CIRCULAR MOTION and ROTATION

1. A ring, a coin and a marble begin rolling down a hill together. Which will reach the bottom of the
hill first?
a) Ring b) coin c) marble d) they will reach the bottom at the same time.

Answer: (marble)
The ring and the coin has a mass concentrated farthest from the axis of rotation, thus it has a
greater rotational inertia and will be more “lazy” in gaining speed. The solid marble will roll
with greater acceleration. But if all the objects have the same shape regardless of its mass,
then all will reach the bottom of the hill at the same time.

2. A ladybug sits halfway between the axis and the edge of a rotating turntable. What will happen to
the ladybug’s linear speed if the ladybug sits at the edge?

a) Double
b) Remain the same
c) Halved
d) Cannot be determined

Answer: A (double)
Linear speed of an object in a rotational motion increases as the object moves away from the
center, while its angular speed remains the same.

3. Assume that the earth shrinks but its mass remains the same. What would happen to the value of
your weight?
a) Increase
b) Decrease
c) Remain the same
d) Cannot be determined

answer: increase
weight is the gravitational force of attraction of the earth to an object and it depends on two
factors namely; mass of the object and its distance to the center of the earth. If the earth will
shrink therefore the object became closer to the earth’s center and so your weight will increase.
4. Which glass in the figure is unstable and will topple?
B
A

a) A b) B c) both A and B d) cannot be determined

Answer: Glass B
since it is filled thus it is unstable and is likely to topple, since its Center of Gravity is either
not supported or very nearly not supported, depending on the relative weights of the glass
and the liquid.

5. A heavy iron cylinder and a light wooden cylinder, similar in shape, roll down an incline. Which
will have more acceleration?

a) A , heavy iron cylinder

b) B, light wooden cylinder
c) Same acceleration
d) Same at the start, but as they roll, the heavy iron cylinder accelerate more

Answer: C
Equally
Objects of the same shape but different sizes accelerate equally when rolled down an incline.
Why? Because objects of the same shape have the same “laziness per mass” ratio.

6. A 16 ft seesaw is pivoted in the center.  At what distance from the center would a 200 lb person
sit to balance a 150 lb person on the opposite end? 6ft

16ft

a) 8 ft ?
b) 7ft
c) 6ft
 d) 5ft

Answer: C
Clockwise Torque = Counterclockwise Torque
Force x lever arm = Force x lever arm
150 lb x 8 ft = 200 lb x Z ft
Z = 1200 lb - ft
200 lb
Z = 6ft

7. A particle of mass of 0.2 kg is found to stretch a certain spring by 5-cm. What is the force
constant of the spring?
a) 1 N/m
b) 4 N/m
c) 25 N/m
d) 39.2 N/m

Answer: D

K = F/x = mg / x = (0.2kg)(9.8 m/s/s)/0.05 m = 39.2 N/m

8. If the radius of the path of an object in uniform circular motion is doubled. What can be said
about the centripetal force needed if its speed remains the same?
a) Half as great as before
b) the same as before
c) twice as great as before
d) four times as great as before;

answer: A

(Fc = mv2/r ; r = mv2/Fc),

from the equation the radius is inversely proportional to the centripetal force.

9. Refer to the figure below, pendulum A has a bob with smaller value of mass compared to
pendulum B. Which will swing faster, pendulum A or pendulum B assume they have equal length

A B

a) Pendulum A
b) Pendulum B
 c) They will swing at the same rate
d) Cannot be determined

Answer: C

The mass of the bob will not affect the rate at which the pendulum swings. The factors that will
affect the rate are: length of the string and value of the acceleration due to gravity.
T = 2(l/g)1/2

10. Consider the figure below; A pendulum clock is in an elevator. The clock will run fast when the
elevator is __________

a) Rising at constant speed

b) falling at constant speed
c) accelerating upward
d) accelerating downward

(answer: c)

When the elevator moves up the pendulum clock run faster than at rest, the pendulum
experiences gravity plus an upward acceleration: a total of 17.64 m/s/s.

Au= 9.8m/s2+(9.8m/s2*0.8) = 17.64m/s2

From the pendulum equation: T = 2(l/g)1/2 ; frequency = 1/T; Thus the frequency of the
pendulum clock is proportional to g.

11. The period of a simple harmonic oscillator is independent of its

a) Frequency b) amplitude c) force constant d) mass

Answer: B
A mass m attached to a spring of spring constant k exhibits simple harmonic motion in
space. The equation

shows that the period of oscillation is independent of both the amplitude and gravitational
acceleration.
 12. The horizontal spring shown in the figure has a force constant of 160 N/m, attached to the free
end of the spring is a 10- kg block. If the spring is pulled out 50-cm from its equilibrium and then
release, what will the block’s speed be when it returns to the equilibrium position?

10 kg

50 cm

a) 0.08 m/s
b) 2 m/s
c) 4 m/s
d) 10 m/s

Answer : B
v = (k/m)1/2 (x)
= (160 N/m/ 10 kg) ½ (0.5 cm)
= 2 m/s

13. Consider a traffic light suspended by cords as shown in the sketch below. What is the tension on
the third cord?

a) T3 = w + T 1 + T2
b) T3 = - w - T 1 - T2
c) T3 = w
d) T3 = -w

Answer: D

Tension T3 is easy so we will look at the first. This tension in a vertical cord supporting a weight is just
equal to the weight. In the diagram below, we have drawn in the forces acting on the traffic light. The
only forces acting on the traffic light are w, the weight acting downward, and T3, the upward force due to
the vertical cable. T3 is the tension in this cable. Clearly

14. What are the factors that determine the speed of a satellite, which moves in a stable orbit around a
planet? (G represents the universal gravitational constant)

(A) Mass of the planet and G

(B) Mass of the satellite and G
(C) Mass of the satellite, mass of the planet, and G
(D) Orbital radius of the satellite, mass of the planet, and G
Answer: D
Near the earth the gravitational force on an object is its weight mg. for uniform circular motion
around the earth, this force must provide the object with the centripetal force mv2/ r.. The
condition for a stable orbit is therefore mg = mv2 /r, so
V =( rg)1/2
From the equation the factor that determines the speed of satellite to have a stable orbit are;
Radius ; g of that planet which is related to the mass of the planet.