Chapter 3 (Vectors) Practice Test Name: ________________

AP Physics

1. A car travels 50 km East, then 32 km at 40o North of East, and finally 16 km

[W30S]. Find…

a) the displacement of the car in Unit Vector Notation.

b) the magniude of the car’s displacement.
c) the magnitude and direction required to return the car to its starting point.

2. Create a scale drawing of the situation in problem #1. Use 1 in = 10 km.

3. Given vectors A = 3i – 5j and B = -7i – 9j, and assuming that both vectors are in
the x-y plane, find:

a) A + B in unit vector form.

b) A - B in polar coordinate form.
c) C such that A + B + C = 0 in polar coordinate form.

4. A van travelling at 50 mph East finds itself moving at 32 mph South-East after
4 seconds of travel. Find the car’s average acceleration in ft/s2 (magnitude and
direction) during this portion of the trip.

5. A plane flies from Philadelphia to Detroit in a straight line at a constant speed of

200 mph relative to the ground. Detroit is located at 20o North of West relative to
Philadelphia. The wind is blowing at a steady rate of 10 mph North. Knowing that
the wind will blow him off course if he doesn’t account for it, the pilot points the
plane in a specific direction that allows the plane to ACTUALLY fly (relative to
the ground) in a straight line from city to city. Find the direction that the pilot
points the plane as well as the plane’s air-speed that allows for the straight-line trip.

6. Three concurrent (acting at the same point at the same time) forces act on an
object. They are F1 = 60N at 300o, F2 = 35 N at 60o above the positive x-axis, and
F3 = 200 N at 50o clockwise from the negative y-axis. What fourth force would
balance these three concurrent forces?

Bonus:

A vector is given by F = 5i + 3j + 6k. Find the angle between F and the y-axis.