 6670 J

2.         What was the gravitational potential energy of the student in problem 1 after the climb?

                                                                                                4920 ft·lb, 6670 J

3.         The aforementioned student jumps from the third floor into a pool of foam balls located on first floor.  What would be the students'
velocity and kinetic energy just before contacting the foam? 

                                                                                                14.0 m/s, 6670 J  

4.         What power and horse power was created by the student in problem 1 if he climbed the stairs in 10 seconds?

                                                                        492 ft·lb/sec, 667 Watts, .894 hp

5.         Another physics student wants to duplicate the answer in the previous problem.   His fastest time up the stairs is 15 seconds.  What
must this student weigh? 

                                                                                                225 lb or 1000 N

6.         The average car today weighs 3510 lb, and when accelerating from rest, covers 0.250 mile in 15.0 seconds. 

            a.         What was the acceleration of the car?               11.7 ft/s2 , 3.58 m/s2        
           

b.         What was the force accelerating the car?           1280 lb, 5690 N

c.         What was the work done to accelerate the car?    

1.69 x 106 ft·lb and 2.3 x 106 J

           

d.         What was the kinetic energy of the car at the end of the run?                 

1.69 x 106 ft·lb and 2.3 x 106 J

            e.         What was the power created by the car?                                                                                  

                                                                                    113,000 ft·lb/s and 153,000 W

           

f.          What was the horsepower needed to accelerate the car?                                  

                                                                                                205 horsepower 

7.         A basketball player runs at a speed of 20.0 mph and creates 2406 ft·lb of energy.          What is the weight of the student?

                                                                                                            180 lbs

8.         A bowling ball has a mass of 7.2 kg, what is its kinetic energy if it is rolled at a speed of 5.0 m/s?

                                                                                                            90 J

9.         A ladies fast-pitch softball player throws the ball with a kinetic energy of 183.3 J.  The ball has a mass of .226 kg, how fast was the
ball thrown?

                                                                                    40.3 m/s and 90.1 mph

10.       A physics student downs and energy drink that contains 300.0 Calories.  If the student weighs 120.0 pounds, how many pull-ups
must she do to “burn off the        calories if her arms are .65 meter long?  Remember, one food Calorie contains 4186 J of energy.

                                                                                               3600 pull ups         

 

11.       How much work is done to push a car a distance of 100.0 meters, if a force of 200.0 N is applied?                                         

20,000 J or 14,750 ft·lb 

                                                                                                   

Impulse and Momentum

 

1.         A 75-kg fisherman jumps from his small aluminum boat to a nearby dock with a horizontal velocity of 2.0 m/s.  The boat has a mass
of 25 kg, and we can assume the water to be frictionless.  What is the recoil velocity of the boat?

                                                                                                                        6.0 m/s 

2.  A student pushes his motorcycle across the parking lot with a force of 45 N and for a time of 15 seconds. 

        a.  What was the impulse generated by the student?

                                                                                                                    680 N sec

      b.    What was the momentum of the motorcycle just after 15 seconds?

                                                                                                                    680 kg · m/s

    

       c.    If the motorcycle has a weight of 505 pounds, what was its speed just after 15 seconds?

                                                                                                                    2.9 m/s

        d.    What was the acceleration of the motorcycle?

                                                                                                                    .20 m/s2

       e.    What was the width of the parking lot?

                                                                                                                       22 meters

        f.    What was the work done to push the motorcycle?                        990 J

    g.    What was the kinetic energy of the motor after 15 seconds?                990 J

3.         A golf ball has a mass of 46 grams and when struck by a driver reaches a speed of  42 m/s.  The club is in contact with the ball for
the time of .50 millisecond  (.00050 sec).
 a.           What was the momentum of the ball just after impact?  

                                                                                                            1.9 kg · m/s

b.          What was the impulse generated by the club? 

1.9 N sec

c.         What is the average force of the club on the ball?  

                                                                                                            3900 N

d.         What is the acceleration of the ball? 

                                                                                                            84000 m/s2

  

e.         Through what distance did the club act on the ball?   

                                                                                                            .010 meter

f.                  What was the work done to accelerate the ball? 

                                                                                                            41 J

g.                   What was the kinetic energy of the ball just after impact?

41 J
 
Synergistic Problem                         Firearm Physics
 

A popular 12-gauge shotgun weighs 6.75 pounds, and has a barrel 28 inches long.  The hunter is using buckshot with a weight
totaling 1.50 oz.  The projectile(s) are fired in the positive x direction and leave the barrel with a speed of 1325 ft/sec.   Note: 
assume the explosion of gasses propelling the projectiles is uniform while accelerating the shot.      

6.75 lbs = 3.06 kg

28 in = .711 m

 
1.50 oz. = 42.5 g = .0425 kg

1325 ft/sec.  = 404 m/s

1.         What is the acceleration of the shot while in the gun?      1.15 x 105 m/s2

2.         How long is the shot accelerated?                                             3.52 x 10-3 seconds

  

3.         What is the force accelerating the shot?                         4.88 x 103 N

4.         What is the kinetic energy of the shot just after leaving the weapon?

                                                                                                            3.47 x 103 J

5.         What was the work done to fire the weapon?                            3.47 x 103 J

6.         What was the momentum of the shot just after leaving the weapon?

                                                                                                            17.2 kg · m/s

  

7.         What was the impulse acting of the shot while in the gun?

                                                                                                            17.2 kg · m/s

 
 8.         What was the recoil velocity of the gun during the firing process?          

5.61 m/s

 9.         What was the momentum of the gun during the firing process?   

17.2 kg · m/s

  

10.       If the gun goes into the hunters shoulder a distance of 3.0 cm, what force must the hunter absorb?

                                                                                                           

1.61 x 103 N

                                                                                                           

 11.       If the cross-sectional area of the butt of the gun is 6.25 in2 , what is the pressure on the hunters shoulder in psi and Pa?

                                                                                               

57.8 psi, 3.98 x 105 Pa

Fluid Dynamics
1.         A refrigerator weighs 1000 N, and exerts a pressure on the floor equal to          1000 N/m2 .  What is the area of the bottom of the
refrigerator?                                                                                                                                                        1 m2  

2.         What is the mass density of water?                                            1 g/cm3 , 1000 kg/m3

3.         What is the weight density of water?                              62.4 lb/ft3 , 9800 N/m3

4.         A car is submerged in 8.0 feet of water.  Assuming the area of one door (including         window) is 10.0 ft2 . 

a.         What is the pressure on the door?                     5.0 x 102 lb/ft2 , 3.5 psi  

b.         How much force would be needed to open it                 5000 pounds

5.         A canoe, loaded with 2 crew and refreshments weighs 400.0 pounds. 
 a.         What is the buoyant force of the water?                         400.0 lbs

           

b.         How many ft3 of water is displaced be the canoe?         6.41 ft3

c.         How deep is does the canoe sit in the water if it is 2.0 feet wide, and 12            feet long?

                                                                                                            0.27 feet or 3.2 inches

6.      A speed boat weighs 2.0 x 104 N and displaces 2.359 m3 of water. 

a.         What is the total weight of the people on the boat?                    3000 Newton's

b.         How many average-size people would that be?                         4 or 5 people

7.         A student swims to the bottom of a 12-ft swimming pool.  What is the pressure on         the surface of her body? 

                                                                                    5.2 psi gauge or 19.9 psi absolute

8.         How far below the surface must a student swim to triple the atmospheric pressure          around him?

                                                                                                            67.8 feet

9.         A physics student cleans the inside of the gutters on her house with a garden      hose.  How much pressure is lost if the gutter is 8.0
feet above the ground? 

                                                                                                            3.5 psi

10.       A scuba diver exhales while diving at a depth of 10.34 meters (in fresh water).               One of the bubbles exits the regulator with a
diameter of 1.52 cm. 

a.       What is the volume of the bubble as it leaves the regulator? 

1.84 x10-6 m

b.         What will be the volume of the bubble when it reaches the surface? 

                                                                                                3.68 x10-6 m

 
 c.         What will be the force accelerating the bubble as it breaks the surface? 

                                                                                                            0.0360 N

11.       An airplane wing has a shape that is designed increase the speed of air over the top of the wing.  The speed of air across the top is
251 m/s, and speed of air below          is 225 m/s.  If the area of the top of the wing is 24.0 m2 , and the density of air is 1.29 kg/m3 , what is
the force lifting the wing? 

                                                                                                            192,000 N

12.       A spoiler is attached to the back of a car.  The car is traveling at 60.0 mph, and             due to the spoiler's shape, the speed of air
under the wing is 70.0 mph.  The          dimensions under the wing are 5.0 ft x 8.0 inches, and the density of air is .00251     slug/ft3 .

            a.         What is the area under the wing?                                   3.3 ft2

           

b.         What is the pressure difference between the top and bottom of the wing?          

                                                                                                3.5 lb/ft2

            

c.         What is the negative lifting force on the spoiler?                                                                                    
                                                                        12 pounds             

Rotational Kinematics
 1.         A record player turntable rotates at 33.3 rpm.  What is the turntables angular     velocity in rev/sec and rad/sec?

           

.555 rev/sec, 3.49 rad/s

2.         A cordless drill accelerates a drill bit from 200.0 rpm to 1050 rpm in 2.30         seconds. 

a.         What is the angular acceleration of the bit?                     

                                                                                                38.7 rad/s2

b.         What was the angular displacement of the bit? 

 

                                                                                                            102 rad, 16.3 rev

3.         A car travels on a road with a velocity of 60.0 mph.  Each tire and rim   combination has a diameter of 24.0 inches.  What is the
angular speed of each         wheel in rpm and rad/sec?

           

841 rpm, 88 rad/s

4.         The driver of the car in the previous problem, while traveling 60.0 mph, slows to            stop in a time of 15.0 seconds.  Assume no
tire slippage during the event.

            a.         What was the angular acceleration of the each tire?       

                                                                                                            5.87 rad/s2     

b.         How many revolutions did each tire make?                    105 rev

c.         What was angular displacement of each tire?                

                                                                                                660 radians 

d.         What was the distance needed to stop the car? 

                                                                                                            660 feet

Synergistic Problem                         Bowling Ball       Your last problem! 

 

A bowler accelerates a 16 pound (7.26 kg) bowling ball from rest to a linear speed of 6.10 m/s. At which time the ball leaves the
bowler’s hand, spinning onto the lane, traveling without slipping down, and in a straight line, down an 18.3-m bowling alley.

Assume the ball has a radius of 10.8 cm, and holds a constant velocity (6.10 m/s) while in contact with the lane. 

1.         How long did it take the ball to travel down the lane?
 

                                                                                                3.00 seconds

2.         How many revolutions did the ball make while in contact with the entire distance of the lane?

                                                                                                27 rev

3.         What was the angular distance in radians to the previous question?

                                                                                                169 rads

4.         Through how many degrees did the ball rotate while in contact with the lane?

                                                                                                9710 degrees

5.         What is the angular speed of the ball when traveling down the lane in rpm?

                                                                                                540 rpm

6.         What is the angular speed of the ball when traveling down the lane in rad/sec?

                                                                                                56.5 rad/sec

7.         What is the moment of inertia of the ball? 

                                                                                                3.39 x 10-2 kg · m2                                                        

8.         What is the linear kinetic energy of the ball while rolling towards the pins (hint: it will be the same as when it left the bowlers hand)?

 
                                                                                                135 J

9.         What is the rotational kinetic energy of the ball just before striking the pins?

                                                                                                54.0 J

                                                                                               

10.       What is the total energy of the bowling ball just before striking the pins?

                                                                                                189 J