Multiple Choice Question

Javier made a list about balanced and unbalanced forces.

Balanced Forces Unbalanced Forces
can cause an object to speed up, slow down, or change directions
cause objects to stay in the same place or to continue moving at the same speed

Javier made a mistake on his list. Which best describes the mistake Javier made?
A.
Javier forgot to add that forces can never change.

B.
Balanced forces only cause objects to change directions.

C.
Unbalanced forces only cause objects to stay in the same place.

D.
Javier switched the descriptions for unbalanced and balanced forces.

11 answers

The best description of the mistake Javier made is:

D. Javier switched the descriptions for unbalanced and balanced forces.

Balanced forces do cause objects to stay in the same place or to continue moving at the same speed, while unbalanced forces can cause an object to speed up, slow down, or change directions.

Multiple Choice Question
The picture shows a physics lab set up.

When the index card is quickly pulled away from the glass in a horizontal direction, why does the disk fall straight down into the glass?
A.
equilibrium

B.
static friction

C.
kinetic friction

D.
inertia

The best answer to the question of why the disk falls straight down into the glass when the index card is quickly pulled away is:

D. inertia.

Inertia is the tendency of an object to remain in its state of motion. When the index card is pulled away quickly, the disk has inertia that keeps it moving downward due to gravity, causing it to fall straight down into the glass instead of moving horizontally with the card.

Multiple Choice Question
A student is investigating mass and acceleration. The student applies the same force to two boxes, as shown in the table.

Box Force Applied to Box (newtons) Acceleration (meters/second2)
1 20 5
2 20 2

The student claims that box 1 must have a smaller mass than box 2. Which argument best supports the student's claim?

A.
Heavier objects require less force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.

B.
Heavier objects require greater force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.

C.
Lighter objects require less force than heavier objects to start moving but will accelerate at the same rate.

D.
Lighter objects require greater force than heavier objects to start moving but will accelerate at the same rate.

The argument that best supports the student's claim that box 1 must have a smaller mass than box 2 is:

B. Heavier objects require greater force than lighter objects to accelerate at the same rate.

Since both boxes have the same applied force (20 newtons) but box 1 has a greater acceleration (5 meters/second²) compared to box 2 (2 meters/second²), it indicates that box 1 is lighter, as it accelerates more with the same force. This aligns with the principle that greater mass requires greater force to achieve the same acceleration.

Multiple Choice Question
Read the passage about an investigation.

A student is performing an investigation in which she wraps a current-carrying wire around an iron rod. She places the north pole of a bar magnet near the top of the rod. The magnet moves away from the rod. The student claims that a field exists between the rod and the magnet.

Which argument best supports her claim?
A.
The current in the wire has created a magnetic field with its north pole at the top of the rod.

B.
The current in the wire has created a magnetic field with its south pole at the top of the rod.

C.
The current in the wire has created a gravitational field with its north pole at the top of the rod.

D.
The current in the wire has created a gravitational field with its south pole at the top of the rod.

The argument that best supports the student's claim that a field exists between the rod and the magnet is:

A. The current in the wire has created a magnetic field with its north pole at the top of the rod.

When a current flows through a wire, it generates a magnetic field. If the north pole of the bar magnet is experiencing a force pushing it away from the rod, it indicates that the magnetic field created by the current-carrying wire is interacting with the magnetic field of the magnet. Therefore, there is a magnetic field present in the space between the rod and the magnet.

Multiple Choice Question
A student claims that gravitational fields exist between objects that are not in contact with each other. She creates a diagram of two figures. The width of the arrows in Figure A and Figure B represent the strength of the gravitational attraction between two objects.

Image

The student claims the gravitational force is greater between the objects in Figure A. Which argument best supports her claim?

A.
The masses of the objects in Figure A are less than the masses of the objects in Figure B.

B.
The diameters of the objects in Figure A are greater than the diameters of the objects in Figure B.

C.
The distance between the objects in Figure A is shorter than the distance between the objects in Figure B.

D.
The surface area of the larger object in Figure A is greater than the surface area of the larger object in Figure B.

The argument that best supports the student's claim that the gravitational force is greater between the objects in Figure A is:

C. The distance between the objects in Figure A is shorter than the distance between the objects in Figure B.

According to the law of universal gravitation, the gravitational force between two objects increases as the mass of the objects increases but decreases as the distance between them increases. If the objects in Figure A are closer together than those in Figure B, this would support the student’s claim that the gravitational force is greater in Figure A.

Multiple Choice Question
A student rubs a rubber rod with fur, producing a negative charge on the rod. The student then touches the rod to a hollow, neutral metal sphere that stands on an insulating plastic stand. This transfers negative charges from the rod to the sphere:

image 63f9196b581c4f17bbe56cfd6ddd781f

Which statement best predicts what will happen to the charge, and why?

A.
It will quickly spread to the air around the sphere, because it will seek to occupy as large a volume of neutral matter as possible.

B.
It will remain at the point of contact between the rod and the sphere, because resistance in the metal prevents the charges from easily moving.

C.
It will distribute itself evenly over the surface of the sphere, because like charges repel and the sphere is a conductor.

D.
It will slowly drift to the bottom of the sphere, because the charges rapidly attach to individual atoms, making them slightly heavier than surrounding atoms.

The statement that best predicts what will happen to the charge on the hollow, neutral metal sphere after touching it with the negatively charged rubber rod is:

C. It will distribute itself evenly over the surface of the sphere, because like charges repel and the sphere is a conductor.

When the negatively charged rod comes into contact with the metal sphere, the excess negative charge will spread out evenly over the surface of the conductor due to the repulsive forces between the like charges. Conductors allow free movement of charges, leading to an even distribution.