PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Measurement
1
  Units conversion
  Dimensional analysis
  Density

1. The position y of a particle moving along the y axis depends on the time t according to the equation

y = At − Bt 2 . What are the dimensions of the quantities A and B, respectively? (Ans: L/T, L/T2)
2. The position x of a particle is given by: x = Bt2 + (C/B)t, where x is in meters and t is in seconds. What is
the dimension of C? (Ans: L2/T3)
3. Suppose A = Bn/C m, where A has dimensions [LT], B has dimensions [L2T–1], and C has dimensions [LT2].
What are the values of the exponents n and m? (Ans: n = 1/5 ; m = −3/5)
4. One shake = 10-8 seconds. Find out how many nano seconds (ns) are there in 1 shake. (1 nano = 10-9)
(Ans: 10 ns )
5. Express the speed of sound, which is equal to 330 m/s, in miles/h. (1 mile = 1609 m) (Ans: 738 miles/h)
6. Using the fact that the speed of light in space is about 3.00×108 m/s, determine how many miles will light
travel in one hour. (1 mile = 1.61 km) (Ans: 6.71× 108 miles)
7. A student remembers that it takes roughly 8.4 minutes for the sun's light to reach the Earth. Using this
information and the fact that the speed of light is (3.0 × 108) m/s, estimate the distance to the sun in km.
(Ans: 1.50×108 km)
8. An empty fuel tank of a car needs 50 liters of gasoline to fill up. Find the volume of the fuel tank in m3.
(1 milliliter = 1 cm3) (Ans: 0.050)
9. A swimming pool is filled with 16500 ft3 of water. What is the volume of water in m3?
(12 inch = 1 ft, and 2.54 cm = 1 inch) (Ans: 467 m3)
10. The mass of 1.0 cm3 of gold is 19.3 g. What is the mass of a solid cube of gold having a side of 0.70 cm?
(Ans: 6.6 × 10–3 kg)
11. A cube of copper has a mass of m = 126 g. Find the number of copper atoms in this cube. Atomic mass of
copper = 63.0 g/mole; Avogadro number = 6.02×1023 atoms/mole. (Ans: 1.20 × 1024)
12. From the fact that the average density of the Earth is 5.50 g/cm3 and its mean radius is 6.37×106 m,
calculate the mass of the Earth? (Ans: 5.95 × 1024 kg)
13. What is the mass of an aluminum cylinder of density 2.70 g/cm3, radius 2.30 cm, and a height of 1.40 m?
(Ans: 6.28 kg)
14. What is the density of a nucleus of volume 3.4×103 fm3 and mass of 100 u? (1 fm = 10-15 m, 1 u = 1.7 ×
10-27 kg) (Ans: 5.0 × 1016 kg/m3)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 1 Page 1


15. The average radius of a nucleus is R = 10.0 fm. Find the density of the nucleus which has a mass of 15u.
(1 fm = 10-15 m, 1 u = 1.66 × 10-27 kg) (Ans: 5.94×1015 kg/m3)
16. A drop of oil (mass = 0.90 milligram, and density = 918 kg/m3) spreads out on a surface and forms a
circular thin film of radius = 41.8 cm and thickness h. Find h in nano meter (nm). (Ans: 1.8 nm)
17. How many molecules of water are there in a cup containing 250 cm3 of water? Molecular mass of water =
18 g/mole; density of water = 1.0 g/cm3; Avogadro’s number = 6.02×1023 molecules/mole. (Ans: 8.4 × 1024)
18. The speed of sound v in a fluid depends upon the fluid density ρ and its bulk modulus B as follows:
v = ρn.Bm. Using dimensional analysis, find the values of constants n and m, respectively. The unit of density ρ
is kg/m3 and that of bulk modulus B is kg/(m.s2). (Ans: -1/2, +1/2)
19. Consider the following physical relation: M = C ρa.rb, where M is mass, ρ is density, r is distance, and a
and b are exponents. C is a dimensionless constant. What are the values of a and b so that the equation is
dimensionally correct? (Ans: a = 1 and b = 3)
20. The force F applied on a particle is given by the relation F = K ρ A B2, where K is a dimensionless
constant, ρ is a density and A is an area. Find the dimension of B. (Ans: L/T)
21. The average density of blood is 1.06×103 kg/m3. If you donate one pint of blood, what is the mass of the
blood you have donated, in grams? [1 pint = 1/2 Liter, 1 Liter = 1000 cm3] (Ans: 530)
22. The mass of a piece of card board is 20 g. Its length and width are 8.0 and 3.0 inches, respectively. If the
thickness of the card board is 0.50 mm, what is the density of the card board in kg/m3? [1 inch = 2.54 cm]
(Ans: 2.58 × 103)
23. A light-year is the distance traveled by light in one year (365 days). Express a light-year in kilometers if
the speed of light is 3.0×108 m/s. (Ans: 9.5×1012 km)
24. A 0.19-kg solid sphere has a radius of 21 mm. What is its density? (Ans: 4.9×103 kg/m3)
25. The density of iron is 7.86 g/cm3, and the mass of an iron atom is 9.30 × 10-23 g. How many iron atoms are
there in 1.00 in3 of iron? [1 in = 2.54 cm] (Ans: 1.39 × 1024 atoms)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 1 Page 2

 A B C D E Conceptual Problems 

1. Which formula could be correct for the speed v of ocean waves in terms of the density ρ of sea water, the
acceleration of free fall g, the depth h in the ocean, and the wave length λ?
(Note: Unit for wave length λ is meter (m) and unit for density ρ is kg/m3)

2. Suppose the speed of a wave on a string is given by v = K τm μn, where K is a dimensionless constant, τ is the
tension in the string, and µ is the mass per unit length of the string. Find the values of m and n.
A) m = +1/2, n = −1/2
B) m = +1/2, n = +1/2
C) m = −1/2, n = −1/2
D) m = +3/2, n = −3/2
E) m = +1/2, n = −3/2

3. Work is defined as the scalar product of force and displacement. Power is defined as the rate of change of
work with time. The dimension of power is
A. M L2 T-3
B. M L2 T-2
C. M L3 T-2
D. M L2 T-1
E. M L T-2
4. Pressure, P, is a physical quantity defined as: P = F/A, where F is force, and A is the area of the surface on
which F is applied. Find the dimensions of P.
A. M/(LT2)
B. ML/T2
C. MT2/L
D. ML/T
E. L/T2
5. Consider two uniform solid spheres A and B made of the same material and having radii rA and rB,
respectively. Find the ratio rB / rA if the mass of sphere B is five times the mass of sphere A.
A. 1.7
B. 2.2
C. 2.7
D. 1.2
E. 3.3

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 1 Page 3

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER Motion Along a

2 Straight Line
  Position & displacement
  Average & instantaneous velocity
  Average & instantaneous acceleration
  Constant acceleration
  Free fall
 Graphical problems

1. The position of an object is given as a function of time by x = 4.0 t2 – 3.0 t3, where x is in meters and t is in
seconds. What is its average acceleration during the interval from t = 1.0 s to t = 2.0 s? (Ans: −19 m/s2)
2. A car starts from rest and undergoes a constant acceleration. It travels 5.0 m in the time interval from t = 0
to t = 1.0 s. Find the displacement of the car during the time interval from t = 1.0 s to t = 2.0 s. (Ans: 15 m)
3. Figure 1 represents the velocity of a car moving on a straight line as a function of time.
Find the acceleration of the car at t = 6.0 s. (Ans: –3.0 m/s2)
4. Figure 2 shows the position-time graph of an object. What is the average velocity of the object between
t = 0.0 s and t = 5.0 s? (Ans: 2.0 m/s)
5. Figure 3 shows a velocity-time graph of a runner. If the runner starts from the origin, find his position at
t = 4.0 s. (Ans: 45 m)
6. An object is thrown vertically upward with an initial speed of 25 m/s from the ground. What is the height of
the object 1.0 s before it touches ground? (Ans: 20 m)
7. A car starts from rest and accelerates at a rate of 2.0 m/s2 in a straight line until it reaches a speed of 20 m/s.
The car then slows down at a constant rate of 1.0 m/s2 until it stops. How much time elapses (total time) from
start to stop? (Ans: 30 s)
8. A car travels along a straight line at a constant velocity of 18 m/s for 2.0 s and then accelerates at − 6.0
m/s2 for a period of 3.0 s. What is the average velocity of the car during the whole 5.0-s interval? (Ans: 13 m/s)
9. A stone is thrown vertically downward from the top of a 40-m tall building with an initial speed of 1.0 m/s.
How far will the stone travel in 2.0 s? (Ans: 22 m)
10. The coordinate of a particle in meters is given by: x(t)=2.0t − 2.0t2, where the time t is in seconds. At
what time will the particle be momentarily at rest? (Ans: 0.50 s)
11. An object starts from rest at the origin and moves along the x axis with a constant acceleration of
4 m/s2. What is its average velocity as it goes from x = 2 m to x = 18 m? (Ans: 8 m/s)
12. Two cars are 150 km apart and are traveling toward each other. One car is moving at 60 km/h and the
other is moving at 40 km/h. In how many hours will they meet? (Ans: 1.5 h)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 1

13. A stone and a ball are thrown vertically upward with different initial speeds: 20 m/s for the stone and 10
m/s for the ball. If the maximum height reached by the ball is H, what is the maximum height reached by the
stone? (Ans: 4 H)
14. A particle starts from rest at t = 0 s. Its acceleration as a function of time is shown in figure 4. What is its
speed at the end of the 6.0-s interval? (Ans: 4.0 m/s)
15. The position of a particle as a function of time is described by the equation: x (t) = 2.0 + 3.0 t – t3,
where x is in m and t is in s. What is the maximum positive position of the particle on the x axis? (Ans: 4.0 m)
16. A stone is thrown vertically downward from a building with an initial speed of 2.0 m/s. It reaches the
ground after 5.0 s. What is the height of the building? (Ans: 130 m)
17. Each of the following four particles move along an x axis. Their coordinates as functions of time are given
by: particle 1: x (t) = 3.5 - 2.7t4 ; particle 2: x(t) = 3.5 + 2.7t3 ; particle 3: x(t) = 3.5 + 2.7t2; and particle 4:
x(t) = 3.5 - 3.4t - 2.7t2. Which of these particles have constant acceleration? (Ans: Only 3 & 4)
18. Starting at time t = 0, an object moves along a straight line. Its coordinate in meters is given by:
x (t) = 75t - 1.0t3, where t is in s. When the velocity of the object is zero, what is the value of its acceleration?
(Ans: –30 m/s2)
19. A man runs on a straight road for 8.0 km at a speed of 8.0 km/h. He then continues in the same direction
for another 6.0 km at a speed of 12 km/h. What is his average speed during this 14-km run? (Ans: 9.3 km/h)
20. A particle moves along the x axis. Its position from its starting point as a function of time t is shown in
figure 5. What is the total distance that this particle travels from t = 0 to t = 6.0 s? (Ans: 12 m)
21. A particle starts from xo = 10 m at time to = 0. Its velocity as a function of time is as shown in figure 6.
Find the position of the particle at time t = 3.0 s. (Ans: 28 m)
22. An object starts from rest at the origin and moves along the x axis with a constant acceleration of 5.0
m/s2. Find its average velocity as it goes from x = 0 m to x = 10 m. (Ans: 5.0 m/s)
23. A particle, moving with constant acceleration, has a velocity of 10 cm/s when its position is x0 =10 cm. Its
position 4.0 s later is x = –14 cm. What is the acceleration of the particle? (Ans: –8.0 cm/s2)
24. A stone is thrown vertically upward such that it has a speed of 9.0 m/s when it reaches one half of its
maximum height above the launch point. Determine the maximum height. (Ans: 8.3 m)
25. A rock is dropped (vo = 0) from a 100-m high cliff. It takes the rock 3.2 s to fall the first 50 m. How long
does it take to fall the second 50 m? (Ans: 1.3 s)
26. A stone is released from rest from height H. It takes 2.00 s to fall a vertical distance of H/2. What is the
time needed to fall the total vertical distance H? (Ans: 2.83 s)
27. A car, traveling at 20.0 m/s, is 30.0 m from a wall when the driver slams on the brakes. The car hits the
wall 2.00 s later. How fast is the car traveling when it hits the wall? (Ans: 10.0 m/s)
28. A ball is thrown vertically upward with an initial velocity vo, and reaches its maximum height in 6.0 s.
After how many seconds will it have a velocity –vo/2? (Ans: 9.0 s)
29. A car starts a trip from Dammam and travels 480 km in a straight line to Riyadh in 4.0 hours.
Immediately, the car is turned around, and returns to Dammam in 6.0 hours. Find the average speed of the car
for the whole trip. (Ans: 96 km/h)
30. An object is released from rest at a height H. It takes 2.00 s for the object to fall from point A to point B
(see figure 7). What is the initial height H? (Ans: 385 m)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 2

31. An object is thrown at t = 0 vertically upward with a velocity of 48.9 m/s. What is its average velocity
between t = 2 s and t = 3 s? [Ignore air resistance] (Ans: 24.4 m/s)
32. A stone is thrown vertically upward with an initial speed of 10 m/s. What is its speed when it returns to a
height of 3.83 m above its starting point? (Ans: 5.0 m/s)
33. At a traffic light, a truck traveling at 10 m/s passes a car as it starts from rest. The truck travels at a
constant velocity and the car accelerates at 4.0 m/s2. How much time does the car take to catch up with the
truck? (Ans: 5.0 s)
34. Two cars A and B travel on a straight line. The displacement of car A is given by xA (t) =2.60 t+1.20 t2,
where t is in seconds and xA in meters. The displacement of car B is given by xB (t) =2.80 t2- 0.20 t3. At what
time will the two cars have the same acceleration? (Ans: 2.67 s)
35. A ball is thrown from ground straight upward with a velocity of 26 m/s. How long does it take the ball to
strike the ground? (Ans: 5.3 s)
36. A hot air balloon carrying a 10.0-kg block is descending vertically at a constant speed of 10.0 m/s. When
the balloon is 100 m above the ground, the block is released. How long does it take the block to reach the
ground? [Neglect air resistance] (Ans: 3.61 s)
37. Which of the graphs in figure 9 represents an object moving with a negative constant velocity? (Ans: 3)
38. A car moving along the positive x axis with constant acceleration covered the distance between two points
that are 60 m apart in 6.0 s. Its velocity as it passes the second point was15 m/s. What was its velocity at the first
point? (Ans: 5.0 m/s)
39. A car travels 80.0 km to the north at 40.0 km/h, then travels 60.0 km to the south at 30.0 km/h. What is
the difference between the average speed and the magnitude of the average velocity on this trip? (Ans: 30 km/h)
40. A stone is thrown vertically up from the edge of the top of a 100-m high building. It reaches the ground (at
the bottom of the building) after 10.0 s. What is the initial speed of the stone? (Ans: 39.0 m/s)
41. A car travels up a hill at a constant speed of 30 km/h and down the same hill at a constant speed of 50
km/h. Calculate the average speed of the car for the round trip (up and down the hill, the same distance).
(Ans: 38 km/h)
42. A motorist traveled a distance of 290 km. For the first half distance of 145 km he drove at a constant
speed 48 km/h. At what constant speed did he drive in the second half of distance if his average speed for the
total distance was 64 km/h? (Ans: 96 km/h)
43. Two identical objects, A and B, fall from rest from different heights, HA and HB to the ground. If object B
takes twice as long as A to reach the ground, what is the ratio of HA to HB? Neglect air resistance. (Ans: 1/4)
44. A rock is thrown vertically upward from ground level at time t = 0. At time t = 1.5 s, it passes the top of a
building of height H, and 1.0 s later it reached its maximum height. What is the height H of the building?
(Ans: 26 m)
45. A particle moves along the x-axis. Its position x as a function of time t is given by: x = 12t – 2t2, where
x is in meters and t is in seconds. At what time does the particle change its direction of motion? (Ans: t = 3s)
46. Stone A is thrown vertically upward from the ground with an initial speed of 9.8 m/s. After 1 second,
stone B is thrown with the same speed vertically upward from the same position. Find the time at which they
will be at the same height simultaneously. (Ans: 1.5 s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 3

47. A ball is dropped from a height of 100 m at t = 0. Later, at t = 1.00 s, a second ball is thrown downward
with a speed of 19.8 m/s. At what time will the two balls be at the same height? (Neglect air resistance).
(Ans: 1.49 s)
48. The velocity-time graph of an object moving in a straight line is shown in figure 11. What is the
average speed of the object for the first 6.0 s? (Ans: 3.3 m/s)
49. A truck starts from rest at point A and moves towards point B with a constant speed of 10 m/s in a straight
line. Ten minutes later, a car starts from rest at A and moves towards B with a constant speed of 15 m/s along
the same straight line. How long will it take the car to catch up with the truck? (Ans: 20 minutes)
50. A ball is released from rest at the top of a building. The time it takes the ball to fall halfway to the ground
is 1.2 s. Find the total time it takes for the ball to fall from the top of the building to the ground. (Ans: 1.7 s)
51. A particle moves in one dimension such that its position x(t) as a function of time t is given by
x(t) = 2.0 + 27 t – t3, where t is in seconds and x(t) is in meters. At what position does the particle change its
direction of motion? (Ans: 56 m)
52. The velocity of a truck moving in a straight line is given by v (t) = t3 – t2 – 2.0t, where v is in m/s and t
is in seconds. Find the velocity of the truck at the instant when its acceleration is 6.0 m/s2. (Ans: 0)
53. Two cars are initially at rest. Car A is at x = 0, and car B is at x = + 600 m. They start to move, at the same
time, along the same line in the positive x direction with constant accelerations: aA = 4.00 m/s2 and aB = 1.00
m/s2. How long does it take car A to overtake car B? (Ans: 20.0 s)
54. Figure 18 shows the motion of a particle moving along an x axis with constant acceleration. What is the
magnitude of the acceleration of the particle? (Ans: 4 m/s2)
55. The position-time curve for a particle moving along the x-axis is shown in figure 19. The dashed straight
lines are tangent to the curve at t = 1.0 s and t = 3.0 s. Find the magnitude of the average acceleration in the time
interval t = 1.0 s and t = 3.0 s. (Ans: 1.5 m/s2)
56. A ball starts from rest and slides down a hill with constant acceleration for 10.0 s. If it travels 50.0 m
during the first 5.00 seconds of its motion, how far will it travel during the next 5.00 seconds of its motion?
(Ans: 150 m)
57. A car travels in a straight road with a velocity of v1 = 15.0 m/s for half the distance between two cities,
and with a velocity of v2 = 30.0 m/s for the other half. What is the average velocity of the car for the entire trip?
(Ans: 20.0 m/s)
58. An object moving along the x axis has a position given by x = (3t – t3), where x is measured in m, and t is
measured in s. What is the acceleration of the object when its velocity is zero? (Ans: – 6.0 m/s2)
59. A ball is thrown from the ground vertically upward and reaches a maximum height of 40 m. Upon
descending, the ball hits the ground and rebounds with half its initial velocity. Find the height to which it
reaches after rebounding. (Ans: 10 m)
60. A ball moves in a straight line along the x-axis, and figure 20 shows its velocity as a function of time t.
What is the ball average velocity and average speed, respectively, over a period of 3.00 s?
(Ans: 0.330m/s, 2.33 m/s)
61. A particle is moving back and forth along the x-axis. A graph of its position versus time is given in figure
21. What is the average speed of the particle between t = 0 and t = 10 s? (Ans: 9 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 4

62. A rocket accelerates vertically up from ground level from rest at 30 m/s2 for 30 s; then runs out of fuel.
What is the rocket’s final altitude? (Ignore air resistance) (Ans: 55 km)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. The position-time graph for an object is a straight line with a positive slope. The object has:
A. constant velocity
B. decreasing acceleration
C. increasing velocity
D. increasing acceleration
E. decreasing velocity
2. A helicopter at height h from the surface of the sea is descending at a constant speed v. The time it takes to
reach the surface of the sea can be found from:
A. -h = -v t
B. h = ½ g t2
C. -h = ½ g t2
D. h = v t – ½ g t2
E. -h = -v t – ½ g t2

3. Figure 8 shows the acceleration-time graph of a particle moving along an axis. In which of the time
intervals indicated in the figure, does the particle move at constant speed?
A. a and e
B. c and g
C. d and f
D. a, c, e, and g
E. b
4. Which one of the following statements is always FALSE?
A. A body has constant velocity and variable acceleration.
B. A body has velocity eastward and acceleration eastward.
C. A body has velocity eastward and acceleration westward.
D. A body has zero instantaneous velocity but non-zero acceleration.
E. A body has constant acceleration and variable velocity.

5. A ball is in free fall. Its acceleration is: (ascent means going up, descent means going down)
A. downward during both ascent and descent
B. downward during ascent and upward during descent
C. upward during ascent and downward during descent
D. upward during both ascent and descent
E. downward at all times except at the very top, where it is zero

6. A car is moving north at 20 km/h. It makes a gradual 180◦ turn (U-turn) at the same speed, changing its
direction of travel from north to south in 20 s. The average acceleration of the car for this turn is:
A. 2.0 km/h·s, toward the south
B. 1.0 km/h·s, toward the south
C. 1.0 km/h·s, toward the north
D. 2.0 km/h·s, toward the north
E. zero


Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 5

7. A ball is dropped (free fall) from a certain height. The ball hits the ground with speed v and rebounds
vertically upward with the same speed v. What is the change in velocity of the ball during impact with the?
Neglect air resistance.
A. +2v ĵ

B. -2v ĵ

C. +v ĵ

D. –v ĵ
E. 0
8. A ball is dropped from a certain height and bounces back vertically upward after hitting the ground. Figure
10 shows the velocity-time sketch of the ball. Line OA shows the downward motion of the ball and line BC
shows the upward motion of the ball (after rebound). The slopes of lines OA and BC must be equal because
A. the acceleration due to gravity remains constant
B. the velocity remains the same before and after impact with the ground
C. the rebound height is equal to the height from where the ball was dropped
D. the speed before and after impact with the ground is not the same
E. the velocity changes its direction during impact.
9. Two objects are thrown from the top of a building with the same speed, the first upward and the second
downward. When they reach the ground (neglect air resistance):
A. The two objects have the same velocity.
B. The first object has the higher velocity.
C. The second object has the higher velocity.
D. The answer depends on the masses of the objects.
E. The answer depends on the shapes of the objects.

10. Figure 12 shows the position-time graph for two objects, A and B, moving along a straight line. Which
one of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The speed of B is always greater than the speed of A.
B. The two objects have the same speed at t = 4 s.
C. Object B is always ahead of object A.
D. Object A is always ahead of object B.
E. The speed of A is always greater than the speed of B.

11. An object is moving along a straight line in the positive x direction. Figure 13 shows its position from the
starting point as a function of time. Various segments of the graph are identified by the roman numerals I, II, III,
and IV. Which segment(s) of the graph represent(s) a constant velocity of +1.0 m/s?
A. IV
B. II
C. III
D. I
E. I and III

12. Figure 14 represents the straight line motion of a car. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The car accelerates at 6 m/s2 for the first 2 s
B. The car accelerates, stops, and reverses
C. The car is moving for a total time of 12 s
D. The car decelerates at 12 m/s2 for the last 4 s
E. The car returns to its starting point when t = 9 s

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 6

13. Figure 15 shows a velocity-time graph for a car moving in a straight line. At point Q the car must be:
A. traveling in the opposite direction to that at point P
B. moving with zero acceleration
C. traveling downhill
D. traveling below ground-level
E. moving with a higher speed than that at point P
14. Sitting on the top of a building, you drop (release) a stone while you throw a second stone downward.
Which curves in figure 16 give the velocity v(t) for the dropped stone and the thrown stone, respectively?
A. Curves A and B.
B. Curves A and C.
C. Curves B and D.
D. Curves C and B.
E. Curves D and C.

15. Figure 17 shows four paths along which objects move from a starting point to a final point as indicated by
the arrows. The paths pass over a grid of equally spaced straight lines. All the objects take the same amount of
time for their trips. Rank the paths according to the average speed of the objects, greatest first.
A. 4, then 1 and 2 tie, then 3
B. All tie
C. 3, 1, 2, 4
D. 4, 2, 1, 3
E. 1 and 2 tie, then 3 and 4 tie

16. Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A. A body can have constant velocity and still have a varying speed.
B. A body can have a constant speed and still have a varying velocity.
C. A body can have zero velocity and still be accelerating.
D. A body can have a constant acceleration and a variable velocity.
E. A body can have an upward velocity while experiencing a downward acceleration.

17. The position of an object moving along the x-axis is given by x = 6.0 + 6.0 t − 3.0 t2, where x is in meters
and t in seconds. Which statement about this object is correct?
A. The object is momentarily at rest at t = 1.0 s.
B. The object position is negative at t = 0 s.
C. The acceleration of the object is zero at t = 0 s.
D. The acceleration of the object is positive at all times.
E. The object is momentarily at rest at t = 2.0 s.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 7

 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12

Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 8

 Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 18

Figure 19 Figure 20 Figure 21

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 2 Page 9

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Vectors
3
1. Vectors A, B, and C are related through equations A + B = C and A – B = 5.0 C. If C = 3.0 î + 4.0 ĵ , what is
the magnitude of vector A? (Ans: 15)
     
2. Three vectors F , v and B are related through F = 5.0 (v × B ) . If vector v = 3.0 iˆ − 5.0 jˆ and B = −2.0 kˆ , what

is vector F ? (Ans: 50 iˆ + 30 jˆ )
   
3. Vectors F and G are defined as F = 3.0 iˆ + 4.0 jˆ and G = −iˆ + jˆ . Find the component (projection) of vector
 
G along the direction of vector F . (Ans: 0.20)
  
4. In figure 1, what is the unknown vector C ? (Ans: B − A )
   
5. Two vectors are given by: P = −1.5iˆ + 2.0 jˆ , Q = 1.0 jˆ . What is the angle that the vector 2P − Q makes with
the positive x-axis? (A: 135°)
6. A man walks 5.0 km due North, then 13 km 22.6° South of East, and then 12 km due West. What is the final
location of the man? (Ans: where he started)
7. What is the angle between vector A = 3.00 î + 4.00 ĵ and the negative y axis? (Ans: 143°)
8. Three vectors are: A = –3.0 î ; B = –5.0 k̂ and C = 2.0 ĵ . What is the value of A.(B×C)? (Ans: –30)
9. A vector in the xy plane has a magnitude of 25 m, an x component of +12 m, and a positive y component.
What angle does it make with the positive y axis? (Ans: 29°)
10. If A = (2.0 î –3.0 ĵ ) m and B = (1.0 î –2.0 ĵ ) m , what is A–2B? (Ans: 1.0 ĵ m)
11. If A= î + ĵ and B = î – ĵ , what is the angle between A and B? (Ans: 90°)
12. Let A = 2.0 î + 3.0 k̂ and B = 2.0 î + k̂ . What is the vector D = (A–B)×A? (Ans: 4.0 ĵ )
13. In figure 2, A = (12m, 60°) and B = (8m, 300°). What is the x component of (A–B)? (Ans: 2 m)
14. Three vectors A, B, and C are such that: C = A+B, B = 5 î and C = 5 ĵ . Find the angle between A and B.
(Ans: 135°)
15. Two vectors A and B are shown in figure 3. Each vector has a magnitude of 5.0 m. Find the magnitude of
the resultant vector R = A + B and the angle between R and the positive x axis. (Ans: 7.1 m, θ = 90o)
16. Two displacement vectors A and B have equal magnitudes of 10 m. Vector A is along the + y axis and
vector B makes 45o counterclockwise with + x axis. Find the vector C such that B + C = 2A.
(Ans: C = –7 î + 13 ĵ )

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 3 Page 1

17. As shown in figure 4, a block moves down on a 45o inclined plane of 2.5 m length, then horizontally for
another 2.5 m, and then falls down vertically a height of 2.5 m. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant
displacement vector of the block. (Ans: 6.0 m and 45o below horizontal axis)
 
18. Which of the following is NOT a unit vector? (ˆi +ˆj)/2 ; a/|a| ; ˆj× ˆi ; (1/ 3) (ˆi +ˆj+kˆ ) ; 0.6ˆj + 0.8kˆ .
19. Two vectors A and B have the components in meters, Ax = -4.0, Ay = 3.0, and Bx = 5.0, By = 12. Find the
angle between the directions of A and B. (Ans: 76o)
20. Starting from the origin, a boy walks 3.5 m South, then 10 m at 30o North of East, and finally 10 m West.
Find the resultant displacement vector. Take East along the positive x-axis and North along the positive y axis.
(Ans: –1.34 î + 1.5 ĵ m)
21. In the cross product F = v × B, take v = 2.0 î , F = 6.0 ĵ , and the x component of vector B equals zero. What

then is B in unit-vector notation? (Ans: -3.0 k̂ )

22. If vector A has a magnitude of 3.0, and makes an angle of 30° with the + x axis, what is the vector B = −2A ?
(Ans: -5.2 î -3.0 ĵ )
23. Two vectors, A and B, have magnitudes of 10 m and 15 m respectively. The angle between them is 65°.
What is the component (projection) of B along A? (Ans: 6.3 m)
24. If vector A is added to vector B, the result is (6 î + ĵ ) m. If A is subtracted from B, the result is (- 4 î +7 ĵ ) m.
Find the magnitude of B. (Ans: 4m)
25. A car travels 30 km due south and then D km in an unknown direction. The magnitude of the resultant
displacement is 50 km and its direction is 53o west of south. Find the magnitude and direction of the unknown
displacement D. (Ans: 40 km due west)
26. A vector is defined by A = 1.50 î + 1.50 ĵ . Find a vector B that makes an angle of 60.0o with A in the
counterclockwise direction and has a magnitude of 4 units. (Ans: -1.04 î + 3.86 ĵ )
27. In figure 7, vector A has a magnitude of 12 m, and vector B has a magnitude of 8 m. What is A – B?
(Ans: 4.49 î + 15.4 ĵ m)
28. Two points A and B are in the xy plane. A has coordinates (0 m, 3 m), and B has coordinates (4 m, 0 m).
What is the displacement vector that goes from A to B? (Ans: 4 î – 3 ĵ )
29. If vector B is added to vector C = (30 î + 40 ĵ ) m, the resultant vector is directed along the positive x
direction, with a magnitude equal to that of vector C. What is the magnitude of B? (Ans: 45 m)
     
30. Six vectors ( A , B , C , D , E and F ) of magnitude 10.0 each are shown in figure 8. Find the resultant
of these vectors in unit vector notations. (Ans: 7.07 î + 2.93 ĵ )
     
( )( )
31. If d 1 = 3iˆ − 2 jˆ and d 2 = −5iˆ + 2 jˆ , find d 1 + d 2 ⋅ d 1 − d 2 . (Ans: -16)

32. A man leaves his house and makes three successive displacements. The first displacement is D1 (10.0 km,
60.0°), the second displacement D2 is unknown, and the third displacement D3 is (10.0 km, 240°). Find the
second displacement D2 if his resultant displacement is (20.0 km, 90.0°). All angles are measured counter
clockwise with respect to the positive x-axis. (Ans: (20.0 km, 90.0°) )
   
33. You are given the two vectors A and B. If A ⋅ B = 4.00 and | A × B | = 3.00, what is the angle between A
and B? (Ans: 36.9o)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 3 Page 2

  
34. Find the sum of the following two vectors: A : 8.66 in +x-direction, B : 10.0 , at 60° from +y-axis
measured counterclockwise. (Ans: 5.00 ĵ )

35. An airplane starting from airport A flies 500 km east, then 200 km 30o west of north, and then 127 km north

to arrive at airport B. The next day, another plane flies directly from A to B in a straight line. In what direction
should the pilot travel in this direct flight? Ignore the effects of air. (Ans: 37o north of east)
  
36. Three vectors are given by A = 1.0 î + 1.0 ĵ , B = –1.0 ĵ + 1.0 k̂ , and C = –1.0 î + 1.0 k̂ . Find A ⋅ (B × C) .
(Ans: – 2.0)
37. If vector A = b (3.0 î + 4.0 ĵ ), where b is a constant. Find the value of b that makes vector A a unit vector.
(Ans: 0.20)
38. Two vectors A and B have magnitudes 3.0 and 4.0 respectively. Find the angle between A and B if their
vector product is A x B = – 5.0 k̂ + 2.0 î . (Ans: 27o)
39. What is the angle between the vector 2.50 ĵ + 4.33 k̂ and the y axis? (Ans: 60o)
40. You are given vectors A = 5.00 î – 6.00 ĵ and B = – 3.00 î + 7.00 ĵ . A third vector C lies in the xy-plane.
Vector C is perpendicular to vector A, and the scalar product of C with B is 15.0. Find the vector C.
(Ans: 5.29 î + 4.41 ĵ )
 
41. The scalar product of vectors A and B is 6.00 and the magnitude of their vector product is 9.00. Find the
angle between these two vectors. (Ans: 56.3o)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. Figure 5 shows four vectors A, B, C, D. Which of the following statements is correct:
A. C=D+B–A
B. C=A+B+D
C. C = –D – B + A
D. C=A–B+D
E. C = –A – B – D

2. Vector A of magnitude 20 is added to a vector B of magnitude 25. The magnitude of the vector A + B can be:
A. 12
B. zero
C. 3
D. 47
E. 50
3. Which one of the following statements concerning vectors and scalars is false?
A. A vector that has zero magnitude may have components other than zero.
B. A vector that has a negative component, has a positive magnitude.
C. A scalar component may be either positive or negative.
D. Two vectors are equal only if they have the same magnitude and same direction.
E. In calculations, the vector components of a vector may be used in place of the
vector itself.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 3 Page 3

4. The vectors X, Y, and Z are related by Z = Y – X. Which diagram in figure 6 illustrates this relationship?
A. E
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. A
   2 2 2
5. Consider two non-zero vectors A and B . If A + B = A + B , then:


6. A vector B is given by B = 2.0 î + 2.0 ĵ + 2.0 k̂ . Which one of the following represents a unit vector in the
direction of B?

7. Three vectors are given by . Find .

A. 0
B. −21
C. +26
D. −26
E. +5.0

8. If the magnitude of the sum of two vectors is less than the magnitude of either vector, then:
A. the scalar product of the vectors must be negative
B. the scalar product of the vectors must be positive
C. the vectors must be parallel and in opposite directions
D. the vectors must be parallel and in the same direction
E. the vectors must be perpendicular to each other.

9. The value of ˆi ⋅ (kˆ × ˆj) is:

A. −1
B. +1
C. zero
D. 3
E. i
 
10. Consider the vector A = 3.0 î + 4.0 ĵ . Which of the following vectors is perpendicular to vector A :

A) 4.0 î − 3.0 ĵ
B) 3.0 î − 4.0 ĵ
C) 4.0 î + 3.0 ˆj
D) − 3.0 î − 4.0 ˆj
E) 3.0 î + 4.0 ˆj

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 3 Page 4

11. Consider two vectors v = 3.0 î + 3.0 ĵ and w = cosθ î + sinθ ĵ , where θ is measured counter clockwise with

respect to the positive x axis. For what value of θ (in degrees) is the vector product v x w = 0?
A. 45
B. 135
C. 90
D. 105
E. 0
12. The two vectors shown in figure 9 lie in the xy plane. Which of the following vectors has positive x and y
components?
 
A) B − A

B) A−B
 
C) B + A

D) A− 2B

E) 2A − B
13. If A = (–10 î + 10 ĵ ) and B = (–10 î – 10 ĵ ), which statement is correct?
A. (A-B) is perpendicular to (A+B)
B. (A-B) is perpendicular to (B-A)
C. The magnitude of (A-B) is larger than the magnitude of (A+B)
D. The magnitude of (A-B) is smaller than the magnitude of (A+B)
E. (A-B) is parallel to (A+B)

14. The two vectors shown in figure 10 lie in an xy plane. What are the signs of the x and y components,
respectively, of the vector d2 – d1?
A) +,+
B) +, -
C) -, +
D) -, -
E) None of the other answers is correct.
15. Refer to figure 11. Express vector A in terms of vectors B, C, and D. Fig#

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 3 Page 5

 Figure 8 Figure 9

Figure 10 Figure 11

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 3 Page 6

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Motion in Two &
4 Three Dimensions
  General motion in 2D & 3D
  Projectile motion
  Uniform circular motion
  Relative motion

1. A projectile is fired over a flat horizontal land. It takes 10 s to reach its range of 100 m. What is the speed
of the projectile at the highest point of its trajectory? (Ans: 10 m/s)
2. A particle is moving counterclockwise in the xy plane in a uniform circular motion. The circle is centered at
the origin and has a radius of 2.0 m. When the velocity of the particle is 4.0 î (m/s), what is its acceleration?
(Ans: +8.0 ĵ m/s2)
3. A river is flowing at a speed of 0.20 m/s east. A boat in this river has a speed of 0.40 m/s directed 60° south
of east relative to the earth. Find the velocity of the boat relative to the river. ( Ans: 0.35 m/s, south)
4. A particle has its position vector defined by r = (2.0t – t2) î + (3.0t – 1.5t2) ĵ (m). At what time is its speed
equal to zero? (Ans: 1.0 s)
5. A certain airplane has a speed of 80.6 m/s and is diving at an angle of 30.0° below the horizontal when it
releases an object. The horizontal distance from the point of release was 300 m as shown in figure 1. How high
was the point of release of the object? (Ans: 264 m)
6. An object is moving on a circular path of radius π meters at a constant speed of 4.0 m/s. What is the time
required for one revolution? (Ans: π2/2)
7. Ship A travels 40 km/h in a direction of 30° West of North and ship B travels 60° East of North at 30 km/h.
What is the magnitude of the velocity of ship A relative to ship B? (Ans: 50 km/h)
8. The position of a particle is given as r = (4.00t – t2) î + t3 ĵ , where r is in meters and t is in seconds. What is
the particle’s acceleration at t = 0? (Ans: –2.0 î m/s)
9. The moon makes a complete circle around the Earth in 29 days (= 2.5×106 s) and the distance between the
center of Earth and the center of the moon is 3.8×108 m. What is the magnitude of centripetal acceleration on the
moon? (Ans: 2.4×10-3 m/s2 )
10. A stone is tied to the end of a string and is rotated with constant speed around a horizontal circle of radius
1.0 m. If the magnitude of its acceleration is 225 m/s2, what is the period of the motion? (Ans: 0.42 s)
11. An arrow is shot horizontally from a point P toward X, as shown in figure 2. It hits at a point Y, 0.20 s
later. If the speed of the arrow at P is vo = 11 m/s, what is the distance PX? (Ans: 2.2 m)
12. A boy wishes to swim across a river from A to B. He can swim at 1.0 m/s in still water, and the river is
flowing at 0.50 m/s (see figure 3). At what angle θ should he be heading? (Ans: 60°)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 1

13. An object moves with a constant acceleration of a = -8.0 î + 7.0 ĵ (m/s2). At t = 0, the velocity vo is
40 î m/s. What is the velocity at t = 5.0 s? (Ans: 35 ĵ m/s)
14. Figure 4 shows a boat that is sailing at 12 km/h 30° W of N relative to a river that is flowing East (E) at
6.0 km/h relative to ground. As observed from the ground, in what direction is the boat sailing? (A: due N)
15. A ball is thrown with velocity vo = 3.0 î + 5.0 ĵ (m/s) from the ground. What is its velocity just before it
strikes the ground? (Ans: v = 3.0 î – 5.0 ĵ m/s)
16. A ball is kicked from the ground with an initial speed of 20 m/s at an angle of 45°. A player 60 m away
starts running to catch the ball at that instant (see figure 5). What must be his average speed if he has to catch
the ball just before it hits the ground? (Ans: 6.6 m/s)
17. The position of a particle as a function of time is given by r = (3.0t) î +(2.0t2) ĵ . Find the angle between
the velocity and acceleration vectors of the particle at t = 5.0 s. (Ans: 8.5°)
18. Car A is moving towards East with a speed of 15.0 m/s and car B is moving towards West with a speed of
25.0 m/s, both relative to the ground. Find the velocity of car B relative to car A. (Ans: 40.0 m/s, toward West)
19. The position of a particle is initially ri = 3.0 î + 4.0 ĵ (m), and 10 s later it is rf = –3.0 î – 4.0 ĵ . What is its
average velocity during this time interval? (Ans: (–0.6 î – 0.8 ĵ ) m/s)
20. A ball is kicked from the roof of a building with an initial velocity of 25 m/s at an angle of 37o to the
horizontal (see figure 6). How far from the base of the building will the ball land? The height of the building is
40 m. (Ans: 95 m)
21. A boat is sailing due North at a speed of 4.0 m/s relative to the water of a river. The water is moving due
East at a speed of 3.0 m/s relative to the ground. What is the velocity of the boat relative to the ground?
(Ans: 5.0 m/s at 37o east of north).
22. A ball is projected from the ground into the air with velocity vo. At a height of 10.0 m, the velocity is
observed to be v = 8.5 î + 9.1 ĵ (m/s). Find vo. (Ans: (8.5 î + 16.7 ĵ ) m/s)
23. Rain is falling vertically at a constant speed of 6.0 m/s. At what angle from the vertical does the rain
appear to be falling, as viewed by the driver of a car traveling on a straight, level road with a speed of 8.0 m/s?
(Ans: 53o)
24. At t = 0, a particle leaves the origin with a velocity of 9.0 m/s in the positive y direction and moves in the
xy plane with a constant acceleration of a = (2.0 î – 4.0 ĵ ) m/s2. At the instant the x coordinate of the particle is
16 m, what is the velocity of the particle? (Ans: v = (8 î – 7 ĵ ) m/s)
25. A ball is hit at ground level. After 3.0 s the ball is observed to reach its maximum height above the ground
level at a horizontal distance of 30 m from where it was hit. What is the initial speed of ball? (Ans: 31 m/s)
26. A wheel has a 15-m radius and completes five turns about its axis every minute at constant rate. What is
the magnitude of the acceleration of a point on the rim of the wheel? (Ans: 4.1 m/s2)
27. A particle starts from the origin at t = 0 with a velocity of 8 ĵ (m/s) and moves in the xy plane with a
constant acceleration of (4 î – 2 ĵ ) m/s2. At the instant the x coordinate of the particle is 32 m, what is the value
of its y coordinate? (Ans: 16 m)
28. A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a 40-m high hill. It strikes the ground at an angle of 30o, as
shown in figure 7. With what speed was it thrown? (Ans: 49 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 2

29. A river has a steady flow of 0.30 m/s. A student swims downstream a distance of 1.2 km and returns to the
starting point. If the student can swim at a constant speed of v in still water and the downstream portion of the
swim takes him 20 minutes, find the time required for the entire swim. (Ans: 70 minutes)
30. A particle leaves the origin at t = 0 with a velocity of vo = 8.0 î (m/s). The acceleration of the particle is
a = (2.0 î + 3.0 ĵ ) m/s2. Find the y coordinate of the particle when it reaches its maximum positive x coordinate.
(Ans: 24 m)
31. A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a building, of height 75 m, with an initial speed of 15 m/s.
Find the speed of the stone 2.0 s after it is thrown. (Ans: 25 m/s)
32. Two roads intersect as shown in figure 8. At this instant, a police car (P) is approaching the intersection
along the x axis at 80 km/h while a truck (T) is moving along the y axis at 60 km/h. What is the velocity of the
police car relative to truck? (Ans: (80 î – 60 ĵ ) km/h)
33. A particle moves in the xy plane with a constant acceleration given by a = –4 ĵ (m/s2). At t = 0, its position
is 10 î (m) and its velocity is (–2 î + 8 ĵ ) m/s. What is the distance from the origin to the particle at t = 2 s?
(Ans: 10 m)
34. A rock is projected from ground level as shown in figure 9. Four seconds later, the rock is observed to
strike the top of a 10-m tall fence that is a horizontal distance of 75 m from the point of projection. Determine
the speed (vo) with which the rock was projected. (Ans: 29 m/s)
35. A 140-m wide river flows with a uniform speed of 4.0 m/s toward the east. Starting from a point on the
north bank it takes 20 s for a boat to cross the river with constant speed to a point directly across on the south
bank. What is the speed of the boat relative to the water? (Ans: 8.1 m/s)
36. Two boats A and B leave a seaport at the same time. Boat A travels at a speed of 10.0 m/s in the +x
direction, and boat B heads at an angle of 60.0º with the +x axis at a speed of 10.0 m/s. What is the velocity of A
relative to B? (Ans: 5.00 î – 8.66 ĵ m/s)
37. The airport terminal in Dammam has a 100-m “moving sidewalk” that moves at a constant speed of 1.00
m/s. A boy boards the moving sidewalk and walks on it with a speed of 2.00 m/s to make a round trip. How long
does it take this boy to make the round trip on the moving sidewalk? (Ans: 133 s)
38. A particle leaves the origin with an initial velocity vo = (3.00 î + 4.00 ĵ ) m/s and has a constant
acceleration a = (-1.00 î - 0.400 ĵ ) m/s2. What is its position vector when it reaches its maximum x coordinate?
(Ans: (4.50 î + 10.2 ĵ ) m)
39. A plane, diving with constant speed at an angle of 37.0o with the vertical, releases a package at a height of
950 m. The package hits the ground 6.00 s after release. Find the speed of the plane. (Ans: 161 m/s)
40. A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a 20-m high hill as shown in figure 11. It strikes the ground
at an angle of 45o. With what speed was it thrown? (Ans: 20 m/s)
41. A boy wishes to swim across a river to a point directly opposite as shown in figure 12. He can swim at 2.0
m/s in still water. The river is flowing at 1.0 m/s toward the west. At what angle θ with respect to the line
joining the starting and finishing points should he swim? (Ans: 30o east of north)
42. A boat is traveling at 14 km/h in still water (water is not flowing). A man runs directly across the boat,
from one side to the other (perpendicular to the direction of motion of the boat), at 6 km/h relative to the boat.
What is the speed of the man relative to the ground? (Ans: 15 km/h)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 3

43. A projectile is fired from the ground with an initial velocity vo = (30.0 î +20.0 ĵ ) m/s. Find the horizontal
distance the projectile travels before hitting the ground. (Ans: 122 m)
44. A ball (m) is dropped from a bridge that is 40 m high (see figure 14). It falls directly into a boat, moving
with constant velocity, that is 12 m from the point of impact when the ball is released. What is the speed (v) of
the boat? (Ans: 4.2 m/s)
45. An airplane moves due east relative to the ground in a wind blowing 20 km/h toward the south. If the
speed of the plane is 70 km/h relative to the wind, what is the speed of the airplane relative to the ground?
(Ans: 67 km/h)
46. A particle is moving in the horizontal xy-plane with constant acceleration. If it starts from the origin with
an initial velocity vo = 4 î + 4 ĵ (m/s), and 2 seconds later reaches the position 4 î + 5 ĵ (m), find its velocity at
time t = 2 s. (Ans: 1 ĵ m/s)
47. A particle moves horizontally in uniform circular motion in a horizontal xy plane. At one instant it moves
through the point P at coordinates (4 m, 4 m) with a velocity of -6 î (m/s) and an acceleration of 12 ĵ (m/s2) (see
figure 16). Find the x and y coordinates of the center of the circular path. (Ans: (4,7) m)
48. A cannon is capable of firing a steel ball a maximum height of 5.00 ×102 m vertically upward (above its
firing level). What would be the maximum range for this cannon? (Ans: 10.0 × 102 m)
49. Car A is moving with a speed of 70.0 km/hr in a direction making an angle of 45.0° with the positive x-
axis. Car B is moving with a speed of 70.0 km/hr in a direction making an angle of 135° with the positive x-axis.
Find the velocity of Car A with respect to Car B in unit vector notation. (All angles are measured
counterclockwise with respect to positive x-axis). (Ans: 99.0 î km/hr)
50. A ball is thrown from the top of a cliff as shown in figure 17. The ball lands 10.0 seconds later in water
300 m from the base of the cliff. The height of the cliff is 90.0 m. Neglect the air resistance and find the initial
speed vo of the ball. (Ans: 50.0 m/s)
51. A golf ball is struck at ground level. The speed of the golf ball as a function of time is shown in figure 21,
where t = 0 at the instant the ball is struck. How far does the ball travel horizontally before returning to ground
level? (Ans: 95 m)
52. An airplane makes a gradual 90.0o turn while flying at a constant speed of 200 m/s. The process takes 20 s
to complete. For this turn, what is the magnitude of the average acceleration of the plane? (Ans: 14.1 m/s2)
53. A particle starts from the origin at t = 0 with a velocity of 6.0 î (m/s) and moves in the xy plane with a
constant acceleration of (-2.0 î + 4.0 ĵ ) (m/s2). What are the (x, y) coordinates of the particle at the instant, when
it reaches its maximum x coordinate? (Ans: x = 9.0 m, y = 18 m)
54. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of an aircraft, which enters a horizontal circular turn of radius R
with velocity vi = 200 î (m/s) and 15.0 s later leaves the turn with velocity vf = -200 ĵ (m/s)? (see figure 18)
(Ans: 20.9 m/s2)
55. A ball is thrown upward with speed vo at an angle of 45° above the horizontal. It reaches a maximum
height of 8.0 m. What is the maximum height this ball would go if it is thrown upward with speed (2 vo) at an
angle of 45° above the horizontal? (Ans: 32 m)
56. A projectile is fired with an initial speed vo directed at an angle θo above the horizontal. If the speed at
maximum height is vo/2, find the angle θo. (Ans: 60o)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 4

57. Figure 20 shows the trajectory of ball in a planet. The position of the ball is shown at 1.0 s intervals until
t = 3.0 s. At t = 1.0 s, the ball’s velocity is (2.00 î + 2.00 ĵ ). It reaches the maximum height at t = 2.0 s. What is
the value of g on this planet? (Ans: 2.00 m/s2)
58. A projectile is fired from the ground with an initial velocity vo = 30.00 î + 19.62 ĵ (m/s). Find the
horizontal distance the projectile travels before hitting the ground. (Ans: 120.0 m)
59. An object is in a uniform circular motion in a horizontal circle of radius 10.0 m. If it completes
2.50 rotations in 10.0 s, starting at point A (see figure 22), find its average velocity over this time interval.

(Ans: 2.00 m/s toward North)

60. A particle is moved over an xy plane with acceleration components ax = 4.0 m/s2 and ay = −2.0 m/s2. Its
initial velocity has components vox = 8.0 m/s and voy = 12 m/s. What is the speed of the particle when it reaches
its greatest y coordinate? (Ans: 32 m/s)
61. A projectile, fired over a level ground, reaches a maximum height of 40.0 m and hits the ground 300 m
from its launching point. Find its initial velocity in unit vector notation. (Ans: 52.5 î + 28.0 ĵ m/s)
62. A ball is thrown horizontally from the edge of the top of a building of height 39.6 m. The ball just reaches
the top of another building of height 20.0 m that is at a horizontal distance of 25.0 m away (see figure 24). What
is the initial speed of the ball? (Ans: 12.5 m/s)
63. A particle is moving with constant speed around a circle that is centered at the origin. At time t = 0, the
particle is at (3.0 , 0) m. At t = 3.0 s, the particle reaches the point (-3.0 , 0) m for the first time. What is the
magnitude of the acceleration of the particle? (Ans: 3.3 m/s2)
64. A train moves due East at 6.00 m/s along a level, straight track. A boy on the train rolls a ball along the
floor with a speed of 3.00 m/s relative to the train. The ball is rolled directly across the width of the train from
South to North. What is the speed of the ball relative to a stationary observer on the ground? (Ans: 6.71 m/s)
65. A player running in an open field has components of velocity vx = 2.60 m/s and vy = – 1.80 m/s at t =
10.0 s. For the time interval from t = 10.0 s to t = 20.0 s, the magnitude of its average acceleration is 0.45 m/s2
and makes an angle of 31.0o with the positive x-axis. Find the velocity of the player at t = 20.0 s.
(Ans: 6.46 î + 0.518 ĵ m/s)
66. A basketball player would like to throw a ball at an angle of θo = 60o above the horizontal such that the
ball just goes through the center of the rim of the basket that is h2 = 3.0 m high from the floor and it is at a
horizontal distance of d1 = 5.0 m from the player’s hand (see figure 26). At the instant the ball leaves the
player’s hand, his hand is h1 = 2.0 m above the floor. Find the magnitude of the initial velocity of the ball.
(Ans: 8.0 m/s)
67. A particle rotates clockwise with a constant speed in a horizontal circle whose center is at the origin. It
completes one revolution in 2.0 s. At t = 0.0, the particle is at (0.0, 1.5) m. What is the magnitude of the average
acceleration of the particle in the interval between t = 3.0 and t = 8.0 seconds? (Ans: 1.9 m/s2)
68. A stone is thrown from the ground into the air with an initial velocity v = (5.0 î + 9.0 ĵ ) m/s. To what
maximum height will the stone rise? (Ans: 4.1 m)
69. The airplane shown in figure 27 is in level flight at an altitude of 500 m and a speed of 41.7 m/s. At what
distance d should it release a bomb to hit the target at point A? (Ans: 421 m)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 5

70. A particle moves with a constant speed along the circumference of a circle of radius 5.0 m. It completes
one revolution every 20 s. Assume that at t = 0, the particle is on +x-axis (see figure 28). What is the magnitude
of its average velocity during the first 5.0 s? (Ans: 1.4 m/s)
71. A gunner can hit a target 200 m away if he aims his gun at 55o above the horizontal. At what other angle
can he aim his gun and still hit the target? (Ans: 35o)
72. A projectile is launched from the ground at an angle θ above the horizontal. For what angle θ, does the
maximum height equal the range? (Ans: 76o)
73. A projectile is fired with initial velocity vo and angle θo = 60o from the top of a building (see figure 29)
and is observed to reach a maximum height of 19.6 m. It later hits the ground at a horizontal distance of 50.0 m
from the base of the building. Find the time of flight of the projectile. (Neglect air friction) (Ans: 4.42 s)
 
74. The position of a particle is given by r = (4t – t2) iˆ + t3 jˆ , where r is in meters and t in seconds. Find
the average acceleration (in m/s2) of the particle in the time interval between t = 2 s and t = 4 s.

(Ans: –2 iˆ +18 jˆ )
75. A ball is thrown straight upward and returns to the thrower’s hand (at the same initial level) after 3.00 s. A
second ball thrown from the same height at an angle of 37.0° with the horizontal reaches the same maximum
height as the first ball. With what speed was the second ball thrown? (Ans: 24.4 m/s)
76. A student runs as fast as he can along a moving sidewalk in 2.50 s. He then turns around and runs as fast
as he can back along the moving sidewalk to his starting point , taking 10 s. What is the ratio of the student’s
running speed to the sidewalk’s speed? (Ans: 1.67)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. A train, travelling north at 20 m/s, turns and then travels south at 20 m/s. What is the change in its velocity?
A. 40 m/s, south
B. 40 m/s, north
C. 20 m/s, south
D. 20 m/s, north
E. zero

2. At t = 0, a projectile is thrown from the ground with velocity vo = (vox î + voy ĵ ) m/s. At time t, the projectile
has the velocity v = (25 î – 4.9 ĵ ) m/s. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. The projectile has already passed through the highest point of its trajectory.
B. voy must be negative.
C. vox must be zero.
D. The projectile is accelerating along the x direction.
E. The projectile did not pass yet through the highest point of its trajectory.





Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 6

3. A boy whirls a stone, tied to a string, in a uniform horizontal circular motion. Which of the following
statements is wrong?
A. The velocity of the stone is constant.
B. The magnitude of the tension in the string is constant.
C. The magnitude of its centripetal acceleration is constant.
D. The speed of the stone is constant.
E. Its displacement is zero when it completes a circle.

4. Figure 10 shows a circular path taken by a particle. If the instantaneous velocity of the particle is given by
v = -4 î + 4 ĵ (m/s), through which quadrant is the particle moving at that instant if it is traveling
counterclockwise?
A. First quadrant
B. Third quadrant.
C. Second quadrant
D. Fourth quadrant
E. None of the quadrants

5. A particle is in uniform circular motion in the horizontal xy plane whose origin is at the center of the circle.
At a point, the instantaneous acceleration of the particle is a = (3 î + 3 ĵ ) m/s2. At this instant, the particle is:
A. in the third quadrant.
B. in the first quadrant.
C. in the second quadrant.
D. in the fourth quadrant.
E. on the x axis.
6. In figure 13, a particle P is in uniform circular motion, centered at the origin of an xy coordinate system. At
what point shown in the figure is the magnitude of the particle’s vertical acceleration ay maximum?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. E

7. Identical guns fire identical bullets horizontally at the same speed from the same height above level planes,
one on the Earth and one on the Moon. Which of the following three statements is/are true? (gmoon = 1/6 gearth)
I. The horizontal distance traveled by the bullet is greater on the Moon.
II. The flight time is less for the bullet on the Earth.
III. The velocities of the bullets at impact are the same.
A. I and II only
B. I only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II and III
8. An object (A) is shot horizontally with a speed vo from the top of a building of height (h). It takes a time tA
for it to reach the ground. Another object (B) is dropped from the same height and reaches the ground in time tB.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A. tA = tB
B. tA > tB
C. tA < tB
D. Both objects will hit the ground with the same speed.
E. The acceleration of object (A) is zero.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 7

9. For a projectile motion, which one of the following statements is WRONG?
A. The velocity at the highest point is zero.
B. Potential energy is maximum at the highest point.
C. The acceleration is not zero at the highest point.
D. The kinetic energy does not remain constant.
E. The mechanical energy remains constant.
10. A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a building. It then follows the path XYZ in air, (see figure
15. Rank the horizontal speed of the stone at points X, Y, and Z from highest to lowest (neglect air resistance).
A. All tie
B. Z, then Y, then X
C. X, then Y, then Z
D. X and Z tie, then Y
E. Y, then X, then Z

11. While flying horizontally at a constant velocity a plane drops a package through a trap door in its floor.
The plane continues at the same velocity. At the instant the package strikes the ground, neglecting air friction,
the plane will be (Choose the CORRECT answer):
A. Directly over the package.
B. Far behind the package.
C. In front of the package.
D. Just behind the package.
E. At a relative position which depends on the plane’s speed.
12. Figure 19 shows a particle P moving in a horizontal circle with uniform angular velocity about the origin
of an xy coordinate system. At what values of θ does the y-component of the particle acceleration ay have
maximum magnitude? (θ is measured counter clockwise from the positive x-axis)
A. 90° and 270°
B. 0° and 90°
C. 90° and 180°
D. 0° and 180°
E. 0° and 270°
13. Figure 23 shows three paths for a soccer ball kicked from ground level. Rank the paths according to the
time of flight, greatest first. Ignore the effects of air.
A. All tie
B. Path 1, Path 2, Path 3
C. Path 3, Path 2, Path 1
D. Path 2, Path 1, Path 3
E. Path 2, Path 3, Path 1

14. A person measures the acceleration of an object and finds a value +10 î m/s2. Another person, moving at a
constant velocity v = +5.0 î m/s with respect to the first one, makes an acceleration measurement on the same
object at the same time. The value of the acceleration found by the second observer is
A. +10 î m/s2

B. +15 î m/s2

C. +5.0 î m/s2

D. -10 î m/s2

E. -5.0 î m/s2




Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 8

15. A projectile is fired from ground level at an angle of 45° above the horizontal. Which of curves in figure
25 represents the vertical component of the velocity as a function of time?
A) AE
B) OC
C) DE
D) AB
E) AF

16. Which one of the following statements is CORRECT?
A. It is possible to be accelerating while traveling at constant speed.
B. It is not possible to be accelerating while traveling at constant speed.
C. It is possible to round a curve with zero acceleration.
D. It is not possible to round a curve with a constant magnitude of acceleration.
E. The acceleration of a particle moving in a circle with constant speed is constant.

17. A student throws a red ball from the balcony of a tall building with an initial horizontal speed of 10 m/s.
At the same time, a second student drops a blue ball from the same balcony. Neglecting air resistance, which
statement is true?
A) The two balls reach the ground at the same instant.
B) The blue ball reaches the ground first.
C) The red ball reaches the ground first.
D) Both balls hit the ground with the same speed.
E) The blue ball hits the ground with larger speed.

18. Figure 30 shows three situations in which identical projectiles are launched (at the same level) at identical
initial speeds and angles. The projectiles do not land on the same surface, however. Rank the situations
according to the final speeds of the projectiles just before they land, greatest first.
A) a; b; c
B) a; c; b
C) b; a; c
D) b; c; a
E) c; a; b

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 9

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 10
 Figure 16 Figure 17

Figure 18 Figure 19 Figure 20

Figure 21 Figure 22 Figure 23

Figure 24 Figure 25 Figure 26

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 11

 Figure 27 Figure 28 Figure 29

Figure 30

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 4 Page 12

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems –

CHAPTER
Force & Motion – I
Newton’s Laws
5
  Vertical motion
  Horizontal motion
  Mixed forces
  Contact forces
  Inclines
 General problems
1. A 5.0-kg block is lowered with a downward acceleration of 2.8 m/s2 by means of a rope. What is the force
of the block on the rope? (Ans: 35 N, down)
2. An elevator of mass 480 kg is designed to carry a maximum load of 3000 N. What is the tension in the
elevator cable at the maximum load when the elevator moves down accelerating at 9.8 m/s2? (Ans: 0)
3. A 2.00-kg mass is hanging from the ceiling of an elevator accelerating upward at a = 2.50 m/s2 (see figure
1). What is the tension T in the string? (Ans: 24.6 N)
4. An object is hung from a spring balance attached to the ceiling of an elevator. The balance reads 70 N when
the elevator is at rest. What is the reading of the spring balance when the elevator is moving upward with an
acceleration of 4.9 m/s2? (Ans: 105 N)
5. A 70-kg man stands on a spring scale in an elevator that has a downward acceleration of 2.8 m/s2. What
will the scale read? (Ans: 490 N)
6. A monkey hangs vertically from a rope in a descending elevator that decelerates at 2.4 m/s2. If the tension
in the rope is 400 N, find the mass of the monkey. (Ans: 33 kg)
7. Two students are dragging a box (m = 100 kg) across a horizontal frozen lake. The first student pulls with
force F1 = 50.0 N, while the second one pulls with force F2. The box is moving in the x direction with
acceleration a (see figure 2). Assuming that friction is negligible, what is F2? (Ans: 86.6 N)
8. Only two forces act upon a 5.0-kg box. One of the forces is F1 = 6.0 î + 8.0 ĵ (N). If the box moves with a
constant velocity of v = 1.6 î +1.2 ĵ (m/s), what is the magnitude of the second force? (Ans: 10 N)

9. Three forces act on a particle of mass 1.0 kg that moves with constant velocity v = (5.0 î + 8.0 ĵ ) (m/s).
Two of the forces are F1 = (6.0 î + 4.0 ĵ – 2.0 k̂ ) (N) and F2 = (-8.0 î + 4.0 ĵ – 5.0 k̂ ) (N). What is the third force?
(Ans: 2.0 î - 8.0 ĵ + 7.0 k̂ N)
10. A car of mass 1000 kg is initially at rest. It moves along a straight road for 20 s and then comes to rest
again. The velocity – time graph for the movement is given in figure 4. What is the magnitude of the net force
that acts on the car while it is slowing down to stop from t = 15 s to t = 20 s? (Ans: 2000N)
11. A 20.0-kg block is resting on a frictionless horizontal table. A horizontal string pulls the block. If the
tension in the string is 20.0 N, what is the speed of the block after moving 2.0 m? (Ans: 2.0 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 1

12. A block of mass 2.0 kg is being pushed by a force parallel to the ground, as shown in figure 5. The block
is observed to have an acceleration of 1.0 m/s2 down the incline. Assume the incline is frictionless. Calculate the
magnitude of the force. (Ans: 9.0 N)
13. In figure 6, a 25-kg box is pushed across a frictionless horizontal floor with a force of 20 N, directed at an
angle of 20o below the horizontal. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the box? (Ans: 0.75 m/s2)
14. A 2.0-kg box slides down a frictionless vertical wall while you push on it with a force F at a 30o angle
with the vertical (see figure 7). What is the magnitude of the normal force of the wall on the box if it is to slide
down at constant speed? (Ans: 11.3 N)
15. A 2.3-N weight is suspended by a string from a ceiling and held at an angle θ from the vertical by a 4.0-N
horizontal force F, as shown in figure 8. What is the magnitude of the tension in the string? (Ans: 4.6 N)
16. The weight of an astronaut on Earth is 800 N. What is his weight on planet Mars, where g = 3.76 m/s2?
(Ans: 307 N)
17. A constant force F of magnitude 20 N is applied to block A of mass m = 4.0 kg, which pushes block B, as
shown in figure 9. The block slides over a frictionless flat surface with an acceleration of 2.0 m/s2. What is the
net force on block B? (Ans:12 N, to the right)
18. Three equal mass blocks each of mass 2.0 kg move together over a horizontal frictionless surface. Two
forces, F1 = 40 î (N) and F2 = –10 î (N) are applied on the three-mass system (see figure 10). What is the net
force on the middle mass? (Ans: 10 î N)
19. Figure 11 shows block A of mass 6.0 kg and block B of mass 8.0 kg connected by a rigid rod of negligible
mass. Force Fa = 16 î (N) acts on block A and force Fb = –30 î (N) acts on block B. What is the tension in the
rod? (Neglect friction) (Ans: 22 N)
20. Two blocks are in contact on a frictionless table. A horizontal force is applied to block m2, as shown in
figure 12. If m1 = 3 kg, m2 = 2 kg, and F = 5 N, find the magnitude of the force between the two blocks.
(Ans: 3 N)
21. Two blocks of masses m1 = 2.0 kg and m2 = 3.0 kg are connected as shown in figure 13. Find the tension
T2 if T1 = 50 N. (Ans: 30 N)
22. In the system shown in figure 14, a horizontal force F acts on the 8.0-kg object. The horizontal surface is
frictionless. What is the magnitude of F if the 5.0-kg object has a downward acceleration of 1.0 m/s2?
(Ans: 54 N)
23. A 2.0-kg mass has a velocity of (2.0 î + 2.0 ĵ ) m/s at one instant. Four seconds later, its velocity is
(2.0 î +14 ĵ ) m/s. Assuming that the object is under the influence of a single constant force, find this force.
(Ans: 6.0 ĵ N)
24. Three books (X, Y, and Z) rest on a table as shown in figure 16. The weight of each book is also indicated
in the figure. What is the magnitude of the force of book Z on book Y? (Ans: 9 N)
25. A 4.0-kg block is pushed up a 30° inclined frictionless plane with a constant horizontal force F (figure
17). If the block moves with constant speed, find the magnitude of the force F. (Ans: 23 N)
26. A 3.0-kg block slides on a frictionless 37° incline plane. A vertical force of 15 N is applied to the block
(see figure 18). What is the acceleration of the block? (Ans: 2.9 m/s2 down the incline)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 2

27. A block with m1 = 5.7 kg on a frictionless 30° inclined plane is connected by a cord over a massless
frictionless pulley to a second block with m2 = 3.5 kg hanging vertically as shown in figure 19. What is the
acceleration of m2? (Ans: 0.69 m/s2 downward)
28. When a 40-N force, parallel to an incline and directed up the incline, is applied to a crate on a frictionless
incline that is 30o above the horizontal, the acceleration of the crate is 2.0 m/s2, down the incline. Find the mass
of the crate. (Ans: 14 kg)
29. Two boxes, one of mass m = 5.00 kg and the other with an unknown mass M, are connected with a string
passing over a massless frictionless pulley and are placed on frictionless planes, as shown in figure 20.What
must be the mass M, if it goes down the plane with an acceleration of a = 2.45 m/s2? (Ans: 19.1 kg)
30. Two equal-mass blocks rest on frictionless surfaces, as in figure 21. Assuming the pulleys to be light and
frictionless, find the time required for block A to move 0.5 m down the incline, starting from rest. (Ans: 0.64 s)
31. Two blocks of masses m1 = 4.00 kg and m2 = 2.00 kg are connected by a string passing over a massless
and frictionless pulley and placed on a frictionless horizontal table, as shown in figure 22. A force of F = 10.0 N
at an angle of 60.0° with the horizontal is applied to m1. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the
system? (Ans: 2.43 m/s2)
32. Two blocks of masses m1 = 5.0 kg and m2 = 10 kg are connected by a massless rod and slide on a
frictionless 30° incline as shown in figure 23. What is the tension in the rod? (Ans: zero)
33. Two masses m1 = 2 kg and m2 = 4 kg are connected by a light string that passes over a frictionless and
massless pulley (see figure 24). Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the masses. (Ans: 3.27 m/s2)
34. Two forces, F1 and F2, are acting on a 3.0-kg box in the xy plane. Figure 25 shows only F1 and the
acceleration a of the box. Find F2. (Ans: -72 î +24 ĵ N)
35. A 25.0-kg crate is pushed across a frictionless horizontal floor with a force of 200 N, directed 20◦ below
the horizontal. What is the magnitude of the normal force of the floor on the crate? (Ans: 313 N)
36. Figure 27 shows the force versus time graph of a force acting on a 5.0-kg object moving in the x direction
along a frictionless one-dimensional track. At t = 0, the object is moving in the negative direction of the x axis
with a speed of 2.0 m/s. What are the speed and direction of the object at t = 7.0 s?
(Ans: 7.0 m/s in the positive x direction)
37. A force F = 10 N is applied to block 1, as shown in figure 29. The masses of blocks 1, 2, and 3 are 5 kg, 3
kg, and 2 kg, respectively. What is the magnitude of the force exerted by block 2 on block 1? Assume the
surface is frictionless. (Ans: 5 N)
38. A mass is suspended by a string from the ceiling of a train accelerating horizontally at 2.5 m/s2. What is
the angle that the string makes with the vertical? (Ans: 14o)
39. Two horizontal forces perpendicular to each other act at the same time on a 5.0-kg box on a horizontal
frictionless floor. One force is 6.0 N and the other is 8.0 N in magnitude. What is the magnitude of the
acceleration of the box? (Ans: 2.0 m/s2)
40. A constant force in the xy-plane pushes a 2.0-kg object across a horizontal frictionless floor on which an
x-y coordinate system is drawn. The x and y components of the velocity of the object as a function of time are
shown in figure 30. What is the magnitude of the force? (Ans: 4.5 N)
41. The system shown in figure 31 is in equilibrium. If the spring scale is calibrated in N, what does it read?
(Ans: 49)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 3

42. With what force will the feet of a person of mass 60.0 kg press downward on an elevator floor when the
elevator has an upward acceleration of 1.20 m/s2? (Ans: 660 N)
43. The system shown in figure 33 is released from rest and is moving with an acceleration of 4.00 m/s2. Find
the magnitude of the tension T shown in the figure. (Assume that the pulley and the cords are massless).
(Ans: 11.6 N)
44. A 2-kg object is initially at rest. At time t = 0, a force F1 = 2 î + 2 ĵ (N) is applied to the object. At time
t = 1 s, an additional force F2 = –2 î –2 ĵ (N) is applied to the object. Find the velocity of the object at t = 2 s.
(Ans: ( î + ĵ ) m/s)
45. Figure 36 shows box 1 (m1 = 4.0 kg) on a frictionless plane inclined at angle θ1 = 30o. The box is
connected via a cord of negligible mass to box 2 (m2 = 3.0 kg) on a frictionless plane inclined at angle θ2 = 60o.
The pulley is frictionless and has negligible mass. What is the acceleration of Box 1? (Ans: 0.84 m/s2, up along
the incline)
46. A 4.80-kg object is accelerated upward by a cord of negligible mass. The maximum tension that the cord
can take before breaking is 75.0 N. Find the maximum upward acceleration that can be given to the object.
(Ans: 5.83 m/s2)
47. An 800-N person is standing on a scale inside an elevator at rest. Suddenly the elevator cable breaks and
the elevator is in free fall. What is the weight of the person as indicated by the reading on the scale? (Ans: 0 N)
48. A 75 kg person lowers himself from rest to the ground by means of a rope that passes over a frictionless
pulley and is attached to a 60 kg box, as shown in figure 37. The person and the box move along vertical lines.
What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the person? (Ans: 1.1 m/s2)
49. As shown in figure 39, a man is pulling a 60.0 N box up an inclined frictionless plane with a force F =
23.7 N whose direction makes an angle 30.0o with inclined plane. The inclined plane makes an angle of 20.0o
with the horizontal. Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the box along the incline. (Ans: zero)
50. Two boxes A and B, are connected to the ends of a light vertical cord, as shown in figure 40. A constant
upward force F = 80.0 N is applied to box A. Starting from rest, box B descends 12.0 m in 4.00 s. Find the mass
of box B if the tension in the cord between the boxes is 36.0 N. (Ans: 4.34 kg)
51. As shown in figure 42, a block with mass M = 3.00 kg is lying on a smooth surface and is attached to
another block of mass m = 2.00 kg by means of a light, inextensible string which passes over a massless pulley.
What force F acting on the block M at angle θ = 60o above the horizontal will hold both objects at rest?
(Ans: 39.2 N)
52. A box of mass 5.00 kg is sent sliding up a frictionless ramp at an angle of θ to the horizontal. Figure 43
gives, as a function of time t, the component vx of the box’s velocity along an x axis that extends directly up the
ramp. What is the magnitude of the normal force on the box from the ramp? (Ans: 47.4 N)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 4

 A B C D E Conceptual Problems 

1. An object of mass M = 10 kg, moving on a frictionless horizontal surface, is subjected to two applied
forces as shown in figure 3. In which situation is the object accelerating to the right?
A. d
B. b
C. a
D. e
E. c
2. Three blocks, (A,B,C), each having mass M, are connected by strings, as shown in figure 15. Block C is
pulled to the right by a force F that causes the entire system to accelerate. Neglecting friction, what is the
tension T1 between blocks B and C?
A. 2F/3
B. F/2
C. F/3
D. F
E. 4F/3

3. Acceleration is always in the direction:

A. of the net force.
B. of the initial velocity.
C. of the final velocity.
D. of the displacement.
E. opposite to the frictional force.

4. Which of the following is NOT an example of accelerated motion?

A. The horizontal component of a projectile motion.
B. The vertical component of a projectile motion.
C. A circular motion at constant speed.
D. A swinging pendulum.
E. The Earth's rotation about the sun.

5. Consider a particle in motion while the net external force on it is zero. Which of the following statements
is correct in this case?
A. The particle must be moving at a constant velocity.
B. The particle must be moving at a constant speed in a circle.
C. The particle will come to rest after some time.
D. The velocity of the particle is always perpendicular to
the direction of the motion.
E. The particle has an acceleration of 9.8 m/s2.

6. To measure your weight, you stand on a spring scale on the floor of an elevator. Among the following
situations, select the one that gives the highest reading on the scale:
A. The elevator moves upward with increasing speed.
B. The elevator moves upward with decreasing speed.
C. The elevator remains stationary.
D. The elevator moves downward with increasing speed.
E. The elevator moves downward at constant speed.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 5

7. Two boxes A and B (mA = 3.0 kg, and mB =1.0 kg) are in contact on a horizontal frictionless surface, and
move along the x axis (see figure 26). A horizontal force F = 10.0 î (N) is applied on box A. The net force acting
on A is F1 and on B is F2. Which one of the following statements is correct?

8. A 1000-kg airplane moves in straight horizontal flight at constant speed. The force of air resistance is 1800
N. The net force on the plane is:
A. zero
B. 11800 N
C. 1800 N
D. 9800 N
E. none of these

9. An object is being accelerated in the absence of friction by a 100-N force. A second force of 100-N is then
applied to the object in a direction opposite to the direction of motion. The object with these two forces acting
on it will
A. Move at a constant velocity
B. Slow down
C. Move in a circle
D. Stop rapidly
E. Move backward

10. A 13-N weight and a 12-N weight are connected by a massless string over a massless, frictionless pulley.
The 13-N weight has a downward acceleration equal to:
A. g/25
B. g/12
C. g/13
D. g
E. (13/25)g

11. Figure 28 shows four possible choices for the direction of ONE force of magnitude F to be applied to a
block on an inclined plane of angle 30◦. The directions are either horizontal or vertical. (for all choices, we
assume that the block remains on the inclined plane). Rank the choices according to the magnitude of the
normal force on the block from the plane, greatest first.
A. choice 4, choice 3, choice 1, choice 2
B. choice 3, choice 4, choice 1, choice 2
C. choice 1, choice 3, choice 4, choice 2
D. choice 2, choice 3, choice 1, choice 4
E. (choice 3 and choice 4) tie, (choice 1 and choice 2) tie

12. A 100-kg man standing on a scale in a moving elevator reads his weight as 490 N. The acceleration of the
elevator is:
A. 4.9 m/s2 downward
B. 4.9 m/s2 upward
C. 9.8 m/s2 upward
D. 9.8 m/s2 downward
E. zero

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 6

13. A 500-N man is riding in an elevator. At a certain instant his feet push against the floor with a force
greater than 500 N. At this instant, the elevator may be (Choose the CORRECT Answer):
A. Moving downward but decreasing in speed
B. Moving upward but decreasing in speed
C. Moving downward but increasing in speed
D. Not moving (Standing still)
E. Moving at a constant speed

14. As shown in figure 32, a 2.0-N rock slides down on a frictionless inclined plane. Which one of the
following statements is TRUE concerning the magnitude of the normal force that the plane exerts on the rock?
A. The normal force is less than 2.0 N.
B. The normal force is zero.
C. The normal force is 2.0 N.
D. The normal force is greater than 2.0 N.
E. The normal force increases as the angle of inclination, θ, is increased.

15. Figure 34 shows four blocks connected with three cords, being pulled to the right on a horizontal
frictionless floor by a horizontal force F. Rank the cords according to their tension, greatest to least.
A. 3,2,1
B. All tie
C. 2,1,3
D. 1 and 2 tie then 3
E. 1,3,2

16. A 16-kg fish is weighed with two identical, massless, spring scales, each of negligible weight, as shown in
figure 35. What will be the readings on the scales?
A. The sum of the two readings will be 32 kg
B. The bottom scale will read 16 kg, and the top scale will read zero
C. The top scale will read 16 kg, and the bottom scale will read zero.
D. Each scale will show a reading greater than zero and less than 16 kg, but the sum
of the two readings will be 16 kg
E. Each scale will read 8 kg.

17. Consider a particle in motion. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. If the sum of the external forces acting on the particle is zero, then the particle
is moving with constant velocity.
B. If the particle is moving with constant speed, then the sum of the external forces
acting on it must always be zero.
C. If the sum of the external forces acting on the particle is zero, then it will come
to rest after some time.
D. The velocity of the particle is always in the direction of the resultant external
force.
E. If the sum of the external forces acting on the particle is zero, then it has an
acceleration of 9.8 m/s2.

18. A book is resting on a horizontal table. The reaction force to the weight of the book is
A. The force with which the book is pulling on Earth
B. The normal force from the table on the book
C. The support force from the floor on the table
D. The force with which the book is pushing on the table
E. The force with which the table is pushing on the floor

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 7

19. Consider the following two situations: (I) A box does not move while you are pushing on it, and (II) the
box moves with increasing speed while you are pushing on it. Which of the following statements is TRUE about
the magnitudes of your force on the box and the force of the box on you?
A. They are equal in both situations
B. They are equal in situation (I) only
C. They are equal in situation (II) only
D. The force of the box on you is smaller than your force on the box in situation (II)
E. The force of the box on you is larger than your force on the box in situation (I)

20. A block of mass M is hung by ropes as shown in figure 38. The system is in equilibrium. Which of the
following statements is CORRECT concerning the magnitudes of the three forces?
A. F1 = F2 = F3
B. F2 = 2 F3
C. F2 < F3
D. F1 = F2 = F3/2
E. F1 > F3

21. A 0.15 kg ball is thrown at an angle of 30o above the horizontal with an initial speed of 12 m/s. At its
highest point, the net force on the ball is:
A. 1.5 N, down
B. 9.8 N, 30o below horizontal
C. 0
D. 9.8N, up
E. 9.8 N, down

22. Three blocks are placed on a table as shown in figure 41. The table exerts a normal force:
A. only on block C.
B. only on block A.
C. upward on block B and downward on block C.
D. upward on block A and downward on block C.
E. only on block B.

23. Acceleration is always in the direction:

A. of the net force.
B. of the displacement.
C. of the initial velocity.
D. of the final velocity.
E. opposite to the frictional force.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 8

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 9
Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 10
 Figure 30

Figure 31 Figure 32 Figure 33

Figure 34 Figure 35 Figure 36

Figure 37 Figure 38 Figure 39 Figure 40

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 11

 Figure 41 Figure 42 Figure 43

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 5 Page 12

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Force & Motion – II
Frictional & Centripetal Forces
6
  Frictional forces – flat surface
  Frictional forces – inclines
  Circular motion

1. A box of mass 40.0 kg is pushed across a rough flat floor at the constant speed of 1.50 m/s. When the force
is removed, the box slides a further distance of 1.20 m before coming to rest. Calculate the frictional force
acting on the box when it slides. (Ans: 37.5 N)
2. A box with a weight of 50 N rests on a horizontal surface with μs = 0.40. A person pulls horizontally on it
with a force of F2 = 10 N and it does not move. To start it moving, a second person pulls vertically upward on
the box with a force F1 (see figure 1). What is the smallest vertical force (F1) for which the box starts moving?
(Ans: 25 N)
3. An 8.0-kg block is pushed against a vertical wall by a horizontal force F, as shown in figure 2. If the
coefficients of friction between the block and the wall are μs = 0.60 and μk = 0.30 then what is the minimum
value for (F) that will prevent the block from slipping? (Ans: 130 N)
4. A 5.0-kg block is at rest on a rough horizontal surface. The coefficient of static friction between the block
and the surface is 0.40. If a horizontal force of 15 N is acted on the block, what would be the magnitude of the
frictional force? (Ans: 15 N)
5. A 5.0-kg block is sliding on a rough horizontal plane (µk = 0.10) under the effect of a horizontal force F.
Figure 3 shows the velocity of the block as a function of time. Calculate F. (Ans: 15 N)
6. In figure 4, a boy is dragging a box (mass = 8.0 kg) attached to a string. The box is moving horizontally
with an acceleration of a = 2.0 m/s2. If the frictional force is 12 N, calculate the applied force F at an angle
θ = 60o. (Ans: 56 N)
7. A 400-N block is pushed along a rough horizontal surface (μk = 0.25) by an applied force F, as shown in
figure 5. The block moves at constant velocity. What is the magnitude of F? (Ans: 101 N)
8. A 25-kg box is pushed across a rough horizontal floor with a 200-N force, directed at 20o below the
horizontal (see figure 6). The coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the floor is 0.2. What is the
acceleration of the box? (Ans: 5.0 m/s2)
9. Block A, with mass mA, is initially at rest on a frictionless horizontal floor. Block B, with mass mB, is
initially at rest on the top surface of A (see figure 7). The coefficient of static friction between the two blocks is
(μ). Block A is pulled with a force F. For what value of the acceleration will block A start to slide out from
under block B? (Ans: μg)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 1

10. Two masses M and 3M are connected by a light cord, as shown in figure 8. The coefficient of kinetic
friction between the surface and the 3M block is 0.20, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the surface
and the M block is 0.30. If F = 14 N, and M = 1.0 kg, what is the magnitude of the acceleration of either block?
(Ans: 1.3 m/s2)
11. A block (m1 = 3.0 kg) on a rough horizontal plane is connected to a second block (m2 = 5.0 kg) by a cord
over a massless pulley. Calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block m1 and the table if the
acceleration of the descending block m2 is 4.3 m/s2. (see figure 9) (Ans: 0.50)
12. A 5.0-kg block is moving with constant velocity down a rough inclined plane. The coefficients of static
and kinetic friction between the block and the incline are 0.25 and 0.20, respectively. What is the inclination
angle of the incline plane? (Ans: 11°)
13. A 10.0-kg box is pushed up an incline (θ = 30.0°) by a horizontal force of 298 N. The box moves at a
constant velocity, as shown in figure 10. What is the frictional force on the box? (Ans: 209 N)
14. A box of mass M is placed on a 30° inclined plane. The box is sliding with an acceleration that is equal to
g/2. What is the magnitude of the force of friction between the box and the plane? (Ans: zero)
15. A 2.0-kg block is released from rest at the top of a ramp (point A), as shown in figure 11. The coefficient
of kinetic friction between the block and the ramp is 0.20. What is the speed of the block at the bottom (point
B)? (Ans: 6.6 m/s)
16. A block rests on a rough incline and has coefficients of friction µk = 0.20 and µs = 0.30. If the incline
angle increases, at what angle does the block start moving? (Ans: 16.7°)
17. A car rounds a flat curved road (radius = 92 m) at a speed of 26 m/s and is on the verge of sliding at this
speed. What is the coefficient of static friction between the tires of the car and the road? (Ans: 0.75)
18. A car is rounding a flat curve of radius R = 220 m with speed v = 94 km/h. What is the magnitude of the
force exerted by the seat on the passenger whose mass m is 85 kg? (Ans: 263 N)
19. On a rainy day, the coefficient of friction between the tires of a car and a level circular track is reduced
to half its usual value. What is the ratio of the maximum safe speed on a rainy day for rounding the circular
track to its usual value (when it is not raining)? (Ans: 0.71)
20. At what angle should a circular roadway of 50-m radius, be banked to allow cars to round the curve
without slipping at 12 m/s? (Ignore friction) (Ans: 16°)
21. A 0.20-kg stone is attached to a string and whirled in a circle of radius r = 0.60 m on a horizontal
frictionless surface, as shown in figure 12. If the stone makes 150 revolutions per minute, what is the tension in
the string? (Ans: 30 N)
22. A 0.50-kg ball tied to the end of a string 100 cm in length swings in a vertical circle with a constant speed
of 9.2 m/s. What is the tension in the string when the ball is at the bottom of the circle? (Ans: 47 N)
23. The iron ball shown in figure 13 is being swung in a vertical circle at the end of a 0.70-m string. What is
the speed the ball can have at top of the circle for the tension in the string to be zero at that point? (Ans: 2.6 m/s)
24. A roller-coaster car has a mass of 500 kg when fully loaded with passengers. The car passes over a hill of
radius 15 m (see figure 14). At the top of the hill, the car has a speed of 8 m/s. What is the force of the track on
the car at the top of the hill? (Ans: 2800 N up)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 2

25. A ball of mass 100 g is connected to a string that can withstand a maximum tension of 50 N before it
breaks. The ball rotates in a circle of radius 20 cm on a horizontal frictionless plane. What is the maximum
speed the ball can have before the string breaks? (Ans: 10 m/s)
26. A 2.0-kg block is initially at rest on a horizontal surface. A 15-N horizontal force and a vertical force P
are applied to the block, as shown in figure 15. If the coefficient of static friction for the block and the surface is
0.60, what is the magnitude of force P that makes the block start moving? (Ans: 5.4 N)
27. A box of mass m is sliding down a rough inclined plane (which makes an angle of 30° with the
horizontal, and has a coefficient of kinetic friction = μk) at a constant acceleration of g/4. Find μk. (Ans: 0.29)
28. A 500-kg car moves in a vertical roller coaster of radius 10.0 m at a constant speed of 18.0 m/s (see figure
16). What is the magnitude of the force exerted by the track on the car at the bottom of the circle?
(Ans: 2.11×104 N)
29. A constant horizontal force of 36 N is acting on a block of mass 4.0 kg. Another block of mass 2.0 kg sits
on the 4.0-kg block. The 4.0-kg block moves on a frictionless horizontal floor. Find the magnitude of the
frictional force maintaining the 2.0-kg block in its position above the 4.0-kg block during the motion.
(Ans: 12 N)
30. A block is 3.0 m up above the ground and is in contact with the inner side of a rotating cylinder of 2.0 m
radius, as shown in figure 17. If the coefficient of static friction between the block and the cylinder is 0.50, what
is the minimum speed the cylinder must have in order for the block not to fall down? (Ans: 6.3 m/s)
31. A 12-N horizontal force is trying to move a 40-N block initially at rest on a rough horizontal surface. The
coefficients of static and kinetic friction between the block and the surface are 0.50 and 0.40, respectively. Find
the frictional force on the block. (Ans: 12 N)
32. A car goes around a flat circular track of radius R at a constant speed of 10 m/s. The net force exerted
on the car has a magnitude of 100 N. What is the magnitude of the net force exerted on the car if the speed is
increased to 20 m/s? (Ans: 400 N)
33. A 2.0-kg block slides on a horizontal surface. Part of the surface is smooth and the other part is rough. A
horizontal force is applied to the block. On the smooth part, the acceleration of the block is 3.0 m/s2, while it is
2.0 m/s2 on the rough part. What is the magnitude of the frictional force on the rough part? (Ans: 2.0 N)
34. A particle of mass m = 2.0 kg is attached to a string and swings in a vertical circle of radius r = 0.50 m, as
shown in figure 18. What is the tension (T) in the string at the moment the string makes an angle of 60° with the
vertical and has a speed of 3.0 m/s? (Ans: 46 N)
35. Figure 19 shows two forces, 12.0 N and 15.0 N, acting on a block of mass m = 2.00 kg. The block slides
along a rough horizontal table with coefficient of kinetic friction μ between the block and the table equal to
0.200. Find the acceleration a of the block (Ans: 2.54 m/s2)
36. A car goes over the top of a hill the cross section of which can be approximated to a circle of radius
R = 255 m, as shown in figure 20. What is the maximum speed the car can have at the top of the hill without
leaving the road? (Ans: 50 m/s)
37. An 80-kg passenger in a car presses against the car door with a 200N force when the car makes a turn at
20 m/s on the circular horizontal part of the road. Find the radius of the circular part of the road. (Ans: 160 m)
38. Consider a ball of mass 0.04 kg attached to a string of negligible mass and length L moving in a horizontal
circle of radius 0.20 m at constant speed, as shown in figure 21. Find the speed of the ball. (Ans: 1.1 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 3

39. A pilot of mass 75.0 kg in a jet aircraft executes a loop-the-loop, as shown in figure 22. In this maneuver,
the aircraft moves in a vertical circle of radius R = 3.00 km at a constant speed of 250 m/s. Determine the
magnitude of the force exerted by the seat on the pilot at the bottom of the loop. (Ans: 2.30 ×103 N)
40. A block of mass 3.0 kg is pushed against a rough wall (coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.20) by a force P
= 30 N that makes an angle of 50° with the horizontal, as shown in figure 23. Assuming the block is sliding
down, find the magnitude of its acceleration. (Ans: 0.85 m/s2)
41. As shown in figure 24, a block weighing 5.0 N is held at rest against a vertical wall by a horizontal force
of magnitude 10 N. The coefficient of static friction between the wall and the block is 0.60, and the coefficient
of kinetic friction is 0.40. In unit vector notation, find the force on the block from the wall. (Ans: -10 î + 5.0 ĵ N)
42. A 20.0-kg block is initially at rest on a rough, horizontal surface. A horizontal force of 75.0 N is required
to set the block in motion. After it is in motion, a horizontal force of 60.0 N is required to keep the block
moving with constant speed. Find the coefficients of static and kinetic friction, respectively. (Ans: 0.383, 0.306)
43. Figure 25 shows two blocks with masses m1 = 8.0 kg and m2 = 4.0 kg, connected by a light string. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between m2 and the horizontal surface is 0.50 while the inclined plane is
frictionless. Find the acceleration of the system (neglect the mass of the pulley). (Ans: 1.6 m/s2)
44. A box rests on the flatbed of a truck that is initially traveling at 15 m/s on a level road. The driver applies
the brakes and the truck is brought to a stop in a distance of 38 m. If the deceleration of the truck is constant,
what is the minimum coefficient of static friction between the box and the flatbed of the truck that is required to
keep the box from sliding? (Ans: 0.30)
45. As shown in figure 26, a boy pulls a box of total mass m = 5.0 kg with a rope that makes an angle of 60°
with the horizontal. The boy pulls on the rope with a force of 10 N; and the box moves with constant velocity.
What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the surface? (Ans: 0.12)
46. A force F is applied to a block of mass 3.00 kg resting on a rough horizontal surface. The force makes an
angle of 37.0° with the horizontal, as shown in figure 27. The coefficient of static friction between the block and
the surface is 0.450. If the block is just about to slide, calculate the magnitude of the force F. (Ans: 12.4 N)
47. Three blocks of masses m1 = 1.5 kg, m2 = 2.0 kg, and m3 = 1.0 kg are pushed by a horizontal force F of
magnitude 9.0 N, as shown in figure 28. The coefficient of kinetic friction between each block and the table is
μk = 0.20. What is the magnitude F32 of the force on mass m3 from mass m2? (Ans: 2.0 N)
48. In figure 29, a 10.0-kg block is pushed at constant speed up an inclined plane (θ = 45°) with a horizontal
force F. The coefficient of kinetic friction between block and the plane is μk = 0.50. What is the magnitude of F?
(Ans: 290 N)
49. In figure 30, blocks “A” and “B” have masses mA = mB = 25.0 kg. Find the magnitude of the acceleration
of mass “A” if the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block “A” and the horizontal table is μk = 0.20.
Assume the pulley is massless and frictionless. (Ans: 3.92 m/s2)
50. In Figure 32, a man drives a car over the top of a hill, the cross section of which can be approximated by a
circle of radius R = 250 m. What is the greatest speed at which he can drive without the car leaving the road at
the top of the hill? (Ans: 49.5 m/s)



Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 4

51. As shown in figure 34, blocks m1 and m2 have masses of 4.00 kg and 8.00 kg, respectively. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between m1 and the horizontal surface is 0.500. The incline plane (θ = 30o) is
frictionless. Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the system. (Assume that the pulley is massless and
frictionless pulley). (Ans: 1.63 m/s2)
52. Figure 35 shows an object of mass m = 0.10 kg tied to a rope rotating in a horizontal circle of radius r =
0.25 m, on a frictionless table top. It rotates at constant speed of 4.0 m/s while the mass M is stationary. Find the
value of mass M. (Ans: 0.65 kg)
53. Figure 36 shows a constant horizontal force F = 20.0 N applied to block A (mass = 2.00 kg) which pushes
against block B (mass = 3.00 kg) to the right. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the surface and object
A is 0.220 and between the surface and object B is 0.350. Find the magnitude of the contact force between
object A and object B. (Ans: 13.5 N)
54. Find the coefficient of kinetic friction for which a body of mass m = 2.0 kg will slide down a 10o inclined
plane with constant velocity. (Ans: 0.18)
55. A block is released from rest on a 27o incline and moves 6.0 m during the next 2.0 s. What is the
coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the incline? (Ans: 0.17)
56. A car goes around a flat, horizontal circle at a constant speed of 18 m/s. A ball is suspended by a string
from the ceiling of the car. The ball then describes a circle of radius 75 m as the car rounds the curve. What is
the angle between the string and the vertical? (Ans: 24°)
57. A block of mass m = 5.00 kg slides on a horizontal rough surface under the action of a steady force F
applied to the block at a constant angle of θ = 45o (figure 38). The coefficient of kinetic friction between the
block and the surface is 0.400. Find the maximum value of the force F for which the block will move only
horizontally. (Ans: 69.3 N)
58. A 15 N horizontal force F pushes a block weighing 5.0 N against a vertical wall as shown in figure 39.
The coefficient of static friction between the wall and the block is 0.60 and the coefficient of kinetic friction is

0.40. In unit vector notation, find the force on the block from the wall. (Ans: -15 iˆ + 5.0 jˆ N)
59. A slab of mass m1 = 50.0 kg rests on a frictionless floor. A block of mass m2 = 15.0 kg rests on top of the
slab as shown in figure 40. The coefficient of static friction between the block and the slab is 0.600 and their
coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.400. The 15.0 kg block is pulled leftward by a horizontal force F of magnitude
100 N. Find the acceleration of the slab. (Ans: 1.18 m/s2 leftward)
60. A driver in a 1000 kg car traveling at 20 m/s slams on the brakes and skids to a stop. If the coefficient of
kinetic friction between the tires and the road is 0.40, how far will it skid before stopping? (Ans: 51 m)
61. A 3.0 kg block is initially at rest on a horizontal rough surface. A horizontal force F = 7.0 N and a vertical
force P = 7.0 N are applied to the block as shown in figure 41. Determine the magnitude of the frictional force if
the coefficients of static and kinetic friction between the block and surface are μs = 0.40 and μk = 0.25,
respectively. (Ans: 7.0 N)
62. As shown in figure 42, two blocks A and B are connected over a massless and frictionless pulley. The
mass of block A is 10 kg and the coefficient of kinetic friction between block A and the surface is μk = 0.25.
Find the mass of block B if block A slides down the incline of angle θ = 30o with constant speed. (Ans: 2.8 kg)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 5

63. An initially stationary box of sand is to be pulled across a floor by means of a cable in which the tension
should not exceed 1100 N. The coefficient of static friction between the box and the floor is 0.35. What should
be the angle between the cable and the horizontal in order to pull the greatest amount of sand? (Ans: 19o)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. An object moving in a circle at constant speed:
A. has an acceleration of constant magnitude.
B. has a constant acceleration.
C. has a constant velocity.
D. is held to its path by centrifugal force (a force directed away from the center).
E. has an acceleration that is tangent to the circle.
2. A block of mass M slides on a horizontal surface. Which of the following would increase the magnitude of
the frictional force on the block?
A. Increasing M
B. Keeping M constant but decreasing the surface area of contact
C. Keeping M constant but increasing the surface area of contact
D. Decreasing M
E. None of the other answers

3. A block slides down an inclined plane at constant velocity. Which one of the following statements is true?
A. A frictional force must be acting on it.
B. A net downward force along the plane is acting on it.
C. A net upward force along the plane is acting on it.
D. Its acceleration is increasing.
E. Its acceleration is decreasing.
4. The coefficient of kinetic friction:
A. is a dimensionless quantity
B. is greater than the coefficient of static friction
C. is the ratio of force to area
D. can have units of Newtons
E. is in the direction of the frictional force
5. A car travels at a constant speed around a horizontal circular track. Which one of the following
statements about this car is true?
A. The velocity of the car is changing.
B. The velocity of the car is constant.
C. The acceleration vector of the car is constant.
D. The car has a velocity vector that points along the radius of the circular track.
E. The car has an acceleration vector that is tangent to the circular track at all
times.





Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 6

6. When you travel, you always exert less force to pull a block M instead of pushing it, see figure 31. That is
F(pull) < F(push). Why?
A. Because the normal force becomes less while pulling
B. Because the normal force becomes more while pulling
C. Because the normal force becomes zero while pulling
D. Because the gravitational forces decreases while pulling
E. No scientific reason it is just a habit.

7. Friction and normal forces are always

A. Perpendicular to each other
B. Opposite to each other
C. Equal to each other
D. In the same direction
E. None of the others

8. A block with mass m1 is placed on an inclined plane with slope angle α and is connected to a second
hanging block with mass m2 by a light cord passing over a massless and frictionless pulley (see figure 33). The
coefficients of static and kinetic friction are μs and μk respectively. If the blocks are released from rest, for what
range of values of m2 will they remain at rest?
A. m1(sin α – μs cos α) < m2 < m1(sin α + μs cos α)
B. m1(sin α – μs cos α) < m2 < m1(sin α + μk cos α)
C. m1(sin α – μk cos α) < m2 < m1(sin α + μs cos α)
D. m1(sin α – μk cos α) < m2 < m1(sin α + μk cos α)
E. m1(cos α – μs sin α) < m2 < m1(cos α + μs sin α)

9. A block attached to a string, rotates counter-clockwise in a circle on a smooth horizontal surface. The string
breaks at point P (see figure 37). What path will the block follow)?
A. path B
B. path A
C. path C
D. path D
E. path E
10. In three experiments, three horizontal forces are applied to the same block lying on the same table. The
force magnitudes are F1 = 12 N, F2 = 8 N , and F3 = 4 N. In each experiment, the block remains stationary in
spite of the applied force. Rank the forces according to the maximum value fs, max of the static frictional force on
the block from the table?
A) All three forces tie
B) F1; F2; F3
C) F1; F3; F2
D) F3; F2; F1
E) F3; F1; F2

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 7

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 8
 Figure 24 Figure 25 Figure 26

Figure 27 Figure 28 Figure 29

Figure 30 Figure 31 Figure 32

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 9

 Figure 33 Figure 34 Figure 35

Figure 36 Figure 37 Figure 38

Figure 39 Figure 40 Figure 41

Figure 42

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 6 Page 10

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Kinetic Energy and
7 Work
  Kinetic energy
  Work
  Work-energy theorem
  Gravitational work
  Work of spring forces
 Power
1. A single force acts on a 5.0-kg object in such a way that the position of the object as a function of time is
given by x = 10.0 –5.0 t2 , with x in meters and t in seconds. Find the work done on the object from t = 0 to t =
4.0 s. (Ans: 4000 J)
2. You are supposed to pull a 2000 kg equipment across a horizontal frozen lake by means of a horizontal
rope. The coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.05. What is the amount of work you will do by pulling the
equipment 100 m at constant velocity? (Ans: 98 kJ)
3. A single force F acts on a 2.0-kg particle and changes its velocity from vi = (4.0 î – 3.0 ĵ ) m/s at t = 0 to
vf = (4.0 î + 3.0 ĵ ) m/s at t = 3.0 s. During this time, what is the work done by F on the particle? (Ans: 0)
4. An 800-kg car is traveling at velocity 12 î (m/s). When the brakes are applied, the car changes its velocity to
12 ĵ m/s in 4.0 s. What is the change in kinetic energy of the car in this time period? (Ans: 0 J)
5. A 5.0-kg block is moving horizontally at 6.0 m/s. In order to change its speed to 10.0 m/s, what must be
the net work done on the block? (Ans: 160 J)
6. A particle moves in the xy plane from the point (0,1) m to point (3,5) m while being acted upon by a
constant force F = 4 î + 2 ĵ + 4 k̂ (N). What is the work done on the particle by this force? (Ans: 20 J)
7. An object of mass 1.0 kg is whirled in a horizontal circle of radius 0.50 m at a constant speed of 2.0 m/s.
The work done on the object during one revolution is: (Ans: 0)
8. An object is constrained by a cord to move in a circular path of radius 0.5 m on a horizontal frictionless
surface. The cord will break if its tension exceeds 16 N. What is the maximum kinetic energy the object can
have? (Ans: 4.0 J)
9. A person lifts a 0.40-kg cup of water 0.64 m vertically up at a constant speed of 1.2 m/s. What is the work
done on the cup by the person? (Ans: 2.5 J)
10. A particle moves from xi = 0 to xf = 5.0 m while being acted on by a single force F = 3x2 directed along
the x axis. Find the change in the kinetic energy during this motion. (Ans: 125 J)
11. Figure 1 gives the only force Fx that can act on a particle. If the particle has a kinetic energy of 10 J at
x = 0, find the kinetic energy of the particle when it is at x = 8.0 m. (Ans: 30 J)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 1

12. A 10.0-kg box slides with constant speed a distance of 5.00 m downward along a rough slope that
makes an angle of 30.0° with the horizontal. What is the work done by the force of gravity? (Ans: 245 J)
13. A 4.0-kg cart starts up an incline with a speed of 3.0 m/s and comes to rest 2.0 m up the incline. What is
the net work done on the cart? (Ans: – 18 J)
14. A 0.50-kg block slides down a frictionless 30° incline, starting from rest. What is the work done by the net
force on this block after sliding for 4.0 s? (Ans: 96 J)
15. A man pushes a 50-kg crate a distance of 5.0 m upward along a frictionless slope that makes an angle of
30° with the horizontal. His force is parallel to the slope. The acceleration of the crate is 1.5 m/s2 and is directed
up the slope. What is the work done by the man? (Ans: 1600 J)
16. A 2.0-kg block slides 2.0 m down a frictionless incline from point A to point B. A force (magnitude F =
3.0 N) acts on the block between A and B, as shown in figure 2. If the kinetic energy of the block at A is 10 J,
what is its kinetic energy at B? (Ans: 24 J)
17. An ideal spring is hung vertically from the ceiling. When a 2.0-kg mass hangs at rest from it, the spring is
extended 6.0 cm from its relaxed length. A downward external force is now applied to the mass to extend the
spring an additional 10 cm. While the spring is being extended by the external force, what is the work done by
the spring? (Ans: −3.6 J)
18. A 40-gram bullet, with a horizontal velocity of 500 m/s, comes to a stop 20 cm within a solid wall. What
is the magnitude of the force from the wall stopping it? (Assume this force to be constant) (Ans: 25000 N)
19. As a 2.0-kg object moves along the x axis, the only force acting on it is given by F = 4x (N), where x is in
meters. What is the work done by this force as the object moves from x = 1.0 m to x = 3.0 m? (Ans: 16 J)
20. A person pushes horizontally a 10-kg box at a constant speed of 1.5 m/s. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the box and the horizontal floor is 0.30. What is the rate of doing work by the person in pushing the
box? (Ans: 44 W)
21. A 2000-kg elevator moves 20 m upward in 4.9 sec at constant speed. At what average rate does the force
from the cable do work on the elevator? (Ans: 80000 W)
22. A net horizontal force of 50 N is acting on a 2.0-kg crate that starts from rest on a horizontal frictionless
surface. At the instant the object has traveled 2.0 m, what is the rate at which this net force is doing work?
(Ans: 500 W)
23. A helicopter lifts an 80-kg man vertically from the ground by means of a cable. The upward acceleration
of the man is 2.0 m/s2. Find the rate at which work is being done on the man by the tension of the cable when
the speed of the man is 1.5 m/s. (Ans: 1400 W)
24. A force F = (3.00 î +7.00 ĵ ) N acts on a 2.00-kg object that moves from an initial position

r1 =(3.00 î – 2.00 ĵ ) m to a final position r2 = (5.00 î + 4.00 ĵ ) m in 4.00 s . What is the average power due to the
force during that time interval? (Ans: 12.0 W)
25. A car accelerates from zero to 30 m/s in 1.5 s. Assuming the same average power is delivered by the car,
how long does it take to accelerate it from zero to 60 m/s? (Ignore friction). (Ans: 6.0 s)
26. A projectile of mass 0.20 kg is fired with an initial speed of 20 m/s at an angle of 60o above the horizontal.
What is the kinetic energy of the projectile at its highest point? (Ans: 10 J)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 2

27. To pull a 100-kg object across a horizontal frictionless floor, a worker applies a force of 220 N, directed
60o above the horizontal. As the object moves 5.0 m, what is the work done on the object? (Ans: 550 J)
28. A 40-N force is the only force applied on a 2.0-kg crate which is originally at rest. At the instant the
object has traveled 2.5 m, what is the rate at which the force is doing work? (Ans: 400 W)
29. A 200-kg box is pulled along a horizontal surface by an engine. The coefficient of friction between the
box and the surface is 0.400. What power does the engine deliver to move the box at a constant speed of 5.00
m/s? (Ans: 3920 W)
30. An ideal spring, with a pointer attached to its end, hangs next to a scale. With a 100-N weight attached,
the pointer indicates "40" on the scale, as shown in figure 4. Using a 200-N weight instead results in "60" on the
scale. Using an unknown weight X instead results in "30" on the scale. What is the weight of X? (Ans: 50 N)
31. A worker does 500 J of work in moving a 20-kg box a distance D on a rough horizontal floor. The box
starts from rest and its final velocity after moving the distance D is 4.0 m/s. Find the work done by the friction
between the box and the floor in moving the distance D. (Ans: –340 J)
32. A 60-kg boy runs from the first floor to the second floor, using stairs, in 12 s. The stairs are made up of 30
steps, each 10-cm high. Calculate the average power required by the boy. (Ans: 147 W)
33. A 3.0-kg mass has an initial velocity vo = (6.0 î – 2.0 ĵ ) m/s. A single force F is applied for 5.0 s, which
changes its velocity to v = (8.0 î + 4.0 ĵ ) m/s. Find the average power delivered by the force in this interval.
(Ans: 12 W)
34. A body of mass M = 2.00 kg, tied to a string, rotates in a vertical circle of radius R = 1.00 m. Find the
work done by the force of gravity on the body during one full revolution. (Ans: zero)
35. A man moves the 10-kg object shown in figure 6 in a vertical plane from position X to position Y along a
circular track of radius R = 20 m. What is the work done by the force of gravity during this motion?
(Ans: − 3920 J)
36. A car has a kinetic energy of 25 J. It then makes a U-turn and moves in the opposite direction with twice
the original speed. What is the new kinetic energy of the car? (Ans: 100J)
37. A 3.0-kg box is given an initial speed of 2.2 m/s on a rough horizontal floor. It stops in 2.0 s due to
friction between the box and floor. How much work is done by the frictional force? (Ans: -7.3 J)
38. A particle attached to one end of a string is forced to move in a circular path of radius 3.0 m on a
horizontal frictionless surface. The string breaks when the kinetic energy of the particle is 45 J. What is the
tension in the string just before it breaks? (Ans: 30 N)
39. An 8.0-kg object is moving in the positive direction of an x axis. When it passes through x = 0, a constant
force directed along the x axis begins to act on it. Figure 8 gives its kinetic energy versus position x as the object
moves from x = 0 to x = 5.0 m. Find the acceleration of the object. (Ans: – 0.75 m/s2)
40. A 0.50-kg object moves in a circular trajectory of radius 2.5 m on a horizontal frictionless table. An
external constant force of 3.0 N, always tangent to the trajectory, causes the object to speed up as it goes around.
What is the work done by this external force as the object makes one revolution? (Ans: 47 J)
41. Figure 9 shows the spring force Fx as a function of position x for a spring-block system resting on a
frictionless table. The block is released at x = + 10 cm. How much work does the spring do on the block when
the block moves from xi = + 8.0 cm to xf = – 4.0 cm? (Ans: + 2.4 J)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 3

42. A 15.0-kg block is pulled over a rough, horizontal surface by a constant force of 70.0 N acting at an angle
of 20.0° above the horizontal. The block is displaced 5.00 m, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the
block and the horizontal surface μk = 0.200. Find the work done by the force of friction. (Ans: -123 J)

43. An elevator is designed to carry a load of 2.00 × 104 N from the ground to a height of 87.5 m in a time of
18.0 seconds. What is the average power that must be supplied by the motor of the elevator to lift this load?
(Ans: 97.2 kW)
44. A 1.00 kg ball falls to the ground from a height of 10.0 m and bounces back to a height of 8.00 m. What is
the total work done by the gravitational force on the ball? (Ans: +19.6 J)
45. A single force F, of magnitude 10.0 N, accelerates an object of mass 5.0 kg for three seconds starting from
rest at t = 0. What is the work done on the object in the time interval from t = 2.0 s to t = 3.0 s? (Ans: 50 J)
46. A net force of (50 î ) N is acting on a 2.0-kg box that was initially at rest at the origin. At the instant the
object has the position vector (2.0 î ), what is the rate at which the force is doing work on the box? (Ans: 500 W)
47. A rope exerts a force F on a 20.0 kg crate in lifting it vertically upward above the floor. The crate starts
from rest and accelerates upward at 5.00 m/s2. How much work was done by the force F in raising the crate 4.00
m above the floor? (Ans: 1.18 kJ)
48. A 0.50 kg object, moving along the x-axis, experiences the force shown in figure 11. The object’s velocity
at x = 0.0 m is v = 2.0 m/s, and at x = 4.0 m is v = 8.0 m/s. What is Fmax? (Ans: 5.0 N)
49. A constant tension force is used to pull a 50.0 kg box up a frictionless plane inclined at 30.0° relative to
the horizontal. The tension force is parallel to the incline. The box is moved a distance of 30.0 m along the
incline with a constant speed of 1.00 m/s. At what rate is work done by the tension force? (A: 245 W)
50. A net horizontal force of 50 N acts on a 2.0-kg block which starts from rest on a horizontal frictionless
surface. What is the rate at which the work is being done by this force at t = 2.0 s? (Ans: 2500 W)
51. At what rate is the weight of a 2.0 kg projectile doing work at an instant when the velocity of the
projectile is 4.0 m/s directed 30o degrees above the horizontal? (Ans: – 39 W)
52. A 3.00 x 103 N automobile accelerates from rest to 50.0 m/s in 6.00 s with a constant acceleration.
Calculate the instantaneous power delivered by the engine at t = 6.00 s. (Ans: 128 kW)
53. A man pushes a 30.0 kg box a horizontal distance of 4.50 m along a level floor at a constant velocity. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the floor is 0.250. Find the total work done on the box.
(Ans: zero)
54. Figure 12 shows a plot of the acceleration ax versus the displacement x for a particle of mass m = 2.0 kg
moving along the x-axis. The scale of the figure’s vertical axis is set by as = 3.0 m/s2 How much work is done on
the particle as it moves from x = 2.0 to x = 6.0 m? (Ans: 12 J)
55. A pump is required to lift 800 kg of water per minute from a well 14.0 m deep and eject it with a speed of
18.0 m/s. What must be the average power output of the pump? (Ans: 3.99 kW)
56. If it takes 2.0 J of work to stretch a spring 20 cm from its un-stretched length, what is the extra work
required to stretch it an additional 20 cm. (Ans: 6.0 J)


Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 4

57. A dam is 170 m high. The electrical power output from generators at its base is approximately 2000 MW.
How many cubic meters of water must fall from the top of the dam per second to produce this amount of power
if 50% of the work done on the water by gravity is converted to electrical energy? (Density of water is 1000
kg/m3). (Ans: 2.40 × 103 m3/s)
58. A man pushes a 500 kg block along the x axis by a constant force F = 100 î – 200 ĵ (N). Find the power
required to maintain a speed of 5.00 m/s. (Ans: 500 W)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. Two balls, with masses m and 2m, are dropped to the ground from the roof of a building. (Assume no air
resistance). Just before hitting the ground, what can be said about their kinetic energies?
A. The heavier ball has two times as much kinetic energy as the lighter one.
B. The heavier ball has four times as much kinetic energy as the lighter one.
C. The heavier ball has half the kinetic energy of the lighter one.
D. The heavier ball has one fourth the kinetic energy of the lighter one.
E. They both have the same kinetic energy.

2. Which of the following five quantities does not have the unit of energy? m is a mass, g is the acceleration
due to gravity, h and d are distances, F is a force, v is a speed, a is an acceleration, P is power, and t is time.
A. m.a
B. F.d
C. 0.5 m.v2
D. m.g.h
E. P.t

3. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. The centripetal force acting on a particle rotating in a
circle does no work on the particle. (likewise, the tension in a horizontal circle)
B. The work done by a force is always equal to the product of
the force and the distance travelled.
C. When an object is displaced horizontally, the gravitational force does work on it.
D. When an object is displaced horizontally on a table, the normal force does work on
it.
E. If a person lifts a heavy block a vertical distance, then his work is zero.
4. An object moves in a circle at constant speed. The work done by the centripetal force is zero because:
A. the centripetal force is perpendicular to the velocity.
B. the change in kinetic energy of the object is not zero.
C. the centripetal force is parallel to the velocity.
D. the object is moving with constant velocity.
E. the centripetal force does not change velocity





Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 5

5. We would like to raise a heavy object (at constant speed) to a certain height h. We attach a rope to the
object. It is preferable to pull it along a frictionless inclined plane rather than pulling it vertically upward
because:
A) it reduces the force required.
B) it reduces the work required.
C) it reduces the change in the gravitational potential energy.
D) it reduces the distance covered.
E) it increases the acceleration due to gravity.
6. A boy holds a 40-N weight at arm's length for 10 s. His arm is 1.5 m above the ground. The work done by
the force of the boy on the weight while he is holding it is:
A. 0 J
B. 40 J
C. 20 J
D. 120 J
E. 10 J

7. A block is attached to the end of an ideal spring and moved from coordinate xi to coordinate xf. The
relaxed position is at x = 0. For which values of xi and xf that are given below, is the work done by spring
positive?
A. xi = -4 cm and xf = -2 cm
B. xi =-2 cm and xf = 4 cm
C. xi = -2 cm and xf = -4 cm
D. xi = 2 cm and xf = -4 cm
E. xi = 2 cm and xf = 4 cm
8. Figure 3 shows a force Fx, directed along the x axis, acting on a particle. The particle begins from rest at
x = 0. What is the particle's position when it has the greatest speed?
A. 10 m
B. 5 m
C. 15 m
D. 8 m
E. 2 m

9. A stone is thrown upward from the top of a building. It takes a time to for the stone to reach the ground.
Which one of the plots shown in figure 5 best represents the change of the kinetic energy of the stone with time?
A. (a)
B. (b)
C. (c)
D. (d)
E. None of the plots
10. Which of the following is the correct combination of dimensions for energy?
A. ML2/T2
B. LT2/M
C. MLT
D. M2L3T
E. ML/T2



Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 6

11. Object A of mass M and object B of mass 4M are initially at rest. Both objects are then pushed by equal
forces for equal distances on a horizontal frictionless surface. At the end of the push, compared to the kinetic
energy of object A, the kinetic energy of object B is
A. the same.
B. twice as much.
C. half as much.
D. four times as much.
E. one-fourth as much.
12. A man pulls a box up a rough inclined plane at constant speed. Which one of the following statements is
FALSE?
A. The work done on the box by the gravitational force is zero.
B. The gravitational potential energy of the box increases.
C. The net work done by all the forces acting on the box is zero.
D. The work done on the box by the normal force of the plane is zero.
E. The man does positive work in pulling the box up the incline.

13. If the weight of an object on the Moon is one-sixth of its weight on Earth, the ratio of its kinetic energy
when it is moving with speed V on Earth to its kinetic energy when it is moving with the same speed V on the
Moon is:
A) 1.0
B) 6.0
C) 2.6
D) 3.1
E) 1.6

14. A spring has a spring constant k . If the work done in stretching the spring a distance x = L from the
equilibrium position is W, the work required to stretch the spring from x i = L to x f = 2 L will be:
A) 3 W
B) 5 W
C) 4 W
D) 2 W
E) 1 W

15. A single force acts on the body causing the body to move in a straight line. A plot of the body’s velocity
versus time is shown in the figure 10. The correct statement among the following is:
A) in moving from D to E, the work done by the force on the body is positive.
B) in moving from B to C no work is done on the body but the body does work on the
system.
C) in moving from C to D, the work done by the force on the body is positive.
D) in moving from A to B, the work done by the force on the body is negative.
E) in moving from A to D, the work done by the force on the body is positive.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 7

 Figure 9 Figure 10

Figure 11 Figure 12

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 7 Page 8

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER Potential Energy &

Conservation of Energy
8
  Potential energy
  Conservation of energy – conservative forces
  Conservation of energy – friction
  Conservation of energy – external forces

1. A 2.0-kg block is released from rest 60 m above the ground. Take the gravitational potential energy of the
block to be zero at the ground. At what height above the ground is the kinetic energy of the block equal to half
its gravitational potential energy? (Ignore air resistance) (Ans: 40 m)
2. A projectile is fired from the top of a 40-m high building with a speed of 20 m/s. What will be its speed
when it strikes the ground? (Ans: 34 m/s)
3. A 6.0-kg box starts up a 30 degrees incline with 158 J of kinetic energy. How far will it slide up the incline
if the coefficient of kinetic friction between box and incline is 0.40? (Ans: 3.2 m)
4. Figure 1 shows a pendulum of length L = 1.0 m. Its ball has speed vo = 2.0 m/s when the cord makes an
angle of 30o with the vertical. What is the speed of the ball when it passes the lowest position? (Ans: 2.6 m/s)
5. A 0.6-kg ball is suspended from the ceiling at the end of a 2.0-m string. As this ball swings, it has a speed
of 4.0 m/s at the lowest point of its path. What maximum angle does the string make with the vertical as the ball
swings? (Ans: 54o)
6. An object of mass m, attached to a light cord of length L, is held horizontally from a fixed support as shown
in figure 2. The object is then released from rest. What is the tension force in the cord when the object is at the
lowest point of its swing? (Ans: 3 mg)
7. A ball slides without friction around a loop-the-loop of radius R (see figure 3). The ball is released, from
rest, at a height h from the left side of the loop. What is the ratio (h/R) so that the ball has a speed v = √Rg at the
highest point of the loop? (Ans: 5/2)
8. An ideal spring with a 20-N/m spring constant is compressed by a 10 N force. What is the potential energy
stored in the spring? (Ans: 2.5 J)
9. A 0.50-kg block attached to an ideal spring with a spring constant of 80 N/m oscillates on a horizontal
frictionless surface. The speed of the block is 0.50 m/s when the spring is stretched by 4.0 cm. What is the
maximum speed the block can have? (Ans: 0.71 m/s)
10. A 4.0-kg block is initially moving to the right on a horizontal frictionless surface at a speed of 5.0 m/s. It
then compresses a horizontal spring (k = 200 N/m). At the instant when the kinetic energy of the block is equal
to the potential energy of the spring, what is the mechanical energy of the block-spring system? (Ans: 50 J)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 1

11. A 12-kg block is resting on a horizontal frictionless surface. The block is attached to an un stretched
spring (k = 800 N/m) (see figure 4). A force F = 80 N parallel to the surface is applied to the block. What is the
speed of the block when it is displaced by 13 cm from its initial position? (Ans: 0.78 m/s)
12. A 2.0-kg block slides on a rough horizontal table top. Just before it hits a horizontal ideal spring its speed
is 5.0 m/s. It hits the spring and compresses it 10.0 cm before coming momentarily to rest. If the spring constant
is 1200 N/m, how much work is done by friction? (Ans: – 19 J)
13. A 3.0-kg block is released from a compressed spring (k = 120 N/m). It travels over a horizontal surface
(μk = 0.20) for a distance of 2.0 m before coming to rest (see figure 5). How far was the spring compressed
before being released? (Ans: 0.44 m)
14. A block (mass = 0.100 kg) is pushed against a vertical spring compressing the spring a distance of h =
8.00 cm (see figure 6). The block is not attached to the spring. When released from rest, the block rises to a
maximum height of H = 0.600 m. Calculate the spring constant. (Ans: 184 N/m)
15. A 2.0-kg object is connected to one end of an unstretched spring, which is attached to the ceiling by the
other end; and then the object is allowed to drop. The force constant of the spring is 196 N/m. How far does it
drop before coming momentarily to rest? (Ans: 0.20 m)
16. A 2.2-kg block starts from rest on a rough inclined plane that makes an angle of 30° above the horizontal.
The coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.25. As the block moves 3.0 m down the plane, what is the change in the
mechanical energy of the block? (Ans: –14 J)
17. A 5.0-kg block starts up a 30° incline with 198 J of kinetic energy. The block slides up the incline and
stops after traveling 4.0 m. What is the work done by the force of friction? (Ans: –100 J)
18. A 75-kg parachutist releases himself off a tower that is 85 m high. Assume that he starts from rest and
reaches the ground with a speed of 5.0 m/s. How much work was done by the non conservative forces on him?
(Ans: – 6.2×104 J)
19. As a particle moves from point A to point B only two forces act on it: one force is non-conservative and
does work = – 30 J, the other force is conservative and does + 50 J work. What is the change in the kinetic
energy of the particle? (Ans: 20 J)
20. A 0.50-kg block attached to a spring, with a spring constant of 100 N/m, moves on a horizontal surface
having a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.3 (see figure 7). The spring is initially compressed by 10 cm from the
unstretched position O and then released from rest. What is the speed of the block when it passes through the
point O? (Ans: 1.2 m/s)
21. A ball of mass 2.0-kg is kicked with an initial velocity of v = 5 î + 5 ĵ (m/s). What is the ratio of the
potential energy (relative to ground level) to the kinetic energy of the projectile at its highest point? (Ans: 1.0)
22. A 4.0-kg cart starts up an incline with a speed of 3.0 m/s and comes to rest 2.0 m up the incline. What is
the net work done on the cart? (Ans: -18 J)
23. A block, of mass m = 200 g, slides back and forth on a frictionless surface between two springs, as shown
in figure 18. The left-hand side spring has k1 = 130 N/m and its maximum compression is 16 cm. The right-hand
side spring has k2 = 280 N/m. Find the maximum compression of the right-hand side spring. (Ans: 11 cm)
24. A block of mass 2.0 kg is initially moving to the right on a horizontal frictionless surface at a speed of 5.0
m/s. It then compresses a spring of spring constant 100 N/m. At the instant when the kinetic energy of the block
is equal to the potential energy of the spring, by what distance is the spring compressed? (Ans: 0.50 m)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 2

25. A 2-kg object is dropped vertically from rest. After falling a distance of 50 m, it has a speed of 25 m/s.
Calculate the work done by air resistance on the object during the fall. (Ans: -355 J)
26. A block of mass 1.6 kg, resting on a horizontal frictionless surface, is attached to a horizontal spring fixed
at one end. The spring, having a spring constant of 1.0×103 N/m, is compressed to x = -2.0 cm (x = 0.0 is the
equilibrium position) and the block is released from rest. What is the speed of the block as it passes through the
position x = - 1.0 cm? (Ans: 0.43 m/s)
27. A 0.50-kg ball is dropped vertically from rest from a height of 3.0 m and bounces back to a maximum
height of 2.0 m. What is the magnitude of the energy dissipated in the collision with the floor? (Ans: 4.9 J)
28. A projectile of mass m = 0.200 kg is fired at an angle of 60.0o above the horizontal with a speed of 20.0
m/s. Find the work done on the projectile by the gravitational force during its flight from its firing point to the
highest point on its trajectory. (Ans: -30.0 J)
29. Figure 9 shows an object of mass m = 1.00 kg starting from rest. It first slides a distance of 45.0 cm
down a frictionless inclined surface, and then slides across a rough horizontal surface whose coefficient of
kinetic friction is 0.150. What is the maximum distance d travelled by the object across the horizontal surface?
(Ans: 103 cm)
30. A block of mass 2.00 kg is released from rest and slides down a rough track of radius R = 1.00 m, as
shown in figure 11. If the speed of the block at the bottom of the track is 4.00 m/s, what is the work done by the
frictional force acting on the block? (Ans: − 3.60 J)
31. In figure 12, a 2.0-kg object slides on a frictionless horizontal surface toward a spring. The speed of the
object just before it hits the spring is 6.0 m/s and its speed when the spring is compressed 15 cm is 3.7 m/s. Find
the spring constant of the spring. (Ans: 2.0 ×103 N/m)
32. A spring, with spring constant k = 106 N/m, is attached to the top of a frictionless 30o incline, as shown in
figure 13. The distance between the lower end of the incline and the relaxed end of the spring is 1 m. A 1-kg
block is pushed against the spring until the spring is compressed by 0.2 m, and released from rest. Find the
speed of the block when it reaches the lower end of the incline (ignore the size of the block). (Ans: 4.0 m/s)
33. A particle moves under the influence of a single conservative force. At point (A), the potential energy
associated with the conservative force is +40 J. As the particle moves from (A) to (B), the force does +25 J of
work on the particle. What is the value of the potential energy at point B? (Ans: +15 J)
34. The two masses in figure 14 are released from rest. After the 3.0-kg mass had fallen 1.5 m, it reached a
speed of 3.8 m/s. How much work is done during this time interval by the frictional force on the 2.0- kg mass?
[Assume that the pulley is frictionless and massless] (Ans: – 8.0 J)
35. Two blocks A and B (MA = 50.0 kg and MB = 100 kg) are connected by a string as shown in figure 15. The
pulley is frictionless and of negligible mass. Determine the change in the kinetic energy of the two-block system
as block B moves down a vertical distance of 20.0 m. Assume a smooth incline. (Ans: 13.7 kJ)
36. In figure 12, a block (m = 2.0 kg) slides on a frictionless horizontal surface towards a spring with a spring
constant k = 2000 N/m. The speed of the block just before it hits the spring is 6.0 m/s. How fast is the block
moving at the instant the spring has been compressed 15 cm? (Ans: 3.7 m/s)



Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 3

37. Figure 16 shows a 3.00 kg block moving on a rough horizontal surface. The block strikes a spring with a
spring constant k = 20.0 N/m and compresses it 1.50 m before coming to rest. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the block and the surface is 0.200. Calculate the speed of the block just before it strikes the spring.
(Ans: 4.57 m/s)
38. As shown in figure 17, a block of mass m = 1.35 kg is held against a compressed spring of spring constant
k = 560 N/m. The spring is compressed by x = 0.110 m. The block is released and slides a distance d = 0.650 m
to point A. Find the speed of the block at point A if the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the
surface is μk = 0.200. (Ans: 1.57 m/s)
39. A block is released from rest at the top of an inclined plane making an angle of 30.0° with the horizontal.
The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the inclined plane is 0.300. What is the speed of the
block after it has traveled a distance of 1.00 m downwards along the inclined plane? (Ans: 2.17 m/s)
40. A block slides back and forth in a hemispherical bowl, starting from rest at the top point A, as shown in
figure 19. The bowl is frictionless except for a 2.0 cm-wide rough flat surface at the bottom, where coefficient
of kinetic friction is μk = 0.45. How many times does the block cross the rough region before coming to rest?
(Ans: 10 times)
41. In figure 21, a 5.0-kg block is moving at 5.0 m/s along a horizontal frictionless surface toward an ideal
spring that is attached to a wall. After the block collides with the spring, the spring is compressed a maximum
distance of xm. What is the speed of the block when the spring is compressed to only xm/2 ? (Ans: 4.3 m/s)
42. The only force acting on a particle is a conservative force F. If the particle is at a point A, the potential
energy of the system is 80 J. If the particle moves from point A to point B, the work done on the particle by F is
+20 J. As the particle reaches point B, what is the potential energy of the system? (Ans: 60 J)
43. A 2.00-kg mass is moved along a rough vertical circular track (radius R = 0.800 m) as shown in figure 22.
The speed of the mass at point A is vA = 8.00 m/s, and at point B is vB = 5.00 m/s. How much work is done on
the mass between A and B by the force of friction? (Ans: –7.64 J)
44. A 100-kg parachute descends at a constant speed of 1.00 m/s. At what rate is energy being lost?
(Ans: 980 W)
45. A block of mass m = 12.0 kg is released from rest on a frictionless incline of angle θ = 30.0° (see figure
23). Below the block is a spring that can be compressed 2.50 cm by a force of 250 N. The block stops
momentarily when it compresses the spring by 4.00 cm. How far does the block move down the incline from its
rest position to this stopping point? (Ans: 13.6 cm)
46. A block of mass m = 10 kg is connected to an un-stretched spring (k = 400 N/m) (see figure 25). The
block is released from rest. If the pulley is massless and frictionless, what is the maximum extension of the
spring? (Ans: 49 cm)
47. As a particle moves along the x-axis it is acted on by a conservative force F(x). The potential energy U(x)
of the particle as a function of x is shown in figure 26. What is the force F(x)? (Ans: + 10 N)
48. A massless spring has a spring constant of 500 N/m. A 2.0 kg object is released from rest at a height h =
1.0 m above the spring, and lands on it (figure 27). Find the object’s speed when the spring is compressed 20
cm. (Ans: 3.7 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 4

49. A 15.0 kg stone slides down a smooth snow-covered hill (figure 28), leaving point A with a speed of 4.0
m/s. Then it slides a distance of 118 m on a rough horizontal surface from point B to point C before coming to
rest. Find the coefficient of kinetic friction μk between the stone and the surface. (Ans: 0.600)
50. A mass m = 1.00 kg is released from rest at point P (h = 6.00 m). It slides along the smooth track and
reaches point O on the circular part of the track (R = 1.00 m) shown in figure 29. What force does the track exert
on the mass at point O? (Ans: 68.6 N)
51. A block of mass 4.00 kg is moving across a rough horizontal floor where the coefficient of kinetic friction
is 0.600. If the block slides for 3.00 m across the floor, and the thermal energy of the block increases by 30.0 J.
Find the increase in the thermal energy of the floor. (Ans: 40.6 J)
52. A 2.00 kg ball is thrown with an initial velocity of vo = 18 î + 10 ĵ (m/s). What is the maximum change in
the potential energy of the ball-Earth system during its flight? (Ans: 100 J)
53. A 2.00 kg package is released on a rough 53.1o incline at 4.00 m from a long spring of force constant 120
N/m. The spring is attached to the bottom of the incline as shown in figure 31. If the maximum compression of
the spring is d = 1.00 m, what is the work done by the friction force? (Ans: – 18.4 J)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. A small object of mass m on the end of a massless rod of length L is held vertically, initially. The rod is
pivoted at the other end O. The object is then released from rest and allowed to swing down in a circular path as
shown in figure 8. What is the speed (v) of the object at the lowest point of its swing? (Assume no friction at the
pivot)

2. As an object moves from point A to point B, only two forces act on it: one force is conservative and does
10 J of work, the other is non-conservative and does -20 J of work. What happens to the energy of the object
between points A and B?
A. Kinetic energy decreases, mechanical energy decreases.
B. Kinetic energy decreases, mechanical energy increases.
C. Kinetic energy increases, mechanical energy decreases.
D. Kinetic energy increases, mechanical energy increases.
E. Mechanical energy is conserved.






Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 5

3. A ball of mass m, attached at one end of a massless string of length L, rotates in a vertical circle fast
enough to prevent the string from going loose at the top of the circle. Neglecting air resistance, during this
motion, which ONE of the following statements is WRONG:
A. Change in mechanical energy is not zero.
B. The speed of the ball at the bottom of the circle is maximum.
C. The work done by the tension is zero.
D. Kinetic energy is not conserved.
E. Gravitational potential energy is not conserved.
4. Figure 10 shows three identical blocks that are moving on three identical rough surfaces having the same
coefficient of kinetic friction. They all move the same distance parallel to the surface. Rank the 3 situations
according to the magnitude of the work done by the force of friction, greatest first.
A. a then b and c tie
B. a then b then c
C. b then a, then c
D. c then b, then a
E. not enough information to decide
5. Two bodies of different masses M and m are raised to the same height above the floor, and released from
rest simultaneously. Assuming that air resistance is constant and identical on the two bodies, which one of the
following statements is true?
A. The larger mass reaches the floor first.
B. The two masses reach the floor at the same time.
C. The smaller mass reaches the floor first.
D. There is not enough information to say which one of the two masses will reach the
floor first.
E. The two masses have the same speed as they reach the floor.
6. A block is moving along a frictionless horizontal track when it enters the circular vertical loop as shown in
figure 20. The block passes points 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 before returning to the horizontal track. Which one of the
following statements describes the block at point 3 correctly?
A. Its speed is a minimum
B. The forces on it are balanced
C. It is not accelerating
D. Its mechanical energy is a minimum
E. It experiences a net upward force

7. The work done by a conservative force acting on a body

A. does not change the total energy.
B. does not change the potential energy.
C. does not change the kinetic energy.
D. is always equal to zero.
E. is always equal to the sum of the changes in potential and kinetic energies.

8. In figure 24, a moving block can take three frictionless paths, differing only in elevation (height), to reach
the dashed finish line. Rank the paths according to the speed of the block at the finish line, greatest first.
A) 3,2,1
B) 1,2,3
C) 2,3,1
D) 1,3,2
E) 2,1,3

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 6

9. A light object and a heavy object are initially sliding with equal speeds along a horizontal frictionless
surface. Then, they both slide up the same frictionless incline. Which object rises to a greater height?
A) They both slide to the same height.
B) The heavy object, because it has greater kinetic energy
C) The light object, because it has smaller kinetic energy.
D) The light object, because it weighs less.
E) The heavy object, because it weighs more.

10. A block of mass m sliding down a rough incline (angle θ, coefficient of kinetic friction μ) at constant
speed is initially at a height h. What is the increase in the thermal energy of the block-incline system when the
block reaches the bottom?
A. mgh
B. mgh/μ
C. μmgh/sinθ
D. mgh cosθ
E. 0
11. A block initially at rest is allowed to slide down a frictionless ramp of height h and attains a speed v at
the bottom. To achieve a speed 2v at the bottom, how high must the new ramp be?
A. 4h
B. H
C. 2h
D. 3h
E. 5h
12. As shown in figure 30 (not to the scale), a small block is released from rest on a frictionless ramp at a
height of 3.0 m. The hill heights along the ramp are as shown. The hills have identical circular tops and the
block does not fly off any hill. At which two hill tops values of the normal force on the block will be maximum
and minimum, respectively?
A. 3, 1
B. 4, 1
C. 2, 3
D. 1,4
E. 3, 2

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 7

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 8
 Figure 16 Figure 17

Figure 18 Figure 19

Figure 20 Figure 21 Figure 22

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 9

 Figure 23 Figure 24 Figure 25

Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28

Figure 29 Figure 30 Figure 31

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 8 Page 10

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Center of Mass &
9 Linear Momentum
  Center of mass
  Momentum of a particle
  Momentum of a system
  Impulse
  Conservation of momentum
 Elastic collisions
  Inelastic collisions
 2D collisions
1. A sulfur dioxide molecule SO2 consists of a Sulfur atom (M = 32 u) located at the origin with two Oxygen
atoms each of mass (m = 16 u) bound to it as in figure 1. The angle between the two bonds is 120°. If each bond
is 0.1432 nm long, what is the location of the center of mass of the molecule (x,y)? (Ans: (0.0358, 0) nm)
2. A 3.0-kg mass is positioned at (0, 8.0) m, and a 1.0 kg mass is positioned at (12, 0) m. What are the
coordinates of a 4.0 kg mass which will result in the center of mass of the system of three masses being located
at the origin (0, 0)? (Ans: (–3.0, –6.0) m)
3. Two pieces of uniform sheets made of the same metal are placed in the xy plane, as shown in the figure 2.
What is the center of mass (xcom, ycom) of this arrangement? (Ans: (–0.75, 0.75) cm)
4. A uniform plate of the shape shown in figure 3. Where is the center of mass of this plate located?
(Ans: quadrant 3)
5. A 1.0-kg particle is moving with a velocity of 16 m/s along the positive x direction while a 3.0 kg particle is
moving with a velocity of 4.0 m/s along the positive y direction. Find the magnitude of their center of mass
velocity. (Ans: 5.0 m/s)
6. Car A (mass 1000 kg) travels east at 80 km/h. Car B (mass 1500 kg) has an unknown velocity. If the center
of mass of these two cars is moving at 24 km/h due north, find the velocity of car B. (Ans: (–53 î + 40 ĵ ) km/h)
7. Two particles m1 and m2, 5.0-kg each, are initially at rest. External forces F1 and F2, 12 N each, are acting
on these particles, as shown in figure 4. What is the acceleration of the center of mass of the two particles
system? (Ans: 1.2 ĵ m/s2)
8. A 5-kg object moving along the x axis is subjected to a force Fx in the positive x direction. A graph of Fx
versus time is shown in figure 5. Find the magnitude of the change in the velocity of the object during the time
the force is applied. (Ans: 0.8 m/s)
9. A 2.0 kg block is given a single impulsive force in the positive x-direction, as shown in figure 6. If the
velocity of the block at t = 0 was –2.0 m/s, find its velocity at t = 5.0 s. (Ans: 3.0 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 1

10. A 0.5-kg ball having velocity (10 î + 10 ĵ ) m/s collides and bounces off a wall with a velocity of
(–5.0 î + 10 ĵ ) m/s. Find the average force on the ball if the collision time is 0.01 s. (Ans: –750 î N)
11. A 2000-kg truck traveling at a speed of 6.0 m/s makes a 90o turn in a time of 4.0 s and emerges from this
turn with a speed of 4.0 m/s. What is the magnitude of the average resultant force on the truck during this turn?
(Ans: 3.6 kN)
12. A ball having a mass of 35 grams strikes a wall with a velocity of 8 m/s perpendicular to the wall and
rebounds in the opposite direction with only 50 % of its initial kinetic energy. What is the magnitude of the
impulse that acts on the ball while it is in contact with the wall during collision? (Ans: 0.48 kg.m/s )
13. A 3.0-kg steel ball strikes a wall with a speed of 10 m/s at an angle of 60o with the surface. It bounces off
with the same speed and angle (see figure 7). If the ball is in contact with the wall for 0.20 s, what is the average
force exerted on the ball by the wall? (Ans: –260 î N)
14. Two 2.0-kg bodies, A and B, collide. Before the collision, the velocity of body A is (10 î + 20 ĵ ) m/s
and after the collision body A moves with velocity (–5.0 î + 10 ĵ ) m/s. Find the magnitude of the impulse
delivered to body B. (Ans: 36 kg.m/s)
15. A 2.00-kg pistol is loaded with a bullet of mass 3.00 g. The pistol fires the bullet at a speed of 400 m/s.
What is the recoil speed of the pistol when the bullet was fired? (Ans: 0.600 m/s)
16. An object of mass M moving on a frictionless frozen lake with speed V explodes into two equal pieces,
one moving at 6.0 m/s due north, and the other at 8.0 m/s due west. Determine V. (Ans: 5.0 m/s)
17. A 4.0-kg mass has a velocity of 4.0i m/s, when it explodes into two 2.0 kg masses. After the explosion,
one of the masses has a velocity of 3.0 m/s making an angle of 60o with the +x axis. What is the magnitude of
the velocity of the other mass after the explosion? (Ans: 7.0 m/s)
18. A 10-kg bomb at rest explodes, breaking into three pieces of masses 2.0 kg, 2.0 kg, and 6.0 kg. The two
2.0 kg pieces fly off perpendicular to each other, one along the +x-axis and the other along the +y-axis, with the
same speed 30 m/s. Find the speed of the 6.0 kg piece. (Ans 14 m/s)
19. A 4.0-kg block with a velocity of 2 î (m/s) makes an elastic collision with a 2.0 kg block moving with a
velocity of (2 î + ĵ ) m/s. What is the total kinetic energy of the two blocks after the collision? (Ans: 13 J)

20. A block of mass m = 500 g moving on a frictionless track at an initial speed of 3.20 m/s undergoes an
elastic collision with an initially stationary block of mass M. After the collision, the first block moves opposite
to its original direction at 0.500 m/s. What is the mass M? (Ans: 685 g)
21. A 2.0-kg block with a speed of 4.0 m/s undergoes a head on elastic collision with a 4.0 kg block initially
at rest. After the collision, the 4.0 kg block has 14.2 J of kinetic energy. What is the speed of the 2.0 kg block
after the collision? (Ans: 1.3 m/s)
22. A particle (A) has mass m and is moving with velocity v. It makes a head-on elastic collision with a
particle (B) of mass 2m at rest. After the collision, what are their velocities (vA, and vB)? (Ans: -v/3, 2v/3)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 2

23. An 8.0-kg object moving at 4.0 m/s in the positive x direction makes a one-dimensional collision with a
2.0 kg object moving at 3.0 m/s in the opposite direction. The final velocity of the 8.0 kg object is 2.0 m/s in the
positive x direction. What is the total kinetic energy of the two objects after the collision? (Ans: 41 J)
24. A 10-gram bullet is shot in the +x direction with a speed of vo = 500 m/s into a stationary block of wood
that has a mass of 5.0 kg (see figure 8). The bullet embeds itself in the block. What distance (d) will the block
slide on a surface having a coefficient of kinetic friction equal to 0.5? (Ans: 10 cm)
25. As shown in figure 9, a ball of mass M is hanging from a rope to make a pendulum. A 10 g bullet strikes
the ball with a speed v = 308 m/s. The center of mass of the ball + bullet rises a vertical distance of h = 12 cm.
Assuming that the bullet remains embedded, calculate the mass M of the ball. (Ans: 2.0 kg)
26. A 2.0-kg and a 3.0-kg carts approach each other on a horizontal air track in such a way that their center of
mass has a speed of 2.0 m/s. They collide and stick together. After the collision, what is their total kinetic
energy? (Ans: 10 J)
27. Block A (mass = 2.0 kg, velocity = 50 m/s) and block B (mass = 5 kg, velocity = –20 m/s) are moving
towards each other along the x axis. They collide and stick together after collision. What is the kinetic energy
lost during the collision? (Ans: 3500 J)
28. Two bodies, A and B each of mass 2.0 kg moving with velocities vA = (2.0 î + 5.0j) m/s and vB = (1.0 î –
5.0j) m/s collide and stick together. After the collision, what is the velocity of the composite object?
(Ans: 1.5 î m/s)
29. Two identical 1500-kg cars are moving perpendicular to each other. One moves with a speed of 25 m/s
due north and the other moves at 15 m/s due east. What is the total momentum of the system?
(Ans: 4.4×104 kg·m/s at 59° North of East)
30. A 1.0-kg block at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface is connected to a spring (k = 200 N/m) whose
other end is fixed (see figure 10). A 2.0-kg block moving at 4.0 m/s collides with the 1.0-kg block. If the two
blocks stick together after the one-dimensional collision, what maximum compression of the spring does occur
when the blocks momentarily stop? (Ans: 0.33 m)
31. A 1.0-kg ball falling vertically hits a floor with a velocity of 3.0 m/s and bounces vertically up with a
velocity of 2.0 m/s. If the ball is in contact with the floor for 0.10 s, what is the average force on the floor by the
ball? (Ans: 50 N, down)
32. What impulse will change the velocity of a 2.0-kg object from v1 = +30 ĵ (m/s) to v2 = -30 î (m/s) ?
(Ans: -60 î – 60 ĵ N.s)
33. A 1500-kg car traveling east at 90.0 km/h collides with a 3000 kg car traveling south at 60.0 km/h (see
figure 12). The two cars stick together after the collision. What is the speed of the cars after collision?
(Ans: 13.9 m/s)
34. Two velocities of a three-particle system are shown in figure 13. If the velocity of the center of mass is
zero, find the velocity v of the 4.0-kg mass. (Ans: 5 î – 3 ĵ m/s)
35. A 3.0-kg and a 2.0-kg carts approach each other on a horizontal air track. They collide and stick together.
After the collision, their total kinetic energy is 40 J. What was the initial speed of their center of mass?
(Ans: 4.0 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 3

36. Two boys, with masses of 40 kg and 60 kg, respectively, stand on a horizontal frictionless surface holding
the ends of a 10 m long massless rod. The boys pull themselves toward each other along the rod. When they
meet, what distance will the 60 kg boy have covered? (Ans: 4.0 m)
37. A billiard ball (A) moving with a velocity of 2.2 î (m/s) strikes an identical stationary ball (B). After the
collision, ball A is found to be moving at a speed of 1.1 m/s in a direction making 60° angle above the positive
x axis. Ball B is moving at an angle of 30o below the positive x axis. Find the speed of ball B after collision.
(Ans: 1.9 m/s)
38. Block (A) of mass 0.2 kg, travelling on a frictionless horizontal plane at 3.0 m/s, hits block (B) of mass
0.4 kg which is initially at rest. After the collision, what is the speed of their center of mass? (Ans: 1.0 m/s)
39. A 140-gram ball is moving horizontally with speed vi of 40.0 m/s before hitting a bat. After collision, the
ball travels with speed vf = 40.0 m/s in the direction shown in figure 15. What is the magnitude of the impulse
that acts on the ball from the bat? (Ans: 10.8 kg.m/s)
40. Figure 17 shows the velocity versus time graph of a particle of mass 1.0 kg moving along the x-axis
towards a wall. The particle was in contact with the wall during time interval between t = 20 ms and t = 60 ms.
Find the magnitude of the average force exerted by the wall on the ball during contact. (Ans: 150 N)
41. Figure 18 shows an overhead view of three particles on which external forces act. The forces on two of the
particles (m1, m2) are indicated. What is the force acting on the third particle (m3) if the center of mass of the
system is moving at a constant velocity of 5.0 î m/s? (Ans: ( 6 î + 3 ĵ ) N)
42. A 5-kg object is in free fall. What is the magnitude of the change in its momentum in a one-second time
interval? (Ans: 49 kg.m/s)
43. The mass of the moon is about 0.0123 times the mass of Earth and the distance from the center of the
moon to the center of Earth is about 60 times the radius of Earth. How far is the center of mass of Earth-moon
system from the center of Earth? Take Earth’s radius to be 6400 km. (Ans: 4666 km)
44. An object of mass m1 = 2.0 kg is moving with a velocity of 4.0 m/s along the x-axis on a frictionless
horizontal surface and collides with another object of mass m2 = 3.0 kg initially at rest. After collision both
masses continue to move on the frictionless surface as shown in figure 20. If m1 moves with a velocity of 3.0
m/s at an angle of 30o with respect to the x-axis, what will be the magnitude of the x- and y-components of the
momentum of mass m2? (Ans: 2.8 and 3.0 kg.m/s)
45. An object of mass 1.0 kg is thrown vertically upward from the ground and returns to the ground after 10 s.
Neglecting air resistance, what is the change in the linear momentum of the object? (Ans: 98 N.s, downward)
46. An object consists of a uniform 4.0-kg rod of length 1.5 m which is hinged perpendicular to another
uniform rod of length 1.8 m and mass 3.0 kg (see figure 21). The longer rod has a 2.0-kg ball at one end. What
are the coordinates of the center of mass of the system? Treat the ball as a point particle. (Ans: (-0.33, -0.70) m)
47. At time t = 0, a 3.0-kg block slides along a frictionless surface with a constant speed of 5.0 m/s in the
positive x-direction. A horizontal, time dependent force is applied along the positive x-direction to the block as
shown in figure 22. What is the speed of the block at t = 10 seconds? (Ans: 19 m/s)
48. Two objects with the same mass move along the same line in opposite directions. The first object is
moving with speed v to the right. The two objects collide in a perfectly inelastic collision and move with speed
0.40 v to the right, just after the collision. What was the speed of the second object before the collision?
(Ans: 0.20 v)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 4

49. A 1.00 ×103 kg car is traveling at 20.0 m/s toward the north. During a collision, the car receives an
impulse of magnitude 1.00×104 N·s toward the south. What is the velocity of the car immediately after the
collision? (Ans: 10.0 m/s, north)
50. Two blocks approach each other at right angles on a frictionless surface. Block A has a mass of 45.1 kg
and travels in the +x direction at 3.20 m/s. Block B has a mass of 85.8 kg and is moving in the +y direction at
2.08 m/s. They collide and stick together. Find the final velocity of the two blocks. (Ans: 1.10 î + 1.36 ĵ m/s)
51. After a completely inelastic collision between two objects of equal mass m, each having an initial speed v,
the two move off together with a speed v/3, see figure 23. What was the angle (2θ) between their initial
velocities? (Ans: 141o)
52. Figure 24 shows a 10.0-cm long uniform rod with mass 2.0 kg, attached to two uniform spheres of masses
m1 = 15.0 kg and m2 = 30.0 kg and diameters 2.0 cm and 7.0 cm, respectively. Find the x-coordinate of the COM
of the system. The center of the small sphere (m1) is at the origin of the coordinate system. (Ans: 9.51 cm)
53. A ball of mass m, suspended by a light string of length 100 cm is released from a position where the string
makes an angle θ = 60.0o with the vertical (see figure 25). The ball collides with a second identical ball kept at
rest on a smooth wedge at the bottom of its swing and the two balls stick together after collision. Determine the
maximum vertical height H to which the balls rise after the collision. (Ans: 12.5 cm)
54. A 10.0 g bullet travelling horizontally with a speed of 1.00 × 103 m/s strikes and passes through the center
of mass of a 5.00 kg block initially at rest. The speed of the bullet just after it emerges from the block is 250 m/s
in the same horizontal direction. Find the magnitude of the impulse delivered to the block. (Ans: 7.50 kg.m/s)
55. A 2.0 kg particle moving with a velocity of (2.0 î – 3.0 ĵ ) (m/s), and a 3.0 kg particle moving with a

velocity of (1.0 î + 6.0 ĵ ) (m/s) collide elastically. Find the velocity of the center of mass of these two particles
after collision. (Ans: 1.4 î + 2.4 ĵ m/s)
56. A 200 g ball strikes a wall, as shown in figure 27, with a speed of 3.5 m/s and rebounds with only 50% of
its initial kinetic energy. What is the impulse on the wall from the ball? (Ans: – 1.2 N.s)
57. An 80-kg hunter gets a rope around a 120-kg polar bear. They are stationary, 10 m apart, on frictionless
level ice. By what distance will the polar move when the hunter pulls the polar bear to him (i.e. when they
meet)? (Ans: 4.0 m)
58. At time t, a 2.0-kg object has a position vector r = (3.5 + 1.6t) î – 2.7 ĵ + 3.0 k̂ , with r in meters and t in
seconds. What is the linear momentum of the object? (Ans: 3.2 î kg.m/s)
59. Two objects A and B, with the same mass collide on ice with negligible friction. Figure 30 gives speeds
and directions of the objects BEFORE and AFTER the collision. Find the speed v and angle θ for object A after
the collision. (Ans: 5.0 m/s, 37o)
60. A car with a mass of 1.2 x103 kg is travelling to the right at a speed of 15 m/s when it collides head-on
with a truck of mass 2.0 x 103 kg travelling at a speed of 15 m/s to the left. The vehicles lock together when they
collide. Find the average force (both magnitude and direction) exerted on the car if the collision lasts for 0.20 s.
(Ans: 1.1 x 105 N to the left)
61. A stationary object of mass m = 24.0 kg explodes into two pieces of masses 14.0 kg and 10.0 kg. The
velocity of the 10.0 kg mass is 6.00 m/s in the positive x-direction. What is the change in the kinetic energy of
the object? (Ans: 309 J)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 5

62. A 20.0 g bullet moving vertically upward at 1000 m/s strikes and passes through the center of mass of a
10.0 kg block initially at rest, as shown in figure 32. To what maximum height does the block rise after the
bullet emerges from the block with a speed of 400 m/s vertically upward. Ignore air resistance. (Ans: 7.35 cm)
63. The center of mass of a system of two point masses m1 and m2 is located on the x-axis at x = 2.0 m and has
a velocity of (5.0 î m/s). The mass m1 is at the origin with non-zero velocity while m2 = 0.10 kg is at rest at x =
8.0 m. Calculate the magnitude of the total momentum of the system. (Ans: 2.0 kg.m/s)
64. A body, initially at rest, suddenly explodes into two fragments of masses 0.100 kg and 0.500 kg. The
0.500 kg fragment moves in the positive x direction. Of the energy released in the explosion, ONLY 9.60 kJ
were converted into kinetic energy of the two fragments. Calculate the speed of the 0.100 kg and 0.500 kg
fragments, respectively. (Ans: 400 m/s, 80.0 m/s)
65. A particle of mass m moving in the positive x direction with speed u collides with a particle of mass 2m at
rest. After collision, the particle of mass m scatters with speed u/4 in the positive y direction and the particle of
mass 2m moves with speed v at an angle θ with the positive x direction (Figure 35). Find the angle θ. (Ans: 14o)
66. A 2100 kg truck traveling north at 41 km/h turns east and accelerates to 51 km/h. What are the magnitude
and direction of the change in its momentum? (Ans: 3.8 × 104 kg.m/s, 39o South of East)
67. Figure 36 shows an approximate plot of force magnitude F versus time t during the collision of a 58 g ball
with a wall. The initial velocity of the ball is 34 m/s perpendicular to the wall; the ball rebounds directly back
with approximately the same speed, also perpendicular to the wall. What is Fmax, the maximum magnitude of the
force on the ball from the wall during the collision? (Ans: 9.9 × 102 N)
68. A chair is pulled away as a person is moving downward to sit on it, causing the victim to land on the floor.
Suppose the person falls by 0.50 m, the mass that moves downward is 70 kg, and the collision on the floor lasts
0.082 s. What is the average force acting on the victim from the floor during the collision? (Ans: 2.7 kN)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. A circular hole of radius 5.0 cm is cut from a uniform square of metal sheet having sides 20 cm as shown in
figure 11. Which point could be the center of mass of this sheet?
A. Point B
B. Point A
C. Point C
D. Point D
E. Point E

2. In an inelastic collision between two objects with no external forces,

A. momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not conserved
B. kinetic energy is conserved but momentum is not conserved
C. both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved
D. neither momentum nor kinetic energy are conserved
E. kinetic energy is equal to half of momentum




Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 6

3. Two identical blue and red cars are moving along the same track in opposite directions. The red car has 5
times the momentum of the blue car. They undergo a perfectly inelastic collision. The speed after the collision:
A. is twice the initial speed of the blue car.
B. is half the initial speed of the blue car.
C. is one-fifth the initial speed of the blue car.
D. is five times the initial speed of the blue car.
E. is three times the initial speed of the blue car.

4. Figure 14 shows the momentum versus time graph of a particle moving along the x axis. The force on the
particle is maximum in the time interval:
A. 2 to 3 s
B. 0 to 2 s
C. 3 to 6 s
D. 6 to 8 s
E. 8 to 10 s

5. A projectile has a range R. At its highest point the projectile explodes into two equal parts. One part falls
vertically down. How far from the firing point will the other part land?
A. 3R/2
B. R
C. 2R
D. R/2
E. 5R/2
6. A collision between two objects is completely inelastic. Which one of the following statements is true?
A. The total kinetic energy of the objects after the collision is less than it was
before collision
B. The vector sum of the velocities of the two objects must be zero after the
collision
C. The total momentum of the two objects after the collision is less than it was
before the collision
D. The objects bounce away from each other after the collision
E. The total kinetic energy of the objects must be zero after collision
7. An 80-kg man (at rest) standing on a frictionless surface throws a 100-g ball away from him along the
positive x axis, giving it a speed of 8.0 m/s. What velocity does the man acquire as a result?
A. 0.01 m/s along (-x) direction
B. 0.01 m/s along (+x) direction
C. 0 m/s
D. 8.0 m/s along (-x) direction
E. 8.0 m/s along (+x) direction

8. In figure 16, determine the type of collision.

A. elastic.
B. completely inelastic.
C. not possible because momentum is not conserved.
D. inelastic.
E. characterized by an increase in kinetic energy.





Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 7

9. A ball is thrown into the air. As it rises, there is an increase in its:
A. potential energy
B. speed
C. kinetic energy
D. acceleration
E. momentum
10. A rifle of mass M is initially at rest but free to recoil. It fires a bullet of mass m and velocity v (relative to
the ground). After firing, the velocity of the rifle (relative to the ground) is:
A. − mv/M
B. − Mv/m
C. − mv
D. − v
E. mv/M

11. The sum of all the external forces on a block is zero. Which one of the following must be true?
A. The total linear momentum of the block is constant
B. The acceleration of the block in not zero
C. The speed of the block is increasing
D. The block is not in equilibrium
E. The speed of the block is decreasing
12. A cylindrical can is filled with two liquids of equal volume with density ρ and 2ρ as shown in figure 19. L
is the length and R is the radius of the cylindrical can. The center of the circular base is at the origin of
coordinate axis. Find the coordinates of center of mass (x, y) of the can filled with the two liquids, in terms of R
and L. Ignore the mass of the cylindrical can and assume that the two liquids do not mix with each other.

13. An object of mass m is moving with constant velocity of 4 î m/s on a frictionless horizontal surface in the
xy-plane. The object explodes (due to internal forces) into three pieces with masses m/4, m/4, and m/2. If the
two pieces of mass m/4 each move with velocities -2 î + 2 ĵ and -2 î - 2 ĵ m/s, find the velocity (in m/s) of the
center mass of these three pieces after explosion.





Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 8

14. An object is at rest at the origin. It explodes into three equal pieces. One piece moves to the west. What
are the possible directions of motion of the other two pieces?
A. north, south-east
B. north, north-east
C. south, south-east
D. south, south-west
E. east, north

15. A ball of mass m1 makes a head on elastic collision with second ball, of mass m2, initially at rest. If m1
rebounds in the opposite direction with a speed equal to one-fourth its original speed, what is the mass m2?
A. 5m1/3
B. m1/2
C. m1/3
D. 3m1/4
E. 7m1/2

16. If the total momentum of a system is changing:

A. a net external force must be acting on the system
B. particles of the system must be exerting forces on each other
C. The center of mass must be at rest
D. the center of mass must have constant velocity
E. none of the other answers

17. Particle 1 with mass 2.0 kg and velocity v1i = 5.0 î m/s undergoes a one-dimensional elastic collision with

particle 2 with mass 2.0 kg and velocity v2i = – 6.0 î m/s. After the collision, the final velocities of particle 1 (
v1f) and particle 2 (v2f) are:
A. v1f = –6.0 î , v2f = +5.0 î (m/s)
B. v1f = +6.0 î , v2f = –5.0 î (m/s)
C. v1f = –11 î , v2f = 0.0 î (m/s)
D. v1f = 0.0 î , v2f = +11 î ( m/s)

E. v1f = –6.0 î , v2f = –5.0 î (m/s)

18. The velocity of a given body is increased to such an extent that the kinetic energy of the body is increased
by a factor of 16. The momentum of the body is increased by a factor of:
A. 4.0
B. 16
C. 8.0
D. 2.0
E. 1.0

19. Consider a one dimensional collision between two identical balls. One is originally at rest and the other
has a velocity of 4 î (m/s). If 3/8 of the initial kinetic energy is lost during the collision, find the velocities of the
balls after the collision.
A) 1 î and 3 î (m/s)

B) 1 î and 5 î (m/s)

C) 2 î and 6 î (m/s)

D) 2 î and 2 î (m/s)

E) 0 and 4 î (m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 9

20. Figure 26 shows three identical uniform bars, each of mass M and length 2R, welded to a uniform ring of
mass 2M and radius R. The bars and the ring are in an xy-plane whose origin O is at the center of the ring. Find
the x and y coordinates of the system’s center of mass.
A) (0.2 R, 0.4 R)
B) (0.5 R, 0.3 R)
C) (0.5 R, 0.5 R)
D) (0.2 R, 0.5 R)
E) (0.5 R, 0.2 R)
21. Four cars, A, B, C, and D with masses mA, mB, mC, and mD, respectively, begin accelerating from rest, at
the same time. The same net force is exerted on each car. After 10 seconds, which car has the largest linear
momentum if mA > mB > mC > mD?
A) They all have the same linear momentum.
B) Car A
C) Car B
D) Car C
E) Car D
22. In figure 28, a cat stands at the edge (A) of a uniform sled of length L which lies on frictionless ice. The
sled and the cat have equal mass. The center of mass of the cat-sled system is at a distance Xcm from the fixed
point O. As the cat walks toward edge (B), which of the following statements is correct?
A. The center of mass remains at the same distance from point O.
B. The center of mass moves away from point O.
C. The center of mass moves toward point O.
D. The sled does not move.
E. The sled moves away from point O.

23. Figure 29 shows a uniform square sheet from which three identical corners are removed. What is the
location of its center of mass?
A. in the third quadrant.
B. along the x-axis
C. along the y-axis
D. in the first quadrant.
E. in the second quadrant.

24. A particle A of mass M and initial kinetic energy K has an elastic head-on collision with a particle B of
the same mass M initially at rest. The kinetic energy of particle A after the collision is:
A. 0
B. K/2
C. K
D. K/SQRT(2)
E. K/4

25. In a head-on elastic collision of a projectile with a stationary target, the final kinetic energy of the
projectile is minimum if:
A. the projectile and target have the same mass
B. the projectile is initially traveling very fast
C. the projectile is traveling very slowly
D. the projectile is much more massive than the target particle
E. the projectile is much less massive than the target particle


Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 10

26. Two bodies, A and B, have equal kinetic energies. The mass of A is nine times that of B. The
ratio of the momentum of A to that of B (PA/PB) is:
A) 3
B) 1/9
C) 1/3
D) 1
E) 9

27. A machine part consists of three objects welded together: A) a thin, uniform 4.00 kg bar that is 1.50 m
long, B) a vertical bar of mass 3.00 kg and length 1.80 m and C) dense 2.00 kg ball attached to the end of object
B (figure 31). Find the center of mass of this system.
A) (– 0.333m, – 0.700 m)
B) (– 0.750m, – 0.900 m)
C) (– 0.250m, – 0.450 m)
D) (– 0.453 m, – 0.767 m)
E) (– 0.670 m, – 0.767 m)

28. Three uniform thin rods, each of length L = 20 cm, form an inverted U shape as shown in Figure 33. Each
one of the vertical rods has a mass of 20 g and the horizontal rod has a mass of 60 g. What are the x and y
coordinates of the center of mass of the system, respectively?
A. (10 and − 4.0 ) cm
B. (20 and 1.0 ) cm
C. (30 and − 6.0 ) cm
D. ( 10 and 2.0 ) cm
E. ( 4.0 and − 10 ) cm

29. Figure 34 shows graphs of force magnitude versus time for a body involved in a collision. Rank the graphs
according to the magnitude of the impulse on the body, smallest first.
A. 2, 1, 3
B. 1, 2, 3
C. 2, 3, 1
D. 3, 2, 1
E. 1, 3, 2

30. A light body and a heavy body have equal linear momenta. The one having the larger kinetic energy is:
A) The light body.
B) The heavy body.
C) Neither; they will have the same kinetic energy.
D) Dependent on the system of units used.
E) Not determinable without data on the ratio of the masses.

31. Figure 37 shows four groups of three or four identical particles that move parallel to either the x axis or
the y axis, at identical speeds. Rank the groups according to center-of-mass speed, greatest first.
A) d, c, a, b
B) d, a, b, c
C) a, b, c, d
D) d, c, b, a
E) c, d, a, b

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 11

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 12
 Figure 21

Figure 22 Figure 23

Figure 24 Figure 25

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 13

 Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28

Figure 29 Figure 30 Figure 31

Figure 32 Figure 33 Figure 34

Figure 35 Figure 36 Figure 37

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 9 Page 14

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

Rotation
CHAPTER

10
  Rotational kinematics
  Rotational inertia (moment of inertia)
  Kinetic energy
  Torque
  Newton’s 2nd law
 Work, power & energy conservation
1. Assume that a disk starts from rest and rotates with an angular acceleration of 2.00 rad/s2. What is the time
it takes to rotate through the first three revolutions? (Ans: 4.34 s)
2. The angular position of a particle is given as θ = 2 + t – t3 where θ is in radians and t is in s. What is the
angular acceleration when the particle is momentarily at rest? (Ans: 3.5 rad/s2 clockwise)
3. The angular position of a point on the rim of a rotating wheel is given by θ = 4.0t – 3.0t2 + t3, where θ is in
radians and t is in seconds. What is the average angular acceleration for the time interval between t = 0 s and t =
1.0 s? (Ans: – 3.0 rad/s2)
4. A car engine is rotating at ωo = 500 rev/min at a traffic light. When the light turns green, the crankshaft
rotation speeds up at a constant rate to ω = 2500 rev/min over an interval of 3.0 s. What is the number of
revolutions that the crankshaft makes during these 3.0 s? (Ans: 75)
5. What is the angular speed in rad/s of the minute hand of a watch? (Ans: π/1800)
6. Two wheels A and B are identical. Wheel B is rotating with twice the angular velocity of wheel A. What is
the ratio of the radial acceleration of a point on the rim of B (ar2) to the radial acceleration of a point on the rim
of A (ar1)? (Ans: 4)
7. A wheel of radius 0.10 m has a 2.5 m cord wrapped around its outside edge. Starting from rest, the wheel is
given a constant angular acceleration of 2.0 rad/s2. How long will it take the cord to unwind? (Ans: 5.0 s)
8. A rigid body consists of two particles attached to a rod of negligible mass. The rotational inertia of the
system about the axis shown in figure 1 is 10 kg m2. What is x1? (Ans: 1.4 m)
9. Four identical particles, each with mass m, are arranged in the xy plane, as shown in figure 2. They are
connected by light sticks of negligible mass to form a rigid body. If m = 2.0 kg and a = 1.0 m, what is the
rotational inertia of this system about the y axis? (Ans: 12 kg.m2)
10. A uniform slab of dimensions: a = 60 cm, b = 80 cm, and c = 2.0 cm (see figure 3) has a mass of 6.0 kg.
What is its rotational inertia about an axis perpendicular to the larger face and passing through one corner of the
slab? (Ans: 2.0 kg.m2)
11. Find the moment of inertia of a uniform ring of radius R and mass M about an axis 2R from the center of
the ring, as shown in the figure 4. (Ans: 5M R2)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 1

12. The rotational inertia of a solid sphere (mass M and radius R1) about an axis parallel to its central axis but
at a distance of 2R1 from it is equal to I1. The rotational inertia of a cylinder (same mass M but radius R2) about
its central axis is equal to I2. If I1 = I2, what is the radius of the cylinder R2? (Ans: 3.0 R1)
13. A particle of mass 0.50 kg is attached to one end of a 1.0 m long rod of mass 3.0 kg (see figure 5). The rod
and the particle are rotating around the other pivoted end of the rod with 2.0 rad/s. What is the kinetic energy of
the system? (Ans: 3.0 J)
14. A uniform wheel of radius 0.5 m rolls without slipping on a horizontal surface. Starting from rest, the
wheel moves with a constant angular acceleration of 6.0 rad/s2. What is the distance traveled by the center of
mass of the wheel from t = 0 to t = 3 s? (Ans: 13.5 m)
15. A 2.0-kg stone is tied to a 0.50 m string and swung around a circle at a constant angular velocity of 12
rad/s. What is the net torque on the stone about the center of the circle? (Ans: zero)
16. A torque, of 0.80 N·m, applied to a pulley increasing its angular speed from 45.0 rev/min to 180 rev/min
in 3.00 s. Find the moment of inertia of the pulley. (Ans: 0.17 kg·m2)
17. A thin rod, mass 0.23 kg and length 1.00 m, is rotated in a horizontal circle about a fixed axis passing
through a point 20.0 cm from one of the edges of the rod. If it has a constant angular acceleration of 3.0 rad/s2,
find the net torque acting on the rod? (Ans: 0.12 N·m)
18. A uniform thin rod of mass M = 3.00 kg and length L = 2.00 m is pivoted at one end O and acted upon by
a force F = 8.00 N at the other end, as shown in figure 6. What is the angular acceleration of the rod at the
moment the rod is in the horizontal position as shown in this figure? (Ans: 3.35 rad/s2, clockwise)
19. A disk has a rotational inertia of 4.0 kg·m2 and a constant angular acceleration of 2.0 rad/s2. If it starts from
rest, what is the work done during the first 5.0 s by the net torque acting on it? (Ans: 200 J)
20. A disk starts from rest and rotates around a fixed axis, subject to a constant net torque. The work done by
the torque during the time interval from t = 0 to 2 s is W1 and the work done during the time interval from t = 0
to 6 s is W2. What is the ratioW2/W1? (Ans: 9)
21. A disk starts from rest at t = 0, and rotates about a fixed axis (rotational inertia = 0.030 kg·m2) with an
angular acceleration of 7.5 rad/s2. What is the rate at which work is being done on the disk when its angular
velocity is 32 rad/s? (Ans: 7.2 W)
22. A 5.00 kg block hangs from a cord which is wrapped around the rim of a frictionless pulley, as shown in
figure 7. What is the acceleration, a, of the block as it moves down? (The rotational inertia of the pulley is 0.200
kg·m2 and its radius is 0.100 m.) (Ans: 1.96 m/s2)
23. A mass, m1 = 5.0 kg, hangs from a string and descends with an acceleration = a. The other end is attached
to a mass m2 = 4.0 kg which slides on a frictionless horizontal table. The string goes over a pulley (a uniform
disk) of mass M = 2.0 kg and radius R = 5.0 cm (see figure 8). What is the value of a? (Ans: 4.9 m/s2)
24. A rope pulls a 1.0-kg box on a frictionless surface through a pulley, as shown in figure 9. The pulley has a
rotational inertia of 0.040 kg.m2 and radius of 20 cm. If the force F is 10 N, what is the acceleration of the box?
(Ans: 5.0 m/s2)
25. A string (one end attached to the ceiling) is wound around a uniform solid cylinder of mass M = 2.0 kg
and radius R = 10 cm (see figure 10). The cylinder starts falling from rest as the string unwinds. What is the
linear acceleration of the cylinder? (Ans: 6.5 m/s2)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 2

26. A uniform 2.0 kg cylinder of radius 0.15 m is suspended by two strings wrapped around it, as shown in
figure 11. The cylinder remains horizontal while descending. What is the acceleration of the center of mass of
the cylinder? (Ans: 6.5 m/s2)
27. In figure 12, m1 = 0.50 kg, m2 = 0.40 kg and the pulley has a disk shape of radius 0.05 m and mass M = 1.5
kg. What is the linear acceleration of the block of mass m2? (Ans: 0.59 m/s2)
28. Figure 13 shows a pulley (R = 3.0 cm and Io = 0.0045 kg.m2) suspended from the ceiling. A rope passes
over it with a 2.0 kg block attached to one end and a 4.0 kg block attached to the other. When the speed of the
heavier block is 2.0 m/s, what is the total kinetic energy of the pulley and blocks? (Ans: 22 J)
29. A thin rod of mass 0.50 kg and length 2.0 m is pivoted at one end and can rotate in a vertical plane about
this horizontal frictionless pivot (axis). It is released from rest when the rod makes an angle of 45° above the
horizontal (see figure 14). Find the angular speed of the rod as it passes through the horizontal position.
(Ans: 3.2 rad/s)
30. A uniform rod (M = 2.0 kg, L = 2.0 m) is held vertical about a pivot at point P, a distance L/4 from one end
(see Fig. 15). The rotational inertia of the rod about P is 1.17 kg.m2. If it starts rotating from rest, what is the
linear speed of the lowest point of the rod as it passes again through the vertical position? (Ans: 8.7 m/s)
31. A stone, in the form of a uniform circular disk of radius 0.20 m and mass 14 kg, can rotate about its axis.
Starting from rest, it reaches an angular velocity of 44 rad/s in 10 s under the action of a constant torque. What
is the instantaneous power at the end of this time interval? (Ans: 54 W)
32. In an airplane, the engine delivers 1.20×105 W to a plane propeller at ω = 2400 rev/min. How much work
does the engine do in one revolution? (Ans: 3000 J)
33. A wheel of radius R = 0.20 m is mounted on a fixed frictionless horizontal axis. The rotational inertia I
of the wheel about this axis is 0.50 kg.m2. A massless cord wrapped around the circumference of the wheel is
attached to a box of mass m = 5.0 kg box (figure 17). The box is then released from rest. When the box has a
speed of v = 2.0 m/s, what is the distance (h) through which the box has fallen? (Ans: 0.71 m)
34. An object whose rotational inertia is 4.0 kg.m2 experiences the net torque shown in figure 18. What is the
angular speed of the object at t = 3.0 s if it starts from rest? (Ans: 0.75 rad/s)
35. A uniform rod of length L = 10.0 m and mass M = 2.00 kg is pivoted about its center of mass O. Two
forces of 10.0 and 3.00 N are applied to the rod, as shown in figure 19. What is the magnitude of the angular
acceleration of the rod about O? (Ans: 1.02 rad/s2)
36. A horizontal disk with a radius of 0.10 m rotates about a vertical axis through its center. The disk starts
from rest at t = 0, and has a constant angular acceleration of 2.1 rad/s2. At what value of t will the radial and
tangential components of the linear acceleration of a point on the rim of the disk be equal in magnitude?
(Ans: 0.69 s)
37. The average power needed to spin a uniform solid disk, of mass 5.0 kg and radius 0.50 m, from rest to a
final angular velocity ωf in 3.0 s is 2.6 W. What is the final angular speed? (Ans: 5.0 rad/s)
38. A wheel of rotational inertia 5.00 kg.m2, starts from rest and accelerates under a constant torque of 3.00
N.m for 8.00 s. What is the rotational kinetic energy of the wheel at the end of 8.00 s? (Ans: 57.6 J)
39. A disk starts from rest and rotates for 10 s around a fixed axis, subject to a constant net torque. What is the
ratio of work done by the torque during the first 5 s interval and the last 5 s interval? (Ans: 1/3)


Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 3

40. A solid ball (mass M = 400 g and radius R = 5.0 cm) is rotating about its fixed central axis with an angular
speed of 3.0 rad/s. It was brought to a stop in 6.0 s. How much work is done to stop the ball? (Ans: -1.8×10-3 J)
41. Figure 23 shows a uniform disk of radius 10.0 cm and rotational inertia of 0.010 kg.m2 about an axis
through its center O. Its angular acceleration is 250 rad/s2 counterclockwise. Given that F1 = 50.0 N, what is the
force F2? (Ans: 75 N)
42. In figure 24, two particles, each with mass m = 1.0 kg, are fastened to each other, and to a rotation axis at
point O, by two thin rigid rods. Each rod has length d = 1.0 m and mass M = 1.0 kg. Find the moment of inertia
of the system about a perpendicular axis through point O as shown in the Figure. (Ans: 7.7 kg.m2)
43. Two objects of masses m1 = 1.00 kg and m2 = 2.00 kg hang at the ends of a massless string that passes
over a pulley of radius R = 10.0 cm and moment of inertia I = 0.010 kg.m2, as shown in figure 25. What is the
magnitude of the linear acceleration of the masses? (Ans: 2.45 m/s2)
44. A constant torque of 10.0 N·m accelerates an object from rest to an angular speed of 10.0 rad/s after a
rotation of π/2 radians. What is the moment of inertia of the object about the rotational axis? (Ans: 0.314 kg.m2)
45. The angular position of a rotating disk is given by θ (t) = t2 – 10t + 2, where θ is in radians and t is in
seconds. Find the time at which the disk reverses its rotational direction. (Ans: 5 s)
46. A rigid body is initially at rest. At time t = 0, it is given a constant angular acceleration of 0.060 rad/s2.
Find the magnitude of the centripetal acceleration of a point that is a distance of 2.5 m from the axis of rotation
at t = 8.0 s. (Ans: 0.58 m/s2)
47. As shown in figure 26, a 45-N force is applied to one end of a massless string which is wrapped around a
pulley that has a radius of 1.5 m and a moment of inertia of 2.25 kg.m2. Through what angle will the pulley
rotate in 3.0 s if it was initially at rest? (Ans: 135 rad)
48. Figure 27 shows a uniform horizontal beam of mass M = 4.00 kg and length L = 4.00 m being acted upon
by four forces of magnitudes F1 = 10.0 N, F2 = 20.0 N, F3 = 30.0 N and F4 = 10.0 N, and in the directions as
indicated. Find the net torque about point O at the center of the beam. (Ans: 10.0 N.m, counter clockwise)
49. An engine applies a constant torque of 5.00 N·m on a wheel, with moment of inertia Io = 10.0 kg.m2 , to
rotate it about its symmetry axis O. How much power is required by the engine to rotate the wheel at t = 5.00 s,
if the wheel starts from rest? (Ans: 12.5 W)
50. A uniform disk, with a radius of 1.0 m, is rotating about its symmetry axis with a constant angular speed
of 2.0 rad/s. What are the magnitude of the tangential acceleration at and centripetal acceleration ar of a point
on the rim of the disk? (Ans: at = 0.0 m/s2 , ar = 4.0 m/s2)
51. Figure 29 shows a uniform thin rod, with mass m1 = 2.00 kg and length L = 10.0 cm, attached to a uniform
solid sphere, of mass m2 = 3.00 kg and diameter 7.00 cm. Find the rotational inertia of the system about the y-
axis. (Ans: 0.0118 kg.m2)
52. A fan, initially at rest, is accelerated to angular velocity ω = 2400 rev/min in 40 s by an electric motor. The
average power of the motor during this time is 1.2×105 W. What is the torque on the fan about the axis of
rotation? (Ans: 955 N.m)
53. The four particles in figure 30 are connected by rigid rods of negligible mass. If the system rotates in the
xy plane about the z-axis passing through point O with an angular velocity of 6.0 rad/s, calculate the kinetic
energy of the system. (Ans: 2.6 kJ)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 4

54. A disk, initially at rest, is rotated with constant angular acceleration α = 5.00 rad/s2 for 8.00 s. The disk is
then brought to rest with uniform negative acceleration in 10.0 revolutions. Determine the magnitude of the
negative acceleration required. (Ans: 12.7 rad/s2)
55. A frictionless pulley has the shape of a uniform solid disk of mass 2.50 kg and radius 20.0 cm. A 1.50 kg
stone is attached to a massless wire that is wrapped around the rim of the pulley (see figure 31), and the system
is released from rest. How far must the stone fall so that the pulley has 4.50 J of kinetic energy? (Ans: 0.673 m)
56. The body in figure 33 is pivoted at O, and two forces F1 and F2 act on it. If r1 = 1.5 m, r2 = 2.3 m, F1 = 4.5
N, F2 = 5.6 N, θ1 = 75o, and θ2 = 60o, what is the net torque about the pivot? (Ans: 4.7 N.m, clockwise)
57. A particle rotates in a horizontal circle of radius 3.5 m. At a given instant, its total acceleration is 2.1 m/s2
in a direction that makes an angle of 60o to the radial direction (see figure 36). Determine the speed of the
particle, v, at this instant. (Ans: 1.9 m/s)
58. The rigid body shown in figure 37 is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the paper and passing through
point P. If M = 0.40 kg, a = 30 cm, b = 50 cm, find the work required to increase the angular velocity of the
body from rest to 5.0 rad/s. (Neglect the force of friction and the mass of the connecting rods, and treat the
particles as point masses). (Ans: 2.6 J)
59. One end of a 0.80 m string is fixed, the other end is attached to a 2.0-kg stone. The stone swings in a
vertical circle, passing the bottom point at 10 m/s. What is the radial acceleration of the stone at the top of the
circle? (Ans: 86 m/s2)
60. Figure 38 shows a disk with a moment of inertia I = 10.0 kg-m2 rotating about an axis passing through its
center. Two strings are wrapped around different parts of the disk which have radii R1 = 40.0 cm and R2 = 25.0
cm. Find the angular acceleration of the disk if the tensions are T1 = 5.0 N and T2 = 15 N.
(Ans: 0.18 rad/s2, clockwise)
61. A disk rotates in the xy plane about the z-axis passing through the disk center with a constant angular
acceleration of – 5.00 rad/s2. At time t = 0, the disk’s angular speed is 27.5 rad/s and a reference line on the
disk’s surface coincides with the positive x-axis. What angle does the reference line make with the positive x-
axis at time t = 1.40 s? (Ans: 2.18 rad)
62. A uniform solid disk of radius 80.0 cm is rotating about its central axis with constant angular acceleration
of 50.0 rad/s2. At a certain instant, the disk is rotating at 10.0 rad/s. What is the magnitude of the net linear
acceleration of a point on the rim (edge) of the disk? (Ans: 89.4 m/s2)
63. Two antiparallel forces of equal magnitudes F1 = F2 = 8.00 N are applied to a rod as shown in figure 39.
Find the distance l between the forces if the magnitude of the net torque due to these two forces about the end O
is 6.40 N.m. (Ans: 0.800 m)
64. A diver makes 2.5 revolutions on the way from a 10 m high platform to the water. Assuming zero initial
vertical velocity, find the average angular velocity during the dive. (Ans: 11 rad/s)
65. What is the linear speed of a point on Earth’s surface at latitude 40o North? (Radius of Earth = 6.4 × 103
km) (Ans: 3.6 × 102 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 5

 A B C D E Conceptual Problems 

1. The rotational inertia of a solid object rotating about an axis does not depend upon its:
A. angular speed
B. mass
C. distribution of mass
D. geometry (the shape of the object)
E. axis of rotation

2. A string is wrapped around a solid disk of mass m and radius R. The string is stretched in the vertical
direction and the disk is released as shown in figure 16. Find the tension (T) in the string.
A. 1/3 mg
B. 3/2 mg
C. 2/5 mg
D. 2/3 mg
E. 3/4 mg
3. A disk of mass M and radius R is free to rotate about an axis through its center. A tangential force F is
applied to the rim (edge) of the disk. What must one do to maximize the angular acceleration of the disk?
A. Make F as large as possible, and M and R as small as possible.
B. Make F and M as large as possible, and R as small as possible.
C. Make M as large as possible, and F and R as small as possible.
D. Make R as large as possible, and F and M as small as possible.
E. Make F, M, and R as large as possible.
4. Four forces of the same magnitude act on a square frame that can rotate about the middle point P as shown
in figure 20. Rank the forces acting on it according to the magnitude of the torque they produce about point P,
greatest first. (assume all forces in the plane of the square)
A. F4, F3, F1, F2
B. F3, F4, F1, F2
C. F4, F3, F2, F1
D. F1, F2, F3, F4
E. F2, F3, F1, F4
5. The meter stick shown in figure 21 rotates about an axis through point P, 20 cm from one end. Five forces
act on the stick. All forces are in the plane of the paper and have equal magnitude. Rank these forces according
to the magnitudes of the torques they produce about the pivot point P, least to greatest.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 6

6. A small mass is placed on a disk, rotating with constant angular velocity, at a distance (r) from the center.
The linear acceleration of the mass:
A. increases if r is increased.
B. decreases if r is increased.
C. has a direction perpendicular to the line joining the mass and the center.
D. is zero.
E. is independent of the position of the mass on the disk.

7. Two identical thin (negligible radius) rods are joined together to form the shape shown in figure 22. Each
rod has a mass M and length L. The rotational inertia of the assembly about the y axis is:
A. (1/3) ML2
B. (1/6) M L2
C. M L2
D. (1/2) M L2
E. (1/12) M L2
8. A uniform disk is rotating about an axis perpendicular to its plane and passing through a point on its edge.
Find the ratio of its moment of inertia about this axis of rotation to its moment of inertia about a parallel axis
passing through its center of mass.
A. 3
B. 9
C. 3
D. 3/4
E. 1/3

9. A disk starts from rest and rotates with a constant angular acceleration. If the angular velocity is ω at the
end of the first two revolutions, then at the end of the first eight revolutions, the angular velocity will be:
A) 2 ω
B) √2 ω
C) 3 ω
D) 4 ω
E) 5 ω

10. A uniform disk, a thin hoop, and a uniform solid sphere, all with the same mass and same outer radius,
are each free to rotate about a fixed axis through their centers. Identical forces are simultaneously applied to the
rims of the objects, as shown in figure 28. If the objects start from rest, rank the objects according to their
angular speeds achieved after a given time, least to greatest.
A) hoop, disk, sphere
B) All tie.
C) hoop, sphere, disk
D) disk, hoop, sphere
E) sphere, disk, hoop

11. Figure 32 shows a uniform metal plate that had been square before 25% of it was removed. Three lettered
points are indicated. Rank them according to the rotational inertia of the plate about a perpendicular axis
through them, greatest first.
A) c, a, b
B) c, a & b tie
C) a, b & c tie
D) a, c, b
E) b, a, c

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 7

12. Figure 34 is a graph of the angular speed of a rotating disk as a function of time. For a point on the rim of
the disk, rank the instants a, b, c, and d according to the magnitude of the tangential acceleration, greatest first.
A) c then a then (b and d) tie
B) b then (a and d) tie then c
C) d then c then (a and b) tie
D) a then c then b then d
E) a then b then c then d

13. Figure 35 shows a disk that can rotate about an axis perpendicular to its plane with constant angular
velocity ω. By what factor will the rotational kinetic energy of the disk change if the axis of rotation of the disk
is shifted from the center to the edge of the disk, keeping ω constant.
A) 3
B) 1/3
C) 4
D) 1/4
E) 2
14. Figure 34 is a graph of the angular velocity versus time for a disk rotating like a merry-go-around. For a
point on the disk rim, rank the instants a, b, c, and d according to the magnitude of the radial acceleration,
greatest first.
A) b, a & c tie, d
B) c, a, b & d tie
C) a & c tie, b & d tie
D) b & d tie, a & c tie
E) a, b, c, d

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 8

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 9
 Figure 25

Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28

Figure 29 Figure 30 Figure 31

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 10

 Figure 32 Figure 33 Figure 34

Figure 35 Figure 36 Figure 37

Figure 38 Figure 39

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 10 Page 11

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Rolling, Torque &
11 Angular Momentum
  Rolling motion
  Torque
  Angular momentum
  Conservation of angular momentum

1. A uniform hoop (ring) is rolling smoothly from the top of a 30° inclined plane of height 5.0 m, starting
from rest. Find the speed of its center of mass when it reaches the bottom of the incline. (Ans: 7.0 m/s)
2. A thin hoop rolls without sliding along the floor. The ratio of its translational kinetic energy of the center of
mass to its rotational kinetic energy about an axis through its center of mass is: (Ans: 1)
3. A 3.0 kg wheel, rolling smoothly on a horizontal surface, has a rotational inertia about its axis = MR2/2,
where M is its mass and R is its radius. A horizontal force is applied to the axle so that the center of mass has an
acceleration of 2.0 m/s2. What is the magnitude of the frictional force of the surface? (Ans: 3.0 N)
4. A hoop has a mass of 200 grams and a radius of 25 cm. It rolls without slipping along a level ground at 500
cm/s. What is its total kinetic energy? (Ans: 5 J)
5. A uniform solid sphere of radius 0.10 m rolls smoothly across a horizontal table at a speed 0.50 m/s with
total kinetic energy 0.70 J. Find the mass of the sphere. (Ans: 4.0 kg)
6. A uniform solid sphere is rolling smoothly up a ramp that is inclined at 10o. What is the acceleration of its
center of mass? (Ans: 1.2 m/s2, down the ramp)
7. What is the net torque about the origin on an object located at (0, –5.0, 5.0) m when forces F1 = –3.0 k̂ (N)
and F2 = 2.0 ĵ (N) act on the object? (Ans: 5.0 î N.m)
8. A stone attached to a string is whirled at 3.0 rev/s around a horizontal circle of radius 0.75 m. The mass of
the stone is 0.15 kg. What is the magnitude of the angular momentum of the stone relative to the center of the
circle? (Ans: 1.6 kg.m2/s)
9. A 2.0-kg particle moves in the xy plane with a constant speed of 3.0 m/s in the +x direction along the line
y = 5.0 m (see figure 1). What is its angular momentum relative to the origin? (Ans: –30 k̂ kg.m2/s)
10. Figure 2 shows two particles of mass m1 and m2 having velocities 5.0 m/s in the +x direction and 2.0 m/s
in the –x direction. Find the total angular momentum of this system of particles about the origin.
(Ans: –50 k̂ kg.m2/s)
11. A uniform solid disk of mass 3.0 kg and radius 0.20 m rotates about a fixed axis perpendicular to its face.
The axis passes through a point midway between the center and the edge of the disk. The angular speed of
rotation is 6.0 rad/s. What is the magnitude of the angular momentum of the disk about this axis?
(Ans: 0.54 kg.m2/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 1

12. Consider two thin rods, each of length (L = 1.5 m) and mass 30 g, arranged on a frictionless table, as
shown in figure 3. The system rotates about a vertical axis through point O with constant angular speed of 4.0
rad/s. What is the angular momentum of the system about O? (Ans: 0.18 kg.m2/s)
13. The angular momentum of an object about the origin is given as functions of time as follows: L = (2t-1) î
(kg.m2.s), where t is in seconds. What is the torque about the origin at t = 2.0 s? (Ans: 2.0 î N.m)
14. A force F = 2.0 î + 3.0 ĵ (N) is applied to an object that is pivoted about a fixed axis aligned along the z-
axis. If the force is applied at the point of coordinates (4.0, 5.0, 0.0) m, what is the applied torque about the z
axis? (Ans: 2.0 k̂ N.m)
15. A star of radius R is spinning with an angular velocity ω. If it shrinks until its radius becomes R/2, find the
ratio of the final angular momentum to its initial angular momentum. (Ans: 1)
16. Force F = –8.0 î + 6.0 ĵ (N) acts on a particle with position vector r = 3.0 î + 4.0 ĵ (m). What is the torque
on the particle about the point P = (0, 4.0 m)? (Ans: 18 k̂ N.m)
17. A merry-go-round of radius R = 2.0 m has a rotational inertia I = 200 kg.m2 and is rotating at 10 rev/min,
about a frictionless vertical axle. A 50 kg boy jumps onto the edge of the merry-go-round and sits down on the
edge. Considering the boy to be a point mass, what is the new angular speed of the merry-go-round?
(Ans: 5.0 rev/min)
18. A horizontal disk has a radius of 3.0 m and a rotational inertia of 600 kg·m2 about its axis. It is initially
spinning at 0.80 rad/s when a 20 kg child is at the center of the disk. The child then walks to the rim (edge) of
the disk. When the child reaches the rim, what is the angular velocity of the disk? (Treat the child as a point
mass) (Ans: 0.62 rad/s)
19. A monkey of mass = M stands on the rim of a horizontal disk. The disk has a mass of 4M and a radius R =
2.0 m and is free to rotate about a frictionless vertical axle through its center. Initially the monkey and the disk
are at rest. Then the monkey starts running around the rim clockwise at a constant speed of 4.0 m/s relative to
the ground. What is the new angular velocity of the disk? (Ans: 1.0 rad/s counterclockwise)
20. Figure 4 shows two disks mounted on bearings on a common axis. The first disk has rotational inertia I
and is spinning with angular velocity ω. The second disk has rotational inertia 2I and is spinning in the same
direction as the first disk with angular velocity 2ω. The two disks are slowly forced toward each other along the
axis until they stick. What is final common angular velocity? (Ans: 5ω/3)
21. A solid sphere of mass M = 1.0 kg and radius R = 10 cm rotates about a frictionless axis at 4.0 rad/s (see
figure 5). A hoop of mass m = 0.10 kg and radius R = 10 cm falls onto the ball and sticks to it in the middle
exactly. What is the angular speed of the whole system about the axis just after the hoop sticks to the sphere?
(Ans: 3.2 rad/s)
22. Figure 6 shows an overhead view of a thin rod of mass M = 2.0 kg and length L = 2.0 m which can rotate
horizontally about a vertical axis through the end A. A particle of mass m = 2.0 kg traveling horizontally with a
velocity vi =10 ĵ m/s strikes the rod (which was initially at rest) at point B. The particle rebounds with a velocity
vf = – 6.0 ĵ m/s. Find the angular speed (ωf ) of the rod just after collision. (Ans: 24 rad/s)



Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 2

23. Figure 7 shows an object, of mass m = 100 g and velocity vo, is fired onto one end of a uniform thin rod (L
= 0.4 m, M = 1.0 kg) initially at rest. The rod can rotate freely about an axis through its center (O). The object
sticks to the rod after collision. The angular velocity of the system (rod + object) is 10 rad/s immediately after
the collision. Calculate vo. (Ans: 8.7 m/s)
24. A ring is given an initial speed of 7.0 m/s at its center of mass (see figure 8). It then rolls smoothly up the
incline. At a height of 5.0 m, what is the speed of the center of mass of the ring? (Ans: zero)
25. A uniform solid disk of mass 3.0 kg and radius 0.20 m rotates about a fixed axis perpendicular to its face.
The axis passes through a point midway between the center and the edge of the disk. The angular speed of
rotation is 6.0 rad/s. What is the magnitude of the angular momentum of the disk about this axis?
(Ans: 0.54 kg.m2/s)
26. A sphere of mass 140 kg rolls on a horizontal floor so that its center of mass has a speed of 0.150 m/s.
How much work must be done on the sphere to stop it? (Ans: – 2.21 J)
27. A 2.0-kg particle has a velocity of v = (2.0 î + 4.0 ĵ ) m/s at the point (2.0, -2.0) m. Find its angular
momentum relative to the point (- 2.0, - 2.0) m at this moment. (Ans: +32 k̂ kg.m2/s)
28. A student holding two weights close to his chest is sitting on a frictionless chair; the student and chair are
rotating with an angular speed of 10 rad/s. The rotational inertia of Student + Weights + Chair system about the
axis of rotation is 20 kg.m2. Now the student extends his arms horizontally to increase the rotational inertia by
10 %. Find the new angular speed of the system? (Ans: 9.1 rad/s)
29. A solid cylinder of mass M = 1.0 kg and radius R = 10 cm rolls smoothly (without sliding) down a 30o
rough incline. Find the force of static friction acting along the incline at the point of contact between the incline
and the cylinder. (Ans: 1.6 N)
30. A 6.00-kg particle moves to the right at 4.00 m/s as shown in figure 10. What is its angular momentum
about the point O? (Ans: 144 kg.m2/s into the page)
31. A man of mass 80 kg, holding a stone of mass 2.0 kg, stands at the rim of a turntable of radius 4.0 m and
mounted on a frictionless shaft through its center. The rotational inertia of the turntable is 2.0 ×103 kg.m2. The
whole system is initially at rest. Now, the man throws the stone tangentially out with a speed of 2.0 m/s relative
to the ground. Calculate the angular speed of the man-turntable system. You may consider the man as a point
mass. (Ans: 4.9 × 10–3 rad/s)
32. Two objects moving in the xy plane are shown at a certain instant in figure 11. What is the magnitude of
the total angular momentum (about the origin O) at this instant? (Ans: 30 kg·m2/s)
33. Figure 12 is an overhead view of a uniform thin rod (of length 1 m and mass 2 kg) rotating horizontally at
18 rad/s counter-clockwise about a vertical axis through its center. A particle of mass 0.2 kg traveling
horizontally at 30 m/s hits the rod and sticks to it at a distance d from the axis of rotation. At the time of
collision with the rod, the particle was traveling perpendicular to the rod. Right after the collision, the (rod +
particle) system comes to rest. Find the value of d. (Ans: 0.5 m)
34. The position of a 3.0-kg particle relative to the origin is given by: r = (2.0t2 î +3.0t ĵ ); where r is in meters
and t is time in seconds. What is the angular momentum of the particle in about the origin at t = 2.0 s?
(Ans: -72 k̂ kg.m2/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 3

35. The sun has a radius of 7.0×105 km and spins (rotates) around its central axis with a period of 25 days.
What would be the new period if the sun was to shrink (decrease in size), under the action of central forces, to a
radius of 1000 km? Assume the sun to be a solid sphere. (Ans: 4.4 s)
36. A solid uniform sphere of mass M and radius R rolls on a horizontal surface with a speed V and then up an
inclined plane without sliding to a height h where it momentarily stops, as shown in figure 17. What is the value
of h? (Ans: 7V2/10g)
37. What is the moment of inertia of a rigid body in rotational motion about a fixed axis with angular
momentum L = 10.0 kg.m2.s-1 and a rotational kinetic energy K = 0.500 J? (Ans: 100 kg.m2)
38. A wheel of 0.25-m radius is rolling without sliding at a constant angular speed of 10 rad/s. What is the
linear speed of a point at the top of the wheel? (Ans: 5.0 m/s)
39. Figure 20 shows a graph of a torque applied to a rotating body as a function of time. What is the angular
momentum of the rotating body at t = 4.0 s, assuming it was initially at rest? (Ans: 8.0 kg.m2/s)
40 A disk with radius of 3.0 m and a moment of inertia of 8000 kg·m2 is rotating about its central axis without
friction with an angular velocity of 1.2 rad/s. Initially a man with mass m is moving with a velocity of 5.0 m/s,
on a line tangent to the edge of the disk, as shown in Figure 21. The man jumps onto the edge of the disk. The
final angular velocity of the disk and the man is 1.24 rad/s. What is the mass of the man? (Ans: 83 kg)
41. Two equal masses m1 = m2 = 1.50 kg are joined with a massless rod with length L = 50.0 cm. The rod is
free to rotate in a horizontal plane without friction about a vertical axis through its center. With the rod initially
at rest, an object with mass M = 0.500 kg is moving horizontally towards m2 with a velocity 4.50 m/s , as shown
in figure 23 (top view). Finally the object collides with m2 and sticks to it and the rod rotates. What is the
angular speed of the rod-masses system after the collision? (Ans: 2.57 rad/s)
42. A circular disc of mass 4.0 kg and radius 10 cm rotates about a vertical axis passing through its center.
The variation of its angular momentum (L) with time (t) is given in figure 24. Find the angular acceleration of
the disc at t = 3.0 s? (Ans: –100 rad/s2)
43. A 2.00 kg projectile is launched from the origin of an xy coordinate system with a velocity of 10.0 m/s
making an angle of 45.0° with the positive x axis. If the maximum height is 2.55 m, what is the angular
momentum of the projectile, about the origin, when it reaches the maximum height? (Ans: – 36.1 k̂ kg.m2/s)
44. At t = 0, a 2.0 kg particle with velocity v = (5.0 î + 3.0 ĵ ) m/s is at the origin. It is pulled by a 6.0 N force
in the negative y direction. What is the torque about the origin at t = 3.0 s? (Ans: – 90 k̂ N.m)
45. Figure 32 shows a solid ball that rolls smoothly from rest at height H = 6.0 m until it leaves the horizontal
section at the end of the track, at height h = 2.0 m. With what horizontal velocity will the ball leave the track?
(Ans: 7.48 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 4

 A B C D E Conceptual Problems 

1. A man, with his arms at his sides, is spinning on a light turntable that can rotate freely about a vertical
frictionless axis. When he extends his arms:
A. his angular velocity will decrease.
B. his angular momentum will increase.
C. his angular velocity remains the same.
D. his rotational inertia decreases.
E. his rotational kinetic energy remains the same.
2. Two identical thin rods of mass M and length d are attached together in the form of a plus sign “+” (see
figure 9). The whole structure is rotating counterclockwise with angular velocity of ω about the z axis (which is
at the point of attachment). The angular momentum about the z axis is:
A. (1/6) M ω d2 counterclockwise
B. (1/12) M ω d2 clockwise
C. (1/24) M ω d2 counterclockwise
D. (1/2) M ω d2 counterclockwise
E. M ω d2 clockwise
3. A particle, held by a string whose other end is attached to a fixed point C, moves in a circle on a horizontal
frictionless surface. If the string is cut, the angular momentum of the particle about the point C:
A. does not change
B. changes direction but not magnitude
C. increases
D. decreases
E. becomes zero
4. Two cylinders made of the same material roll down a plane inclined at an angle θ with the horizontal. Each
travels the same distance. The radius of cylinder B is twice the radius of cylinder A. If they start from rest at the
same height, in what order do they reach the bottom.
A. They both reach the bottom at the same time, because each has the same linear
acceleration.
B. A reaches the bottom first because it has a greater acceleration.
C. A reaches the bottom first because it has a smaller moment of inertia.
D. B reaches the bottom first because it experiences a larger torque.
E. B reaches the bottom first because it travels a larger distance in one rotation.
5. A single force acts on a particle situated on the positive x axis. The torque about the origin is in the
negative z direction. The force might be:
A. in the negative y direction
B. in the positive y direction
C. in the positive x direction
D. in the negative x direction
E. in the positive z direction

6. When a man on a frictionless rotating seat extends his arms horizontally, his rotational kinetic energy:
A. must decrease
B. must increase
C. must remain the same
D. may increase or decrease depending on his initial angular velocity
E. may increase or decrease depending on his gravitational potential energy

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 5

7. When we apply the energy conservation principle to a cylinder rolling down an incline without sliding, the
work done by friction is zero because:
A. the linear velocity of the point of contact between the cylinder and the plane is
zero
B. the angular velocity of the center of mass about the point of contact is zero
C. the coefficient of kinetic friction is zero
D. there is no friction present
E. the coefficients of static and kinetic friction are equal
8. A rod rests on a horizontal frictionless surface. Two forces that are equal in magnitude and opposite in
direction are simultaneously applied to its ends as shown in figure 13. Which of the following statements is
correct?
A. The linear momentum of the c. m. of the rod is constant.
B. The angular acceleration of the rod = 0
C. The angular momentum of the rod about its c. m. = 0
D. The rotational kinetic energy of the rod about its c. m. = 0
E. The rotational inertia of the rod about its c. m. = 0

9. Three particles, of mass of m, 2m and 3m, are fastened to each other and to a rotation axis at O by three
massless rods, of lengths a, 2a and 3a, respectively (see figure 14). The combination rotates around the
rotational axis with angular velocity ω. What is the total angular momentum of the three particles relative to
point O?
A. 127 mωa2
B. 97 mωa2
C. 117 mωa2
D. 137 mωa2
E. 147 mωa2

10. A uniform disk is rolling smoothly down a rough incline starting from rest from a height h as shown in
figure 15. Which one of the following statement is correct?
A. Kinetic energy of rolling of the disk at the bottom of the incline is mgh.
B. Mechanical energy is not conserved because there is friction.
C. Rotational kinetic energy (1/2 Icom ω2)is equal to the translational kinetic energy
(1/2 m vcom2)at the bottom.
D. No change in rotational kinetic energy.
E. Work done by static friction force is not zero.

11. The angular momentum L of a system is given by the equation L = k1 x2 + k2 v, where x is distance and v
is speed. The dimensions of k1 and k2, respectively, are
A. MT-1 and ML
B. MT and M-1L-1
C. M-1T-1 and M-1T-1
D. M2T-2 and M-2T2
E. ML and ML
12. Increasing the angular speed of a rotating body will NOT cause an increase in:
A. the rotatioal inertia
B. angular momentum
C. linear speed
D. rotational kinetic energy
E. translational kinetic energy

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 6

13. A single force acts on a particle P, as shown in figure 16. Rank each of the orientations of the force
shown below according to the magnitude of the time rate of change of the particle's angular momentum about
the point O, least to greatest.
A. 1 and 2 tie, then 4, 3
B. 1 and 2 tie, then 3, 4
C. 1 , 2 , 3, 4
D. 1 and 2 tie, then 3 and 4 tie
E. All are the same
14. A hoop rolls smoothly with constant velocity along a level ground. Its rotational kinetic energy is:
A. the same as its translational kinetic energy
B. half its translational kinetic energy
C. twice its translational kinetic energy
D. four times its translational kinetic energy
E. one-third its translational kinetic energy

15. Consider two objects A and B, rotating about fixed axes, with equal rotational kinetic energies. The
rotational inertia of object A is twice that of object B. Find the ratio of the angular momentum of object A to that
of object B (about their respective axes of rotations).

16. Figure 18 shows the position vector r of a particle at a certain instant, and three forces that act on it. All
three forces are equal in magnitude and lie in the xy plane. Rank the forces according to the magnitude of the
torque they produce on the particle about the origin O, greatest first.
A. F2, F3, F1
B. F2, F1, F3
C. F3, F2, F1
D. F1, F2, F3
E. F1, F3, F2
17. A small disk, tied to one end of a light string, moves with speed v in a circular path of radius r, on a
horizontal, frictionless table. The string passes through a hole in the center of the table as shown in figure 19. If
the string is slowly pulled down, thereby reducing the radius of the path of the disk to half its initial value, the
new speed of the disk is:
A. 2v
B. v/2
C. v/4
D. 4v
E. v

18. Figure 22 shows a hoop rolling without slipping on a horizontal surface so that its center proceeds to the
right with constant speed. The angular momentum of this hoop about the contact point P is:
A. It points into the paper.
B. It points out of the paper.
C. It points to the left.
D. It points to the right
E. It varies from point to point on the hoop.

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 7

19. A man, holding equal mass m in each hand, is standing on a frictionless disk, rotating about an axis
passing through its center. Initially, the man has both hands down, as shown in figure 25A, and the system (man
+ disk) rotates with an angular velocity ωi. Finally the man stretches his arms horizontally, as shown in figure
25B, and the new angular velocity of the system is ωf. The man’s final rotational kinetic energy Kf with respect
to his initial rotational kinetic energy Ki
A) must decrease.
B) must increase.
C) must remain the same.
D) may increase or decrease depending on his initial angular velocity ωf.
E) may increase or decrease depending on his final angular velocity ωf.

20. Five objects of mass m are under a force F at a distance from an axis of rotation perpendicular to the page
through the point A, as shown in figure 26. The one (or ones) that has zero torque about the axes through A is:
A. c, d
B. b, a
C. a, e
D. d
E. e
21. A student releases from rest a solid sphere (object P), a thin-walled hollow sphere (object Q), a solid
cylinder (object R), and a thin-walled hollow cylinder (object S) from the same height at the top of a rough
inclined plane (see figure 27). Which one of these objects will reach the bottom of the incline first?
A) P
B) Q
C) R
D) S
E) They all take the same time
22. Figure 28 shows three particles of the same mass and the same constant speed moving as indicated by the
velocity vectors. Points a, b, c, and d form a square. Rank the magnitudes of the net angular momenta of the
three-particle system about these points, La, Lb, Lc and Ld, greatest first.
A) La, Lb and Lc tie, Ld
B) Lb, La and Lc tie, Ld
C) All tie
D) Lb, Ld, La and Lc tie
E) Ld, La, Lc and Lb tie

23. A thin hoop of mass M and radius R rolls without slipping over a track (see figure 29). When it goes by
point A, its center of mass speed is (2gh)1/2. With what center of mass speed will the hoop pass point B?

A) gh
B) 2g h
C) M gh
2g h
D)
R2
E) 3g h

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 8

24. If the net external torque acting on an object rotating about a fixed axis is zero, which of the following
statements is correct?
A. The angular momentum of the object will not change.
B. The angular momentum of the object will change.
C. The angular acceleration of the object is not zero.
D. The rotational kinetic energy of the object will change.
E. The angular velocity of the object will change.

25. Mohammed (M) and Salim (S) (have the same mass) are riding on a merry-go-round rotating at a constant
rate. Salem is half way in from the edge, as shown in figure 30. The angular momenta of Salem and Mohammed
about the axis of rotation are Ls and Lm, respectively. Which of the following relations is correct?
A. Lm = 4 Ls
B. Lm = Ls
C. Lm = Ls/4
D. Lm = 2 Ls
E. Lm = Ls/2

26. Figure 31 shows a solid disk with mass M, radius R, and rotational inertia ½ MR2, rolling without sliding
on a horizontal surface. A horizontal force F is applied to the axle and the center of mass has an acceleration =
a. The magnitude of the frictional force (fs) of the surface is:
A. ½ M a
B. 0
C. 2 M a
D. M a
E. ¼ M a
27. Two wheels A and B of the same radius and mass start rolling from rest, down the same incline (without
slipping) from the same initial height. The difference between the two wheels is that wheel A has more mass
near the rim while wheel B has more mass near the center. When they reach the bottom, which one of the
following statements is TRUE?
A) Wheel B rolls down faster than wheel A
B) Wheel A rolls down faster than wheel B
C) Both wheels roll at the same speed
D) The change in the potential energy of wheel A at the bottom of the incline is
greater than that of wheel B
E) The wheels will have the same kinetic energy at the bottom of the incline
28. A hoop (Icom = MR2) rolls down an inclined plane. The ratio of its rotational kinetic energy to it its total
kinetic energy is:
A. 1/2
B. 2/3
C. 1/3
D. 1/4
E. 2





Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 9

29. A student of mass M stands on the rim of a frictionless merry-go-around (rotating disk) of radius R and
rotational inertia I that is not moving. He throws a rock of mass m with speed v in a direction that is tangent to
the outer edge of the merry-go-around. What is the angular speed of the student & merry-go-around afterward?

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 10

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 11
 Figure 19 Figure 20

Figure 21 Figure 22 Figure 23

Figure 24 Figure 25

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 12

 Figure 26

Figure 27 Figure 28 Figure 29

Figure 30 Figure 31 Figure 32

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 11 Page 13

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Equilibrium &
12 Elasticity
  Static equilibrium
  Elasticity

1. A uniform steel bar of length 3.0 m and weight 20 N rests on two supports (A and B) at its ends. A block of
weight W = 30 N is placed at a distance 1.0 m from A (see figure 1). What are the magnitudes of the forces on
the supports A and B, respectively? (Ans: 30 N and 20 N)
2. Two scales are 2.0 m apart. A uniform 40 kg beam of the same length is placed on top of them (see figure
2). A 10-kg block is placed on the beam after which the right scale reads 22 kg and the left scale reads 28 kg.
How far from the right scale is the center of gravity of the block located? (Ans: 1.6 m)
3. A uniform meter stick has mass M = 1.25 kg. As shown in figure 3, this meter stick is supported by two
vertical strings, one at each end, in such a manner that it makes an angle of 20° with the horizontal. Find the
magnitude of the tension in each string. (Ans: T1 = 6.1 N, T2 = 6.1 N)
4. Figure 4 shows three boxes of masses m1, m2 and m3 hanging from a ceiling. The crossbars are horizontal
and have negligible mass and same length L. If m3 = 1.0 kg, then what is m1? (Ans: 12 kg)
5. A uniform rod AB is 1.2 m long and weighs 16 N. It is suspended by strings AC and BD, as shown in
figure 5. A block P, weighing 96 N, is attached at point E, 0.30 m from A. What is the magnitude of the tension
in the string BD? (Ans: 32 N)
6. A 5.0-m long uniform ladder (with mass m = 12.0 kg) leans against a wall at a point 4.0 m above a
horizontal floor as shown in figure 6. Assuming the wall is frictionless (but the floor is not), determine the
magnitude of the normal force exerted on the ladder by the wall. (Ans: 44 N)
7. A man weighing 720 N stands halfway up a 5.0 m ladder of negligible weight. The base of the ladder is 3.0
m from the wall, as shown in figure 7. Assume that the wall-ladder contact is frictionless. With what force does
the wall push against the ladder? (Ans: 270 N)
8. Figure 8 shows a stationary 50-N uniform rod (AB), 1.2 m long, held against a wall by a rope (AC) and
friction between the rod and the wall. Find the magnitude of the force (T) exerted on the rod by the rope.
(Ans: 50 N)
9. A 240-N weight is hung from two ropes AB and BC, as shown in figure 9. What is magnitude of the
tension in the horizontal rope AB? (Ans: 416 N)
10. A thin right angled rod is made of a uniform material. The shorter end is half the length of the longer end.
It is hanging by a string attached at point O (see figure 10). At equilibrium, what is the angle α between the
shorter rod and the vertical? (Ans: 76°)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 1

11. Figure 11 shows a uniform beam, with a weight of 60.0 N and a length of 3.20 m, that is hinged at its
lower end. A horizontal force F of magnitude 50.0 N acts at its upper end. The beam is held vertical by a cable
that makes an angle θ = 30.0° with the ground and is attached to the beam at a height h = 1.60 m. What is the
tension (T) in the cable? (Ans: 115 N)
12. A 5.0-m weightless rod (AC), hinged to a wall at A, is used to support an 800-N block, as shown in figure
12. What are the horizontal and vertical components (FH, FV) of the force of the hinge on the rod?
(Ans: FH = 600 N, FV = 800N)
13. A uniform beam, having a mass of 60 kg and a length of 2.8 m is held in place at its lower end by a pin
(P), as shown in figure 13. Its upper end leans against a vertical frictionless wall. What is the magnitude of the
force by the pin on the beam? (Ans: 706 N)
14. The system in figure 14 is in equilibrium. A mass (M) of 5.0 kg hangs from the end of the uniform beam
of mass = 10.0 kg. What is the magnitude of the tension in the cable? (Ans: 190 N)
15. Figure 15 shows a uniform ball of 600 N weight suspended by a string AB and rests against a frictionless
vertical wall. The string makes an angle of 30.0° with the wall. What is the magnitude of the tension in the
string? (Ans: 693 N)
16. A horizontal steel rod of length 81 cm and radius 9.5 mm is fixed at one end. It stretches by 0.90 mm
when a horizontal force of magnitude F is applied to its free end. Find the magnitude of F. (Young modulus of
steel is 20×1010 N/m2) (Ans: 63 kN)
17. A 500-kg mass is hung from the ceiling with a steel wire. The wire has length = 45.0 cm, radius = 4.00
mm and has negligible mass. Calculate the change in the length of the wire. (Young’s modulus of steel =
20×1010 N/m2) (Ans: 0.22 mm)
18. Figure 16 shows a uniform block of mass m = 100 kg, which is held in a horizontal position by two
vertical steel rods at its ends. Each of the rods has length = 1.0 m, cross sectional area = 1.0×10-3 m2 and
Young’s modulus = 2.0×1011 N/m2. What is the increase (ΔL) in the length of any one of the rods?
(Ans: 2.5×10−6 m)
19. A horizontal aluminum rod (shear modulus = 2.5×1010 N/m2) projects L = 5.0 cm from the wall, as shown
in figure 17. The cross sectional area of the rod is 1.0×10-5 m2. A shearing force of 500 N is applied at the end of
the rod. Find the vertical deflection Δx of the end of the rod. (Ans: 1.0×10-4 m)
20. A wire stretches 1.0 cm when a force F is applied to it. The same force is applied to a wire of the same
material but with twice the diameter and twice the length. How much does the second wire stretch?
(Ans: 0.50 cm)
21. A cube of volume 8.0 cm3 is made of a material with a bulk modulus of 3.5×109 N/m2. When it is
subjected to a pressure of 3.0 × 105 Pa, what is the change in its volume (ΔV)? (Ans: 6.9×10-4 cm3)
22. A solid copper sphere has a diameter of 85.5 cm. How much stress must be applied to the sphere to reduce
its diameter to 85.0 cm? The bulk modulus of copper is 1.4×1011 N/m2. (Ans: 2.4×109 N/m2)
23. Two masses m1 = 2.5 kg and m2 = 5.0 kg are hanging as shown in figure 18. Find the tension T in the
horizontal string between the two masses. Assume the strings are massless. (Ans: 42 N)
24. A 90-kg mountain climber is tied to one end of an elastic rope of unstretched length 15 m and diameter 9.6
mm. The climber falls, and the rope is stretched by 3 cm. Find Young’s modulus of the rope.
(Ans: 6.1×109 N/m2)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 2

25. A uniform ladder of length L and mass M rests against a smooth, vertical wall. The coefficient of static
friction between the ladder and the ground is 0.40. Find the angle θ between the ladder and the ground, at which
the ladder is about to slide. (Ans: 51.3o)
26. A uniform horizontal beam of length 6.00 m and mass M = 100 kg is attached to the vertical wall by a
rope making an angle θ = 60.0 º with the wall; the beam can rotate about the fixed pivot O, (see figure 19). A
mass m = 80.0 kg hangs from P at a distance of 4.00 m from O. Find the tension in the rope attached to the wall.
(Ans: 2.03×103 N)
27. What increase in pressure is necessary to decrease the volume of a solid aluminum sphere by 0.050 %?
(Bulk Modulus of Aluminum = 7.00×1010 N/m2) (Ans: 3.50×107 Pa)
28. A certain wire stretches 0.90 cm when outward forces with magnitude F are applied to each of its ends.
The same forces are applied to a second wire of the same material but with two times the diameter and three
times the length. How much does the second wire stretch? (Ans: 0.68 cm)
29. A non-uniform meter stick of mass 200 g is pivoted at the 0 cm mark, and balances horizontally in a
vertical plane. In addition to the reaction at the pivot and weight, two vertical forces are acting on it, as shown in
figure 20. Find the distance of the center of mass of the rod from the pivot. (Ans: 76 cm)
30. A uniform beam is 5.00 m long and has a mass of 53.0 kg. The beam is supported in a horizontal position
by a hinge and a cable, as shown in figure 22. Find the x and y components, respectively, of the force of the
hinge on the beam. (Ans: −150 N, +260 N)
31. In figure 23, the applied force of magnitude F = 19.6 N keeps the 6.00-kg block and the pulleys in
equilibrium. The pulleys have negligible mass and friction. Find the tension T in the upper cable. (Ans: 78.4 N)
32. A man holds horizontally a non-uniform rod AB of length = 6.0 m and weight = 30 N in equilibrium, by
exerting a downward force F1, with one hand, at the end A and an upward force F2, with the other hand, at a
point 1.0 m from A as shown in figure 25. If the magnitude of F1 is half that of F2, find the location of the center
of mass of the rod from the point A. (Ans: 2.0 m)
33. As shown in figure 26, a uniform beam of length 4.20 m is suspended by a cable from its center point O.
A 65.0-kg man stands at one end of the beam. Where should a 190-kg block be placed on the beam so that the
beam is in static equilibrium? (Distances are measured from the center point O of the beam)? (Ans: 0.718 m)
34. Three parallel forces of magnitudes 10.0 N, 20.0 N, and 20.0 N, respectively, act on a body, as shown in
figure 27. The perpendicular distances from a given point O to their lines of action are shown. What single force
can replace these forces? (Ans: 50.0 N, 10.0 cm to the right of point O)
35. In Figure 28, PQ is a horizontal uniform beam weighing 155 N. It is supported by a string and a hinge at
point P. A 245 N block is hanging from point Q at the end of the beam. Find the horizontal component of net
force on the beam from the hinge. (Ans: 580 N)
36. A meter stick balances horizontally on a knife-edge at the 50.0 cm mark. With two 5.00 g coins stacked
over the 10.0 cm mark, the stick is found to balance at the 45.5 cm mark. What is the mass of the meter stick?
(Ans: 78.9 × 10−3 kg)
37. When water freezes, it expands by about 9.0 %. What would be the pressure increase inside the radiator of
your car if the water in it freezes? The bulk modulus of ice is 2.0×109 N/m2. (Ans: 1.8×108 Pa)
38. A uniform and symmetric sign board is supported by two strings as shown in figure 30. Find the ratio of
the tension in string 1 to the weight of the sign board. (Ans: 0.33)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 3

39. Figure 31 shows the stress-strain curve for a material. What is Young’s modulus of this material?
(Ans: 7.50 × 1010 N/m2)
40. A block with a weight of 10.0`kN is supported by a massless rope attached to a 4.00`m massless beam that
can pivot at the base, as shown in figure 32. Find the magnitude of the tension (T) in the rope. (Ans: 5.08 kN)
41. A horizontal uniform meter stick is supported at the 50-cm mark. A mass of 0.50 kg is hanging from it at
the 20-cm mark and a 0.30 kg mass is hanging from it at the 60-cm mark (see figure 33). Find the position on
the meter stick at which one would hang a third mass of 0.60 kg to keep the meter stick balanced. (Ans: 70 cm)
42. A uniform rigid rod having a mass of 50 kg and a length of 2.0 m rests on two supports A and B as shown
in figure 35. When a block of mass 60 kg is kept at point C at a distance of x from the center, the rod is about to
be lifted off A (the normal force on the rod at A is zero). What is the value of x? (Ans: 0.92 m)
43. Figure 36 shows a uniform rod (mass M = 5.0 kg, length L = 1.2 m) dangling over a frictionless edge at
point P, but secured by a horizontal rope with tension T = 5.0 N. If the angle θ= 30o, then what is the distance d
needed to keep the rod in equilibrium? (Ans: 3.3 cm)
44. The uniform sphere in figure 37 has a mass m = 2.0 kg and is held in place by a massless rope of length L
= 20 cm, touching a rough wall. Find the force of friction between the sphere and the wall if the tension in the
rope is 10 N, and the angle θ = 30o. (Ans: 11 N)
45. A system consisting of mass m, a crate and pulleys is shown in figure 38. The pulleys are frictionless and
massless. Find the value of mass m for which the system will be in static equilibrium. (Ans: 167 kg)
46. A worker wants to turn over a uniform, 1250 N, rectangular crate by pulling at 53o on one of its vertical
sides, as shown in figure 39. The floor is rough to prevent the crate from slipping. What pull is needed to just
start the crate to tip? (Ans: 1.15 kN)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. Three identical uniform rods are each acted on by the forces shown in figure 21, all perpendicular to the
rods and all equal in magnitude. Which of the rods could be in static equilibrium if an additional force is applied
at the center of mass of the rod?
A. Only 3
B. Only 2
C. Only 1
D. Only 1 and 2
E. All three

2. Three forces, F1 = 5.0 N, F2 = 10 N, and F3 = 15 N are acting on a body as shown in figure 24. Choose the
correct answer (COM stands for center of mass):
A. The body is in both translational and rotational equilibrium.
B. The body is only in rotational equilibrium.
C. The body is only in translational equilibrium.
D. The body is neither in rotational equilibrium nor in translational equilibrium.
E. The body is moving horizontally with a uniform acceleration.



Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 4

3. A picture is to be hung from the ceiling by means of two wires as shown in figure 29. Order the following
arrangements of the wires according to the tension in wire B, from least to greatest.
A. II, I, III
B. I, II, III
C. III, I, II
D. I, III, II
E. III, II, I

4. Figure 32 shows three situations in which a horizontal rod is supported by a hinge on a wall at one end and
a cord at the other end. Rank the situations according to the magnitude of the force on the rod from the cord,
greatest first.
A) (1 and 3 tie) then 2
B) 2 then (1 and 3 tie)
C) All tie
D) 1, 2, 3
E) 3, 2, 1

5. The diagrams in figure 34 show forces applied to a wheel of weight W = 20 N. Which diagram is the wheel
in equilibrium?
A. diagram (3)
B. diagram (2)
C. diagram (1)
D. diagram (4)
E. none of them

6. Two uniform and identical bricks of length L are stacked on top of one another as shown in figure 40. In
terms of L, what is the maximum overhang h such that the stack is in equilibrium?
A) 3L/4
B) 7L/8
C) L/2
D) 5L/6
E) 2L/3

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 5

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 6
 Figure 26

Figure 27 Figure 28 Figure 29

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 7

 Figure 30 Figure 31 Figure 32

Figure 32 Figure 33

Figure 34

Figure 35 Figure 36 Figure 37

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 8

 Figure 38 Figure 39 Figure 40

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 12 Page 9

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

Gravitation
CHAPTER

13
  Newton’s law of gravitation
  Shell theorem
  Variation of g
  Potential energy & work
  Escape speed
  Conservation of energy
  Kepler’s laws - planets
 Orbits
1. A space ship is going from the Earth to the Moon along the line joining their centers. At what distance from
the center of the Earth will the net gravitational force on the space ship be zero? Assume that Me = 81 Mm,
where Me is the mass of the Earth and Mm is the mass of the Moon. (The distance from the center of the Earth to
the center of the Moon is 3.8 × 105 km). (Ans: 3.4×105 km)
2. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the net gravitational force on particle of mass m due to two
particles, each of mass M, where m = 1000 kg and M = 10000 kg and are arranged, as shown in figure 1.
(Ans: 4.3 × 10-5 N, directed towards negative x axis)
3. Three 5.0-kg masses are located at points in the xy plane as shown in figure 2. What is the magnitude of the
resultant force caused by the other two masses on the mass at the origin? (Ans: 2.1×10-8 N)
4. The escape speed from a certain planet for an empty spaceship of mass M is 2.0×104 m/s. What is the
escape speed for a fully-loaded spaceship which has mass 3M? (Ans: 2.0×104 m/s)
5. Four point masses are at the corners of a square whose side is 20 cm long (see figure 4). What is the
magnitude of the net gravitational force on a point mass m5 = 2.5 kg located at the center of the square?
(Ans: 3.3 × 10-8 N)
6. Four equal masses, 2.0 kg each, are placed at the four corners of a square of side 10 cm, (see figure 5).
What is the magnitude of the gravitational force on one of the masses due to the other three?
(Ans: 5.1×10-8 N)
7. Eight balls of different masses are placed along a circle, as shown in figure 6. What is direction of the net
force on a ninth ball of mass m in the center of the circle? (Ans: NE)
8. The gravitational acceleration at the surface of Earth = 9.8 m/s2. Find the gravitational acceleration at an
altitude that is equal to 3 times the radius of Earth. (Ans: 0.6 m/s2)
9. A-1200 kg satellite orbits the Earth (Mass = 5.98×1024 kg and Radius = 6.37×106 m) in an orbit of radius =
2R. How much energy is needed to move the satellite from this orbit to another orbit of radius = 3R?
(Ans: 6.26×109 J)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 1

10. An object is fired vertically from the surface of Earth. It reaches a maximum height of 2Re above the
surface of Earth. What is the initial speed of the object? (Re = radius of Earth = 6.37×106 m, mass of Earth =
5.98×1024 kg) (Ans: 9.1×103 m/s)
11. Three identical particles, each of mass m, are distributed along the circumference of a circle of radius R, as
shown in figure 9. The gravitational force of m2 on m1 is 1.0×10-6 N. What is the magnitude of the net
gravitational force on m1 due to m2 and m3? (Ans: 1.4×10-6 N)
12. A 1000-kg rocket is fired vertically from Earth's surface with zero total mechanical energy. With what
kinetic energy was it fired? (Mass of Earth = 6.0 × 1024 kg, Re = 6.4×106 m) (Ans: 6.3×1010 J)
13. A planet has a mass of 5.0×1023 kg and a radius of 2.0×106 m. A rocket is fired vertically from the surface
of the planet with an initial speed of 4.0 km/s. What is the speed of the rocket when it is 1.0×106 m from the
surface of the planet? (Ans: 2.2 km/s)
14. The escape velocity of an object of mass 200 kg on a certain planet is 60 km/s. When the object is on the
surface of the planet, what is the gravitational potential energy of the object-planet system?
(Ans: − 3.6×1011 J)
15. What is the escape speed on a spherical planet whose radius is 3200 km and whose gravitational
acceleration at the surface is 4.00 m/s2? (Ans: 5.06 km/s)
16. One of the moons of planet Mars completes one revolution around Mars in 1.26 days. If the distance
between Mars and the moon is 23460 km, calculate the mass of Mars. (Ans: 6.45×1023 kg)
17. A planet requires 300 (Earth) days to complete its circular orbit about its sun (mass M = 6.0×1030 kg).
What is the orbital speed of the planet? (Ans: 4.6×104 m/s)
18. Two moons orbit a planet in circular orbits. Moon (A) has orbital radius R and moon (B) has orbital radius
4R. Moon A takes 20 days to complete its orbit. How long does it take moon (B) to complete its orbit?
(Ans: 160 days)
19. A 100-kg rock from outer space is heading directly toward Earth. When the rock is at a distance of (9RE)
from the Earth's surface, its speed is 12 km/s. Neglecting the effects of the Earth's atmosphere on the rock, find
the speed of the rock just before it hits the surface of Earth. (Ans: 16 km/s)
20. A planet has two moons of masses m1 = m and m2 = 2m and orbit radii r1 = r and r2 = 2r, respectively.
What is the ratio of their periods T1/ T2? (Ans: 0.35)
21. Three point masses m2 = 1.0 kg, m1 = m3 = 2.0 kg, are aligned on a straight line, as shown in figure 10.
Take L = 15 cm and d = 5.0 cm. What is the work needed to move m2 from its original position to a final
position a distance d from m3? (Ans: zero)
22. Two satellites are revolving around the earth. The first satellite has mass m1 = 2M and potential energy
U1 = U, while the second one has a mass m2 = 3M and potential energy U2 = 3 U. What is the ratio of their orbital
radii R1/ R2 ? (Ans: 2.0)
23. A planet is in a circular orbit around the Sun. Its distance from the Sun is four times the average distance
of Earth from the Sun. In terms of Earth years, what is the period of this planet? (Ans: 8)
24. An astronaut weighs 140 N on the moon’s surface. He is in a circular orbit of radius 2Rm around the
moon, where Rm = 1.74×103 km is the radius of the moon. Find the gravitational force of the moon on the
astronaut in this orbit? (Ans: 35.0 N towards the moon)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 2

25. A rocket is fired vertically from Earth’s surface with an initial speed of 2.0×104 m/s. Neglecting air
resistance, calculate its speed when it is very far from Earth. (Ans: 1.7×104 m/s)
26. What would be the weight of a 100-kg man on Jupiter? The mass of Jupiter is equal to 318 times the mass
of Earth and the radius is 11 times that of Earth. (Ans: 2.6×103 N)
27. Find the speed that an object must have on the surface of Earth in order to escape from the gravitational
field (pull) of Earth with a speed of 2.00 × 104 m/s. (Ans: 2.29 × 104 m/s)
28. A satellite of mass 125 kg is in a circular orbit of radius 7.00 × 106 m around a certain planet. If the period
of revolution of the satellite is 8.05 × 103 s, what is its mechanical energy? (Ans: −1.87 × 109 J)
29. If we assume that a black hole is a planet where the escape velocity is equal to the speed of light (3.00
×108 m/s), find the radius of a black hole with a mass equal to that of Earth. (Ans: 8.86 × 10−3 m)

30. In space, sphere A of mass 20.0 kg is located at the origin of an x-axis and sphere B of mass 10.0 kg is
located on the x-axis at x = 0.80 m. Sphere B is released from rest while sphere A is held at the origin. What is
the kinetic energy of B when it has moved 0.20 m toward A? (Ans: 5.6 × 10-9 J)
31. A solid uniform sphere has a mass of 1.00 × 104 kg and a radius of 1.00 m. What is the magnitude of the
gravitational force due to the sphere on a particle of mass m = 1.00 kg located at a distance of 0.500 m from the
center of the sphere? (Ans: 3.34 × 10−7 N)
32. Calculate the work needed to take a satellite of mass 1.00 × 103 kg from the surface of Earth and place it
in a circular orbit at an altitude equal to Earth’s radius. Ignore the rotation of Earth. (Ans: 4.70 × 1010 J)
33. Assume that Earth is a uniform solid sphere. What is the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration (ag) at
a distance of RE/2 from the center of Earth, where RE is the radius of Earth? (Ans: 4.9 m/s2)
34. Planet Pluto has a radius 20% of the earth radius and a mass only 0.2% that of earth. If an astronaut can
jump 0.5 m high on earth, then how high can he jump on Pluto? (assume the astronaut jumps on both planets
with the same velocity) (Ans: 10 m)
35. Three solid uniform spheres are located in space, as shown in figure 18. The 50.0 kg and 100 kg spheres
are fixed and the 0.100 kg sphere is released from its initial position with its center 0.400 m from the center of
the 50.0 kg sphere. Find the kinetic energy of the 0.100 kg sphere when it has moved 0.400 m to the right from
its initial position. (Ans: + 1.81 nJ)
36. The potential energy of a satellite of mass 100 kg on a surface of a planet is −1.00×106 J. Find the escape
speed of the satellite from the surface of the planet. (Ans: 141 m/s)
37. Two satellites A and B of the same mass of 130 kg are shown in figure 19, and move in the same circular
orbit of radius r = 7.77×106 m around earth but with opposite senses of rotation, and therefore they are expected
to collide. If the collision is completely inelastic, find the total mechanical energy immediately after the
collision. (Ans: -1.33 × 1010 J)
38. One model of a certain planet has a core of radius R and mass M surrounded by an outer shell of inner
radius R, outer radius 2R, and mass 4M. If M = 4.1×1024 kg and R = 6.0×106 m, what is the gravitational
acceleration of a particle at points R and 3R from the center of the planet? (Ans: 7.6 m/s2, 4.2 m/s2)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 3

 A B C D E Conceptual Problems 

1. Two particles with masses M and 4M are separated by distance D. What is the distance from the mass M for
which the net gravitational force on a mass m is zero?
A. D/3
B. D/2
C. 3D/4
D. 4D/3
E. 2D/3

2. An object is fired vertically upward from the surface of the Earth (Radius = R) with an initial speed of
(vesc)/2. Neglecting air resistance, how far above the surface of Earth will it reach?
A. R/3
B. R/2
C. 3R
D. 2R
E. R

3. Calculate the work required to move an Earth satellite of mass m from a circular orbit of radius 2RE to one
of radius 3RE. (Consider ME = mass of Earth, RE = radius of Earth)
A. G ME m /(12RE)
B. G ME m /(8RE)
C. G ME m /(4RE)
D. G ME m /(6RE)
E. G ME m /(3RE)
4. Figure 3 shows five configurations of three particles, two of which have mass m and the other one has mass
M. What is the configuration with the least (minimum) gravitational force on M, due to the other two particles?
A. 2
B. 1
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5

5. Two uniform concentric spherical shells each of mass M are shown in figure 7. What is the magnitude of
the gravitational force exerted by the shells on a point particle of mass m located a distance d from the center,
outside the inner shell and inside the outer shell?
A. GMm/d2
B. 2GMm/d2
C. GMm/(2d2)
D. 4GMm/d2
E. zero
6. Three identical particles each of mass m are placed on a straight line separated by a distance d, as shown in
figure 8. To remove the particle at the center to a point far away (where U = 0), the work that must be done by
an external agent is given by:
A. 2Gm2/d
B. 4Gm2/d
C. –Gm2/d
D. –4Gm2/d
E. zero

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 4

7. A satellite of mass m and kinetic energy K is in a circular orbit around a planet of mass M. The gravitational
potential energy of this satellite-planet system is:
A. –2K
B. –K/2
C. K/2
D. –K
E. 4K

8. At what altitude above the Earth’s surface would the gravitational acceleration be ag/4? (where ag is the
acceleration due to gravitational force at the surface of Earth and Re is the radius of the Earth).
A. Re
B. 2Re
C. Re/2
D. Re/4
E. 3Re
9. The earth moves around the sun in an elliptical orbit with the sun at one focal point. Kepler’s second law
states that the radius vector from the sun to the earth sweeps equal areas in equal times. Kepler’s second law
holds because
A. The angular momentum of the earth about the sun is conserved.
B. The linear momentum of the earth is conserved.
C. The total energy of the earth is conserved.
D. The kinetic energy of the earth is conserved.
E. The potential energy of the earth is conserved.

10. The escape velocity of a rocket from the surface of the earth is v1. What is the escape velocity of the same
rocket from the surface of a planet whose radius and acceleration due to gravity are each 5 times as those of the
earth?
A. 5v1
B. v1
C. 25v1
D. v1/5
E. v1/25

11. A rocket is fired vertically from the surface of a planet (mass = M, radius = R). What is the initial speed of
the rocket if its maximum height above the surface of the planet is 2R?
A. 4GM / 3R
B. 2GM / 3R
C. 5GM / 3R
D. GM / R
E. GM / 2 R

12. A spaceship (mass = m) orbits a planet (mass = M) in a circular orbit (radius = R). What is the minimum
energy required to make the spaceship escape the gravitational force of the planet?
A. +GmM/2R
B. -GmM/2R
C. +GmM/R
D. -GmM/R
E. +GmM/4R


Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 5

13. What is the mass of a planet, in units of Earth’s mass ME, whose radius is twice the radius of Earth and
whose escape speed is twice that of the Earth?
A. 8ME
B. 4ME
C. 2ME
D. ME/2
E. ME/4

14. A small satellite is in an elliptical orbit around Earth as shown in figure 11. L1 and L2 denote the
magnitudes of its angular momentum and K1 and K2 denote its kinetic energy at positions 1 and 2, respectively.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A. L2 = L1 and K2 > K1
B. L2 > L1 and K2 > K1
C. L2 = L1 and K2 = K1
D. L2 < L1 and K2 = K1
E. L2 > L1 and K2 = K1

15. Five masses are put together as shown in figure 12. What is the net force on the 1.0-kg mass placed in the
center of the circle?
A. G/a2 (+ ĵ )

B. G/a2 (- ĵ )
C. 0

D. 3G/a2 ( î + ĵ )

E. 4G/a2 (- ĵ )

16. If, instead of being distributed over the volume of the Earth, the mass of the Earth is distributed inside a
thin shell, what would be the radial dependence of the gravitational force on an object outside the Earth? Take r
to be the distance to the object from the center of the Earth.
A. 1/r2
B. 1/r
C. 1/r3
D. 1/r0.5
E. None of the others

17. The law of areas due to Kepler is equivalent to the law of

A. Conservation of angular momentum.
B. Conservation of mass.
C. Conservation of energy.
D. Conservation of linear momentum.
E. None of the others.

18. What speed on the surface of Earth should be given to a satellite to put it in an orbit of radius R = 3RE
around the Earth (where RE is the radius of Earth)?

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 6

19. If the radius of a star were to reduce by 50%, while it’s mass remain the same, the acceleration due to
gravity on the star’s surface would:
A. increase by a factor of 4
B. decrease by a factor of 4
C. increase by a factor of 8
D. decrease by a factor of 8
E. decrease by a factor of 16

20. Let the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Earth be gE. The acceleration due to gravity (gp) on
the surface of a planet whose mass is equal to that of Earth but whose radius is only 0.100 RE is given by
A. gp = 100 gE
B. gp = 10.0 gE
C. gp = 50.0 gE
D. gp = 25.0 gE
E. gp = 1.00 gE

21. Figure 13 gives the potential energy function U(r) of a projectile, plotted outward from the surface of a
planet of radius Rs. What kinetic energy is required of a projectile launched at the surface if the projectile is to
“escape” the planet?
A. +5.0 × 109 J
B. –5.0 × 109 J
C. +4.0 × 109 J
D. −4.0 × 109 J
E. −9.0 × 108 J

22. A rocket of mass m is launched from the surface of a planet of mass M and radius R. What is the minimum
total energy the rocket must have to escape from the planet?

23. Figure 14 shows three situations involving a point particle P with mass m and a spherical shell with a
uniformly distributed mass M. The radii of the shells are given. Rank the situations according to the magnitude
of the gravitational force on particle P due to the shell, greatest first.
A. (b) and (c) tie, then (a)
B. (a), (b), (c)
C. (c), (b), (a)
D. (b), (a), (c)
E. All tie






Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 7

24. Two fixed particles of masses M and 9M are arranged as shown in figure 15. At which of the indicated
points can a third particle of mass m be placed so that the net gravitational force on it due to the two particles be
zero?
A) 2
B) 1
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
25. Figure 16 shows a planet traveling in a counterclockwise direction on an elliptical path around a star S
located at one focus of the ellipse. The speed of the planet at a point A is vA and at B is vB. The distance AS = rA
while the distance BS = rB. The ratio vA / vB is:
A. (rB/rA)
B. (rB/rA)2
C. (rA/rB)
D. (rA/rB)2
E. (rB/rA)0.5
26. Figure 17 shows two particles of masses, m and 2m fixed in their positions. A particle of mass m is to be
brought from an infinite distance to one of the three locations, a, b and c. Rank these three locations according to
the magnitude of the net work done by the gravitational force on this particle due to the fixed particles, greatest
first.
A) b, a, c
B) b, then a and c tie
C) a, c, b
D) c, a, b
E) all tie
27. Which one of the following statements concerning Kepler’s laws is FALSE?
A) Satellites in the same orbit around the earth but with different masses will
have different periods.
B) Satellites with the same masses but in different orbits having different radii
around the earth will have different periods.
C) The angular momentum is conserved for planets rotating about the sun.
D) The planets move faster when they are close to the sun.
E) Planets in their orbits sweep equal areas in equal times.

28. Figure 20 shows three uniform spherical planets that are identical in size and mass. The periods of rotation
T for the planets are given, and six lettered points are indicated, three points on the equators of the planets and
three points are on the poles. Rank the points according to the value of the free-fall acceleration g, greated first.
A) b and d and f tie, e, c, a
B) b and d and f tie, c, e, a
C) b and d and f tie, e, a, c
D) e, c, a, b and d and f tie
E) a, c, e, b and d and f tie

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 8

 Figure 12

Figure 13 Figure 14

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 9

 Figure 15 Figure 16

Figure 17 Figure 18

Figure 19 Figure 20

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 13 Page 10

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

CHAPTER
Fluids
14
  Fluids at rest – pressure vs. depth
  Pascal’s principle
  Archimedes’s principle – Buoynat forces
  Fluids in motion: Continuity & Bernoulli equations

1. How deep into a lake would you have to dive so that the increase in pressure you experience is one
atmosphere? (The density of water = 1000 kg/m3) (Ans: 10.2 m)
2. The open vertical tube in figure 1 contains two liquids of densities ρ1 = 1000 kg/m3 and ρ2 = 800 kg/m3,
which do not mix. Find the gauge pressure (pressure due to the liquids only) at the bottom of the tube.
(Ans: 9000 Pa)
3. The density of oil is 0.8 g/cm3. What is the height h of the column of oil shown in figure 2? (Ans: 10 cm)
4. A uniform U-tube is partially filled with water. Oil, of density 0.75 g/cm3, is poured into the left arm until
the water level in the right arm rises 3 cm (see figure 3). What is the length L of the oil column? (Ans: 8 cm)
5. An aluminum ball of volume 4.0 cm3 is dropped in water. Assume the density of water to be 1.0 g/cm3 and
the density of aluminum to be 2.7 g/cm3. Find the acceleration with which the ball sinks in the water (ignore
viscosity). (Ans: 6.2 m/s2)
6. Figure 5 shows a U-tube with cross-sectional area A and partially filled with oil of density ρ. A solid
cylinder, which fits the tube tightly but can slide without friction, is placed in the right arm. The system is in
equilibrium. What is the weight of the cylinder? (Ans: ALρg)
7. A pipe 16 cm in diameter is used to fill a tank of volume 5000 liters in 5 minutes. What is the speed at
which the water leaves the pipe? (Ans: 50 m/min)
8. A piston of radius R1 = 5.0 cm is used in a hydraulic press to exert a force F1 on the enclosed liquid to raise
a car of weight F2 = 13,500 N (see figure 7). If the radius of the larger piston is R2 = 15 cm, find F1.
(Ans: 1.5×103 N)
9. A block of wood floats in water with two-third of its volume submerged. Find the density of the wood.
(Ans: 667 kg/m3)
10. Water is pumped out of a swimming pool at a speed of 5.0 m/s through a uniform hose of radius 1.0 cm.
Find the mass of water pumped out of the pool in one minute. (Ans: 94 kg)
11. The dimensions of a boat (ρboat = 150 kg/m3) are 3.00 m × 3.00 m × 1.00 m. What maximum load can it
carry in sea water (ρsea water = 1020 kg/m3) without sinking? (Ans: 7830 kg)
12. A solid sphere of mass 5.0 kg is floating in water with half of its volume submerged. The density of water
is 1000 kg/m3. What is the buoyant force on the sphere? (Ans: 49 N)


Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 1

13. A balloon filled with helium gas that occupies a volume of 0.0500 m3 is attached by a light rope to the
ground. What is the tension in the rope? (Density of helium gas = 0.1786 kg/m3, density of air = 1.293 kg/m3)
(Ans: 0.5460 N)
14. An Aluminum block of density 2.70 g/cm3 has a weight W in air and a weight Wapp in water when
completely submerged. If (W – Wapp) is equal to 196 N, what is the volume of the block? (Ans: 0.020 m3)
15. An object hangs from a spring balance. The balance reads 30 N in air, and 20 N when the object is
submerged in water. What does the balance read when the object is submersed in a liquid with a density that is
half that of water? (Ans: 25 N)
16. A block of metal has a mass of 0.50 kg and a density of 8.0 × 103 kg/m3. It is suspended from a string and
completely submerged in water. Find the tension in the string. (Density of water = 103 kg/m3) (Ans: 4.3 N)
17. The open end of a cylindrical pipe has a radius of 1.5 cm. Water flows steadily out of this end at a speed
of 7.0 m/s. What is the rate at which mass is leaving the pipe? (Ans: 4.9 kg/s)
18. A water hose of 1.00 cm radius is used to fill a container of volume 20.0 × 103 cm3. It takes 60 s to fill the
container. What is the speed at which the water leaves the hose? (Ans: 106 cm/s)
19. A plane is at an altitude of 10,000 m where the outside air pressure is 0.25 atm. If the air pressure inside
the plane is 1.0 atm, what is the net outward force on a 1m × 2m door in the wall of the plane? (1.0 atm =
1.01×105 Pa) (Ans: 1.5 × 105 N)
20. Water flows from a 6.0-cm diameter pipe into an 8.0-cm diameter pipe. The speed in the 6.0-cm pipe is
5.0 m/s. What is the speed in the 8-cm pipe? (Ans: 2.8 m/s)
21. The rate of flow of water through a horizontal pipe is 2.0 m3/min. Determine the speed of flow at a point
where the radius of the pipe is 5.0 cm. (Ans: 4.2 m/s)
22. Water flows through a horizontal tube from point 1 (cross sectional area A1) to point 2 (cross sectional
area A2), as shown in figure 8. If A1 = 2A2 and v1 = 10 m/s, what is the change in the kinetic energy (ΔK) of 1.0
m3 of water in moving from point 1 to point 2? (Ans: 1.5×105 J)
23. An incompressible liquid flows along a pipe, as shown in figure 8, with A1 = 2A2. What is the ratio of the
mass flow rate R2/R1? (Ans: 1)
24. A sprinkler is made of a 1.0 cm diameter garden hose with one end closed and 25 holes, each with a
diameter of 0.050 cm, cut near the closed end (see figure 9). If water flows at 2.0 m/s in the hose, what is the
speed of the water leaving a hole? (Ans: 32 m/s)
25. Water flows through a horizontal pipe (see figure 10). At the wider end, its speed is 4.0 m/s and at the
narrow end its speed is 5.0 m/s. What is the difference in pressure, p2 - p1, between the two ends?
(Ans: + 4.5×103 Pa)
26. On a standard day (atmospheric pressure), a pressure gauge instrument below the surface of the ocean
(specific gravity = 1.025) reads an absolute pressure of 1.4×106 Pa. How deep underwater is this instrument?
(Ans: 129 m)
27. Figure 12 shows a water pipe that enters a house and carries water to the second floor 7.0 m above ground.
Water flows at 2.0 m/s in the ground level and at 7.0 m/s on the second floor. The pressure in the ground level is
2.0×105 Pa. Find the pressure on the second floor. (Ans: 1.1×105 Pa)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 2

28. Figure 13 shows a very large, closed, oil tank with a hole at a height of 1.0 m from the bottom of the tank.
The oil vapor pressure in the tank is maintained at 1.5 × 105 Pa. Find the speed at which oil leaves the hole,
when the oil level is 20 m from the bottom of the tank. The density of oil is 850 kg/m3. (Ans: 22 m/s)
29. A 10-kg spherical object with a volume of 0.10 m3 is held in static equilibrium under water by a cable
fixed to the bottom of a water tank, as shown in figure 16. What is the tension T in the cable? (Ans: 880 N)
30. A vertical cross section of a simple geological model of the earth that requires mountains to have roots is
shown in figure 17. At some horizontal level in the fluid mantle (called the level of compensation), the pressure
has a constant value (the pressures at points A and B in the figure are equal). How deep must the root (d) of the
mountain approximately be? (Ans: 13 km)
31. The open vertical tube in figure 20 contains three fluids of densities ρ1 = 300 kg/m3, ρ2 = 400 kg/m3 and ρ3
= 500 kg/m3, which do not mix. Find the pressure at point B. (Ans: 1.03×105 Pa)
32. Oil is flowing through a horizontal tube that has two different cross-sectional areas, as shown in figure 21.
At position A, where the radius of the tube is 7.00 cm, the mass flow rate of the oil is 0.025 kg/s. What is the
mass flow rate at position B where the radius of the tube is 3.50 cm? (Ans: 0.025 kg/s)
33. Figure 8 shows water flowing in a horizontal tube. The pressure, velocity, and tube cross sectional area at
points 1 and 2 are (P1, v1, A1) and (P2, v2, A2), respectively. If P1 =8.0×104 Pa, A1 = 4A2, P2 = 6.0×104 Pa and A2 =
2.0×10-3 m2, at what volume rate does water flow through point 2? (Ans: 0.013 m3/s)
34. A solid cube of wood 30.0 cm on each edge is totally submerged in water when pushed downward with a
vertical force of 54.0 N holding it in equilibrium. What is the density of wood, approximately? (Ans: 800 kg/m3)
35. An iceberg floats on the sea. Its volume above the seawater is 8.0 ×102 m3. Assume the density of ice to be
9.0 × 102 kg/m3 and the density of seawater to be 1.2 × 103 kg/m3. What is the total mass of the iceberg?
(Ans: 2.9 × 106 kg)
36. In the hydraulic lift of figure 23, a large piston of diameter d1 = 120 cm supports a car of mass 3200 kg.
What is the magnitude of the vertically downward force F1 that must be applied to the smaller piston of diameter
d2 = 15.0 cm to balance the car? (Ans: 490 N)
37. The average density of a typical iceberg is 0.86 that of sea water. What fraction of the volume of the
iceberg is outside the water? (Ans: 0.14)
38. A large tank is filled with water. A tightly fitting piston rests on top of the water (see figure 24). The
combined pressure from the piston and atmosphere on the top surface of water is 1.02 × 105 Pa. A very small
circular hole is opened at a depth of 60.0 cm below the initial water level of the tank. What is the initial speed of
water coming out of the hole? (Ans: 3.71 m/s)
39. In a hydraulic press, shown in figure 25, the large piston has a cross sectional area of A1 = 150 cm2 and
mass m1 = 450 kg. The small piston has a cross sectional area of A2 = 10 cm2 and mass m2. If the height
difference between the two pistons is 1.0 m, what is the mass m2? [Note: The fluid is water] (Ans: 29 kg)
40. Figure 26 shows an open-tube manometer containing water and mercury. The height of water in the left
column above the interface A is 30 cm while the height of mercury in the right column above B is 20 cm. The
right column is open to the atmosphere Po. Find the pressure P in the bulb. [density of mercury = 1.36 × 104 kg]
(Ans: 1.25 × 105 Pa)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 3

41. A rectangular block, of area A and mass 500 kg, floats in still water with its submerged depth d1 = 60.0
cm. When a man stands on the block, the submerged depth of the block becomes d2 = 72.0 cm (see figure 27).
What is the mass of the man? (Ans: 100 kg)
42. A column of oil of height 70.0 cm supports a column of an unknown liquid as suggested in figure 28 (not
drawn to scale). Assume that both liquids are at rest and that the density of the oil is 8.40 ×102 kg/m3. Determine
the density of the unknown liquid. (Ans: 2.2 ×103 kg/m3)
43. A glass tube has several different cross-sectional areas with the values indicated in figure 29. A piston at
the left end of the tube exerts pressure so that mercury within the tube flows from the right end with a speed of
8.0 m/s. Three points within the tube are labeled A, B, and C. What is the total pressure at point A? Atmospheric
pressure is 1.01 × 105 N/m2; and the density of mercury is 1.36 × 104 kg/m3. (Ans: 4.27 × 105 Pa)
44. A hollow spherical iron shell floats almost completely submerged in water. The outer diameter is 50.0 cm,
and the density of iron is 7.87 g/cm3. Find the inner diameter. (Ans: 47.8 cm)
45. Two streams merge to form a river. One stream has a width of 8.0 m, depth of 4.0 m, and current speed of
2.0 m/s. The other stream is 7.0 m wide and 3.0 m deep, and flows at 4.0 m/s. If the river has a width of 10.0 m
and a speed of 4.0 m/s, what is its depth? (Ans: 3.7 m)
46. A liquid of density 1.00 × 103 kg/m3 flows through a horizontal pipe that has a cross-sectional area of 2.00
− 2
× 10 m2 in region A and a cross-sectional area of 10.0 × 10 − 2
m2 in region B. The pressure difference
between the two regions is 10.0 × 103 Pa. What is the mass flow rate between regions A and B? (Ans: 91.3 kg/s)
47. In figure 31, a spring of spring constant 5.00 × 104 N/m is between a rigid beam and the output piston of a
hydraulic lever. An empty container with negligible mass sits on the input piston. The input piston has area A,
and the output piston has area 20 A. Initially the spring is at its rest length. How many kilograms of sand must
be (slowly) poured into the container to compress the spring by 4.00 cm? (Ans: 10.2 kg)
48. A small sphere is made of a material with a bulk modulus of 1.90 x 109 Pa. The volume of the sphere
shrinks by 0.20 % when submerged in a fluid at a depth of 400 m. What is the density of this fluid? Assume the
pressure on the sphere at this depth is the same from all directions. (Ans: 970 kg/m3)
49. The edge length of the cube in figure 34 is 10 cm and its mass is 2.0 kg. It hangs from a spring and is fully
submerged in water. If the spring constant is 98 N/m, by how much does the spring stretch from its equilibrium
length? (Ans: 10 cm)
50. A rock is suspended by a light string. When the rock is in air, the tension in the string is 39.2 N.
When the rock is totally immersed in water, the tension is 28.4 N. When the rock is totally immersed in an
unknown liquid, the tension is 18.6 N. What is the density of the unknown liquid? (Ans: 1.91×103 kg/m3)
51. Air flows over the upper surface of an aircraft’s wing at a speed of 135 m/s and under the lower surface at
a speed of 120 m/s. The total wing area is 28 m2. What is the lift on the wing? (Density of air = 1.20 kg/m3)
(Ans: 64.3 kN)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 4

 A B C D E Conceptual Problems 

1. Two different solid metal pieces experience the same buoyant force when completely submerged in the
same liquid. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Their volumes are equal.
B. Their densities are equal.
C. Their masses are equal.
D. They displace different volumes of the liquid.
E. All of the other answers are wrong.
2. Figure 4 shows a snapshot of a fluid within a U-shaped tube that has both sides open at the top. Is this fluid
in static equilibrium at this instant?
A. No, because the fluid level in both sides should be at the same height.
B. No, because the fluid level in side A should be lower than that in side B.
C. No, because the cross-sectional area of side A is less than that of side B.
D. Yes, the fluid is in static equilibrium.
E. The answer may be yes or no, depending on the density of the fluid.

3. Several cans of different sizes and shapes are all filled with the same liquid to the same height h, as shown
in figure 6). Rank them according to the pressure exerted by the water on the vessel bottoms, least to greatest.
A. All pressures are the same.
B. 1,2,3,4
C. 2,1,4,3
D. 4,1,3,2
E. 3,4,2,1

4. Figure 8 shows an ideal fluid flow in a horizontal tube. The pressure, velocity, and cross sectional area of
the fluid at points 1 and 2 are (P1, v1, A1) and (P2, v2, A2), respectively, with A1>A2. Which one of the following
statements is correct?
A) v < v & P > P
1 2 1 2

B) v = v & P = P
1 2 1 2

C) v < v & P < P

1 2 1 2

D) v > v & P > P

1 2 1 2

E) v < v & P = P
1 2 1 2

5. Water is pumped through a hose of uniform cross-section, as shown in figure 11, from the lower level (1) to
the upper level (2). Which of the following expresses the correct relationship between velocity and pressure at
the two levels?
A. v1 = v2 and p2 < p1
B. v1 = v2 and p2 = p1
C. v1 < v2 and p2 < p1
D. v1 = v2 and p2 > p1
E. v1 > v2 and p2 > p1




Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 5

6. A large open tank filled with water has two small holes in its bottom, one with twice the radius of the other
(see figure 14). In steady flow, what is the ratio of the speed of water leaving the larger hole to the speed of the
water leaving the smaller hole?
A. v1 = v2
B. v1 = v2/2
C. v1 = v2/4
D. v1 = 2v2
E. v1 = 4v2
7. Water flows through a horizontal pipe. The diameter of the pipe is reduced gradually as shown in figure 15.
Assume water is an ideal fluid. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The water flow rate is constant everywhere.
B. The speed of water is decreased as it comes out of the smaller section of the pipe.
C. The speed of water is constant everywhere.
D. Bernoulli's equation is not applicable.
E. Equation of continuity is not applicable.

8. A wooden box has been found to float in three different fluids of densities: ρ1 (fluid 1) = 0.9 g/cm3,
ρ2 (fluid 2) = 1.0 g/cm3, and ρ3 (fluid 3) = 1.1 g/cm3. Which one of the following statements is true?
A. The three fluids exert the same buoyant force.
B. The buoyant force of fluid 1 is greater than the buoyant forces of the other two
fluids.
C. The buoyant force of fluid 3 is greater than the buoyant forces of the other two
fluids.
D. The object displaces the same volume of all three fluids.
E. None of these are true.

9. A Venturi meter is installed in a water main line, as shown in figure 18. The pipe has a circular cross-
section, with diameter D1 in the first segment and D2 in the second segment, with D2 < D1. The density of water
is ρ. The volume flow rate of the water in the pipe is Rv (measured in m3/s). What is the difference in the water
level (Δh) in the two tubes?

10. Figure 19 shows a pipe of uniform cross section in which water is flowing. The directions of flow and the
volume flow rates (in cm3/s) are shown for various portions of the pipe. The direction of flow and the volume
flow rate in the portion marked A are:
A. ↓ and 15 cm3/s
B. ↑ and 11 cm3/s
C. ↓ and 9 cm3/s
D. ↑ and 7 cm3/s
E. ↓ and 3 cm3/s

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 6

11. A penguin (bird) floats first in a fluid of density ρ1 = 1.0 ρ, then in a fluid of density ρ2 = 0.95 ρ, and then
in a fluid of density ρ3 = 1.1 ρ. Rank the densities of the fluids according to the amount of fluid displaced by
the penguin, GREATEST first.
A. ρ2, ρ1, ρ3
B. ρ3, ρ1, ρ2
C. ρ1, ρ2, ρ3
D. ρ2, ρ3, ρ1
E. ρ3, ρ2, ρ1
12. A tube of radius R is connected horizontally in series with another tube of radius R/2, (see figure 22).
Water enters the wider tube with speed v1 = 1 m/s. The water pressures in the tubes are P1 and P2, respectively,
such that P1 + P2 = 10000 Pa. Choose the correct values for P1 and P2 (in Pa).
A. P1= 8750 and P2= 1250
B. P1= 8000 and P2= 2000
C. P1= 6500 and P2= 3500
D. P1= 5250 and P2= 4750
E. P1= 7525 and P2= 2475
13. For the hydraulic lift systems shown in figure 30, rank in order from largest to smallest, the magnitudes of
the forces required to balance the masses? The masses are in kilograms.
  
A. F > F = F
b a c

  
B. F > F = F
a b c

  
C. F = F = F
a b c

  
D. F < F < F
b a c

  
E. F = F > F
c b a

14. Water pours into a very large open tank at a volume flow rate of Q (figure 32). The tank has an opening at
the bottom. The area of this opening for the water level in the tank to be maintained at a fixed level H is:

15. A U-tube has dissimilar arms, one having twice the diameter of the other (see figure 33. It contains an
incompressible fluid, and is fitted with a sliding piston in each arm, with each piston in contact with the fluid.
When the piston in the narrow arm is pushed down a distance d, the piston in the wide arm rises a distance:
A) d/4
B) d
C) 2d
D) d/2
E) 4d

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 7

16. Figure 35 shows four situations in which two liquids are in a U-tube. In which situations the liquids
cannot be in static equilibrium?
A) 2 only
B) 1 and 3
C) 1 only
D) 4 only
E) 3 and 4

17. Water flows smoothly in a horizontal pipe. Figure 36 shows the kinetic energy K of a water element as it
moves along the x-axis that runs along the pipe. Rank the numbered sections of the pipe according to the pipe
radius, smallest first.
A) 2, 3, 1
B) 1, 2, 3
C) 3, 2, 1
D) 1, 3, 2
E) 2, 1, 3

18. If the part of the iceberg that extends above the water were suddenly removed
A) the buoyant force on the iceberg would decrease
B) the iceberg would sink
C) the density of the iceberg would change
D) the pressure on the bottom of the iceberg would increase
E) none of the others

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 8

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 9
 Figure 23

Figure 24 Figure 25 Figure 26

Figure 27 Figure 28

Figure 29 Figure 30

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 10

 Figure 31 Figure 32 Figure 33

Figure 34 Figure 35 Figure 36

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 14 Page 11

 PHYS 101 Previous Exam Problems

Oscillations
CHAPTER

15
  Simple harmonic motion
  Mass-spring system
  Energy in SHM
  Pendulums

1. The displacement of a particle oscillating along the x axis is given as a function of time by the equation:
x(t) = 0.50 cos(πt+π/2). What is the magnitude of the maximum acceleration of the particle? (Ans: 4.9 m/s2)
2. A particle oscillates in simple harmonic motion according to the equation: x = 0.20 cos(πt). What is the
period of the motion? (Ans: 2.0 s)
3. An object undergoing simple harmonic motion takes 0.25 s to travel from one point of zero velocity to the
next such point. The distance between those points is 40 cm. What are the amplitude and frequency of the
motion? (Ans: 20 cm, 2 Hz)
4. The displacement of a particle moving with simple harmonic motion is given by: x = 0.02 cos (300 t - π /3),
where x is in meters and t is in seconds. What is the maximum speed of the particle? (Ans: 6 m/s)
5. A block of mass m = 0.1 kg oscillates on the end of a spring with a spring constant k = 400 N/m in simple
harmonic motion with a period T. The position of the block is given by x (t) = (10.0 cm) cos (ωt). What is the
work done on the block by the spring as it moves it from t = 0 to t = T/8. Ignore friction. (Ans: 1.0 J)
6. A particle is in simple harmonic motion along the x axis. The amplitude of the motion is xm. At one point in
its motion, its kinetic energy is K = 5 J and its potential energy (measured with U = 0 at x = 0) is U = 3 J. When
it is at x = xm, what are the kinetic and potential energies? (Ans: K = 0 and U = 8J)
7. A 3.0-kg block, attached to a spring, executes simple harmonic motion according to x = 2.0 cos (50t),
where x is in meters and t is in seconds. What is the spring constant? (Ans: 7500 N/m)
8. A 2.0-kg mass connected to a spring of force constant 8.0 N/m is displaced 5.0 cm from its equilibrium
position and released. It oscillates on a horizontal, frictionless surface. Find the speed of the mass when it is 3.0
cm from its equilibrium position. (Ans: 0.08 m/s)
9. The displacement of a block-spring system is described by the equation: x(t) = 0.2cos (10t), where x is in
meters, and t is in seconds. What is the speed of the block when its displacement is x = 0.1 m? (Ans: 1.73 m/s)
10. A block-spring system has an amplitude of 4.0 cm and a maximum speed of 0.60 m/s. What is the
frequency of oscillation? (Ans: 2.39 Hz)
11. A 0.25-kg block oscillates on the end of the spring with a spring constant of 200 N/m. When t = 0, the
position and velocity of the block are x = 0.15 m and v = 3.0 m/s. What is the maximum speed of the block?
(Ans: 5.2 m/s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 1

12. A block of mass 0.50 kg is attached to a horizontal spring (k = 160 N/m). The block is pulled a distance of
20 cm from its un-stretched position on a frictionless horizontal surface. What is the magnitude of its maximum
acceleration? (Ans: 64 m/s2)
13. The mechanical energy of a block-spring system executing simple harmonic motion is 8.0 J and the
amplitude is xm = 12 cm. When K = 6.0 J, what is the displacement of the block? (Ans: x = 6.0 cm)
14. A 0.500-kg block is connected to a spring (k = 20.0 N/m) and oscillates on a horizontal frictionless table.
Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the block if the amplitude of the simple harmonic motion is 3.00 cm.
(Ans: 9.00×10-3 J)
15. A block of mass 2.0 kg is attached to a spring and oscillates in simple harmonic motion along the x axis.
The limits of its motion are x = −20 cm and x = + 20 cm and it goes from one of these extremes to the other in
0.25 s. What is the mechanical energy of the block-spring system? (Ans: 6.3 J )
16. A 2.0-kg block is attached to a spring and oscillates with simple harmonic motion according to the
equation x = 0.20 cos (10t + π/2), where x is in meters and t is in seconds. Find the total energy of the system.
(Ans: 4.0 J)
17. A block-spring system is set in a simple harmonic motion. The block has a kinetic energy of 6 J and an
elastic potential energy of 2 J when the displacement of the block is 2.0 cm from the equilibrium point. What is
the amplitude of the simple harmonic motion? (Ans: 4 cm)
18. A simple harmonic oscillator is oscillating with an amplitude A. For what value of the displacement does
the kinetic energy equal the potential energy? (Ans: 0.707A )
19. A simple pendulum consists of a mass m = 6.00 kg at the end of a light cord of length L. The angle θ
between the cord and the vertical is given by: θ = 0.08 cos (4.43t+π), where t is in second and θ is in radians.
Find the length L. (Ans: 0.50 m)
20. A mass m1 = 1.0 kg is connected to a spring (with spring constant equal to k) and oscillates on a horizontal
frictionless table with a period of 1.0 s. When m1 is replaced with another unknown mass m2, the period changes
to 2.0 s. Find the value of m2. (Ans: 4.0 kg)
21. A block attached to an ideal horizontal spring undergoes a simple harmonic motion about the equilibrium
position (x = 0) with an amplitude xm = 10 cm. The mechanical energy of the system is 16 J. What is the kinetic
energy of the block when x = 5.0 cm? (Ans: 12 J)
22. Two identical springs of spring constant k = 500 N/m are attached to a block of mass m = 0.1 kg, as shown
in figure 1. The block is pulled to one side a small distance and let it oscillate. What is the angular frequency of
oscillations on the frictionless floor? (Ans: 100 rad/s)
23. A simple pendulum of length L1 on Earth (E) oscillates with a period T. Another pendulum of length L2 on
the Moon (M) oscillates with a period of 2T. Find the ratio L1/L2. (Take gM = gE/6) (Ans: 3/2)
24. A physical pendulum consists of a uniform solid disk (radius R = 10.0 cm) supported in a vertical plane by
a pivot located at a distance d = 5.0 cm from the center of the disk. The disk is made to oscillate in a simple
harmonic motion of period T. Find T. (Ans: 0.78 s)
25. The motion of a particle attached to a spring is described by x = 0.10 sin (πt), where x is in meters and t in
seconds. What is the earliest time at which the potential energy is equal to the kinetic energy? (Ans: 0.25 s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 2

26. The rotational inertia of a uniform thin rod about its end is (ML2)/3, where M is the mass and L is the
length. Such a rod is suspended vertically from one end and set into small angle oscillation. If L = 1.0 m this rod
will have the same period as a simple pendulum of what length? (Ans: 67 cm)
27. A particle oscillates according to the displacement equation x = (0.20 m) cos (2πt), where x is in meters
and t in seconds. What are the speed and acceleration of the particle as it passes its equilibrium position x = 0?
(Ans: 1.3 m/s, 0)
28. Consider a uniform rod of length L suspended from one end and oscillating with period T. The slope of the
graph of T2 versus L is 3 (s2/m). What is the acceleration due to gravity in m/s2 from the above information?
(Ans: 8.8)
29. A simple harmonic oscillator consists of a 0.80-kg block attached to a spring (k = 200 N/m). The block
oscillates on a frictionless horizontal surface about the equilibrium point x = 0 with a total mechanical energy of
4.0 J. What is the speed of the block at x = 0.15 m? (Ans: 2.1 m/s)
30. A 0.10-kg block oscillates back and forth along a straight line on a frictionless horizontal surface. Its
displacement as a function of time is given by x (t) = 0.10 cos (10t + π/2), where x is in meters and t in seconds.
What is the kinetic energy of the block at t = 2.0 s? (Ans: 8.3 mJ)
31. A horizontal block-spring system is set in a simple harmonic motion. The block has a kinetic energy of 8 J
and an elastic potential energy of 4 J when the displacement of the block is 3.0 cm from the equilibrium point.
What is the amplitude of this simple harmonic motion? (Ans: 5.2 cm)
32. Figure 4 shows the kinetic energy versus the displacement of a spring-mass system from its equilibrium
position while undergoing a simple harmonic motion. What is the spring constant k? (Ans: 2000 N/m)
33. A mass-spring system is in simple harmonic motion in a horizontal plane. The position of the mass is
given by x = xm cos (ωt + π/3). What is the ratio of its potential energy to its total energy at t = 0 s. (Ans: 0.25)
34. Figure 5 shows the position as a function of time of a 100-gram block oscillating in simple harmonic
motion on the end of a spring. What is the maximum kinetic energy of the block? (Ans: 1.97 J)
35. An object executes simple harmonic motion with an amplitude of 1.2 cm and a time period of 0.10 s.
What is the total distance traveled by the object in 1.9 s? (Ans: 91 cm)
36. A simple harmonic oscillator has amplitude of 3.50 cm and a maximum speed of 28.0 cm/s. What is its
speed when the displacement of the oscillator is 1.75 cm? (Ans: 24.2 cm/s)
37. What is the phase constant for the harmonic oscillator with the velocity function v(t) given in figure 8 if
the position function x(t) has the form x(t) = xm cos(ωt + φ)? The vertical axis scale is set by vs = 4.00 cm/s.
(Ans: –53.1o)
38. In Figure 9, a stick of length L = 1.73 m oscillates as a physical pendulum. What value of x between the
stick’s center of mass and its pivot point O gives the least period? (Ans: 0.50 m)
39. Figure 10 shows the kinetic energy K of a simple pendulum versus its angle θ from the vertical. The
vertical axis scale is set by Ks = 20.0 mJ. The pendulum bob has mass 0.30 kg. What is the length of the
pendulum? (Ans: 2.04 m)
40. A 0.500 kg mass attached to a spring of force constant 8.00 N/m vibrates in simple harmonic motion
with an amplitude of 10.0 cm. Calculate the time it takes the mass to move from x = 0 to x = 10.0 cm.
(Ans: 0.393 s)

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 3

41. A simple pendulum of length 12 cm is to be replaced by a hoop in one of the old clocks (see figure 12).
What should be the radius of the hoop needed to produce the same period as that of the pendulum, while
oscillating about point O? (Ans: 6.0 cm)
42. The velocity-time plot for a block-spring system performing a simple harmonic motion is shown in figure
13. The horizontal scale is set by ts = 0.2 s. Find the acceleration of the system at t = 0.1 s. (Ans: 200 m/s2)
43. A block-spring system is in simple harmonic motion and its displacement as a function of time is given by
the equation: x = 5.0 cos [(π/3)t – (π/4)] (SI units). The mass of the block is 3.0 kg. Find the speed of the block
when the kinetic energy is one-fourth the total energy. (Ans: 2.6 m/s)
44. A particle executes simple harmonic motion described by: x = (10 cm) sin [(π rad/s)t], where t is in
seconds. At what time is the potential energy of the particle equal to its kinetic energy? (Ans: 0.25 s)

A B C D E Conceptual Problems 


1. A 5.0-kg mass stretches a spring by 10 cm when the mass is attached to the spring. The mass is then
displaced downward an additional 5.0 cm and released. What is the equation for its position (y) from its
equilibrium position?
A. y = 0.05 cos (10t)
B. y = 0.10 cos (10t)
C. y = 0.10 sin (10t)
D. y = 0.10 cos (5t)
E. y = 0.05 sin (5t)
2. The frequency of small oscillations of a simple pendulum of length (L) on the surface of Earth is (f). What
will be its frequency on the surface of the Moon if we increase its length to become (2L)? (gMoon = 0.17 gEarth)
A. 0.29f
B. 3.4f
C. f
D. 2f
E. 0.085f
3. In simple harmonic motion, the magnitude of the acceleration is:
A. proportional to the displacement.
B. constant.
C. inversely proportional to the displacement.
D. greatest when the velocity is greatest.
E. never greater than g.
4. A particle is in simple harmonic motion along the x axis. The amplitude of the motion is xm. At one point in
its motion, its kinetic energy is K = 5 J and its potential energy is U = 3 J. When it is at x = xm, the kinetic and
potential energies are:
A. K = 0 J and U = 8 J
B. K = 5 J and U = 0 J
C. K = 8 J and U = 0 J
D. K = 5 J and U = 3 J
E. K = 0 J and U = -8 J

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 4

5. Which of the following equations represent a simple harmonic motion [F = force, x = displacement]?
1. F = -2x 2. F = 5x 3. F = -10x 4. F = 3x2 5. F = -3x2
A. 1 & 3
B. 1, 3 & 5
C. 2 & 4
D. 2 only
E. All of them
6. A block-spring system is oscillating with amplitude xm. The kinetic energy of the block is equal to the
potential energy stored in the spring only when the displacement is:

7. A weight suspended from an ideal spring oscillates up and down with a period T. If the amplitude of the
oscillation is doubled, the period will be:
A. T
B. T/4
C. 2T
D. T/2
E. 4T

8. A horizontal spring is fixed at one end. A block attached to the other end of the spring undergoes a simple
harmonic motion on a frictionless table. Which one of the following statements is correct?
A. The frequency of the motion is independent of the amplitude of oscillation.
B. The frequency of the motion is proportional to the amplitude of oscillation.
C. The acceleration of the block is constant.
D. The maximum speed of the block is independent of the amplitude.
E. The maximum acceleration of the block is independent of the amplitude.

9. A simple pendulum has length L and period T. As it passes through its equilibrium position, the string is
suddenly clamped at its midpoint (see figure 2). What is the new period of the motion?
A. T/ 2
B. T
C. T/2
D. 2T
E. 2T
10. A vertical spring stretches 10 cm when a 5.0-kg block is suspended from its end. The block is then
displaced an additional 5.0 cm downward and released from rest to execute simple harmonic motion. Take
equilibrium position of spring-block system as origin and the upward-vertical direction to be positive. The block
position as a function of time is given by:
A. y = − 0.05 cos (9.9 t) m
B. y = − 0.15 sin (9.9 t) m
C. y = − 0.10 cos (9.9 t) m
D. y = − 0.10 sin (9.9 t + 9) m
E. y = − 0.15 sin (9.9 t + 5) m

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 5

11. A mass at the end of an ideal spring vibrates with period T. If an identical spring is attached to the end of
the first spring and the same mass is hanging from the combination, the new period of oscillation is:
A. √2T
B. 2T
C. T/4
D. T/2
E. T/√2

12. The acceleration a of a particle undergoing simple harmonic motion is graphed as a function of time in
figure 3. Which of the labeled points corresponds to the particle at – xm, where xm is the amplitude of the
motion?
A. 3
B. 1
C. 2
D. 4
E. 5

13. Which one of the following relationships between the acceleration a and the displacement X of a particle
represents simple harmonic motion:
A. a = − 2 X
B. a = +2 X
C. a = −2 X2
D. a = +2 X2
E. None of the others

14. If the amplitude of oscillation of an object in simple harmonic motion is increased, then
A. the total mechanical energy of the object will increase
B. the period of oscillations of the object will increase
C. the frequency of oscillations of the object will increase
D. the frequency of oscillations of the object will decrease
E. the maximum kinetic energy of the object will decrease

15. A solid circular disk oscillates with period T in a vertical plane about pivot point P, as shown in figure 6.
If the disk is made four times heavier but still having the same radius, what will be its period of oscillation?
A. T
B. 2T
C. T/2
D. T/4
E. 4T
16. A simple pendulum of length L1 has time period T1. A second simple pendulum of length L2 has time
period T2. If T2 = 2 T1, find the ratio L1/L2.
A. 1/4
B. 1/2
C. 4
D. 2
E. 1

17. A simple pendulum of length L has frequency f. In order to increase its frequency to 2f we have to:
A. decrease its length to L/ 4
B. increase its length to 2L
C. decrease its length to L/2
D. increase its length to 4L
E. decrease its mass to M/4

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 6

18. In figure 7, the horizontal block-spring system has a kinetic energy of K = 5.0 J and an elastic potential
energy of U = 3.0 J, when the block is at x = + 2.0 cm. What are the kinetic and elastic potential energy when
the block is at x = – xm?
A. K = 0 and U = 8 J
B. K = 5 J and U = 3 J
C. K = 5 J and U = −3 J
D. K = 8 J and U = 0
E. K = 0 and U = − 8 J

19. If the phase angle for a block-spring system in SHM is π/6 rad and the block’s position is given by
x(t) = xm sin(ωt + φ), what is the ratio of the kinetic energy to the potential energy at time t = 0?
A. 3
B. 1/3
C. 9
D. 1/9
E. 5
20. Figure 11 shows plots of the kinetic energy K versus position x for three linear simple harmonic oscillators
that have the same mass. Rank the plots according to the corresponding period of the oscillator, greatest first.
A. C, B, A
B. A, B, C
C. B, A, C
D. A, C, B
E. B, C, A

21. A mass-spring system executing simple harmonic motion has amplitude xm. When the kinetic energy of
the object equals twice the potential energy stored in the spring, what is the displacement (x) of the object from
the equilibrium position?

22. Two particles execute simple harmonic motion of the same amplitude and frequency along close parallel
lines. They pass each other moving in opposite directions each time their displacement is half their amplitude.
What is their phase difference?
A) 2π/3
B) 3π/4
C) 5π/6
D) π/3
E) 4π/3

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 7

 Figure 6

Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9

Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12

Figure 13

Dr. M. F. Al-Kuhaili – PHYS 101 – Chapter 15 Page 8