Questions from Modern Physics


Q: A passenger in a moving bus with no windows notices that a

A passenger in a moving bus with no windows notices that a ball that has been at rest in the aisle suddenly starts to move toward the rear of the bus. Think of two possible explanations, and devise a...

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Q: A woman in an elevator lets go of her briefcase, but

A woman in an elevator lets go of her briefcase, but it does not fall to the floor. How is the elevator moving?

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Q: Some people say that the “force of inertia” (or

Some people say that the “force of inertia” (or “force of momentum”) throws the passengers forward when a car brakes sharply. What is wrong with this explanation?

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Q: A ball thrown straight up has zero velocity at its highest point

A ball thrown straight up has zero velocity at its highest point. Is the ball in equilibrium at this point? Why or why not?

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Q: Does a car’s kinetic energy change more when the car speeds up

Does a car’s kinetic energy change more when the car speeds up from 10 to 15 m/s or from 15 to 20 m/s? Explain.

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Q: Suppose you chose the fundamental physical quantities to be force, length

Suppose you chose the fundamental physical quantities to be force, length, and time instead of mass, length, and time. What would be the units of mass in terms of those fundamental quantities?

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Q: When you stand with bare feet in a wet bathtub, the

When you stand with bare feet in a wet bathtub, the grip feels fairly secure, and yet a catastrophic slip is quite possible. Explain this in terms of the two coefficients of friction.

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Q: A net force acts on an object and accelerates it from rest

A net force acts on an object and accelerates it from rest to a speed v1. In doing so, the force does an amount of work W1. By what factor must the work done on the object be increased to produce thre...

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Q: A truck speeding down the highway has a lot of kinetic energy

A truck speeding down the highway has a lot of kinetic energy relative to a stopped state trooper but no kinetic energy relative to the truck driver. In these two frames of reference, is the same amou...

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Q: If there is a net force on a particle in uniform circular

If there is a net force on a particle in uniform circular motion, why doesn’t the particle’s speed change?

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