Conceptual Physics: CP Final Review Flashcards

When a rocket ship accelerating in outer space runs out of fuel, it

A) accelerates for a short time, then slows down to a constant velocity.
B) accelerates for a short time, slows down, and eventually stops.
C) no longer accelerates.

As an object freely falls downward, its

A) Velocity increases
B) Acceleration increases
C) Both of these
D) None of these

The last instant just before an airplane crashes a passenger jumps out the door and falls only two feet to the ground. The passenger

A) lucky to have studied physics
B) unharmed
C) probably hurt or killed
D) intelligent to think so fast

Distance is to displacement as

A) speed is to velocity
B) impulse is to momentum
C) force is to weight
D) velocity is to acceleration
E) none of the above choices are correct

A heavy object and a light object are dropped at the same time from rest in a vacum. The heavier object reaches the ground

A) later than the lighter object
B) sooner than the lighter object
C) at the same time as the lighter object
D) almost immediately

A ball tossed vertically upward rises, reaches its highest point, and then falls back to its starting point. During this time the acceleration of the ball is always
A) in the direction of motion.
B) opposite its velocity.
C) directed upward.
D) directed downward.

Your weight is

A) equal to your mass.
B) the gravitational attraction force between you and the Earth.
C) a property of mechanical equilibrium.
D) all of these

Strange as it may seem, it is just as hard to accelerate a car on a level surface on the moon as it is here on the Earth. This is because

A) the mass of the car is independent of gravity.
B) the weight of the car is independent of gravity.
C) Nonsense! A car is much more easily accelerated on the moon than on the Earth.

A force is a vector quantity because it has both

A) magnitude and direction.
B) mass and acceleration.
C) action and reaction counterparts.

A 10-N falling object encounters 4 N of air resistance. The net force on the object is

A) 0 N.
B) 4 N.
C) 6 N.
D) 10 N.
E) none of these

An archer shoots an arrow. Consider the action force to be the bowstring against the arrow. The reaction to this force is the

A) combined weight of the arrow and bowstring.
B) air resistance against the bow.
C) friction of the ground against the archer's feet.
D) grip of the archer's hand on the bow.
E) arrow's push against the bowstring.

A player hits a ball with a bat. The action force is the impact of the bat against the ball. The reaction to this force is the

A) air resistance on the ball.
B) weight of the ball.
C) force that the ball exerts on the bat.
D) grip of the player's hand against the ball.
E) weight of the bat.

A rifle recoils while firing a bullet. The speed of the rifle's recoil is small because the

A) force against the rifle is smaller than against the bullet.
B) momentum is mainly concentrated in the bullet.
C) rifle has much more mass than the bullet.
D) momentum of the rifle is smaller.

Suppose that a tiny gun made of a strong but very light material fires a bullet that is more massive than the gun itself. For such a weapon

A) the target would be safer than the shooter.
B) recoil problems would be lessened.
C) conservation of energy would not hold.
D) conservation of momentum would not hold.
E) both conservation of energy and momentum would not hold.

When you are in the way of a fast-moving object and can't get out of its way, you will suffer a smaller force of impact if you decrease its momentum over a

A) long time.
B) short time.
C) same way either way

If you push an object twice as far while applying the same force, you do

A) twice as much work.
B) four times as much work.
C) the same amount of work.
D) half as much work.

A job is done slowly, while an identical job is done quickly. Both jobs require the same amount of work, but different amounts of

A) energy.
B) power.
C) effort.
D) none of these

A moving object has

A) speed.
B) velocity.
C) momentum.
D) energy.
E) all of these

Horses that move with the fastest linear speed on a merry-go-round are located

A) near the center.
B) near the outside.
C) anywhere, because they all move at the same speed.

A torque acting on an object tends to produce

A) equilibrium.
B) rotation.
C) linear motion.
D) velocity.
E) a center of gravity.

Toss a baseball bat into the air and it wobbles about its

A) geometrical center.
B) center of mass.
C) heavier end.

Which of the following are electrically neutral?
A) proton
B) neutron
C) electron
D) ion
E) none of these

A molecule has
A) mass.
B) structure.
C) energy.
D) all of these
E) none of these.

A force that determines the chemical properties of an atom is a(n)
A) friction force.
B) nuclear force.
C) gravitational force.
D) electrical force.
E) none of these.

When a chocolate bar is cut in half, its density is

A) halved.
B) unchanged.
C) doubled.

Stone slabs are stronger under

A) tension.
B) compression.
C) both tension and compression.

Which potatoes when peeled produce the most peelings?

A) 10 kg of large potatoes
B) 10 kg of small potatoes
C) They both produce the same amount.

Water pressure is greatest against the

A) top of a submerged object.
B) bottom of a submerged object.
C) sides of a submerged object.
D) is the same against all surfaces
E) none of these

Pumice is a volcanic rock that floats. Its density is

A) less than the density of water.
B) equal to the density of water.
C) more than the density of water.

A completely submerged object always displaces its own

A) volume of fluid.
B) weight of fluid.
C) density of fluid.
D) all of these
E) none of these

A plasma differs from a gas in that

A) its molecules are farther apart.
B) it is hotter than a gas.
C) it is electrically conducting.
D) its atoms are boosted to higher atomic numbers.
E) all of these

Atmospheric molecules do not fly off into outer space because of

A) their relatively high speeds.
B) their relatively low densities.
C) Earth gravitation.
D) cohesive forces.

Atmospheric pressure is caused by the

A) density of the atmosphere.
B) weight of the atmosphere.
C) temperature of the atmosphere.
D) effect of the sun's energy on the atmosphere.

When you touch a cold piece of ice with your finger, energy flows

A) from your finger to the ice.
B) from the ice to your finger.
C) actually, both ways.

The moderate temperatures of islands throughout the world has much to do with water's

A) poor conductivity.
B) vast supply of internal energy.
C) high specific heat.
D) high evaporation rate.
E) absorption of solar energy.

Before ice can form on a lake, all the water in the lake must be cooled to

A) zero degrees C.
B) 4 degrees C.
C) minus 32 degrees C.
D) None of the above. Ice can form at the surface regardless of the water temperature below.

Substances absorb heat energy by the process of

A) conduction.
B) convection.
C) radiation.
D) all of these

Your feet feel warmer on a rug than on a tile floor because a rug

A) is usually warmer than tile.
B) is a better insulator than tile.
C) for the same mass has more internal energy than tile.
D) all of these
E) none of these

An object will normally be a net radiator of energy when its temperature is

A) higher than its surroundings.
B) lower than its surroundings.
C) neither of these

Evaporation is a cooling process because

A) heat is radiated during the process.
B) of conduction and convection.
C) the more energetic molecules are able to escape the liquid.
D) the temperature of the remaining liquid decreases.
E) none of these

A hot dog pants

A) to help evaporation occur in its mouth and bronchial tract.
B) to bring more oxygen into its lungs.
C) for no particular reason – some things just happen.
D) to impress dogs of the opposite sex.

When a gas is changed to a liquid state, the gas

A) releases energy.
B) absorbs energy.
C) neither releases nor absorbs energy.
D) both releases and absorbs energy.

To totally convert a given amount of mechanical energy into heat is

A) possible.
B) impossible.
C) impossible to answer without additional information

A temperature inversion occurs when the upper layers of air are

A) warmer than the lower regions of air.
B) cooler than the lower regions of air.
C) at the same temperature as lower regions of air.

A quantity of water has more entropy when it is

A) frozen ice.
B) boiling.
C) at room temperature.

A common source of wave motion is a

A) wave pattern.
B) harmonic object.
C) vibrating object.
D) region of variable high and low pressure.
E) none of these

A common source of wave motion is a

A) wave pattern.
B) harmonic object.
C) vibrating object.
D) region of variable high and low pressure.
E) none of these

In a longitudinal wave the compressions and rarefactions travel in

A) the same direction.
B) opposite directions.
C) a vacuum.

Which of the following is not a transverse wave?

A) sound
B) light
C) radio
D) all of these
E) none of these

Double the frequency of a sound and you halve its

A) wavelength.
B) speed.
C) amplitude.
D) all of these
E) none of these

We are best at hearing

A) infrasonic sound.
B) ultrasonic sound.
C) both infrasonic and ultrasonic sounds.
D) None of the above choices are true.

Sound waves cannot travel in

A) air.
B) water.
C) steel.
D) a vacuum.
E) any of the above media

Which force binds atoms together to form molecules?

A) gravitational
B) nuclear
C) electrical
D) centripetal
E) none of these

A positive ion has more

A) electrons than neutrons.
B) electrons than protons.
C) protons than electrons.
D) protons than neutrons.
E) neutrons than protons.

To say that electric charge is quantized is to say that the charge on an object

A) may occur in an infinite variety of quantities.
B) is a whole-number multiple of the charge of one electron.
C) will interact with neighboring electric charges.
D) can be neither created nor destroyed.
E) is sometimes positive.

Stretch a copper wire so that it is thinner and the resistance between its ends

A) decreases.
B) remains unchanged.
C) increases.

In an ac circuit, the electric field

A) increases via the inverse-square law.
B) changes magnitude and direction with time.
C) is the same everywhere.
D) is non-existent.
E) none of these

The primary source of electrons in an ordinary electrical circuit is

A) a dry cell, wet cell or battery.
B) the back emf of motors.
C) the power station generator.
D) the electrical circuit itself.

Alternating current is normally produced by a

A) battery.
B) generator.
C) both of these
D) neither of these

The source of all magnetism is

A) tiny pieces of iron.
B) tiny domains of aligned atoms.
C) ferromagnetic materials.
D) moving electric charge.
E) none of these

An iron rod becomes magnetic when

A) positive ions accumulate at one end and negative ions at the other end.
B) its atoms are aligned having plus charges on one side and negative charges on the other.
C) the net spins of its electrons are in the same direction.
D) its electrons stop moving and point in the same direction.
E) none of these

The field surrounding every moving electron is

A) always magnetic but never electric.
B) always electric but never magnetic.
C) sometimes magnetic and sometimes electric.
D) always both electric and magnetic.
E) none of the above

Magnetic field lines about a current-carrying wire

A) extend radially from the wire.
B) circle the wire in closed loops.
C) Choices A and B are both correct.
D) None of the above choices are correct.

When there is a change in the magnetic field in a closed loop of wire

A) a voltage is induced in the wire.
B) a current is created in the loop of wire.
C) electromagnetic induction occurs.
D) all of these
E) none of these

The magnetic field strength inside a current-carrying coil will be greater if the coil encloses a

A) vacuum.
B) wooden rod.
C) glass rod.
D) rod of iron.
E) none of these

An electric motor is very similar to

A) an electric generator.
B) an automobile battery.
C) a radio receiver.
D) None of the above choices are correct

A transformer actually transforms

A) voltage.
B) magnetic field lines.
C) generators into motors.
D) non-safe forms of energy to safe forms of energy.
E) All of the above choices are correct.

Electromagnetic waves consist of

A) compressions and rarefactions of electromagnetic pulses.
B) oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
C) particles of light energy.
D) high-frequency gravitational waves.

The source of all electromagnetic waves is

A) changes in atomic energy levels.
B) vibrating atoms.
C) accelerating electric charges.
D) crystalline fluctuations.
E) none of these

Compared to its average speed in air, the average speed of a beam of light in glass is

A) more.
B) less.
C) the same.

Object and image for a plane mirror lie

A) along the same plane.
B) equal distances from the mirror.
C) at right angles to each other.
D) all of these
E) none of these

A mirage is a result of atmospheric

A) reflection.
B) refraction.
C) scattering.
D) dispersion.
E) aberrations.

When a light beam emerges from water into air, the average light speed

A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains the same.

Consider plane waves incident upon a barrier with a small opening. After passing through the opening, the waves

A) continue as plane waves.
B) fan out.
C) converge.
D) become polarized.
E) all of these

Diffraction is more pronounced through relatively

A) small openings.
B) large openings.
C) same for each

To perceive greater detail a dolphin emits sounds of

A) lower frequency.
B) higher frequency.
C) greater intensity.
D) greater speed.
E) none of these

Interference is a property of

A) light waves.
B) sound waves.
C) water waves.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Polarization is a property of

A) transverse waves.
B) longitudinal waves.
C) both
D) neither

Light will not pass through a pair of Polaroids when their axes are

A) parallel.
B) perpendicular.
C) 45 degrees to each other.
D) two of these
E) all of these

An excited atom is an atom

A) that has excess vibration.
B) that has one or more displaced electrons.
C) with more protons than electrons.
D) that is frantic.

Light is emitted when an electron

A) is boosted to a higher energy level.
B) makes a transition to a lower energy level.
C) neither of these

An atom that absorbs a photon of a certain energy can then emit

A) only a photon of that energy.
B) a photon of any energy.
C) only a photon of the same or higher energy.
D) only a photon of the same or lower energy.

Ultraviolet light is

A) more energetic than X-rays.
B) produced by crossed Polaroids.
C) electromagnetic energy.
D) present everywhere.
E) none of these

Which has more energy per photon?

A) red
B) blue
C) both the same

As a solid is gradually heated, the first color to glow is

A) red.
B) yellow.
C) white.
D) blue.

Light behaves primarily as a wave when it

A) travels from one place to another.
B) interacts with matter.

Which experiment best demonstrates the particle-like nature of light?

A) photoelectric effect
B) double-slit experiment
C) neither

Quantization of electron energy states in an atom is better understood in terms of the electron's

A) wave nature.
B) particle nature.
C) neither of these

A beam of electrons has

A) wave properties.
B) particle properties.
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Heavy atoms are not appreciably larger in size than light atoms because the nuclei of heavy atoms have more

A) mass.
B) electric charge.
C) nucleons.
D) none of these

What do electrons have that protons always have in equal magnitude?

A) mass
B) charge
C) energy
D) all of these

Which radiation has no electric charge associated with it?

A) alpha rays
B) beta rays
C) gamma rays
D) all of these

An atom with an imbalance of electrons to protons is

A) a baryon.
B) an ion.
C) an isotope.
D) none of these

Electric forces within an atomic nucleus tend to

A) hold it together.
B) push it apart.
C) neither of these

The high temperature of the Earth's interior is due mostly to

A) great internal pressure.
B) friction, as plates move past one another.
C) the Earth's natural heat.
D) radioactivity.

Which of the following isotopes is radioactive?

A) Carbon-12
B) Carbon-14
C) Both are radioactive.
D) Neither is radioactive in nature.

In both fission and fusion, mass

A) is created from energy of other forms.
B) is converted to kinetic energy.
C) remains the same.

A nucleon has the least mass in the nucleus of

A) hydrogen.
B) iron.
C) lead.
D) uranium

Energy released by the sun results from the process wherein atomic nuclei

A) break apart.
B) combine.
C) both of these
D) none of these

The most abundant element in the universe is

A) hydrogen.
B) helium.
C) lead.
D) uranium.
E) americanium.