1. Physics Practice Questions Exam 2- Rotational Motion

1. Which moves faster in m/s on a merry-go-round: a horse on the inside or a horse on the outside near the outer rail? A) inside horse B) outside horse C) Both move at the same speed in m/s.

2. If a record playerʹs rotational speed is doubled, then the linear speed of a pet hamster sitting on the edge of the record will A) double. B) halve. C) remain the same.

3. Suppose the circumference of a bicycle wheel is 2 meters. If it rotates at 1 revolution per second when you are riding the bicycle, then your speed will be A) 1 m/s. B) 2 m/s. C) 3 m/s. D) 3.14 m/s. E) 6.28 m/s.

4. Consider a string with several rocks tied along its length at equally spaced intervals. You whirl the string overhead so that the rocks follow circular paths. Compared to a rock in the middle of the string, a rock at the outer end moves A) half as fast. B) twice as fast. C) at the same linear speed.

5. An upright broom is easier to balance when the heavier end is A) nearest your hand. B) highest, farthest from your hand. C) same either way.

6. An industrial flywheel has a greater rotational inertia when most of its mass is A) nearest the rim. B) nearest the axis. C) uniformly spread out as in a disk.

7. A coin and a ring roll down an incline starting at the same time. The one to reach the bottom first will be the A) ring. B) coin. C) Both reach the bottom at the same time.

8. The rotational inertia of your leg is greater when your leg is A) straight. B) bent. C) same either way

9. A torque acting on an object tends to produce A) equilibrium. B) rotation. C) linear motion. D) velocity. E) a center of gravity.

10. On a balanced see saw, a boy three times as heavy as his partner sits A) 1/3 the distance from the fulcrum. B) less than 1/3 the distance from the fulcrum. C) more than 1/3 the distance from the fulcrum.

11. Put a pipe over the end of a wrench when trying to turn a stubborn nut on a bolt, to effectively make the wrench handle twice as long, youʹll multiply the torque by A) two. B) four. C) eight.

12. Toss a baseball bat into the air and it wobbles about its A) geometrical center. B) center of mass. C) heavier end.

13. The long, heavy tail of a spider monkey enables the monkey to easily vary its A) weight. B) momentum. C) inertia. D) center of gravity. E) none of these

14. The center of mass of a human body is located at a point A) which is fixed, but different for different people. B) that is always directly behind the belly button. C) that changes as a person bends over. D) none of these

15. The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa doesnʹt topple over because its center of gravity is A) above a place of support. B) relatively low for such a tall building. C) stabilized by its structure. D) displaced from its center. E) in the same place as its center of mass.

16. The chef at the infamous Fattening Tower of Pizza tosses a spinning disk of uncooked pizza dough into the air. The diskʹs diameter increases during the flight, while its rotational speed A) remains constant. B) increases. C) decreases.

17. Centrifugal forces are an apparent reality to observers in a reference frame that is A) moving at constant velocity. B) an inertial reference frame. C) at rest. D) rotating. E) none of these

18. A person weighs less at the equator than at the poles. The main reason for this has to do with A) the spin of the Earth. B) the shape of the Earth. C) both the spin of the Earth and the shape of the Earth. D) the influence of the sun, moon, and all the planets. E)the law of action and reaction.

19. When a twirling ice skater brings her arms inward, her rotational speed A) increases. B) decreases. C) remains the same.

20. Consider a rotating donut-shaped space habitat where living quarters are on the inside surface farthest from the axis. If the rotational speed of the habitat increases, the apparent weight of people inside A) increases. B) decreases. C) stays the same. D) is always zero.

21. A baseball bat is balanced on a fulcrum. The center of gravity of the bat is located A) closer to the handgrip. B) above the fulcrum. C) closer to the heavy end.