Question 1

When you lift twice the load twice as high, in half the time, the increase in potential energy is
_______.

a. four times as much

b. three times as much
c. the same
d. double
Correct Answer : A
Question 2
When traveling twice as fast your kinetic energy is increased _______.

a. by two
b. by three
c. not at all
d. by four
Correct Answer : D
Question 3
In this problem, we will consider the following situation as depicted in the diagram (Figure 1) :
A block of mass m slides at a speed v along a horizontal, smooth table. It next slides down a
smooth ramp, descending a height h, and then slides along a horizontal rough floor, stopping
eventually. Assume that the block slides slowly enough so that it does not lose contact with the
supporting surfaces (table, ramp, or floor).
You will analyze the motion of the block at different moments using the law of conservation of
energy.
Part A
Which word in the statement of this problem allows you to assume that the table is frictionless?

a. straight
b. smooth
c. horizontal
Correct Answer: B
Part B
Suppose the potential energy of the block at the table is given by mgh/3. This implies that the
chosen zero level of potential energy is __________.

a. a distance h/3 above the floor

b. a distance h/3 below the floor
c. a distance 2h/3 above the floor
d. a distance 2h/3 below the floor
e. on the floor
Correct Answer : C
Part C
If the zero level is a distance 2h/3 above the floor, what is the potential energy U of the block on
the floor?
Express your answer in terms of some or all the variables m, v, and h and any appropriate
constants.
U=
Correct Answer : −2mgh/3
Part D
Considering that the potential energy of the block at the table is mgh/3 and that on the floor is
−2mgh/3, what is the change in potential energy ΔU of the block if it is moved from the table to
the floor?
Express your answer in terms of some or all the variables m, v, and h and any appropriate
constants.
ΔU =
Correct Answer : −mgh
Part E
Which form of the law of conservation of energy describes the motion of the block when it slides
from the top of the table to the bottom of the ramp?

a. 12mv2i+mghi+Wnc=12mv2f+mghf
b. 12mv2i+12kx2i=12mv2f+12kx2f
c. 12mv2i+mghi=mghf+12kx2f
d. 12mv2i+mghi=12mv2f+mghf
e. 12mv2i+mghi+12kx2i+Wnc=12mv2f+mghf+12kx2f
Correct Answer : D
Part F
As the block slides down the ramp, what happens to its kinetic energy K, potential energy U, and
total mechanical energy E?

a. K decreases;U increases;E stays the same

b. K decreases;U increases;E increases
c. K increases;U increases;E increases
d. K increases;U decreases;E stays the same
Correct Answer : D
Part G
Using conservation of energy, find the speed vb of the block at the bottom of the ramp.
Express your answer in terms of some or all the variables m, v, and h and any appropriate
constants.
vb =
Correct Answer: square root(v^2+2gh)
Part H
Which form of the law of conservation of energy describes the motion of the block as it slides on
the floor from the bottom of the ramp to the moment it stops?

a. 12mv2i+mghi+Wnc=12mv2f+mghf
b. 12mv2i=12mv2f
c. 12mv2i+Wnc=12mv2f
d. 12mv2i+mghi=12mv2f+mghf
e. 12mv2i+mghi+12kx2i+Wnc=12mv2f+mghf+12kx2f
Correct Answer: C
Part I
As the block slides across the floor, what happens to its kinetic energy K, potential energy U, and
total mechanical energy E?

a. K decreases;U increases;E decreases

b. K increases;U decreases;E decreases
c. K decreases;U stays the same;E decreases
 d. K increases;U stays the same;E decreases
e. K decreases;U increases;E stays the same
f. K increases;U decreases;E stays the same
Correct Answer : C
Part J
What force is responsible for the decrease in the mechanical energy of the block?

a. tension
b. gravity
c. friction
d. normal force
Correct Answer : C
Part K
Find the amount of energy E dissipated by friction by the time the block stops.
Express your answer in terms of some or all the variables m, v, and h and any appropriate
constants.
E=
Correct Answer : 0.5mv^2+mgh

Question 4
PhET Tutorial: Energy Skate Park
Part A
Click on the Energy vs. Position button, and de-select all forms of energy except kinetic energy.
Where on the track is the skater's kinetic energy the greatest?
The skater's kinetic energy is
a. at its maximum value at the locations where the skater turns and goes back in the
opposite direction.
b. at its maximum value at the lowest point of the track.
c. the same everywhere.
Correct Answer : B
Part B
Change the Energy vs. Position graph to display only potential energy.
As the skater is skating back and forth, where does the skater have the most potential energy?
The skater's potential energy is
a. at its maximum value at the locations where the skater turns and goes back in the
opposite direction.
b. at its maximum value at the lowest point of the track.
c. the same everywhere.
Correct Answer : A
Part C
Because we are ignoring friction, no thermal energy is generated and the total energy is the
mechanical energy, the kinetic energy plus the potential energy: E=K+U.
Display the total energy in the Energy vs. Position graph. As the skater is skating back and forth,
which statement best describes the total energy?
The total energy is
a. smallest at the locations where the skater turns to go back in the opposite direction
and greatest at the lowest point of the track.
b. greatest at the locations where the skater turns and goes back in the opposite
direction and smallest at the lowest point of the track.
c. the same at all locations of the track.
Correct Answer : C

Part D
Ignoring friction, the total energy of the skater is conserved. This means that the kinetic plus
potential energy at one location, say E1=K1+U1, must be equal to the kinetic plus potential
energy at a different location, say E2=K2+U2. This is the principle of conservation of energy and
can be expressed as E1=E2. Since the energy is conserved, the change in the kinetic energy is
equal to the negative of the change in the potential energy: K2−K1=−(U2−U1), or ΔK1=−ΔU2.
Select the Show Grid option. Then, pull the bottom of the track down such that it is 1 m above
the ground (click and drag on the blue circle on the bottom of the track). Confirm that the mass
of the skater is set to 75.0 kg (select Choose Skater to view mass) and that the acceleration of
gravity is set at 9.81 N/kg .
Clear all plots, place the skater on the track 7 m above the ground, and look at the resulting
motion and the graph showing the energetics.
Match the approximate numerical values on the left with the energy type categories on the right
to complete the equations.
Drag the appropriate numerical values to their respective targets.
Correct Answer:
1. Total Energy at Initial Position = 5145 J
2. Potential Energy at Initial Position = 5145 J
3. Kinetic Energy at Initial Position = 0 J
4. Total Energy at Bottom of Track = 5145 J
5. Potential Energy at Bottom of Track = 735 J
6. Kinetic Energy at Bottom of Track = 4410 J
Part E
Based on the previous question, which statement is true?
The kinetic energy at the bottom of the ramp is
a. equal to the total energy.
b. equal to the initial potential energy.
c. equal to the amount of potential energy loss in going from the initial location to
the bottom.
Correct Answer : C
Part F
If the skater started from rest 4 m above the ground (instead of 7m), what would be the kinetic
energy at the bottom of the ramp (which is still 1 m above the ground)?

a. 4410 J
b. 2205 J
c. 2940 J
d. 735 J
Correct Answer : B
Part G
One common application of conservation of energy in mechanics is to determine the speed of an
object. Although the simulation doesn’t give the skater's speed, you can calculate it because the
skater's kinetic energy is known at any location on the track.
Consider again the case where the skater starts 7 m above the ground and skates down the track.
What is the skater's speed when the skater is at the bottom of the track?
Express your answer numerically in meters per second to two significant figures.
Correct Answer: 11 m/s
Part H
When the skater starts 7 m above the ground, how does the speed of the skater at the bottom of
the track compare to the speed of the skater at the bottom when the skater starts 4 m above the
ground?
The speed is
a. four times as fast.
b. the same.
c. higher, but less than twice as fast.
d. twice as fast.
Correct Answer : C
Part I
Change the potential energy reference line to be 7 m above the ground (select the Potential
Energy Reference option, and click and drag on the dashed blue horizontal line to the 7 m grid
line). Place the skater on the track 7 m above the ground, and let the skater go.
The total energy of the skater is
a. less than zero.
b. equal to zero.
c. greater than zero.
Correct Answer: B
Part J
At the bottom of the hill, how does the kinetic energy compare to the case when the potential
energy reference was the ground and the skater was released 7m above the ground?
The kinetic energy is
a. greater than the case when the potential energy reference was the ground.
b. the same as the case when the potential energy reference was the ground.
c. less than the case when the potential energy reference was the ground.
Correct Answer: B
Part K
Click Tracks in the upper-left corner of the window, and select Double Well (Roller Coaster).
Then, click and drag on the blue circles to stretch and/or bend the track to make it look like that
shown below.
If the skater starts from rest at position 1, rank, in increasing order from least to greatest, the
kinetic energy of the skater at the five positions shown.
Rank from smallest to largest. To rank items as equivalent, overlap them.
Correct Answer:
1 – 3 – (2 and 5)(the same) - 4
Question 5
Suppose our experimenter repeats his experiment on a planet more massive than Earth, where the
acceleration due to gravity is g=30 m/s2. When he releases the ball from chin height without
giving it a push, how will the ball's behavior differ from its behavior on Earth? Ignore friction
and air resistance. (Select all that apply.)

a. It will take more time to return to the point from which it was released.
b. It will smash his face.
c. Its mass will be greater.
d. It will take less time to return to the point from which it was released.
e. It will stop well short of his face.
Correct Answer: D
Question 6
Energy cannot be _______.

a. transformed
b. transferred, transformed, or destroyed
c. destroyed
d. transferred
Correct Answer : C
Question 7
With the “Pulleys” slider set at 1, predict the minimum force needed to hoist the load.

a. slightly greater than 250 N

b. 150 N
c. 300 N
d. 75 N
Correct Answer : A
Part B
Do NOT move the force slider. With the “Pulleys” slider set at 1, predict the acceleration if the
force exerted is 300 N.

a. 0.5 m/s2
b. 0.2 m/s2
c. 1 m/s2
d. 2.0 m/s2
Correct Answer : D
Part C
How does the minimum force needed to hoist a load change as you increase the number of
pulleys from one to two, to three, to four?

a. When the number of pulleys is increased from one to two, the minimum force
needed to hoist the load becomes one-quarter; with three pulleys, the minimum
force becomes one-ninth; and with four pulleys, the minimum force becomes one-
sixteenth.
b. When the number of pulleys is increased from one to two, the minimum force
needed to hoist the load is halved; with three pulleys, the minimum force becomes
one-third; and with four pulleys the minimum force becomes one-fourth.
c. When the number of pulleys is increased from one to two, the minimum force
needed to hoist the load does not change.
Correct Answer : B
Question 9
In a simple machine, how much work is done when an input of 10 N acts over a distance of 5 m?

a. 50 J
b. 5J
c. 15 J
d. 10 J
Correct Answer: A
Question 10
A bow is drawn so that it has 40 J of potential energy. When fired, the arrow will ideally have a
kinetic energy that is
a. 40 J.
b. more than 40 J.
c. less than 40 J.
d. impossible to predict without additional information
Correct Answer : A
Question 11
After rolling halfway down an incline, a marble's kinetic energy is

a. the same as its potential energy.

b. greater than its potential energy.
c. less than its potential energy.
d. impossible to determine.
Correct Answer : A
Question 12
No work is done by gravity on a bowling ball that rolls along a bowling alley because

a. no potential energy is being converted to kinetic energy.

b. no force acts on the ball.
c. no distance is covered by the ball.
d. the force on the ball is at right angles to the ball's motion.
e. its kinetic energy remains constant.
Correct Answer : D
Question 13
A popular swinging-balls apparatus consists of an aligned row of identical elastic balls that are
suspended by strings so they barely touch each other. When two balls are lifted from one end and
released, they strike the row and two balls pop out from the other end. If instead one ball popped
out with twice the speed of the two, this would be a violation of conservation of

a. momentum.
b. energy.
c. both of these
 d. none of these
Correct Answer: B
Question 14
Part A
Is it easier to balance a long rod with a mass attached to it when the mass is closer to your hand
or when the mass is farther away?

a. It is easier when the mass is farther from your hand.

b. It is easier when the mass is closer to your hand.
c. It is equally easy in both cases.
Correct Answer: A
Part B
How does the rotational inertia of the rod with the mass toward the bottom compare with the
rotational inertia of the mass toward the top?

a. The rotational inertia of the rod with the mass closer to the bottom is greater than
the rotational inertia of the rod with the mass closer to the top.
b. The rotational inertia of the rod with the mass closer to the top is equal to the
rotational inertia of the rod with the mass closer to the bottom.
c. The rotational inertia of the rod with the mass closer to the top is greater than the
rotational inertia of the rod with the mass closer to the bottom.
Correct Answer: C
Part C
Why does the rotational inertia of the rod with the attached mass closer to your hand compare the
way it does with the rotational inertial of the rod with the attached mass farther away?

a. Rotational inertia depends on whether the mass is farther or closer to the point of
rotation. The farther the mass is, the higher the rotational inertia.
b. Rotational inertia depends on whether the mass is farther or closer to the point of
rotation. The closer the mass is, the higher the rotational inertia.
c. Rotational inertia depends on whether the mass is lower or higher. Objects where
the mass is higher have a greater rotational inertia.
Correct Answer: A
Part D
Is it easier for a circus performer to balance a long rod held vertically with people hanging off
the other end, or the same long rod without the people at the other end, and why?

a. It is easier for the performer to balance a long rod held vertically with people at
the other end because the rotational inertia is smaller.
b. It is easier for the performer to balance a long rod held vertically with people at
the other end because the rotational inertia is greater.
c. It is easier for the performer to balance a long rod held vertically without people
at the other end because the rotational inertia is greater.
d. It is easier for the performer to balance a long rod held vertically without people
at the other end because the rotational inertia is smaller.
Correct Answer: B
Question 14
Rotational inertia about the midpoint of an object becomes greater with _______.

a. decreased mass
b. decreased mass and decreased distance to mass concentration
c. increased mass
d. increased mass and increased distance to mass concentration
Correct Answer: D
Question 15
Predict how the magnitude of the lever arm will change if you decrease the angle.

a. It increases.
b. It decreases.
c. It stays the same.
Correct Answer: B
Part B
Predict how the lever arm will change when you decrease the distance.

a. It stays the same.

b. It decreases.
 c. It increases.
Correct Answer: B
Part C
Predict how the force needed to turn the wrench will change if you increase the lever arm.

a. It stays the same.

b. It increases.
c. It decreases.
Correct Answer: C
Question 16
Suppose we replace the mass in the video with one that is four times heavier. How far from the
free end must we place the pivot to keep the meter stick in balance?

a. 75 cm (25 cm from the weight)

b. 10 cm
c. 50 cm (in the middle)
d. 90 cm (10 cm from the weight)
e. 25 cm
Correct Answer : D
Question 17
Part A
Where is the center of gravity of the broom that Dr. Hewitt holds up?

a. at the center of the broom

b. at the balance point
c. at the center of the heavier side of the broom
Correct Answer: B
Part B
When Dr. Hewitt cuts the broom right through the center of gravity, how do the weights of the
two sides of the broom compare?

a. The longer side (the handle) has a greater weight than the bristle side.
 b. The shorter side, where the bristles of the broom are, has a greater weight than the
handle.
c. Both sides of the broom on either side of the center of gravity have equal weight.
Correct Answer: B
Part C
How does the torque due to the weight of one side of the broom exerted around the balance point
compare with the torque exerted by the weight of the other side of the broom around the balance
point?

a. The torque due to the weight of the shorter side (the bristles of the broom) is equal
in magnitude to the torque due to the weight of the longer side, and opposite in
direction.
b. The torque due to the weight of the shorter side (the bristles of the broom) is
smaller in magnitude than the torque due to the weight of the longer side, and
opposite in direction.
c. The torque due to the weight of the shorter side (the bristles of the broom) is
larger in magnitude than the torque due to the weight of the longer side (the
handle), and opposite in direction.
Correct Answer: A
Question 18
The torque exerted by a crowbar on an object increases with increased _______.

a. force and leverage distance

b. energy of application
c. force
d. rotational inertia
Correct Answer: A
Question 19
In the video, the torque due to the mass of the plank is used in the calculations. For this question,
ignore the mass of the board. Rank, from largest to smallest, the mass m needed to keep the
board from tipping over.
To rank items as equivalent, overlap them.
Correct Answer: D – A and B ( the same) – C – E
Question 20
When a rock tied to a string is whirled in a horizontal circle, doubling the speed _______.

a. doubles the tension in the string

b. decreases the velocity
c. quadruples the tension in the string
d. doubles the velocity, but the string tension remains the same
Correct Answer: C
Question 21
Consider someone in a rotating space habitat. The outward force felt by the person _______.
a. is an interaction with Earth
b. is real in the traditional sense
c. has no reaction counterpart
d. is a form of gravity
Correct Answer : C
Question 22
What is required to change the angular momentum of a system?

a. External torque
b. External force
c. Torque
d. Force
Correct Answer: A
Question 23
The experimenter from the video rotates on his stool, this time holding his empty hands in his
lap. You stand on a desk above him and drop a long, heavy bean bag straight down into his
hands. What happens?

a. He spins faster.
b. It's not possible to predict what will happen.
c. He continues spinning at the same speed.
d. He spins slower.
Correct Answer: D
Question 24
When the rotational speed of a rotating system doubles, its angular momentum _______.

a. doubles
b. reduces to zero
c. remains unchanged
d. quadruples
Correct Answer: A

Question 25
An automobile speedometer is configured to read speed proportional to the rotational speed of its
wheels. If larger wheels, such as those of snow tires, are used, will the speedometer reading be
high, or low-or no different?

a. no different
b. low
c. high
Correct Answer: B
Question 26
The centers of gravity of the three trucks parked on a hill are shown by the Xs. Which truck(s)
will tip over?
(Figure 1)
Check all that apply.

a. the left truck

b. the middle truck
c. the right truck
Correct Answer: A
Question 27
A ball rolls down a hill mainly because of

a. its angular momentum.

 b. an unbalanced torque.
c. its angular acceleration.
d. a balanced torque.
e. its rotational inertia.
Correct Answer: B
Question 28
For a system in mechanical equilibrium

a. the resultant forces and torques must be equal.

b. the resultant force must be zero.
c. the resultant torques must be zero.
d. the resultant forces and torques must both be zero.
Correct Answer: D
Question 29
A ring and a disk, initially at rest, roll down a hill together. The one to reach the bottom first

a. is the disk.
b. depends on the masses.
c. depends on the relative rotational inertias.
d. is the ring.
e. Both reach the bottom at the same time.
Correct Answer: A