A2 Practice [50 marks]

1. SPM.1A.SL.TZ0.4

A person stands in an elevator (lift). The total mass of the person and
the elevator is 800 kg. The elevator accelerates upward at 2.0 m s−2.

What is the tension in the cable?

A. 1.6 kN

B. 6.4 kN

C. 8.0 kN

D. 9.6 kN

[1]

2. SPM.1A.SL.TZ0.6

A bird of weight W sits on a thin rope at its midpoint. The rope is almost
horizontal and has negligible mass.
 The tension in the rope is

W
A. less than
2
W
B. equal to
2
W
C. between and W
2

D. greater than W

[1]

3. SPM.2.SL.TZ0.1

A block of mass 45 kg is placed on a horizontal table. There is no friction

between the block and the table.

An object of mass 15 kg is placed on top of the block.

A force F acts on the block so that it accelerates. The acceleration of the

object and the acceleration of the block are the same so that they do
not move relative to each other.

The coefficient of static friction between the block and the object is
0.60.

[N/A]

[[N/A]]

(a)

State the nature and direction of the force that accelerates the 15 kg
object.

[1]
 (b)

Determine the largest magnitude of F for which the block and the object
do not move relative to each other.

[3]

4. EXE.1A.SL.TZ0.2

A body of height 40 cm and uniform cross-sectional area floats in water.

10 cm of the height of the body remains above the water line.

The density of water is ρ . What is the density of the body?

 1
A. ρ
4
1
B. ρ
3
2
C. ρ
3
3
D. ρ
4

[1]

5. EXE.1A.SL.TZ0.3

An object is suspended from a spring balance. When the object is in air

the spring balance reads 900 N. When the object is completely
submerged in water the spring balance reads 400 N.

The density of water is 1000 kg m−3.

What is the volume of the object?

A. 0.04 m3

B. 0.05 m3

C. 0.09 m3

D. 0.5 m3

[1]

6. EXE.1A.SL.TZ0.4

An object is submerged in a fluid. Three quantities relating to this

situation are

I. the density of the object

II. the density of the fluid
III. the gravitational field strength

On which quantities does the buoyancy force acting on the object

depend?
 A. I and II

B. I and III

C. II and III

D. I, II and II

[1]

7. 23N.1A.SL.TZ2.6

The velocity of an object changes from +¿ 2 m s−1 to v. What is the value

of v for which the magnitude of the impulse acting on the object is
greatest?

A. −4 m s−1

B. −2 m s−1

C. +¿ 2 m s−1

D. +¿ 4 m s−1

[1]

8. 23N.1A.HL.TZ1.4

The diagram shows two blocks of mass m and M in contact on a

frictionless surface. A force F is applied on the block of mass m and
causes the blocks to move with an acceleration a .

What is the force that the block of mass M is exerting on the block of
mass m?

A. m a

B. M a

C. ( M +m ) a
 m
D. a
M+m

[1]

9. 23N.1A.HL.TZ1.5

The diagram shows a block of mass m sliding at constant speed down an

inclined plane. The plane makes an angle θ with the horizontal.

The coefficient of dynamic friction between the block and the plane is μ D
and the magnitude of the normal reaction force on the block is N . What
is θ ?

A. cos
−1
( )
mg
μD N

B. cos −1 ( )
μD N
mg

C. sin
−1
( )
mg
μD N

D. sin− 1 ( μm gN )
D

[1]

10. 23N.1A.HL.TZ2.1

The resistive force F that acts on an object moving through a fluid at

speed v is given by F = kv where k is a constant. What is the unit of k?

A. N s−1

B. N m s−1

C. kg m2 s−3
 D. kg s−1

[1]

11. 23M.1A.SL.TZ2.3

A mass is suspended by a light string from the roof of a car. The car is
accelerating up an incline.

What is the free-body diagram for the mass?

 [1]

12. 23M.1A.SL.TZ2.5

The angle θ between a ramp and a horizontal surface slowly increases

from zero. An object on the ramp does not slide as θ increases.
 The frictional force on the object is

A. constant.

B. negligible.

C. proportional to cos θ.

D. proportional to sin θ.

[1]

13. 23M.1A.SL.TZ2.2

A toy car of mass 2 kg is at rest on a horizontal surface. A force of 30 N

is applied to the toy car at time t = 0. Frictional forces of 10 N act on the
toy car throughout its motion.

What is the speed of the toy car at t = 2 s?

A. 10 m s−1

B. 20 m s−1

C. 30 m s−1
 D. 40 m s−1

[1]

14. 23M.1A.SL.TZ2.5

A variable force with a maximum Fmax is applied to an object over a time

interval T. The object has a mass m and is initially at rest.

What is the speed of the object at time T?

F max T
A.
2m
F max T
B.
m

C. FmaxTm

D. 2FmaxTm

[1]

15. 22N.1A.SL.TZ0.5

An object of mass 2.0 kg is on a horizontal surface. The object is pulled

by a force of 12.0 N and accelerates at 2.0 m s −2.

What is the coefficient of dynamic friction between the object and the
surface?
 A. 0.3

B. 0.4

C. 0.6

D. 0.8

[1]

16. 22N.2.SL.TZ0.6

Polonium-210 (Po-210) decays by alpha emission into lead-206 (Pb-206).

The following data are available.

Nuclear mass of Po-210 = 209.93676 u

Nuclear mass of Pb-206 = 205.92945 u

Mass of the alpha particle = 4.00151 u

(a)

Outline, by reference to nuclear binding energy, why the mass of a

nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of its constituent
nucleons.

[2]
(b.i)

Calculate, in MeV, the energy released in this decay.

[2]

(b.ii)

The polonium nucleus was stationary before the decay.

Show, by reference to the momentum of the particles, that the kinetic

energy of the alpha particle is much greater than the kinetic energy
of the lead nucleus.

[3]

(b.iii)

In the decay of polonium-210, alpha emission can be followed by the

emission of a gamma photon.
 State and explain whether the alpha particle or gamma photon will
cause greater ionization in the surrounding material.

[2]

17. 22M.1A.SL.TZ1.4

A block moving with initial speed v is brought to rest, after travelling a

distance d, by a frictional force f . A second identical block moving with
initial speed u is brought to rest in the same distance d by a frictional
f
force . What is u?
2

A. v
v
B.
√2
v
C.
2
v
D.
4

[1]

18. 22M.1A.SL.TZ1.7

Two masses m1 and m2 are connected by a string over a frictionless

pulley of negligible mass. The masses are released from rest. Air
resistance is negligible.
 g m1
Mass m2 accelerates downwards at . What is ?
2 m2
1
A.
3
1
B.
2

C. 2

D. 3

[1]

19. 22M.1A.SL.TZ2.7

A book of mass m lies on top of a table of mass M that rolls freely along
the ground. The coefficient of friction between the book and the table is
μ. A person is pushing the rolling table.

What is the maximum acceleration of the table so that the book does
not slide backwards relative to the table?
 g
A.
μ

B. μ g
mg
C.
Mμ
m
D. μg
M

[1]

20. 22M.1A.SL.TZ2.5

An object is sliding from rest down a frictionless inclined plane. The

object slides 1.0 m during the first second.

What distance will the object slide during the next second?

A. 1.0 m
 B. 2.0 m

C. 3.0 m

D. 4.9 m

[1]

21. 22M.1A.SL.TZ2.6

An object of mass 2.0 kg rests on a rough surface. A person pushes the

object in a straight line with a force of 10 N through a distance d.

The resultant force acting on the object throughout d is 6.0 N.

What is the value of the sliding coefficient of friction μ between the

surface and the object and what is the acceleration a of the object?

[1]

22. 22M.1A.SL.TZ2.7

A rocket has just been launched vertically from Earth. The image shows
the free-body diagram of the rocket. F1 represents a larger force than F2.
 Which force pairs with F1 and which force pairs with F2, according to
Newton’s third law?

[1]

23. 22M.1A.SL.TZ2.8

An object is pushed from rest by a constant net force of 100 N. When the
object has travelled 2.0 m the object has reached a velocity of 10 m s −1.

What is the mass of the object?

A. 2 kg

B. 4 kg

C. 40 kg

D. 200 kg

[1]

24. 22M.2.SL.TZ1.1
A student uses a load to pull a box up a ramp inclined at 30°. A string of
constant length and negligible mass connects the box to the load that
falls vertically. The string passes over a pulley that runs on a frictionless
axle. Friction acts between the base of the box and the ramp. Air
resistance is negligible.

The load has a mass of 3.5 kg and is initially 0.95 m above the floor. The
mass of the box is 1.5 kg.

The load is released and accelerates downwards.

(a)

Outline two differences between the momentum of the box and the
momentum of the load at the same instant.

[2]
(b)

The vertical acceleration of the load downwards is 2.4 m s −2.

Calculate the tension in the string.

[2]

(c.i)

Show that the speed of the load when it hits the floor is about 2.1 m s −1.

[2]

(c.ii)

The radius of the pulley is 2.5 cm. Calculate the angular speed of
rotation of the pulley as the load hits the floor. State your answer to
an appropriate number of significant figures.

[2]
(d)

After the load has hit the floor, the box travels a further 0.35 m along
the ramp before coming to rest. Determine the average frictional
force between the box and the surface of the ramp.

[4]

(e)

The student then makes the ramp horizontal and applies a constant
horizontal force to the box. The force is just large enough to start
the box moving. The force continues to be applied after the box
begins to move.
 Explain, with reference to the frictional force acting, why the box
accelerates once it has started to move.

[3]

25. 21M.1A.SL.TZ1.8

Two identical boxes are stored in a warehouse as shown in the diagram.

Two forces acting on the top box and two forces acting on the bottom
box are shown.
Which is a force pair according to Newton’s third law?

A. 1 and 2

B. 3 and 4

C. 2 and 3

D. 2 and 4

[1]

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