1. PHYSICS FIRST
SEMESTER 1 FINAL
EXAM PWP PRACTICE

2. The conversion factor for changing one unit of length to
another in the metric system is a multiple of:
a. 3
b. 10
c. 12
d. 5,280

3. 2. How many centimeters are in a stick 3.0 meters long?
a. 0.3 cm
b. 30 cm
c. 300 cm
d. 3,000 cm

4. 3. A kilogram represents a unit of: a. volume. b. mass. c. time. d
3. A kilogram represents a unit of: a. volume. b. mass. c. time. d. weight.

5. The independent variable: a. Is drawn on the x-axis. b
The independent variable: a. Is drawn on the x-axis. b. Is changed by the experimenter. c. May cause a change in the experimental system. d. All of the above

6. A scientific hypothesis:
a. Is one that can be tested.
b. Is a prediction of the outcome of an
experiment.
c. maybe modified as new evidence becomes
available.
d. maybe described by all of the above.

7. How are scientific theories related to
natural laws?
Theories are the set of rules that the
universe follows.
b. Theories are scientists’ explanations
of natural events.
c. Natural laws are the method of
testing theories.
d. Natural laws are the process of
learning based on
hypotheses and testing.

8. Once a scientific theory has been accepted:
Its evidence does not need to be
repeated.
b. It continues to be tested against
new evidence.
c. It can never be changed or revised.
d. It is considered to always be true.

9. A control variable (constant) is:
a variable that stays the same
throughout an experiment.
b. a variable that is changed in an
experiment.
c. the largest, most powerful variable
in an experiment.
d. rarely used in scientific experiments.

10. A friend tells you that a different size of ball
bearing might make your skateboard move
faster. You try three different sizes and keep
track of the time to roll 50 feet. You write
down exactly how you tried the ball
bearings on your skateboard and make a chart
of the time it took to roll the 50 feet for
each size ball bearing.
9. The size of the ball bearing is the:
a. constant.
b. independent variable.
c. Dependent variable.
d. conclusion.

11. 10. The chart you wrote could be considered the:
a. procedure.
b. evidence.
c. experimental variable.
d. control variable.

12. Which of the following could be considered constants?
a. The skateboard, the ball bearings
b. The skateboard, the distance rolled
c. The ball bearings, the time it took to roll
d. The ball bearings, the distance rolled

13. 12. Speed is:
calculated by dividing the distance traveled by the
time taken.
b. zero for objects at rest.
c. a measure of how quickly an object gets from one
place to another.
d. All of the above

14. In 30 minutes, a bicyclist traveled 20 kilometers.
What was the bicyclist’s average speed?
a. 60 km
b. 10 km/h
c. 40 km
d. 40 km/h

15. 14. On this graph, the dependent variable is:
a. distance.
b. speed.
c. acceleration.
d. the slope of the speed vs. distance curve.

16. When constructing a graph, the x-axis is most
closely related to:
a. the dependent variable.
b. the vertical axis.
c. the independent variable.
d. the slope.

17. 16. The slope of a position vs. time graph is equal to:
a. distance.
b. speed.
c. acceleration.
d. area.

18. Figure 4-1A
The above graph is of the height of an avocado tree
plotted against its age from the time it is planted to when
it is 8 years old.
 17. What is the independent variable for the
graph in Figure 4-1A?
a. Height
b. Age
c. Type of tree
d. There is no independent variable

19. What is the dependent variable for the graph in Figure 4-1A?
a. Height
b. Age
c. Type of tree
d. There is no dependent variable

20. Use Figure 4-1A to choose which of the following would
be the best prediction of the avocado tree’s height when
it is 10 years old?
a. 4.5 m
b. 5 m
c.5.5 m
d. 10 m

21. What type of relationship do the variables have in the
graph in Figure 4-1A?
a. Direct, Strong relationship
b. Inverse, Weak relationship
c. Inverse relationship
d. No relationship

22. Draw a speed vs time graph to
match this position vs time graph.

23. 22. The rate at which velocity changes is called:
a. speed.
b. displacement.
c. acceleration.
d. position.

24. A racecar rounds a curve on the track at a constant
speed of 180 mph. Is the car accelerating?
a. No, its mass is constant.
b. Yes, its speed is changing.
c. Yes, its direction is changing.
d. No, its speed is constant.

25. In which situation would a bicycle rider NOT be
accelerating?
a. If her direction and speed were unchanged.
b. If her direction changed and speed was constant.
c. If her speed increased and direction was unchanged.
d. If her speed decreased.

26. Selina drops a golf ball down a deep well. The ball falls with
only the force of gravity acting on it.
Figure 4-2A
Without any air resistance, as the golf ball in
Figure 4-2A falls into the well, its acceleration is:
a. constant.
b. increasing.
c. decreasing.
d. changing.

27. Without any air resistance, as the golf ball in
Figure 4-2A falls into the well, its speed is:
a. constant.
b. increasing.
c. decreasing.
d. directional.

28. A rocket sled accelerates from 10 m/s to 50 m/s
in 2 seconds. What is the acceleration of the sled?
a. 10 m/s2
b. 25 m/s2
c. 40 m/s2
d. 20 m/s2

29. A vector, such as force, can be represented by
drawing an arrow. Which of the following statements
is CORRECT?
a. The length of the arrow indicates the direction of the force.
b. The length of the arrow indicates the strength of the force.
c. The length of the arrow indicates the unit of force used.
d. The point of the arrow indicates the strength of the force.

30. Which one of the following is NOT TRUE concerning
mass and weight?
Mass is a property of matter and weight comes from
gravity acting on matter.
b. An object at rest has the same mass everywhere,
but its weight depends on the strength of gravity
where the object is located.
c. Mass is measured in kilograms and weight is
measured in newtons.
d. Mass is measured in newtons and weight is
measured in pounds.

31. 30. A force that resists motion is called:
a. weight.
b. motion.
c. equilibrium.
d. friction.

32. The picture shows all the forces acting on a windsurfer.
If the forces are balanced and the windsurfer is traveling
at constant velocity, what is the value of force A?
a. 100 N
b. 200 N
c.1,000 N
d. 2,100 N
n = 2 N
Surfer
F =
200N
A = ?
g = 2N

33. 32. The inertia of an object is related to its:
a. mass and speed.
b. mass and force.
c. mass only.
d. speed only.

34. 33. Which type of force is often opposite the applied force?
a. normal.
b. inertia.
c. friction.
d. gravity.

35. A ball is rolling down a level sidewalk. As it roll, it slows
down and stops. Why?
a. Continued motion requires a force.
b. Frictional force acts on the ball to stop it.
c. The net force on a moving ball is always zero.
d. The force that started it moving was taken away.

36. Changes in motion come from:
a. unbalanced forces.
b. balanced forces.
c. mass.
d. inertia.

37. A 2.0-kg ball rolls down a ramp. If the ball accelerates at
a rate of 12 m/s2, the net force causing the
acceleration is:
a. 6 newtons.
b. 10 newtons.
c. 12 newtons.
d. 24 newtons.

38. Brandon and his skateboard together have a mass
of 100 kg. How fast will he accelerate on his
skateboard if he’s pushed forward with a net force
of 100 N?
a. 0 m/s2
b. 1 m/s2
c. 100 m/s2
d m/s2

39. A 20-kg dog on ice skates is accelerating at 2 m/s2.
What is the net force on the dog?
a. 2 N
b. 10 N
c. 22 N
d. 40 N

40. Different forces were applied to each of two blocks,
A and B. The graphs below show the relationship
between the force and the acceleration for each block.
How does the mass of block A compare to the mass of
block B?
a. the same.
b. twice as great.
c. half as great.
d. four times as great.

41. Newton’s third law of motion involves:
a. one force acting on one object.
b. a force pair acting on two different objects.
c. a force pair acting on one object.
d. unbalanced forces acting on many objects.

42. Even though every action force has an equal but
opposite reaction force, they do not cancel one another
and motion may still occur because the:
a. action and reaction forces are applied to the same object.
b. action and reaction forces are applied to different objects.
c. two forces have different magnitudes.
d. two forces have equal magnitudes.

43. According to Newton’s third law, an action reaction
pair of forces have:
a. equal magnitudes in the same direction.
b. different magnitudes in the same direction.
c. equal magnitudes in opposite directions.
d. different magnitudes in opposite directions.