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Georgia Unified Physics study materials
Georgia Unified Physics study resources

Georgia Unified Physics practice questions

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Question 1Mechanics

A student walks 300 m east, then 400 m north. What is the magnitude of the resultant displacement?

  1. 350 m
  2. 700 m
  3. 100 m
  4. 500 m Correct answer.

Explanation

Perpendicular displacements combine as vector components, so the resultant magnitude is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs 300 m and 400 m. Taking the square root of 300 squared plus 400 squared gives 500 m.

Question 2Mechanics

An object moves along a straight line with constant velocity. Which statement about its acceleration is correct?

  1. Acceleration increases steadily with time
  2. Acceleration is constant and nonzero
  3. Acceleration is zero because velocity does not change Correct answer.
  4. Acceleration points opposite to the velocity

Explanation

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. If the velocity vector stays constant in both magnitude and direction, its rate of change is zero, so the acceleration must be zero.

Question 3Mechanics

A ball is dropped from rest and falls freely near Earth's surface, ignoring air resistance. How far has it fallen after 3.0 s?

  1. About 90 m
  2. About 30 m
  3. About 9.8 m
  4. About 45 m Correct answer.

Explanation

For free fall from rest, displacement equals one half of g times the square of the time. With g near 9.8 m/s² and t equal to 3.0 s, the fall distance is about 44 m, closest to 45 m.

Question 4Mechanics

Which quantity is a scalar?

  1. Speed Correct answer.
  2. Velocity
  3. Displacement
  4. Acceleration

Explanation

A scalar has magnitude only, while a vector has both magnitude and direction. Speed describes how fast something moves without specifying direction, so it is a scalar.

Question 5Mechanics

A 5.0 kg crate rests on a horizontal floor. What is the normal force exerted by the floor on the crate?

  1. 5.0 N upward
  2. 49 N upward Correct answer.
  3. 49 N downward
  4. Zero, since the crate is at rest

Explanation

On a horizontal surface with no vertical acceleration, the normal force balances the weight. Weight equals mass times g, about 5.0 kg times 9.8 m/s², giving 49 N directed upward on the crate.

Question 6Mechanics

According to Newton's third law, when a swimmer pushes backward on the water, what happens?

  1. The water pushes forward on the swimmer with an equal-magnitude force Correct answer.
  2. The forces cancel, so the swimmer cannot move
  3. The water exerts no force because it is a fluid
  4. The swimmer experiences a smaller forward force than the push

Explanation

Newton's third law states that forces occur in equal and opposite pairs acting on different objects. The swimmer's backward push on the water is matched by a forward reaction force of the water on the swimmer.

Question 7Mechanics

Two objects with masses m and 3m are separated by a distance r. If the distance is doubled to 2r, the gravitational force between them becomes

  1. Four times the original force
  2. One half of the original force
  3. One quarter of the original force Correct answer.
  4. Twice the original force

Explanation

Newton's law of gravitation shows force is inversely proportional to the square of the separation. Doubling the distance multiplies the denominator by four, so the force drops to one quarter of its original value.

Question 8Mechanics

A force of 20 N is applied to a 4.0 kg mass on a frictionless surface. What is the resulting acceleration?

  1. 80 m/s²
  2. 24 m/s²
  3. 5.0 m/s² Correct answer.
  4. 0.20 m/s²

Explanation

Newton's second law gives acceleration as net force divided by mass. Dividing 20 N by 4.0 kg yields 5.0 m/s² in the direction of the applied force.

Question 9Mechanics

A 2.0 kg object moving at 6.0 m/s collides with and sticks to a stationary 4.0 kg object. What is their common velocity after the collision?

  1. 3.0 m/s
  2. 2.0 m/s Correct answer.
  3. 6.0 m/s
  4. 4.0 m/s

Explanation

In a perfectly inelastic collision, momentum is conserved while the objects move together. Initial momentum is 12 kg·m/s, and dividing by the combined mass of 6.0 kg gives 2.0 m/s.

Question 10Mechanics

A worker lifts a 15 kg box vertically 2.0 m at constant speed. How much work does the worker do against gravity?

  1. About 590 J
  2. About 30 J
  3. About 150 J
  4. About 290 J Correct answer.

Explanation

Work against gravity equals the weight times the vertical displacement. Weight is 15 kg times 9.8 m/s², about 147 N, and multiplying by 2.0 m gives roughly 290 J.

Question 11Mechanics

A 1200 kg car traveling at 15 m/s brakes to rest. What is the magnitude of the average braking force if it stops over 30 m?

  1. 900 N
  2. 600 N
  3. 18000 N
  4. 4500 N Correct answer.

Explanation

The car's kinetic energy, one half m v squared, equals about 135000 J. Work done by braking equals force times distance, so force is 135000 J divided by 30 m, giving 4500 N.

Question 12Mechanics

A block slides down a frictionless incline of height 5.0 m starting from rest. What is its speed at the bottom?

  1. About 5.0 m/s
  2. About 9.9 m/s Correct answer.
  3. About 25 m/s
  4. About 49 m/s

Explanation

On a frictionless incline, gravitational potential energy converts entirely to kinetic energy, so speed depends only on height. Solving v squared equals 2gh with h equal to 5.0 m gives v near 9.9 m/s.

Question 13Mechanics

A projectile is launched at an angle above the horizontal with no air resistance. At the highest point of its trajectory, which statement is true?

  1. The acceleration is zero
  2. Both velocity components are zero
  3. The horizontal velocity is zero while the vertical velocity is maximum
  4. The vertical velocity is zero while the horizontal velocity is unchanged Correct answer.

Explanation

Horizontal motion has no acceleration, so the horizontal velocity stays constant throughout the flight. At the peak, the vertical velocity passes through zero as it reverses direction, while acceleration remains g downward.

Question 14Mechanics

A 0.50 kg ball moving at 8.0 m/s rebounds elastically off a wall, returning at 8.0 m/s. What is the magnitude of the impulse delivered by the wall?

  1. 8.0 N·s Correct answer.
  2. 4.0 N·s
  3. 0 N·s
  4. 16 N·s

Explanation

Impulse equals the change in momentum. Taking the initial direction as positive, the change is 0.50 kg times the difference between -8.0 m/s and +8.0 m/s, giving a magnitude of 8.0 N·s.

Question 15Mechanics

A 3.0 kg object hangs from two ropes that each make a 30° angle with the vertical. What is the tension in each rope?

  1. About 29 N Correct answer.
  2. About 34 N
  3. About 15 N
  4. About 17 N

Explanation

The two vertical tension components together support the weight of about 29 N. Each rope contributes T cos 30°, so 2T cos 30° equals 29 N, giving T near 17 N. Wait-recheck: cos 30° is 0.866, so 2T(0.866)=29 gives T≈17 N.

Question 16Mechanics

A 4.0 kg block is pulled across a rough floor by a 30 N horizontal force. If the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.40, what is the block's acceleration?

  1. About 7.5 m/s²
  2. About 2.4 m/s²
  3. About 3.6 m/s² Correct answer.
  4. About 6.0 m/s²

Explanation

Friction equals the coefficient times the normal force, about 0.40 times 39 N, or roughly 16 N. The net force is 30 N minus 16 N, about 14 N, and dividing by 4.0 kg gives about 3.6 m/s².

Question 17Mechanics

A centripetal force keeps a car moving at constant speed around a circular track. If the speed doubles while the radius stays the same, the required centripetal force

  1. Becomes half as large
  2. Becomes twice as large
  3. Becomes four times as large Correct answer.
  4. Stays the same

Explanation

Centripetal force equals mass times speed squared divided by radius. Because the speed is squared in the numerator, doubling the speed multiplies the force by four when the radius is fixed.

Question 18Mechanics

A lever has an effort arm of 2.0 m and a load arm of 0.50 m. What effort force balances a 200 N load in an ideal lever?

  1. 800 N
  2. 50 N Correct answer.
  3. 400 N
  4. 100 N

Explanation

In an ideal lever, effort times effort arm equals load times load arm. Solving gives effort equal to 200 N times 0.50 m divided by 2.0 m, which is 50 N.

Question 19Mechanics

A 2.0 kg mass is attached to a string and swung in a vertical circle of radius 1.0 m. At the top of the circle, what minimum speed keeps the string taut?

  1. About 3.1 m/s Correct answer.
  2. About 9.8 m/s
  3. About 6.2 m/s
  4. About 1.0 m/s

Explanation

At the top, gravity provides the minimum centripetal force when tension is zero. Setting m v squared over r equal to m g gives v equal to the square root of g times r, about 3.1 m/s.

Question 20Mechanics

A spacecraft moves far from any planet at constant velocity. Which statement best describes the forces on it?

  1. A net force acts perpendicular to the velocity
  2. The net force is zero, consistent with constant velocity Correct answer.
  3. The net force points opposite the velocity
  4. A constant forward force is required to maintain the motion

Explanation

Newton's first law states that an object maintains constant velocity when the net force is zero. No forward force is needed to sustain motion in the absence of resistance.

Question 21Mechanics

A 0.20 kg ball is thrown straight up with an initial speed of 10 m/s. Ignoring air resistance, what is the maximum height reached?

  1. About 10 m
  2. About 51 m
  3. About 2.5 m
  4. About 5.1 m Correct answer.

Explanation

At maximum height the vertical velocity is zero. Using v squared equals initial speed squared minus 2gh and solving for h gives about 100 divided by 19.6, near 5.1 m.

Question 22Mechanics

Two skaters at rest push apart on frictionless ice. Skater A has mass 40 kg and skater B has mass 60 kg. Which statement about their speeds immediately after the push is correct?

  1. Skater A moves faster because the magnitudes of momentum are equal Correct answer.
  2. Skater A moves faster because she experienced a larger force
  3. Both skaters move at the same speed
  4. Skater B moves faster because of greater mass

Explanation

The skaters experience equal and opposite impulses, so their momentum magnitudes are equal. Since momentum is mass times speed, the less massive skater must move faster to carry the same momentum.

Question 23Mechanics

A block of mass m slides down a rough incline of angle θ at constant speed. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction?

  1. sin θ
  2. cos θ
  3. tan θ Correct answer.
  4. 1 divided by tan θ

Explanation

At constant speed the component of weight along the incline, m g sin θ, balances friction, which equals the coefficient times m g cos θ. Dividing gives the coefficient equal to tan θ.

Question 24Mechanics

A satellite orbits Earth in a circular orbit. If the orbital radius increases, what happens to the orbital speed?

  1. It becomes zero at large radii
  2. It increases, because the orbit is larger
  3. It stays the same, since mass is unchanged
  4. It decreases, because gravitational force falls with distance Correct answer.

Explanation

For a circular orbit, gravitational force supplies the centripetal force, giving speed equal to the square root of G M over r. As radius r grows, this speed decreases.

Question 25Mechanics

A 10 kg object moving at 4.0 m/s collides head-on with a 4.0 kg object moving at 10 m/s in the opposite direction. They stick together. What is the final velocity?

  1. 7.0 m/s in the direction of the heavier object
  2. 14 m/s in the direction of the lighter object
  3. 2.9 m/s in the direction of the heavier object
  4. Zero Correct answer.

Explanation

The momenta have equal magnitudes of 40 kg·m/s but opposite directions, so the total momentum is zero. After sticking together, the combined object must remain at rest to conserve momentum.

Question 26Mechanics

A student records the position of a cart at equal time intervals as 0 m, 2 m, 4 m, 6 m, 8 m. Which quantity is directly determined from this data without further calculation?

  1. The instantaneous acceleration of the cart
  2. The average velocity of the cart Correct answer.
  3. The net force acting on the cart
  4. The mass of the cart

Explanation

Equal displacements in equal time intervals show that the cart moves at constant velocity, so the average velocity equals the displacement divided by the elapsed time. Acceleration and net force are both zero in this case and cannot be found from position alone without mass. Mass is never determined from kinematics data.

Question 27Mechanics

A runner completes one full lap of a 400 m circular track in 50 s, returning to the starting point. Which pair correctly describes the runner's average speed and average velocity magnitude?

  1. 8.0 m/s and 0 m/s Correct answer.
  2. 0 m/s and 0 m/s
  3. 8.0 m/s and 8.0 m/s
  4. 0 m/s and 8.0 m/s

Explanation

Average speed uses distance traveled divided by time, giving 400 m / 50 s = 8.0 m/s. Average velocity uses displacement divided by time, and since the runner returns to the start, the displacement is zero, so the average velocity magnitude is 0 m/s.

Question 28Mechanics

A ball is dropped from rest and falls freely for 3.0 s near Earth's surface. Taking g = 9.8 m/s², how far does it fall?

  1. 9.8 m
  2. 88 m
  3. 29 m
  4. 44 m Correct answer.

Explanation

For free fall from rest, distance equals ½gt². Substituting gives 0.5 × 9.8 × 9.0 = 44.1 m, which rounds to 44 m.

Question 29Mechanics

A box sits motionless on a horizontal floor. Which statement correctly describes the forces on the box?

  1. The normal force is always greater than the weight
  2. There is no normal force because the box is at rest
  3. The normal force equals the weight in magnitude and they are not a Newton's third law pair Correct answer.
  4. The normal force and weight are a Newton's third law action-reaction pair

Explanation

The normal force and weight balance because the box is at rest, but they act on the same object and are not an action-reaction pair. A third-law pair always acts on two different objects, such as the box pushing on the floor and the floor pushing on the box.

Question 30Mechanics

Which quantity is a vector, having both magnitude and direction?

  1. Speed
  2. Displacement Correct answer.
  3. Distance
  4. Mass

Explanation

Displacement is a vector because it specifies the straight-line change in position with a direction. Distance, speed, and mass are scalars described completely by magnitude.

Question 31Mechanics

A book rests on a table. According to Newton's first law, what happens to the book if the table is suddenly removed while the book is at rest?

  1. It remains at rest until a net force acts, then accelerates downward under gravity Correct answer.
  2. It immediately moves sideways because inertia pushes it
  3. It stays suspended because no force acts on it
  4. It accelerates upward as the table's support vanishes

Explanation

Newton's first law states that an object remains at rest or in uniform motion unless acted on by a net external force. Once the table is removed, gravity becomes the unbalanced force and the book accelerates downward. Inertia is not a force and does not push objects sideways.

Question 32Mechanics

A 5.0 kg crate is pushed with a constant horizontal force and accelerates at 2.0 m/s² across a frictionless surface. What is the magnitude of the applied force?

  1. 0.40 N
  2. 10 N Correct answer.
  3. 2.5 N
  4. 7.0 N

Explanation

Newton's second law gives F = ma. Multiplying 5.0 kg by 2.0 m/s² yields 10 N.

Question 33Mechanics

A 60 kg student stands on a bathroom scale in an elevator that moves upward at constant speed. What does the scale read?

  1. 0 N
  2. 588 N Correct answer.
  3. greater than 588 N
  4. less than 588 N

Explanation

At constant velocity the acceleration is zero, so the net force is zero and the scale's normal force equals the student's weight. Weight is mg = 60 × 9.8 = 588 N.

Question 34Mechanics

A 0.40 kg ball is kicked with a speed of 5.0 m/s. What is the magnitude of its momentum?

  1. 0.080 kg·m/s
  2. 5.4 kg·m/s
  3. 12.5 kg·m/s
  4. 2.0 kg·m/s Correct answer.

Explanation

Momentum is the product of mass and velocity, p = mv. Multiplying 0.40 kg by 5.0 m/s gives 2.0 kg·m/s.

Question 35Mechanics

A 1500 kg car accelerates uniformly from rest to 20 m/s in 8.0 s. What is the magnitude of the net force on the car?

  1. 240000 N
  2. 30000 N
  3. 3750 N Correct answer.
  4. 188 N

Explanation

Acceleration is the change in velocity divided by time, 20 m/s ÷ 8.0 s = 2.5 m/s². Newton's second law then gives F = ma = 1500 × 2.5 = 3750 N.

Question 36Mechanics

A ball is thrown horizontally at 12 m/s from a cliff 20 m high. Ignoring air resistance, how long does it take to reach the ground?

  1. 2.0 s Correct answer.
  2. 1.7 s
  3. 1.2 s
  4. 4.0 s

Explanation

Vertical and horizontal motion are independent, so the horizontal speed does not affect the fall time. Using h = ½gt², we get t = √(2h/g) = √(40/9.8) ≈ 2.0 s.

Question 37Mechanics

A 0.20 kg arrow leaves a bow at 40 m/s. The bowstring exerts its force over a draw distance of 0.50 m. What average force does the string exert on the arrow?

  1. 1600 N
  2. 8.0 N
  3. 16 N
  4. 320 N Correct answer.

Explanation

The work done by the string equals the arrow's kinetic energy, ½mv² = 0.5 × 0.20 × 1600 = 160 J. Setting work equal to force times distance gives F = 160 J ÷ 0.50 m = 320 N.

Question 38Mechanics

A block is released from rest at the top of a rough incline and comes to rest partway down. What happened to its initial gravitational potential energy?

  1. It was converted to internal energy by friction Correct answer.
  2. It was destroyed because the block stopped
  3. It remains stored as potential energy at the stopping point
  4. It was converted entirely to kinetic energy

Explanation

As the block slides, gravitational potential energy becomes kinetic energy, and friction converts that kinetic energy into internal (thermal) energy. Since the block ends at rest, the potential energy lost appears as internal energy rather than motion. Energy is conserved overall.

Question 39Mechanics

A 0.15 kg ball hits a wall at 10 m/s horizontally and rebounds at 6.0 m/s. If the contact time is 0.020 s, what is the magnitude of the average force the wall exerts on the ball?

  1. 12 N
  2. 75 N
  3. 120 N Correct answer.
  4. 30 N

Explanation

Taking the initial direction as positive, the change in momentum is m(v_f − v_i) = 0.15(−6.0 − 10) = −2.4 kg·m/s. The magnitude of the impulse is 2.4 kg·m/s, and dividing by 0.020 s gives 120 N.

Question 40Mechanics

A 2.0 kg block on a frictionless table is connected by a string over a pulley to a hanging 3.0 kg mass. What is the acceleration of the system?

  1. 5.9 m/s² Correct answer.
  2. 3.3 m/s²
  3. 2.0 m/s²
  4. 9.8 m/s²

Explanation

The net driving force is the hanging weight, 3.0 × 9.8 = 29.4 N, and the total mass being accelerated is 5.0 kg. Dividing gives a = 29.4 ÷ 5.0 ≈ 5.9 m/s².

Question 41Mechanics

A 0.50 kg ball is swung in a horizontal circle of radius 0.80 m at 4.0 m/s. What is the tension in the string?

  1. 2.5 N
  2. 5.0 N
  3. 10 N Correct answer.
  4. 1.6 N

Explanation

The tension provides the centripetal force, F = mv²/r. Substituting gives 0.50 × 16 ÷ 0.80 = 10 N.

Question 42Mechanics

A 0.10 kg marble moving at 3.0 m/s collides elastically with an identical marble at rest in a head-on collision. What happens after the collision?

  1. The first marble rebounds at 3.0 m/s and the second stays at rest
  2. The first marble stops and the second moves at 3.0 m/s Correct answer.
  3. Both move at 1.5 m/s in the original direction
  4. Both marbles stop

Explanation

For a head-on elastic collision between equal masses, the moving object transfers all its velocity to the stationary one. Momentum and kinetic energy are both conserved, so the first marble stops and the second leaves at 3.0 m/s.

Question 43Mechanics

A 25 kg child sits 2.0 m from the pivot of a seesaw. Where must a 50 kg child sit to balance the seesaw?

  1. 1.0 m from the pivot on the opposite side Correct answer.
  2. 0.50 m from the pivot on the same side
  3. 4.0 m from the pivot on the opposite side
  4. 2.0 m from the pivot on the opposite side

Explanation

Balancing requires equal torques about the pivot: m₁r₁ = m₂r₂. Thus 25 × 2.0 = 50 × r₂, giving r₂ = 1.0 m on the opposite side.

Question 44Mechanics

A 1200 kg car rounds a flat curve of radius 50 m. If the coefficient of static friction is 0.60, what is the maximum speed the car can have without skidding?

  1. 8.6 m/s
  2. 17 m/s Correct answer.
  3. 54 m/s
  4. 29 m/s

Explanation

Friction supplies the centripetal force, so μmg = mv²/r, giving v = √(μgr) = √(0.60 × 9.8 × 50) ≈ 17 m/s.

Question 45Mechanics

A 3.0 kg block slides 4.0 m up a 30° incline under a constant 40 N force applied parallel to the incline. Ignoring friction, how much work does the applied force do?

  1. 59 J
  2. 120 J
  3. 240 J
  4. 160 J Correct answer.

Explanation

Work is the product of the force component along the displacement and the displacement. Since the force is parallel to the motion, W = 40 N × 4.0 m = 160 J.

Question 46Mechanics

A 0.50 kg ball moving east at 4.0 m/s collides with a 0.30 kg ball moving west at 2.0 m/s. After the collision, the 0.30 kg ball moves east at 1.0 m/s. What is the velocity of the 0.50 kg ball?

  1. 2.2 m/s east Correct answer.
  2. 1.4 m/s east
  3. 2.2 m/s west
  4. 3.4 m/s east

Explanation

Initial momentum is 0.50(4.0) + 0.30(−2.0) = 1.4 kg·m/s east. Final momentum of the smaller ball is 0.30(1.0) = 0.30 kg·m/s east, so the larger ball carries 1.1 kg·m/s east. Dividing by 0.50 kg gives 2.2 m/s east.

Question 47Mechanics

A 0.20 kg ball is attached to a 0.80 m string and swung in a vertical circle. What minimum speed must it have at the top of the circle to keep the string taut?

  1. 2.8 m/s Correct answer.
  2. 7.8 m/s
  3. 4.0 m/s
  4. 1.6 m/s

Explanation

At the top, the minimum condition is that gravity alone provides the centripetal force, mg = mv²/r. Solving gives v = √(gr) = √(9.8 × 0.80) ≈ 2.8 m/s.

Question 48Mechanics

A 4.0 kg block moving at 3.0 m/s collides with a 2.0 kg block at rest and they stick together. How much kinetic energy is lost in the collision?

  1. 6.0 J Correct answer.
  2. 3.0 J
  3. 18 J
  4. 12 J

Explanation

The common velocity is (4.0 × 3.0) ÷ 6.0 = 2.0 m/s. Initial kinetic energy is ½(4.0)(9.0) = 18 J, and final kinetic energy is ½(6.0)(4.0) = 12 J, so 6.0 J is lost.

Question 49Mechanics

A 2.0 kg object hangs from a spring scale inside an elevator that accelerates downward at 3.0 m/s². Taking g = 9.8 m/s², what does the scale read?

  1. 20 N
  2. 6.0 N
  3. 26 N
  4. 14 N Correct answer.

Explanation

Applying Newton's second law downward, mg − T = ma, so T = m(g − a) = 2.0(9.8 − 3.0) = 13.6 N, which rounds to 14 N.

Question 50Mechanics

A satellite in a circular orbit has speed v at radius r. If it moves to a circular orbit of radius 4r, what is its new orbital speed?

  1. 2v
  2. v/4
  3. v/2 Correct answer.
  4. 4v

Explanation

Orbital speed for a circular orbit is v = √(GM/r), so speed varies as the inverse square root of the radius. Quadrupling the radius halves the speed, giving v/2.