Contents

1. What will be on the test

2. Equation sheet

3. Test format

4. Examples of questions

This test will will cover everything up to and including Chapter 9. Be sure to carefully review your notes, especially when we do things that are not covered very well in the book. Looking over the individual class days linked to the calendar on the class website will also help refresh your memory. For this test, you should be able to do the following things:

Chapter 0 - Measurement, Estimation, and Units

• Use base SI units and various conversion factors. For example, compute the number of seconds in an hour, day, or year.
• Analyze the units and dimensions of equations; use units in numerical calculations.
• Make estimations and order of magnitude calculations.

Chapter 1 - Concepts of Motion

• Be able to state, use, and differentiate the definitions of position, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration.
• To learn to analyze the motion of an object by using motion diagrams as a tool.
• To learn to identify velocity and acceleration vectors (both direction and relative magnitude) at different points in an objects motion.
• To recognize the relationship between the velocity and acceleration vectors when an object is speeding up, slowing down, curving, or at a turning point.
• To understand and use the basic ideas of the particle model.
• To gain experience with vectors and graphical vector addition and subtraction.
• To begin the process of learning to analyze problem statements and to translate the information into other representations.
• To understand the proper use of significant figures.

Chapter 2 - Kinematics in One Dimension: The Mathematics of Motion

• To obtain a clear understanding of the concepts of position, velocity, and acceleration in one dimension and the relationships between them.
• To sketch, draw, and interpret kinematic graphs.
• To learn to translate kinematic information between verbal, pictorial, graphical, and algebraic representations.
• To learn the basic ideas of calculus (differentiation and integration) and to utilize these ideas both symbolically and graphically.
• To begin the development of a robust problem solving strategy.
• To solve quantitative kinematic problems and to interpret the results.
• To understand and use the basic ideas of the constant velocity model and the constant acceleration model.

Chapter 3 - Vectors & Coordinate Systems

• Explain the difference between vectors and scalars, giving examples of each.
• To add and subtract vectors both graphically and using components.
• To be able to decompose a vector into it's components and to reassemble vector components into a magnitude and direction.
• To recognize and be able to use the basic unit vectors.
• To be able to express vectors in two and three dimensions in terms of Cartesian unit vectors i-hat, j-hat, & k-hat.
• To be able to work with tilted coordinate systems.

Chapter 4 - Kinematics in Two Dimensions

• To identify the acceleration vector for curvilinear motion.
• To compute two-dimensional trajectories.
• To understand and be able to analyze projectile motion.
• To understand and be able to analyze uniform circular motion.

Chapter 5 - Force & Motion

• To recognize what does and does not constitute a force.
• To identify the specific forces acting on an object.
• To draw an accurate free-body diagram of an object.
• To draw an accurate system schema of a physical situation.
• To begin the process of understanding the connection between force and motion.
• To begin learning how to explain an observation on the basis of physical principles such as Newton's 4 laws of motion.

Chapter 6 - Dynamics I: Motion along a Line

• To distinguish mass, weight, and apparent weight.
• To be able to derive apparent weight from Newton's 2nd law.
• To learn and use a simple model of friction.
• To draw and make effective use of free body diagrams.
• To recognize and solve simple equilibrium problems.
• To learn the full strategy for force and motion problems and apply it to the successful solution of problems in single particle dynamics.

Chapter 7 - Newton's Third Law

• To learn how two systems interact.
• To identify Newton 3rd law pairs.
• To understand and use Newton's 3rd law.
• To understand how to use propulsion and tension forces.
• To analyze the motion of a system.

 Chapter 8 - Dynamics II: Motion in a Plane

• To understand the concepts of period and frequency.
• To understand the kinematics of circular motion.
• To understand the dynamics of circular motion.
• To understand the basic ideas of orbital motion.
• To be able to analyze the motion of objects moving in horizontal or vertical circles.
• To answer "How does the water stay in the bucket?" and related questions.
• To understand and use the basic ideas of the uniform circular motion model (See equations to know below).
  

• To understand interactions from the new perspective of momentum and impulse.
• To begin understanding conservation laws.
• To learn what is meant by an isolated system.
• To apply conservation of momentum in simple 1-D and 2-D situations including:
          Collisions,
          Explosions,
          Recoil, and
          Rotational Motion.
  
  

2. Models and Equations to know

You need to know the following models & equations and under what conditions they can be applied. When you do calculations you will typically be expected to start with one of these and/or equations and to derive what you need for the specific problem. See comments in Section 1 above.

General Motion Model

• Motion Definitions & Relationships

• 1-D Vectors

• 2-D Vectors

• Forces

• Constant Velocity

• Constant Acceleration

• Momentum and Impulse

Note that models also include Motion Diagrams, Pictorial Models, System Schema, Force (Free-Body) Diagrams

You should also know formulas for:

• area & circumference of a circle
• area & volume for cube & sphere

You are expected to know the following conversions (rules of thumb):

• yard => meters
• miles => km
• inches => cm
• kg => lb
• quarts => liters

You will need to be able to derive specific equations you need from these equations listed above. You will be given any additional constants and conversion factors you need. Unless told otherwise, you may use 9.8 m/s² for the gravitational constant on the surface of the Earth.

3. Test Format (subject to change):

Entire class on Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Short-answer (conceptual) question	20 points
Two problems similar to what you have done in your quizzes,  whiteboards and worksheets, and   homework	55 points
Short essay (may use equations, diagrams, graphs, etc., but no calculations)	10 points
Total	85 points

4. Some Practice Questions

Note:

• The ActivPhysics Online Website has good tutorial problems to help learn physics and prepare for tests.
  Parts 1.1: Describing Motion, 2.1: Forces and Motion, 3.1: Projectile Motion, 4: Circular Motion are relevant for this test.
• Quiz questions that the class has done badly on in previous tests may reappear.

Short essay

This will require a single paragraph answer. Often a drawing or reference to equations will be helpful in your answer. Take care to be very thorough in your discussion. The questions below have appeared on exams in a similar course in the past.

You may use diagrams and equations but no calculations in your response for this problem. USE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED FROM CLASS SO FAR TO GIVE CONVINCING EXPLANATIONS OF YOUR ANSWER(S).

1. Describe a real physical situation where the average velocity is zero while the average speed is not.
    
2. You are helping two friends from our class with a physics problem where a cart is pushed up a ramp. In examining the motion of the cart up the ramp, one friend says that the acceleration has to be negative because the cart is slowing down. The other friend says the acceleration can be positive or negative, but it depends on the motion detector. What do you think and what would you say to your friends to convince them of your point of view?
    
3. In the figure below is shown a graph of the velocity of a young boy riding his bicycle as a function of time. Write a "story" describing the boy's actions that lead to this graph (keep it short!). Where does the boy end up relative to where he starts?
   
   
    
4. Write a brief (one to two paragraph) essay discussing what a physicist means by a "force". Include a discussion of what the different kinds of forces are that we have talked about in this class and some of their properties.
    
5. When I release a book in midair it falls to the ground. When I put it on a table, the book stays where it is. Discuss why the book on the table does not fall. How does the table know what to do?
    
6. In the American League Championship game 7 between the Yankees and the Red Sox (which the Red Sox won to win the league championship and advance to the World Series) a batter hit a ball almost straight up. Explain what is happening to the ball in terms of the laws of motion we have studied. Illustrate your discussion using free-body diagrams and graphs of position, velocity, acceleration, and net force vs. time. Restrict your description to the time interval starting just after the ball has left the bat until just before it is caught.
   
   
7. Why are anti-lock brakes on cars useful in wet weather conditions?
   
   
8.  Explain EACH of Newton's laws of motion in your own words. Include real life examples in your explanation of each law.