SPH4U Physics 12

Dynamics Test 1

Knowledge / Understanding (23 marks)

Multiple Choice (9 marks)

1. Which of the following set of forces could not produce equilibrium?
a) 12 N, 12 N, 30 N
b) 10 N, 12 N, 18 N
c) 12 N, 12 N, 24 N
d) 15 N, 12 N, 22 N
e) 12 N, 12 N, 18 N

2. A large truck collides head-on with a small compact car. During the
collision
a) The force that the truck exerts on the car is greater than the force the car
exerts on the truck
b) The force that the car exerts on the truck is greater than the force the truck
exerts on the car
c) The force that the truck exerts on the car is equal to the force the car
exerts on the truck
d) The force that the truck exerts on the car is equal to the force the car
exerts on the truck only if they come to a stop
e) Neither exerts a force on the other, the car simply gets in the way of the
truck
3. Which of the following is NOT an example of "inertia"?
a) A person's head jerks back as the car he is riding in accelerates forward.
b) A person's head jerks forward as the car he is riding in suddenly stops.
c) A person is pressed up against the car door as the car turns a corner.
d) A person is largely unaware of a car's motion when his eyes are closed.
e) All of the above are examples of inertia.

4. Which of the following is an "inertial" frame of reference?

a) a satellite in Earth's orbit
b) a child on a merry-go-round
c) a parachutist in "free fall"
d) a plane moving at 975 km/h
e) a baseball as it is flying through the air

5. A 1.8-kg object is pulled along the floor with a force of 7.0 N acting
horizontally. If the object accelerates at 7.4 m/s2, how much kinetic friction
is acting?
a. 30 N b. 11 N c. 8.3 N d. 7.8 N e. 2.7 N

6. An object sits at rest on a ramp. As the angle of inclination of the ramp

increases, the object suddenly begins to slide. Which of the following
explanations best accounts for the object's movement?
a) The coefficient of static friction has decreased sufficiently
b) The force of gravity acting on the object hag increased sufficiently
c) The component of gravity along the ramp has increased sufficiently
d) The friction has decreased sufficiently while the normal force has
remained unchanged.
e) The normal force has increased sufficiently.
7. An object moves with a speed of 2.4 m/s in a circle of radius 1.6 m. Its
centripetal acceleration is
a) 9.2 m/s2 b) 7.4 m/s2 c) 3.6 m/s2 d) 1.5 m/s2 e) 0.94 m/s2

8. The person standing in the elevator shown in the FBD would feel
a) heavier than usual
b) lighter than usual
c) the same weight as usual
d) heavier or lighter depending on the direction of motion
e) none of the above

9. For an object travelling with "uniform circular motion," its acceleration is

a) changing in rnagnitude depending on its position in the circle
b) directed outward from the centre of the circle
c) directed tangent to the circle
d) directed toward the centre of the circle
e) zero, because the speed is constant
Problem Solving (6 marks)
1. A block of cheese sits on a level table as shown. The force of friction
between the cheese and the table is 2.9 N. Three strings are tied together at
the knot (marked K). The system is in static equilibrium.

a) Draw a free body diagram of the cheese. (1 mark)

⃗ 3 in the string between the cheese and the

b) What is the force of tension 𝑇
knot? (1 mark)

c) What is the maximum mass of the mouse if the system is to remain in

equilibrium? Include an FBD of the knot. (4 marks)
Short Answer (6 marks)

1. You pull a box with a constant force across a frictionless table using an
attached rope held horizontally.
a) If you now pull the rope with the same force but at an angle above the
horizontal (with the box remaining on the table), does the acceleration
increase. Decrease, or remain the same? Explain. (2 marks)

b) Now imagine the exact same scenario as in (a) but this time there is
friction. If the table was not frictionless, would the acceleration change by a
larger amount, a smaller amount, or the same amount as in (a)? Explain. (2
marks)
2. A student is whirling a rubber stopper on a string in a horizontal circle.
They increase the radius but they want to keep the speed the same. Should
they use a heavier stopper, a lighter stopper, or the same stopper? Explain
with reference to the equations for centripetal motion. (2 marks)

3. Explain why astronauts aboard the International Space Station appear to

float weightlessly. (2 marks)
Application (18 marks)

1. Consider a star orbiting the centre of a galaxy.

a. Derive an expression for the mass of the galaxy in terms of G and the
speed and orbital radius of the star. (3 marks)

b. How does the mass of a galaxy calculated by your equation in (a) compare
with the mass calculated using the light intensity of the stars in the galaxy?
Explain any discrepancy. (2 marks)
2. The FBD shows the forces acting on a car as it rounds a banked curve to
the left.
a. Use the FBD to explain why a banked curve increases the safety of the
road. (2 marks)

b. The critical speed is defined as the speed for which no friction is required
to make the turn. In the diagram shown, is the car going faster or slower than
the critical speed? Explain. [2]

c. How does the friction affect the normal force –

is the normal greater or less than if there was no
friction at all? Explain. [2]
Problem Solving

1. On the Wonderland ride called Night Mares, participants climb into a

cylindrical apparatus and stand upright with their backs against the wall of
the cylinder. The apparatus spins in a vertical circle so that the rider's bodies
are parallel to the ground below. Consider a rider of mass 60.0 kg. The
radius of the apparatus is 8.0 m and it spins with a speed of 2.6 m/s.

a. At the point when the rider feels the heaviest, how many times heavier
than usual do they feel? (Include a FBD; 5 marks)

b. Explain how a device similar to this ride can be used to create artificial
gravity. (2 marks)
Thinking / Investigation (20 marks)

1. In which situation(s) is the normal force greater in magnitude than the

force of gravity?

a) A only b) A and C c) B only d) D only e) C and D

2. If the force of gravity between two objects quadruples, which of the

following is true?
a) The distance between them has doubled.
b) The distance between them is one half of its original value.
c) One of the masses must be one half of its original value.
d) One of the masses must be double its original value.
e) None of the above is correct.
3. A box sits on the frictionless bed of a truck. The truck then begins to
accelerate forward. Describe and explain the motion of the box as seen from

a) the perspective of the girl standing on the road. Include a free body
diagram. (3 marks)

b) the perspective of the guy standing on the truck. Include a free body
diagram. (3 marks)
4. An electric winch is used to raise a 40.0-kg package vertically up the side
of a building as pictured in the diagram. There is a frictional force of 60.0 N
acting between the wall and the 40.0-kg package. The angle the cable makes
to the vertical is 15o.

a. Draw an FBD of each box. (3 marks)

b. Calculate the force the winch must exert on the cable to slide the packages
at a constant speed up the wall. (2 marks)

c. If the winch exerts 450 N of force, what is the tension in the rope
connecting the two packages? (5 marks)