Natural Science Core Assessment

PHYS 1401

Department of Physics and Geology

1) Displacement is which of the following types of quantities?

A) vector.
B) scalar.
C) magnitude.
D) dimensional.
2) The value of an objects acceleration may be characterized in equivalent words by which of the
following?
A) displacement.
B) rate of change of displacement.
C) velocity.
D) rate of change of velocity.
3) Which type of quantity is characterized by both magnitude and direction?
A) scalar.
B) vector
C) trigonometric
D) algebraic variable
4) When we add a displacement vector to another displacement vector, the result is:
A) a velocity.
B) an acceleration.
C) another displacement.
D) a scalar.
5) In a 2-dimensional Cartesian system, the x-component of a vector is known, and the angle between
vector and x-axis is known. Which operation is used to calculate the magnitude of the vector?
(taken with respect to the x-component)
A) dividing by cosine.
B) dividing by sine.
C) multiplying by cosine.
D) multiplying by sine
6) If we know that a nonzero net force is acting on an object, which of the following must we assume
regarding the objects condition? The object is:
A) at rest.
B) moving with a constant velocity.
C) being accelerated
D) losing mass.
7) Which of the following is that form of energy associated with an objects motion?
A) potential.
B) thermal.
C) bio-chemical
D) kinetic

8) Which of the following is that form of energy associated with an objects location in a conservative force
field?
A) potential.
B) thermal.
C) bio-chemical.
D) kinetic
9) The impulse experienced by a body is equivalent to its change in:
A) velocity.
B) kinetic energy.
C) momentum.
D) None of the above.
10) Which best describes a system made up of ice, liquid water and steam existing together?
A) absolute zero.
B) triple point.
C) ice point.
D) steam point.
11) Heat flow occurs between two bodies in thermal contact when they differ in what property?
A) mass.
B) specific heat.
C) density.
D) temperature.
12) During an isobaric process which one of the following does not change?
A) volume.
B) temperature.
C) internal energy.
D) pressure.
13) According to the first law of thermodynamics, the sum of the heat gained by a system and the work
done on that same system is equivalent to which of the following?
A) entropy change.
B) internal energy change.
C) temperature change.
D) specific heat.
14) An adiabatic expansion refers to the fact that:
A) no heat is transferred between a system and its surroundings.
B) the pressure remains constant.
C) the temperature remains constant.
D) the volume remains constant.
15) Which of the following expresses a principle, which was initially stated by Galileo and was later
incorporated into Newtons laws of motion?
A) An objects acceleration is inversely proportional to its mass.
B) For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.
C) The natural condition for a moving object is to remain in motion.
D) The natural condition for a moving object is to come to rest.

16) Newtons Laws of Motion and Newtons Law of Gravity explain why
A) the Earth moves around (orbits) the Sun.
B) the Moon moves around Earth.
C) an apple from a tree falls down to ground (as opposed to rising up into the sky).
D) All of the above
17) Suppose the Sun shrank in size but its mass remained the same. What would happen to the orbit of
Earth?
A) Earth would change from a bound orbit to an unbound orbit, and fly off into interstellar space.
B) The size of Earth's orbit would shrink and it would take less than one year to orbit the Sun.
C) Earth's orbit would expand and it would take more than one year to orbit the Sun.
D) Earth's orbit would be unaffected.
18) If you could go shopping on the Moon to buy an amount of chocolate that weighs a pound, youd get a
lot more chocolate than if you bought a pound on Earth.
A) Yes, because of the lower gravity on the Moon, it would take more chocolate to weigh
a pound than on Earth.
B) Yes, chocolate would have a lower density on the Moon and therefore more is needed to
reach a pound in weight.
C) No, a pound on the Moon is the same as a pound on Earth.
D) No, chocolate weighs the same on the Moon as on Earth.
19) Which of the following is true?
A) Astronauts in space can be weightless.
B) Astronauts in space can be massless.
C) Without air there can be no weight.
D) All of the above.
20) The fact that Voyager 1 continues to speed out of the solar system, even though its rockets have no
fuel, is an example of
A) Newton's first law of motion.
B) Newton's third law of motion.
C) Keplers first law of planetary motion.
D) Keplers third law of planetary motion.