Physics 151
Exams
The Physics 151 midterm will consist of two parts. The first part will be 3 to 5 problems in which you will show all of your calculations or give a short written answer. One of these will be a quiz problem!
The second part of the midterm will be 25 to 30 multiple-choice questions. It will be a mix of short calculations and graphical concept questions.
The Physics 151 final exam will be very similar to the mid-term except that it will include a third multiple-choice section that will emphasize conceptual understanding.
Here are examples of each type of question:
1) Conceptual understanding multiple choice:
Diagram I is the velocity vs. time graph from our lab when you have the motion detector at the top of the ramp and push the cart up from the bottom of the ramp, allow it to stop and roll back down. Which of the diagrams would you get if you released the cart near the top of the ramp and let it roll down to the bottom at a constant acceleration?
A) I
B) II
C) III
D) IV
2) Numerical understanding multiple choice:
At time t = 0, an object is observed at x = 0; and its position along the x-axis follows this expression: x = –3t + t3, where the units for distance and time are meters and seconds, respectively. What is the object's displacement Dx between t = 1.0 sec and
t = 3.0 sec?
A) +20 m ***
B) –20 m
C) +16 m
D) +2 m
E) –2 m
3) Extended calculation:
The moon has a mean radius of 1.74X106m and a mass of 7.35X1022kg.
(a) Draw a Free-Body Diagram of an astronaut standing on the surface of the moon, showing all the forces acting on her. (3pts)
(b) Compute the acceleration due to the force of gravity for a freely falling object on the surface of the moon. (5pts)
(c) What is the ratio of a person’s weight on the moon to that on earth? (5pts)
Distance from moon to earth = 3.85X108m
Gravitational Constant, G=6.672X10-11Nm2/kg2
Mass of the earth=5.98X1024kg
Radius of the moon = 1.74X106m
Mass of the moon = 7.35X1022kg