MCAS Physics Exams
MCAS 2006 Session 1
The distance vs. time graph below shows data collected as a remote-controlled car moved across a level parking lot.
According to the graph, which of the following conclusions about the car’s motion is supported?
A. The car is accelerating.
B. The car is stopping and starting.
C. The car is traveling at a constant velocity.
D. The car is moving through an obstacle course.
The figure below shows the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Which of the following statements best compares the wavelengths of the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum?
A. Microwaves are shorter than x-rays.
B. Infrared waves are longer than gamma rays.
C. Radio waves are shorter than visible light waves.
D. Ultraviolet waves are longer than visible light waves.
The forces acting on a skateboarder moving at a constant velocity along a sidewalk are shown in the figure below.
Which of the following is the net force on the skateboarder?
A. 0 N
B. 70 N
C. 670 N
D. 1270 N
The tendency of a stationary object to resist being put into motion is known as
A. acceleration.
B. inertia.
C. weight.
D. velocity.
In a copper wire, a temperature increase is the result of which of the following?
A. an increase in the size of the copper particles
B. a decrease in the mass of the copper particles
C. an increase in the motion of the copper particles
D. a decrease in the distance between the copper particles
An upward force of 150 N is applied to a box weighing 70 N. Which of the following is the free-body force diagram for this situation?
The masses and specific heats of some samples of liquids are shown in the table below.
The temperature of which sample will rise most when 1000 J of heat is added?
A. water
B. glycerin
C. methanol
D. cooking oil
An electric circuit is shown below. The accompanying table shows the current measured at different levels of resistance.
Based on the data shown in the table, what is the voltage drop across the variable resistor?
A. 1.5 V
B. 6 V
C. 9 V
D. 12 V
A sailboat travels 35 km in 5 hr. Which of the following describes the motion of the sailboat?
A. Its momentum is 7 km/hr.
B. Its acceleration is 7 km/hr.
C. Its displacement is 7 km/hr.
D. Its average speed is 7 km/hr.
The illustration below shows three toy ducks floating on water, moving up and down as a wave travels to the right with a velocity of 3 m/s.
Which of the following is the frequency of the wave?
A. 0.75 Hz
B. 1.33 Hz
C. 1.5 Hz
D. 6.0 Hz
Why does a plastic rod have a negative charge after being rubbed with a piece of fur?
A. The fur gives up protons to the rod.
B. The rod gives up electrons to the air.
C. The fur gains protons from the rod.
D. The rod gains electrons from the fur.
Which of the following colors of visible light has the longest wavelength?
A. red
B. blue
C. green
D. orange
The illustration below shows a student bending a piece of wire back and forth at a single point X. The wire’s temperature rises noticeably at point X.
Which of the following best describes the source of the temperature increase?
A. Some of the wire’s mass is transformed into heat energy as the wire is bent.
B. Some of the kinetic energy is transformed into heat as the wire is bent.
C. The bending transfers potential energy to the wire, heating it.
D. The bending causes a current that heats the wire.
Perfume sprayed from a bottle spreads more easily in a warm room of 25
o
C than in a cool room of 15
o
C. Which of the following correctly compares perfume molecules at 25
o
C to those at 15
o
C?
A. At 25
o
C, they have more mass.
B. At 25
o
C, they are moving faster.
C. At 25
o
C, they have less kinetic energy.
D. At 25
o
C, they are decreasing in volume.
The diagram below represents four empty copper containers at room temperature.
An equal amount of water at 90
o
C is added to each copper container. Assume there is no loss of heat to the environment. Which container will have had the greatest change in temperature when the water and the container reach equilibrium?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Two students each carry a box up to the third floor of a building. The total mass of each student and the box she is carrying is the same. Roberta makes the trip in 45 s while Mary takes 30 s. Which of the following statements best describes this task?
A. Roberta does more total work than Mary.
B. Mary does more total work than Roberta.
C. Roberta has a greater power output than Mary.
D. Mary has a greater power output than Roberta.
The figure below shows a spring with a wave traveling through it.
Which type of wave is illustrated?
A. sound
B. transverse
C. longitudinal
D. electromagnetic
Which of the following devices relies on electromagnetic radiation in the radio wave region of the spectrum for operation?
A. sun tanning lamp
B. electric light bulb
C. cellular telephone
D. electric toaster
Which of the following has the least momentum?
A. a 0.5 kg mass with a 1000 m/s velocity
B. a 1 kg mass with a 100 m/s velocity
C. a 10 kg mass with an 11 m/s velocity
D. a 100 kg mass with a 2 m/s velocity
Mr. Jenkins constructed a circuit consisting of a variable source, wires, and a resistor. In order to triple the amount of current, how should he change the voltage of the source?
A. make the voltage three times larger
B. make the voltage one-third as great
C. make the voltage nine times larger
D. make the voltage one-ninth as great
One 7.0 kg bowling ball is lifted to a storage shelf 1.0 m above the floor. A second 7.0 kg ball is lifted to a storage shelf 2.0 m above the floor. Which of the following best explains why the measured force of gravity on each ball is nearly identical?
A. The final potential energy of each ball increased.
B. The amount of work required to lift each ball is identical.
C. The distance of each ball from Earth’s center of mass is almost identical.
D. The gravitational force of each ball on the other cancels out the force of Earth’s gravity.
The water contained in a geyser system gains energy from the underground material surrounding it. The water molecules gain kinetic energy and this results in an increase in the pressure of the water. Eventually the geyser erupts and expels water into the air above ground. Which of the following types of energy is the source for the initial energy gain of the water?
A. electrical
B. magnetic
C. mechanical
D. thermal
The figure below shows a wagon that moves from point X to point Y.
Which of the following best describes the wagon’s change in energy as it coasts from point X to point Y?
A. The wagon has the same kinetic energy at point Y and at point X.
B. The wagon has more kinetic energy at point Y than at point X.
C. The wagon has the same gravitational potential energy at point Y and at point X.
D. The wagon has more gravitational potential energy at point Y than at point X.
Open-Response Questions
BE SURE TO ANSWER AND LABEL ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION.
Show all your work (diagrams, tables, or computations) in your Student Answer Booklet.
If you do the work in your head, explain in writing how you did the work.
Refer to the following information for the next two questions.
The electromagnetic spectrum is shown below.
There are multiple stages involved in the transmission, reception, and display of a television broadcast. A signal is sent by satellite from the station and relayed to the television by several methods. The signal is translated electronically and converted into an image on regular, liquid crystal, or plasma TV displays. The viewer then sees the image.
a. Identify one region of the electromagnetic spectrum used by television and explain how it is used.
b. Select a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is not used by television. Explain a useful application of this spectral region.
Refer to the following information for the next four questions.
The figure below is a graph of net force vs. the acceleration of an object.
a. Use the graph to determine the mass of the object. Show your calculations and include units in your answer.
b. What acceleration will the object have if the net force is 50 N and the trend shown by the graph continues? Show your calculations and include units in your answer.
c. Draw a graph of force vs. acceleration if the mass of the object is halved and the object is subjected to the same net forces.
Label the axes on your graph and be sure to include units. Label this graph “c.”
d. On the same axes that you used in part (c), draw a graph of force vs. acceleration if the mass of the object is doubled and the object is subjected to the same net forces.
Label this graph “d.”
Refer to the following information for the next four questions.
The illustrations below show an air track with two carts before and after a collision. The mass and the initial velocity of each cart are shown below.
Before collision:
The first cart slides on the air track and collides with the second cart. The two carts stick together upon impact and move together along the track, as shown below.
After collision:
a. What is the momentum of the first cart before it collides with the second cart? Show your calculations and include units in your answer.
b. What is the momentum of the second cart before the collision? Show your calculations and include units in your answer.
c. Describe two changes that could be made initially to either one or both carts that would result in an increase in the momentum of the combined carts after the collision.
d. What is the value of v
2
?
MCAS Physics Exams
Copyright © 2005--2023
All rights reserved.
Used with
permission
.
PhysicsLAB
PDF conversion
Copyright © 1997--2023
Catharine H. Colwell
All rights reserved.