In-class Practice Questions

Friction

1) A 55-kg box rests on a horizontal surface. The coefficient of static friction between the box
and the surface is 0.30, and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.20. What horizontal force must
be applied to the box to cause it to start sliding along the surface?

2) The coefficients of static and kinetic friction between a 3.0-kg box and a horizontal desktop
are 0.40 and 0.30, respectively. What is the force of friction on the box when a 15-N horizontal
push is applied to the box?
A) 12 N
B) 8.8 N
C) 15 N
D) 6.0 N
E) 4.5 N

3) An object slides on a level floor. It slows and comes to a stop with a constant acceleration of
magnitude 2.4 m/s2. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the object and the floor?
A) 0.24
B) 0.48
C) 0.12
D) It is impossible to determine without knowing the mass of the object.

4) A 50-kg box is being pushed along a horizontal surface. The coefficient of static friction
between the box and the ground is 0.65, and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.35. What
horizontal force must be exerted on the box for it to accelerate at 1.2 m/s 2?
A) 60 N
B) 120 N
C) 170 N
D) 230 N
E) 490 N

5) A 50-kg box is resting on a horizontal floor. A force of 250 N directed at an angle of 30.0°
below the horizontal is applied to the box. The coefficient of static friction between the box and
the surface is 0.40, and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.30. What is the force of friction on
the box?
A) 32 N
B) 200 N
C) 220 N
D) 250 N
E) 620 N
 Energy

6) Person X pushes twice as hard against a stationary brick wall as person Y. Which one of the
following statements is correct?
A) Both do positive work, but person X does four times the work of person Y.
B) Both do positive work, but person X does twice the work of person Y.
C) Both do the same amount of positive work.
D) Both do zero work.
E) Both do positive work, but person X does one-half the work of person Y.

7) Two men, Joel and Jerry, push against a car that has stalled, trying unsuccessfully to get it
moving. Jerry stops after 10 min, while Joel is able to push for 5.0 min longer. Compare the
work they do on the car.
A) Joel does 75% more work than Jerry.
B) Joel does 50% more work than Jerry.
C) Jerry does 50% more work than Joel.
D) Joel does 25% more work than Jerry.
E) Neither of them does any work.

8) A 35-N bucket of water is lifted vertically 3.0 m and then returned to its original position.
How much work did gravity do on the bucket during this process?
A) 180 J
B) 90 J
C) 45 J
D) 0 J
E) 900 J

9) You throw a baseball straight up. Compare the sign of the work done by gravity while the ball
goes up with the sign of the work done by gravity while it goes down.
A) The work is positive on the way up and positive on the way down.
B) The work is positive on the way up and negative on the way down.
C) The work is negative on the way up and positive on the way down.
D) The work is negative on the way up and on the way down because gravity is always
downward.

10) Three cars (car L, car M, and car N) are moving with the same speed and slam on their
brakes. The most massive car is car L, and the least massive is car N. If the tires of all three cars
have identical coefficients of kinetic friction with the road surface, for which car is the amount of
work done by friction in stopping it the greatest?
A) The amount of work done by friction is the same for all cars.
B) Car L
C) Car M
D) Car N
11) Three cars (car F, car G, and car H) are moving with the same speed and slam on their
brakes. The most massive car is car F, and the least massive is car H. If the tires of all three cars
have identical coefficients of kinetic friction with the road surface, which car travels the longest
distance to skid to a stop?
A) They all travel the same distance in stopping.
B) Car F
C) Car G
D) Car H

12) Which requires more work, increasing a car's speed from 0 mph to 30 mph or from 50 mph
to 60 mph?
A) 0 mph to 30 mph
B) 50 mph to 60 mph
C) It is the same in both cases.

13) How much work would a child do while pulling a 12-kg wagon a distance of 4.3 m with a 22
N force?
A) 95 J
B) 52 J
C) 67 J
D) 109 J

14) You carry a 7.0-kg bag of groceries above the ground at constant speed across a
room. How much work do you do on the bag in the process?
A) 0.0 J
B) 82 J
C) 185 J
D) 157 J

15) Matthew pulls his little sister Sarah along the horizontal ground in a wagon. He exerts a force
on the wagon of 60.0 N at an angle of 37.0° above the horizontal. If he pulls her a distance of
12.0 m, how much work does Matthew do?
A) 185 J
B) 433 J
C) 575 J
D) 720 J

16) A 30-N box is pulled upward 6.0 m along the surface of a ramp that rises at 37° above the
horizontal. How much work does gravity do on the box during this process?
A) -1100 J
B) -110 J
C) -140 J
D) -180 J
E) 120 J
17) A person carries a 25.0-N rock through the path shown in the figure, starting at point A and
ending at point B. The total time from A to B is 1.50 min. How much work did gravity do on the
rock between A and B?

A) 625 J
B) 20.0 J
C) 275 J
D) 75 J
E) 0 J

18) A person carries a 2.00-N pebble through the path shown in the figure, starting at point A
and ending at point B. The total time from A to B is 6.75 min. How much work did gravity do on
the rock between A and B?

A) 30.0 J
B) -30.0 J
C) -56.0 J
D) 56.0 J
E) -36.0 J