AP Physics C: Mechanics · Full practice exam 2012

38 questions, each with its course unit and the official scoring guidelines.

Official paper (PDF) · Full examAll AP Physics C: Mech papers→

Question Section I · 1

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 1 — Questions 1-2 A ball is struck at time 0 t = and follows the parabolic path shown in the diagram above. The following graphs show quantities possibly associated with the motion as a function of time t. Assume that air…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 2

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 2 — Questions 1-2 A ball is struck at time 0 t = and follows the parabolic path shown in the diagram above. The following graphs show quantities possibly associated with the motion as a function of time t. Assume that air…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 3

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 3 — 3. An object with initial velocity v0, as shown above, slides up and then down a long, frictionless, inclined plane. Which of the following is true of the object as it moves? (A) It has a constant acceleration while…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 4

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 4 — 4. Two blocks of masses m1 and m2 are connected by a massless string that passes over a wheel of mass m, as shown above. The string does not slip on the wheel and exerts forces T1 and T2 on the blocks. When the wheel is…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 5

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 5 — 5. Three objects are located along the x-axis as shown above. The center of mass of the objects is at x = (A) 1.0 m (B) 1.5 m (C) 2.0 m (D) 2.5 m (E) 3.0 m

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 6

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 6 — 6. Which of the following is equivalent to a unit of momentum? (A) Joule (B) Newton (C) Joule  second (D) Newton  second (E) Newton  meter

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

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Question Section I · 7

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 7 — 7. Two objects are dropped from rest from the same height. Object A falls through a distance A d during a time t, and object B falls through a distance B d during a time 2t. If air resistance is negligible, what is the…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 8

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 8 — 8. The maximum mass that can be hung vertically from a string without breaking the string is 10 kg. A length of this string that is 2 m long is used to rotate a 0.5 kg object in a circle on a frictionless table with the…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 9

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 9 — 9. An object moving on a horizontal, frictionless surface makes a glancing collision with another object initially at rest on the surface. In this case which of the following is true about momentum and kinetic energy?…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 10

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 10 — 10. A particle of mass m starts from rest at position x = 0 and time t = 0. It moves along the positive x-axis under the influence of a single force x F bt = , where b is a constant. The velocity u of the particle is…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 11

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 11 — 11. Three blocks, A, B, and C, of masses 1, 2, and 3 kg, respectively, are initially at rest on a frictionless surface as indicated in the figure above. What force F has to be applied on block C to accelerate the three…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 12

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 12 — 12. An electrical motor provides 0.50 W of mechanical power. How much time will it take the motor to lift a 0.1 kg mass at constant speed from the floor to a shelf 2.0 m above the floor? (A) 0.25 s (B) 0.40 s (C) 1.0 s…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

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Question Section I · 13

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 13 — 13. A block slides from rest with negligible friction down the track above, descending a vertical height of 5.0 m to point P at the bottom. It then slides on the horizontal surface. The coefficient of friction between…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 14

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 14 — 14. The graph above shows velocity as a function of time for an object moving along a straight line. For which of the following sections of the graph is the acceleration constant and nonzero? (A) QR only (B) ST only (C)…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 15

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 15 — 15. The velocity of a particle moving along the x-axis is given as a function of time by the expression ( ) 2 3.0 2.0 4.0 t t t u = - + , where u is in meters per second and t is in seconds. What is the acceleration of…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 16

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 16 — Questions 16-17 An unstretched ideal spring hangs vertically from a fixed support. A 0.4 kg object is then attached to the lower end of the spring. The object is pulled down to a distance of 0.35 m below the unstretched…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 17

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 17 — Questions 16-17 An unstretched ideal spring hangs vertically from a fixed support. A 0.4 kg object is then attached to the lower end of the spring. The object is pulled down to a distance of 0.35 m below the unstretched…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 18

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 18 — 18. Identical net forces act for the same length of time on two different spherical masses. Which of the following describes the change in linear momentum of the smaller mass compared to that of the larger mass? (A) It…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

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Question Section I · 19

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 19 — 19. The uniform thin rod shown above has mass m and length A . The moment of inertia of the rod about an axis through its center and perpendicular to the rod is 2 (1 12) . mA What is the moment of inertia of the rod…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 20

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 20 — 20. A certain one-dimensional conservative force is given as a function of x by the expression 3 F kx = - , where F is in newtons and x is in meters. A possible potential energy function U for this force is (A) 2 1 2 U…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 21

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 21 — 21. Which of the following is a differential equation that correctly describes Newton’s second law for a simple harmonic oscillator of mass m and restoring force constant k ? (A) 2 2 d x kx m dt = (B) 2 2 d x kx m dt -…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

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Question Section I · 25

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 25 — 25. A block of mass m is pulled across a rough surface, as shown above. The coefficient of friction between the block and the surface is k m . The force F that pulls the block is exerted at the angle f shown. Which of…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 26

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 26 — 26. Two 4 kg blocks hang from a rope that passes over two frictionless pulleys, as shown in the figure above. What is the tension in the horizontal portion of the rope if the blocks are not moving and the rope and the…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 27

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 27 — 27. A person throws a ball of mass 0.20 kg. The ball starts from rest, accelerates horizontally and uniformly through a distance of 0.90 m, and leaves the person’s hand at 30 m/s. The average horizontal force applied to…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 28

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 28 — 28. A railroad car of mass 1500 kg rolls to the right at 4 m/s and collides with another railroad car of mass 3000 kg that is rolling to the left at 3 m/s. The cars stick together. Their speed immediately after the…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 29

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 29 — 29. A meterstick of negligible mass is placed on a fulcrum at the 0.4 m mark, with a 1 kg mass hung at the zero mark and a 0.5 kg mass hung at the 1.0 m mark. The meterstick is held horizontal and released. Immediately…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 30

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 30 — x 0 30. An object undergoes simple harmonic motion along the x-axis shown above, where 0 x = is the object’s equilibrium position. Which of the following graphs best shows the relationship between the object’s…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

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Question Section I · 31

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 31 — 1 2 h u0 31. Ball 1 is dropped from rest at time 0 t = from a tower of height h, as shown above. At the same instant, ball 2 is launched upward from the ground with initial speed 0 u . If air resistance is negligible,…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 32

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 32 — 32. Suppose that the potential energy of a particle constrained to move along the x-axis can be described by the function 2 1 ( ) , 2 U x kx x a = - where both k and a are positive constants. Stable equilibrium points,…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 33

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 33 — 33. A ball of mass m falls vertically, hits the floor with a speed iu , and rebounds with a speed f u . What is the magnitude of the impulse exerted on the ball by the floor? (A) ( ) 2 f i m u u - (B) ( ) f i m u u -…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 34

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 34 — Questions 34-35 A particle moves in a circle in such a way that the x- and y-coordinates of its motion, given in meters as functions of time t in seconds, are: x = 5 cos(3t) y = 5 sin(3t). 34. What is the radius of the…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section I · 35

Multiple choice
Question Section I · 35 — Questions 34-35 A particle moves in a circle in such a way that the x- and y-coordinates of its motion, given in meters as functions of time t in seconds, are: x = 5 cos(3t) y = 5 sin(3t). 35. Which of the following is…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

Question Section II · 1

Open answer
Question Section II · 1 — Mech. 1. Experiment 1. A block of mass 0.30 kg is placed on a frictionless table and is attached to one end of a horizontal spring of spring constant k, as shown above. The other end of the spring is attached to a fixed…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

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Question Section II · 2

Open answer
Question Section II · 2 — You are to perform an experiment investigating the conservation of mechanical energy involving a transformation from initial gravitational potential energy to translational kinetic energy. (a) You are given the…

Source: College Board — AP Physics C: Mechanics, Full practice exam, 2012

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