Physics multiple choice questions

If the radius of Earth decreased, with no change in mass, your weight would a) decrease b) increase c) not change

a) decrease

If you were to weigh yourself in an elevator that is accelerating upward, compared to your ordinary weight you would weigh a) more b) less, but more than zero c) the same d) zero

a) more

a projectile is fired vertically from the surface of earth at 10 km/s. The projectile will a) rise and then fall back to earths surface b) go into an elliptical orbit about earth c) go into a circular orbit about earth d) none of the above

a) rise and then fall back to earths surface

A planet has half the mass of the earth and half the radius. Compared to its weight on earth, an apple on this planet would weigh a) twice as much b) one-fourth as much c) half as much d) the same e) zero

a) twice as much

according to newtons laws, a rock and a pebble will fall with the same acceleration in a gravitational field because the gravitational force on each is a) the same b) different, though the ratio of the force to the mass of each is the same c) none of the above

b) different, though the ratio of the force to the math of each is the same

If the radius of Earth decreased, with no change in mass, your weight would a) not change b) increase c) decrease

b) increase

the speed of a satellite in an elliptical orbit is a) independent of the height of the satellite b) not constant c) constant

b) not constant

the reason the moon does not fall into earth is that a) earth's gravitational field at the moon is weak b) the moon has a sufficiently large orbital speed c) gravitational pull of other planets keeps the moon up d) the moon has less mass than earth e) none of the above

b) the moon has a sufficiently large orbital speed

Why did Newton think there was a force acting on the moon? a) the moon always keeps one side toward earth b) the moon moves in a curved path c) there is no air on the moon d) the moon is moving e) all of the above

b) the moon moves in a curved path

how many high tides are there normally each day on a typical ocean beach a) 0 b) 1 c) 2 d) 4

c) 2

The orbital speed for a satellite orbiting very close to earth's surface is a) 1600 m/s b) 4900 m/s c) 8000 m/s d/ 16,000 m/s e) 80,000 m/s

c) 8000 m/s

We can tell if a gravitational force exists in a region of space if... a) we disturb a pendulum and it starts swinging b) we let go of a ball and it starts to move c) a force exists on a mass placed there d) we can weigh ourselves e) all of the above

c) a force exists on a mass placed there

a very massive object A and a less massive object B move toward each other under the influence of mutual gravitation. Which force, if either, is greater? a) the force on B b) the force on A c) both forces are the same

c) both forces are the same

Newton had the insight to see that a) moon is moving b) moon orbits earth c) force on the moon has the same nature as the force of an apple d) moon always keeps one side toward earth e) none of the above

c) force on the moon has the same nature as the force of an apple

If the mass of Earth increased, with no change in radius, your weight would a) stay the same b) decrease c) increase also

c) increase also

Jupiter has more than 300 times the mass of Earth. Yet on Jupiter's surface an object weighs only about 3 times as much as it would on Earth. The explanation to this involves Jupiter's a) high density b) greater distance from the sun c) large radius

c) large radius

ocean tides occur mainly because a) of the gravitational pull of the sun on the earth b) water normally runs to the side of the moon on opposite sides of earth c) of different gravitational pulls of the moon on opposite sides of earth d) as earth rotates it leaves the ocean water somewhat behind it e) none of the above

c) of different gravitational pulls of the moon on opposite sides of earth

the gravitational force between two massive spheres a) is always an attraction b) depends on how massive they are c) depends inversely on the square of the distances between them d) all of the above

d) all of the above

Newton hypothesized that the moon a) is a projectile b) is falling around earth c) tangential velocity that prevents it from falling into earth is actually attracted to earth e) all of the above

e) all of the above

gravitational field lines show the a) direction of the field at each point b) direction of the force on any mass c) direction a mass would be accelerated d) strength of the field e) all of the above

e) all of the above