School Name Name: ______________________________

AP Physics C – Semester 1 Exam

Date of Exam

Directions: Please read all questions carefully, and please write your name on all the sheets. Answer all
questions only on the printed test sheets in the space provided or on the back, clearly labeling your work
(do not separate the pages). Partial credit can only be given if work is clearly shown and correct. No
credit whatsoever will be given if no work is shown or if the problem resolution is written illegibly.
(Even if there are no calculations but you are stumped, explain what you’re thinking!) The only references
and materials permitted are a calculator, a writing utensil, and a crib sheet prepared by you (to be turned
in with the exam). By virtue of taking this test you agree to its conditions on the basis of personal honesty
and charity towards other students, the instructor, and your school community as a whole.

Problem 01 [08 points] A fish of mass 8-kg is weighed with two spring scales,
each of negligible weight, as shown in the figure to the left. What will be the read-
ings on the scales? (Circle the correct response.)
(A) The bottom scale will read 8 kg, and the top scale will read zero.
(B) The sum of the two readings will be 16 kg.
(C) The top scale will read 8 kg, and the bottom scale will read zero.
(D) Each scale will read greater than zero and less than 8 kg, but the sum of
the two readings will be 8 kg.
(E) Each scale will read 4 kg.

Problem 02 [06 points] In section 5 of the velocity-time

graph to the right, the object is (circle the correct response):
(A) speeding up moving in the positive direction
(B) slowing down moving in the positive direction
(C) speeding up moving in the negative direction
(D) slowing down moving in the negative direction
(E) this cannot be determined without the position vs.
time graph

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Problem 03 [15 points] In the diagram, if 0 < h < H (where
H is the maximum height attained by a projectile with the
given trajectory), derive an equation for the time that
elapses between passing through the horizontal line of
height h in both directions (ascending and descending).
That is, compute the time required for the projectile to pass
through the two points shown in the diagram.

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Problem 04 [18 points total – 09 points each] A roller-coaster car enters the vertical circular-loop portion
of its ride. At the very top of the circle (where the people in the car are upside down) the speed of the car
is 15 m/sec and the acceleration points straight down. The diameter of the loop is 40 m and the total mass
of the car plus passengers is 1,200 kg.
(a) Find the magnitude of the normal force exerted by the track on the car at the top of the loop.
(b) What would the normal force be if the car was at the bottom of the circular loop?
è Nota Bene: Draw the free-body diagrams… or face the wrath of your physics teacher!

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//
Problem 05 [10 points] In the system shown at the right, a force F
accelerates block m1 to the right. Find its acceleration in terms of
F, the masses m1 and m2, the coefficient of friction, μ k, between all
contact surfaces, and acceleration due to gravity, g.

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Problem 06 [18 points total – 09 v0
points each] A light spring of nat-
ural (equilibrium) length 10 cm
with force constant k = 500 N/m is
embedded vertically in the ground,
as shown in the figure to the right.
A ball of mass m = 0.15 kg is
placed on top of the spring, which
is compressed 8.0 cm; when re-
leased, the spring pushes the ball.
When the ball reaches ground R
//
level, it leaves its light supporting
platform and continues vertically
upward. When it reaches the top of its path, a batter strikes the ball at an angle θ0 = 30° to the horizontal
with an initial velocity v0 = 100 m/sec. Ignoring air resistance, determine:
(a) the height, h, at which the batter strikes the ball;
(b) the down-range distance, R, at which the ball hits the ground.

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Problem 07 [10 points total] A puck of mass m = 0.5 kg is attached
to the end of a cord 1.5m long. The puck moves in a horizontal circle
of radius r as shown in the figure.
(a) [04 points] If the cord can withstand a maximum tension of
T = 50 N, what is the maximum speed at which the puck can
move before the cord breaks. (Assume the string remains
horizontal during the motion.)
(b) [03 points] Suppose the puck moves in a circle of larger ra-
dius at the same speed v. Is the cord more likely or less likely
to break? Explain.
(c) [03 points] What if, at some time, the string breaks: qualita-
tively, what is the direction of travel of the puck at the instant
of the break? Explain.

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Problem 08 [14 points] A man of mass m is standing at one end of a stationary, floating barge of mass
3m. He then walks to the other end of the barge, a distance of L meters. Ignore any frictional effects be-
tween the barge and the water. How far will the barge move?

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Extra Credit [10 points] The magnitude of the net force imposed upon a body varies with time according
to Fx(t) = 3.0t + 0.5t2, where Fx(t) is in Newtons and t is in seconds. Determine the impulse imparted to
the body during time interval 0 < t < 3.0 seconds?

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 AP Physics C – Semester 01 Final Exam
Thursday 19 December 2019

SOLUTIONS

Problem 01 [08 points] A fish of mass 8-kg is weighed with two spring scales,
each of negligible weight, as shown in the figure to the left. What will be the readings
on the scales? (Circle the correct letter.)
(A) The bottom scale will read 8 kg, and the top scale will read zero.
(B) The sum of the two readings will be 16 kg.
(C) The top scale will read 8 kg, and the bottom scale will read zero.
(D) Each scale will read greater than zero and less than 8 kg, but the
sum of the two readings will be 8 kg.
(E) Each scale will read 4 kg.

Answer B, which can be seen by drawing successive control volumes around the fish and one or more of
the scales: the scales contribute nothing to the total force in the downward direction (they are assumed
massless), but by virtue of their springs and associated spring constants respectively resist the downward
force of the weight of the fish.

Problem 02 [06 points] In section 5 of the velocity-time

graph to the right, the object is (circle the correct response):
(A) speeding up moving in the positive direction
(B) slowing down moving in the positive direction
(C) speeding up moving in the negative direction
(D) slowing down moving in the negative direction
(E) this cannot be determined without the position vs.
time graph

Answer D: Section 1 represents a constant positive speed. Section 2 shows an object slowing down, mov-
ing in the positive direction. Section 3 represents an object speeding up in the negative direction. Section
4 demonstrates a constant positive speed, and section 5 represents the correct answer: slowing down mov-
ing in the negative direction.

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Problem 3 [15 points] In the diagram, if 0 < h < H (where
H is the maximum height attained by a projectile with the
given trajectory), derive an equation for the time that elapses
between passing through the horizontal line of height h in
both directions (ascending and descending). That is, deter-
mine an equation for the time required for the projectile to
pass through the two points shown in the diagram.

Set the general expression for the projectile’s vertical displacement equal to h and solve for the two values
of t (assuming that g = –9.81 m/sec2):

y(t) = yo + voyt + ½ at2

h = 0 + voyt – ½ gt2
0 = ½ gt2 – voyt + h

Applying the quadratic formula, we find that

v0 y ± (-v0 y )22 - 4(½ g )(h) v0 y ± v02y - 2 gh

t= = .
2(½ g) g

Therefore, the two times at which the projectile crosses the horizontal line at height h are

v0 y - v02y - 2 gh v0 y + v02y - 2 gh
t1 = and t2 = ,
g g

so that the amount of time that elapses between these events is

2 v02y - 2 gh
Dt = t 2 - t1 = .
g

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Problem 04 [18 points total – 09 points each] A roller-coaster car enters the vertical circular-loop portion
of its ride. At the very top of the circle (where the people in the car are upside down) the speed of the car
is 15 m/sec and the acceleration points straight down. The diameter of the loop is 40 m and the total mass
of the car plus passengers is 1,200 kg.
(a) Find the magnitude of the normal force exerted by the track on the car at the top of the loop.
(b) What would the normal force be if the car was at the bottom of the circular loop?
è Nota Bene: Draw the free-body diagrams… or face the wrath of your physics teacher!

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Problem 05 [10 points] In the system shown in the problem, a force
F accelerates block m1 to the right. Find its acceleration in terms of
F, the masses m1 and m2, the coefficient of friction, μ k, between all
contact surfaces, and acceleration due to gravity, g.

Problem 06 [18 points total – 09 v0

points each] A light spring of nat-
ural (equilibrium) length 10 cm
with force constant k = 500 N/m is
embedded vertically in the ground,
as shown in the figure to the right.
A ball of mass m = 0.15 kg is
placed on top of the spring, which
is compressed 8.0 cm; when re-
leased, the spring pushes the ball.
When the ball reaches ground R
level, it leaves its light supporting //
platform and continues vertically
upward. When it reaches the top of its path, a batter strikes the ball at an angle θ0 = 30° to the horizontal
with an initial velocity v0 = 100 m/sec. Ignoring air resistance, determine:
(a) the height, h, at which the batter strikes the ball;
(b) the down-range distance, R, at which the ball hits the ground.

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From the diagram, the initial upward-imparted velocity on the ball is vi,y = v0sinθ0. The time the ball takes
to reach the top of this trajectory (equals the time it takes to return to height h) is determined as follows:
vf = vi + at è t = (vf – vi,y)/a
t = (0 – 30sin30° m/sec)/(–9.81 m/sec2)
t ≈ 1.53 sec

Then, the time it takes to reach the ground from an initial height of h (= 1.1 m) with an “initial” velocity
of 30sin30° m/sec downward is determined as follows:
y(t) = y0 + vy,0t + ½at2 è 0 = (1.1 m) – (30sin30° m/sec)t – ½ (9.81 m/sec2)t2

This is a quadratic equation whose positive root for time is t ≈ 0.07 sec (initially not high off the ground!).

So, the total time for the parabolic trajectory before hitting the ground is 1.53 + 1.53 + 0.07 = 3.13 sec.

Now, since the total time the ball is in the air (in its parabolic trajectory) is known (3.13 sec) and we know
it’s constant speed in the x-direction (vi,x = 30cos30° m/sec), the time in flight is easily determined:

v = x/t è x = vt
x (= R) = (30cos30° m/sec)(3.13 sec)
R = (30 * 0.866 m/sec)(3.13 sec)

R ≈ 81.3 meters

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Problem 07 [10 points total] A puck of mass m = 0.5 kg is attached
to the end of a cord 1.5m long. The puck moves in a horizontal circle
of radius r as shown in the figure.
(a) [04 points] If the cord can withstand a maximum tension of
T = 50 N, what is the maximum speed at which the puck can
move before the cord breaks. (Assume the string remains
horizontal during the motion.)
(b) [03 points] Suppose the puck moves in a circle of larger ra-
dius at the same speed v. Is the cord more likely or less likely
to break? Explain.
(c) [03 points] What if, at some time, the string breaks: qualita-
tively, what is the direction of travel of the puck at the instant
of the break? Explain.

It makes sense the stronger the cord, the faster the puck can move before the cord breaks. Also, we expect
a more massive puck to break the cord at a lower speed. (Imagine whirling a bowling ball on the cord!)

(a) Newton’s Second Law applied along the radial direction (toward the center of rotation) of a body in
uniform circular motion is:

Σ F = ma = mv /r
c
2

If we then incorporate the tension of the cord and the centripetal acceleration, we have:
T = mv2/r

Solving for v:
v = (Tr/m)½

Then, find the maximum speed the puck can have, which corresponds to the maximum tension the string
can withstand:
vmax = (Tmaxr/m)½ = [(50.0 N)(1.5 m) / (0.5 kg)] ½ = 12.2 m/sec

(b) The larger radius means the change in the direction of the velocity vector will be smaller in a given
time interval. Therefore, the acceleration is smaller… and the required tension is smaller. As a result, the
string is less likely to break when the puck travels in a circle of larger radius.

(c) Many people believe the puck will move radially away from the center of the circle when the string
breaks. However, the velocity of the puck is tangent to the circle. By Newton’s first law, the puck contin-
ues to move in the same direction in which it is moving just as the force from the broken string disappears.

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Problem 08 [14 points] A man of mass m is standing at one end of a stationary, floating barge of mass
3m. He then walks to the other end of the barge, a distance of L meters. Ignore any frictional effects
between the barge and the water. How far will the barge move?

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Extra Credit [10 points] The magnitude of the net force imposed upon a body varies with time according
to Fx(t) = 3.0t + 0.5t2, where Fx(t) is in Newtons and t is in seconds. Determine the impulse imparted to
the body during time interval 0 < t < 3.0 seconds?

This problem, though it may appear daunting, is actually rather straight-forward. The way to solve it is to
use the mathematical definition of impulse (a vector quantity) as the integral of force over the duration of
a collision. (Contrast this to work—a scalar quantity, whose mathematical definition is the integral of
force over the distance the force is applied.) By integrating the equation given for Fx over the time interval
as provided, the number that results from of the definite integral is the impulse of the body.
∆*
𝐼 = # 𝐹(𝑡)𝑑𝑡
+

2
𝐼 = # (3𝑡 + 0.5𝑡 1 )𝑑𝑡
+

𝐼 = 1.5𝑡 1 + 0.167𝑡 2 |2+

𝐼 = 1.5(3)1 + 0.167(3)2 − 1.5(0)1 + 0.167(0)2

𝑰 = 𝟏𝟖 𝐤𝐠 ∙ 𝐦/𝐬

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