PHYS 105 Exam 1 Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Choose the unit of speed below that is the basic SI unit of speed.
a. Kilometers per hour
b. leagues per day
c. miles per hour
d. meters per second - Answers d. meters per second
Suppose you are holding a meter stick, a ruler that is one meter long, which is marked on one
side in cm and on the other side in inches. As you look at the cm side, approximately how many
marks do you see? Assume no marks smaller than a cm.
a. 30 marks
b. 1 mark
c. 1000 marks
d. 100 marks
e. 300 marks - Answers d. 100 marks
Physics has many applications in the biological sciences. Choose the INCORRECT description
of application of physics in the biological sciences.
a. explains sensory phenomena involving sound waves and visible light
b. explains the dynamics of the human body
c. explains the processes that occur in our brain to form memories and feel emotions
d. medical diagnostic tools (X-ray, MRI, etc.) and treatments (radiotherapy) are based on
phsyics.
e. helps describe the properties of cell walls and membranes - Answers c. explains the
processes that occur in our brain to form memories and feel emotions
Consider a cannon that can fire a cannonball at a certain speed at angles ranging from 0-90
degrees above the horizontal. If the initial speed of the cannonball remains the same as you
vary the angle of the cannon, at what angle do you need to fire the cannonball so that it will
reach the maximum range possible?
a. 45 degrees
b. 90 degrees
,c. 15 degrees
d. 75 degrees - Answers a. 45 degrees
Consider physical scenarios given below and choose the situation in which the velocity is zero,
but the acceleration is not zero.
a. a ball that is thrown directly upward at the top of its trajectory
b. a car moving down a straight section of freeway at a constant speed of 60 mph
c. a car as it slows down to a stop, but before it has come to a complete stop
d. a ball that is thrown across the field at the top of its trajectory - Answers a. a ball that is
thrown directly upward at the top of its trajectory
Which of the following situations describes where acceleration is zero?
a. speeding up or slowing down while moving
b. starting to move from rest
c. moving at a constant speed in a straight line
d. moving in a constant speed along a circle - Answers c. moving at a constant speed in a
straight line
Your friend Sue claims that a car making a turn at a constant speed (of 40 mph, for example) is
in fact "accelerating," in the sense used in physics classes (like this one). Which explanation
below mostly correctly describes why your friend Sue is correct?
a. Sue is correct bc when a car makes a turn moving at a constant speed (of 40 mph), its
velocity is changing. An object is said to accelerate when its velocity changes
b. Sue is correct bc you have insufficient evidence to disprove her claim. In science, all claims
are presumed correct until proven incorrect and must be given a serious consideration
c. Sue is correct because when the car makes a turn, you feel the centrifugal force pushing you
to the outer edge of the turn. According to Newton's Second Law, F = ma, so you are
accelerating due to the centrifugal force
d. Sue is not correct. If a car moves at a constant speed (of 40 mph), then it is not speeding up -
Answers a. Sue is correct bc when a car makes a turn moving at constant speed (of 40 mph), its
velocity is changing. An object is said to accelerate when its velocity changes
Which of the following is a valid unit for acceleration?
a. m/s
, b. horsepower
c. m/s^2
d. m^2/s^2 - Answers c. m/s^2
During a lecture demonstration, a professor places two coins on the edge of a table. She then
flicks one of the coins horizontally launching it off the table, simultaneously nudging the other
just over the edge. Which of these two coins hit the floor first?
a. the coin that is nudges just over the edge hits the floor first
b. the coin that is launched horizontally off the table hits the floor first
c. both coins hit the floor at the same time - Answers c. both coins hit the floor at the same time
Which of the following INCORRECTLY defines or describes "free-fall"?
a. if an object is moving upward, it cannot be considered to be in a free-fall
b. in free-fall motion, air and wind resistance are ignored.
c. objects in free-fall are being affected only by gravity
d. an object in free-fall is accelerating at gravitational acceleration - Answers a. if an object is
moving upward, it cannot be considered to be in a free-fall
As two boys are playing in the outdoors, one boy hangs from a tree while the other boy aims a
water balloon cannon directly at him. Choose the statement below which most correctly
predicts what will happen in the next moment, depending on what the boy who hangs from the
tree decides to do.
a. if the boy lets go off the tree the moment the water balloon is fired, the boy will avoid getting
hit by the water balloon, as the cannon was aimed directly where he was
b. if the boy continues to hold onto the tree, he will get hit by the water balloon, as the cannon is
aimed directly at him
c. if the boy lets go of the tree the moment the water balloon is fired, the boy will definitely get
hit by the water balloon, as the water balloon's trajectory curves downward along w/ the falling
boy
d. if the boy continues to hold onto the tree, he will definitely avoid getting hit by the water
balloon, as the water balloon will curve do - Answers c. if the boy lets go of the tree the moment
the water balloon is fired, the boy will definitely get hit by the water balloon, as the water
balloon's trajectory curves downward along w/ the falling boy
For this question, let the right direction be positive (+) and the left direction be negative (-). If a
Choose the unit of speed below that is the basic SI unit of speed.
a. Kilometers per hour
b. leagues per day
c. miles per hour
d. meters per second - Answers d. meters per second
Suppose you are holding a meter stick, a ruler that is one meter long, which is marked on one
side in cm and on the other side in inches. As you look at the cm side, approximately how many
marks do you see? Assume no marks smaller than a cm.
a. 30 marks
b. 1 mark
c. 1000 marks
d. 100 marks
e. 300 marks - Answers d. 100 marks
Physics has many applications in the biological sciences. Choose the INCORRECT description
of application of physics in the biological sciences.
a. explains sensory phenomena involving sound waves and visible light
b. explains the dynamics of the human body
c. explains the processes that occur in our brain to form memories and feel emotions
d. medical diagnostic tools (X-ray, MRI, etc.) and treatments (radiotherapy) are based on
phsyics.
e. helps describe the properties of cell walls and membranes - Answers c. explains the
processes that occur in our brain to form memories and feel emotions
Consider a cannon that can fire a cannonball at a certain speed at angles ranging from 0-90
degrees above the horizontal. If the initial speed of the cannonball remains the same as you
vary the angle of the cannon, at what angle do you need to fire the cannonball so that it will
reach the maximum range possible?
a. 45 degrees
b. 90 degrees
,c. 15 degrees
d. 75 degrees - Answers a. 45 degrees
Consider physical scenarios given below and choose the situation in which the velocity is zero,
but the acceleration is not zero.
a. a ball that is thrown directly upward at the top of its trajectory
b. a car moving down a straight section of freeway at a constant speed of 60 mph
c. a car as it slows down to a stop, but before it has come to a complete stop
d. a ball that is thrown across the field at the top of its trajectory - Answers a. a ball that is
thrown directly upward at the top of its trajectory
Which of the following situations describes where acceleration is zero?
a. speeding up or slowing down while moving
b. starting to move from rest
c. moving at a constant speed in a straight line
d. moving in a constant speed along a circle - Answers c. moving at a constant speed in a
straight line
Your friend Sue claims that a car making a turn at a constant speed (of 40 mph, for example) is
in fact "accelerating," in the sense used in physics classes (like this one). Which explanation
below mostly correctly describes why your friend Sue is correct?
a. Sue is correct bc when a car makes a turn moving at a constant speed (of 40 mph), its
velocity is changing. An object is said to accelerate when its velocity changes
b. Sue is correct bc you have insufficient evidence to disprove her claim. In science, all claims
are presumed correct until proven incorrect and must be given a serious consideration
c. Sue is correct because when the car makes a turn, you feel the centrifugal force pushing you
to the outer edge of the turn. According to Newton's Second Law, F = ma, so you are
accelerating due to the centrifugal force
d. Sue is not correct. If a car moves at a constant speed (of 40 mph), then it is not speeding up -
Answers a. Sue is correct bc when a car makes a turn moving at constant speed (of 40 mph), its
velocity is changing. An object is said to accelerate when its velocity changes
Which of the following is a valid unit for acceleration?
a. m/s
, b. horsepower
c. m/s^2
d. m^2/s^2 - Answers c. m/s^2
During a lecture demonstration, a professor places two coins on the edge of a table. She then
flicks one of the coins horizontally launching it off the table, simultaneously nudging the other
just over the edge. Which of these two coins hit the floor first?
a. the coin that is nudges just over the edge hits the floor first
b. the coin that is launched horizontally off the table hits the floor first
c. both coins hit the floor at the same time - Answers c. both coins hit the floor at the same time
Which of the following INCORRECTLY defines or describes "free-fall"?
a. if an object is moving upward, it cannot be considered to be in a free-fall
b. in free-fall motion, air and wind resistance are ignored.
c. objects in free-fall are being affected only by gravity
d. an object in free-fall is accelerating at gravitational acceleration - Answers a. if an object is
moving upward, it cannot be considered to be in a free-fall
As two boys are playing in the outdoors, one boy hangs from a tree while the other boy aims a
water balloon cannon directly at him. Choose the statement below which most correctly
predicts what will happen in the next moment, depending on what the boy who hangs from the
tree decides to do.
a. if the boy lets go off the tree the moment the water balloon is fired, the boy will avoid getting
hit by the water balloon, as the cannon was aimed directly where he was
b. if the boy continues to hold onto the tree, he will get hit by the water balloon, as the cannon is
aimed directly at him
c. if the boy lets go of the tree the moment the water balloon is fired, the boy will definitely get
hit by the water balloon, as the water balloon's trajectory curves downward along w/ the falling
boy
d. if the boy continues to hold onto the tree, he will definitely avoid getting hit by the water
balloon, as the water balloon will curve do - Answers c. if the boy lets go of the tree the moment
the water balloon is fired, the boy will definitely get hit by the water balloon, as the water
balloon's trajectory curves downward along w/ the falling boy
For this question, let the right direction be positive (+) and the left direction be negative (-). If a
