AP Physics C: Mechanics ⚙️
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Multiple Choice Practice for Systems of Particles and Linear Momentum
Welcome to Unit 6 AP Physics C: Mechanics Multiple Choice Questions! Grab some paper and a pencil 📄 to record your answers as you go. You can see how you did on the Unit 6 Practice Questions Answers and Review sheet once you're done. Don't worry, we have tons of resources available if you get stumped 😕 on a question. And if solo study is not your thing, join a group in Hours! Not ready to take a quiz yet? Take a look at the Intro to Unit 6.
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Facts about the test: The AP Physics C: Mechanics exam has 35 multiple choice questions and you will be given 45 minutes to complete the section. That means it should take you around 15 minutes to complete 12 questions.
The following questions were not written by College Board and, although they cover information outlined in the AP Physics C: Mechanics Course and Exam Description, the formatting on the exam may be different.
1. A pendulum bob is made from a glass ball filled with sand. What would happen to the period of the pendulum if there was a hole in the ball, allowing the sand to leak out slowly?
1. A pendulum bob is made from a glass ball filled with sand. What would happen to the period of the pendulum if there was a hole in the ball, allowing the sand to leak out slowly?
A. Not enough information to know.
B. The period of the pendulum would decrease.
C. The period of the pendulum would stay the same.
2. Which of the following statements are true about a frictionless mass-spring oscillator in simple harmonic motion?
A. The velocity of the mass is greatest when it is furthest away from the equilibrium point.
B. The elastic potential energy in the system is greatest when the mass passes through the equilibrium point.
C. The energy in the system is all elastic potential energy.
3. A block attached to a spring oscillates horizontally with a max amplitude of A. Which of the following statements are true?
A. At max amplitude, the block's acceleration is also at a maximum.
B. At max amplitude, the block's velocity is also at a maximum.
C. At max amplitude, the block's displacement is zero.
4. A frictionless pendulum with a length of 1 meter swings with an amplitude of 5 degrees. At max displacement, the gravitational potential energy of the pendulum is 20 Joules. What is the potential energy of the pendulum when its kinetic energy is 5 Joules?
A. 5 Joules
B. 10 Joules
C. 15 Joules
5. A particle moves in a circle in such as way that the x- and y-coordinates of its motion, given in meters as functions of time t in seconds, are:
x = 2 cos(4t)
y = 2 sin(4t)
What is the radius of the circle?
A. 0.5 meters
B. 1 meter
C. 2 meters
6. A mass-spring system moving in simple harmonic motion has a period T on the surface of the Earth. The system is then moved to Mars, which has a radius half the length of the Earth and a mass about 1/10th of the Earth. What is the period of the system now?
A. T/10
B. T/2
C. T
7. A mass on a spring is moving in simple harmonic motion on a frictionless horizontal surface. When the mass-spring system has an amplitude of 0.5 meters, its total energy is 12J. At what position is the block when its kinetic energy is 4J?
A. 0.2 meters
B. 0.4 meters
C. 0.5 meters
8. At max amplitude, the bob's acceleration is at a maximum.
A. At max amplitude, the bob's displacement from its equilibrium position is at a maximum. The component of the tension counteracting the bob's weight is at a minimum, so there is max net force at max amplitude. Therefore, there must also be max acceleration.
B. At max amplitude, the bob's velocity is at a maximum.
C. At max amplitude, the bob's displacement is zero.
9. A pendulum with a period of 4 s on Earth, where the acceleration due to gravity is g, is taken to another planet, where its period is 2 s. The acceleration due to gravity on the other planet is most nearly
A. g/4
B. g/2
C. 2g
10. A 1 kg block on a spring oscillates with a frequency of 2Hz. If the block is replaced by a 2kg mass, what is the new frequency of the motion?
A. 0.7 Hz
B. 1.4 Hz
C. 2.6 Hz
11. A particle moves in the xy-plane with coordinates given by
x = 2cos(0.5t) and y = 2sin(0.5t)
What is the magnitude of the particle’s acceleration?
A. 0.5 m/s^2
B. 1 m/s^2
C. 1.5 m/s^2
D. 2 m/s^2
12. The acceleration function for an object in simple harmonic motion is a(x) = -16x. What is the period of this mass-spring system?
A. pi / 2
B. pi
C. 2*pi
13. A simple pendulum and a mass-spring system are taken to the Moon, where the acceleration due to gravity is 1/6 of Earth's acceleration due to gravity. Which of the following statements are true?
A. The period of the pendulum will remain constant, and the period of the mass-spring system will also remain constant.
B. The period of the pendulum will remain constant, and the period of the mass-spring system will increase.
C. The period of the pendulum will increase, and the period of the mass-spring system will also increase.
D. The period of the pendulum will increase, and the period of the mass-spring system will remain constant.
14. Which of the following equations accurately describes a mass-spring oscillator with a mass m and a spring constant of k?
A. kx = ma
B. -kx = ma
C. mg = ma
15. A 4kg block attached to a spring has a period of 2 seconds. It oscillates with an amplitude of the motion is 1.5 meters. What is the total energy of the system?
A. 3 Joules
B. 20 Joules
C. 39 Joules
D. 44 Joules
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