Ch01
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. People sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between scientific explanations of common events and
other kinds of explanation (superstition, prejudice, magic, etc.). Which of the following best helps to
identify a scientific explanation?
A. The explanation goes against the results of public opinion polls.
B. The explanation changes according to the social status of the observer.
C. We can test the explanation by comparing its predictions to measurement results.
D. The explanation relies on local folklore.
2. The main reason that physics is perceived to be difficult is because people think that
A. all of its concepts seem incompatible with our everyday experience.
B. it frequently changes its explanations of common occurrences.
C. the laws of physics are often shown to be wrong.
D. math is required to understand its ideas.
3. The metric system of units is based on which number?
A. 2
B. 8
C. 10
D. 16
4. Which of the following is a correct metric unit for volume?
A. Smidgens.
B. Drops.
C. Microns.
D. Liters.
5. A new system of units is invented where the basic unit of length is the "dak." The "dak" is defined as
equal to 2 inches, and there are 2.54 centimeters in an inch. How many "daks" are there in a centimeter?
A. 4
B. 0.197
C. 2
D. 0.254
6. Suppose that, as it evaporates in the upper atmosphere, a raindrop's diameter changes in one minute from
one millimeter to one micrometer. Its diameter has decreased by a factor of
A. 10, i.e., it is one tenth of the initial size.
B. 100, i.e., it is one hundredth of the initial size.
C. 1,000 (or, 103), i.e., it is one thousandth of the initial size.
D. 1,000,000 (or, 106), i.e., it is one millionth of the initial size.
7. Your new weed-cutter requires, as fuel, a gas-to-oil mixture of 20-to-1 (20 parts of gas mixed with one
part of oil). You have 1/2 of a gallon of gas. How much oil, in gallons, should you add to make it all into
fuel for the weed-cutter?
A. 2
B. 1/2
C. 1/20
D. 1/40
,8. Students often fail to include units with their answers. Science teachers say that units are important. In
which one of the following situations would you insist that units be included?
A. Your brother asks if you would like a large soda for lunch.
B. A friend offers you two per mile to help pay for gas on a trip.
C. Your manager says you can take a break when the project you are working on is halfway finished.
D. A police officer says you did not stop at a red light.
9. In which of these relations will S double if T is doubled?
A. S = 10T
B. T = 1/S
C. T = S*S
D. S = 1/T
10. Physics is considered the "Fundamental Science" because
A. if a person understands physics, he or she does not need to know anything about other sciences.
B. physics offers the only exact explanations of how things work; other sciences only provide
approximate answers.
C. it makes the most use of mathematics.
D. the ideas and concepts of physics are an important part of the foundation of other sciences.
11. The development of physics concepts depends heavily on measurements because
A. measurements are needed to prove ideas true or false.
B. without measurements, we would not know what to explain with physics.
C. measurements involve mathematics.
D. physicists like numbers more than words.
12. The study of everyday phenomena allows us to
A. develop an understanding of the concepts used to describe more abstract concepts.
B. develop an appreciation of the physical universe around us.
C. develop our intuition and adjust our "common sense" to understand these phenomena.
D. All of the choices are correct.
13. A certain parcel of real estate is sold for 7.0 Mega dollars. What is the correct scientific notation for this
selling price?
A. 7.0 × 106 dollars
B. 7 × 106 dollars
C. 70 × 105 dollars
D. 10 × 107 dollars
14. If a car travels at a constant speed, the distance the car travels in a certain time can be found using the
relation d = st where d represents distance, s speed, and t time. This relationship can be expressed in
words as
A. distance equals speed minus time.
B. multiply speed and time to obtain the distance traveled.
C. distance equals speed divided by time.
D. speed is the reciprocal of time and the inverse of distance.
15. If 2 people can knit a total of 12 socks per hour, how many socks can five people knit in an 8 hour work
day?
A. 200
B. 240
C. 120
D. 36
,16. One inch is defined as 2.54 centimeters. The correct expression for a one-inch length, expressed in
meters, is
A. 2.54 × 102 meters
B. 2.54 × 101 meters
C. 2.54 × 10-2 meters
D. 2.54 × 10-1 meters
17. It's well known that lightning strikes tall objects more frequently than short objects. Which of the
following explanations of this phenomenon could be checked for validity?
A. Tall objects always contain more structural steel than short objects.
B. Tall objects are always pointed at the top.
C. Short objects do not attract lightning because they do not conduct electricity.
D. All of these choices could be checked for validity.
18. Suppose a theory is used to make a prediction. A measurement is carried out to test the prediction. The
measurement is found to have a value far larger than the prediction. This means
A. the theory must be completely incorrect and must be rejected entirely.
B. nothing because theories are not facts; theories often make incorrect predictions but are still regarded
as true by scientists.
C. the measurement must be incorrect; theories by definition cannot be incorrect.
D. the theory might have correct elements but must be modified to account for some unforeseen
influences.
19. By expressing relationships between quantities using mathematics, we can
A. describe the relationships more exactly; words cannot possibly describe a relationship.
B. avoid needing to be concerned with units.
C. make our statements more compact and make manipulations easier.
D. make understanding our ideas more comfortable for everyone, including nonscientists.
20. In order to gain a more scientific worldview, the student is encouraged to
A. perform simple experiments at home.
B. perform experiments, but only in the laboratory.
C. refrain from experiments; they are all too complicated.
D. consult the oldest books available.
21. Which of the following is not a major subfield of physics?
A. Electricity and magnetism.
B. Thermodynamics.
C. Statistics.
D. Optics.
22. A person claims that he can start fires by using his mental powers. If we start with the hypothesis that his
claim is true, we can
A. put him in a room with just a newspaper and watch him start a fire.
B. do nothing; this is not a testable hypothesis.
C. make him explain how he starts fires with his mind.
D. watch a video of him starting a fire with his mind.
23. The study of rainbows would fall under what subfield of physics?
A. Mechanics.
B. Thermodynamics.
C. Optics.
D. Electricity and magnetism.
E. Atomic physics.
, 24. The key distinction between explanations provided by science and religion is
A. truth.
B. simplicity.
C. beauty.
D. testability.
25. The principal advantage of metric units over English units is that
A. metric units are of more convenient size.
B. conversions between units are easier.
C. metric units are more familiar.
D. there are fewer metric units to remember than English units.
26. Suppose you are told that the force on a body (F) is given by the product of its mass (m) and the
acceleration of the body (a). Which of the following mathematical equations is the correct expression of
this relationship?
A. F = m/a
B. F = m + a
C. F = a/m
D. F = m × a
E. F = 1/(m × a)
27. At night you get in your car to drive to the store. The car starts but none of the lights work. Which of the
following activities would not be considered part of the scientific method?
A. Slam the hood down hard.
B. Check the fuse in the light circuit.
C. Check the wiring from the battery to the lights.
D. Replace the light bulbs with new bulbs.
28. A scout steps off a distance of 120 steps. If each step is 70 cm, what is the distance in meters?
A. 8.4 m
B. 84 m
C. 840 m
D. 8400 m
29. The metric unit most comparable in size to the English inch unit is the
A. micrometer.
B. millimeter.
C. centimeter.
D. meter.
E. kilometer.
30. Which of the following units is not appropriate for measuring volume?
A. cup.
B. liter.
C. centimeter.
D. pint.
E. milliliter.
31. If you start with the number 3.0 and move the decimal point one unit to the left, you wind up with 0.30.
If you move the decimal point a total of five units to the left, the result is the same as that of dividing the
original number by
A. 10.
B. 103.
C. 104.
D. 105.
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. People sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between scientific explanations of common events and
other kinds of explanation (superstition, prejudice, magic, etc.). Which of the following best helps to
identify a scientific explanation?
A. The explanation goes against the results of public opinion polls.
B. The explanation changes according to the social status of the observer.
C. We can test the explanation by comparing its predictions to measurement results.
D. The explanation relies on local folklore.
2. The main reason that physics is perceived to be difficult is because people think that
A. all of its concepts seem incompatible with our everyday experience.
B. it frequently changes its explanations of common occurrences.
C. the laws of physics are often shown to be wrong.
D. math is required to understand its ideas.
3. The metric system of units is based on which number?
A. 2
B. 8
C. 10
D. 16
4. Which of the following is a correct metric unit for volume?
A. Smidgens.
B. Drops.
C. Microns.
D. Liters.
5. A new system of units is invented where the basic unit of length is the "dak." The "dak" is defined as
equal to 2 inches, and there are 2.54 centimeters in an inch. How many "daks" are there in a centimeter?
A. 4
B. 0.197
C. 2
D. 0.254
6. Suppose that, as it evaporates in the upper atmosphere, a raindrop's diameter changes in one minute from
one millimeter to one micrometer. Its diameter has decreased by a factor of
A. 10, i.e., it is one tenth of the initial size.
B. 100, i.e., it is one hundredth of the initial size.
C. 1,000 (or, 103), i.e., it is one thousandth of the initial size.
D. 1,000,000 (or, 106), i.e., it is one millionth of the initial size.
7. Your new weed-cutter requires, as fuel, a gas-to-oil mixture of 20-to-1 (20 parts of gas mixed with one
part of oil). You have 1/2 of a gallon of gas. How much oil, in gallons, should you add to make it all into
fuel for the weed-cutter?
A. 2
B. 1/2
C. 1/20
D. 1/40
,8. Students often fail to include units with their answers. Science teachers say that units are important. In
which one of the following situations would you insist that units be included?
A. Your brother asks if you would like a large soda for lunch.
B. A friend offers you two per mile to help pay for gas on a trip.
C. Your manager says you can take a break when the project you are working on is halfway finished.
D. A police officer says you did not stop at a red light.
9. In which of these relations will S double if T is doubled?
A. S = 10T
B. T = 1/S
C. T = S*S
D. S = 1/T
10. Physics is considered the "Fundamental Science" because
A. if a person understands physics, he or she does not need to know anything about other sciences.
B. physics offers the only exact explanations of how things work; other sciences only provide
approximate answers.
C. it makes the most use of mathematics.
D. the ideas and concepts of physics are an important part of the foundation of other sciences.
11. The development of physics concepts depends heavily on measurements because
A. measurements are needed to prove ideas true or false.
B. without measurements, we would not know what to explain with physics.
C. measurements involve mathematics.
D. physicists like numbers more than words.
12. The study of everyday phenomena allows us to
A. develop an understanding of the concepts used to describe more abstract concepts.
B. develop an appreciation of the physical universe around us.
C. develop our intuition and adjust our "common sense" to understand these phenomena.
D. All of the choices are correct.
13. A certain parcel of real estate is sold for 7.0 Mega dollars. What is the correct scientific notation for this
selling price?
A. 7.0 × 106 dollars
B. 7 × 106 dollars
C. 70 × 105 dollars
D. 10 × 107 dollars
14. If a car travels at a constant speed, the distance the car travels in a certain time can be found using the
relation d = st where d represents distance, s speed, and t time. This relationship can be expressed in
words as
A. distance equals speed minus time.
B. multiply speed and time to obtain the distance traveled.
C. distance equals speed divided by time.
D. speed is the reciprocal of time and the inverse of distance.
15. If 2 people can knit a total of 12 socks per hour, how many socks can five people knit in an 8 hour work
day?
A. 200
B. 240
C. 120
D. 36
,16. One inch is defined as 2.54 centimeters. The correct expression for a one-inch length, expressed in
meters, is
A. 2.54 × 102 meters
B. 2.54 × 101 meters
C. 2.54 × 10-2 meters
D. 2.54 × 10-1 meters
17. It's well known that lightning strikes tall objects more frequently than short objects. Which of the
following explanations of this phenomenon could be checked for validity?
A. Tall objects always contain more structural steel than short objects.
B. Tall objects are always pointed at the top.
C. Short objects do not attract lightning because they do not conduct electricity.
D. All of these choices could be checked for validity.
18. Suppose a theory is used to make a prediction. A measurement is carried out to test the prediction. The
measurement is found to have a value far larger than the prediction. This means
A. the theory must be completely incorrect and must be rejected entirely.
B. nothing because theories are not facts; theories often make incorrect predictions but are still regarded
as true by scientists.
C. the measurement must be incorrect; theories by definition cannot be incorrect.
D. the theory might have correct elements but must be modified to account for some unforeseen
influences.
19. By expressing relationships between quantities using mathematics, we can
A. describe the relationships more exactly; words cannot possibly describe a relationship.
B. avoid needing to be concerned with units.
C. make our statements more compact and make manipulations easier.
D. make understanding our ideas more comfortable for everyone, including nonscientists.
20. In order to gain a more scientific worldview, the student is encouraged to
A. perform simple experiments at home.
B. perform experiments, but only in the laboratory.
C. refrain from experiments; they are all too complicated.
D. consult the oldest books available.
21. Which of the following is not a major subfield of physics?
A. Electricity and magnetism.
B. Thermodynamics.
C. Statistics.
D. Optics.
22. A person claims that he can start fires by using his mental powers. If we start with the hypothesis that his
claim is true, we can
A. put him in a room with just a newspaper and watch him start a fire.
B. do nothing; this is not a testable hypothesis.
C. make him explain how he starts fires with his mind.
D. watch a video of him starting a fire with his mind.
23. The study of rainbows would fall under what subfield of physics?
A. Mechanics.
B. Thermodynamics.
C. Optics.
D. Electricity and magnetism.
E. Atomic physics.
, 24. The key distinction between explanations provided by science and religion is
A. truth.
B. simplicity.
C. beauty.
D. testability.
25. The principal advantage of metric units over English units is that
A. metric units are of more convenient size.
B. conversions between units are easier.
C. metric units are more familiar.
D. there are fewer metric units to remember than English units.
26. Suppose you are told that the force on a body (F) is given by the product of its mass (m) and the
acceleration of the body (a). Which of the following mathematical equations is the correct expression of
this relationship?
A. F = m/a
B. F = m + a
C. F = a/m
D. F = m × a
E. F = 1/(m × a)
27. At night you get in your car to drive to the store. The car starts but none of the lights work. Which of the
following activities would not be considered part of the scientific method?
A. Slam the hood down hard.
B. Check the fuse in the light circuit.
C. Check the wiring from the battery to the lights.
D. Replace the light bulbs with new bulbs.
28. A scout steps off a distance of 120 steps. If each step is 70 cm, what is the distance in meters?
A. 8.4 m
B. 84 m
C. 840 m
D. 8400 m
29. The metric unit most comparable in size to the English inch unit is the
A. micrometer.
B. millimeter.
C. centimeter.
D. meter.
E. kilometer.
30. Which of the following units is not appropriate for measuring volume?
A. cup.
B. liter.
C. centimeter.
D. pint.
E. milliliter.
31. If you start with the number 3.0 and move the decimal point one unit to the left, you wind up with 0.30.
If you move the decimal point a total of five units to the left, the result is the same as that of dividing the
original number by
A. 10.
B. 103.
C. 104.
D. 105.
