AP Physics 1

Unit 1 Practice Exercises

Directions: Show the steps required to arrive at the answer (if applicable). For all problems, g = 9.80 m/s2.
Work out the problems on separate page.

1.1 – Kinematics
1. Describe a situation where speed increases but velocity decreases.

2. Link walks 5 miles east, then 7 miles north, than 2 miles south.
a) What distance did he travel? What is his displacement?
b) Suppose Link made the whole journey in 4 hours. What was his average speed and
average velocity during his journey?

3. In each figure below, a car’s velocity is shown before and after a short time interval.

Rank the magnitude of the change in velocity during the time interval. Explain your reasoning.

4. A car whose initial velocity is 25 m/s is accelerated uniformly at the rate of 2.2 m/s2 for 4.5 s.
a) What is the final velocity of the car?
b) What is the displacement of the car during the 4.5 s?

5. A plane travels a distance of 600 m while being accelerated uniformly from rest at the rate of 4.5 m/s2
a) How long does the plane take to travel the 600 m?
b) What is the final speed of the plane?

6. A bullet leaves the barrel of a rifle with a speed of 550 m/s. The barrel of the rifle is .80 m long.
a) What is the acceleration of the bullet while it is in the barrel of the rifle?
b) For how long is the bullet in the barrel?

7. Sonic the Hedgehog travels 80 m while accelerating from 0 m/s to 40 m/s.

a) What was Sonic’s acceleration?
b) How long did it take Sonic to go 80 m?

8. A car starts from rest and covers a distance D while accelerating. The final velocity of the car is V.
Determine an expression for the car’s acceleration.

9. A race car’s initial velocity is 44 m/s. The car slows down at a constant rate to a velocity of
33 m/s over an 11 s interval.
a) What is the car’s acceleration?
b) What is the car’s displacement during the interval?
1.2 – Kinematic Graphs
1. A car accelerates downhill from rest. Sketch graphs for the position, velocity, and acceleration of the car
if it always traveling in the positive direction.

2. A ball is rolling along a flat surface at constant speed in the positive direction when it encounters a hill.
It goes up the hill, then rolls back down. Sketch graphs for the position, velocity, and acceleration of the
car if it always traveling in the positive direction.

3. Use the velocity vs. time to answer questions a) through m).

a) At what two times is the object at rest?

b) At what times is the object not accelerating?
c) What is the acceleration at t= 4 s?
d) What is the acceleration at t= 16 s?
e) At what two times is the acceleration undefined?
f) At what times is the acceleration defined and changing?
g) What is the instantaneous speed at t= 10 s?
h) At what time does the object return to the position it had at t= 0?
i) How far does the object travel from t= 2 s to t= 4 s?
j) What is the average velocity for t= 0 to t= 14 s?
k) For what values of time is the object’s instantaneous speed
increasing?
l) At what time is the object furthest left (left is the negative direction)?
m) What is the average acceleration of the object between t= 2 s and t= 6 s?

4. Match each description to a point on the graph (or none of

these).

a) At which point is the object at the origin?

b) At which point is the acceleration positive?
c) At which point is the acceleration negative?
d) At which point is the instantaneous velocity not defined
e) At which point is the object at rest?
f) At which point is the velocity constant and positive?
g) At which point is the object moving to the left (the negative
direction)?
h) At which point is the instantaneous speed greatest?
i) At which point is the speed of the object decreasing?

5. Match each description to a point on the graph (or none of these).

i) At which point is the acceleration defined but not constant?
ii) At which point is the acceleration undefined?
iii) Name three points at which the instantaneous speed is
decreasing.
iv) Name two points at which the instantaneous speed is increasing.
v) At which point is the object at rest?
vi) At which point is the object’s speed constant?
vii) At which point is the acceleration defined and largest in
magnitude?
viii) At which point is the acceleration negative and the instantaneous speed increasing?
ix) At which points is the acceleration positive?
6. Use the position vs. time to answer questions a) through k).
a) What is the position of the object at t= 10 s?
b) At what two times is the position of the object x= +8 m?
c) What is the object’s displacement from t= 0 to t= 16 s?
d) What total distance does the object travel from t= 0 to t= 16 s?
e) What is the instantaneous velocity of the object at t= 6 s?
f) At what times is the instantaneous speed of the object greatest?
g) At what times is the object at rest?
h) At what times other than t= 8 s is the instantaneous velocity not
defined?
i) What is the average velocity over the interval from t= 5 s to t= 15 s
j) What is the average speed over the interval from t= 5 s to t= 15 s
k) At what times is the instantaneous velocity of the object greatest?

7. A jet lands on a runway going at 180 m/s. It decelerates at a constant rate of -9 m/s2 until is stops.
a) Calculate the stopping distance of the plane
b) Calculate the time for the plane to stop.
c) Graph the acceleration, velocity, and position of the jet vs. time as it rolls down the runway.

*8. Two trains collide in a messy train wreck to commemorate the year 2020. At time t = 0, the two train cars
are initially 200m apart. Train A heats east at 20 m/s, and Train B is initially at rest. Train A continues at
constant speed and Train B starts moving west with a constant acceleration of 4 m/s2 at t = 0.
a) When do the train cars collide?
b) How fast is car B moving when the trains collide?
c) Graph the velocity of trains A and B vs. time on the same graph from t = 0 until they collide.
d) Graph the positions of trains A and B vs. time on the same graph from t = 0 until they collide.

1.3 – Free Fall

1. A beet is dropped of a cliff. Sketch graphs of the position, velocity, and acceleration of the beat.

2. Ball A is thrown straight down at 10 m/s outside a window. Ball B is thrown directly upwards at 10 m/s out
the same window. Call C is dropped out the window.
a) Rank the speed at which the balls hit the ground. Justify your answer.
b) Rank the time the balls are in the air. Justify your answer.

3. A ball is thrown upward. The total time the ball remains in the air is 14 s.
a) With what speed was the ball thrown upward?
b) What is the maximum height reached by the ball?

4. A stone is dropped from a tower 150 m high. The stone’s initial velocity is zero.
a) With what speed does the stone strike the ground?
b) How long is the stone in the air?

5. You are on a 5 m high rook and throw a ball upwards at 10 m/s. It lands on the ground below the roof.
a) How long was the rock in the air?
b) What was the final velocity?
6. A piano falls off a helicopter that is hovering at a constant height. The piano strikes the ground with a
̅ m/s.
velocity of -8𝟎
a) What is the height of the helicopter?
b) For how long did the piano fall?

7. A rocket accelerates from rest at 8.00 m/s2 for 60.0 s. The engine is then shut off.
a) What is the rocket’s height when the engine is shut off?
b) What is the rocket’s velocity when the engine is shut off?
c) What is the rocket’s maximum height?
d) How long after the engine is shut off does the rocket strike the ground?
e) With what speed does the rocket strike the ground?
f) Sketch a graph of the rocket’s acceleration for the 60 s.
g) Sketch a graph of the rocket’s velocity for the 60 s.
AP Physics 1 Name: _________________________________

Unit 1: 1D Kinematics Test Period: ______

Part 1: Multiple Choice - Choose the answers that best answers the questions below. If an exact answer is not
present, chose the closest available answer. In the event of a water landing, your calculator may be used as a
floatation device. (4 points each)

1. Which one of the following situations is not possible?

A) A body has an instantaneous velocity of zero and non-zero acceleration.
B) A body travels with a positive velocity and a positive acceleration.
C) A body travels with a positive velocity and a negative acceleration.
D) A body travels with a constant velocity and a time-varying acceleration.

2. Starting from rest, a particle is accelerated at a constant rate of 5.0 m/s2. Which one of the following
statements accurately describes the motion of this particle?
A) The particle travels 5.0 m during each second.
B) The particle has a constant speed of 5.0 m/s.
C) The velocity of the particle increases by 5.0 m/s during each second.
D) The acceleration of the particle increases by 5.0 m/s2 during each second.

3. A fast llama walks 12 km north, then 16 km east. The journey takes him 2 hours. Determine the llama’s
average velocity.
A) 14 km/h B) 28 km/h C) 20 km/h D) 10 km/h

4. An elevator is moving upward with a speed of 11 m/s. Three seconds later, the elevator is still moving
upward, but its speed has been reduced to 5.0 m/s. What is the average acceleration of the elevator during the
3.0 s interval?
A) 2.0 m/s2 upward B) 2.0 m/s2 downward
2
C) 5.3 m/s upward D) 5.3 m/s2 downward

5. A tennis ball approaches a tennis racket at 32 m/s. The tennis ball rebounds in the opposite direction at 24
m/s. The ball is in contact with the racket for .1 s. What is the acceleration of the ball while it is in contact with
the racket?

A) 280 m/s2 B) 80 m/s2 C) 560 m/s2 D) 154 m/s2

6. A fighter jet lands on an aircraft carrier at a velocity of 𝑣. The jet requires a distance, D, to stop on the aircraft
carrier. How long does it take the jet to stop after it lands?

𝐷 𝐷2 𝐷 2𝐷
A) B) C) D)
2𝑣 𝑣 𝑣 𝑣

7. Johan just goes and throws his physics textbook in the air at speed v. Wow, what a rebel. He finds that the
book reaches a maximum height of 𝐻. How high would the book go if he instead were able to throw the book
upwards with a speed of 4v?

A) 8H B) 4H C) H D) 16H
8. In order to train to fight Vegeta, Goku trains on King Kai’s planet, a planet with ten times Earth’s gravity;
meaning the planet has an acceleration due to gravity of 10𝑔. Goku drops a dragon ball King Kai’s planet
(which has 10 times gravity) and the dragon ball falls a height H in one second. How long would the same
dragon ball fall in 1 second on Earth?

A) H B) 10H C) H/100 D) H/10

9. A cat starts at position x = -5 as shown. The cat is initially at rest. He

runs with constant speed to x = 5. Which of the following sets of
kinematic graphs best describe his position, velocity, and acceleration as
functions of time?

A)

B)

C)

D)
10. The graph below shows the velocity 𝑣 as function of time
𝑡 for a 1.0 kg object traveling in a straight line. Which of the
following correctly ranks the displacement, ∆𝑥, for the three
labeled segments of the object’s motion?

A) ∆𝑥3 > ∆𝑥2 > ∆𝑥1 > 0

B) (∆𝑥1 = ∆𝑥3 ) > ∆𝑥2 > 0
C) ∆𝑥1 = ∆𝑥2 = ∆𝑥3 > 0
D) (∆𝑥1 = ∆𝑥3 ) > 0 > ∆𝑥2

11. The graph provided is a velocity vs. time graph for thing that
can move and is indeed moving. Which of the following is true
about the speed of the object during the time interval from 0 to 8 s.
A) It increases during the entire interval.
B) It remains the same.
C) It first increases and then decreases.
D) It first decreases and then increases.

12. The graph above shows velocity vs. time an object moving. Which of the following is a possible position vs.
time graph for this object?
A) B) C) D)

13. Given the graph of the velocity vs. time of a penguin flying due south for
the winter. At what point did the penguin stop its forward motion?

A) A B) B C) C D) D

14. In which of the following cases would an airplane have an eastward acceleration?

A) The airplane travels eastward at constant speed.

B) The airplane travels westward and slows down.
C) The airplane travels westward and speeds up.
D) The airplane travels eastward and slows down.
15. Refer to the graph below which plots velocity vs. time for a ball on a ramp. At which point is that speed of
the ball equal to its speed at A?

A) B B) D C) E D) all of these

Part 2: Free Response. You must show all steps required to arrive at the correct answer for the problem below,
including any diagrams.

16. Ball A is thrown directly upwards out a window. Ball B is dropped out the same window.
a) Sketch a graph of the velocity vs. time for i. ball A and ii. Ball B
i. ii.

b) A student claims “Both balls have the same acceleration so they both hit the ground going at the same
speed”. What, if anything, is wrong with the student’s statement? Explain why the student is correct or
incorrect. Justify your answer in a single sentence.
17. Rather than studying for physics, Brian decides to throw a stapler
upwards at an initial speed of 30 m/s.

a) Find the time(s) when the stapler is 30 feet above Brian.

b) As the stapler is traveling downwards, it hits the roof of the Jupiter lighthouse, which is 25 m above the
ground. Find the speed with which the stapler hits the roof.

c) i. At what part of its path does the stapler have its minimum velocity? No justification needed.

ii. At what part of its path does the stapler have its minimum speed? No justification needed.

d) Suppose that Brian had instead thrown the stapler up at 60 m/s, double the speed from before.

i. How would the time in which the stapler is in the air compare (increase/decrease/remain the
same)? Briefly justify your answer.

ii. How would the displacement of the stapler compare (increase/decrease/remain the same)?
Briefly justify your answer.
18. The displacement vs. time for a Panda is given in the
graph on the right.

a) What is the average speed of the Panda in the 10

seconds? (hint: distance/time)

b) Fill in the velocity vs. time graph below.

c) i. Determine an interval when Panda is at rest.

ii. During which interval is the speed of the Panda a maximum?

iii. Determine an interval when Panda has non-zero acceleration.

Bonus (3 points), DO THIS LAST: A baseball is dropped off a building 150 m high. How fast downward
should a second baseball be thrown downward 3.0 s later so that both baseballs hit the ground at the same time?
 AP Physics 1
Unit 2 Practice Exercises

Directions: Show the steps required to arrive at the answer (if applicable). For all problems, g = 9.80 m/s2.
Work out the problems on separate page.

2.1 – Vectors
1. Consider the vectors shown below.
a) Rank the x-components of each vector.
b) Rank the y-components of each vector.

2. A 9.0 N force and a 12 N force act concurrently on an object.

a) What is the smallest possible resultant of the two forces?
b) What is the largest possible resultant of the two forces?

3. Find the resultant force.

4. Luffy pilots the Thousand Sunny across the ocean. He

pilots the boat with a velocity of 50 m/s 45o south of west
as shown. There is a strong ocean current pushing on his
boat that is direction 30o north of west as shown. What is
the resultant velocity of Sebastian’s boat?

5. A 57 N force acts 40° south of east and a 70 N acts 80° north of west. Find the magnitude and direction of the
resultant force.

6. Frodo and Sam paddle a boat directly north across a 10 m wide (west to east) river at a rate of 3 m/s. The
river has a current acting directly east at a rate of 1 m/s. How far east do they drift down the river as they paddle
across?

*7. A force of 100 N acts upward. Resolve this force into 2 components; one that acts 30° north of west and one
that acts 60° north of east.
2.2 – Projectile Motion
1. A ball is thrown straight up into the air from the top of a building and hits the ground below. Sketch the
graphs of displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the object while in motion.

2. A ball is thrown straight up into the air and returns to the level from which it was thrown. State how the
given quantity changes while the ball is in the air.
a) height of the ball b) velocity of the ball c) speed of the ball d) acceleration of the ball

3. A baseball leaves a bat with an initial velocity of 65 m/s. The velocity vector initially makes an angle of 35°
with the horizontal.
a) What is the ball’s initial horizontal velocity component?
b) What is the ball’s initial vertical velocity component?

4. A bullet is fired horizontally and a second bullet is released from rest at the same height as the gun. Ignoring
air resistance, which bullet strikes the ground first? Justify your answer.

5. The rifles in the figures are being fired horizontally (straight outward, off platforms). The bullets fired form
the rifles are all identical, but the rifles propel the bullets at different speeds. The speed of each bullet and the
height of each platform are given. All of the bullets miss the targets and hit the ground.

Rank the time it takes the bullets to hit the ground. Explain your reasoning.

6. Consider the following projectiles:

a) Rank the projectiles in terms of maximum height reached.

b) Rank the projectiles in terms of horizontal distance traveled.
c) Rank the projectiles in terms of acceleration while in the air.

7. A projectile is fired with a speed of 𝑣. The projectile’s initial velocity makes an angle of ∅ with the
horizontal.
a) How high does the projectile rise?
b) How far will the projectile land from the place it was fired?

8. A stone is thrown with a speed of 20 m/s at an angle of 30° above the horizontal. The stone is thrown from
the roof of a 35 m tall building.
a) How long does the stone remain in the air?
b) How far from the building does the stone land?
9. A shell is fired at 400 m/s at an angle of 25° above the horizontal. The plane of the shell’s path is
perpendicular to a vertical cliff 8000m from the place it is fired. (The shell is fired directly at the cliff.)
a) How long after the shell is fired will it strike the cliff?
b) How high above the base of the cliff will the shell strike?
c) What is the shell’s speed when it strikes the cliff?
d) What angle does the shell’s velocity make with the horizontal just before the shell strikes the cliff?

10. Water flows horizontally from a hose that is 3.0 m above the ground. The water lands 7.2 m to the right of
the hose.
a) How long does the water take to reach the ground?
b) With what speed does the water leave the hose?
c) What is the vertical component of the water’s velocity the instant before it hits the ground?
d) What is the horizontal component of the water’s velocity the instant before it hits the ground?
e) What is the speed of the water the instant before it hits the ground?

11. A stone is thrown horizontally at a speed of 20.0 m/s from the roof of a building 35.0 m above the ground.
a) How long is the stone in the air?
b) How far does the stone land from the foot of the building?
c) With what speed does the stone strike the ground?
d) What angle does the stone’s velocity make with the horizontal just before impact?

12. An airplane flies 1200 m above ground at a speed of 200 m/s.

It drops a bomb that hits the ground after traveling horizontally
3130 m. For each of the following, determine what will happen to
the horizontal distance the bomb travels if the conditions above are
changed as follows:
a) The plane’s speed is tripled.
b) The plane flies straight up at the release point.
c) The plane is flying in a level altitude at 1100 m.
d) The mass of the bomb is increases.
e) The ball is thrown downward from the plane at 15 m/s.

13. All three cannons launch an identical mass with the same launch speed. The two angled projectiles are
launched at the same angle above the horizontal. The two projectiles launched off a cliff are launched from the
same height above the ground.

a) Rank the resultant velocities at max height of the projectile in each case. Justify your answer.
b) Rank the speed the projectile hits the ground in each case. Justify your answer.

14. A baseball is hit with a velocity of 40 m/s at an angle of 30° above the horizontal. Giancarlo Stanton runs at
4.0 m/s at the crack of the bat and manages to catch the ball as he runs straight toward home plate. He catches
the ball just as it is about to strike the ground. How far was Giancarlo from the batter when the ball was hit?
2.3 – Relative Velocity
1. In each case shown, someone is running on a flatbed train car as the train moves. In cases C and D, the
person is running toward the front of the train, while in cases A and B the person is running toward the rear. The
speeds of the train and of each person relative to the train are given. An observer is standing beside the track
watching each train go by.

Rank the speed of the runners relative to the observer standing beside the tracks. Explain your reasoning.
the time it takes until the trains crash into each other.

2. Upon seeing that the in-flight movie is “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi”, a
passenger jumps out of the airplane wearing a parachute. At some point, the passenger
is traveling straight down through the air at a constant velocity of 10 m/s. A constant
wind blows east as shown. From the point shown, the passenger falls a distance of
1500 m at constant velocity. During this time, the passenger drifts a distance of 950 m
to the east. Calculate the speed of the wind.

3. Boris drive a car at 30 m/s due east as shown.

a) Directly below him, a subway travels due west at 25 m/s. Vladimir, a passenger on the subway,
walks towards the back of the subway at 2 m/s. Calculate how fast Boris is moving towards
Vladimir.
b) While driving, Boris throws a stapler in the air.
i. Draw the path of the stapler as seen by Boris.
ii. Draw the path of the stapler as seen by Angela, who is an observer at rest on the side
of the rod.
iii. 1 second after being thrown up, the stapler is traveling directly upwards at 2 m/s.
Calculate the speed of the stapler as viewed by Angela, the rest observer.
AP Physics 1 Name: _________________________________

Unit 2: 2D Kinematics Test Period: ______

Part 1: Multiple Choice - Choose the answers that best answers the questions below. If an exact answer is not
present, chose the closest available answer. (4 points each)

1. _____An object is at rest. Three forces are exerted are exerted on the object. One force is directed 10 N
due south, and another is 10 N directed due east. Which of the following forces, when added to the other
two, would make the total force be equal to zero?
A) 10√2 N, directed northwest C) 10√2 N, directed southeast
B) 10√3 N, directed northwest D) 10√3 N, directed southeast

2. ____ Tim Tebow throws a baseball that travels a parabolic path as

shown. At which of the following points is the speed of the baseball a
maximum?
A) A B) B C) C D) D

3. ____ A machine launches a tennis ball at an angle of 25o above the horizontal. The ball returns to
ground level. Which changes would necessarily decrease the time the ball is in the air?

A) Decrease the launch angle and increase the ball’s initial speed.
B) Increase the launch angle and decrease the ball’s initial speed.
C) Increase the launch angle and keep the ball’s initial speed the same.
D) Decrease the launch angle and keep the ball’s initial speed the same.

4. _____ During football practice, a football is kicked with a speed of 22 m/s at an angle of 60.0° above the
ground. At that instant, an observer rides past the football in a car that moves with a constant speed of 11
m/s in the same horizontal direction that the football travels. According to the observer in the car, the
ball will:

A) follow a parabolic path.

B) follow a path that is straight up and down in the y direction.
C) follow a path that is hyperbolic in the x-direction.
D) follow a straight line that is angled with respect to the x direction.

5. ____ A projectile is launched with speed 𝑣 at angle of 30o above the horizontal. It travels a horizontal
distance D before hitting the ground. Suppose the projectile had instead been launched at the same
speed, 𝑣, but an angle of 60° above the horizontal. What would the new horizontal distance traveled by
the projectile be?
A) 𝐷/2 B) 𝐷/4 C) 𝐷 D) 2D
 6. ____ At t = 0 a paintball is shot out of a paintball gun horizontally off a 1000 m tall cliff. At the same
time, a paintball is released from rest (dropped from the same height). Ignoring air resistance, which
paintball strikes the ground with a higher speed?
A) The paintball shot from the gun.
B) The paintball released from rest.
C) Both paintballs hit the ground with same speed.
D) The answer depends on the initial velocity of the paintball fired from the paintball gun.

7. _____A football is aimed at a target on the wall a distance L away from the throwing position, from which
the football is launched horizontally. Because of gravity, the bullet strikes the wall a distance y below the
mark as suggested in the figure.

If the distance L was half as large and the football had four times initial velocity, how would y be affected?

A) y will double.
B) y will be half as large.
C) y will be four times larger.
D) y will be one fourth as large.

8. _____A ball is kicked from the ground an initial speed 𝑣 at an angle 𝑔 above the horizontal. Which of the
following best describes the magnitudes of the velocity and acceleration of the ball when it reaches the highest
point of its trajectory?

A) Velocity: 0 Acceleration: 𝑔
B) Velocity: 𝑣𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 Acceleration: 𝑔
C) Velocity: 𝑣 Acceleration: 0
D) Velocity: 0 Acceleration: 0

Part 2: Free Response. You must show all steps required to arrive at the correct answer for the problem below,
including any diagrams. All answers must be given with correct units.
9. (16 points)

a) In order to escape an impending physics, Anderson escapes in

a boat across a river of width w = 300 m as shown. The river has
a current flowing to the east at a speed of 6 m/s. When Anderson
reaches the other side of the river, at point B, he has drifted 180
m downstream from point A. How fast does Anderson paddle
the boat relative to still water?

b) Sebastian pilots the Thousand Sunny across the ocean in

his quest to be king of the pirates. He pilots the boat with a
velocity of 50 m/s 45o south of west as shown. There is a
strong ocean current pushing on his boat that is direction
30o north of west as shown. What is the resultant velocity
of Sebastian’s boat?
10. (12 points) An airplane flies at a velocity of 220 m/s directly east over Palm Beach. Genevieve, a passenger
on the airplane, runs towards the back of the airplane at 5 m/s. At the same instant, Lauren drives directly west
towards the airplane at a speed of 15 m/s.

a) Calculate Genevieve’s velocity relative to Lauren (how fast Lauren is approaching Genevieve).

b) Genevieve drops a Hello Kitty plushie directly down out of the airplane. Lynn stands at rest on the
ground and watches this all go down. Describe the path and calculate the speed of the plushie after
falling for 3 seconds according to:

i. Genevieve

ii. Lynn
11. (20 points) Jainil throws a basketball that goes directly into a
net as shown. Jainil throws the ball at 𝑣 = 8 m/s at an angle of 𝜃 =
60° and at a release height of 2 m as shown. The ball travels
downward through the basket at a height of 4 m.

a) Calculate how far away from the basketball Jainil is when he

makes the throws the ball.

b) Calculate the maximum height reached by the basketball.

c) Sketch graphs of the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the ball in the horizontal and
vertical directions. Distinguish the graphs by having the x-components be solid lines and the vertical
components as dashed lines. Label any maxes and mins.
12. (22 points) An airplane is flying 1200 m above the
ground at a speed of 200 m/s. It drops a pumpkin on a
target on the ground.
a) Calculate how far from the target the pumpkin
must be dropped so that it lands on the target.

b) Calculate the angle the pumpkin’s trajectory makes with the ground when it strikes.

c) How would your answer to a) change if the airplane were flying at a downward angle
when dropping the pumpkin? Justify your answer qualitatively.

d) Suppose that instead of dropping the pumpkin, the pilot throws the pumpkin downward
with an initial downward speed. Steve the student claims “Since the pumpkin is given an
initial vertical velocity, it will hit the ground with a greater speed. Since the pumpkin is
travelling faster, it will also travel further in the x-direction before hitting the ground.

i. What part of the student’s reasoning is correct? Justify your answer.

ii. What part of the student’s reasoning is incorrect? Justify your answer.
 AP Physics 1

Unit 2: 2D Kinematics Test

Directions: You must show all steps required to arrive at the correct answer for the problem below.

1. (8 points) A rebellious pilot for Southwest airlines pilots a plane northeast as

shown. The plane is piloted with a velocity of 200 m/s directly 30° above the
positive x-axis. A strong wind of 50 m/s acts at 60° above the negative x-axis
on the plane. Calculate the resultant velocity (magnitude and direction of the
plane).

2. (24 points) A physics teacher lights a

building on fire in order to make a relevant
scenario for a projectile problem. A
firefighter aims a fire-hose at 30° above the
horizontal as shown and shoots water at 40
m/s at the building from a horizontal
distance of 200 m away as shown. Assume
the height of the hose above the ground is
negligible.

a) Calculate maximum height of the water above the ground.

b) Calculate the height above the ground at which the water hits the building.
c) Calculate the final x and y components of the water’s velocity.
d) Sketch graphs of the horizontal components of the acceleration, velocity, and position of the water’s
motion. Label any maximum and minimum values on the y-axes.
e) Sketch graphs of the vertical components of the acceleration, velocity, and position of the water’s
motion. Label any maximum and minimum values on the y-axes.
3. (24 points) To mark the start of Spooktober, a spooky skeleton throws a pumpkin
horizontally off a cliff at an initial speed of 50 m/s as shown. The pumpkin is in the air
for a total of 8 seconds.

a) Calculate how far from the base of the cliff the pumpkin lands.
b) Calculate how high off the ground the pumpkin was when it was launched.
c) Calculate the pumpkin’s final velocity (magnitude and angle with the ground).
d) Suppose the pumpkin was throw horizontally with the same speed, but from a
higher cliff.
i. How would the magnitude of the final velocity from c) be affected? Justify your answer with words.
ii. How was the answer the angle the final velocity makes with the ground from c) be affected? Justify
your answer with words.

4. (14 points) A truck drives east at 20 m/s as shown. Luigi rides in the
back of the truck and throws a turtle shell directly upwards at 40 m/s.
Waluigi stands on the side of the road and watches the whole ordeal.

a) Describe the path of the shell according to:

i. Luigi ii. Waluigi

b) Calculate the speed of the shell 2 seconds after being thrown relative to:

i. Luigi ii. Waluigi

c) Waluigi now starts to run in the same direction that the car is traveling in. Will the speed of the shell
relative to him increase or decrease? Justify your answer.
 AP Physics 1
Unit 3 Practice Exercises

Directions: Show the steps required to arrive at the answer (if applicable). For all problems, g = 9.80 m/s2.
Work out the problems on separate page.

3.1 – Forces and Laws of Motion

1. If only one force acts on an object, can it be in equilibrium? Explain

2. Consider the velocity vs. time graph shown. List the intervals that fit each description.

a) A constant, non-zero force is applied to the object.

b) A non-zero force acts in the direction the object is moving.
c) The net force on the object is zero.
d) A variable force is applied to the object.

3. Two forces act on a block that is initially at rest on a frictionless surface.

Rank the speed of the block after 3 seconds. Explain your reasoning.

4. Cart A has a mass of 20 kg and rolls downhill at a constant speed of 10 m/s. Cart B has a mass of 10 kg and
rolls downhill at a constant speed of 30 m/s. Compare the net force on each cart. Justify your answer.

5. A man ties a rope to a box and pulls the box across the floor with the rope. Identify the action-reaction pairs.

6. Shohei Ohtani throws a ball straight up into the air at a speed of 40.0 m/s. In the process, he moves his hand
through a distance of 1.50 m. If the ball has a mass of 0.150 kg, find the force he exerts on the ball to give it this
upward speed.

7. A 4-kg block and a 2-kg block can move on the horizontal frictionless surface. The blocks are accelerated by
a +12-N force that pushes the larger block against the smaller one.
a) Determine the force that the 2-kg block exerts on the 4-kg
block.
b) Determine the force that the 4 kg block exerts on the 2 kg
block.

8. Students collect the following data from an experiment where they exerted the same force, F, to identical
sized boxes with different masses and recorded the acceleration.
Trial 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Mass 2 kg 4 kg 5 kg 7 kg 12 kg 15 kg 18 kg
Acceleration 1.5 m/s2 0.75 m/s2 0.60 m/s2 0.40 m/s2 0.30 m/s2 0.20 m/s2 0.15 m/s2
a) Suppose the data is graphed with one of the variables on the x-axis and the other on the y-axis. Which
variable should be chosen as the y-variable in order for the graph to be a straight line.
b) Using your relationship from a), what would the slope of the graph represent?
c) Calculate the value of F, the constant force.
3.2 – F=ma
1. Some dude pushes a block across a horizontal surface at constant speed. The push
(Fpush), gravity (Fg), friction (Ff), and the normal force (FN) act on the block.
a) Draw a free body diagram of the block.
b) Starting from Newton’s second law, show that the force of gravity equals the
normal force in this situation.
c) Starting from Newton’s second law, show the force of the push equals the force of friction.
d) The dude gets tired of pushing the block and instead beings to pull up
with force Fpull as shown. The block still travels at constant speed. Some
guy claims: “The velocity of the block is constant, so the net force
exerted on the block must be zero. Thus, the normal force FN equals the
weight Fg, and the force of friction Ff equals the applied force Fpull.”
What, if anything, is wrong with this statement?

2. Two people standing on equal-height buildings are lifting a box of

mass M between the buildings using two ropes. The people keep the two
ropes the same length between their hands and the box so that both ropes
make an angle θ with the vertical. Each person pulls the box with the
same tension force, FT.
a) Draw a free-body diagram of the forces acting on the box.
b) Derive an expression for the magnitude of the tension FT in the
two ropes in terms of M, θ, and fundamental constants.
c) The two people lift the box higher and higher and notice they
have to exert more and more force. Why is this?

3. A mass M is suspended from two massless strings as shown.

a) Draw a free-body diagram of the forces on the mass M.
b) What is the tension in string T1?
c) What is the tension in string T2?

4. A train engine pulls a train with three cars. Each car

has the mass shown. Suppose that the cars are
connected by metal bars with the tensions indicated in
the diagram. The engine accelerates at a rate of 2 m/s2.
Assume that the cars travel on bearings with negligible
friction.
a) Use the equations you wrote above to find each of the three tensions: F1, F2, and F3.
b) Without referencing any math or any numbers, explain why F1 is the greatest tension and F3 is the
smallest tension, even though F3 is connected to the greatest mass.

5. Assume the three blocks shown move on a frictionless

surface and a 42 N force acts as shown on the 3.0 kg block.
a) Determine the acceleration given this system.
b) Determine the tension in the cord connecting the 3.0
kg and the 1.0-kg blocks
c) Calculate the force exerted by the 1.0 kg block on the 2.0 kg block.
6. Consider the pulley system shown above.
a) What is the tension in the string connecting the masses?
b) What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the masses?

7. A rope holds a 10-kg rock at rest on a frictionless inclined plane as shown.

a) Determine the tension in the rope.
b) Suppose the rope snaps. Determine the acceleration of the block as it slides
down the include.

8. Suppose M1 = 15 kg, M2= 9.0 kg and θ = 40 °. Ignore the effects of

friction. Assume mass M1 moves down the incline and mass M2 is lifted.
What is the acceleration of the masses?

9. The 30 kg block slides down the left incline in the following frictionless
system. Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the blocks.

10. A student whose normal weight is 500 N stands on a

scale in an elevator and records the scale reading as a
function of time. The data are shown in the graph below.
a) Draw a free-body diagram of the forces acting
on the student for each 5 s segment.
b) Describe the motion of the elevator for each
segment.

11. Some guy weights 750 N. He brings a scale on an elevator. At one point, the scale reads 680 N.
a) Draw free body diagrams of the man when i) when not on an elevator and ii) when the scale reads 680
N on the elevator. Have the relative lengths of the vectors represent relative magnitudes
b) Calculate the acceleration of the elevator.
c) Describe a possible state of motion of the elevator at this point.
3.3 – Friction
1. The equation below results from the applications of Newton’s Laws to an object:

27 N – (μ)(14 kg)(9.8 m/s2) = 0

Draw a physical situation that would result in this equation, and explain how your drawing is consistent with the
equation.

2. A 50 N box has an applied force on it of 40 N that makes an angle of 30 with the horizontal. The box is
moving to the right at a constant speed in both cases.

Will the frictional force exerted on the box by the rough surface be greater in Case A, greater in Case B, or the
same in both cases? Explain your reasoning.

3. A 60 𝑁 force is need to slide a 440 𝑁 table at constant speed across a horizontal floor. What is the coefficient
of sliding friction?

4. A horizontal force of 275 N is applied to a 15.0 kg box. The coefficient of sliding friction between the box
and horizontal surface is 0.32. At what rate will the box accelerate?

5. A 100 N box is initially at rest on a rough, horizontal surface. The coefficient of

static friction is 0.6, and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.4. A constant 35 N
horizontal force to the right is applied to the box. Calculate the frictional force on
the block.

6. A block’s initial velocity is 13 m/s. The block slides 36 m on a horizontal surface before coming to rest. What
is the coefficient of sliding friction between the block and surface?

7. A 100 kg crate is being pushed across a level floor at a constant speed by a force = 300 N at an angle of 20.0°
below the horizontal, as shown figure a.

a) What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and the floor?
b) If the 3.00 N force is instead pulling the block at an angle of 20.0° above the horizontal, as shown in
figure b, what will be the acceleration of the crate? Assume that the coefficient of friction is the same as
that found in a.

8. A wooden block is placed on an inclined plane and given a push to start it in motion. The coefficient of
sliding friction is .30. What angle will allow the block to slide down the incline at constant speed?
9. A crate of mass M = 8.0 kg is placed on a ramp that is inclined at 𝜃 =
30° with the horizontal as shown. The coefficient of static friction
between the block and incline is 𝜇𝑠 = .60 and the coefficient of kinetic
friction is 𝜇𝑘 = .30.
a) The block sits at rest on the incline. Calculate the force of
friction.
b) The block is given a nudge downwards and starts going down the incline. Calculate its acceleration.

10. The coefficient of static friction between the 3.00-kg crate and the 35.0°
incline shown is 0.300. What minimum force F must be applied to the crate
perpendicular to the incline to prevent the crate from sliding down the incline?

11. A 15 kg block is pulled up an incline plane by a force 𝐹 acting parallel to the incline. The incline makes an
angle of 32° with the horizontal. The coefficient of friction between the block and the incline is 0.35. The block
accelerates up the incline at a rate of 4.0 m/s2. What is the magnitude of the force 𝐹?

12. The coefficient of sliding friction between the block and the horizontal
surface is 0.48. The initial velocity of the 17.0 kg block is 3.00 m/s to the
right.

a) What is the acceleration of the 10.0 kg block?

b) Suppose the 17 kg is never given an initial velocity. What is the
minimum coefficient of static friction to prevent motion?

13. A block of mass m is being pulled up a ramp by a hanging

weight as shown on the right. The blocks are attached by a light
string that passes through a frictionless pulley. Both the block
and hanging weight move at constant speed. The incline makes
an angle of 𝜃 and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the
block and incline is 𝜇.
a) Draw free body diagrams of block the block and the
hanging weight. Label each force.
b) Derive an expression for the mass of the hanging weight.

3.4 – Circular Motion

1. A skateboarder is skating over a circular bump. He is at the top of the bump and is
moving rightward. Is the normal force exerted on the skateboarder by the bump greater
than, less than, or equal to the weight of the skateboarder? Explain your reasoning.

2. An object of mass m moves in a circular path with a constant speed v. The centripetal force on the object is F.
If the objects speed were halved and the mass was tripled, what would happen to the centripetal force?

3. A 3.5 kg mass is swung horizontally in a circle of radius 2.9 m. The centripetal force supplied by the rope is
17 N. What is the period of the mass's motion?
4. An object travels around a circular path 2.0 times in 8.0 seconds. What is the frequency and period of the
motion?

5. Consider a coin of mass m=0.1 kg placed on a rotating surface a distance R=1.0 m

from the axis of rotation. The surface rotates with a period T. There are some
locations on the surface where the coin can be placed and the force of static friction
will not allow the coin to slip. At other locations, the coin will slip because static friction is not strong enough to
prevent the coin from slipping. The coefficient of static friction between the coin and the surface is µ=0.2.
a) Calculate the maximum period of rotation of the turntable so that the coin does not slip.
b) Suppose the turn table is now spun faster, and the coin is to remain on the table. Should it be moved
closer to the center of the table or further away? Justify your answer conceptually.

6. A ball of mass 𝑀 is attached to a string of length R and negligible mass.

The ball moves clockwise in a vertical circle, as shown. When the ball is
at point P, the string is horizontal. Point Q is at the bottom of the circle
and point Z is at the top.
a) Draw and label all forces on the ball at points P and Q.
b) Derive an expression for 𝑣𝑚𝑖𝑛 , the minimum speed the ball can have at point Z without leaving the
circular path.
c) The maximum tension the string can have without breaking is 𝑇. Derive an expression for 𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 , the
maximum speed the ball can have at point Q without breaking the string. Answer in terms of M, R, T,
and fundamental constants.
d) Suppose that the string breaks when the ball is at point P. Describe the ball’s velocity and acceleration
after the string breaks.

7. This is where the fun begins. Anakin Skywalker pilots a Jedi starfighter in Earth’s
atmosphere (with Earth gravity acting) as shown and completes in a vertical circle. At the
bottom of the circle, Anakin feels a normal force of 990 N acting on him from his pilot chair
and is traveling at 220 m/s at this point.
a) Calculate the radius of the circular loop completed by the airplane.
b) Take a seat, young Skywalker. Without doing any calculations, will the normal
force of the seat on the pilot at the top of the loop be greater than, less than, or equal
to 990 N? Justify your answer qualitatively.

8. A roller-coaster vehicle has a mass of 500 kg when

fully loaded with passengers.
a) If the vehicle has a speed of 20.0 m/s at point A,
what is the force of the track on the vehicle?
b) What is the maximum speed the vehicle can
have at point Ⓑ for gravity to hold it on the track?

9. A pig of mass 1.0 kg is swung at the end of 2.0 m long string in a conical pendulum as
shown. The string makes an angle of 𝜃 = 30° with the vertical.
a) Explain why 𝜃 cannot be 90? (horizontal string)
b) Find the speed of the pig’s circular motion.
c) Will 𝜃 increase or decrease as the pig’s speed increases? Justify your answer.
AP Physics 1 Name: _________________________________

Unit 3: Forces and Motion Test Period: ______

Part 1: Multiple Choice - Choose the answers that best answers the questions below. (4 pts each)

1. Two objects, A and B, move toward one another. Object A has twice the mass and half the speed of object B.
Which of the following describes the forces the objects exert on each other when they collide and provides the
best explanation?
A) The force exerted by A on B will be twice as great as the force exerted by B on A, because A has the
twice the mass of B.
B) The force exerted by A on B will be half as great as the force exerted by B on A, because A has half
the speed of B.
C) The forces exerted by each object on the other are the same, because the B will have an equal
reaction force to A’s force on B.
D) The force exerted by A on B will be half as great as the force exerted by B on A, because B will
have a greater acceleration.

2. For which of the following objects will be the net force acting on it be zero?
A) A football is thrown straight up into the air.
B) A mine cart traveling uphill and slowing down until it rolls back down the hill.
C) A hamburger in free-fall.
D) A crate being pushed uphill at constant speed.

3. Which of the following expressions cannot be used to represent the acceleration of the spooky system above?
A) 𝐹3 /6𝑚
B) 𝐹2 /2𝑚
C) 𝐹1 /3𝑚
D) All of the above could be used to represent the acceleration of the system

4. A student with a mass of 50 kg is standing on a bathroom scale while riding an elevator. No one is quite sure
what the student is trying to accomplish, but the reading on the scale is 400 N. Which of the following is a
correct description of the elevator’s motion?
A) Moving upward with increasing speed
B) Moving downward with constant speed
C) Moving downward with increasing speed
D) Moving downward with decreasing speed

5. Consider the pulley system shown. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the blocks.
A) 𝑔/2 B) 2𝑔/3 C) 𝑔/3 D) 𝑔
6. A spooky block is placed on an incline as shown. The block
travels down the incline. Suppose the angle of the incline is
increased from 𝜽 to 𝟐𝜽. Which of the following statements is
FALSE:
A) The component of the block’s weight acting downward
parallel to the incline increases.
B) The component of the block’s weight acting directly perpendicular into to the incline increases.
C) The acceleration of the block increases.
D) The block’s total weight stays the same.

7. The net force on an object vs. its acceleration is shown in the graph to the right.
Which of the following quantities is closest to the mass of the object?
A) 3 kg
B) 5 kg
C) 7 kg
D) 10 kg

8. A block is held at rest against a wall by a force of magnitude F exerted at an angle 𝜃 form
the horizontal, as shown. Let 𝑊 by the weight of the block, 𝐹𝑁 be the normal force exerted
by the wall on the block, and 𝐹𝐹 be the frictional force exerted by the wall on the block.
Which of the following statements is true regarding the magnitudes of these forces?

A) 𝐹 = 𝑊/sin𝜃
B) 𝐹𝑁 = 𝑊 + 𝐹sin𝜃
C) 𝐹 = 𝑊 + 𝐹𝑁 − 𝐹𝑓
D) 𝐹𝑁 = 𝐹cos𝜃

9. A 24 kg file cabinet is initially at rest on a rough surface. The coefficient of static

friction between the cabinet and ground is 𝜇𝑠 = 0.50 and the coefficient of kinetic
friction is 𝜇𝑘 = 0.30.The cabinet is pushed by a 100 N. Find the magnitude of the
force of friction.
A) 100 N B) 120 N
C) 72 N D) 20 N

10. Scotty Skeletor the Spooky Skier skies spookily and swiftly down a spooky snowy slope at constant speed.
The coefficient of friction between the skier and the incline is .36. Find the angle of inclination.
A) 16.7° B) 21.1° C) 19.8° D) 68.9°
11. A large suitcase is moved across the dirty floor at Miami International Airport. The frictional force of the
floor on a large suitcase is least when the suitcase is:
A) dragged by a force parallel to the floor.
B) pulled by a force directed at an angle  above the floor.
C) pushed by a force directed at an angle  into the floor.
D) turned on its side and pushed by a force parallel to the floor.

12. A skier slides down an incline that makes an angle of 30o with the horizontal.
At the bottom of the incline, the skier continues on a horizontal surface. All
surfaces are frictionless. Which of the following graphs could show the speed
skier as a function of time? (dashed line represents leaving the incline).
A) v B)
v

C) D)
v v
v
(
t
)

13. A spooky object moves in a spooky horizontal circle at constant speed. In what direction is the object’s
spooky acceleration?
A) There is no acceleration of the object since it has constant speed.
B) Outwards directly away from the center of the circle of motion.
C) Towards the center of the circle of motion.
D) Tangent to the circle of motion at the object’s location.

14. Some dude is whirling a thing on a string in a horizontal circle at constant speed. The string makes one
complete revolution in two seconds; and the magnitude of the tension in the string is F. The dude then speeds
up the stone, keeping the radius of the circle unchanged, so that the string makes one complete revolutions
every second. What happens to the tension in the string?
A) The magnitude of the tension increases to four times its original value, 4F.
B) The magnitude of the tension increases to twice its original value, 2F.
C) The magnitude of the tension reduces to half of its original value, F/2.
D) The magnitude of the tension reduces to one-fourth of its original value, F/4.

15. Max whirls a 0.5 kg bucket of Mountain Dew at the end of a string of length r = 0.3
m in a vertical circle. At the top of the path, the bucket’s speed is the minimum value
such that the Mountain Dew does not fall out of the bucket. What is the tension in the
string at this point?

A) 10 N B) 2.2 𝑁 C) 1.7 N D) 0 N
16. (15 points) A Jack-o-Latern of mass M kg is placed on a ramp that is inclined
at 𝜃 with the horizontal as shown. The coefficient of static friction between the
block and incline is 𝜇𝑠 and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 𝜇𝑘 .
a) The jack-o-latern is placed on the incline at rest. Determine an expression
for the force of static friction

b) Dr. Acula now pushes the jack-o-latern up the incline as shown. He applies a force F parallel to the
incline.
i. On the diagram below, draw a free-body diagram of all forces acting on the jack-o-latern as it is
pushed uphill.

ii. Derive an expression for the acceleration of the jack-o-latern up the incline. Show your work.

iii. Suppose the force F is now applied parallel to the

ground instead of parallel to the incline as shown.
Would the magnitude of the acceleration now be
greater than, less than, or equal to the acceleration
from ii? Justify your answer.
17. (15 points) A spooky zombie applies a force of magnitude F = 140 N at
angle of 𝜃 = 30° below the horizontal on a lawn-mower of mass 12.0 across a
horizontal surface. Treat the lawn-mower as a sliding object with the coefficient
of kinetic friction between the mower and ground being 𝜇 = 0.20.

a) Draw a free body diagram of all forces acting on the mower.

b) Is the normal force between the lawn mover and the ground greater than, less than, or equal to the
weight of the lawn mower?

_____greater than ______less than ______equal to

c) Calculate the acceleration of the mower. Show your work.

d) Suppose that the lawn-mower reaches a speed of 15 m/s, and the zombie lets go. Calculate the time
required for the mower to stop after being let go.
18. (13 points) a) A car of mass M=920 kg travels at constant speed in circular path of radius
R = 25 m. The car completes 5 complete cycles in 25 seconds.

i. Calculate the minimum coefficient of friction needed to keep the car in a circle.

ii. Suppose the friction between the car’s tire and roads suddenly drops to 0. Briefly describe the subsequent
motion of the car.

b) The car now drives along a circular vertical track as shown. The radius of
the vertical circle is 9 m. At point A, the car is driving at 30 m/s. Calculate the
normal force felt the driver of the car at this point if the driver has a mass of 60
kg.
 AP Physics 1 Unit 3 Test
Directions: You must show all steps required to arrive at the correct answer for the problem below.

1. A system of two cables supports a 300-N pumpkin as shown.

a) Calculate the tension in the right-hand (horizontal) cable.
b) Suppose the angle for the left-hand cable is decreased from 60o to 30o.
Would the tension in the left-hand increase, decrease, or remain the same?
Justify your answer qualitatively without doing any calculations.

2. 3 blocks move together in the system shown. The blocks, A, B,

and C have masses of 𝑚𝐴 = 10 𝑘𝑔, 𝑚𝐵 = 5 𝑘𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝐶 = 10 𝑘𝑔
respectively. They are pulled by a force 𝐹1 that has a magnitude of
𝐹1 = 100 𝑁. A rope with a tension of 𝐹2 pulls block A, which then
pushes block B forward.
a) Calculate the value of 𝐹2 .
b) State the direction of the force of block B on block A.
c) Calculate the magnitude of the force of block B on block A.

3. The right shows a pulley system. For this system, 𝑚1 = 80 𝑘𝑔,

𝑚2 = 6𝑘𝑔, 𝜃 = 30°, and the magnitude of sliding friction between
m1 and the incline is 𝜇𝑘 = 0.20. The system is set in motion with m1
sliding down the incline.

a) Calculate acceleration of the pulley system.

b) Suppose the angle of the incline is increased. How would your
answer to b) change? Justify your answer qualitatively without doing any calculations.

c) Suppose the bucket is now taken from the incline and tied to a string of length r = 0.8
m and swung in a vertical circle. The bucket is full of water.
i. Calculate the minimum speed the bucket must have at the top of its circular motion to
keep the water in the bucket.
ii. What is the tension in the rope at this point?
4. An empty sled of mass m = 10.0 kg is placed on one of the many snowy
hills of Jupiter, FL. The hill is inclined at an angle of 15o above the horizontal
as shown. The coefficient of static friction between the snow and incline is
𝜇𝑠 = .40 and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 𝜇𝑘 = .3.

a) Draw a labeled free body diagram of all forces acting on the sled.

b) The sled rest on the incline without moving. Calculate the force of friction between the sled and incline.

c) The sled is gently nudged and travels down the incline. Calculate the acceleration of the sled down the
incline.

d) The sled reaches the bottom of the slope and continues the
horizontal ground. Assume the same coefficient of friction.
Sketch the velocity of the sled vs. time for the motion. The dashed
line at tL represents when the sled leaves the incline.

5. A ghost pushes a crate of spiders across a rough horizontal surface as shown.

He pushes the crate a mass 𝑴 with a force of magnitude 𝑭at an angle of 𝜽
above the horizontal.

a) Derive an expression for the coefficient of kinetic friction if the ghost

pushes the box forward with a constant velocity.

b) Suppose the ghost pulls the box with a larger angle 𝜃 above the horizontal. Would he need to apply
more or less force to keep the box moving at constant velocity? Justify your answer qualitatively without
doing any calculations.

6. A spooky car drives at 20 m/s around in a circle. The coefficient of friction

between the car’s tires and the road is 0.45. The car has a spooky mass of 800
kg.

a) Calculate the minimum radius of the circle for the car to remain in circular motion.

b) Calculate the frequency of the car’s motion.

c) The car now drives faster than 20 m/s. Briefly describe the subsequent motion of the car.