October 18, 2012

Physics 130 - A

Dr. Schmidt

Midterm 1
Write you name on the cover of the blue book. Put all your answers in the blue book. Start a new page for each
problem. Partial credit will be given for incomplete answers. At the conclusion of the exam fold this exam in half and
place in your blue book and turn in your blue book.
1. (15 points) For uniform acceleration in one dimension, answer True or False to the following statements. If false
change the statement to make it true.
a) The magnitude of velocity will always increase with time with a positive acceleration.
b) An object can have zero velocity and non-zero acceleration at the same time.
c) Constant acceleration and average acceleration are equal.
d) A negative acceleration means that the magnitude of the velocity is decreasing.
e) If an object ever returns to the same position it started at it will have the same velocity it started out with.
2. (10 points) Galileo predicted that object A launched horizontally will reach the ground in the same time as object
B dropped vertically from the same height. Which of the two will have the greater speed when it hits the ground,
or will they have the same speed also? Explain.
2. (15 points) When an object falls freely it experiences a force equal to mg
3. due to the earth pulling on it. It accelerates with an acceleration equal to g. Use Newtons Laws to tell with
what magnitude force the object pulls on the earth. Does the earth accelerated due to this force? Explain.
4. (15 points) A nerdy bored student finds that a wad of chewing gum will stick to the ceiling of the classroom if it
hits with a speed of at least 1.3 m/s. To do that he has to launch the wad at a speed of 7.6 m/s. How high is the
ceiling? Assume the student launches the wad from floor level.
5. (15 points) A relay runner moving at a speed of 3.2 m/s must hand off the baton to the next runner within a
designated passing zone of exactly 20.0 m. The second runner mistakenly waits till the first runner just enters the
zone to start his acceleration. The other runner passes him even though he starts immediately when the runner
passes him and he must now catch up to receive the baton. Starting from rest at the beginning of the passing zone
at what minimum rate of uniform acceleration must the second runner have to catch up to the first runner by the
end of the passing zone? Note: they will not be traveling at the same speed.
6. (15 points) A swimmer can swim at a rate of 3.1 m/s in still water. How long will it take this swimmer to cross a
250 m stream and land directly across from her starting position if the stream has a current of 1.7 m/s?
7. (15 points) A racecar driver wishes to complete a 500 km race in two legs with a mandatory pit stop in the middle.
To win the race she needs to achieve an average speed of 330 km/hr. Her top speed has been 350 km/hr. If she can
keep that pace for the entire time, how much time does she have for a pit stop?