Questions from College Physics

Q: A block slides at constant speed down a ramp while acted on

A block slides at constant speed down a ramp while acted on by three forces: its weight, the normal force, and kinetic friction. Respond to each statement, true or false. (a) The combined net work don...

Q: (a) Can the kinetic energy of a system be negative

(a) Can the kinetic energy of a system be negative? (b) Can the gravitational potential energy of a system be negative? Explain.

Q: Three identical balls are thrown from the top of a building,

Three identical balls are thrown from the top of a building, all with the same initial speed. The first ball is thrown horizontally, the second at some angle above the horizontal, and the third at som...

Q: Bob, of mass m, drops from a tree limb at

Bob, of mass m, drops from a tree limb at the same time that Esther, also of mass m, begins her descent down a frictionless slide. If they both start at the same height above the ground, which of the...

Q: Two carts move in the same direction along a frictionless air track

Two carts move in the same direction along a frictionless air track, each acted on by the same constant force for a time interval Δt. Cart 2 has twice the mass of cart 1. Which one of the following st...

Q: An air bag inflates when a collision occurs, protecting a passenger

An air bag inflates when a collision occurs, protecting a passenger (the dummy in Figure CQ6.12) from serious injury. Why does the air bag soften the blow? Discuss the physics involved in this dramati...

Q: An open box slides with constant speed across the frictionless surface of

An open box slides with constant speed across the frictionless surface of a frozen lake. If water from a rain shower falls vertically downward into it, does the box: (a) Speed up, (b) Slow down, or (c...

Q: Does a larger net force always produce a larger change in kinetic

Does a larger net force always produce a larger change in kinetic energy than a smaller net force? Explain.

Q: Two particles of different mass start from rest. The same net

Two particles of different mass start from rest. The same net force acts on both of them as they move over equal distances. How do their final kinetic energies compare? (a) The particle of larger mass...

Q: If two objects collide and one is initially at rest,

If two objects collide and one is initially at rest, (a) Is it possible for both to be at rest after the collision? (b) Is it possible for only one to be at rest after the collision? Explain.