Full On Physics Review

Newtons First Law of Motion:

Usually referred to as the law of inertia.
o Inertia: the tendency of an object to stay in its current
state of motion
Part 1: An object at rest stays at rest unless acted on by an
outside force;
o Example: a pencil on a desk will stay on the desk unless
something comes by and bumps it (applies a force) to
cause it to move (accelerate).
o A force is a push or a pull
Part 2: An object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by an
outside force. Constant motion is when forces are BALANCED
and the velocity does not change:

d
t

The units for the velocity equation are

v:
d:
t:
Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.

Newtons Second Law of Motion:

Forces cause acceleration
Acceleration is a change in velocity (which means speed or
direction). This can be an increase or decrease in velocity!
Calculate!

v
t

The units for this equation are:

a:
v:
t:
Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.

Practice Problems: please include a reason for choosing the answer in the
space next to the question.
1.

A racecar travels at an average speed of 80 m/s in a race. The

total distance of the race is 640,000 m. How long does it take
the racecar to finish the race?
A.

800 s

B.

8,000 s

C.

6,400,000 s

D.

51,200,000 s

2. The table below shows the time it takes four cars to go from 0
to 60 km/hr. Based on the information given, which of the
following quantities can be compared for the four cars?

3. Which of the following will

always change when an
object accelerates?

A.

average acceleration

B.

instantaneous speed

C.

stopping distance

D.

stopping time

A.

mass

B.

potential energy

C.

velocity

D.

weight

4. A toy cart that has a weight of 10 N moves with a constant

velocity of 2 m/s to the right on a horizontal table. According to
Newtons laws of motion, which of the following statements is

correct?
A. The table exerts a force of 10 N upward on the toy cart.
B. The toy cart exerts a force of 10 N upward on the table.
C. The toy cart exerts a force of 2 N downward on the table.
D. The table exerts a force of 2 N to the right on the toy cart.
More of Newtons Second Law: when the forces are not balanced
Constant forces cause constant accelerations
o
F = ma (this is the regular one)
o
The units for this equation are
F:
m:
a:
o
Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.
o
This is important because it means that the force of
gravity (constant) causes objects to accelerate at a
constant rate (g)
o
The acceleration due to gravity (g) is 9.8 m/s2
Newtons Third Law of Motion:
Every action has an equal but opposite reaction.
o Any time a force is applied and nothing moves (like you sit
in your chair without falling through it) the net force is
zero because the opposite reaction force is the same as
the force applied.
o Therefore, the acceleration is zero and you arent on the
floor.
Practice problems:
1.

Two students are standing next to each other on a level field.

One of the students throws a table tennis ball forward toward a
line 2.0 m away. At the same time, the second student throws a
bowling ball in the same direction. Both balls take the same time
to travel the 2.0 m. Only the second student feels a noticeable

backward push when she throws her ball. Which of the following
statements explains why only the second student feels a
noticeable backward push?
A.

The bowling ball exerts a much larger reaction force.

B.

The bowling ball undergoes a much larger acceleration.

C.

The bowling ball requires more force to overcome gravity.

D.

The bowling ball converts more inertia into kinetic energy

2. A 1500 kg car increases its speed by 2 m/s for each second of

travel. What is the net force acting on the car?
a. 750 N
b. 1500 N
c. 3000 N
d. 6000 N
3. Two students are in-line skating. The diagram below shows
student S pushing student T. Student S has a mass of 60 kg, and
student T has a mass of 40 kg.

Student S is pushing student T in a straight line with a force

equal to the friction on student Ts skates. Which of the
following must happen if student S continues to push student T
with the same force?
A.

Student T will lose his balance.

B.

Student T will travel in a circle.

C.

Student T will move at a constant velocity.

D.

Student T will move at a constant acceleration.

4. A student is driving her car when an insect strikes her

windshield. Which of the following statements best describes

the forces in this situation?

Graphing Motion:
TONS of information can be determined from a graph of a data
set! Remember, they are scatter plots with slopes that come
from y = mx + b. The slope is in the simple form:
o

rise
run

Types of graphs that you should be familiar with:

o Distance vs. time:

Lines on the graphs:

o The line on distance vs. time graph tells you _________
A.

The insect strikes the windshield with the same force as the
windshield strikes the insect.

B.

The insect strikes the windshield with a force, and the

windshield exerts no force on the insect.

C.

The insect exerts no force on the windshield, and the

windshield strikes the insect with a large force.

D.

The insect strikes the windshield with a small force, and the
windshield strikes the insect with a large force.

o The line on a speed vs. time graph tells you __________

The shapes of the lines:
o Straight lines mean that the slope is CONSTANT.
o Be careful for increasing/decreasing (it is what is on the
y axis that is increasing or decreasing).
o Horizontal lines mean that the quantity on the y axis are
CONSTANT.

Practice problems:
1. The graph below shows the distance an object traveled over
time.

Velocity vs. time:

Which line segment represents the time interval during which the object
was moving at a positive constant speed?

A.

segment W

B.

segment X

C.

segment Y

D.

segment Z

2. The graph below shows the speed of an object during a 10 s time

interval.

In which of the following time intervals is the speed of the object

decreasing?
A.

between 0 s and 2 s

B.

between 2 s and 4 s

C.

between 6 s and 8 s

D.

between 8 s and 10 s

Vectors:
Vectors are quantities defined with both a magnitude and a
direction.
o Velocity is a vector.
Scalars are quantities that only need magnitude for a complete
description.
o Speed is a scalar.
Vectors in the same direction add together, end to end:

A 2 N force to the right is joined by a 5 N force to the

right.

Vectors in opposite directions take the difference between the

magnitudes of the forces and are also lined up end to end:
o A 2 N force to the left is acted on by a 5 N force to the
right.

Displacement is a vector that determines how out of place an

object is. It is described by how far away from the starting
point an object is, including the direction it moved.
Distance is how far an object travels overall. It is a scalar so it
does not require a direction.
Force is one of the most common vectors and free body diagrams
are used to determine the net force acting on an object.
o Net force: the total amount of force acting on an object.
Friction, normal, applied force, air resistance,
gravity, tension, etc.
o Use Newtons Second Law to calculate the acceleration of
an object that has a net force acting on it.
Practice problems:
1. A student leaving school walks 2.5 km north and then walks 1.0
km south. What is the students displacement?
A.

1.0 km south

B.

1.5 km north

C.

2.5 km north

D.

3.5 km south

2. Which of the following statements identifies the main

difference between vector and scalar quantities?
A.

Only vectors have direction.

B.

Only scalars have magnitude.

C.

Only scalars have units associated with them.

D.

Only vectors have units associated with them.

3. A person with a weight of 120 lb. is standing on a scale.

What force is the scale exerting on the person?

A.

0 lb. up

B.

60 lb. up

C.

120 lb. up

D.

240 lb. up

4. Four students push on a block of wood with the forces shown in

the diagram below. Assume friction is negligible.

The block slides horizontally. What is the net force acting on the
block of wood?
A.

3 N to the left

B.

8 N to the left

C.

11 N to the right

D.

25 N to the right

The Conservation of Momentum:

Momentum is caused by masses in motion.
o When a mass is moving, its inertia keeps it going in the
same direction.
o Think about a football player running down the hall and
running into mestop laughing. He will mow me over
because he has more momentum that I do.
Momentum is conserved.
o Conserved is the concept that the momentum before is
the exact same as the momentum after.
Equations:
o p = mv
o The units for momentum:
m:

v:

p:

o The conservation of momentum is a little more

complicated: the momentum before is the same as the
momentum after:
pbefore = pafter

The sum of the momentums of both objects

before is going to be the same the velocity of

the objects WILL change (because the mass will
not!).
o Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.
Practice problems:
1. Two toy carts are about to collide, as shown in the diagram
below.

When they collide, the carts will stick together. Neglecting

friction, what is the velocity of the carts after the collision?
A.

0.75 m/s left

B.

0.75 m/s right

C.

15 m/s left

D.

15 m/s right

2. A meteoroid with a mass of 1,000 kg enters Earths atmosphere

with a velocity of 4,400 m/s. What is the magnitude of the
meteoroids momentum at that instant?
A.
B.
C.

Potential Energy: Stored energy

Defined as stored energy that has the ability to do work.
o Work is the product of force acting over a distance.
A.

Neither rock loses potential energy because no work is done on the rocks.

B.

Both rocks lose the same amount of potential energy because they fall
from the same height.

C.

The 10 kg rock loses more potential energy than the 5 kg rock because
the 10 kg rock falls faster.

D.

The 10 kg rock loses more potential energy than the 5 kg rock because
the 10 kg rock has more mass.

D.

3. At an amusement park, bumper car X moves at a speed of 2.5

m/s toward car Y, which is at rest, as shown in the diagram
below.

Car X collides with car Y. How does the momentum of each car
change after the collision?
4. The momentum of an object in space is

Work happens when the force acts against an opposing

force. Lifting a heavy box acts against the force of
gravity and is doing work, but carrying the box at a
constant height over a distance is NOT doing work.
Work is the potential energy of an object and is calculated using:
o W = Fd
o The units are:
F:

d:

A.

Car Xs momentum increases, and car Ys momentum decreases.

A.

dependent on its mass.

B.

Car Xs momentum decreases, and car Ys momentum increases.

B.

independent of its inertia.

C.

Car Xs momentum is unchanged, and car Ys momentum increases.

C.

independent of its velocity.

D.

Car Xs momentum is unchanged, and car Ys momentum decreases.

D.

dependent on its potential energy.

W:
o Find the equation on your cheat sheet and cheat.
Gravitational potential energy is a type of stored energy that is
given to an object that has the energy of position.

In order to give an object potential, it must have work

done on it.
o PE = mgh
o Notice that mg is the old formula for the weight, a force.
And h has the same units as distance. Therefore:
PE = mgh = (mg)d

o The units are:

m:

g:

h:

PE:

o Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.
Other types of potential energies are chemical and solar energy.
Practice problems:
1. A rock climber weighs 550 N and is carrying a backpack that
weighs 50 N. How much total work has been done after she
climbs 12 m?

rock does not move. What is the amount of work done by the man
on the rock?

A.

50 J

B.

600 J

C.

6000 J

D.

7200 J

2. A 5 kg rock and a 10 kg rock are dropped from a height of 10 m.

Which of the following statements describes what happens to
the potential energy of the rocks?
3. Which of the following is the best example of work being done on
an object?

0.0 J

B.

6.0 J

C.

100 J

D.

6000 J

5. Which of the following has the greatest momentum?

A.

a 60 kg deer moving west at a speed of 16.4 m/s

B.

a 6300 kg elephant moving east at a speed of 0.11 m/s

C.

a 0.42 kg soccer ball moving downfield at a speed of 12 m/s

D.

a 0.03 kg arrow moving toward a target at a speed of 150 m/s

Kinetic Energy: The energy of motion!

The kinetic energy depends on _________________________.
Example: develop an example that explains this relationship
between the kinetic energy of the object and the
_______________ of the object.

A.

holding a 50 kg barbell

B.

lifting a bag of groceries

Equation:

C.

keeping a board in place

KE 12 mv 2

D.

pushing on a car that will not move

The units are:

m:
v:

4. A man applies a force of 100 N to a rock for 60 seconds, but the

A.

 KE:
o Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.
The kinetic energy is the change in potential energy in the
system.
The Conservation of Energy:
Energy is conserved, just like momentum.
o Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be
converted from one form to another.
o The total energy in a system is the sum of all energies
acting on the system.
Ubefore = Uafter

o The sum of the energy is the kinetic added to the

potential:
KE + PE = KE + PE

You need to use this to determine the amount of

potential, kinetic or work that is in a system.

MEMORIZE THESE RELATIONSHIPS!
o The potential energy IS the work done on a system.
o The kinetic energy is the CHANGE in potential energy.
o The work done is the CHANGE in kinetic energy.

Practice problems:
1. A ball is thrown straight upward. The balls initial speed is 30 m/s
and its mass is 0.05 kg, resulting in an initial kinetic energy of
22.5 J. If the initial potential energy of the ball is 10 J and
there is no frictional force, what would be the balls total energy
while it is moving?
A.

0.0 J

B.

10.0 J

C.

22.5 J

D.

32.5 J

2. The diagram below represents a bicyclist at the top of a hill, with

four points labeled W, X, Y, and Z.

Assume that the bicyclist does not apply the brakes as he rides
down the hill. At which point will the bicyclists kinetic energy be
closest to zero?
A.

point W

B.

point X

C.

point Y

D.

point Z

3. A student swings a bat horizontally, making contact with a ball

thrown to her. The ball leaves the bat, and the bat continues
moving through the rest of the swing. Which of the following
statements describes the change in energy necessary to do work
on the ball?
A.

All the kinetic energy of the bat is converted to work.

B.

All the potential energy of the bat is converted to work.

C.

Some of the kinetic energy of the bat is converted to work.

D.

Some of the potential energy of the bat is converted to work.

Heat: this is another energy!

Heat transfers in three ways:
o Convection:
o

Conduction:

Radiation:

Heat energy moves from a higher temperature to a lower

temperature until both objects reach equilibrium.
o Remember that equilibrium here means that the
temperatures are the same (balanced).
The average kinetic energy of the molecules move based on the
temperature (amount of heat added or taken away).
Phase changes occur when the energy changes.
o Energy absorbed:

C.

The students finger was originally at the same temperature as the sink.

D.

The students finger was originally at a lower temperature than the sink.
2. The molecules in which of the following have the greatest
average molecular kinetic energy?

Energy released:

A.

air in a persons lungs

B.

ice cubes in a glass of iced tea

C.

raindrops collecting in a puddle

D.

water boiling in a pot on a stove

3. The specific heat of wood is about 1,700 . How much energy is

required to heat a 12 kg piece of wood from 20C to 30C?
Temperature changes according to the heat capacity of the
material. This is when heat is absorbed or released.
o Materials with high heat capacities:
o

Materials with low heat capacities:

Calculate the amount of heat added to a material!

o Q = mcT
o The units are:
Q:
m:
c:
T:
o Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.
Practice problems:
1. A student touches a metal sink with her finger and notices that
her finger feels cold. Which of the following statements explains
this observation?

A.

1,400 J

B.

17,000 J

C.

204,000 J

D.

612,000 J

4. In which of the following examples is heat transferred primarily

by radiation?
A.

A fan blows warm air around a room.

B.

A hot water bottle warms a persons feet.

C.

Water vapor from a shower warms the room.

D.

A spoon held near the side of a flame gets warm.

5. A large container of cold water is moved from a refrigerator to a

table. A hot piece of metal is placed into the water. Which of the
following best describes the final temperature of the metal?

A.

Heat energy flows from the students finger to the metal sink.

A.

higher than the final temperature of the water

B.

Heat energy flows from the metal sink to the students finger.

B.

the same as the final temperature of the water

C.

lower than the initial temperature of the water

C.

The specific heat of block 1 is less than the specific heat of block 2.

D.

the same as the initial temperature of the water

D.

The specific heat of block 1 is greater than the specific heat of block 2.

6. A balloon is inflated with room-temperature air and then put in a

sunny place. The balloon expands slightly due to a rise in
temperature. Which of the following best describes the
molecules of air inside the balloon when the balloon is left in the
sunlight as compared to when it was first inflated?
A.

The molecules are moving faster.

B.

There are more molecules in the balloon.

C.

There are fewer interactions between the molecules.

D.

The molecules stop colliding with the walls of the balloon.

7. Which of the following is an example of heat transfer by

conduction?
A.

sunlight heating a floor

B.

an electric stove heating an iron pan

C.

a wood stove heating nearby objects through electromagnetic waves

D.

an electric heater heating air, which rises and is replaced with cooler air
8. Two blocks of zinc with different masses are at room
temperature. Each block then absorbs the same amount of heat
over 10 minutes. When the temperature of each block is then
measured, block 1 is at a higher temperature than block 2. Which
of the following statements most likely describes the zinc
blocks?

A.

The mass of block 1 is less than the mass of block 2.

B.

The mass of block 1 is greater than the mass of block 2.

9. Which of the following statements best explains why there is no

change in temperature once thermal equilibrium between two
objects in contact is reached?
A.

Heat can flow between two objects in contact.

B.

Heat does not flow between objects in contact at the same temperature.

C.

Heat does not flow spontaneously from a cooler object to a warmer object.

D.

Heat flows by conduction, convection, and radiation when the temperatures a

The shortest wavelengths are the:_________________

The frequency of these waves is:

The color ____________ has the longest wavelength

and the lowest frequency.
The color ____________ has the shortest wavelength
and the highest frequency.

Electromagnetic Energy:
Energy transferred by electromagnetic waves. There are seven
types on the spectrum please label it!

Practice problems:
1. The figure below shows regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Which of the following devices is designed to produce

electromagnetic radiation with the longest wavelength in order
to operate?

Electromagnetic waves are: ________________________

ALL electromagnetic waves move at the speed of light! It is
constant!
o This is defined as c = 3 x 108 m/s
o It is also on your cheat sheet find it!
The relationships
o As the wavelength increases, the frequency
__________________
o As the frequency increases, the wavelength
__________________
Relationships between the frequency and wavelength:
o The longest wavelengths are the:__________________
The frequency of these waves is:

A.

light bulb

B.

microwave oven

C.

x-ray microscope

D.

FM radio transmitter

2. Which of the following properties is the same for all

electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?
A.

amplitude

B.

frequency

C.

speed

D.

wavelength

3. Which of the following properties determines a color in the

visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum?
A.

acceleration

B.

amplitude

C.

frequency

D.

speed

4. Which of the following statements best describes an

electromagnetic wave with a long wavelength?
A.

It has a low frequency and can travel in a vacuum.

B.

It has a high frequency and can travel in a vacuum.

C.

It has a low frequency and can only travel in a medium.

D.

It has a high frequency and can only travel in a medium.

Waves: Waves carry energy from one point to another.

___________________ waves are defined as a disturbance in
a medium (remember, material).
____________________ waves are defined as radiation that
can travel through space.
A transverse wave travels:
An example of a transverse wave:
A longitudinal waves travels:
o An example of a longitudinal wave:
DRAW a wave on the line below and include equilibrium,
amplitude, crest and trough and mark the beginning and end of
one wave.

Calculate wave speed:

o s = f
o The units:
v:
f:
(the Greek letter lambda):
o Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.
When the frequency increases, the wavelength _____________.
The velocity increases when ___________________________.
Practice problems:
1. The diagram below shows a wave with four numbered parts.

Which numbered part of the diagram represents the

wavelength?
A.

B.

C.

D.

2. In a large room, a sound wave traveling from a violin produces a

tone with a frequency of 264 Hz. The speed of sound in the room
is 340 m/s. What is the wavelength of the sound wave from the
violin?
A.

0.004 m

B.

0.80 m

C.

1.3 m

D.

2.6 m

Waves _____________ when they are refracted.

o The incident ray moves _______________ the normal
when the wave moves into a slower medium.
o The incident ray moves _______________ the normal
when the waves moves into a faster medium.

3. A person creates a longitudinal wave by shouting into a tube in

the direction indicated by the arrow on the diagram below. The
dot inside the tube represents an air particle in the tube before
the wave reaches it.

The Doppler Effect: The frequency shift caused by a moving source.

The pitch of a sound is determined by the ________________.
o This is how high or low something sounds.
o The pitch increases when ____________________.
o The pitch decreases when ____________________.
This DOES NOT affect the velocity of the wave!!

Which of the following diagrams best represents the motion of

the air particle when the wave travels through the tube?
A.
B.

Practice problems:
1. The diagram below shows an incident light ray striking a shiny
piece of aluminum foil.

C.
D.
4. Which of the following observations demonstrates that visible
light waves are electromagnetic and not mechanical?

Which of the following statements describes what will most

likely happen to the light ray after it strikes the aluminum foil?

A.

Sunlight can pass through gas.

B.

Sunlight can pass through solids.

A.

The light ray will be absorbed by the shiny metal.

C.

Sunlight can pass through liquids.

B.

The light ray will be refracted after passing through the shiny metal.

D.

Sunlight can pass through a vacuum.

C.

The light ray will be reflected at a different angle to the normal than the
incident light ray.

D.

The light ray will be reflected at the same angle to the normal as the
incident light ray.

Reflection and Refraction:

Waves _____________ when they are reflected.
o The incident angle between the incident ray and the
normal is related to the reflected angle as:

2. The source of a sound is moving away from an observer who is

standing still. How do the sound waves received by the observer
compare with those emitted by the source?

A.

They are heard as having a greater velocity.

B.

They are heard as having a higher frequency.

C.

They are heard as having a lower frequency.

D.

They are heard as having a smaller wavelength.

3. The diagram below shows a light ray striking the flat surface of
a piece of clear hard plastic at an angle of Light travels faster
in air than through plastic.

Electricity and Magnetism:

Electric charges:
o Charge cannot flow on materials called: _____________
o Charge can flow on materiels called: ______________
Electric forces:
o Attractive forces are created when:
o

Repulsive forces are created when:

They relate through________________s Law. Please

find the equation on your cheat sheet and label it.
Include the units on the variables section!
Calculate the relationships in Ohms Law:
o V = IR
V:
I:
R:
o Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.
o Current will flow when there is:___________________
o

Which of the following diagrams shows how the ray is refracted

after it travels through the plastic?

A.

B.
Electricity creates:_____________________ and magnetism
creates:_____________________

C.

D.

Circuit diagrams! Draw the symbols:

o A battery/power source:
o

A resistor:

A switch:

A fuse:

o A light bulb:
Draw a parallel circuit:

Draw a series circuit:

Practice problems:
1. Which of the following statements describes the electric force
between two oppositely charged particles as they approach each
other?
A.

The attractive electric force increases.

B.

The electric force becomes repulsive.

C.

The magnitude of the electric force decreases.

D.

The repulsive electric force becomes attractive.

2. A circuit diagram is shown below.

What is the current through the 2 resistor?

A.

1.25 A

B.

1.5 A

C.

5.0 A

D.

6.67 A

Power:

A.

when neutrons outnumber electrons

B.

when there are more protons than neutrons

C.

when there are more electrons than protons

D.

when all neutrons have been removed from the object

A measure of how quickly work is done.

o The person that carries a box up the stairs 5 s faster
than another person carrying a box of equal mass has
more power because they worked faster.
A source or means of supplying electrical energy.
o The power company supplies electricity in the units of
power (watts) used in a certain amount of time.
o You find watts in the measure of the amount of
electricity used to power a light bulb (like a 60 watt
bulb).
Calculate:
o Mechanical power (how fast work is done) is calculated by
the amount of work done in a specific amount of time:

A.

glass tubes

B.

metal plates

C.

plastic cups

D.

rubber tires

4. Which of the following conditions results in the buildup of static

charge on an object?

W
t

The units:
P:
W:
t:
Electric power is the amount of electric energy used over
a period of time:

P = IV
The units:
P:
I:
V:

3. Electric charges can move most easily on which of the following

objects?

Find the equation on your cheat sheet and draw the cheat
circle.

Practice problems:
1. If 105 J of energy is used in 103 s, what is the average power
consumption in watts?
A.

102 W

B.

108 W

C.

1011 W

D.

1015 W

2. In a competition, weightlifter 1 lifts a 100 kg weight from the

floor. Weightlifter 2 also lifts a 100 kg weight to the same
height above the floor, but takes a longer time to do so. Which
of the following statements describes the work done and the
power used by the weightlifters?
3. A person is using a force of 200 N to push a box. How much
power does the person need to push the box a distance of 4 m in
10 s?
A.

40 W

B.

80 W

C.

200 W

D.

500 W

A.

Weightlifter 2 does the same work and uses less power compared
with weightlifter 1.

B.

Weightlifter 2 does less work and uses the same power compared
with weightlifter 1.

C.

Weightlifter 2 does the same work and uses more power compared
with weightlifter 1.

D.

Weightlifter 2 does more work and uses the same power compared
with weightlifter 1.