1. Two given vectors are 𝐴 = 2.0𝚤 − 3.0𝚥 and 𝐵 = 3.0𝚤 − 5.0𝚥 + 3.0𝑘  . A third vector is
𝐶 = 𝐴 − 𝐵. The magnitude of the vector 𝐶 is
A. 14 B. 10 C. 8.6 D. 3.7 E. 2.4
Solution:
!
C = (2.0 − 3.0, −3.0 − (−5.0), 0 − 3.0) = (−1.0, 2.0, −3.0)
! Answer: D
C = (−1.0)2 + (2.0)2 + (−3.0)2 = 3.7

2. A bead is sliding along a straight wire oriented along the x axis. The x-component of
its acceleration is given by the equation: ax(t) = (0.020 m/s3) t + 0.010 m/s2. The x-
component of its velocity at time t = 0 is 0.050 m/s. What is the x-component of its
velocity, in m/s, at t = 4.0 s?
A. 0.20 B. 0.30 C. 0.15 D. 0.25 E. 1.0
Solution:
dvx / dt = ax
t t
vx − vx (0) = ∫ a(t)dt = ∫ [(0.020 m/s3 )t + (0.010 m/s2 )]dt
0 0
Answer: D
1
vx = (0.050 m/s) + (0.020 m/s3 )t 2 + (0.010 m/s2 )t
2
vx (t = 4.0 s) = 0.25 m/s

3. A plane lands on a runway, facing east. What are the directions of the plane’s velocity
and acceleration vectors, as it slows to a stop?
A. velocity is east, acceleration is west
B. velocity is east, acceleration is east
C. velocity is west, acceleration is east
D. velocity is west, acceleration is west
E. velocity is north, acceleration is southeast
Solution: The plane is headed east, so the velocity vector is east. Since it is slowing
down, the speed is decreasing and therefore the acceleration is in the opposite
direction, to the west. Answer: A

4. A ball is thrown straight down from a window, with an initial speed of 2.0 m/s. What is
the speed of the ball, in m/s, when it hits the ground, 3.0 m below? Ignore air resistance.
A. 10 B. 7.9 C. 2.0 D. 12 E. 3.2
Solution: We can use the constant acceleration equation
v 2 = v02 − 2gΔy = (2.0)2 − 2(9.8)(−3.0) = 62.8
Answer: B
v = 7.9 m/s

  1  
  

5. A ball is thrown straight upward at 3.0 m/s. What is its downward speed, in m/s, when
the person catches it (at the same height from which it was thrown)? Ignore air
resistance.
A. 6.0 B. 9.8 C. 3.0 D. 1.5 E. 2.0
Solution: With no air resistance, energy is conserved. Since the gravitational potential
energy is the same, so is the kinetic energy, and v = 3.0 m/s. Answer: C

6. Vector 𝐴 has a length of 3.0. Vector 𝐵 has a length of 2.0 and points along the x-axis.
The dot product of 𝐴 and 𝐵 is 3.0. What is the angle vector 𝐴 makes with the x-axis?
A. 30 degrees B. 10 degrees C. 20 degrees D. 42 degrees E. 60 degrees
Solution: Since 𝐵 points along the x axis, the angle 𝐴 makes with x axis is the same as
the angle it makes with 𝐵. Then
! !
A • B = AB cosθ
! !
cosθ = A • B / (AB) = 3.0 / [(3.0)(2.0)] = 0.50 Answer: E
θ = 60°

7. A car moves on a curved road, and the path is shown below. At point O, the car is
slowing down. Which of the labeled vectors best describes the direction of the total
acceleration of the car?

A E
D

O
B

Solution: The acceleration tangential to the curve opposes the direction of the velocity
since the car is slowing down. The centripetal acceleration perpendicular to the motion
acts to the right (from the point of view of the car) since the car is turning to the right.
Answer: D

8. A ball is shot with an initial speed of 5.0 m/s from the top of a tower. The initial
direction of the ball at the moment it is shot is 30o above the horizontal. The ball lands
on the ground 10 m away from the bottom of the tower. What is the height of the tower,
in m? Ignore air resistance.
A. 17 B. 13 C. 20 D. 10 E. 31
Solution: We have constant acceleration; from the horizontal equation

  2  
  

1
x − x0 = v0 x t + ax t 2 = (v0 cosθ )t + 0
2
t = Δx / (v0 cosθ ) = 10 / (5.0 cos30°) = 2.31 s
Then from the vertical equation
1
y = y0 + v0 y t − gt 2
2
1 xx. A van drives with constant speed in the -x direction along a horiz
0 = h + (v0 sin θ )t − gt 2 falls in the –y direction and with the same constant speed as the va
2
following best describes the direction of the velocity of the snow rela
1 2 1 2 ! 30°(2.31) = 20 m
h = gt − (v0 sin θ )t = (9.8)(2.31) − (5.0)sin
2 2 ! y
!
Answer: C
A
9. A van drives with constant speed in the −x direction along a
horizontal road. Snow falls in the –y direction and with the same
constant speed as the van. Which of the labeled vectors best B E
x
describes the direction of the velocity of the snow relative to the
van?
Solution: The velocity of the snow relative to the van is
! ! D
vsnow − vvan = vs (− j) − vv (−i) = −vx ĵ + vviˆ , which is directed in the fourth
C
quadrant. Answer: D
 

10. A ball rotates about an axis through its center at constant angular speed. It takes
4.00 seconds for the ball to rotate through 15.0 radians. What is the period of rotation of
the ball, in s?
A. 1.68 B. 5.89 C. 3.75 D. 3.35 E. 2.95
xx. A disc rotates about its symmetric axis at constant angular spee
Solution: The angular velocity is ω = Δθ / Δt =seconds for the
15.0 / 4.00 disc rad/s
= 3.75 to rotate through
. The 15.0
period is radians. What is the peri
disc?
therefore T = 2π / ω = 2π / (3.75) = 1.68 s . Answer: A

11. At t = 0, a merry-go-round with radius 3.0A.m1.68 s

is rotating with an angular speed of 4.0
B. 5.89 s
rad/s. The merry-go-round slows down at a uniform rate for 20 s until the edge of the
merry-go-round moves at 3.0 m/s. What is the C. magnitude
3.75 s of the angular acceleration of
2
the merry-go-round, in rad/s ? D. 3.35 s
A. 0.15 B. 0.050 C. 0.20 E. 2.95 s E. 0.70
D. 0.45
Solution: The final angular velocity is ω f = v / R = (3.0) / (3.0) = 1.0 rad/s . Then
ω f = ω0 + αt
α = (ω f − ω 0 ) / t = (1.0 − 4.0) / (20) = −0.15 Answer: A
α = 0.15 rad/s

  3  
 ________________________________________________________________

 
[19] Consider the system shown below made of three identical blocks of mass m
ideal, massless strings and an ideal, massless pulley. The friction between the bl
the table is negligible.

12. The system shown below has three T1 T2

identical blocks of mass m, two ideal strings, m m
and an ideal pulley. The friction between the
blocks and the table is negligible. T1 and T2
are the tensions in the two strings, as shown.
Which one of the following relations is true?
m
A. T1 = T2 = mg
B. T1 < T2 = mg
C. T1 < T2 < mg Let T1 and T2 be the tension on each string, as shown in the figure. Which of the
D. T1 = T2 < mg following is true?
E. T1 = T2 > mg
(A) T1 = T2 = mg (B)T1 < T2 = mg (C)T1 < T2 < mg
Solution: For the horizontal direction for mass
(D)T1 1,
= TT21<=mg
m1a. For the horizontal
(E)T = T > mgdirection
1 2
for masses m1 and m2, T2 = (m2+m1)a, which is greater than T1 since a is the same in
both cases. For the lowest mass, assuming down is positive (to be consistent with the
________________________________________________________________
positive direction for the other masses), mg − T2 = ma, or mg = T2 + ma; therefore
T2 < mg. Answer: C [20] The graph below shows a position dependent net force acting on a 1kg blo
moving along the x-axis. Initially the block is at x=0m, moving in the +x directi
13. A book sits on a table, and the table sits on the ground. Both are at rest. Which of
has a kinetic energy of 12J. When the block gets to x=8m, what is its kinetic ene
the following pairs of forces is a Newton’s Third-Law pair?
A. The weight of the book and the normal force on the book from the table.
(A) 12J (B)18J (C)24J (D)36J (
B. The weight of the table and the normal force on the table from the ground.
C. The normal force on the book due to the table and the normal force on the table due
to the book. Net Force
D. The normal force on the table due to the ground and the normal force on the table
due to the book.
E. The weight of the book and the weight of the table.
3N
Solution: A third-law pair is a pair of forces acting between two objects.
Answer: C 2N
14. Two masses, m1 = 2.0 1Nkg and m2 = 3.0 kg, are attached to ideal
strings as shown. The two masses are accelerated by an external force
that pulls up on string 1. Gravity is present, acting down. If the tension T1
is 60 N, what is the tension T2, in N?
A. 60 B. 24 C. 12 1m D. 48 2m 3mE. 36 4m 5m 6m 7m 8m
Solution: For mass 1, we have T1 − m1g − T2 = m1a. For mass 2, we have
________________________________________________________________
T2 − m2g = m2a. Eliminating a and solving for T2 we get
m2 3.0
T2 = T1 = 60 = 36 N .
m1 + m2 2.0 + 3.0
We could also have found a by considering the system as a whole, Page 7 of 12
T2 − (m1+ m2)g = (m1+m2)a, which gives a = 2.2 m/s, and then used that
in the equation for mass 2. Answer: E

  4  
  

15. Two masses, m1 = 4.0 kg and m2 = 5.0 kg,

are connected by an ideal string, and the string
is hung over an ideal pulley, as shown. The
incline angle is θ  = 35o, and the incline is
stationary and frictionless. Gravity is present,
acting vertically down. What is the acceleration
of m1, in m/s2?
A. 0.20, up B. 0.60, up C. 1.2, down D. 1.5, down E. 1.8, up
Solution: Treating the system as a whole and calling the positive direction down the
incline (so that m1 moving up is also positive)
m2 gsin θ − m1g = (m1 + m2 )a
(m2 sin θ − m1 )g (5.0sin 35° − 4.0)(9.8)
a= = = −1.2 m/s2
m1 + m2 4.0 + 5.0
The negative sign indicates that m1 goes down.
Answer: C

16. Two forces act on a mass; the first force has

magnitude F1 =12 N and acts at the angle θ1  = 65o,
and the second force has magnitude F2 =15 N and
acts at the angle θ2  = 40o, as shown. If the
acceleration of the mass has magnitude 2.1 m/s2,
what is the mass, in kg?
A. 2.2 B. 3.1 C. 4.0 D. 4.5 E. 5.3
Solution: We must first find the x and y
components of the net force:
Fx,net = F1 cosθ1 − F2 cosθ 2 = 12 cos65° −15cos 40° = −6.419 N
Fy,net = F1 sin θ1 − F2 sin θ 2 = 12sin 65° −15sin 40° = −1.234 N
Note that the components of F2 are negative since it points into the third quadrant. Then
F = Fx2 + Fy2 = (6.419)2 + (−1.234)2 = 6.54 N , and so m = F/a = 3.1 kg. Answer: B

17. Three masses, m1 = 2.0 kg, m2 = 3.0 kg,

and m3 = 4.0 kg, lie on a frictionless horizontal
table, as shown below. A force with magnitude
F = 27 N acts to the right on m1. What is the
magnitude of the normal force acting on m1 due
to m2, in N?
A. 6.0 B. 9.0 C. 12 D. 15
E. 21

  5  
  

Solution: The acceleration of the system can be found by treating the three masses as
one object, a = F/mtot = 27/9.0 = 3.0 m/s2. Then using Newton’s 2nd Law on m1,
F − F12 = m1a
F12 = F − m1a = 27 − (2.0)(3.0) = 21 N
Answer: E

18. Mass m1 = 2.0 kg sits at rest on a horizontal surface. An

ideal string connects m1 over an ideal pulley to a hanging mass
m2 as shown. The coefficient of static friction between m1 and
the horizontal surface is µs = 0.25. Find the maximum value
that m2 can be, in kg, before m1 slides towards the right.
A. 0.50 B. 1.0 C. 1.5 D. 8.0 E. 0.13
Solution:
For m1 not to slide, the tension T in the string is T < fsmax = µs n = µs m1g.
T = m2 g gives m2 g < µs m1g, yielding m2 < µs m1 = ( 0.25 ) ( 2.0 kg ) = 0.5 kg .
Answer: A

19. A 0.50 kg ball is moving in a vertical circle of radius 1.5 m under the influence of
gravity and is connected to a pivot point by an ideal string. Calculate the minimum
speed of the ball, in m/s, such that the tension in the string goes to zero when the ball is
at the top of the circle.
A. 0.20 B. 1.4 C. 2.6 D. 3.8 E. 4.0
Solution:
At the top of the circle, the net force on the ball is Fnet y = −T − mg.
⎛ v2 ⎞
Newton's 2 nd
law gives Fnet y = may = −mv / r, giving T = m ⎜ − g ⎟ .
2

⎝ r ⎠
In order that T > 0 when the ball is at the top of the circle, one gets
v 2 /r > g, or v > gr = (9.8 m/s 2 )(1.5 m) = 3.8 m / s . Note that this
is independent of the mass of the ball.
Answer: D

20. A block is sliding down an inclined plane at constant velocity. Three forces are
acting on the block: the kinetic friction force of the plane on the block, the normal force
of the plane on the block, and the gravitational force on the block. Which of the three
forces do zero work on the block as it slides down the inclined plane?
A. None of the three forces do work on the block
B. Normal force and gravitational force C. Normal force only
D. Kinetic friction force only E. Gravitational force only

  6  
  

Solution:
! !
An increment of work dW done by a force F during an infitesimal dispacement dr
! ! ! ! !
is dW = F ⋅ dr = F dr cosφ , where φ is the angle between F and dr. Here, dr is
!
directed down the plane, in the same direction as the velocity v. Thus dW = 0 only
if φ = 90˚. The only force satisfying this criterion is the normal force .
Answer: C

21. A car with a mass of 1500 kg accelerates from rest at time t = 0 in a straight line
along a horizontal highway at a constant rate of 4.0 m/s2. At t = 8.0 s, what is the net
power provided to the car, in kW?
A. 30 B. 70 C. 110 D. 150 E. 190
Solution:
Let the highway be along the x axis. The net power required is Pnet = Fnet x vx . But

(
Fnet x = max and vx = ax t, so Pnet = max2t = (1500 kg ) 4.0 m/s 2 ) ( 8.0 s) = 190 kW .
2

Answer: E

22. You raise a 10 kg box at rest on the floor to a position at rest on a shelf that is 2.0 m
above the floor. What is the magnitude of the net work done on the box during this
process, in J?
A. 0 B. 42 C. 83 D. 124 E. 166
Solution:
According to the Work-Energy Theorem, the net work done during a time interval is
Wnet = ΔK, where K = mv 2 / 2 is the kinetic energy. Since the initial and final speeds v
of the box are zero, the net work on the box is Wnet = 0 . This happens because the
work you do is positive, but the work gravity does is negative, and the two
contributions to the work add to zero.

Answer: A

23. A block of mass 2.0 kg sits on a horizontal frictionless surface.

An external force pushes the block towards the left until an ideal,
horizontal spring with spring constant k = 200 N/m is compressed
by the block from the spring’s equilibrium position of the right end
at x = 0 to x1 = −0.20 m, as shown in the figure. When the block
is released from rest and leaves the spring at x = 0, what is the
speed of the block (in m/s)?
A. 1.0 B. 2.0 C. 3.0 D. 4.0 E. 5.0

  7  
  

Solution:
The work done by the spring on the block as the block moves from x1 = -0.20 m to
1
( )
x2 = 0 (the net work) is Wnet = − k x22 − x12 . The change in the kinetic energy of the
2
1
( )
block is ΔK = m v22 − v12 . Setting ΔK = Wnet according to the Work-Energy Theorem
2

gives v2 = v12 −
k 2
m
( )
x2 − x12 = 0 −
200 N/m ⎡
2.0 kg ⎣
( 0 m ) 2
− ( −0.20 m ) 2
⎤ = 2.0 m / s .
⎦
Answer: B

24. Consider the loop-the-loop

demo done in the lecture. The
particle has mass 4.0 kg and the
loop has a radius R = 0.20 m. At
what height h, in m, must the cart
start from rest to have the normal
force on the cart be 40 N at the top
of the loop?

A. 0.30 B. 0.40  
C. 0.50 D. 0.60
E. 0.70
Solution: At the top of the loop, both the normal force and gravity act towards the
center to provide the centripetal force, so
mg + N = mv 2 / R .
K f +U f = K i +Ui
1
Using conservation of energy mv 2 + mg(2R) = 0 + mgh
2
v2
h = 2R +
2g
Solving for v2 in the first equation and plugging into the second equation, we get
1 ! NR $ ! 5 N $ ! 40 $
h = 2R + # gR + &=# + & R = # 2.5 + & 0.20 = 0.60 m . Answer: D
2g " m % " 2 2mg % " 2(4.0)(9.8) %

  8  
  

25. A block of mass 0.40 kg is forced against a horizontal spring of negligible mass,
compressing the spring a distance of 0.10 m . The block is released from rest and it
moves on a rough horizontal table top for 2.0 m before coming to a stop. The spring
constant is 200 N/m. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the
table?
A. 0.070 B. 0.13 C. 0.20 D. 0.26 E. 0.41
Solution: When there is a non-conservative force, a change in energy is caused by the
work done by friction:
E f − Ei = −Fk Δx = −µ k NΔx = −µ k mgΔx
1
0 − kx 2 = −µ k mgΔx
2
kx 2 (200)(0.10)2
µk = = = 0.13
2mgΔx 2(0.40)(9.8)(2.0)
Answer: B

26. A particle of mass 0.20 kg moves along the x axis under the action of a conservative
force. The potential energy associated with this conservative force is given by
𝐽 𝐽 𝐽
𝑈 = 1.0 ! 𝑥 ! + 4.0 ! 𝑥 ! − 2.0 𝑥
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
The particle has a total mechanical energy of 5.0 J. If the particle is at x = 1.0 m, the x-
component of the force and speed of the particle are:
A. 20 N; 2.0 m/s B. 20 N; 4.0 m/s C. −16 N; 6.0 m/s D. 0 N; 4.0 m/s
E. −10 N ; 4.5 m/s
Solution: The force is given by Fx = −dU/dx = −4.0 x3 − 8.0 x + 2.0 = −10 N at x = 1.0.
The kinetic energy is
mv 2 / 2 = K = E −U(x = 1.0)

So
2(E −U) 2(5.0 − 3.0)
v= = = 4.5 m/s Answer: E
m 0.2

  9  
  

!
27. The potential energy U(x) for a particle in one dimension is shown below. Which of
the following Fxenergy
27. The potential forceU(x)graphs goes
for a particle in onewith thisispotential
dimension shown below.energy.
Which of
A. Athe following
B. B FxC. Cgraphs
force D.goes
D withE.this
None ofenergy.
potential the above

U(x)

x
A.
! Fx
! x

B. Fx
!
! x

C. Fx
! x

D.
!
Fx
! x

Solution: The slope of the potential energy is, in order of increasing x, +, 0, +, −, 0. So

A. A
the force
B. B is the negative of this, −, 0, −, +. Also, the slope in the first segment is steeper
thanC.that
C in the third segment. Answer: B
D. D
E. None of the above

! 12!

  10  
  

Physics 221 midterm exam 1 - KEY

 
1      D     11      A     21      E  

2      D     12      C     22      A  

3      A     13      C     23      B  

4      B     14      E     24      D  

5      C     15      C     25      B  

6      E     16      B     26      E  

7      D     17      E     27      B  

8      C     18      A      

9      D     19      D      

10  A     20      C      

  11