®

AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Exam

SECTION II: Free Response
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Suggested Time
Approximately
25 minutes each for
questions 2 and 3 and
13 minutes each for Instructions
questions 1, 4, and 5
Weight The questions for Section II are printed in this booklet. A table of information and lists of
Approximate weights: equations that may be helpful are printed in the orange Reference booklet. You may use
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Questions 1, 4, and 5:
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 AP® PHYSICS 1 TABLE OF INFORMATION
CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS
Proton mass, mp  1.67  1027 kg Electron charge magnitude, e  1.60  10 19 C
Neutron mass, mn  1.67  10 27 kg Coulomb’s law constant, k  1 4 pe0  9.0  10 9 N  m 2 C2
Universal gravitational
Electron mass, me  9.11  10 31 kg 11
m 3 kgs2
constant, G  6.67  10
Acceleration due to gravity
Speed of light, c  3.00  108 m s at Earth’s surface, g  9.8 m s
2

meter, m kelvin, K watt, W degree Celsius, C

UNIT kilogram, kg hertz, Hz coulomb, C
SYMBOLS second, s newton, N volt, V
ampere, A joule, J ohm, W

PREFIXES VALUES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS FOR COMMON ANGLES

Factor Prefix Symbol       
q 0 30 37 45 53 60 90
12 tera T
10
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 
2 centi c
10
3 milli m
10 The following conventions are used in this exam.
10 6 micro m I. The frame of reference of any problem is assumed to be inertial unless
otherwise stated.
9 nano n
10 II. Assume air resistance is negligible unless otherwise stated.
10 12 pico p III. In all situations, positive work is defined as work done on a system.
IV. The direction of current is conventional current: the direction in which
positive charge would drift.
V. Assume all batteries and meters are ideal unless otherwise stated.
 AP® PHYSICS 1 EQUATIONS
MECHANICS ELECTRICITY
à x  Ãx 0  a x t a = acceleration  qq A = area
A = amplitude FE  k 1 2 2 F = force
r
1 2 d = distance I = current
x  x0  Ãx 0 t  at Dq
2 x E = energy I   = length
Dt
f = frequency P = power
Ãx2  Ãx20  2 a x  x  x0  F = force R
r
q = charge
  I = rotational inertia A R = resistance
 F Fnet = kinetic energy DV = separation
a  K I  r
m m k = spring constant R t = time
  L = angular momentum P  I DV V = electric potential
Ff  m Fn
 = length Rs   Ri r = resistivity
2 m = mass i
à 1 1
ac 
r
P
p
=
=
power
momentum Rp
  Ri
  i
p  mv r = radius or separation
  T = period
Dp  F Dt t = time WAVES
U = potential energy f = frequency
1 v
K  mv2 V = volume l  v = speed
2 v = speed
f
l = wavelength
DE  W  Fd  Fd cos q W = work done on a system
GEOMETRY AND TRIGONOMETRY
x = position
DE y = height Rectangle A = area
P a = angular acceleration A  bh C = circumference
Dt
m = coefficient of friction V = volume
1 2 Triangle S = surface area
q  q0  w0t  at q = angle
2 1 b = base
r = density A bh
2 h = height
w  w0  at t = torque  = length
w = angular speed Circle w = width
x  A cos 2 p ft 
A  pr 2 r = radius
  DUg  mg Dy
 t t net C  2 pr
a 
I I
2p 1 Rectangular solid Right triangle
T  
t  r F  rF sin q w f V  wh c 2  a 2  b2
L  Iw a
Ts  2 p
m Cylinder sin q 
k c
DL  t Dt V  pr 2
b
 S  2 pr   2 pr 2 cos q 
1 Tp  2 p c
K  Iw2 g a
2 Sphere tan q 
  mm b
 Fg  G 1 2 2 4 3
Fs  k x V  pr
r 3 c a
 90°
Us 
1 2
kx  Fg S  4pr 2 q
2 g  b
m
m
r UG  
Gm1m2
V r
 Begin your response to QUESTION 1 on this page.

1. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A toy consists of two identical solid spheres connected by a string with negligible mass. The toy is thrown at an
angle above the horizontal (not straight up) such that the string remains taut and both spheres are revolving
counterclockwise in a vertical plane around the center of the string, as shown above.

(a) Sketch graphs of the horizontal and vertical components of the velocity of the center of the string as a function
of time, from the instant the spheres are released at time t = 0 until the instant the system returns to its initial
height at time t f . Take the positive direction to be toward the right for the horizontal component and the
positive direction to be upward for the vertical component.

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 Continue your response to QUESTION 1 on this page.

(b) The figure above shows the toy at the instant the center of the string reaches the top of its trajectory. This is a
side view: the sphere on the left is higher than the sphere on the right.
i. On the dot below, which represents the left sphere only, draw and label the forces (not components) exerted
on the left sphere at this instant. Represent each force by a distinct arrow starting on, and pointing away from,
the dot. The dashed line is drawn at the same angle as the string.

ii. On the dot below, which represents the whole toy (the spheres-string system), draw and label the
forces (not components) that act on the system at this instant. Represent each force by a distinct arrow starting
on, and pointing away from, the dot. The dashed line is drawn at the same angle as the string.

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 Continue your response to QUESTION 1 on this page.

iii. When the toy was released, the center of the string was moving with an initial speed of 15 m / s at a 60° angle
above the horizontal. Calculate the speed of the center of the string at the instant shown above, when the center
of the string reaches the top of its trajectory.

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 Begin your response to QUESTION 2 on this page.

2. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

A heavy lab cart moves with kinetic energy K init on a track and collides with a lighter lab cart that is initially at

rest. The carts bounce off each other but the collision is not perfectly elastic, causing the two-cart system to lose

kinetic energy Klost. A student wonders if the fraction of kinetic energy lost from the two-cart system during the

⎛ Klost ⎞
collision ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ depends on the speed of the first cart before the collision and plans to perform an experiment.
⎜⎝ K init ⎟⎠⎟

(a) The student hypothesizes that a greater fraction of kinetic energy is lost from the system during the collision
when the speed of the first cart is greater.
Briefly state one reason the hypothesis might be correct.

(b) Design an experimental procedure that could be used to test the student’s hypothesis. Assume equipment
usually found in a school physics laboratory is available.

In the table below, list the quantities that would be measured and the equipment that would be used to measure
each quantity. Also, define a symbol to represent each quantity. You do not need to use every row and may add
additional rows as needed.

Equipment for
Quantity to be Measured Symbol
Measurement

Describe the overall procedure to be used, referring to the table above. Provide enough detail so that another
student could replicate the experiment. As needed, use the symbols defined in the table and/or include a simple
diagram of the setup. Be sure to address how experimental uncertainty could be reduced.

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 Continue your response to QUESTION 2 on this page.

(c) Describe how the experimental data could be analyzed to confirm or disconfirm the hypothesis that a greater
fraction of kinetic energy is lost from the system during the collision when the speed of the first cart is greater.
Include a description or example of any equations, data tables, graphs, or other representations that could be
used.

(d) Consider a different scenario in which the carts stick together after the collision. The masses of the heavier and

⎛K ⎞
lighter cart are m1 and m 2 respectively. Derive an expression for the fraction of kinetic energy lost ⎜⎜ lost ⎟⎟⎟
⎜⎜⎝ K init ⎟⎠

during the collision. Express your answer in terms of m1 and m 2.

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 Begin your response to QUESTION 3 on this page.

3. (12 points, suggested time 25 minutes)

A crane and box are both initially at rest. At time t = 0 s, the crane begins to drive forward at a constant speed of
m m
0.5 , while also lifting the box with an upward acceleration of 1 2 . The box does not swing while being lifted
s s
by the crane.

(a) On the dot below, which represents the box, draw and label the forces (not components) that are exerted on the
box during the scenario described above. Represent each force by a distinct arrow starting on, and pointing
away from, the dot.

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 Continue your response to QUESTION 3 on this page.

Note: Draw the relative lengths of all vectors to reflect the relative magnitudes of all the forces.

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 Continue your response to QUESTION 3 on this page.

(b) On the grid below, sketch the shape of the path taken by the box as it is lifted by the crane as viewed by a
stationary observer.

Justify the shape of the path you drew above.

(c) Assume that, at t = 0 s , the horizontal position of the box is x = 0 and it has a vertical position of y = 0 .
Derive an equation that describes the vertical position y of the box as a function of the horizontal position x
of the box.

(d) Does your equation from part (c) agree with your sketch in part (b)? Justify your response.

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 Continue your response to QUESTION 3 on this page.

At time t = t1, the crane begins to accelerate forward, reaching a new constant velocity at time t = t2. The box
accelerates upward during the entire time interval t1 < t < t2 .

(e) The dot below represents the box during the time interval t1 < t < t2 . On the dot, draw an arrow indicating the
direction of the net force exerted on the block during this interval. The arrow should start on, and point away
from, the dot.

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 Begin your response to QUESTION 4 on this page.

4. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A student strikes a block at the bottom of a ramp, giving it an initial speed v0 up the ramp, as shown. There is
friction between the ramp and the block as it slides a distance x up the ramp and then slides back down.

(a) On the dots below, which represent the block as it is sliding up the ramp and down the ramp, draw and label
the forces (not components) exerted on the block. Represent each force by a distinct arrow starting on, and
pointing away from, the dot. The dashed lines are drawn at the same angle as the surface of the ramp.

(b) The block takes time t up to slide up the ramp a distance x . The block then takes time tdown to slide back down
to the bottom of the ramp, where it has speed vf . Is tdown greater than, equal to, or less than t up ?

___tdown > t up ___tdown = t up ___ tdown < t up

In a clear, coherent paragraph-length response that may also contain figures and/or equations, explain your
reasoning. If you need to draw anything other than what you have shown in part (a) to assist in your response, use
the space below. Do NOT add anything to the figures in part (a).

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 Begin your response to QUESTION 5 on this page.

5. (7 points, suggested time 13 minutes)

A student in a physics lab drops a ball of mass 0.50 kg from a height of 1.5 m onto a force plate. The ball hits the
force plate and rebounds upward. The student records the maximum height of the ball after it rebounds to
be 1.1 m .

(a) The student uses their observations to correctly claim that the collision between the ball and the force plate is
inelastic. Use the student’s observations to justify their claim.

(b) Calculate the impulse exerted on the ball by the force plate.

The force plate records the following data for the magnitude of the force as a function of time for the 1 ms the ball
was in contact with the force sensor.

(c) Does the force plate data provide a reliable measurement of the impulse exerted on the ball by the force
sensor? Justify your answer

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