LAWS OF MOTION

Multiple Choice Questions

1. A ball is travelling with uniform translatory motion. This means that
(a) it is at rest.
(b) the path can be a straight line or circular and the ball travels with uniform speed.
(c) all parts of the ball have the same velocity (magnitude and direction) and the velocity is
constant.
(d) the centre of the ball moves with constant velocity and the ball spins about its centre uniformly.
2. A metre scale is moving with uniform velocity. This implies
(a) the force acting on the scale is zero, but a torque about the centre of mass can act on the
scale.
(b) the force acting on the scale is zero and the torque acting about centre of mass of the scale is
also zero.
(c) the total force acting on it need not be zero but the torque on it is zero.
(d) neither the force nor the torque need to be zero.

3.

4. In the previous problem (3), the magnitude of the momentum transferred during the hit is
(a) Zero
(b) 0.75 kg m s–1
(c) 1.5 kg m s–1
(d) 14 kg m s–1
5. Conservation of momentum in a collision between particles can be understood from
(a) conservation of energy.
(b) Newton’s first law only.
(c) Newton’s second law only.
(d) both Newton’s second and third law.
6. A hockey player is moving northward and suddenly turns westward with the same speed to avoid
an opponent. The force that acts on the player is
(a) frictional force along westward.
(b) muscle force along southward.
(c) frictional force along south-west.
(d) muscle force along south-west.
7. A body of mass 2kg travels according to the law x(t ) = pt + qt2 + rt3 where p = 3 ms-1, q = 4 ms-2 and
r = 5 ms-3. The force acting on the body at t = 2 seconds is
 (a) 136 N
(b) 134 N
(c) 158 N
(d) 68 N

8.
(a) never
(b) 10 s
(c) 2 s
(d) 15 s

9.

10. The motion of a particle of mass m is given by x = 0 for t < 0 s, x( t ) = A sin 4p t for 0 < t <(1/4)
s (A > o), and x = 0 for t >(1/4) s. Which of the following statements is true?
(a) The force at t = (1/8) s on the particle is –16π2 A m.
(b) The particle is acted upon by on impulse of magnitude 4π2 A m at t = 0 s and t = (1/4) s.
(c) The particle is not acted upon by any force.
(d) The particle is not acted upon by a constant force.
(e) There is no impulse acting on the particle.

11. In Fig. 5.1, the co-efficient of friction between the floor and the body B is 0.1. The co-
efficient of friction between the bodies B and A is 0.2. A force F is applied as shown on B. The
mass of A is m/2 and of B is m. Which of the following statements are true?

(a) The bodies will move together if F = 0.25 mg.

(b) The body A will slip with respect to B if F = 0.5 mg.
(c) The bodies will move together if F = 0.5 mg.
(d) The bodies will be at rest if F = 0.1 mg.
(e) The maximum value of F for which the two bodies will move together is 0.45 mg.
12. Mass m1 moves on a slope making an angle θ with the horizontal and is attached to mass
m2 by a string passing over a frictionless pulley as shown in Fig. 5.2. The co-efficient of
friction between m1 and the sloping surface is μ.

Which of the following statements are true?

(a) If m2 > m1 sinθ , the body will move up the plane.
(b) If m2 > m1 sinθ + μ cosθ , the body will move up the plane.
(c) If m2 < m1 sinθ + μ cosθ , the body will move up the plane.
(d) If m2 < m1 sinθ − μ cosθ , the body will move down the plane.

13. In Fig. 5.3, a body A of mass m slides on plane inclined at angle θ1 to the horizontal and
μ1 is the coefficient of friction between A and the plane. A is connected by a light string
passing over a frictionless pulley to another body B, also of mass m, sliding on a frictionless
plane inclined at angle θ2 to the horizontal. Which of the following statements are true?

(a) A will never move up the plane.

(b) A will just start moving up the plane when
μ = sin θ2 – sin θ1 / cos θ1
(c) For A to move up the plane, θ2 must always be greater than θ1 .
(d) B will always slide down with constant speed.
14. Two billiard balls A and B, each of mass 50g and moving in opposite directions with speed
of 5m s-1 each, collide and rebound with the same speed. If the collision lasts for 10-3 s,
which of the following statements are true?
(a) The impulse imparted to each ball is 0.25 kg m s-1 and the force on each ball is 250 N.
(b) The impulse imparted to each ball is 0.25 kg m s–1 and the force exerted on each ball is 25
× 10–5 N.
(c) The impulse imparted to each ball is 0.5 Ns.
(d) The impulse and the force on each ball are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
15. A body of mass 10 kg is acted upon by two perpendicular forces, 6N and 8N. The resultant
acceleration of the body is
(a) 1 m s–2 at an angle of tan-1 (4 / 3) w.r.t. 6N force.
(b) 0.2 m s–2 at an angle of tan-1 (4 / 3) w.r.t. 6N force.
(c) 1 m s–2 at an angle of tan-1 (3 / 4) w.r.t. 8N force.
 (d) 0.2 m s–2 at an angle of tan-1 (3 / 4) w.r.t. 8N force.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. A girl riding a bicycle along a straight road with a speed of 5 m s–1 throws a stone of mass 0.5 kg
which has a speed of 15 m s–1 with respect to the ground along her direction of motion. The mass
of the girl and bicycle is 50 kg. Does the speed of the bicycle change after the stone is thrown?
What is the change in speed, if so?
2. A person of mass 50 kg stands on a weighing scale on a lift. If the lift is descending with a
downward acceleration of 9 m s-2, what would be the reading of the weighing scale? (g = 10 m s-2 )
3. The position time graph of a body of mass 2 kg is as given in Fig. 5.4. What is the impulse on the
body at t = 0 s and t = 4 s.

4. A person driving a car suddenly applies the brakes on seeing a child on the road ahead. If he is
not wearing seat belt, he falls forward and hits his head against the steering wheel. Why?

5.
6. A block placed on a rough horizontal surface is pulled by a horizontal force F. Let f be the force
applied by the rough surface on the block. Plot a graph of f versus F.
7. Why are porcelain objects wrapped in paper or straw before packing for transportation?
8. Why does a child feel more pain when she falls down on a hard cement floor, than when she falls
on the soft muddy ground in the garden?
9. A woman throws an object of mass 500 g with a speed of 25 m s1.
 (a) What is the impulse imparted to the object?
 (b) If the object hits a wall and rebounds with half the original speed, what is the change in
momentum of the object?
10. Why are mountain roads generally made winding upwards rather than going straight up?

ASSERTION AND REASON TYPE QUESTIONS

Directions : Each of these questions contain two statements, Assertion and Reason. Each of these
questions also has four alternative choices, only one of which is the correct answer. You have to
select one of the codes (a), (b), (c) and (d) given below.
(a) Assertion is correct, reason is correct; reason is a correct explanation for assertion.
(b) Assertion is correct, reason is correct; reason is not a correct explanation for assertion
(c) Assertion is correct, reason is incorrect
(d) Assertion is incorrect, reason is correct.
 1) Assertion : The instantaneous power of an agent is measured as the dot product of
instantaneous velocity and the force acting on it at that instant.
Reason : The unit of instantaneous power is watt.

2) Assertion : A spring has potential energy, both when it is compressed or stretched.

Reason : In compressing or stretching, work is done on the spring against the restoring
force.
3) Assertion : The power of a pump which raises 100 kg of water in 10sec to a height of 100
m is 10 KW.
Reason : The practical unit of power is horse power.

4) Assertion : According to law of conservation of mechanical energy change in potential

energy is equal and opposite to the change in kinetic energy.
Reason : Mechanical energy is not a conserved quantity.

5) Assertion : In an elastic collision of two bodies, the momentum and energy of each body
is conserved.
Reason : If two bodies stick to each other, after colliding, the collision is said to be
perfectly elastic.

6) Assertion : A body cannot have energy without having momentum but it can have
momentum without having energy.
Reason : Momentum and energy have same dimensions.

7) Assertion : Power developed in circular motion is always zero.

Reason : Work done in case of circular motion is zero.

8) Assertion : A quick collision between two bodies is more violent than slow collision,
even when initial and final velocities are identical.

Reason : The rate of change of momentum determine that force is small or large.

9) Assertion : Work done by or against gravitational force in moving a body from one point
to another is independent of the actual path followed between the two points.
Reason : Gravitational forces are conservative forces.

10) Assertion : Wire through which current flows gets heated.

Reason : When current is drawn from a cell, chemical energy is converted into heat
energy.

11) Assertion : Graph between potential energy of a spring versus the extension or
compression of the spring is a straight line.
Reason : Potential energy of a stretched or compressed spring, proportional to square of
extension or compression.

12) Assertion : Heavy water is used as moderator in nuclear reactor.

Reason : Water cool down the fast neutron.
 13) Assertion : Mass and energy are not conserved separately, but are conserved as a single
entity called mass-energy.
Reason : Mass and energy conservation can be obtained by Einstein equation for
energy.

14) Assertion : In case of bullet fired from gun, the ratio of kinetic energy of gun and bullet
is equal to ratio of mass of bullet and gun.
Reason : In firing, momentum is conserved.

15) Assertion : Power of machine gun is determined by both, the number of bullet fired per
second and kinetic energy of bullets.
Reason : Power of any machine is defined as work done (by it) per unit time.

16) Assertion : Mountain roads rarely go straight up the slope.

Reason : Slope of mountains are large therefore more chances of vehicle to slip from
roads.

WORK ENERGY AND POWER

Multiple Choice Questions
1. An electron and a proton are moving under the influence of mutual forces. In calculating the
change in the kinetic energy of the system during motion, one ignores the magnetic force of one
on another.
This is because,
(a) the two magnetic forces are equal and opposite, so they produce no net effect.
(b) the magnetic forces do no work on each particle.
(c) the magnetic forces do equal and opposite (but non-zero) work on each particle.
(d) the magenetic forces are necessarily negligible.
2. A proton is kept at rest. A positively charged particle is released from rest at a distance d in its
field. Consider two experiments; one in which the charged particle is also a proton and in another,
a positron. In the same time t, the work done on the two moving charged particles is
(a) same as the same force law is involved in the two experiments.
(b) less for the case of a positron, as the positron moves away more rapidly and the force on it
weakens.
(c) more for the case of a positron, as the positron moves away a larger distance.
(d) same as the work done by charged particle on the stationary proton.
3. A man squatting on the ground gets straight up and stand. The force of reaction of ground on the
man during the process is
(a) constant and equal to mg in magnitude.
(b) constant and greater than mg in magnitude.
(c) variable but always greater than mg.
(d) at first greater than mg, and later becomes equal to mg.
4. A bicyclist comes to a skidding stop in 10 m. During this process, the force on the bicycle due to
the road is 200N and is directly opposed to the motion. The work done by the cycle on the road is
(a) + 2000J
(b) – 200J
 (c) zero
(d) – 20,000J
5. A body is falling freely under the action of gravity alone in vacuum. Which of the following
quantities remain constant during the fall?
(a) Kinetic energy.
(b) Potential energy.
(c) Total mechanical energy.
(d) Total linear momentum.
6. During inelastic collision between two bodies, which of the following quantities always remain
conserved?
(a) Total kinetic energy.
(b) Total mechanical energy.
(c) Total linear momentum.
(d) Speed of each body.
7. Two inclined frictionless tracks, one gradual and the other steep meet at A from where two stones
are allowed to slide down from rest, one on each track as shown in Fig. 6.1.

Which of the following statement is correct?

(a) Both the stones reach the bottom at the same time but not with the same speed.
(b) Both the stones reach the bottom with the same speed and stone I reaches the bottom earlier
than stone II.
(c) Both the stones reach the bottom with the same speed and stone II reaches the bottom earlier
than stone I.
(d) Both the stones reach the bottom at different times and with different speeds.
8. The potential energy function for a particle executing linear SHM is given by (1/2)kx2 where k is the
force constant of the oscillator (Fig. 6.2). For k = 0.5N/m, the graph of V(x) versus x is shown in
the figure. A particle of total energy E turns back when it reaches x = ± xm . If V and K indicate the
P.E. and K.E., respectively of the particle at x = +xm, then which of the following is correct?

(a) V = O, K = E
(b) V = E, K = O
(c) V < E, K = O
 (d) V = O, K < E.
9. Two identical ball bearings in contact with each other and resting on a frictionless table are hit
head-on by another ball bearing of the same mass moving initially with a speed V as shown in Fig.
6.3.

If the collision is elastic, which of the following (Fig. 6.4) is a possible result after collision?

10. A body of mass 0.5 kg travels in a straight line with velocity v = a x3/2 where a = 5 m–1/2s–1. The work
done by the net force during its displacement from x = 0 to x = 2 m is
(a) 1.5 J
(b) 50 J
(c) 10 J
(d) 100 J
11. A body is moving unidirectionally under the influence of a source of constant power supplying
energy. Which of the diagrams shown in Fig. 6.5 correctly shows the displacement-time curve for
its motion?
12. Which of the diagrams shown in Fig. 6.6 most closely shows the variation in kinetic energy of the
earth as it moves once around the sun in its elliptical orbit?

13. Which of the diagrams shown in Fig. 6.7 represents variation of total mechanical energy of a
pendulum oscillating in air as function of time?

14. A mass of 5 kg is moving along a circular path of radius 1 m. If the mass moves with 300
revolutions per minute, its kinetic energy would be
(a) 250 π2
(b) 100 π2
(c) 5 π2
(d) 0
15. A raindrop falling from a height h above ground, attains a near terminal velocity when it has fallen
through a height (3/4)h. Which of the diagrams shown in Fig. 6.8 correctly shows the change in
 kinetic and potential energy of the drop during its fall up to the ground?

16. In a shotput event an athlete throws the shotput of mass 10 kg with an initial speed of 1m s –1 at 45°
from a height 1.5 m above ground. Assuming air resistance to be negligible and acceleration due
to gravity to be 10 m s–2, the kinetic energy of the shotput when it just reaches the ground will be
(a) 2.5 J
(b) 5.0 J
(c) 52.5 J
(d) 155.0 J
17. Which of the diagrams in Fig. 6.9 correctly shows the change in kinetic energy of an iron sphere
falling freely in a lake having sufficient depth to impart it a terminal velocity?
18. A cricket ball of mass 150 g moving with a speed of 126 km/h hits at the middle of the bat, held
firmly at its position by the batsman. The ball moves straight back to the bowler after hitting the
bat.
Assuming that collision between ball and bat is completely elastic and the two remain in contact
for 0.001s, the force that the batsman had to apply to hold the bat firmly at its place would be
(a) 10.5 N
(b) 21 N
(c) 1.05 ×104 N
(d) 2.1 × 104 N

19. A man, of mass m, standing at the bottom of the staircase, of height L climbs it and stands
at its top.
(a) Work done by all forces on man is equal to the rise in potential energy mgL.
(b) Work done by all forces on man is zero.
(c) Work done by the gravitational force on man is mgL.
(d) The reaction force from a step does not do work because the point of application of the force
does not move while the force exists.

20. A bullet of mass m fired at 30° to the horizontal leaves the barrel of the gun with a velocity
v. The bullet hits a soft target at a height h above the ground while it is moving downward
and emerges out with half the kinetic energy it had before hitting the target.
Which of the following statements are correct in respect of bullet after it emerges out of the
target?
(a) The velocity of the bullet will be reduced to half its initial value.
(b) The velocity of the bullet will be more than half of its earlier velocity.
(c) The bullet will continue to move along the same parabolic path.
(d) The bullet will move in a different parabolic path.
(e) The bullet will fall vertically downward after hitting the target.
(f) The internal energy of the particles of the target will increase.
21. Two blocks M1 and M2 having equal mass are free to move on a horizontal frictionless
surface. M2 is attached to a massless spring as shown in Fig. 6.10. Iniially M2 is at rest and
M1 is moving toward M2 with speed v and collides head-on with M2.

(a) While spring is fully compressed all the KE of M1 is stored as PE of spring.

(b) While spring is fully compressed the system momentum is not conserved, though final
momentum is equal to initial momentum.
(c) If spring is massless, the final state of the M1 is state of rest.
(d) If the surface on which blocks are moving has friction, then collision cannot be elastic.
 Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. A rough inclined plane is placed on a cart moving with a constant velocity u on horizontal ground.
A block of mass M rests on the incline. Is any work done by force of friction between the block and
incline? Is there then a dissipation of energy?
2. Why is electrical power required at all when the elevator is descending? Why should there be a
limit on the number of passengers in this case?
3. A body is being raised to a height h from the surface of earth. What is the sign of work done by
(a) applied force
(b) gravitational force?
4. Calculate the work done by a car against gravity in moving along a straight horizontal road. The
mass of the car is 400 kg and the distance moved is 2m.
5. A body falls towards earth in air. Will its total mechanical energy be conserved during the fall?
Justify.
6. A body is moved along a closed loop. Is the work done in moving the body necessarily zero? If
not, state the condition under which work done over a closed path is always zero.
7. In an elastic collision of two billiard balls, which of the following quantities remain conserved during
the short time of collision of the balls (i.e., when they are in contact).
(a) Kinetic energy.
(b) Total linear momentum?
Give reason for your answer in each case.
8. Calculate the power of a crane in watts, which lifts a mass of 100 kg to a height of 10 m in 20s.
9. The average work done by a human heart while it beats once is 0.5J. Calculate the power used by
heart if it beats 72 times in a minute.
10. Give example of a situation in which an applied force does not result in a change in kinetic energy.
11. Two bodies of unequal mass are moving in the same direction with equal kinetic energy. The two
bodies are brought to rest by applying retarding force of same magnitude. How would the distance
moved by them before coming to rest compare?
12. A bob of mass m suspended by a light string of length L is whirled into a vertical circle as shown in
Fig. 6.11. What will be the trajectory of the particle if the string is cut at

(a) Point B?
(b) Point C?
(c) Point X?
 ASSERTION AND REASON TYPE QUESTIONS
Directions : Each of these questions contain two statements, Assertion and Reason. Each of these
questions also has four alternative choices, only one of which is the correct answer. You have to
select one of the codes (a), (b), (c) and (d) given below.
(a) Assertion is correct, reason is correct; reason is a correct explanation for assertion.
(b) Assertion is correct, reason is correct; reason is not a correct explanation for assertion
(c) Assertion is correct, reason is incorrect
(d) Assertion is incorrect, reason is correct.

1. Assertion: A person working on a horizontal road with a load on his head does no work.
Reason: No work is said to be done, if directions of force and displacement of load are
perpendicular to each other.
Assertion: The work done during a round trip is always zero.
Reason: No force is required to move a body in its round trip.
2. Assertion: Work done by friction on a body sliding down an inclined plane is positive.
Reason: Work done is greater than zero, if angle between force and displacement is acute or both
are in same direction.
3. Assertion: When a gas is allowed to expand, work done by gas is positive.
Reason: Force due to gaseous pressure and displacement (of piston) are in the same direction.
4. Assertion: A light body and heavy body have same momentum. Then they also have same
kinetic energy.
Reason: Kinetic energy does not depend on mass of the body.

5. Assertion: The instantaneous power of an agent is measured as the dot product of

instantaneous velocity and the force acting on it at that instant.

Reason: The unit of instantaneous power is watt.

6. Assertion: The change in kinetic energy of a particle is equal to the work done on it by the net
force.
Reason: Change in kinetic energy of particle is equal to the work done only in case of a
system of one particle.

7. Assertion: A spring has potential energy, both when it is compressed or stretched.

Reason: In compressing or stretching, work is done on the spring against the restoring force.
8. Assertion: Comets move around the sun in elliptical orbits. The gravitational force on the comet
due to sun is not normal to the comet’s velocity but the work done by the gravitational force
over every complete orbit of the comet is zero.
Reason: Gravitational force is a non-conservative force.
9. Assertion: The rate of change of total momentum of a many particle system is proportional to
the sum of the internal forces of the system.
Reason: Internal forces can change the kinetic energy but not the momentum of the system.
10. Assertion: Water at the foot of the water fall is always at different temperature from that at the
top.
Reason: The potential energy of water at the top is converted into heat energy during falling.
11. Assertion: The power of a pump which raises 100 kg of water in 10sec to a height of 100 m is
10 KW.
Reason: The practical unit of power is horse power.
12. Assertion: According to law of conservation of mechanical energy change in potential energy is
equal and opposite to the change in kinetic energy.
Reason: Mechanical energy is not a conserved quantity.
13. Assertion: When the force retards the motion of a body, the work done is zero.
Reason: Work done depends on angle between force and displacement.
14. Assertion: In an elastic collision of two bodies, the momentum and energy of each body is
conserved.
Reason: If two bodies stick to each other, after colliding, the collision is said to be perfectly
elastic.
15. Assertion: A body cannot have energy without having momentum but it can have momentum
without having energy.
Reason: Momentum and energy have same dimensions.
16. Assertion: Power developed in circular motion is always zero.
Reason: Work done in case of circular motion is zero.
17. Assertion: A kinetic energy of a body is quadrupled, when its velocity is doubled.
Reason: Kinetic energy is proportional to square of velocity.
18. Assertion: A quick collision between two bodies is more violent than slow collision, even when
initial and final velocities are identical.
Reason: The rate of change of momentum determine that force is small or large.
19. Assertion: Work done by or against gravitational force in moving a body from one point to
another is independent of the actual path followed between the two points.
Reason: Gravitational forces are conservative forces.
20. Assertion: Wire through which current flows gets heated.
Reason: When current is drawn from a cell, chemical energy is converted into heat energy.
21. Assertion: Graph between potential energy of a spring versus the extension or compression of
the spring is a straight line.
Reason: Potential energy of a stretched or compressed spring, proportional to square of
extension or compression.
22. Assertion: Heavy water is used as moderator in nuclear reactor.
Reason: Water cool down the fast neutron.
23. Assertion: Mass and energy are not conserved separately, but are conserved as a single
entity called mass-energy.
Reason: Mass and energy conservation can be obtained by Einstein equation for energy.
24. Assertion: If two protons are brought near one another, the potential energy of the system will
increase.
25. Reason: The charge on the proton is +1.6×10−19C.