Physics Practice Problems

Use your physics formulas to answer the word problems below. Remember, when
solving word problems ask yourself the following questions:
 What is the problem asking for?
 What information is provided?
 If a formula is required, plug in variables, and do the math.

Formulas:
Velocity:
V = d/t Slope = (y2-y1)/ (x2-x1)
a = (Vf – Vi)/t F = ma
Gravity has a constant acceleration of 9.8 m/s2 or 9.81 m/s2 toward the center of the earth

Acceleration and Newton's 3 laws:

1. A car is traveling at 28 meters econd north; 10 seconds later the car is traveling 15
meters per second north. What is the car’s acceleration?

2. A car with a mass of 2150 kg is traveling at west 70 m/s, two minutes later the car
is traveling west at 100 m/s. What is the car’s acceleration?

3. If a tow truck pulls a 907-kilogram pickup with a force of 1500 Newtons. How fast
do the trucks accelerate?

4. I have a mass of 500 kg. What force is needed to accelerate me at 1m/s2?

5. A 77 kg man jumps out of a plane. What force does gravity exert on him?

6. A 75 kg person in a frictionless environment throws a 5 kg ball with a force of 15 N.

What is the acceleration of the ball & the person?

7. Two students tug – o –war. One pulls with a force of 5 Newtons to the right, one
pulls with a force of 7 Newtons to the left. Which way does the rope move?

8. Two students push a car out of the mud. One pushes with 10 Newtons, the other
with 7 Newtons. Will they overcome the friction force of 15 Newtons?

9. A ball roll… What forces act on the ball?

10. What happens to an object when an unbalanced force acts on it?

Force and Newton’s 3 Laws:
11. A store clerk pushes a row of shopping carts through the parking lot, accelerating
them at 1 m/s2. If the carts have a mass of 300 kilograms, how much force did the
clerk put on the carts?

12. How much force is required to accelerate a 30 000 kg truck at 5 m/s2?

13. A man weighing 370 kg runs at 5 m/s into a brick wall. Assuming he slows to a speed
of zero m/s in .01 seconds, what force does the wall exert on his face?

14. An 80 kg woman stands on the sidewalk. What force does the sidewalk exert on
her feet?

15. According to Newton’s second law, what is the acceleration of an object with
balanced forces acting on it?

16. What is inertia? Use the concept of inertia to explain why you should wear a
seat belt.

17. Draw a free-body diagram of an object with balanced forces acting on it.

18. What is the net force on an object experiencing balanced forces?

19. If a 100kg person jumps out of a plane, how fast do they accelerate?

20. If a 100kg person jumps out of a plane how much force will gravity put on them?

21. A ball rolls forward with a velocity of Blah m/s. Draw a free body diagram of the
forces acting on the ball and indicate the direction of motion.

22. Will the ball in number 21 above accelerate? Explain your answer.