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I) Multiple choice (11 questions, 5 points each)
Use the plot below to answer questions 1, 2 and 3:

The graph represents the position of a particle along the x axis as a function of time.
1. Which interval has the largest magnitude of displacement?
A) a-b

B) b-c

C) c-d

D) d-e

E) they all have equal displacement

2. Which point has the highest instantaneous speed?

A) a
3.

B) b C) c D) d

E) e

The interval in which the direction of acceleration is the same as that of velocity is
A) ab

B) bc

C) cd

D) de

E) none of these is correct.

A sandbag is released from a rising air balloon and hits the ground 7.00 seconds later. From
what height was the sandbag dropped if at the moment of release the balloon was traveling
upward at 3.00 m/s?
A) 219 m B) 240 m C) 459 m D) 261 m E) 55 m
An airplane is heading due east. The airspeed indicator shows that the plane is moving at a
speed of 370. km/h relative to the air. If the wind is blowing from the south at 92.5 km/h, the
velocity of the airplane relative to the ground is
A) 357 km/h at 14 east of north.
D) 357 km/h at 76 east of north.
B) 381 km/h at 104 east of north.
E) 381 km/h at 14 east of north.
C) 381 km/h at 76 east of north.
A projectile was fired at 35 above the horizontal. At the highest point in its trajectory its speed
was 200 m/s. If air resistance is ignored, the initial velocity had a horizontal component of
A) zero
D) 200/cos (35) m/s
B) 200 cos (35) m/s
E) 200 m/s
C) 200 sin (35) m/s

PHYS 121B

Midterm 1, Practice

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A merry-go-round completes one revolution in 30 s. What is the speed of a rider located at a
distance 3 m from the center of the merry go-round?
A) 0.1 m/s
D) 6 m/s
B) 0.2 m/s
E) 30 m/s
C) 2 m/s
4. A body moves with constant speed in a straight line. Which of the following statements must be
true?
A) No force acts on the body.
B) A single constant force acts on the body in the direction of motion.
C) A single constant force acts on the body in the direction opposite to the motion.
D) A net force of zero acts on the body.
E) A constant net force acts on the body in the direction of motion.
r
5. A ball of mass 2.0 kg is acted on by two forces, F1 3.0 N i 4.0 N j and
r
F2 5.0 N i 6.0 N j . At t = 0 s, the particle is at rest at the origin. The velocity vector at
t = 4 s is
A) v
D)
v

B) v
E)
v

C)

6. You are riding an elevator that is accelerating upward at 2.20 m/s 2. You have a spring scale
accurately calibrated in newtons. When you hang a mass of 10.0 kg on the scale, the reading of
the balance is
A) 120 N B) 981 N C) 76.0 N D) 10.0 N E) 9.81 N
7. A force of F = 90. N is exerted on mass m1 as
shown. Both m1 and m2 accelerate to the right
at 3.0 m/s2 along the horizontal frictionless
surface. The force F makes an angle of 25
degrees to the horizontal. If m2 = 10 .kg,
calculate the mass m1.
A) 2.7 kg B) 17 kg C) 27 kg D) 1.8 kg

PHYS 121B

Midterm 1, Practice

E) 24 kg

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II) Lecture question (25 points)
Show all work and explain in enough detail so the grader understands your thinking and
methodology!
Suppose you are standing right next to a slanted
wall on a skateboard that can move without
friction. In the following, the skateboard is
moving with you, so you can consider the
skateboard as a part of you. The slanted wall is
at an angle = 20.0 from vertical as shown.
You push on the wall with a force,
Fwy = 500.0N, normal to the wall to get you
moving. The mass of you plus the skateboard is
50.0kg.

wall
Fwy

h cliff

water

a) (7 points) Draw a free-body diagram of you while you are pushing on the wall in the box
below. Label all the forces, and clearly define any symbol you use.

b) (3 points) While you are pushing on the wall, what is the horizontal component of the net
force on you?

c) (6 points) If you push on the wall for 0.050s, what is your speed after you finish pushing
the wall?

d) (6 points) You coast 10.0m on the skateboard, and reach a cliff of height h = 20.0m. How
long do you take to fall to the water at point P? Neglect air resistance.

e) (3 points) How far from the cliff do you land, i.e., what is R?

PHYS 121B

Midterm 1, Practice