PHYS 250 BUNDLED EXAMS 2026
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY GUIDE
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ Consider two equal masses M attached to the ends of massless rods,
of length R, as shown in the figure. Treat the two masses as point
masses, each located at a distance R from the point where the rods touch.
What is the moment of inertia of this system, about an axis
perpendicular to the page and passing through the point where the rods
touch? Answer: 2MR^2
⩥ Consider the three objects shown in water. The wood floats while the
aluminum and the steel sink. The wooden and aluminum blocks are the
same size. The aluminum and steel blocks have equal mass and the
density of steel is greater than the density of aluminum.
Which object has the greatest buoyancy force on it? Answer: The
aluminum
⩥ A mass is connected to a spring and is allowed to move horizontally.
The mass is at a position L when the spring is unstretched. The mass is
then moved, stretching the spring, and released from rest. It then moves
with simple harmonic motion.
, Part (a) At the instant that the mass passes through the position where
the spring is unstretched, what can be said about its instantaneous
acceleration?
Part (b) At the instant that the mass passes through the position where
the spring is unstretched, what can be said about its instantaneous speed?
Part (c) At the instant that the spring is compressed the most, what can
be said about the magnitude of its instantaneous velocity? Answer: (a) It
is zero.
(b) It is maximum.
(c) It is zero.
⩥ Part (a) Which of the following are true about traveling waves? Select
all that apply.
Part (b) Which of the following are true about all mechanical traveling
waves? Select all that apply. Answer: (a) Waves must have an
amplitude, wavelength, and frequency., Traveling waves are modeled as
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY GUIDE
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ Consider two equal masses M attached to the ends of massless rods,
of length R, as shown in the figure. Treat the two masses as point
masses, each located at a distance R from the point where the rods touch.
What is the moment of inertia of this system, about an axis
perpendicular to the page and passing through the point where the rods
touch? Answer: 2MR^2
⩥ Consider the three objects shown in water. The wood floats while the
aluminum and the steel sink. The wooden and aluminum blocks are the
same size. The aluminum and steel blocks have equal mass and the
density of steel is greater than the density of aluminum.
Which object has the greatest buoyancy force on it? Answer: The
aluminum
⩥ A mass is connected to a spring and is allowed to move horizontally.
The mass is at a position L when the spring is unstretched. The mass is
then moved, stretching the spring, and released from rest. It then moves
with simple harmonic motion.
, Part (a) At the instant that the mass passes through the position where
the spring is unstretched, what can be said about its instantaneous
acceleration?
Part (b) At the instant that the mass passes through the position where
the spring is unstretched, what can be said about its instantaneous speed?
Part (c) At the instant that the spring is compressed the most, what can
be said about the magnitude of its instantaneous velocity? Answer: (a) It
is zero.
(b) It is maximum.
(c) It is zero.
⩥ Part (a) Which of the following are true about traveling waves? Select
all that apply.
Part (b) Which of the following are true about all mechanical traveling
waves? Select all that apply. Answer: (a) Waves must have an
amplitude, wavelength, and frequency., Traveling waves are modeled as
