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
Aimnova practice
A 0.45 kg ball experiences a single net force of 6.0 N.

Calculate the magnitude of its acceleration.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
2Calculate2 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
3State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State the condition that must be met for the total momentum of a system of objects to be conserved during a collision.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
4State2 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
5State2 marks
Aimnova practice
State Newton's first law of motion.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
6State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State Archimedes' principle.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
7Identify2 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
8Calculate2 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
9State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State what is meant by the terminal velocity of an object falling through a fluid.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
10Calculate2 marks
Aimnova practice
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)
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
11Determine2 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
12State2 marks
Aimnova practice
State what is meant by the momentum of an object, and explain why momentum is a vector quantity.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
13State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State what is meant by an object being in translational equilibrium.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
14State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State what is meant by the static friction force acting on an object.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
15Explain3 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
16Determine3 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
17Calculate4 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
18Calculate4 marks
Aimnova practice
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.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
19Determine4 marks
Aimnova practice
In an experiment a student measures the friction force on a sliding block as 6.0 N when the normal force is 24 N.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
20Calculate1 mark
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)?
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question

Ready to practice Topic 1.2?

Get instant AI feedback on your answers, view detailed markschemes, and track your progress across all IB Physics SL topics.