PHYSICS 250 FINAL EXAM PAPER 2026
THEORY QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
◉ There are two kinds of acceleration that can occur in rotational
motion - tangential and centripetal.
What best describes the difference between these two kinds of
acceleration? Answer: Centripetal acceleration is towards the center,
while tangential is along the edge of the circle.
◉ Two ladybugs of the same mass are on a record that is on a record
player. The record player is turned on and it reaches a constant
velocity.
If the male ladybug is all the way at the edge and the female ladybug
is halfway between the center and the edge, what can be said about
their moments of inertia? Answer: The male ladybug's moment of
inertia is four times that of the female's.
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
, When she pulls her arms in close to her body what happens to her
angular momentum? Answer: It remains unchanged
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
When she pulls her arms in, what happens to her moment of inertia?
Answer: It decreases
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
What happens to her angular speed when she pulls her arms in?
Answer: It increases
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
What happens to her rotational kinetic energy when she pulls her
arms in? Answer: It increases
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
THEORY QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
◉ There are two kinds of acceleration that can occur in rotational
motion - tangential and centripetal.
What best describes the difference between these two kinds of
acceleration? Answer: Centripetal acceleration is towards the center,
while tangential is along the edge of the circle.
◉ Two ladybugs of the same mass are on a record that is on a record
player. The record player is turned on and it reaches a constant
velocity.
If the male ladybug is all the way at the edge and the female ladybug
is halfway between the center and the edge, what can be said about
their moments of inertia? Answer: The male ladybug's moment of
inertia is four times that of the female's.
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
, When she pulls her arms in close to her body what happens to her
angular momentum? Answer: It remains unchanged
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
When she pulls her arms in, what happens to her moment of inertia?
Answer: It decreases
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
What happens to her angular speed when she pulls her arms in?
Answer: It increases
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
What happens to her rotational kinetic energy when she pulls her
arms in? Answer: It increases
◉ An ice skater is spinning with her arms out and is not being acted
upon by an external torque.
