Physics USA Test Prep (Finished)
The resistance of a wire is not dependent on A) temperature B) length C) diameter D) current
D
Which situation is the BEST example of inertia? A) An old lady uses a walker and is able to cross the street. B) A rocket thrusts its boosters and lifts off the launching pad. C) A rock is thrown vertically up in the air and it falls back to the earth. D) You go down a steep roller coaster and it feels like your stomach is going up into your throat.
D
Which statement below is false? A) Weight depends on the force of gravity. B) Mass is the amount of matter in an object. C) Mass is a constant no matter where you are located. D) Weight is a constant no matter where you are located.
D
Which statement does *NOT* explain the concept of the Doppler Effect? A) As an observer approaches a stationary sound, the sound waves are compressed, making the pitch higher. B) As an observer moves away from a stationary sound, the sound waves are stretched making the pitch lower. C) As a sound source approaches a stationary object, the sound waves are compressed, making the pitch higher. D) As a sound source moves away from a stationary object, the sound waves are compressed, increasing the pitch.
D
Which statement is true? A) All waves travel at the same speed through any medium. B) All waves travel at the same speed if no medium is present. C) Electromagnetic waves require a medium, but mechanical waves do not. D) Mechanical waves require a medium, but electromagnetic waves do not.
D
*"A student wants you to demonstrate that an electric current will produce a magnetic field."* Which set of objects could be used to demonstrate this? A) A battery, a coil of wire and a compass. B) A compass, some paper clips and a battery. C) A battery, an iron nail and a long copper wire. D) An iron nail, a permanent magnet and a battery.
A
A 24-V battery is powering a light bulb with a resistance of 2.5 ohms. What is the current flowing through the bulb? A) 9.6 A B) 21.5 A C) 26.5 A D) 60 A
A
As the ambulance got closer, Marge noticed that the pitch of the siren got higher. This happened because A) the sound waves were pushed closer together. B) the human ear increases pitch over time. C) the ambulance was further away. D) the volume increased.
A
Choose the false statement regarding resistance. A) Longer wires have less resistance. B) Electrical resistance produces heat. C) Resistance slows the flow of current. D) The larger the diameter of the wire, the less resistance.
A
Electromagnetic and mechanical waves have different characteristics that make them advantageous for certain applications. Select the reasons that mechanical waves, such as ultrasound, are used for soft tissue imaging and to identify fractures in metals. I) mechanical waves are less likely to damage materials than most electromagnetic waves. II) mechanical waves have more energy than electromagnetic waves III) mechanical waves can transmit results more rapidly than electromagnetic waves IV) mechanical waves generate vibrations that are sensitive to changes in temperature and density A) I and IV B) I and III C) II and IV D) II and III
A
Mechanical (sound) waves are unable to travel through a vacuum, such as through space, but radio waves are transmitted to Earth from satellites. How is this possible? A) Radio waves are electromagnetic waves. B) Satellites are located within our atmosphere. C) Radio waves are very high energy mechanical waves. D) Radio waves are changed to gamma rays for transmission.
A
To cook food, a microwave oven converts electrical energy into ________ energy. A) electromagnetic B) heat C) mechanical D) nuclear
A
What other material or materials would be needed for a student to construct a basic electric motor? A) A magnet B) Some tape C) An electric generator D) Alligator clips and a plastic cup
A
A generator converts mechanical energy into _____________________ energy. A) chemical B) electrical C) light D) sound
B
A man has an air conditioner he wants to load into the back of his truck. Instead of lifting the air conditioner and carrying it to the truck, he improvises a ramp. He takes a board that is 3.6 meters long and places one end of it in the back of his truck, 1.2 meters off the ground. He leaves the other end of the board on the ground. He places the air conditioner on a dolly and pushes them both up the ramp and into the truck. What is the mechanical advantage of the ramp? A) 2.5 B) 3.0 C) 4.32 D) 4.8
B
Calculate the amount of work done if you use a 100N force to push a 50kg box 5m across the kitchen floor. A) 250 J B) 500 J C) 5000 J D) 50,000 J
B
If the masses of objects increase and their distance from each other remains the same, then the force of gravity between the two objects A) decreases. B) increases. C) remains the same. D) increases then decreases.
B
Two pieces of metal with exactly the same mass are placed on a surface in bright sunlight. The temperature of the 1st block increases by 3°C while the temperature of the 2nd increases by 8°C. If the specific heat of the 2nd block is 0.24 J/g-K, what is the specific heat of the 1st block? A) 0.3 J/g-K B) 0.64 J/g-K C) 1.2 J/g-K D) 1.56 J/g-K
B
Ultraviolet radiation is dangerous because it has a high enough energy to damage skin cells. UV radiation is called ultraviolet because it has a frequency which is higher than violet radiation (purple light). Therefore, it has a wavelength which is ___________ than violet radiation. A) bigger B) smaller C) the same size D) the square root of
B
What is the acceleration of an object with mass of 42.6 kg when an unbalanced force of 112 N is applied to it? A) 0.3800 m/s2 B) 2.63 m/s2 C) 69.4 m/s2 D) 4771.2 m/s2
B
When voltage increases and resistance remains constant what must happen to current? A) Current must decrease. B) Current must increase. C) Current will remain the same. D) Current is not affected by voltage and resistance.
B
Which is an example of electrical energy being converted or changed into light energy? A) the sun B) a light bulb C) a solar panel D) a glow stick at Halloween
B
Wind turbines can generate a great deal of electricity, and have become popular because there is no cost to use wind, wind turbines don't emit greenhouse gases and have several other benefits. A typical wind turbine has an efficiency of 30%, calculated as the amount of electrical energy generated divided by the maximum potential energy. What is the most likely source of "wasted" energy? A) nuclear B) thermal C) chemical D) potential
B
Your teacher walks outside the classroom to have a conversation with the principal. Unknown to the teacher, while she is outside the room, the sound waves are transmitted around the edge of the door and spread out on the other side and you can hear the conversation. This is due to sound wave A) absorption. B) diffraction. C) interference. D) reflection.
B
A beam of visible light is passed through a plexiglass container filled with water. If a beam of light comes in at a slight angle, describe the change in the path of the beam of light as it passes through the container, moving in from one side and then out the other. A) The beam of light will bend twice: entering and leaving the container. B) The beam of light will bend three times: small angle of refraction through container wall; larger angle of refraction through water; small angle passing out of container. C) The beam of light will refract four times; largest entering container; smaller angles of refraction moving though water, through container wall again, and finally into the air on the outside. D) The beam of light will bend three times: large angle of refraction through container wall; smaller angle of refraction through water; greater angle passing out of container.
C
A fuse is used to protect electric circuits from too much electricity running through them. How should a fuse be hooked up with the components it is designed to protect? Justify your answer. A) A fuse should be hooked up in series because all the current must flow through the fuse in a series circuit. B) A fuse should be hooked up in parallel because all the voltage must flow through the fuse in a series circuit. C) A fuse should be hooked up in parallel because all the current must flow through the fuse in a parallel circuit. D) A fuse should be hooked up in parallel because all the voltage must flow through the fuse in a parallel circuit.
C
An echo is an example of sound wave A) diffraction. B) interference. C) reflection. D) refraction.
C
An electromagnet is created using a battery, an insulated copper wire and an iron nail. The wire is wrapped around the nail 20 times and attached to the battery. Which pair of changes will definitely increase the strength of the electromagnet? A) Increase the voltage of the battery and decrease the number of turns of the coil. B) Decrease the voltage of the battery and decrease the number of turns of the coil. C) Increase the voltage of the battery and increase the number of turns of the coil. D) Decrease the voltage of the battery and increase the number of turns of the coil.
C
Energy is transferred in solids by conduction, which means that A) heat travels in both directions. B) heat travels from the cooler object to the hotter object. C) heat travels from the hotter object to the cooler object. D) heat does not travel between objects of different temperatures.
C
Gravity is a force between any two objects with mass. Why doesn't a person feel a gravitational force between him/herself and another person? A) A person doesn't exert a gravitational force. B) The two gravitational forces cancel each other out. C) The gravitational forces of people is so small it is overshadowed by that of Earth. D) There are so many people we are actually balanced by all the different gravitational forces.
C
How are the energy of infrared, visible light and ultraviolet rays related? And why? A) Infrared contains the least energy and ultraviolet contains the most energy. The energy of a wave is proportional to its wavelength. B) Infrared contains the most energy and ultraviolet contains the least energy. The energy of a wave is proportional to its wavelength. C) Infrared contains the least energy and ultraviolet contains the most energy. The energy of a wave is inversely proportional to its wavelength. D) Infrared contains the most energy and ultraviolet contains the least energy. The energy of a wave is inversely proportional to its wavelength.
C
Maria's father started a fire in the fireplace. He crumpled some paper, lit a match, and soon the logs in the fireplace were burning. In this case, the stored chemical energy in the logs was changed into A) electrical energy. B) mechanical motion. C) heat and light energy. D) electrical and heat energy.
C
Muscles convert chemical energy into A) light energy. B) nuclear energy. C) mechanical energy. D) electromagnetic energy.
C
Renaldo and Nasreen build an electromagnet by wrapping a wire around a nail and connecting the wire to both terminals of a battery. When they test the electromagnet, it can pick up 6 paper clips. Their teacher wants all groups to pick up at least 10 paper clips. What could Renaldo and Nasreen do to increase the number of paper clips their electromagnet picks up? A) make the wire longer B) remove the nail from the center of the wire C) increase the number of loops of wire around the nail D) spread the loops of wire apart on the nail so they do not touch
C
Sally Sizzle builds a circuit by connecting three resistors in parallel with a 9V battery. The current in this circuit is 3.6 amps. Sally wants to add another resistor in parallel to increase the current to 4.6 amps. What should the resistance of this new resistor be? A) 0.5 Ohms B) 5 Ohms C) 9 Ohms D) 10 Ohms
C
Turning a magnet very quickly would be BEST used to create A) radiation. B) light waves. C) an electric current. D) a convection current.
C
Using a simple machine, a student is able to lift a 500N weight by applying only 100N. What is the mechanical advantage of the simple machine? A) 0.2 B) 1 C) 5 D) 50000
C
What must occur to a shopping cart at rest in order to make it roll forward? A) A force must be provided to overcome gravity. B) Balanced forces must be acting upon the cart. C) An unbalanced force applied to the cart pushing or pulling it forward. D) The unbalanced force acting upon it must be smaller than that of friction.
C
When sunlight strikes oil on the surface of water, a variety of colors are observed. What is the best explanation for this observation? A) Oil reflects the light and the lens of our eyes break it into component colors. B) Oil has a very high index of refraction, trapping and reflecting the visible spectrum. C) The components of white light are refracted at different angles due to their various wavelengths. D) The visible spectra of white light travel at different speeds, reaching the oil separately so we see the component colors.
C
Which example is NOT a part of the electromagnetic spectrum? A) microwaves B) radio waves C) electricity D) purple light
C
You see lightning before you hear thunder because A) light waves can travel through a vacuum. B) sound waves cannot travel through the air. C) light waves travel faster than sound waves. D) sound waves travel faster than light waves.
C
*"A light bulb will glow when electrons flow through it. As the electron flow increases, the brightness increases as well. A student hooks up two circuits containing three light bulbs in each circuit. In one circuit the lights are connected in series and in the other circuit the lights are hooked up in parallel."* If you could only see the lights in the circuit and the wires were covered from view, how could you determine the type of circuit the lights are arranged in? A) If all the lights are equal brightness, it is a series circuit. B) If you add another bulb and it gets dimmer, it is a parallel circuit. C) Unscrew one light, if the others remain on it is a series circuit. D) Unscrew one light, if the others remain on it is a parallel circuit.
D
*"Chemical, potential energy is stored in a battery. The negative end of a battery is connected to a wire. The wire loops numerous times around a piece of steel. The wire returns to the positive end of the battery."* What happens to the piece of steel? A) It begins to spin. B) It gains a negative charge. C) It gains a positive charge. D) It would move toward a piece of iron.
D
*"Two circuits are created using two identical light bulbs. In the circuit A, the bulbs are hooked up in series. In circuit B, the light bulbs are hooked up parallel. Each circuit is powered by a 6-volt battery."* Which statement or observation would not be supported by the two circuits? A) The current in the circuit A would be less. B) The light bulbs in the circuit B would be brighter. C) The light bulbs in circuit B are equal in brightness. D) If one light burns out in circuit A, the other bulbs gets brighter.
D
An example of friction being converted into heat energy is A) the sun. B) a generator. C) a Snickers bar. D) rubbing your hands together.
D
An example of sunlight passing through clouds during sunset, results in what is often called the cloud's silver lining. Pastel shades of blue, pink, purple, and green can be observed at times of cloud cover. What is the cause of these patterns in the sky? A) Water in the atmosphere and within the clouds themselves cause light waves to refract and reflect, creating an assortment of colors. B) The patterns occur when light is absorbed by water droplets within the clouds. The amount of absorption that occurs depends on the temperature of the air. C) The patterns occur when light is reflected from water droplets within the clouds. The amount of reflection that occurs depends on the wavelength of the light, and shorter wavelengths are reflected at a greater angle than longer ones. D) The patterns occur when light is diffracted from water droplets within the clouds. The amount of diffraction that occurs depends on the wavelength of the light, and shorter wavelengths are diffracted at a greater angle than longer ones.
D
As a sound wave travels from liquid water into ice, its wavelength would A) decrease due to wave speed decreasing as it passes through the ice. B) increase because the wave speed and frequency have increased. C) decrease since the frequency is now lower. D) increase in order to keep the frequency the same due to the increase in speed.
D
As a sound wave travels from liquid water into ice, its wavelength would A) decrease due to wave speed decreasing as it passes through the ice. B) increase because the wave speed and frequency have increased. C) decrease since the frequency is now lower. D) increase in order to keep the frequency the same due to the increase in speed.
D
Describe how resistance affects the flow of current in a circuit. A) Efficiency of a circuit is dependent on decreasing the resistivity of the material. B) Current in the circuit increases with increasing of the innate resistivity of the material. C) Flow of electrons within the wire is increased by reducing the resistance by using a longer wire. D) The flow of current in a circuit is reduced by resistance from collisions of the electrons within the wire.
D
During the day, the temperature of the sand in a desert rises as the sand is heated by the sun. After the sun sets, the sand cools. What happens to the heat energy in the sand as it cools? A) It is destroyed. B) It is used by the sand to do work. C) It goes back into the sun, completing the cycle. D) It is transferred to the air via the process of radiation.
D
In a light interference pattern, alternate dark and bright fringes are seen. Why are the bright fringes formed? A) no interference B) too much interference C) destructive interference D) constructive interference
D
Infant car seats are made to face the rear of the car. This is safer in a front end collision because of Newton's First law. Newton's first law suggests A) Since a baby has a smaller mass it will feel a smaller force. B) The baby will move in the direction they are facing and not get throw forward. C) The baby will push on the car seat with a force equal and opposite to the own exerted on it. D) The baby will continue to move forward as the car slows and be push into the padded car seat.
D
Mary traveled 70 miles/hour due north. This is an example of A) acceleration. B) distance. C) speed. D) velocity.
D
Mechanical advantage allows you to apply a force over a ___________ distance to ___________ the distance an object moves. A) long, decrease B) short, decrease C) long, increase D) short, increase
D
One major advantage of alternating current over direct current is that you can use alternating current with a device known as a transformer. The reason why alternating current works in transformers but direct current does not is? A) Only Alternating current produces magnetic fields. B) Alternating current produces larger, constant magnetic fields. C) Alternating current has the constant voltage needed to run through a transformer. D) Both alternating and direct current produce magnetic fields, but only alternating current produces changing magnetic fields.
D