1

Practice test for Midterm 3

Chapters 13, 15, 16, 17, 18

In preparation for the Midterm exam

- go through this practice test
- go through the homework problems
- go through the problems we did in class.
- Understand the concepts and what the formulas
mean!!

Density of water water = 998 kg/m 3

Density of air air =1.29 kg/m 3
Density of helium He =0.179 kg/m3
Standard atmospheric pressure P0 = 1.013105 Pa

----------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 13

2. A horizontal meter stick supported at the 50-cm mark has a mass of 0.50 kg hanging from
it at the 20-cm mark and a 0.30 kg mass hanging from it at the 60-cm mark. Determine the
position on the meter stick at which one would hang a third mass of 0.60 kg to keep the
meter stick balanced.

a. 74 cm
b. 70 cm
c. 65 cm
d. 86 cm
e. 62 cm

15. The diagrams below show forces applied to a wheel that weighs 20 N. The symbol W
stands for the weight. In which diagram(s) is the wheel in equilibrium?

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 2

a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
e. A and C

8. A 20-m long steel wire (cross-section 1 cm 2, Young's modulus 2 x 1011 N/m2), is subjected
to a load of 25,000 N. How much will the wire stretch under the load?

a. .25 cm
b. 2.5 cm
c. 12.5 cm
d. 25 cm
e. 1.25 cm

4. A uniform 100-lb beam is held in a vertical position by a pin at its lower end and a cable at
its upper end. A horizontal force (magnitude P) acts as shown in the figure. If P = 75 lb,
what is the tension in the cable? (Note: You don't have to convert units here.) (Hint:
There Is a horizontal force acting on the pin. Setting up the torque equation will solve this
problem).

a. 54 lb
b. 69 lb
c. 47 lb

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 3

d. 61 lb
e. 75 lb

9. How large a force is necessary to stretch a 2-mm diameter copper wire

(Y = 11 x 1010 N/m2) by 1%?

a. 2163 N
b. 3454 N
c. 6911 N
d. 11,146 N
e. 5,420 N

Chapter 15: Fluid Mechanics

9. A blimp is filled with 200 m3 of helium. How much mass can the balloon lift? The density
of helium and air are given on the first page.

a. 115 kg
b. 215 kg
c. 315 kg
d. 415 kg
e. 37 kg

15. The water level in a reservoir is maintained at a constant level. What is the exit velocity in
an outlet pipe 3.0 m below the water surface?

a. 2.4 m/s
b. 3.0 m/s
c. 5.4 m/s
d. 7.7 m/s
e. 49 m/s

17. Water pressurized to 3.5 x 10 5 Pa is flowing at 5.0 m/s in a pipe which contracts to 1/3 its
former area. What is the pressure and velocity of the water after the contraction?

a. 2.5 x 105 Pa, 15 m/s

b. 3.0 x 105 Pa, 10 m/s
c. 3.0 x 105 Pa, 15 m/s

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 4

d. 4.5 x 105 Pa, 1.5 m/s

e. 5.5 x 105 Pa, 1.5 m/s

20. The pressure inside a commercial airliner is maintained at 1 ATM (10 5 N/m2). What is the
outward force exerted on a 1 m x 2 m cabin door if the outside pressure (at 10 km height)
is 0.3 ATM?

a. 1.4 x 102 N
b. 1.4 x 103 N
c. 1.4 x 104 N
d. 1.4 x 105 N
e. 7.0 x 103 N

25. A cube of wood having a side dimension of 18.6 cm and a density of 653 kg/m3 floats on
water.
(a) What is the distance from the horizontal top surface of the cube to the water level?
(b) How much lead weight must be placed on top of the cube so that its top is just
level with the water?

26. What must be the contact area between a suction cup (completely exhausted) and a ceiling if
the cup is to support the weight of an 70.0 kg student?
How much weigh could be supported with such a device on the moon, where the air pressure is
0?

27. A balloon of radius 1.06 m floats at a constant height. If the density of air is 1.29 kg/m 3,
what is the mass of the balloon?

Chapter 16

2. A body oscillates with simple harmonic motion along the x-axis. Its displacement varies
with time according to the equation x = 5.0 sin (t + /3). The acceleration (in m/s2) of the
body at t = 1.0 s is approximately

a. 3.5
b. 49
c. 14
d. 43
e. 4.3

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 5

4. A body oscillates with simple harmonic motion along the x axis. Its displacement varies
with time according to the equation x = 5.0 sin (t + /3). The velocity (in m/s) of the body
at t = 1.0 s is

a. +8
b. –8
c. –14
d. +14
e. –5

5.The motion of a particle connected to a spring is described by x = 10 sin (t + /3). At what
time (in s) is the potential energy equal to the kinetic energy?

a. 0.7
b. 0.8
c. 0.9
d. 0.6
e. 0.2

9. Two circus clowns (each having a mass of 50 kg) swing on two flying trapezes (negligible
mass, length 25 m) shown in the figure. At the peak of the swing, one grabs the other, and
the two swing back to one platform. The time for the forward and return motion is

a. 10 s
b. 50 s
c. 15 s
d. 20 s
e. 25 s

10. A 0.400 kg mass attached to a spring with a force constant of 8.00 N/m vibrates in simple
harmonic motion with an amplitude of 12.5 cm.

(a) Calculate the maximum value of its speed and acceleration.

(b) Calculate the speed and acceleration when the mass is 10.50 cm from the equilibrium

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 6

position.

(c) Calculate the time it takes the mass to move from x = 0 to x = 4.50 cm.

11. A 2.00 kg mass is attached to a spring and placed on a horizontal, smooth surface. A
horizontal force of 20.0 N is required to hold the mass at rest when it is pulled 0.200 m
from its equilibrium position. The mass is now released from rest with an initial
displacement of xi = 0.200 m, and it subsequently undergoes simple harmonic oscillations.
(a) Find the force constant of the spring
(b) Find the frequency of the oscillation
(c) Find the maximum speed of the mass. Where does it occur?
(d) Find the maximum acceleration of the mass. Where does it occur?
(e) Find the total energy of the oscillating system
(f) Find the speed and the accleration when the displacement equals one third of the
maximum value.

6. A mass m = 3 kg is attached to a spring with spring constant k = 3 N/m and oscillates with simple
harmonic motion along the x-axis with an amplitude A = 0.10 m.
(a) What is the angular frequency  of this oscillation?
(b) What is the period T and the frequency f of the oscillation?
(c) If the phase constant  = 0, write down expressions for the displacement, velocity and
acceleration of the mass as a function of time.
(d) What is the maximum displacement, the maximum velocity and the maximum acceleration of
the mass?
(e) What is the velocity of the mass when it is halfway between the equilibrium position and the
maximum displacement (i.e. x = 5 cm).
(f) What is the total energy of the oscillation?
(g) If the amplitude is doubled, how does period change?
(h) If the amplitude is doubled, how does the energy change?

10. A uniform rod (mass m = 1 kg and length L = 2 m) pivoted at one end oscillates in a
vertical plane as shown below. The period of oscillation (in s) is approximately

a. 4.0
b. 1.6

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 7

c. 3.2
d. 2.3
e. 2.0

Chapter 17 & 18. Wave Motion

1. The speed of lightwaves in air is 3.0 x 10 8 m/sec. The speed of sound waves in air is
333 m/s. How long between the time a lightning flash is seen and the thunderclap is heard
if the lightning flash is 1.0 km away?

a. 3.0 s
b. 5.0 s
c. 7.0 s
d. 10 s
e. 1.0 s

2. The wavelength of light visible to the human eye is on the order of 5 x 10 –7 m. If the speed
of light in air is 3 x 108 m/s, find the frequency of the lightwave.

a. 3 x 107 Hz
b. 4 x 109 Hz
c. 5 x 1011 Hz
d. 6 x 1014 Hz
e. 4 x 1015 Hz

10. The lowest A on a piano has a frequency of 27.5 Hz. If the tension in the 2-m string is
308 N, and one-half wavelength occupies the string, what is the mass of the wire?

a. .025 kg
b. .050 kg
c. .072 kg
d. .081 kg
e. .037 kg

11. If y = .02 sin (30x – 400t) (SI units), the frequency of the wave is

a. 30 Hz
b. 15/ Hz
c. 200/ Hz
d. 400 Hz

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 8

e. 800 Hz

12. If y = .02 sin (30x – 400t) (SI units), the wavelength of the wave is

a. /15 m
b. 15/ m
c. 60 m
d. 4.2 m
e. 30 m

13. If y = .02 sin(30x – 400t) (SI units), the velocity of the wave is

a. 3/40 m/s
b. 40/3 m/s
c. 60/400 m/s
d. 400/60 m/s
e. 400 m/s

14. If y = .02 sin (30x – 400t) (SI units), the angular frequency of the wave is

a. 30 rad/s
b. 30/2 rad/s
c. 400/2 rad/s
d. 400 rad/s
e. 40/3 rad/s

15. If y = .02 sin (30x – 400t) (SI units), the wave number is

a. 30 m–1
b. 30/2 m–1
c. 400/2 m–1
d. 400 m–1
e. 60 m–1

17. Write the equation of a wave, traveling along the +x axis with an amplitude of .02 m, a
frequency of 440 Hz, and a speed of 330 m/sec.

a. y = .02 sin [880 x/330 – t)]

b. y = .02 cos [880 x/330 – 440t]
c. y = .02 sin [880(x/330 + t)]
d. y = .02 sin [2(x/330 + 440t)]
e. y = .02 cos [2(x/330 + 440t)]

25. A stone is dropped from rest into a well. The sound of the splash is heard exactly 2 s
later. Find the depth of the well (speed of sound = 344 m/s).

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 9

4. It is possible to hear an approaching train before you can see it by listening to the sound
wave through the track. If the elastic modulus is 2.0 x 10 11 N/m2 and the density of steel is
7.8 x 103 kg/m3, approximately how many times faster is the speed of sound in the track
than in air?

a. 20
b. 5
c. 10
d. 15
e. 25

20.A car approaches a stationary police car at 36 m/s. The frequency of the siren (relative to the
police car) is 500 Hz. What is the frequency (in Hz) heard by an observer in the moving
car as he approaches the police car? (Assume the velocity of sound in air is
343 m/s.)

a. 220
b. 448
c. 5264
d. 552
e. 383

21. A car moving at 36 m/s passes a stationary police car whose siren has a frequency of
500 hz. What is the change in the frequency (in Hz) heard by an observer in the moving
car as he passes the police car?

a. 416
b. 208
c. 105
d. 52
e. 552

23. A truck moving at 36 m/spasses a police car moving 45 m/s headed in the opposite
direction. If the frequency of the siren is 500 Hz relative to the police car, what is the
frequency heard by an observer in the truck after the police car passes the truck? (The
speed of sound in air is 343 m/s.)

a. 361
b. 636
c. 393
d. 396
e. 383

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 10

25. How fast (in m/s) is the Concorde moving if it reaches Mach 1.5? (The speed of sound in
air is 343 m/s.)

a. 229
b. 515
c. 416
d. 728
e. 858

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 11

Answers:
13. Static equilibrium
2b
15c
8b
4a
9b

15. Fluid mechanics

9b
15d
17a
20d
25 [6.45] cm [2.23] kg
26 [0.00677] m2; 0
27. 6.4 kg

16. Harmonic motion

2d
4b
5c
9a
10: [55.9] cm/s; [250] cm/s2; [30.3] cm/s; [-210] cm/s2; [0.0823] s
11: (a) k = (b)  = rad/s; f = = ; (c) vmax= at x = 0; (d) amax = at x = ± A; (e) E = (f) v=
(g) a=
6 no answers
10d

Chapter 17 & 18 Wave motion

1a
2d
10b
11c
12a
13b
14d
15a
17a
25: 18.6

4d
20d
21c
23d
25b

Also:
Go through homework problems!!!

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.