Questions on Force
1.
2. The diagram in Fig. 4 shows two glass tubes of different diameters dipped in
water.
Explain why h2 is greater than h1
.
2. Name two forces that determine the shape of liquid drop on a solid surface.
3. Give a reason why the weight of the body varies from place to place.
4. A butcher has a beam balance and masses 0.5kg and 2kg. how would he
measure 1.5kg of meat on the balance at once?
5. State the reason why water spilled on a glass surface wets the surface.
6. A metal pin was observed to float on the surface of pure water. However, the
pin sank when a few drops of soap solution were carefully added to the water.
Explain this observation.
7. Figure 4 shows a capillary tube placed in through mercury.
Give a reason why the level of mercury in the capillary tube is lower than in the
beaker.
8. A bag of sugar is found to have the same weight on planet earth as an identical
bag of dry sawdust on planet Jupiter. Explain why the masses of the two bags must
be different.
9. One of the factors that affect the surface tension of a liquid is the presence of
impurities. State one other factor.
10. State one way of reducing surface tension in water.
11. Figure 8 shows water drops on two surfaces. In figure 8 (a), the glass surface
is smeared with wax while in Figure 8 (b) the glass surface is clean.
Explain the difference in the shapes of the drops.
12. Figure 2 (a) shows a body being acted on by two forces, F1 and F2.
On Figure 2 (b), draw the force F3 that has same effect on the body as the two
forces.
13. A steel needle when placed carefully on water can be made to float. When a
detergent is added to the water it sinks. Explain this observation.
14. Figure 6 shows a small toy boat floating on water in a basin. X and Y are two
points near the toy.
When a hot metal rod is dipped into the water at point X, the toy is observed to
move towards Y. explain this observation.
15. A solid weighs 16.5N on the surface of the moon. The force of gravity on the
moon is 1.7Nkg−1
. . Determine the mass of the solid.
16. State two measurements you would take in an experiment to determine the
upthrust of an object which is immersed in a fluid.
17. State how the measurements in question (16) i.e. Weight of object in air and
weight of object in fluid are used to determine the upthrust of the object.
18. Figure 6 (a) and 6 (b) shows capillary tubes inserted in water and mercury
respectively.
It is observed that in water the meniscus in the capillary tube is higher than the
meniscus in the beaker. Explain these observations.
19. Figure 14 shows a block floating in water.
When the water is heated; it is observed that the block sinks further. Explain this
observation.
20. State the reason why an object on earth has a higher weight than on the
moon.
21. State two ways of reducing the surface tension of a liquid.
22. Define force and give its SI unit.
23. Name all the forces acting on the following bodies: (
a) A box placed on a table.
(b) A mass suspended from a spring balance.
(c) A moving car negotiating a bend.
24. Define cohesive force and adhesive force.
25. Explain why a man using a parachute falls through air slowly while a stone
falls through air very fast
26. Explain each of the following using the behaviour of molecules where possible:
(a) A steel needle placed on the surface of water does not sink
(b) When a small drop of detergent is placed on water, the needle moves rapidly
away from it and sinks when more detergent is added. (Assume that the detergent
does not affect the density of water)
27. (a) Define surface tension.
(b)How does temperature rise and impurities affect the surface tension of water?
(c) How would the surface tension of water be increased?
28. Define the terms:
(a) mass.
(b) weight.
29. The mass of a lump of gold is constant everywhere, but its weight is not,
Explain this.
30. A man has a mass of 70 kg. Calculate (a) his weight on earth, where the
gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg. (b) his weight on the moon, where the
gravitational field strength is 1.7 N/kg.
31. A mass of 7.5 kg has weight of 30 N on a certain planet. Calculate the
acceleration due to gravity on this planet.
32. Define the following terms, giving examples: (a) Vector quantity. (b) Scalar
quantity.
33. (a) Define a resultant vector
(b) Find the resultant of a force of 4 N and a force of 8 N acting on the same point
on an object if:
(i) the forces act in the same direction in the same straight line.
(ii) (ii) the forces act in opposite directions but in the same straight line.
34. Show diagrammatically how forces of 7 N and 9 N can be combined to give a
resultant force of:
(a) 16 N
(b) 2 N
