Three 10-ohm resistors take the shape of a triangle, one resistor in each leg. Connecting
an ohm-meter across any two points of the triangle will show the equivalent resistance
to be
A) 1.4 ohms.
B) 5 ohms.
C) 6.7 ohms.
D) greater than 6.7 ohms.
A key feature of the theory of chaos is
A) unpredictability.
B) very small initial differences can lead to very large eventual differences.
C) the randomness of molecular motion makes prediction difficult.
D) even orderly systems are seen to be disorderly when carefully studied.
If you shine a flashlight from one wall to an opposite wall inside a spaceship drifting
without acceleration far from gravitational influences, the beam of light will travel
A) in a straight-line path.
B) in a parabolic path.
C) along the arc of a circle.
When bullets are fired from an airplane in the forward direction, the momentum of the
airplane is
A) decreased.
B) unchanged.
C) increased.
The force of Earth’s gravity on a capsule in space increases as it comes closer. When the
capsule moves to half its distance, the force toward Earth is then
A) twice.
B) three times greater.
C) four times greater.
D) none of the above
When we say an appliance “uses up electricity,” we mean
A) current disappears.
B) electric charges are dissipated.
C) voltage is lowered.
D) electric energy dissipates into heat.
A principle difference between an MHD generator and a conventional generator is that
the MHD generator
A) has no moving parts.
B) operates more efficiently at high temperatures.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Light will NOT pass through a pair of Polaroids when their axes are
A) 45 degrees to each other.
B) parallel.
C) perpendicular.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Casually sneaking a quick peek at a photo in your mobile phone
A) adds energy to the photo.
B) subtracts energy from the photo.
C) brings you into an observer-observed relationship that intrigues some science types.
D) changes the phone itself
E) none of the above
A 2-kg ball is held 4 m above the ground. Relative to the ground its potential energy is
A) 6 J.
B) 8 J.
C) 32 J.
D) 80 J.
E) more than 80 J.
You experience weightlessness
A) in the absence of a supporting surface.
B) momentarily when you step off a chair.
C) in a freely falling elevator.
D) all of the above
The newton is a unit of
A) force.
B) mass.
C) density.
D) inertia.
The kinetic energy of fission fragments in a nuclear reactor
A) superheats water and produces steam.
B) converts to gamma-ray radiation.
C) becomes radioactive pollution.
D) converts directly to electricity.
E) none of the above
The electric field inside the dome of a Van de Graaff generator depends on the
A) amount of external charge.
B) volume of the dome.
C) amount of charge and volume of the dome.
D) none of the above
Some charged particles in a bubble chamber are seen to move in spirals due to
A) decreasing magnetic field.
B) decreasing electric charge.
C) perspective and parallax.
D) energy dissipation.
Between a pair of equal and opposite charges, field lines are
A) directed from positive to negative.
B) more concentrated closer to the charges.
C) vectors, with patterns that stem from the inverse-square law.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Which is most responsible for Earth’s ocean tides?
A) Moon
B) Sun
C) both contribute equally.
The bell with the highest natural frequency is relatively
A) small.
B) large.
C) either of these
Dr. Chuck projects a ball horizontally from a lab bench. The ball lands on a bullseye
marked on the floor a horizontal distance equal to the ball’s initial speed
A) multiplied by its time in the air.
B) coupled with its speed of fall.
C) squared plus its downward speed squared when hitting the floor.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
If the net force on a cart is tripled, the cart’s acceleration
A) is one third.
B) is two thirds.
C) is three times as much.
D) is more than three times as much.
Ice has a lower density than water because ice
A) molecules are more compact in the solid state.
B) molecules vibrate at lower rates than water molecules.
C) is composed of open-structured crystals.
D) density decreases with decreasing temperature.
A magnetic field is applied to a cloud chamber for the purpose of
A) attracting electrons.
B) repelling electrons.
C) attracting protons.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
A 100-W lamp glows brighter than a 25-W lamp. The current drawn by the 100-W lamp
is
A) less.
B) greater.
C) the same.
Compared to a 1-kg block of solid iron, a 2-kg block of solid iron has the same
A) mass.
B) volume.
C) weight.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
An electric heater is rated 300W 110V. The safety fuse in the circuit can withstand 15 A
of current. How many heaters can be safely operated in the circuit?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
E) more than 5
Two tennis balls fall through the air from a tall building. One of them is filled with lead
pellets. The ball to reach the ground first is the
A) regular ball.
B) lead-filled ball.
C) same for both
To rotate a stubborn screw, it is best to use a screwdriver that has a
A) wide handle.
B) long handle.
C) smooth handle.
D) none of the above
If you’re on a Ferris wheel at a carnival, seated 10 m from the Ferris wheel’s axis that
makes a complete rotation each minute, your linear speed is
A) 10 m/min.
B) 31.4 m/min.
C) 62.8 m/min.
D) 100 m/min.
E) need more information
The amount of light reflected from the front surface of a common windowpane is about
A) 4%.
B) 8%.
C) 40%.
D) 92%.
E) 96%.
The number of protons in a neutral atom is balanced by an equal number of
A) electron shells that surround the nucleus.
B) neutrons in the nucleus.
C) orbital electrons.
D) none of the above
The physics underlying the redness of sunsets and the color of blue jays involves
A) scattered sunlight.
B) absorbed sunlight.
C) different processes for sunsets and blue jays.