2017

AP Physics 2:

Algebra-Based

Free-Response Questions

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 AP® PHYSICS 2 TABLE OF INFORMATION
CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS
Proton mass, m p 1.67 – 10 27 kg Electron charge magnitude, e 1.60 – 10 19 C
Neutron mass, mn 1.67 – 1027 kg 1 electron volt, 1 eV 1.60 – 10 19 J
Electron mass, me 9.11 – 10 31 kg Speed of light, c 3.00 – 108 m s
Universal gravitational
Avogadro’s number, N0 6.02 – 1023 mol 1 G 6.67 – 10 11 m 3 kg <s2
constant,
Acceleration due to gravity
Universal gas constant, R 8.31 J (mol < K) g 9.8 m s2
at Earth’s surface,
Boltzmann’s constant, kB 1.38 – 10 23 J K
1 unified atomic mass unit, 1u 1.66 – 10 27 kg 931 MeV c 2
Planck’s constant, h 6.63 – 10 34 J<s 4.14 – 10 15 eV<s
hc 1.99 – 10 25 J < m 1.24 – 103 eV< nm
Vacuum permittivity, e0 8.85 – 10 12 C2 N < m 2
Coulomb’s law constant, k 1 4 pe0 9.0 – 109 N< m 2 C2
Vacuum permeability, m0 4 p – 10 7 (T< m) A
Magnetic constant, k „ m0 4 p 1 – 10 7 (T< m) A
1 atmosphere pressure, 1 atm 1.0 – 10 5 N m 2 1.0 – 10 5 Pa

meter, m mole, mol watt, W farad, F

kilogram, kg hertz, Hz coulomb, C tesla, T
UNIT
second, s newton, N volt, V degree Celsius, ’C
SYMBOLS
ampere, A pascal, Pa ohm, W electron volt, eV
kelvin, K joule, J henry, H

PREFIXES VALUES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS FOR COMMON ANGLES

Factor Prefix Symbol q D D D D D D D
12
0 30 37 45 53 60 90
10 tera T
sinq 0 12 35 2 2 45 3 2 1
10 9 giga G
10 6 mega M cosq 1 3 2 45 2 2 35 12 0

10 3 kilo k tanq 0 3 3 34 1 43 3 ‡
10 2 centi c
10 3 milli m The following conventions are used in this exam.
m I. The frame of reference of any problem is assumed to be inertial unless
10 6 micro
otherwise stated.
10 9 nano n II. In all situations, positive work is defined as work done on a system.
10 12 pico p III. The direction of current is conventional current: the direction in which
positive charge would drift.
IV. Assume all batteries and meters are ideal unless otherwise stated.
V. Assume edge effects for the electric field of a parallel plate capacitor
unless otherwise stated.
VI. For any isolated electrically charged object, the electric potential is
defined as zero at infinite distance from the charged object

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 AP® PHYSICS 2 EQUATIONS
MECHANICS ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
Ãx Ãx 0  a x t a = acceleration G 1 q1q2 A = area
FE
A = amplitude 4 pe0 r 2 B = magnetic field
1 2 d = distance C = capacitance
x x0  Ãx 0 t  at K
2 x E = energy K FE d = distance
E
F = force q E = electric field
Ãx2 Ãx20  2ax  x  x0  f = frequency e= emf
G 1 q
G G I = rotational inertia E F = force
G
a
ÇF Fnet
K = kinetic energy
4 pe0 r 2
I = current
m m
k = spring constant DUE qDV A = length
G G
Ff … m Fn L = angular momentum P = power
A = length 1 q Q = charge
V
à 2 m = mass 4 pe0 r q = point charge
ac P = power
r G R = resistance
G G p = momentum DV r = separation
E
p mv r = radius or separation Dr t = time
G G T = period U = potential (stored)
Dp F D t DV
Q
t = time C energy
1 2 U = potential energy V = electric potential
K mv A
2 v = speed C ke0 v = speed
W = work done on a d k = dielectric
DE W F&d Fd cos q
system Q constant
x E
DE = position e0 A r= resistivity
P y = height
Dt q = angle
a = angular acceleration UC
1
QDV
1
C  DV 
2
F= flux
1 m 2 2
q q0  w0 t  at 2 = coefficient of friction
2
q = angle DQ
w w0  at I
t = torque Dt G G G
w = angular speed FM qv – B
x Acos  wt  Acos 2p ft  rA
1 2 R
Us kx A G G G
2 FM qv sin q B
xcm
Ç mi xi
DUg mg Dy P I DV
Ç mi G G G
G G DV FM IA – B
G Çt t net 2p 1 I
a T R
I I w f G G G
FM I A sin q B
t rA F rF sin q m Rs Ç Ri
Ts 2p i G G
k FB B< A
L Iw 1
Tp 2p
A
Rp Ç R1i G G
DL t Dt g i FB B cos q A
1 2 G m1m2 Cp Ç Ci
K Iw Fg G i DFB
2 r2 e 
Dt
G G 1
Fs
G
kx G Fg Cs Ç C1i
g
m
i e BAv
Gm1m2 m0 I
UG  B
r 2p r

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 AP® PHYSICS 2 EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS AND THERMAL PHYSICS WAVES AND OPTICS
m A = area v d = separation
r l
V F = force f f = frequency or
h = depth focal length
F k = thermal conductivity c h = height
P n
A Ã
K = kinetic energy L = distance
P P0  rgh L = thickness n 1 sin q1 n 2 sin q2 M = magnification
m = mass m = an integer
Fb rVg n = number of moles 1 1 1 n = index of

N = number of molecules si so f refraction
A1v1 A2 v2
P = pressure s = distance
hi si
1 Q = energy transferred to a M v = speed
P1  rgy1  rv12 ho so
2 system by heating l = wavelength
1 T = temperature DL ml q = angle
P2  rgy2  rv 2
2 2 t = time
d sin q ml
U = internal energy
Q kA DT
V = volume
Dt L
v = speed GEOMETRY AND TRIGONOMETRY
PV nRT NkBT W = work done on a system
Rectangle A= area
y = height A bh
3 C= circumference
K k T r = density
2 B V= volume
Triangle S = surface area
W  P DV 1 b = base
A bh
2 h = height
DU QW
A= length
Circle w= width
A pr 2 r = radius
C 2 pr
MODERN PHYSICS
E hf E= energy Rectangular solid Right triangle
f = frequency V Awh
K max hf  f K= kinetic energy c2 a 2  b2
m= mass Cylinder a
h sin q
l p = momentum c
p V pr 2 A
l= wavelength b
S 2 pr A  2 pr 2 cos q
f= work function c
E mc 2
a
Sphere tan q
b
4 3
V pr c
3 a
2
S 4 pr q 90q
b

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

PHYSICS 2
Section II
4 Questions
Time—90 minutes

Directions: Questions 1 and 4 are short free-response questions that require about 20 minutes each to answer and are
worth 10 points each. Questions 2 and 3 are long free-response questions that require about 25 minutes each to
answer and are worth 12 points each. Show your work for each part in the space provided after that part.

1. (10 points, suggested time 20 minutes)

Two students observe water flowing from left to right through the section of pipe shown above, which decreases
in diameter and increases in elevation. The pipe ends on the right, where the water exits vertically. At point A the
water is known to have a speed of 0.50 m s and a pressure of 2.0 – 105 Pa . The density of water is
1000 kg m 3 .

(a) The students disagree about the water pressure and speed at point B. They make the following claims.
Student Y claims that the pressure at point B is greater than that at point A because the water is moving faster
at point B.
Student Z claims the speed of the water is less at point B than that at point A because by conservation of
energy, some of the water’s kinetic energy has been converted to potential energy of the Earth-water system.

i. Indicate any aspects of student Y’s claim that are correct.

ii. Indicate any aspects of student Y’s claim that are incorrect. Support your answer using appropriate
physics principles.

iii. Indicate any aspects of student Z’s claim that are correct.

iv. Indicate any aspects of student Z’s claim that are incorrect. Support your answer using appropriate
physics principles.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(b) Calculate the following at point B.

i. The speed of the water

ii. The pressure in the pipe

(c) A valve to the left of point A now closes off that end of the pipe. The section of pipe shown is still full of
water, but the water is no longer flowing.

i. Calculate the absolute pressure at point A (the pressure that includes the effect of the atmosphere).

ii. An air bubble forms at point A. On the figure below, where the dot represents the air bubble, draw a
free-body diagram showing and labeling the forces (not components) exerted on the bubble. Draw the
relative lengths of all vectors to reflect the relative magnitudes of the forces.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

A group of students is given several long, thick, cylindrical conducting rods of the same unknown material with
various lengths and diameters and asked to experimentally determine the resistivity of the material using a graph.
The available equipment includes a voltmeter, an ammeter, connecting wires, a variable-output DC power
supply, and a metric ruler.

(a)
i. Describe a procedure the students could use to collect the data needed to create the graph, including
the measurements to be taken and a labeled diagram of the circuit to be used. Include enough detail
that another student could follow the procedure and obtain similar data.
Draw a labeled diagram here.
Write your procedure here.
ii. Describe how the data could be graphed in a way that is useful for determining the resistivity of the
material. Describe how the graph could be analyzed to calculate the resistivity.
The students are now given a rectangular rod of the material, as shown below, whose dimensions are not known.
The students are asked to experimentally determine the resistance of the rod. They obtain the data in the table
below for the potential difference DV across the rod and the current I in it.

DV (V) 6.0 5.0 3.5 2.5 2.0 1.5

I (A) 0.078 0.070 0.044 0.036 0.027 0.018

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(b) On the axes below, plot the data so that the resistance of the rectangular rod can be determined from
a best-fit line. Label and scale the axes. Use the best-fit line to determine the resistance of the rod,
clearly showing your calculations.

(c) After completing their calculations, the students begin to consider the factors that might have produced
uncertainties in their results.

i. The students realize that they did not take into account the internal resistance of the power supply.
Briefly describe how this would affect their value of the resistance of the rectangular rod. Explain your
reasoning.

ii. The students realize that they did not take into account a possible change in the temperature of the
cylindrical rods. Should the students be concerned about this? Explain why or why not.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

3. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

Some students are asked to determine the focal length of a convex lens. They have the equipment shown above,
which includes a waterproof light box with a plate on one side, a lens, and a screen. The box has a bright light
inside, and the plate on the side has shapes cut out of it through which the light shines to create a bright object.
This particular plate has a cutout that is a vertical arrow and a horizontal bar with a circle at one end. In the view
shown above, the circle is near the right edge of the plate.

With the screen and light box on opposite sides of the lens, the box is aligned so that the plate is 20 cm from the
center of the lens, and an image of the arrow and bar is formed on the screen. The students find that the image is
clear on the screen when the screen is 30 cm from the center of the lens.

(a) On the figure below, sketch how the image on the screen appears to the students.

(b)
i. Calculate the focal length of the lens.

ii. Calculate the magnitude of the magnification of the image.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(c)
i. In the side view below, the arrow represents the bright object created by the plate. Draw a ray diagram
on the figure below that is consistent with your calculations in parts (b)(i) and (ii). Show at least two
rays, as well as the location and orientation of the image.

ii. Explain how your diagram is consistent with your calculated focal length and magnification in parts
(b)(i) and (ii).

(d) The entire apparatus is now submerged in water, whose index of refraction is greater than that of air but
less than that of the lens.

i. The figures below show cross sections of the top portion of the convex lens in air and the convex lens
in water. An incident ray is shown in both cases. On each figure, draw the ray as it passes through the
lens and back into the air or water.

ii. Describe how the focal length of the lens and the position and size of the image formed by the lens
when it is in the water compare to when the lens is in air. Explain how the rays drawn in the figures
in part (d)(i) support your answer.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. (10 points, suggested time 20 minutes)

The figure above represents four objects, with charges as shown, that are held in place at the corners of a square.
Point P is at the center of the square, a distance d from each of the objects. Express all algebraic answers to the
following in terms of Q, d, and physical constants.

(a) On the dot below, draw an arrow that represents the direction of the net electric force exerted on the object
with charge +Q by the other three objects.

(b)
i. Calculate the magnitude of the electric field at point P due to all four objects. On the dot below, draw
an arrow to indicate the direction of the net field at point P.

Draw Arrow Calculate Electric Field

ii. Calculate the electric potential at point P due to all four objects.

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 2017 AP® PHYSICS 2 FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

(c) In a coherent, paragraph-length response, briefly describe the meaning of electric potential energy and
explain qualitatively how electric potential energy can be related to work. Also explain qualitatively how the
electric potential energy of the four-object system would change if the +Q and +2Q objects on the right side
of the square now switch positions as shown in the figure below. Support your explanation using appropriate
physics principles.

STOP

END OF EXAM

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