PHYS165 / PHYS 165 Module 1: (Latest Update 2026 / 2027) Physics | Questions, Answers & Review Material | Grade A | 100% Correct - Portage Learning

PHYS165 / PHYS 165 Module 1: (Latest Update 2026 / 2027) Physics | Questions, Answers & Review Material | Grade A | 100% Correct - Portage Learning 2026 / 2027 Academic Year Q: ___________________ involves the search for relationships between matter and energy. A) Science B) Physics C) Quantum Mechanics D) Relativity Answer: A) Science B) Physics C) Quantum Mechanics D) Relativity Q: The ability to produce change is known as _______. A) Matter B) Energy C) Quantum Mechanics D) Relativity Answer: A) Matter B) Energy C) Quantum Mechanics D) Relativity Q: A physical quantity that remains constant during an experiment is known as a(n)______. A) Variable B) Control C) Hypothesis D Model Answer: A) Variable B) Control C) Hypothesis D Model Q: When a decrease in the independent variable causes the dependent variable to increase this is called a(n) _________. A) Direct proportion B) Inverse proportion Answer: A) Direct proportion: same direction B) Inverse proportion: opposite direction Q: Which of the following best describes a model? A) An educated guess regarding the solution to the problem. B) A simple representation of a complex concept of nature. C) A generalized rule used to explain observations of the natural world, these focus on smaller details. D) An explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers; these are broader explanations of larger portions of nature. A) An educated guess regarding the solution to the problem. B) A simple representation of a complex concept of nature. C) A generalized rule used to explain observations of the natural world, these focus on smaller details. Answer: D) An explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers; these are broader explanations of larger portions of nature. Q: Which of the following is a measurement of mass? A) The meter B) The kilogram C) The second D) The newton Answer: A) The meter: distance B) The kilogram: mass C) The second: time D) The newton: force Q: Which of the following is a measurement of the amount of a substance? A) The Ampere B) The mole C) The candela D) The Kelvin Answer: A) The Ampere: electric current B) The mole: substance C) The candela: light D) The Kelvin: temperature Q: Which of the following refers to the closeness of a measurement to the correct value of that measurement? A) Predictable B) Precise C) Accurate D) Absolute Answer: A) Predictable B) Precise: the agreement of several measurements to each other C) Accurate D) Absolute Q: How many significant figures are in 302,000 m? Answer: 3 Q: How many significant figures are in 0.004301 m? Answer: 4 Q: How many significant figures are in 5.20 x 106 m? Answer: 3 Q: Classical physics is an excellent approximation as long as three things are true. Which of the following statements are NOT one of these three things? A) Matter must be moving at speeds less than about 1% of the speed of light. B) Friction acting on the object must be so small that it can be ignored. C) The objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope. D) Only weak gravitational fields, such as the field generated by the Earth, can be involved. Answer: A) Matter must be moving at speeds less than about 1% of the speed of light. B) Friction acting on the object must be so small that it can be ignored. C) The objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope. D) Only weak gravitational fields, such as the field generated by the Earth, can be involved. Q: Modren Physics: Answer: 1) Relativity- above 1% the speed of light 2) Quantum Mechanics- objects smaller to be seen with a microscope Q: Besides factors that are unique to the situation, the factors contributing to uncertainty in a measurement include: A) Limitations of the measuring device. B) The skill of the person making the measurement. C) The age of the measuring device D) Both A and B Answer: A) Limitations of the measuring device. B) The skill of the person making the measurement. C) The age of the measuring device D) Both A and B Q: The mass of a block of wood is reported as 458 ± 21 g. What is the percent uncertainty? (21/458) x (100) = 4.58 Answer: 4.6 % Q: The time for a drag race is 17.5 s ± 1.4%. What is the absolute uncertainty? (1.4/100) (17.5) = 0.245 Answer: 0. 25 S Q: Covert 2 km to meters. Answer: 2KM x (1,000/1) = 0.002m Q: Covert 7200 mg to grams. Answer: 7200 mg x (1g/ 1,000mg) = 7.2g Q: A person runs a race in 12,710 s. How many minutes is this time? 12,710/ 60 = 211.83333 Answer: 211. 8 minutes Q: What do you get when you divide 42.0 m by 15.0 s? 42.0/ 15.0= 2.8 Answer: 2.80 m/s Q: In an experiment, the factors that affect the period of oscillation of a mass bouncing on a spring are being tested. During one set of trials, the mass of the object attached to the spring is systematically increased, and the resulting period of the system is measured. The entire time the same spring is used. Identify the independent variable, the dependent variable, and the controlled variable. Answer: Independent variable - mass of the object attached to the spring "changed" Dependent variable - period of the system "measured" Controlled variable - the spring used "constant" Q: In a meaningful paragraph or two, describe the role of experimentation in science. Be sure to describe how experimental data can affect our knowledge of the universe and how the reliability of information is affected by the presence or lack of experimental data. ... Q: Extended Response: You walk into your bedroom and discover your favorite electronic gadget broken into pieces on the floor. Despite being enraged, you decide to calm down and to use the 6 steps of the scientific method by Karl Pearson to find out what happened to your gadget. Describe the steps of the scientific method and what specific actions would you take during each step of the scientific method. Scientfic Method 1) Find a Problem: your favorite electronic gadget is broken 2) Gather Data (information): Look around the surrounding area. I see muddy prints that are in the shape of a small animal. I see an open door to outside and see it is raining outside. There is slober and teeth marks on my gadet. 3) Form a Hypothesis: I believe that my dog broke my favorite electronic gadget by chewing on it. 4) Expand Hypothesis: I believe that my dog went outside in the rain, got wet tracking mud into the house. Then chewed on my favorite electronic gadget. 5) Test Hypothesis: I test my hypothesis by walking around the house. I see my little sister mud free reading a book. I look for my cat who is napping on his climbing tree. I find my dog sitting in the corner of the room wet, with pieces of my favorite electronic gadet in his mouth. 6) Evaluate Hypothesis: My hypothesis is correct. I found my dog wet from the rain with parts of my broken electronic gadet in his mouth. He is lucky he is cute and I can not be mad at him long. You can also click on terms or definitions to blur or reveal them Q: Science is the search for relationships that ________ and ________ natural phenomena. Answer: Explains and Predicts Q: What is science applied to meet society's needs and goals? Physics Technology Answer: Technology Q: What is an acceptance that a statement is true, even without any evidence to support that statement? Answer: A belief Physics is concerned with describing the interactions of ____, _____, _____, and _____. Answer: energy, matter, space, and time The chair will support me when I sit on it becauseit looks strong. Belief , Technology or Science? Belief Using the principle of cushioning we can make a more comfortable chair. Belief , Technology or Science? Technology Using the principle of tensile strength, we can show people how the chair supports someone when he or she sits on it. Belief , Technology or Science? Science Using the equations for kinematics we can determine that when we drop the chair it will start with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s2. Belief , Technology or Science? Science What is a systematic process to find the solution to a problem scientific method There are two kinds of basic proportionalities in science. From the list below, select the name of these two types of scientific proportionalities. Direct proportion Indirect proportion Inverse proportion Direct proportion Inverse proportion What are the six steps of Karl Pearson's scientific method? 1. Identify the problem r information a hypothesis d the hypothesis the hypothesis 6. evaluate the hypothesis. In an experiment, you show that as you increase the force acting on an object, the acceleration of the object also increases. This is an example of which kind of proportion? Direct, Indirect or Inverse? Direct Proportion As you increase the pressure on a gas, the volume of this gas decreases. This is what kind of proportion? Direct, Indirect or Inverse? Inverse Proportion A good hypothesis is both _________ and ________. plausible and testable In an experiment, you drop a ball and time how long it takes for it to fall to the ground. You then drop the ball again from a higher height and time it again. You continue this pattern for several more trials, each time you keep increasing the height and timing how long it takes to fall. In every trial, you use the same ball. For this experiment, match up the measurement in the left column to the type of variable it is from the list in the right column. height of drop - independent variable mass of ball- controlled variable time of fall - dependent variable What is defined as prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair? bias A [blank] is a representation of something that is often too difficult (or impossible) to display directly. Model A [blank] is an explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers. Theory A [blank] is a generalized rule used to explain observations of the natural world. law Which of the following usually can be represented by an equation(s)? model , theory, law model , theory, law True or False: In general, a law is much more complex and dynamic than a theory. False Which of the following usually can be a mental image of an observation of nature? Model , Theory or Law Model Which one of the following is not just one description of a pattern in nature, but rather several descriptions of related observations that give rise to a bigger picture of patterns in nature? Model , Theory or Law Theory Physics as it developed from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century is called Classical Physics The Ancient Greeks did not study physics as a separate discipline; rather it was incorporated along with other modern disciplines into one area of study called what? Natural Philosophy Under what condition must we use relativity? When the speed of the object is above 1% of the speed of light. The revolutionary discoveries made starting at the beginning of the 20th century led to a collection of physics principles called Modern Physics Classical physics is an excellent approximation as long as three things are true. What are those things? 1. Matter must be moving at speeds less than about 1% of the speed of light. 2. The objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope. 3. Only weak gravitational fields, such as the field generated by the Earth, can be involve Modern physics is comprised of two revolutionary theories. What are they? relativity and quantum mechanics Quantum Mechanics deals with objects that are how big? objects smaller than can be seen with a microscope A [blank] is a property of an object that can be measured Physical quantity A [blank] is a definite value of a physical quantity. Unit or Unit of measure The list below contains physical quantities and units. Identify which ones are physical quantities and which ones are units. Distance Kilogram Mass Meter Second Time Distance - quantities Kilograms - units Mass- quantities Meter- units Second- unit Time - quantities There are two kinds of units, what are they called? fundamental and derived What kind of units are combinations of other units? [answer1] Derived There are seven fundamental units. What are they? Meter, kilogram, second, ampere, candela, Kelvin, mole What is the current definition of the second? One second is the time it takes cesium atoms to vibrate 9,192,631,770 times. What is the current definition of the meter? The meter is defined as the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. What is the current definition of the kilogram? The kilogram is now defined in terms of the second, the meter, and Planck's constant (h). What term refers to the closeness of a measurement to the correct value of that measurement? [blank] accuracy What term refers to the agreement of several measurements to each other? [blank] precision What is the best practice when making measurements in science? a. Be accurate with those measurements b. Be precise with those measurements c. Both A and B d. Neither A nor B c. Both A and B Besides factors that are unique to the situation, the factors contributing to uncertainty in a measurement include: a. Limitations of the measuring device b. The skill of the person making the measurement c. Both A and B d. Neither A nor B c. Both A and B The length of a board is reported as 150 ± 5 cm. If you were to measure this board, what is the largest possible value that you could expect the get? What is the smallest? Largest - 150 cm + 5 cm = 155 cm Smallest - 150 cm - 5 cm = 145 cm The mass of a block of wood is reported as 275 ± 11 cm. What is the percent uncertainty? X 100% = 4.0% The time for a drag race is 75.5 s ± 8%. What is the absolute uncertainty? (0.8 ) (75.5 s) = 6.0 s The length of a table is reported as 125 ± 0.5 cm. What is the percent uncertainty? 0.5/ 125 = 0.004 0.004 x 100 = 0.4% The mass of a bag of flour is 2.35 kg ± 6%. What is the absolute uncertainty? (0.06) (2.35 kg) = 0.14 kg You go to the hardware store and purchase five 2 X 4 X 8 pieces of wood. A 2 X 4 X 8 is 2 inches wide, 4 inches high, and 8 feet long. You measure the length of each of the pieces of wood and obtain the following measurements: 8.02 feet, 7.96 feet, 7.98 feet, 8.07 feet, and 7.92 feet. Determine the absolute uncertainty and the percent uncertainty. Average length = 7.99 feet Absolute uncertainty = 8.07 feet - 7.99 feet = 0.08 feet percent uncertainty = X100% = 1% Convert the following numbers with a prefix to the unit without a prefix. 1km-m 1ms - s 1dg- g 1hs- s 1 cm - m 1km= 1000m 1ms - .001s 1dg- 0.1g 1hs- 100s 1 cm - 0.01m What is the approximate mass of the Sun? What is the approximate diameter of a hydrogen atom? What is the approximate duration of a nerve impulse? What is the approximate mass of a mosquito? What is the approximate length of a football field? What is the approximate age of the universe? 1030 g, 10-10 m, 10-3 s, 10-5 g, 102 m, 1018 s What is the search for relationships that EXPLAIN and PREDICT natural phenomena called? Science Technology Experimentation Physics Science Physics is the search for relationships between __________ and _________ . Science, Technology Matter, Energy Humans, Nature Experimentation, Application Matter, Energy Karl Pearson describe six steps to the scientific method, in which step is the experiment performed? Step #1 Step #4 Step #5 Step #6 Step #5 In an experiment, you show that as you increase the mass hanging from a spring, the more it stretches. This is an example of which kind of proportion? Direct proportion Indirect proportion Inverse proportion Direct proportion As you decrease the distance that two objects are separated, the force of attraction increases. This is what kind of proportion? Direct proportion Indirect proportion Inverse proportion Inverse proportion Classical physics is an excellent approximation as long as three things are true. Which of the following statements is one of these three things? a. Matter must be moving at speeds less than about 10% of the speed of light. b. Friction acting on the object must be so small that it can be ignored. c. The objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope. d. Only strong gravitational fields, such as the field generated by a black hole, can be involved. c. The objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope. The list below contains physical quantities and units. Identify which one is a physical quantity. Weight Kilogram Second Meter Weight The list below contains physical quantities and units of measure. Identify which one is a unit of measure. Distance Kilogram Velocity Speed Kilogram Which one the following units is NOT a fundamental unit? Kilogram Meter Second Newton Newton Which one of the fundamental units is based off the distance that light travels in a very short, but defined, amount of time? Ampere Mole Meter Second Meter Which one of the fundamental units is based off the vibrations of Cesium atoms? Candela Meter Kilogram Second Second What term refers to the closeness of a measurement to the accepted value? accuracy What term(s) refers to the agreement between many measurements? Accuracy Deviation Precision All of the above Precision Besides factors that are unique to the situation, the factors contributing to uncertainty in a measurement include: a. Limitations of the measuring device b. The skill of the person making the measurement c. The age of the measuring device d. Both A and B d. Both A and B A good scientific hypothesis is both _________ and _________. plausible and testable What is a simple representation of a complex concept of nature called? model Of the following which is the most likely to NOT have been proven by experiment? Hypothesis Law Principle Theory Hypothesis In an experiment, the factors that affect the period of oscillation of a mass bouncing on a spring are being tested. During one set of trials the mass of the object attached to the spring is systematically increased, and the resulting period of the system is measured. The entire time the same spring is used. Identify the independent variable, the dependent variable, and the controlled variable. independent variable - mass of the object attached to the spring, dependent variable - period of the system, controlled variable - the spring used Which statement best describes The Scientific Method? A systematic process used to find a solution to a problem. _________ can be thought of collectively as objects in nature. Matter A physical quantity that remains constant during an experiment is known as an______. Control When a decrease in the independent variable causes the dependent variable to increase this is called an _________. Inverse proportion Which of the following best describes a scientific law? A generalized rule used to explain observations of the natural world, this focuses on smaller details. Which of the following is a measurement of force? The kilogram Which of the following is a measurement of temperature? The Kelvin Which of the following refers to the closeness of a measurement to the correct value of that measurement? Accurate How many significant figures are in 4,020 kg? 3 How many significant figures are in 0.004301 m? 4 How many significant figures are in 2.030 x 10^4kg? 4 Classical physics is an excellent approximation as long as three things are true. Which of the following statements are NOT one of these three things? Friction acting on the object must be so small that it can be ignored Besides factors that are unique to the situation, the factors contributing to uncertainty in a measurement include: Limitations of the measuring device. and The skill of the person making the measurement. The mass of a block of wood is reported as 458 ± 21 g. What is the percent uncertainty? Show your work (2 points for correct setup, 2 points for correct calculation, 1 point for correct number of significant figures) 21/458X100=4.5852=4.6% The time for a drag race is 14.5 s ± 8.1%. What is the absolute uncertainty? Show your work (2 points for correct setup, 2 points for correct calculation, 1 point for correct number of significant figures and label) 14.5 s X 8.1% = 1.1745 → 1.2 s Covert 50 km to meters. 50 km * 1000 m/1 km= 50000 m Covert 53 mg to grams. 53 mg * 1 g/1000mg= 53/1000= 0.053 g A person runs a race in 6709 s. How many minutes is this time? 6706 s* 1 minute/60 sec= 6706/60=111.767 minutes= 111.8 minutes What do you get when you divide 932.0 m by 42.00 s? 932.0 m/42.00 s= 22.1905 m/s= 22.19 m/s. In an experiment, the factors that affect the time it takes a ball to fall are being tested. During one set of trials, the height from which the ball is dropped is systematically increased, and the resulting time it takes the ball to fall is measured. The entire time the same ball is used. Identify the independent variable, the dependent variable, and the controlled variable. Independent- height of ball Dependent- time of fall of ball control- mass of ball In a meaningful paragraph or two, describe the role of experimentation in science. Be sure to describe how experimental data can affect our knowledge of the universe and how the reliability of information is affected by the presence or lack of experimental data. 4 points for describing the role of experimentation in science, 4 points for discussing reliability of information and 2 points for grammar - total 10 points Experimentation is extremely important to the field of science and follwing the scienttific method. When something wants within the world of science wants to be explained, scientist can produce experiments in an effort to gather data, draw conclusions and publish laws and theories. The set up and design of these experiments are extremely important as they must be set up in a way that mimics real world applications and reproducable conditions. Without these aspects, the data drawn may not be correct of fit what is actually trying to be studied. If the set up to an experiment were not to be precise or use the correct materials, data may be skewed (or biased) based on any number of factors. In an effort to have strong, reproduceable date, these experiments and their setups must be reliable. Down the line, should an experiment want to be reproduced by the same team or others, the design should be such that not only can it be reproduced, but also acheive similar results. Extended Response: You walk into your bedroom and discover your favorite electronic gadget broken into pieces on the floor. Despite being enraged, you decide to calm down and to use the 6 steps of the scientific method by Karl Pearson to find out what happened to your gadget. Describe the steps of the scientific method and what specific actions would you take during each step of the scientific method. Listing the 6 steps correctly is worth 6 points, explaining your actions during each step is worth 6 points, and using proper grammar is worth 3 points identify problem gather info hypothesis expand hypothesis test hypothesis accept reject or modify