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American System Physics

A Physics Toolkit

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Representing Motion

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Accelerated Motion

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Forces in One Dimension

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Displacement and Force in Two Dimensions

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Motion in Two Dimensions

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Gravitation

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Rotational Motion

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Momentum and Its Conservation

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Energy and Its Conservation

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Thermal Energy

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States of Matter

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Vibrations and Waves

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Sound

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Fundamentals of Light

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Reflection and Refraction

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Interference and Diffraction

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Electrostatics

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Electric Current and Circuits

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Magnetic Fields

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Electromagnetic Induction and Electromagnetism

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Quantum Theory and the Atom

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Quiz

10.2 Kinetic and Gravitational Potential Energy – Quiz

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Kinetic and Gravitational Potential Energy American Physics quiz: free practice for American System Physics. Work through this Kinetic and Gravitational Potential Energy American Physics quiz and get instant feedback on every answer. If you get stuck, review the 10.2 Kinetic and Gravitational Potential Energy — Notes lesson. More practice: American System Physics — all units. Syllabus: OpenStax free science textbooks.

  • Questions count: 50
  • Passing grade: A-
  • Time limit:
Start Quiz
1.
Use the graph to find the kinetic energy of the cart at 3.0 m/s. What would its kinetic energy be at 6.0 m/s?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 1
36 J
144 J
72 J
18 J
2.
The graph shows the gain in GPE of the same object lifted on Earth (g = 9.8 N/kg) and on the Moon. What is the mass of the object?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 2
49 kg
0.20 kg
8.0 kg
5.0 kg
3.
If no energy were dissipated, v² = 2gh and the gradient would be 19.6 m/s². What does the lab graph show?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 3
The gradient is about 17.7 m/s², so roughly 10% of the GPE is dissipated by friction
The gradient is exactly 19.6 m/s², so no energy is dissipated
The gradient is about 17.7 m/s², so energy is created on the ramp
The graph is curved, so kinetic energy does not depend on speed squared
4.
The diagram shows two identical balls about to roll down different ramps to the floor. Which ball loses more gravitational potential energy?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 4
The ball on the steep ramp, because it speeds up faster
Neither: both lose 59 J, because the vertical drop is the same
The ball on the gentle ramp, because it travels further
The ball on the steep ramp loses 59 J; the other loses less
5.
The graph shows a skydiver's velocity. What happens to her kinetic energy after about 20 s, and why?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 5
It keeps increasing at a steady rate, because gravity still acts
It falls to zero, because she stops accelerating
It stops increasing, because air resistance now balances her weight and she falls at terminal velocity
It increases faster, because she is at maximum speed
6.
Both springs in the graph are stretched by the same 20 N force. Which stores more elastic potential energy, and how much?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 6
Spring A, 0.50 J
Both store 1.0 J
Spring A, 2.0 J
Spring B, 1.0 J
7.
The bar chart shows the energy stores of a 0.50 kg ball thrown upward, ignoring air resistance. How high above P is the top point R?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 7
10 m
50 m
5.1 m
98 m
8.
In the set-up shown, which measurements are needed to calculate the trolley's kinetic energy at the light gate?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 8
Only the release height h
The trolley's mass, the card length and the time the card blocks the beam
The ramp length and the trolley's weight
The time taken to roll down the whole ramp and the trolley's mass
9.
Which animal in the table has the most kinetic energy?
Cheetah
Horse
Elephant
Human sprinter
10.
A ball is dropped from different heights and its speed is measured by a light gate. Which result is anomalous, compared with v = √(2gh)?
The 0.20 m drop
The 0.40 m drop
The 0.80 m drop
The 0.60 m drop
11.
Objects are lifted on Earth (g = 9.8 N/kg) and on the Moon (g = 1.6 N/kg). Which gains the most gravitational potential energy?
Toolbox
Crate
Rover
Sample bag
12.
Complete the lab table: what is the kinetic energy of the trolley in run 3?
0.18 J
0.36 J
0.60 J
0.72 J
13.
The table gives braking distances for a car (same braking force) at different speeds. Which statement is supported by the data?
Braking distance is directly proportional to speed
Tripling the speed triples the braking distance
Doubling the speed makes the braking distance four times as long, because kinetic energy depends on v²
Braking distance does not depend on speed
14.
A catapult launches a 0.020 kg ball; the table gives the pull-back distance and launch speed. What conclusion do the results support?
Kinetic energy is proportional to extension
Launch speed is proportional to extension squared
The catapult does not obey Hooke's law
Launch speed is proportional to pull-back, so kinetic energy is proportional to extension squared, as E = ½kx² predicts
15.
Three 2.0 kg carts start at rest and a resultant force acts on each over the distance in the table. Which cart ends up fastest?
Q
P
R
All three reach the same speed
16.
A 0.50 kg trolley passes a light gate three times from the same release point (table). Using the mean speed, what is its kinetic energy at the gate?
0.71 J
1.0 J
0.50 J
0.25 J
17.
A 0.43 kg soccer ball is kicked at 18 m/s. How much energy is in its kinetic store?
70 J
7.7 J
139 J
3.9 J
18.
A 900 kg car travels at 72 km/h. What is its kinetic energy?
2.3 × 10^6 J
1.8 × 10^5 J
9.0 × 10^3 J
3.2 × 10^4 J
19.
How much energy is stored kinetically in a 57 g tennis ball served at 40 m/s?
45 600 J
2.3 J
46 J
1.1 J
20.
A 2.0 kg bowling pin has 81 J of kinetic energy after being struck. How fast is it moving?
40.5 m/s
6.4 m/s
81 m/s
9.0 m/s
21.
A 70 kg hiker climbs to a viewpoint 350 m higher than the car park. What is her gain in gravitational potential energy?
2.4 × 10^5 J
2.45 × 10^4 J
2.4 × 10^3 J
1.2 × 10^5 J
22.
An astronaut lifts a 5.0 kg rock through 2.0 m on the Moon (g = 1.6 N/kg). How does its gain in GPE compare with the same lift on Earth?
98 J in both places, because the mass is the same
16 J on the Moon compared with 98 J on Earth
16 J on the Moon compared with 10 J on Earth
8.0 J on the Moon compared with 49 J on Earth
23.
A 60 kg climber gains 1500 J of gravitational potential energy. Through what vertical height has she climbed?
25 m
0.39 m
2.6 m
255 m
24.
A 65 kg skier travels 400 m along a slope while descending 50 m vertically. How much gravitational potential energy does she lose?
2.5 × 10^5 J
3.3 × 10^3 J
2.8 × 10^5 J
3.2 × 10^4 J
25.
A car speeds up from 15 m/s to 30 m/s. What happens to its kinetic energy?
It becomes four times as large
It doubles
It becomes eight times as large
It stays the same
26.
A resultant force of 400 N acts on an 80 kg sprinter-and-sled system for 25 m, starting from rest. What speed does it reach?
250 m/s
16 m/s
11 m/s
125 m/s
27.
A car has 3.0 × 10^5 J of kinetic energy. Its brakes provide a constant resultant force of 7500 N. How far does it travel while stopping?
2.25 × 10^9 m
0.025 m
40 m
400 m
28.
A spring with k = 250 N/m is compressed by 0.12 m. How much elastic potential energy does it store?
15 J
30 J
3.6 J
1.8 J
29.
A 0.50 kg vase stands on a shelf 2.0 m above the floor, next to a table 0.80 m high. What is its GPE if the table top is chosen as the reference level?
5.9 J
9.8 J
3.9 J
13.7 J
30.
A 3.0 kg bucket hangs 5.0 m below the top of a well. Taking ground level as zero, what is its gravitational potential energy?
+147 J
−147 J
−15 J
0 J
31.
Why do stopping distances increase so sharply as a car's speed increases?
The car's mass increases at high speed
The kinetic energy that the brakes must remove depends on the square of the speed
The brakes produce a smaller force at high speed
Momentum depends on the square of the speed
32.
Two students choose different reference levels (the floor and the bench top) to calculate the GPE of a falling ball. What will they agree on?
The value of GPE at each position
That GPE is always positive
The change in GPE between two positions
Nothing, because GPE depends on the reference
33.
Kinetic energy is calculated from Ek = ½ × mass × _____.
speed
height
speed squared
weight
34.
A 0.20 kg puck has 10 J of kinetic energy. Its speed is _____.
100 m/s
50 m/s
1.0 m/s
10 m/s
35.
On the Moon, the gravitational field strength is about _____.
1.6 N/kg
9.8 N/kg
0.16 N/kg
16 N/kg
36.
Kinetic energy is a vector quantity. True or false?
True
True, because velocity is a vector
True only for objects moving in circles
False
37.
An object's kinetic energy can be negative if it moves backwards. True or false?
False
True
True, because the velocity is negative
True only when it slows down
38.
An object below the chosen reference level has negative gravitational potential energy. True or false?
False
True
False, GPE can never be negative
True only on the Moon
39.
Doubling an object's speed doubles its kinetic energy. True or false?
True
True, because Ek is proportional to speed
False
True only for heavy objects
40.
Only the vertical change in height affects an object's gravitational potential energy. True or false?
False
False, the distance along a slope must be used
True only for steep slopes
True
41.
An astronaut's mass is smaller on the Moon than on Earth. True or false?
False
True
True, because she weighs less
True only outside a spacecraft
42.
When an object is lifted at constant speed, the work done on it equals its gain in gravitational potential energy. True or false?
False
True
False, it equals its gain in kinetic energy
True only if it is lifted quickly
43.
A skydiver falling at terminal velocity is still gaining kinetic energy. True or false?
True
True, because she is still falling
False
True only if the parachute is closed
44.
The elastic energy stored in a spring equals the area under its force–extension graph. True or false?
False
False, it equals the gradient
True only if the spring breaks
True
45.
ΔEp = mgΔh gives accurate results for a satellite lifted thousands of kilometres above the Earth. True or false?
False
True
True, g is the same everywhere
True only for light satellites
46.
1 km/h is equal to 3.6 m/s. True or false?
True
False
True, because there are 3600 s in an hour
True only for cars
47.
Two identical cars at the same speed, one heading north and one heading south, have the same kinetic energy. True or false?
False
False, the southbound car has negative kinetic energy
True
True only if the road is level
48.
Using the distance along a ramp instead of its vertical height gives a calculated GPE loss that is too large. True or false?
False
False, the slope length is always correct
True only for ramps steeper than 45°
True
49.
A light gate at the bottom of a ramp measures the trolley's speed more precisely than timing the whole run with a stopwatch. True or false?
True
False
False, stopwatches are always better
True only if the card is very long
50.
If two balls are dropped from the same height and air resistance is negligible, the heavier one reaches the ground with more kinetic energy. True or false?
False
True
False, they have equal kinetic energy
True only if they are dropped on the Moon
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