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AP Physics 1 - Motion in Two Dimensions Practice Test (Multiple Choice Section)

Directions: Mark only one answer for each question. Use g = 10 m/s2 for simplicity.

1. A 0.2 kg red ball is thrown horizontally at a speed of 4 m/s from a height of 3 m. A 0.4 kg green ball is
thrown horizontally from the same height at a speed of 8 m/s. Compared to the time it takes the red ball
to reach the ground, the time it takes the green ball to reach the ground is

a. Half as much c. The same e. Four times as much

b. One quarter as much d. Twice as much
2. A ball is thrown at an angle of 37° to the horizontal. What happens to the magnitude of the ball’s vertical
acceleration during the total time interval that the ball is in the air?

a. Acceleration decreases, then increases d. Acceleration increases, then is

constant
b. Acceleration decreases, then is e. Acceleration stays the same
constant
c. Acceleration increases, then decreases

Questions 3–5: As shown in the

diagram, a baseball is thrown on
level ground. Air resistance is
negligible. Consider also the
following five graphs.

(Graph 1) (Graph 2) (Graph 3) (Graph 4) (Graph 5)

3. Which graph represents the vertical component of the baseball’s velocity as a function of time?

a. Graph 1 b. Graph 2 c. Graph 3 d. Graph 4 e. Graph 5

4. Which graph represents the horizontal component of the baseball’s velocity as a function of time?

a. Graph 1 b. Graph 2 c. Graph 3 d. Graph 4 e. Graph 5

5. The speed of the ball is

a. Constant along the trajectory d. Minimum at the impact point

b. Maximum at the trajectory’s peak e. Minimum at the launch point
c. Minimum at the trajectory’s peak

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© 2014 John R. Frensley, The College Entrance Examination Board, et.al. All rights reserved.
 Questions 6–7: At the top of a building 125 meters
high, a dense ball is shot horizontally such that its
initial velocity is 20 m/s.

6. How much time elapses before the ball strikes the ground?

a. 1 sec b. 2 sec c. 4 sec d. 5 sec e. 6 sec

7. How far from the base of the building will the ball strike the ground?

a. 10 m b. 25 m c. 50 m d. 100 m e. 200 m
8. An object that is launched from the top of a tower is dense enough that air resistance can be ignored. The
object's initial velocity has components (vx = 60 m/s, vy = 20 m/s). What are the components of the
object's velocity 5 seconds after launch?

a. (vx = 10 m/s, vy = –30 m/s) d. (vx = 60 m/s, vy = 70 m/s)

b. (vx = 10 m/s, vy = 20 m/s) e. (vx = 110 m/s, vy = 20 m/s)
c. (vx = 60 m/s, vy = –30 m/s)
9.
A ball is shot from ground level with an
initial velocity of 250 m/s directed at an
angle of 53° to the horizontal. How much
time elapses before the ball strikes the
ground?

a. 20.0 sec b. 25.0 sec c. 30.0 sec d. 40.0 sec e. 50.0 sec
10. What do acceleration and velocity have in common?

a. Both are scalars.

b. Both are vectors.
c. Both are measured in units of distance divided by time.
d. Both are measured in units of distance divided by time squared.
e. They are different names for the same quantity.

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© 2014 John R. Frensley, The College Entrance Examination Board, et.al. All rights reserved.
 Questions 11–12: A ball is launched from
ground level with an initial velocity of 250
m/s directed 37° above the horizontal. The
ball travels with negligible air resistance
over level ground.

11. How fast is the ball moving when it reaches the highest point in its trajectory?

a. 0.0 m/s b. 125.0 m/s c. 150.0 m/s d. 200.0 m/s e. 250.0 m/s
12. How fast is the ball moving just before striking the ground?

a. 0.0 m/s b. 125.0 m/s c. 150.0 m/s d. 200.0 m/s e. 250.0 m/s

Questions 13–14: A projectile is launched over level ground so that its initial velocity has components
(vx = 40 m/s, vy = 50 m/s). Ignore the effects of air resistance.

13. How much time elapses before the projectile strikes the ground?

a. 4 sec b. 5 sec c. 8 sec d. 10 sec e. 20 sec

14. How far the launch point will the projectile strike the ground?

a. 200 m b. 250 m c. 320 m d. 400 m e. 500 m

15. A vector A has magnitude 10, direction 53o, and components (6, 8). What are the magnitude, direction,
and components of vector 10A?

Magnitude Direction Components

a. 100 53o (60, 80)
b. 100 53o (6, 8)
c. 10 530o (6, 8)
d. 10 53o (60, 80)
e. 100 530o (6, 8)
16. When the vectors A, B, and C are added, the result is zero. Which of the following must also equal zero?

a. A–B–C c. A+B e. C–B–A

b. 2A + 2B + 2C d. A+A+B+B

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© 2014 John R. Frensley, The College Entrance Examination Board, et.al. All rights reserved.
 Questions 17–18: A man on a
motorcycle is initially at point A. At
time t = 0, the man travels along the
path shown to point B. The amount of
time required to complete each
segment of the path is also indicated in
the diagram. [Note: The squares in
the grid are 10 meters long.]

17. What is the magnitude of the man's displacement once he reaches point B?

a. 60 meters b. 80 meters c. 100 meters d. 140 meters e. 200 meters

18. What is the magnitude of the man's average velocity for this travel?

a. 1 m/s b. 2 m/s c. 3 m/s d. 4 m/s e. 6 m/s

Directions: Mark two answers for each question.

19. Which of the following is/are true? Select two answers.

(A) If an object’s acceleration is constant, then it must move in a straight line.

(B) If an object’s acceleration is zero, then its speed must remain constant.
(C) If an object’s speed remains constant, then its velocity cannot change.
(D) If an object’s velocity remains constant, then its speed cannot change.

20. An object that is moving with constant speed travels once around a circular path. Which of the following
is/are true concerning this motion?

(A) The displacement is zero.

(B) The distance is zero.
(C) The average velocity is zero.
(D) The average speed is zero.

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© 2014 John R. Frensley, The College Entrance Examination Board, et.al. All rights reserved.
 ID: A

AP Physics 1 - Motion in Two Dimensions Practice Test (Multiple Choice Section)

Answer Section

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. C
If both balls are thrown from the same height horizontally, they will both strike the ground at the same
time (because all of the vertical variables are the same). Also note that vertical acceleration (9.8 m/s 2)
does not depend on mass.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
2. E
In projectile motion (which is free-fall), the acceleration is always 9.8 m/s 2 down, so the acceleration
stays the same during the entire flight.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
3. B
The vertical component of the ball’s velocity obeys the equation v y = − gt + v0 y . This equation is a line
with a slope of –g and an intercept of v0y. The negative slope means the graph can only be Graph 2.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
4. C
The horizontal component of the ball’s velocity is constant and not zero, and Graph 3 is the graph of a
constant but non-zero function.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
5. C
The speed of the ball is never zero, but decreases on the way up and increases on the way down. Since it
decreases on the way up, speed is the least at the peak of the trajectory.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
6. D
y = ½gt2
(125) = (5)t2
(25) = t2
t = 5 sec
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
7. D
x = vt
x = (20)(5)
x = 100 meters
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
8. C
Gravity subtracts 10 m/s every second from the vertical velocity. The vertical velocity is 20 m/s initially,
but over the course of 5 seconds, gravity takes away a total of 50 m/s. This makes the vertical velocity
–30 m/s, and the horizontal velocity is totally unchanged.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

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© 2014 John R. Frensley, The College Entrance Examination Board, et.al. All rights reserved.
 ID: A

9. D
First, find the vertical initial velocity of the ball:
vy = v0sin(θ) = (250)(0.8) = 200 m/s
Because the ball travels over level ground, the vertical velocity changes from 200 m/s to –200 m/s, a total
change of 400 m/s. Gravity subtracts 10 m/s from the vertical velocity every second, so this trajectory
takes 40 seconds to travel.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
10. B
Velocity and acceleration are vectors. Only velocity is measured as distance/time, and acceleration is
distance/time2. They are not the same quantity.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
11. D
At the highest point, the ball's speed is entirely horizontal. That means that the ball's speed is equal to the
horizontal component of its initial velocity:
vx = v0cos(θ) = (250)(0.8) = 200 m/s.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
12. E
If a ball is launched over level ground, it strikes the ground with the same speed that it leaves the ground.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
13. D
Because the projectile is launched over level ground, the vertical component of the projectile's motion
goes from 50 m/s to –50 m/s. This is a change of 100 m/s. Gravity subtracts 10 m/s of vertical velocity
every second, so to take away 100 m/s of vertical velocity, gravity requires 10 seconds.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
14. D
The projectile travels for 10 seconds. Use (distance) = (velocity)(time); to find the horizontal distance,
use the horizontal velocity. (Distance) = (40)(10) = 400 meters.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
15. A
Multiplying a vector by 10 multiplies the magnitude AND multiplies both components. However, the
vector’s direction does not change if the thing we multiply by is positive.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
16. B
If A + B + C = 0, then doubling the left-hand-side must also equal zero:
2(A + B + C) = 0
2A + 2B + 2C = 0
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
17. C
Point B is displaced from point A by going left 80 meters and up 60 meters. The magnitude of the
displacement is the length of the path from A straight to B, which is 100 using the Pythagorean theorem.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
18. A
(Average Velocity) = (Total Displacement)/(Total Time)
(Average Velocity) = (100)/(100)
(Average Velocity) = 1 m/s
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

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© 2014 John R. Frensley, The College Entrance Examination Board, et.al. All rights reserved.
 ID: A

OTHER

19. B&D
(A) No, a projectile (for example) has a constant acceleration of 9.8 m/s2 downward, but follows a
parabolic path if it is launched with a non-vertical initial velocity.
(B) Yes, if an object has zero acceleration, then the velocity (speed and direction both) must be constant.
Zero acceleration means the object cannot speed up, slow down, or change direction.
(C) No, an object can have a constant speed but be changing direction (meaning it has a changing
velocity since direction changes).
(D) Yes, if an object’s velocity (both speed and direction) remain constant, then the speed cannot change.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
20. A&C
(A) The displacement is zero because the object comes back to its starting point.
(B) The distance is not zero because the object traveled a path that had some length. Distance is the
length of the path traveled.
(C) Average velocity = displacement over time, and with zero displacement, there is zero average
velocity.
(D) Average speed = distance over time, and with non-zero distance, there is non-zero average speed.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

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© 2014 John R. Frensley, The College Entrance Examination Board, et.al. All rights reserved.