Chapter 2

Dynamics

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AP Physics Multiple Choice Practice – Dynamics

SECTION A – Linear Dynamics

1. A ball of mass m is suspended from two strings of unequal length as shown above. The magnitudes of the
tensions T 1 and T 2 in the strings must satisfy which of the following relations?
(A) T l = T 2 (B) T 1 > T 2 (C) T 1 < T 2 (D) T l + T 2 = mg (E) T 1 – T 2 = mg

Questions 2 – 3

A 2-kilogram block slides down a 30° incline as shown above with an acceleration of 2 meters per second squared.

2. Which of the following diagrams best represents the gravitational force W. the frictional force f, and the normal
force N that act on the block?

3. The magnitude of the frictional force along the plane is most nearly
(A) 2.5 N (B) 5 N (C) 6 N (D) 10 N (E) 16 N

4. When the frictionless system shown above is accelerated by an applied force of magnitude the tension in the
string between the blocks is (A) 2F (B) F (C) 2/3 F (D) ½ F (E) 1/3 F

5. A ball falls straight down through the air under the influence of gravity. There is a retarding force F on the ball
with magnitude given by F = bv, where v is the speed of the ball and b is a positive constant. The magnitude of
the acceleration, a of the ball at any time is equal to which of the following?
(A) g – b (B) g – bv/m (C) g + bv/m (D) g/b (E) bv/m

6. A push broom of mass m is pushed across a rough horizontal floor by a force of magnitude T directed at angle
as shown above. The coefficient of friction between the broom and the floor is . The frictional force on the
broom has magnitude
(A) (mg + Tsin ) (B) (mg – Tsin ) (C) (mg + Tcos ) (D) (mg – Tcos ) (E) mg

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7. A block of weight W is pulled along a horizontal surface at constant speed v by a force F, which acts at an angle
of with the horizontal, as shown above. The normal force exerted on the block by the surface has magnitude
(A) W – F cos (B) W – F sin (C) W (D) W + F sin (E) W + F cos

8. A uniform rope of weight 50 newtons hangs from a hook as shown above. A box of weight 100 newtons hangs
from the rope. What is the tension in the rope?
(A) 50 N throughout the rope (B) 75 N throughout the rope (C) 100 N throughout the rope
(D) 150 N throughout the rope (E) It varies from 100 N at the bottom of the rope to 150 N at the top.

9. When an object of weight W is suspended from the center of a massless string as shown above, the tension at
any point in the string is
(A) 2Wcos (B) ½Wcos (C) Wcos (D) W/(2cos ) (E) W/(cos )

*10. An ideal spring obeys Hooke's law, F = –kx. A mass of 0.50 kilogram hung vertically from this spring
stretches the spring 0.075 meter. The value of the force constant for the spring is most nearly
(A) 0.33 N/m (B) 0.66 N/m (C) 6.6 N/m (D) 33 N/m (E) 66 N/m

11. A block of mass 3m can move without friction on a horizontal table. This block is attached to another block of
mass m by a cord that passes over a frictionless pulley, as shown above. If the masses of the cord and the pulley
are negligible, what is the magnitude of the acceleration of the descending block?
(A) Zero (B) g/4 (C) g/3 (D) 2g/3 (E) g

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Questions 12 – 13

A plane 5 meters in length is inclined at an angle of 37°, as shown above. A block of weight 20 newtons is
placed at the top of the plane and allowed to slide down.

12. The mass of the block is most nearly

(A) 1.0 kg (B) 1.2 kg (C) 1.6 kg (D) 2.0 kg (E) 2.5 kg

13. The magnitude of the normal force exerted on the block by the plane is most nearly
(A) 10 N (B) 12 N (C) 16 N (D) 20 N (E) 33 N

14. Three forces act on an object. If the object is in translational equilibrium, which of the following must be true?
I. The vector sum of the three forces must equal zero.
II. The magnitudes of the three forces must be equal.
III. All three forces must be parallel.
(A) I only (B) II only (C) I and III only (D) II and III only (E) I, II, and III

15. Three objects can only move along a straight, level path. The graphs above show the position d of each of the
objects plotted as a function of time t. The sum of the forces on the object is zero in which of the cases?
(A) II only (B) III only (C) I and II only (D) I and III only (E) I, II, and III

*16.For which of the following motions of an object must the acceleration always be zero?

I. Any motion in a straight line

II. Simple harmonic motion
III. Any motion in a circle
(A) I only (B) II only (C) III only (D) Either I or III, but not II
(E) None of these motions guarantees zero acceleration.

17. A rope of negligible mass supports a block that weighs 30 N, as shown above. The breaking strength of the
rope is 50 N. The largest acceleration that can be given to the block by pulling up on it with the rope without
breaking the rope is most nearly
(A) 6 m/s2 (B) 6.7 m/s2 (C) 10 m/s2 (D) 15 m/s2 (E) 16.7 m/s2

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Questions 18 – 19

A horizontal, uniform board of weight 125 N and length 4 m is supported by vertical chains at each end. A
person weighing 500 N is sitting on the board. The tension in the right chain is 250 N.

18. What is the tension in the left chain?

(A) 250 N (B) 375 N (C) 500 N (D) 625 N (E) 875 N

*19. How far from the left end of the board is the person sitting?
(A) 0.4 m (B) 1.5 m (C) 2 m (D) 2.5 m (E) 3 m

20. The cart of mass 10 kg shown above moves without frictional loss on a level table. A 10 N force pulls on the
cart horizontally to the right. At the same time, a 30 N force at an angle of 60° above the horizontal pulls on the
cart to the left. What is the magnitude of the horizontal acceleration of the cart?
(A) 0.5 m/s2 (B) 1.6 m/s2 (C) 2.0 m/s2 (D) 2.5 m/s2 (E) 2.6 m/s2
21. An object of mass m is initially at rest and free to move without friction in any direction in the xy-plane. A
constant net force of magnitude F directed in the +x direction acts on the object for 1 s. Immediately thereafter
a constant net force of the same magnitude F directed in the +y direction acts on the object for 1 s. After this, no
forces act on the object. Which of the following vectors could represent the velocity of the object at the end of
3 s, assuming the scales on the x and y axes are equal.

22. Two people are pulling on the ends of a rope. Each person pulls with a force of 100 N. The tension in the rope
is:
(A) 0 N (B) 50 N (C) 100 N (D) 141 N (E) 200 N

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23. The parabola above is a graph of speed v as a function of time t for an object. Which of the following graphs
best represents the magnitude F of the net force exerted on the object as a function of time t?

24. A 100-newton weight is suspended by two cords as shown above. The tension in the slanted cord is
(A) 50 N (B) 100 N (C) 150 N (D) 200 N (E) 250 N

25. Two blocks are pushed along a horizontal frictionless surface by a force of 20 newtons to the right, as shown
above. The force that the 2-kilogram block exerts on the 3-kilogram block is
(A) 8 newtons to the left (B) 8 newtons to the right (C) 10 newtons to the left
(D) 12 newtons to the right (E) 20 newtons to the left

26. A ball initially moves horizontally with velocity v i , as shown above. It is then struck by a stick. After leaving
the stick, the ball moves vertically with a velocity v f , which is smaller in magnitude than v i . Which of the
following vectors best represents the direction of the average force that the stick exerts on the ball?

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27. Two 0.60-kilogram objects are connected by a thread that passes over a light, frictionless pulley, as shown
above. The objects are initially held at rest. If a third object with a mass of 0.30 kilogram is added on top of one
of the 0.60-kilogram objects as shown and the objects are released, the magnitude of the acceleration of the
0.30-kilogram object is most nearly
(A) 10.0 m/s2 (B) 6.0 m/s2 (C) 3.0 m/s2 (D) 2.0 m/s2 (E) 1.0 m/s2

*28. Two identical massless springs are hung from a horizontal support. A block of mass 1.2 kilograms is suspended
from the pair of springs, as shown above. When the block is in equilibrium, each spring is stretched an
additional 0.15 meter. The force constant of each spring is most nearly
(A) 40 N/m (B) 48 N/m (C) 60 N/m (D) 80 N/m (E) 96 N/m

29. A ball is thrown and follows a parabolic path, as shown above. Air friction is negligible. Point Q is the highest
point on the path. Which of the following best indicates the direction of the net force on the ball at point P ?

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

30. A block of mass 5 kilograms lies on an inclined plane, as shown above. The horizontal and vertical supports
for the plane have lengths of 4 meters and 3 meters, respectively. The coefficient of friction between the plane
and the block is 0.3. The magnitude of the force F necessary to pull the block up the plane with constant speed
is most nearly
(A) 30 N (B) 42 N (C) 49 N (D) 50 N (E) 58 N

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Questions 31 – 32

A block of mass m is accelerated across a rough surface by a force of magnitude F that is exerted at an angle
with the horizontal, as shown above. The frictional force on the block exerted by the surface has magnitude f.

31. What is the acceleration of the block?

(A) F/m (B) (Fcos )/m (C) (F–f)/m (D) (Fcos –f)/m (E) (Fsin –mg)/m

32. What is the coefficient of friction between the block and the surface?
(A) f/mg (B) mg/f (C) (mg–Fcos )/f (D) f/(mg–Fcos ) (E) f/(mg–Fsin )

33. Three blocks of masses 3m, 2m, ands are connected to strings A, B, and C as shown above. The blocks are
pulled along a rough surface by a force of magnitude F exerted by string C. The coefficient of friction between
each block and the surface is the same. Which string must be the strongest in order not to break?
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) They must all be the same strength.
(E) It is impossible to determine without knowing the coefficient of friction.

34. A block of mass 3 kg, initially at rest, is pulled along a frictionless, horizontal surface with a force shown as a
function of time t by the graph above. The acceleration of the block at t = 2 s is
(A) 3/4 m/s2 (B) 4/3 m/s2 (C) 2 m/s2 (D) 8 m/s2 (E) 12 m/s2

35. An object weighing 300 N is suspended by means of two cords, as shown above. The tension in the horizontal
cord is
(A) 0 N (B) 150 N (C) 210 N (D) 300 N (E) 400 N

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Questions 36 – 38
A small box is on a
forces: frictional (f ) ,gravitational (mg), pulling or pushing (F P ) and normal (I). In the following free-body
diagrams for the box, the lengths of the vectors are proportional to the magnitudes of the forces.

36. Which figure best represents the free-body diagram for the box if it is accelerating up the ramp?
(A) Figure A (B) Figure B (C) Figure C (D) Figure D (E) Figure E

37. Which figure best represents the free-body diagram for the box if it is at rest on the ramp?
(A) Figure A (B) Figure B (C) Figure C (D) Figure D (E) Figure E

38. Which figure best represents the free-body diagram for the box if it is sliding down the ramp at constant speed?
(A) Figure A (B) Figure B (C) Figure C (D) Figure D (E) Figure E

39. Two blocks of masses M and m, with M > m, are connected by a light string. The string passes over a
frictionless pulley of negligible mass so that the blocks hang vertically. The blocks are then released from rest.
What is the acceleration of the block of mass M ?
M m M m M m M m
(A) g (B) g (C) g (D) g (E) g
M M M m M m

40. A horizontal force F pushes a block of mass m against a vertical wall. The coefficient of friction between the
F is necessary to keep the block from slipping down the wall?
-

41. One end of a massless rope is attached to a mass m; the other end is attached to a mass of 1.00 kg. The rope is
hung over a massless frictionless pulley as shown in the accompanying figure. Mass m accelerates downward at
5.0 m/s2. What is m?
(A) 3.0 kg (B) 2.0 kg (C) 1.5 kg D. 1.0 kg (E) 0.5 kg

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42. As shown in the accompanying figure, a force F is exerted at an angle of . The block of weight mg is initially
moving the right with speed v. The coefficient of friction between the rough floor and the block is . The
frictional force acting on the block is:
(A) mg to the left. (B) mg to the right. (C) mg – F sin to the left. (D) (mg – F cos ) to the right.
(E) (mg + F sin ) to the left.

43. The “reaction” force does not cancel the “action” force because:
(A) The action force is greater than the reaction force. (B) The action force is less than the reaction force.
(C) They act on different bodies. (D) They are in the same direction.
(E) The reaction exists only after the action force is removed.

44. A student pulls a wooden box along a rough horizontal floor at constant speed by means of a force P as shown
to the right. Which of the following must be true?
(A) P > f and N < W.
(B) P > f and N = W.
(C) P = f and N > W.
(D) P = f and N = W.
(E) P < f and N = W.

45. A block with initial velocity 4.0 m/s slides 8.0 m across a rough horizontal floor before coming to rest. The
coefficient of friction is:
(A) 0.80 (B) 0.40 (C) 0.20 (D) 0.10 (E) 0.05

46. A car whose mass is 1500 kg is accelerated uniformly from rest to a speed of 20 m/s in 10 s. The magnitude of
the net force accelerating the car is:
(A) 1000 N (B) 2000 N (C) 3000 N (D) 20000 N (E) 30000 N

47. An 800-kg elevator accelerates downward at 2.0 m/s2. The force exerted by the cable on the elevator is:
(A) 1.6 kN down (B) 1.6 kN up (C) 6.4 kN up (D) 8.0 kN down (E) 9.6 kN down

48. The 10.0 kg box shown in the figure to the right is sliding to the right along the floor. A horizontal force of 10.0
N is being applied to the right. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the floor is 0.20. The box
is moving with:
(A) acceleration to the left. (B) centripetal acceleration. (C) acceleration to the right.
(D) constant speed and constant velocity. (E) constant speed but not constant velocity.

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49. Two blocks X and Y are in contact on a horizontal frictionless surface. A 36 N constant force is applied to X as
shown to the right. The force exerted by X on Y is:
(A) 1.5 N (B) 6.0 N (C) 29 N (D) 30 N (E) 36 N

50. Assume the objects in the following diagrams have equal mass and the strings holding them in place are
identical. In which case would the string be most likely to break?

51. A string with masses of 1.5 kg and 3.0 kg on its ends is hung over a frictionless, massless pulley as shown to the
right. What is the approximate magnitude of the acceleration of the masses?
(A) 1.5 m/s2 (B) 3.0 m/s2 (C) 3.3 m/s2 (D) 6.7 m/s2 (E) 10 m/s2

52. Two blocks of mass 1.0 kg and 3.0 kg are connected by a string which has a tension of 2.0 N. A force F acts in
the direction shown to the right. Assuming friction is negligible, what is the value of F?
(A) 1.0 N (B) 2.0 N (C) 4.0 N (D) 6.0 N (E) 8.0 N

53. An object in equilibrium has three forces, F 1 of 30 N, F 2 of 50 N, and F 3 of 70 N, acting on it. The magnitude
of the resultant of F 1 and F 2 is
(A) 10 N (B) 20 N (C) 40 N (D) 70 N (E) 80 N

54. A 50-kg student stands on a scale in an elevator. At the instant the elevator has a downward acceleration of 1.0
m/s2 and an upward velocity of 3.0 m/s, the scale reads approximately
(A) 350 N (B) 450 N (C) 500 N (D) 550 N (E) 650 N

55. If the net force on an object were doubled while at the same time the mass of the object was halved, then the
acceleration of the object is
(A) 1/4 as great. (B) 1/2 as great. (C) 2 times greater. (D) 4 times greater. (E) unchanged

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56. A tractor-trailer truck is traveling down the road. The mass of the trailer is 4 times the mass of the tractor. If the
tractor accelerates forward, the force that the trailer applies on the tractor is
(A) 4 times greater than the force of the tractor on the trailer.
(B) 2 times greater than the force of the tractor on the trailer.
(C) equal to the force of the tractor on the trailer.
(D) ¼ the force of the tractor on the trailer.
(E) zero since the tractor is pulling the trailer forward.

57. Two boxes are accelerated to the right on a frictionless horizontal surface as shown. The larger box has a mass
of 9 kilograms and the smaller box has a mass of 3 kilograms. If a 24 newton horizontal force pulls on the larger
box, with what force does the larger box pull on the smaller box?
(A) 3 N (B) 6 N (C) 8 N (D) 18 N (E) 24 N

58. What happens to the inertia of an object when its velocity is doubled?
(A) the object’s inertia becomes 2 times greater
(B) the object’s inertia becomes 2 times greater
(C) the object’s inertia becomes 4 times greater
(D) the object’s inertia becomes 8 times greater
(E) the object’s inertia is unchanged

59. A wooden box is first pulled across a horizontal steel plate as shown in the diagram A. The box is then pulled
across the same steel plate while the plate is inclined as shown in diagram B. How does the force required to
overcome friction in the inclined case (B) compare to the horizontal case (A)?
(A) the frictional force is the same in both cases
(B) the inclined case has a greater frictional force
(C) the inclined case has less frictional force
(D) the frictional force increases with angle until the angle is 90º, then drops to zero
(E) more information is required

60. An object near the surface of the earth with a weight of 100 newtons is accelerated at 4 m/s2. What is the net
force on the object?
(A) 25 N (B) 40 N (C) 250 N (D) 400 N (E) 2500 N

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Questions 61 – 62
A car of mass m slides across a patch of ice at a speed v with its brakes locked. It then hits dry pavement and
skids to a stop in a distance d. The coefficient of kinetic friction

61. If the car had a mass of 2m, it would have skidded a distance of
(A) 0.5 d (B) d (C) 1.41 d (D) 2 d (E) 4 d

62. If the car had a speed of 2v, it would have skidded a distance of
(A) 0.5 d (B) d (C) 1.41 d (D) 2 d (E) 4 d

63. A 500-gram ball moving at 15 m/s slows down uniformly until it stops. If the ball travels 15 meters, what was
the average net force applied while it was coming to a stop?
(A) 0.37 newtons (B) 3.75 newtons (C) 37.5 newtons (D) 375 newtons (E) 3750 newtons

64. A block rests on a flat plane inclined at an angle of 30º with respect to the horizontal. What is the minimum
coefficient of friction necessary to keep the block from sliding?
1 1 1 1 2
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
2 2 3 4 3

65. A force of 6 newtons and a force of 10 newtons can be combine to form a resultant with a magnitude of which
of the following
(A) 0 newtons (B) 2 newtons (C) 8 newtons (D) 20 newtons (E) 60 newtons

66. The order of magnitude of the weight of an apple is:

(A) 10–4 N (B) 10–2 N (C) 10–1 N (D) 100 N (E) 101 N

Questions 67 – 68
A 5 kg block rests on a flat plane inclined at an angle of 30o to the horizon as shown in the diagram below.

67. What would be the acceleration of the block down the plane assuming the force of friction is negligible?
(A) 0.5 m/s2 (B) 0.87 m/s2 (C) 5 m/s2 (D) 8.7 m/s2 (E) 10 m/s2

68. If the block is placed on a second plane (where friction is significant) inclined at the same angle, it will begin to
accelerate at 2.0 m/s2. What is the force of friction between the block and the second inclined plane?
(A) 10 N (B) 15 N (C) 25 N (D) 43.3 N (E) 50 N

69. The graph at left shows the relationship between the mass of a number
of rubber stoppers and their resulting weight on some far-off planet. The
slope of the graph is a representation of the:
(A) mass of a stopper
(B) density of a stopper
(C) volume of a stopper
(D) acceleration due to gravity
(E) number of stoppers for each unit of weight

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70. Two masses, m 1 and m 2 , are connected by a cord and arranged as shown in the diagram with m 1 sliding along
on a frictionless surface and m 2 hanging from a light frictionless pulley. What would be the mass of the falling
mass, m 2 , if both the sliding mass, m 1 , and the tension, T, in the cord were known?
1 m1 g T 1 m1 (T g ) Tm1
(A) (B) (C) Tg (D) (E)
( g 1) g 2 gm1 T ( gm1 T )

71. A box with a mass of 50 kg is dragged across the floor by a rope which makes
an angle of 30º with the horizontal. Which of the following would be closest
to the coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the floor if a 250
newton force on the rope is required to move the crate at a constant speed of
20 m/s as shown in the diagram?
(A) 0.26 (B) 0.33 (C) 0.44 (D) 0.59 (E) 0.77

Questions 72 – 74

A 2 kg mass and a 4 kg mass on a horizontal frictionless surface are connected by a massless string A. They are
pulled horizontally across the surface by a second string B with a constant acceleration of 12 m/s2.

72. What is the magnitude of the force of string B on the 2 kg mass?

(A) 72 N (B) 48 N (C) 24 N (D) 6 N (E) 3 N

73. What is the magnitude of the force of string A on the 4 kg mass?

(A) 72 N (B) 48 N (C) 24 N (D) 6 N (E) 3 N

74. What is the magnitude of the net force on the 2 kg mass?

(A) 72 N (B) 48 N (C) 24 N (D) 6 N (E) 3 N

75. A mass is suspended from the roof of a lift (elevator) by means of a spring balance. The lift (elevator) is moving
upwards and the readings of the spring balance are noted as follows:

Speeding up: R U Constant speed: R C Slowing down: R D

Which of the following is a correct relationship between the readings?

(A) R U R C (B) R U = R D (C) R C = R D (D) R C R D (E) R U < R D

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76. A small box of mass m is placed on top of a larger box of mass 2m as shown in the diagram at right. When a
force F is applied to the large box, both boxes accelerate to the right with the same acceleration. If the
coefficient of friction between all surfaces is , what would be the force accelerating the smaller mass?
F F mg F
(A) mg (B) F 3mg (C) F mg (D) (E)
3 3 3
77. The S.I. unit of force is named the newton in honor of Sir Isaac Newton's contributions to physics. Which of
the following combination of units is the equivalent of a newton?
m m2 m m2
(A) kg (B) kg (C) kg (D) kg (E) kg
s s 2 2
s s
78. A 6.0 kg block initially at rest is pushed against a wall by a 100 N force as shown. The
coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.30 while the coefficient of static friction is 0.50. What is
true of the friction acting on the block after a time of 1 second?
(A) Static friction acts upward on the block.
(B) Kinetic friction acts upward on the block
(C) No friction acts on the block
(D) Kinetic friction acts downward on the block.
(E) Static friction acts downward on the block.

79. A homeowner pushes a lawn mower across a horizontal patch of grass with a constant speed by applying a
force P. The arrows in the diagram correctly indicate the directions but not necessarily the magnitudes of the
various forces on the lawn mower. Which of the following relations among the various force magnitudes, W, f, N, P
is CORRECT?

(A) P > f and N > W

(B) P < f and N = W
(C) P > f and N < W
(D) P = f and N > W
(E) none of the above

*80.A mass, M, is at rest on a frictionless surface, connected to an ideal horizontal spring that is unstretched. A
person extends the spring 30 cm from equilibrium and holds it at this location by applying a 10 N force. The
spring is brought back to equilibrium and the mass connected to it is now doubled to 2M. If the spring is
extended back 30 cm from equilibrium, what is the necessary force applied by the person to hold the mass
stationary there?
(A) 20.0 N (B) 14.1 N (C) 10.0 N (D) 7.07 N (E) 5.00 N

81. A baseball is thrown by a pitcher with a speed of 35 m/s. The batter swings and hits the ball. The magnitude of
the force that the ball exerts on the bat is always
(A) zero as it is only the bat that exerts a force on the ball.
(B) equal to the gravitational force acting on the ball.
(C) larger than the force the bat exerts on the ball.
(D) smaller than the force the bat exerts on the ball.
(E) equal to the force that the bat exerts on the ball.

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82. A book leans against a crate on a table. Neither is moving. Which of the following statements concerning this
situation is CORRECT?
(A) The force of the book on the crate is less than that of crate on the book.
(B) Although there is no friction acting on the crate, there must be friction acting on the book or else it will fall.
(C) The net force acting on the book is zero.
(D) The direction of the frictional force acting on the book is in the same direction as the frictional force acting
on the crate.
(E) The Newton’s Third Law reaction force to the weight of the book is the normal force from the table.

83. A crate of toys remains at rest on a sleigh as the sleigh is pulled up a hill with an increasing speed. The crate is
not fastened down to the sleigh. What force is responsible for the crate’s increase in speed up the hill?
(A) the contact force (normal force) of the ground on the sleigh
(B) the force of static friction of the sleigh on the crate
(C) the contact force (normal force) of the sleigh on the crate
(D) the gravitational force acting on the sleigh
(E) no force is needed

84. A student weighing 500 N stands on a bathroom scale in the school’s elevator. When the scale reads 520 N, the
elevator must be
(A) accelerating upward. (B) accelerating downward. (C) moving upward at a constant speed.
(D) moving downward at a constant speed. (E) at rest.

85. In which one of the following situations is the net force constantly zero on the object?
(A) A mass attached to a string and swinging like a pendulum.
(B) A stone falling freely in a gravitational field.
(C) An astronaut floating in the International Space Station.
(D) A snowboarder riding down a steep hill.
(E) A skydiver who has reached terminal velocity.

86. A box slides to the right across a horizontal floor. A person called Ted exerts a force T to the right on the box. A
person called Mario exerts a force M to the left, which is half as large as the force T. Given that there is friction
f and the box accelerates to the right, rank the sizes of these three forces exerted on the box.
(A) f < M < T (B) M < f < T (C) M < T < f (D) f = M < T (E) It cannot be determined.

87. You hold a rubber ball in your hand. The Newton's third law companion force to the force of gravity on the ball
is the force exerted by which object onto what other object?
(A) ball on the hand (B) Earth on the ball (C) ball on the Earth (D) Earth on your hand (E) hand on the ball

88. An object on an inclined plane has a gravitational force of magnitude 10 N acting on it from the Earth. Which of
the following gives the correct components of this gravitational force for the coordinate axes shown in the
figure? The y-axis is perpendicular to the incline’s surface while the x-axis is parallel to the inclined surface.
x-component y-component
(A) +6N 8N
(B) + 8N 6N
(C) 6N + 8N
(D) 8N +6N
(E) 0N +10 N

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89. A spaceman of mass 80 kg is sitting in a spacecraft near the surface of the Earth. The spacecraft is accelerating
upward at five times the acceleration due to gravity. What is the force of the spaceman on the spacecraft?
(A) 4800 N (B) 4000 N (C) 3200 N (D) 800 N (E) 400 N

90. A 22.0 kg suitcase is dragged in a straight line at a constant speed of 1.10 m/s across a level airport floor by a
student on the way to Mexico. The individual pulls with a 1.0 × 102 N force along a handle which makes an
upward angle of 30.0 degrees with respect to the horizontal. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between
the suitcase and the floor?
(A) k = 0.013 (B) k = 0.394 (C) k = 0.509 (D) k = 0.866 (E) k = 1.055

91. A person pushes a block of mass M = 6.0kg with a constant speed of 5.0 m/s straight up a flat surface inclined
30.0° above the horizontal. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the surface is 0.40.
What is the net force acting on the block?
(A) 0 N (B) 21 N (C) 30 N (D) 51 N (E) 76 N

92. In the figure above, a box moves with speed 5.0 m/s at the bottom of a rough, fixed inclined plane. The box
slides with constant acceleration to the top of the incline as it is being pushed directly to the left with a constant
force of F = 240 N. The box, of mass m = 20.0 kg, has a speed of 2.50 m/s when it reaches the top of the
incline. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the box as it slides up the incline?
(A) 12.0 m/s2 (B) 10.0 m/s2 (C) 5.88 m/s2 (D) 1.88 m/s2 (E) 0.938 m/s2

93. A 20.0 kg box remains at rest on a horizontal surface while a person pushes directly to the right on the box with
a force of 60 N. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the surface is k = 0.20. The coefficient
of static friction between the box and the surface is s = 0.60. What is the magnitude of the force of friction
acting on the box during the push?
(A) 200 N (B) 120 N (C) 60 N (D) 40 N (E) 0 N

*94.Two identical blocks of weight W are placed one on top of the other as shown in the diagram above. The upper
block is tied to the wall. The lower block is pulled to the right with a force F. The coefficient of static friction
between all surfaces in contact is . What is the largest force F that can be exerted before the lower block starts
to slip?
(A) W (B) 3 W/2 (C) 2 W (D) 5 W/2 (E) 3 W

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95. A force F is used to hold a block of mass m on an incline as shown in the diagram (see above). The plane makes
an angle of with the horizontal and F is perpendicular to the plane. The coefficient of friction between the
plane and the block is . What is the minimum force, F, necessary to keep the block at rest?
(A) mgsin / (E) mg(sin – cos )/

*96.A mass m is resting at equilibrium suspended from a vertical spring of natural length L and spring constant k
inside a box as shown.

The box begins accelerating upward with acceleration a. How much closer does the equilibrium position of the
mass move to the bottom of the box?
( + ) ( )
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

*97.When the speed of a rear-drive car is increasing on a horizontal road, what is the direction of the frictional force
on the tires?
(A) backward on the front tires and forward on the rear tires.
(B) forward on the front tires and backward on the rear tires.
(C) forward on all tires.
(D) backward on all tires.
(E) zero.

*98.A ball of mass m is launched into the air. Ignore air resistance, but assume that there is a wind that exerts a
constant force F o in the –x direction. In terms of F o and the acceleration due to gravity g, at what angle above
the positive x-axis must the ball be launched in order to come back to the point from which it was launched?
(A) tan-1(F 0 /mg) (B) tan-1(mg/F 0 ) (C) sin-1(F 0 /mg) (D) the angle depends on the launch speed
(E) no such angle is possible

99. Given the three masses as shown in the diagram above, if the coefficient of kinetic friction between the large
mass (m 2 ) and the table is , what would be the upward acceleration of the small mass (m 3 )? The mass and
friction of the cords and pulleys are small enough to produce a negligible effect on the system.
(A) m 1 g/(m 1 + m 2 + m 3 ) (B) g(m 1 + m 2 )/(m 1 + m 2 + m 3 ) (C) g (m 1 + m 2 + m 3 )/ (m 1 – m 2 – m 3 )
(D) g (m 1 – m 2 – m 3 )/ (m 1 + m 2 + m 3 ) (E) g(m 1 – m 2 – m 3 )/ (m 1 + m 2 + m 3 )

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100. Two masses 5.0 and 7.0 kg are originally at rest on a frictionless surface. The masses are connected by a light
cord. A second cord is attached to the 7.0 kg mass and pulled with a horizontal force of 30 N. What is the
tension in the cord that connects the two masses?
(A) 5 N (B) 7 N (C) 12.5 N (D) 17.5 N (E) 30 N

101. Two masses are connected by a light cord which is looped over a light frictionless pulley. If one mass is 3.0 kg
and the second mass is 5.0 kg, what is the downward acceleration of the heavier mass? Assume air resistance is
negligible.
(A) 9.8 m/s2 (B) 8.4 m/s2 (C) 6.3 m/s2 (D) 3.8 m/s2 (E) 2.5 m/s2

Questions 102 – 103

Three identical laboratory carts A, B, and C are each subject to a constant force F A , F B , and F C , respectively.
One or more of these forces may be zero. The diagram below shows the position of each cart at each second of
an 8.0 second interval.

102. Which car has the greatest average velocity during the interval?
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) all three average velocities are equal (E) not enough information is provided

103. How does the magnitude of the force acting on each car compare?
(A) F A > F B > F C (B) F A = F C > F B (C) F A > F C = F B (D) F A = F B > F C (E) not enough information
provided

104. A skydiver is falling at terminal velocity before opening her parachute. After opening her parachute, she falls at
a much smaller terminal velocity. How does the total upward force before she opens her parachute compare to
the total upward force after she opens her parachute?
(A) The ratio of the forces is equal to the ratio of the velocities.
(B) The ratio of the forces is equal to the inverse ratio of the velocities.
(C) the upward force with the parachute will depend on the size of the parachute.
(D) The upward force before the parachute will be greater because of the greater velocity.
(E) The upward force in both cases must be the same.

105. Each of the diagrams below represents two weights connected by a massless string which passes over a
massless, frictionless pulley. In which diagram will the magnitude of the acceleration be the largest?

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

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106. A simple Atwood's machine is shown in the diagram above. It is composed of a frictionless lightweight pulley
with two cubes connected by a light string. If cube A has a mass of 4.0 kg and cube B has a mass of 6.0 kg, the
system will move such that cube B accelerates downwards. What would be the tension in the two parts of the
string between the pulley and the cubes?
(A) T A = 47 N ; T B = 71 N (B) T A = 47 N ; T B = 47 N (C) T A = 47 N ; T B = 42 N
(D) T A = 39 N ; T B = 59 N (E) T A = 39 N ; T B = 39 N

107. If a net force F applied to an object of mass m will produce an acceleration of a, what is the mass of a second
object which accelerates at 5a when acted upon by a net force of 2F?
(A) (2/5)m (B) 2m (C) (5/2)m (D) 5m (E) 10m

108. A simple Atwood's machine remains motionless when equal masses M are placed on each end of the chord.
When a small mass m is added to one side, the masses have an acceleration a. What is M? You may neglect
friction and the mass of the cord and pulley.
( ) 2 ( ) 2 ( + ) ( + ) ( )
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
2 2 2

*109.Block 1 is stacked on top of block 2. Block 2 is connected by a light cord to block 3, which is pulled along a
frictionless surface with a force F as shown in the diagram. Block 1 is accelerated at the same rate as block 2
because of the frictional forces between the two blocks. If all three blocks have the same mass m, what is the
minimum coefficient of static friction between block 1 and block 2?
(A) 2F/mg (B) 2F/3mg (C) F/mg (D) 3F/2mg (E) F/3mg

110. An object originally traveling at a velocity, v 0 , is accelerated to a velocity, v, in a time, t, by a constant force, F.
What would be the mass of the object?
0 ( 0)
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
0 0

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111. A frictionless air puck of mass m is placed on a plane surface inclined at an angle of 60° with respect to the
horizontal. A string of length l is attached to the puck at one end and the upper edge of the inclined plane at the
other to constrain the movement of the puck. What would be the magnitude of the normal force from the plane
acting on the puck?
(A) mg(sin 60°) (B) mg(cos 30°) (C) mg(tan 30°) (D) (E) None of these
tan 60

*112.Three blocks (m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 ) are sliding at a constant velocity across a rough surface as shown in the
diagram above. The coefficient of kinetic friction between each block and the surface is . What would be the
force of m 1 on m 2 ?
(A) (m 2 + m 3 ) (B) F – (m 2 – m 3 ) (C) (m 1 + m 2 + m 3 ) (D) F (E) m 1 – (m 2 + m 3 )

113. Two 5 kg masses are attached to opposite ends of a long massless cord which passes tautly over a massless
frictionless pulley. The upper mass is initially held at rest on a table 50 cm from the pulley. The coefficient of
kinetic friction between this mass and the table is 0.2. When the system is released, its resulting acceleration is
closest to which of the following?
(A) 9.8 m/s2 (B) 7.8 m/s2 (C) 4.9 m/s2 (D) 3.9 m/s2 (E) 1.9 m/s2

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SECTION B – Circular Motion
1. When a person stands on a rotating merry-go-round, the frictional force exerted on the person by the
merry-go-round is
(A) greater in magnitude than the frictional force exerted on the person by the merry-go-round
(B) opposite in direction to the frictional force exerted on the merry-go-round by the person
(C) directed away from the center of the merry-go-round
(D) zero if the rate of rotation is constant
(E) independent of the person's mass

2. A ball attached to a string is whirled around in a horizontal circle having a radius r. If the radius of the circle is
changed to 4r and the same centripetal force is applied by the string, the new speed of the ball is which of the
following?
(A) One-quarter the original speed (B) One-half the original speed
(C) The same as the original speed (D) Twice the original speed
(E) Four times the original speed

3. A racing car is moving around the circular track of radius 300 meters shown above. At the instant when the car's
velocity is directed due east, its acceleration is directed due south and has a magnitude of 3 meters per second
squared. When viewed from above, the car is moving
(A) clockwise at 30 m/s ( B) clockwise at 10 m/s (C) counterclockwise at 30 m/s
(D) counterclockwise at 10 m/s (E) with constant velocity

4. The horizontal turntable shown above rotates at a constant rate. As viewed from above, a coin on the turntable
moves counterclockwise in a circle as shown. Which of the following vectors best represents the direction of the
frictional force exerted on the coin by the turntable when the coin is in the position shown?

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

5. In which of the following situations would an object be accelerated?

I. It moves in a straight line at constant speed.
II. It moves with uniform circular motion.
III. It travels as a projectile in a gravitational field with negligible air resistance.
(A) I only (B) III only (C) I and II only (D) II and III only (E) I, II, and III.

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6. An automobile moves at constant speed down one hill and up another hill along the smoothly curved surface
shown above. Which of the following diagrams best represents the directions of the velocity and the
acceleration of the automobile at the instant that it is at the lowest position. as shown?
v v
v v
a v
a a
(A) (B) (C) a (D) a (E)

7. A car initially travels north and then turns to the left along a circular curve. This causes a package on the seat of
the car to slide toward the right side of the car. Which of the following is true of the net force on the package
while it is sliding?
(A) The force is directed away from the center of the circle.
(B) The force is directed north.
(C) There is not enough force directed north to keep the package from sliding.
(D) There is not enough force tangential to the car's path to keep the package from sliding.
(E) There is not enough force directed toward the center of the circle to keep the package from sliding.

8. A child has a toy tied to the end of a string and whirls the toy at constant speed in a horizontal circular path of
radius R. The toy completes each revolution of its motion in a time period T. What is the magnitude of the
acceleration of the toy?
2
4 R R
(A) Zero (B) 2
(C) (D) g (E)
T T2

9. A compressed spring mounted on a disk can project a small ball. When the disk is not rotating, as shown in the
top view above, the ball moves radially outward. The disk then rotates in a counterclockwise direction as seen
from above, and the ball is projected outward at the instant the disk is in the position shown above. Which of
the following best shows the subsequent path of the ball relative to the ground?

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10. A steel ball supported by a stick rotates in a circle of radius r, as shown above. The direction of the net force
acting on the ball when it is in the position shown is indicated by which of the following?

(E)

11. Inside a washing machine, the radius of the cylinder where the clothes sit is 0.50 m. In one of its settings the
machine spins the cylinder at 2.0 revolutions per second. What is the acceleration of an item of clothing?
(A) 0.080 m/s2 (B) 1.6 m/s2 (C) 8.0 m/s2 (D) 79 m/s2 (E) 25 m/s2

12. A ball of mass m is attached to the end of a string of length Q as shown above. The ball is released from rest
from position P. where the string is horizontal. It swings through position Q. where the string is vertical, and
then to position R. where the string is again horizontal. What are the directions of the acceleration vectors of the
ball at positions Q and R?
Position Q Position R
(A) Downward Downward
(B) Downward To the right
(C) Upward Downward
(D) Upward To the left
(E) To the right To the left

13. A mass m moves on a curved path from point X to point Y. Which of the following diagrams indicates a
possible combination of the net force F on the mass, and the velocity v and acceleration a of the mass at the
location shown?

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*14. A spring has a force constant of 100 N/m and an unstretched length of 0.07 m. One end is attached to a post that
is free to rotate in the center of a smooth table, as shown in the top view above. The other end is attached to a 1
kg disc moving in uniform circular motion on the table, which stretches the spring by 0.03 m. Friction is
negligible. What is the centripetal force on the disc?
(A) 0.3 N (B) 3N (C) 10 N (D) 300 N (E) 1,000 N

15. A figure of a dancer on a music box moves counterclockwise at constant speed around the path shown above.
The path is such that the lengths of its segments, PQ, QR, RS, and SP, are equal. Arcs QR and SP are
semicircles. Which of the following best represents the magnitude of the dancer's acceleration as a function of
time t during one trip around the path, beginning at point P ?

16. A car travels forward with constant velocity. It goes over a small stone, which gets stuck in the groove of a tire.
The initial acceleration of the stone, as it leaves the surface of the road, is
(A) vertically upward (B) horizontally forward (C) horizontally backward
(D) zero (E) upward and forward, at approximately 45° to the horizontal

17. A car is traveling on a road in hilly terrain, see figure to the right. Assume the car has speed v and the tops and
bottoms of the hills have radius of curvature R. The driver of the car is most likely to feel weightless:
(A) at the top of a hill when > (B) at the bottom of a hill when >
(C) going down a hill when = (D) at the top of a hill when <
(E) at the bottom of a hill when <

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18. An object shown in the accompanying figure moves in uniform circular motion. Which arrow best depicts the
net force acting on the object at the instant shown?
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

19. A child whirls a ball at the end of a rope, in a uniform circular motion. Which of the following statements is
NOT true?
(A) The speed of the ball is constant (B) The velocity is of the ball is constant (C) The radius is constant
(D) The magnitude of the ball's acceleration is constant
(E) The acceleration of the ball is directed radially inwards towards the center

20. An astronaut in an orbiting space craft attaches a mass m to a string and whirls it around in uniform circular
motion. The radius of the circle is r, the speed of the mass is v, and the tension in the string is F. If the mass,
radius, and speed were all to double the tension required to maintain uniform circular motion would be
(A) F/2 (B) F (C) 2F (D) 4F (E) 8F

21. Assume the roller coaster cart rolls frictionlessly along

the curved track from point A to point C under the
influence of gravity. What would be the direction of the
cart's acceleration at point B?
(A) upward
(B) downward
(C) forward
(D) backward
(E) no acceleration

Questions 22 – 23
The diagram below is a snapshot of three cars all moving counterclockwise during a one lap race on an elliptical
track.

22. Which car has had the lowest average speed during the race so far?
(A) car A (D) all three cars have had the same average speed
(B) car B (E) cannot be determined with information provided
(C) car C

23. Which car at the moment of the snapshot MUST have a net force acting on it?
(A) car A (D) all three cars have net forces acting on them
(B) car B (E) cannot be determined with information provided
(C) car C

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24. A centripetal force of 5.0 newtons is applied to a rubber stopper moving at a constant speed in a horizontal
circle. If the same force is applied, but the radius is made smaller, what happens to the speed, v, and the
frequency, f, of the stopper?
(A) v increases & f increases (D) v decreases & f increases
(B) v decreases & f decreases (E) neither changes
(C) v increases & f decreases

25. What is the centripetal acceleration of an object (mass = 50 g) on the end of an 80-cm string rotating at a
constant rate of 4 times a second?
(A) 25 m/s2 (B) 32 m/s2 (C) 100 m/s2 (D) 500 m/s2 (E) 2500 m/s2

26. What net force is necessary to keep a 1.0 kg puck moving in a circle of radius 0.5 m on a horizontal frictionless
surface with a speed of 2.0 m/s?
(A) 0 N (B) 2.0 N (C) 4.0 N (D) 8.0 N (E) 16 N

27. Astronauts on the Moon perform an experiment with a simple pendulum that is released from the horizontal
position at rest. At the moment shown in the diagram with 0 90°, the total acceleration of the mass may
be directed in which of the following ways?
(A) straight to the right (B) straight to the left (C) straight upward (D) straight downward
(E) straight along the connecting string toward point P (the pivot)

28. A 4.0 kg mass is attached to one end of a rope 2 m long. If the mass is swung in a vertical circle from the free
end of the rope, what is the tension in the rope when the mass is at its highest point if it is moving with a speed
of 5 m/s?
(A) 5.4 N (B) 10.8 N (C) 21.6 N (D) 50 N (E) 65.4 N

29. A ball of mass m is fastened to a string. The ball swings at constant speed in a vertical circle of radius R with
the other end of the string held fixed. Neglecting air resistance, what is the difference between the string's
tension at the bottom of the circle and at the top of the circle?
(A) 1·mg (B) 2·mg (C) 4·mg (D) 6·mg (E) 8·mg

30. An object weighing 4 newtons swings on the end of a string as a simple pendulum. At the bottom of the swing,
the tension in the string is 6 newtons. What is the magnitude of the centripetal acceleration of the object at the
bottom of the swing?
(A) 0 (B) 0.5 g (C) g (D) 1.5 g (E) 2.5 g

31. Riders in a carnival ride stand with their backs against the wall of a circular room of diameter 8.0 m. The room
is spinning horizontally about an axis through its center at a rate of 45 rev/min when the floor drops so that it no
longer provides any support for the riders. What is the minimum coefficient of static friction between the wall
and the rider required so that the rider does not slide down the wall?
(A) 0.0012 (B) 0.056 (C) 0.11 (D) 0.53 (E) 8.9

78
AP Physics Free Response Practice – Dynamics

SECTION A – Linear Dynamics

1976B1. The two guide rails for the elevator shown above each exert a constant friction force of 100 newtons on the
elevator car when the elevator car is moving upward with an acceleration of 2 meters per second squared. The
pulley has negligible friction and mass. Assume g = 10 m/sec2.

a. On the diagram below, draw and label all forces acting on the elevator car. Identify the source of each force.

b. Calculate the tension in the cable lifting the 400-kilogram elevator car during an upward acceleration of 2
m/sec2. (Assume g 10 m/sec2.)
c. Calculate the mass M the counterweight must have to raise the elevator car with an acceleration of 2 m/sec2.

1979B2. A 10-kilogram block rests initially on a table as shown in cases I and II above. The coefficient of sliding
friction between the block and the table is 0.2. The block is connected to a cord of negligible mass, which
hangs over a massless frictionless pulley. In case I a force of 50 newtons is applied to the cord. In case II an
object of mass 5 kilograms is hung on the bottom of the cord. Use g = 10 meters per second squared.
a. Calculate the acceleration of the 10-kilogram block in case I.
b. On the diagrams below, draw and label all the forces acting on each block in case II

10 kg

5 kg

c. Calculate the acceleration of the 10-kilogram block in case II.

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1982B2. A crane is used to hoist a load of mass m 1 = 500 kilograms. The load is suspended by a cable from a hook
of mass m 2 = 50 kilograms, as shown in the diagram above. The load is lifted upward at a constant acceleration
of 2 m/s2.
a. On the diagrams below draw and label the forces acting on the hook and the forces acting on the load as they
accelerate upward

b. Determine the tension T 1 in the lower cable and the tension T 2 in the upper cable as the hook and load are
accelerated upward at 2 m/s2. Use g = 10 m/s².

1985B2 (modified) Two 10-kilogram boxes are connected by a massless string that passes over a massless
frictionless pulley as shown above. The boxes remain at rest, with the one on the right hanging vertically and
the one on the left 2.0 meters from the bottom of an inclined plane that makes an angle of 60° with the
horizontal. The coefficients of kinetic friction and static friction between the left-hand box and the plane are
0.15 and 0.30, respectively. You may use g = 10 m/s2, sin 60° = 0.87, and cos 60° = 0.50.
a. What is the tension T in the string?
b. On the diagram below, draw and label all the forces acting on the box that is on the plane.

c. Determine the magnitude of the frictional force acting on the box on the plane.

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1986B1. Three blocks of masses 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kilograms are connected by massless strings, one of which passes
over a frictionless pulley of negligible mass, as shown above. Calculate each of the following.
a. The acceleration of the 4-kilogram block
b. The tension in the string supporting the 4-kilogram block
c. The tension in the string connected to the l-kilogram block

1987B1. In the system shown above, the block of mass M 1 is on a rough horizontal table. The string that attaches it
to the block of mass M 2 passes over a frictionless pulley of negligible mass. The coefficient of kinetic friction
k between M 1 and the table is less than the coefficient of static friction s
a. On the diagram below, draw and identify all the forces acting on the block of mass M 1 .

M1

b. In terms of M 1 and M 2 determine the minimum value of s that will prevent the blocks from moving.

The blocks are set in motion by giving M 2 a momentary downward push. In terms of M 1 , M 2 , k, and g,
determine each of the following:
c. The magnitude of the acceleration of M 1
d. The tension in the string.

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1988B1. A helicopter holding a 70-kilogram package suspended from a rope 5.0 meters long accelerates upward at
a rate of 5.2 m/s2. Neglect air resistance on the package.
a. On the diagram below, draw and label all of the forces acting on the package.

b. Determine the tension in the rope.

c. When the upward velocity of the helicopter is 30 meters per second, the rope is cut and the helicopter continues
to accelerate upward at 5.2 m/s2. Determine the distance between the helicopter and the package 2.0 seconds
after the rope is cut.

1998B1 Two small blocks, each of mass m, are connected by a string of constant length 4h and negligible mass.
Block A is placed on a smooth tabletop as shown above, and block B hangs over the edge of the table. The
tabletop is a distance 2h above the floor. Block B is then released from rest at a distance h above the floor at
time t = 0. Express all algebraic answers in terms of h, m, and g.
a. Determine the acceleration of block B as it descends.
b. Block B strikes the floor and does not bounce. Determine the time t = t 1 at which block B strikes the floor.
c. Describe the motion of block A from time t = 0 to the time when block B strikes the floor.
d. Describe the motion of block A from the time block B strikes the floor to the time block A leaves the table.
e. Determine the distance between the landing points of the two blocks.

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2000B2. Blocks 1 and 2 of masses m l and m 2 , respectively, are connected by a light string, as shown above. These
blocks are further connected to a block of mass M by another light string that passes over a pulley of negligible
mass and friction. Blocks l and 2 move with a constant velocity v down the inclined plane, which makes an
angle with the horizontal. The kinetic frictional force on block 1 is f and that on block 2 is 2f.
a. On the figure below, draw and label all the forces on block m l .

Express your answers to each of the following in terms of m l , m 2 , g, , and f.

b. Determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between the inclined plane and block 1.
c. Determine the value of the suspended mass M that allows blocks 1 and 2 to move with constant velocity down
the plane.
d. The string between blocks 1 and 2 is now cut. Determine the acceleration of block 1 while it is on the inclined
plane.

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2003B1 A rope of negligible mass passes over a pulley of negligible mass attached to the ceiling, as shown above.
One end of the rope is held by Student A of mass 70 kg, who is at rest on the floor. The opposite end of the rope
is held by Student B of mass 60 kg, who is suspended at rest above the floor. Use g = 10 m/s2.
a. On the dots below that represent the students, draw and label free-body diagrams showing the forces on Student
A and on Student B.

b. Calculate the magnitude of the force exerted by the floor on Student A.

Student B now climbs up the rope at a constant acceleration of 0.25 m/s2 with respect to the floor.
c. Calculate the tension in the rope while Student B is accelerating.
d. As Student B is accelerating, is Student A pulled upward off the floor? Justify your answer.
e. With what minimum acceleration must Student B climb up the rope to lift Student A upward off the floor?

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2003Bb1 (modified) An airplane accelerates uniformly from rest. A physicist passenger holds up a thin string of
negligible mass to which she has tied her ring, which has a mass m. She notices that as the plane accelerates
down the runway, the string makes an angle with the vertical as shown above.
a. In the space below, draw a free-body diagram of the ring, showing and labeling all the forces present.

The plane reaches a takeoff speed of 65 m/s after accelerating for a total of 30 s.

b. Determine the minimum length of the runway needed.

c. Determine the angle that the string makes with the vertical during the acceleration of the plane before it leaves
the ground.

*1996B2 (modified) A spring that can be assumed to be ideal hangs from a stand, as shown above. You wish to
determine experimentally the spring constant k of the spring.
a. i. What additional, commonly available equipment would you need?
ii. What measurements would you make?
iii. How would k be determined from these measurements?

Suppose that the spring is now used in a spring scale that is limited to a maximum value of 25 N, but you would
like to weigh an object of mass M that weighs more than 25 N. You must use commonly available equipment
and the spring scale to determine the weight of the object without breaking the scale.
b. i. Draw a clear diagram that shows one way that the equipment you choose could be used with the spring
scale to determine the weight of the object,
ii. Explain how you would make the determination.

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B2007B1. An empty sled of mass 25 kg slides down a muddy hill with a constant speed of 2.4 m/s. The slope of the
hill is inclined at an angle of 15° with the horizontal as shown in the figure above.
a. Calculate the time it takes the sled to go 21 m down the slope.
b. On the dot below that represents the sled, draw/label a free-body diagram for the sled as it slides down the slope

c. Calculate the frictional force on the sled as it slides down the slope.
d. Calculate the coefficient of friction between the sled and the muddy surface of the slope.
e. The sled reaches the bottom of the slope and continues on the horizontal ground. Assume the same coefficient
of friction.
i. In terms of velocity and acceleration, describe the motion of the sled as it travels on the horizontal ground.
ii. On the axes below, sketch a graph of speed v versus time t for the sled. Include both the sled's travel down
the slope and across the horizontal ground. Clearly indicate with the symbol t the time at which the sled leaves
the slope.

B2007b1 (modified) A child pulls a 15 kg sled containing a 5.0 kg

dog along a straight path on a horizontal surface. He exerts a
force of 55 N on the sled at an angle of 20° above the horizontal,
as shown in the figure. The coefficient of friction between the
sled and the surface is 0.22.
a. On the dot below that represents the sled-dog system, draw and
label a free-body diagram for the system as it is pulled along the
surface.

b. Calculate the normal force of the surface on the system.

c. Calculate the acceleration of the system.
d. At some later time, the dog rolls off the side of the sled. The child continues to pull with the same force. On the
axes below, sketch a graph of speed v versus time t for the sled. Include both the sled's travel with and without
the dog on the sled. Clearly indicate with the symbol t r the time at which the dog rolls off.

86
1981M1. A block of mass m, acted on by a force of magnitude F directed horizontally to the right as shown above,
slides up an inclined plane that makes an angle with the horizontal. The coefficient of sliding friction
between the block and the plane is .
a. On the diagram of the block below, draw and label all the forces that act on the block as it slides up the plane.

b. Develop an expression in terms of m, , F, , and g, for the block’s acceleration up the plane.
c. Develop an expression for the magnitude of the force F that will allow the block to slide up the plane with
constant velocity. What relation must and satisfy in order for this solution to be physically meaningful?

1986M1. The figure above shows an 80-kilogram person standing on a 20-kilogram platform suspended by a rope
passing over a stationary pulley that is free to rotate. The other end of the rope is held by the person. The
masses of the rope and pulley are negligible. You may use g = 10 m/ s2. Assume that friction is negligible, and
the parts of the rope shown remain vertical.
a. If the platform and the person are at rest, what is the tension in the rope?

The person now pulls on the rope so that the acceleration of the person and the platform is 2 m/s2 upward.
b. What is the tension in the rope under these new conditions?
c. Under these conditions, what is the force exerted by the platform on the person?

87
2007M1. A block of mass m is pulled along a rough horizontal surface by a constant applied force of magnitude F 1
that acts at an angle to the horizontal, as indicated above. The acceleration of the block is a 1 . Express all
algebraic answers in terms of m, F 1 , , a 1 , and fundamental constants.
a. On the figure below, draw and label a free-body diagram showing all the forces on the block.

b. Derive an expression for the normal force exerted by the surface on the block.
c. Derive an expression for the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the surface.
d. On the axes below, sketch graphs of the speed v and displacement x of the block as functions of time t if the
block started from rest at x = 0 and t = 0.

e. If the applied force is large enough, the block will lose contact with the surface. Derive an expression for the
magnitude of the greatest acceleration a max that the block can have and still maintain contact with the ground.

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1996M2. A 300-kg box rests on a platform attached to a forklift, shown above. Starting from rest at time = 0, the
box is lowered with a downward acceleration of 1.5 m/s2
a. Determine the upward force exerted by the horizontal platform on the box as it is lowered.

At time t = 0, the forklift also begins to move forward with an acceleration of 2 m/s2 while lowering the box as
described above. The box does not slip or tip over.
b. Determine the frictional force on the box.
c. Given that the box does not slip, determine the minimum possible coefficient of friction between the box and
the platform.
d. Determine an equation for the path of the box that expresses y as a function of x (and not of t), assuming that, at
time t = 0, the box has a horizontal position x = 0 and a vertical position y = 2 m above the ground, with zero
velocity.
e. On the axes below sketch the path taken by the box

89
1998M3. Block 1 of mass m 1 is placed on block 2 of mass m 2 which is then placed on a table. A string connecting
block 2 to a hanging mass M passes over a pulley attached to one end of the table, as shown above. The mass
and friction of the pulley are negligible. The coefficients of friction between blocks 1 and 2 and between block
2 and the tabletop are nonzero and are given in the following table.

Express your answers in terms of the masses, coefficients of friction, and g, the acceleration due to gravity.
a. Suppose that the value of M is small enough that the blocks remain at rest when released. For each of the
following forces, determine the magnitude of the force and draw a vector on the block provided to indicate the
direction of the force if it is nonzero.
i. The normal force N 1 exerted on block 1 by block 2

m1

ii. The friction force f 1 exerted on block 1 by block 2

m1

iii. The force T exerted on block 2 by the string

m2

iv. The normal force N 2 exerted on block 2 by the tabletop

m2

v. The friction force f 2 exerted on block 2 by the tabletop

m2

b. Determine the largest value of M for which the blocks can remain at rest.
c. Now suppose that M is large enough that the hanging block descends when the blocks are released. Assume
that blocks 1 and 2 are moving as a unit (no slippage). Determine the magnitude a of their acceleration.

d. Now suppose that M is large enough that as the hanging block descends, block 1 is slipping on block 2.
Determine each of the following.
i. The magnitude a 1 of the acceleration of block 1
ii. The magnitude a 2 of the acceleration of block 2

90
*2005M1 (modified) A ball of mass M is thrown vertically upward with an initial speed of v o . It experiences a force
of air resistance given by F = –kv, where k is a positive constant. The positive direction for all vector quantities
is upward. Express all algebraic answers in terms of M, k, v o , and fundamental constants.

a. Does the magnitude of the acceleration of the ball increase, decrease, or remain the same as the ball moves
upward?
increases decreases remains the same
Justify your answer.
b. Determine the terminal speed of the ball as it moves downward.
c. Does it take longer for the ball to rise to its maximum height or to fall from its maximum height back to the
height from which it was thrown?
longer to rise longer to fall
Justify your answer.
d. On the axes below, sketch a graph of velocity versus time for the upward and downward parts of the ball's
flight, where t f is the time at which the ball returns to the height from which it was thrown.

91
2005B2. A simple pendulum consists of a bob of mass 1.8 kg attached to a string of length 2.3 m. The pendulum is
held at an angle of 30° from the vertical by a light horizontal string attached to a wall, as shown above.
(a) On the figure below, draw a free-body diagram showing and labeling the forces on the bob in the position
shown above.

(b) Calculate the tension in the horizontal string.

92
1991B1. A 5.0-kilogram monkey hangs initially at rest from two vines, A and B. as shown above. Each of the vines
has length 10 meters and negligible mass.
a. On the figure below, draw and label all of the forces acting on the monkey. (Do not resolve the forces into
components, but do indicate their directions.)

b. Determine the tension in vine B while the monkey is at rest.

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1995B3. Part of the track of an amusement park roller coaster is shaped as shown above. A safety bar is oriented
lengthwise along the top of each car. In one roller coaster car, a small 0.10-kilogram ball is suspended from this
bar by a short length of light, inextensible string.

a. Initially, the car is at rest at point A.

i. On the diagram below, draw and label all the forces acting on the 0.10-kilogram ball.

ii. Calculate the tension in the string.

The car is then accelerated horizontally, goes up a 30° incline, goes down a 30° incline, and then goes around a
vertical circular loop of radius 25 meters. For each of the four situations described in parts (b) to (e), do all
three of the following. In each situation, assume that the ball has stopped swinging back and forth.

1) Determine the horizontal component T h of the tension in the string in newtons and record your answer in the
space provided.
2)Determine the vertical component T v of the tension in the string in newtons and record your answer in the
space provided.
3)Show on the adjacent diagram the approximate direction of the string with respect to the vertical. The dashed
line shows the vertical in each situation.

b. The car is at point B moving horizontally 2 to the right with an acceleration of 5.0 m/s .

Th =

Tv =

94
c. The car is at point C and is being pulled up the 30° incline with a constant speed of 30 m/s.

Th =

Tv =

d. The car is at point D moving down the incline with an acceleration of 5.0 m/s2 .

Th =

Tv =

e. The car is at point E moving upside down with an instantaneous speed of 25 m/s and no tangential
acceleration at the top of the vertical loop of radius 25 meters.

Th =

Tv =

95
SECTION B – Circular Motion

1977 B2. A box of mass M, held in place by friction, rides on the flatbed of a truck which is traveling with constant
speed v. The truck is on an unbanked circular roadway having radius of curvature R.
a. On the diagram provided above, indicate and clearly label all the force vectors acting on the box.
b. Find what condition must be satisfied by the coefficient of static friction between the box and the truck bed.
Express your answer in terms of v, R, and g.

If the roadway is properly banked, the box will still remain in place on the truck for the same speed v even
when the truck bed is frictionless.

c. On the diagram above indicate and clearly label the two forces acting on the box under these conditions
d. Which, if either, of the two forces acting on the box is greater in magnitude?

1984B1. A ball of mass M attached to a string of length L moves in a circle in a vertical plane as shown above. At
the top of the circular path, the tension in the string is twice the weight of the ball. At the bottom, the ball just
clears the ground. Air resistance is negligible. Express all answers in terms of M, L, and g.
a. Determine the magnitude and direction of the net force on the ball when it is at the top.
b. Determine the speed v o of the ball at the top.

The string is then cut when the ball is at the top.

c. Determine the time it takes the ball to reach the ground.
d. Determine the horizontal distance the ball travels before hitting the ground.

96
1989B1. An object of mass M on a string is whirled with increasing speed in a horizontal circle, as shown above.
When the string breaks, the object has speed v o and the circular path has radius R and is a height h above the
ground. Neglect air friction.
a. Determine the following, expressing all answers in terms of h, v o , and g.
i. The time required for the object to hit the ground after the string breaks
ii. The horizontal distance the object travels from the time the string breaks until it hits the ground
iii. The speed of the object just before it hits the ground
b. On the figure below, draw and label all the forces acting on the object when it is in the position shown in the
diagram above.

c. Determine the tension in the string just before the string breaks. Express your answer in terms of M, R, v o , & g.

97
1997B2 (modified) To study circular motion, two students use the hand-held device shown above, which consists of
a rod on which a spring scale is attached. A polished glass tube attached at the top serves as a guide for a light
cord attached the spring scale. A ball of mass 0.200 kg is attached to the other end of the cord. One student
swings the teal around at constant speed in a horizontal circle with a radius of 0.500 m. Assume friction and air
resistance are negligible.
a. Explain how the students, by using a timer and the information given above, can determine the speed of the ball
as it is revolving.
b. The speed of the ball is determined to be 3.7 m/s. Assuming that the cord is horizontal as it swings, calculate
the expected tension in the cord.
c. The actual tension in the cord as measured by the spring scale is 5.8 N. What is the percent difference between
this measured value of the tension and the value calculated in part b.?

The students find that, despite their best efforts, they cannot swing the ball so that the cord remains exactly
horizontal.
d. i. On the picture of the ball below, draw vectors to represent the forces acting on the ball and identify the force
that each vector represents.

ii. Explain why it is not possible for the ball to swing so that the cord remains exactly horizontal.
iii. Calculate the angle that the cord makes with the horizontal.

1999B5 A coin C of mass 0.0050 kg is placed on a horizontal disk at a distance of 0.14 m from the center, as shown
above. The disk rotates at a constant rate in a counterclockwise direction as seen from above. The coin does not
slip, and the time it takes for the coin to make a complete revolution is 1.5 s.
a. The figure below shows the disk and coin as viewed from above. Draw and label vectors on the figure below to
show the instantaneous acceleration and linear velocity vectors for the coin when it is at the position shown.

b. Determine the linear speed of the coin.

c. The rate of rotation of the disk is gradually increased. The coefficient of static friction between the coin and the
disk is 0.50. Determine the linear speed of the coin when it just begins to slip.
d. If the experiment in part (c) were repeated with a second, identical coin glued to the top of the first coin, how
would this affect the answer to part (c)? Explain your reasoning.

98
2001B1. A ball of mass M is attached to a string of length R and negligible mass. The ball moves clockwise in a
vertical circle, as shown above. When the ball is at point P, the string is horizontal. Point Q is at the bottom of
the circle and point Z is at the top of the circle. Air resistance is negligible. Express all algebraic answers in
terms of the given quantities and fundamental constants.

a. On the figures below, draw and label all the forces exerted on the ball when it is at points P and Q, respectively.

b. Derive an expression for v min the minimum speed the ball can have at point Z without leaving the circular path.
c. The maximum tension the string can have without breaking is T max Derive an expression for v max , the maximum
speed the ball can have at point Q without breaking the string.
d. Suppose that the string breaks at the instant the ball is at point P. Describe the motion of the ball immediately
after the string breaks.

2002B2B A ball attached to a string of length l swings in a horizontal circle, as shown above, with a constant speed.
The string makes an angle with the vertical, and T is the magnitude of the tension in the string. Express your
answers to the following in terms of the given quantities and fundamental constants.
a. On the figure below, draw and label vectors to represent all the forces acting on the ball when it is at the
position shown in the diagram. The lengths of the vectors should be consistent with the relative magnitudes of
the forces.

b. Determine the mass of the ball.

c. Determine the speed of the ball.
d. Determine the frequency of revolution of the ball.
e. Suppose that the string breaks as the ball swings in its circular path. Qualitatively describe the trajectory of the
ball after the string breaks but before it hits the ground.

99
 \
2009Bb1 An experiment is performed using the apparatus above. A small disk of mass m 1 on a frictionless table is
attached to one end of a string. The string passes through a hole in the table and an attached narrow, vertical
plastic tube. An object of mass m 2 is hung at the other end of the string. A student holding the tube makes the
disk rotate in a circle of constant radius r, while another student measures the period P.
m1 r
a. Derive the equation P 2 that relates P and m 2 .
m2 g
The procedure is repeated, and the period P is determined for four different values of m 2 , where m 1 = 0.012 kg
and r = 0.80 m. The data, which are presented below, can be used to compute an experimental value for g.

m 2 (kg) 0.020 0.040 0.060 0.080

P (s) 1.40 1.05 0.80 0.75

b. What quantities should be graphed to yield a straight line with a slope that could be used to determine g?
c. On the grid below, plot the quantities determined in part (b), label the axes, and draw the best-fit line to the
data. You may use the blank rows above to record any values you may need to calculate.

d. Use your graph to calculate the experimental value of g.

100
*1984M1 (modified) An amusement park ride consists of a rotating vertical cylinder with rough canvas walls. The
floor is initially about halfway up the cylinder wall as shown above. After the rider has entered and the cylinder
is rotating sufficiently fast, the floor is dropped down, yet the rider does not slide down. The rider has mass of
50 kilograms, The radius R of the cylinder is 5 meters, the frequency of the cylinder when rotating is 1/
revolutions per second, and the coefficient of static friction between the rider and the wall of the cylinder is 0.6.

a. On the diagram above, draw and identify the forces on the rider when the system is rotating and the floor has
dropped down.
b. Calculate the centripetal force on the rider when the cylinder is rotating and state what provides that force.
c. Calculate the upward force that keeps the rider from falling when the floor is dropped down and state what
provides that force.
d. At the same rotational speed, would a rider of twice the mass slide down the wall? Explain your answer.

1988M1. A highway curve that has a radius of curvature of 100 meters is banked at an angle of 15° as shown
above.
a. Determine the vehicle speed for which this curve is appropriate if there is no friction between the road and the
tires of the vehicle.

On a dry day when friction is present, an automobile successfully negotiates the curve at a speed of 25 m/s.

b. On the diagram above, in which the block represents the automobile, draw and label all of the forces on the
automobile.
c. Determine the minimum value of the coefficient of friction necessary to keep this automobile from sliding as it
goes around the curve.

101
1998B6 A heavy ball swings at the end of a string as shown above, with negligible air resistance. Point P is the
lowest point reached by the ball in its motion, and point Q is one of the two highest points.
a. On the following diagrams draw and label vectors that could represent the velocity and acceleration of the ball
at points P and Q. If a vector is zero, explicitly state this fact. The dashed lines indicate horizontal and vertical
directions.

i. Point P ii. Point Q

b. After several swings, the string breaks. The mass of the string and air resistance are negligible. On the following
diagrams, sketch the path of the ball if the break occurs when the ball is at point P or point Q. In each case,
briefly describe the motion of the ball after the break.

i. Point P ii. Point Q

102