AP PHYSICS C: MECHANICS Test Booklet

U1 MCQ 1D Motion

1. The acceleration due to gravity on the Moon is . Suppose an astronaut on the Moon drops an object from a
height of . The time it would take the object to reach the Moon’s surface would be . The same object is
dropped from the same height on Earth, where the acceleration due to gravity is . The time it takes the object to
reach Earth’s surface is . Which of the following is a correct mathematical relationship for the two times?

(A)

(B)

(C)
(D)
(E)

2.

Starting from rest, a cart moves to the right in a straight line along a track. The motion of the cart is represented by
the dots shown, recorded at equal time intervals. Which of the following best represents the acceleration vectors at
the beginning, middle, and end of the motion?
(A)

(B)

(C)
(D)
(E)

3.
Time Distance Fallen

Astronauts travel to another planet and wish to determine an accurate value for the acceleration due to gravity. They
drop an object from the edge of a very tall cliff and with a motion sensor collect the data shown. If air resistance is
negligible, the magnitude of the acceleration of the projectile is most nearly

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 Test Booklet

U1 MCQ 1D Motion

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

4. An object is moving along the -axis, with position given as a function of time defined by the equation
. Which of the following equations indicates how to determine the object's velocity
as a function of ?
(A)
(B)
(C) ⅆ
(D) ⅆ

(E)

5.
Time Horizontal Position Vertical Position

In an experiment, students record horizontal and vertical positions of an object as functions of time. The students
claim that the data show that the horizontal acceleration of the object is approximately zero and the vertical
acceleration of the object has a nonzero value. Which of the following evidence statements best supports this claim?
(A) The horizontal position is constant, and the vertical position is changing.
(B) The horizontal position is changing, and the vertical position is constant.
The horizontal position is changing at a constant rate, and the vertical position is changing at a nonconstant
(C)
rate.
(D) The horizontal and vertical positions are both changing at constant rates.
(E) The horizontal and vertical positions are both changing at nonconstant rates.

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

A small sphere is launched straight upward. The vertical position as a function of time is shown in the graph.

6. Which of the following best describes the sphere’s velocity during the time period shown?
(A) The velocity is always negative and decreasing.
(B) The velocity is always negative and constant.
(C) The velocity is initially positive, decreases to zero, and then becomes negative.
(D) The velocity is always positive and decreasing.
(E) The velocity is always positive and increasing.

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

7.

The data for the position of a particle moving along a straight line is recorded at various times . The position is
plotted as a function of . The data points are shown in the graph. Which of the following shows an appropriate
best-fit line for the data?

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

(E)

8.

For the block shown above, which of the following is the best equation for describing the position of the block
as a function of time ?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

9.

In an experiment, an object is launched with an initial velocity in the vertical direction. Its position as a function of
time is recorded as dots on a piece of paper, as shown, with the downward motion offset to the right of the upward
motion. Students draw the velocity vectors shown to represent the speed and direction of the object as it moves.
Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between the dots and the vectors?
The dots are getting higher over time, so the students' vectors should get longer at higher positions, not
(A)
smaller.
The dots are getting higher over time, so the students have correctly shown the vectors getting smaller at
(B)
higher positions.
The dots are getting closer together on the way up and farther apart on the way down, so the students should
(C)
show the vectors getting longer on the way up and shorter on the way down, the reverse of what is shown.
The dots are getting closer together on the way up and farther apart on the way down, so the students have
(D)
shown the vectors getting shorter on the way up and longer on the way down.
(E) Since the dots show the object moving in free fall, the students should draw all the vectors as the same size.

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

10.

The figures above show the vectors for initial velocity and the constant acceleration of an object moving along
the -axis of a coordinate system. If the object is at position at time , which of the following figures
accurately uses dots to represent the position vectors of the object during the first three seconds of its motion?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

11.

The figure above shows the velocity and acceleration vectors for a ball thrown into the air. Assuming air
resistance is negligible, which of the following could be the velocity and acceleration vectors when the ball is at the
highest point in its path?

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

12.

A block is on a surface inclined at angle above the horizontal, as shown. The velocity and acceleration vectors
are shown. Which of the following best describes the motion of the block at the moment shown?
(A) The block is moving up the incline and speeding up.
(B) The block is moving up the incline and slowing down.
(C) The block is moving down the incline and speeding up.
(D) The block is moving down the incline at a constant speed.
(E) The block is moving down the incline and slowing down.

13.

The figure shows a box on a horizontal surface. Which of the following best shows velocity and acceleration
vectors if the box is moving along the surface to the left with increasing speed?

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

14.

The velocity of an object moving along the -axis of a coordinate system as a function of time is represented by
the data shown in the chart. Which of the following graphs best represents the data and has a correct best-fit line?

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

(A)

(B)

(C)

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

(D)

(E)

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U1 MCQ 1D Motion

15.

The velocity as a function of time for a ball moving along the -axis is represented in the graph shown. Which
of the following statements accurately describes the motion of the ball?
(A) The ball has a constant acceleration and moves in the -direction for the entire time period.
The ball is initially moving in the -direction with a speed of , slows down uniformly for ,
(B)
comes to a stop, and then moves with increasing speed in the -direction.
The ball is initially moving in the -direction with a speed of , slows down uniformly for ,
(C)
comes to a stop, and then speeds up uniformly in the -direction.
The ball is initially moving in the -direction with a speed of . At , the ball stops moving
(D)
momentarily and then starts moving again in the -direction.
The ball is initially moving in the -direction with a speed of . At the ball stops moving
(E)
momentarily and then starts moving again in the -direction.

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