Unit 1: Space, Time and Motion
Topic 1.2: Forces and Momentum Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Physics SL Topic 1.2. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Calculate2 marks
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A 0.45 kg ball experiences a single net force of 6.0 N.
Calculate the magnitude of its acceleration.
Calculate the magnitude of its acceleration.
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Unlock Question2Calculate2 marks
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A solid brass cylinder of volume 4.0 × 10⁻⁴ m³ is fully submerged in water of density 1.0 × 10³ kg m⁻³ (g = 9.8 N kg⁻¹).
Calculate the buoyancy force on the cylinder.
Calculate the buoyancy force on the cylinder.
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State the condition that must be met for the total momentum of a system of objects to be conserved during a collision.
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A satellite moves in a circular orbit around a planet at a constant speed.
State the direction of the net force acting on the satellite, and state why the satellite is accelerating even though its speed does not change.
State the direction of the net force acting on the satellite, and state why the satellite is accelerating even though its speed does not change.
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State Newton's first law of motion.
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State Archimedes' principle.
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Unlock Question7Identify2 marks
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A cork floats at rest, partly submerged, on the surface of still water.
Identify the two forces acting on the cork and state the relationship between their magnitudes.
Identify the two forces acting on the cork and state the relationship between their magnitudes.
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A 2.5 kg block sliding on a frictionless surface speeds up from 3.0 m s⁻¹ to 11 m s⁻¹ along a straight line.
Calculate the impulse delivered to the block.
Calculate the impulse delivered to the block.
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State what is meant by the terminal velocity of an object falling through a fluid.
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A single force of 200 N acts on a trolley at 52° above the horizontal.
Calculate the horizontal and vertical components of this force.
(cos 52° = 0.62, sin 52° = 0.79)
Calculate the horizontal and vertical components of this force.
(cos 52° = 0.62, sin 52° = 0.79)
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Unlock Question11Determine2 marks
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A 0.45 kg ball travelling at 14 m s⁻¹ is caught by a fielder and brought to rest in 0.060 s.
Determine the magnitude of the average force the fielder's hands exert on the ball.
Determine the magnitude of the average force the fielder's hands exert on the ball.
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State what is meant by the momentum of an object, and explain why momentum is a vector quantity.
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State what is meant by an object being in translational equilibrium.
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State what is meant by the static friction force acting on an object.
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Unlock Question15Explain3 marks
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A student claims that because a moving puck on frictionless ice keeps sliding at constant velocity, there must be a steady forward force on it.
Explain, using Newton's laws, why this claim is incorrect.
Explain, using Newton's laws, why this claim is incorrect.
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Two solid spheres are held fully submerged in the same tank of oil.
Sphere X has radius r and sphere Y has radius 2r.
Both are completely underwater.
Determine the ratio of the buoyancy force on Y to that on X, and explain why the material of each sphere does not matter.
Sphere X has radius r and sphere Y has radius 2r.
Both are completely underwater.
Determine the ratio of the buoyancy force on Y to that on X, and explain why the material of each sphere does not matter.
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A 0.40 kg ball moving at 6.0 m s⁻¹ collides head-on and sticks to a stationary ball of mass 1.2 kg (three times its mass).
Calculate the percentage of the original kinetic energy that is lost in the collision.
Calculate the percentage of the original kinetic energy that is lost in the collision.
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Two boxes sit on a smooth floor: a 5.0 kg box behind a 3.0 kg box, joined by a light string.
A horizontal force of 24 N pulls the 3.0 kg front box.
Calculate the acceleration of the pair and the tension in the connecting string.
A horizontal force of 24 N pulls the 3.0 kg front box.
Calculate the acceleration of the pair and the tension in the connecting string.
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Unlock Question19Determine4 marks
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In an experiment a student measures the friction force on a sliding block as 6.0 N when the normal force is 24 N.
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Two solid spheres, P and Q, are tied to the bottom of a tank and held completely submerged in the same oil. Sphere P has radius 2.0 cm and sphere Q has radius 6.0 cm. The oil is uniform and both spheres are fully covered by it.
What is the ratio (buoyancy force on Q) : (buoyancy force on P)?
What is the ratio (buoyancy force on Q) : (buoyancy force on P)?
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