Physics 007 sample midterm #1 (spring 2010)

Physics 007: sample midterm #1 (spring 2010)1. Newton assumed that space isA) RelativeB) SphericalC) ContractingD) FiniteE) Absolute2. Aristotle thought thatA) The Earth moved around the sunB) Only the gods can move an objectsC) Only forces change the motion of objectsD) The all objects move according to their natureE) Even the gods cannot move any object3. A frame of reference isA) A system of measuring apparatuses, at rest with respect to the Earth, whichdetermine the position and time of occurrence of any event.B) A system of measuring apparatuses, at rest with respect to one another, whichdetermine the position and time of occurrence of any event.C) A system of measuring apparatuses, at rest with respect to the Sun, whichdetermine the position and time of occurrence of any event.D) A book where all physical formulae can be found.E) None of the above.4. According to CopernicusA) All planets and the Sun run in ellipses about each other.B) All planets except the Earth move in circles around the Sun.C) The Earth is fixed but it is seen to move due to an optical illusion.D) The Sun is not fixed but it is seen to be fixed due to an optical illusion.E) All the planets move in circles around the Sun.Page 1

5. Heraclitus the Young drops a rock and sees it fall down. Being a pupil of Aristotle hebelieves that this is caused byA) The magnetic attraction of the EarthB) The natural motion of the rock which makes it move towards the center of theuniverseC) The wind that is created as the rock movesD) The gravitational attraction of the EarthE) The fact that the Earth rises up to meet the rock6. A consequence of Galileo's principle of relativity is thatA) Velocity is absolute.B) Space has three dimensions.C) Velocity is relative.D) Acceleration is completely relative.E) The speed of sound is constant.7. The retrograde motion of planets in the heliocentric model is a result ofA) The fact that light travels at infinite speedB) The vacuum of spaceC) The rotation of the sunD) The absence of gravity in spaceE) The different speed of the planets as they move around the sun8. A scientific theory can be accepted only ifA) It is supported by a majority of scientistsB) It is snactioned by the National Academy of Sciences.C) It has limited applicabilityD) It is first proven to be abolutely true in all circumstances and situationsE) It describes correctly all available observations and experimental results9. The epicycle model was created toA) Account for Kerpler's third lawB) Complicate matters so that only a few astronomers would understand the way inwhich the solar system worksC) Provide a simpler alternative to the heliocentric modelD) Satisfy Galileo's ideas about motionE) Reconcile the observations with the idea that the planets move in circlesPage 2

10. Among the many observations of Tycho Brahe, one that did not support Aristotle'smodel of the Cosmos wasA) The position of the planetsB) The appearance of a supernova (exploding star) in 1572.C) The phases of the Moon.D) The position of the planet Jupiter which behaved very strangely in 1582.E) The variation in the orbit of Mars.11. During the Middle AgesA) All the works from the Greek civilization were lost forever.B) The telescope was invented.C) The Sun was almost universally believed to be at the center of the universe.D) The Earth was almost universally believed to be at the center of the universe.E) The teachings of the Catholic Church were completely ignored.12. Galileo found that the Moon had mountains and this distressed Aristotle's followersbecauseA) This meant that the moon did not moveB) This showed that the Sun moves around the EarthC) This contradicted the idea that the Moon was a perfect sphereD) The Moon was supposed to be made of cheeseE) This could only happen is the Earth circled the Moon13. A philosopher living in New York claims that every time he meditatates the number ofviolent crimes in California drops; if we follow Ochkam's reasonong one shouldA) Take this as a proof of the dominance of mind over matterB) Take his claim as true and give him a raiseC) Hire more philosophers and fewer policemen.D) Take this as a proof of the weak mindedness of all criminalsE) Be very skeptical as there is no clear connection between this man's mind and thatof the Califnornian criminals14. Newton's showed that the gravitational forceA) Depended on the speed of the bodiesB) Is independent of the distanceC) Decreases as the square of the distanceD) Increases with the distanceE) Had a different form for every planetPage 3

15. The Apollo spacecraft traveled from the Earth to the Moon usingA) A really big slingshotB) The heat from the engine that created a vacuum that pulled the rocket forwardC) The repulsion by the Earth's magnetic forceD) The Sun's gravitational pull to get thereE) The reaction the rocket experience from expelling gases16. GalileoA) Was not the first person to observe the moons of Jupiter.B) Did not accurately define the concepts of velocity and acceleration.C) Was not the first person to turn the telescope onto the heavens.D) Did not conceive the first pendulum clock.E) Did not support the idea of a perfect and unchanging heavens beyond the moon.17. The number 10 7 equalsA) None of the choices presentedB) 10000000C) 0.0000001D) 107E) 0.00118. Ptolemy is famous becauseA) He developed a calendar which is used today throughout the world.B) He determined that the sun is at the center of the solar system (though thisdiscovery was lost during the Middle ages).C) He perfected the epicyclical model of the solar system with the Earth at the center.D) He perfected the epicyclical model of the solar system with the Sun at the center.E) He translated the work of other Greek scientists into Latin.19. While a train is moving at 1 m/s in a straight line, the conductor throws his key-ringtowards the back of the train; the speed of the key-ring, as measured inside the train, isalso 1 m/s. As seen form the platform the speed of the key-ring (ignore the effects ofgravity on the key-ring)A) Cannot be determinedB) Equals 1 m/sC) Would be infiniteD) Equals 2 m/sE) Equals 0 m/sPage 4

20. The scientific method is based onA) The validation of hypotheses based on their underlying philosophyB) The verification of hypothesis using experimentation and observationC) Consensus obtained through voting by the scientific communityD) Majority ruleE) The verification of hypotheses using argumentation21. One of Kepler's laws of motion of the planets isA) All planets move around the earthB) The moon does not spin on it axisC) All planets fall towards the sunD) All planets move in ellipses around the sunE) All planets move away from the sun22. In inertial frame of reference it is observed thatA) Bodies are affected by gravity independently of their massB) Bodies not affected by forces move at constant speed in a straight lineC) Heavier bodies fall faster than light ones.D) Bodies do not move at all.E) Bodies not affected by forces move at constant acceleration in a straight line.23. Two observers perform identical experiments in two spaceships moving at constantspeed (in a straight line) with respect to one another; the ships are far away from allstellar systems. Their results willA) Be almost the same, a small discrepancy occurs when they move at right-angleswith respect to one anotherB) Be identicalC) Be differentD) Cannot be compared because the ships are always far from each otherE) Be identical even if one ship accelerates24. William of Ockham stated that “entities should not be needlessly multiplied'”; by this hemeantA) Spirits rule the natural worldB) All entities are subjective.C) Birth control should be institutionalized.D) The best theory is as complicated as possible.E) The simplest explanation (the one with the least number of assumptions) is thepreferred one.Page 5

25. Pythagoras is well remembered by his theorem which states thatA) The magnitude of the sides of a triangle is independent of its anglesB) The sum of the squares of the lengths of the small sides of a right triangle equalsthe square of the length of the largest sideC) All angles in a right triangle are equalD) Every right triangle has a 90 o angleE) The sum of the cubes of the lengths of the of the small sides of a right triangleequals the cube of the length of the largest side26. Aristotle believed thatA) The sun was the center of the universeB) The moon circled the sunC) The sun circled the earth but all the other planets circled the sunD) The universe had no centerE) The earth was the center of the universe27. Erathostenes was able toA) Prove that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle was equal to the sum ofthe squares of the other two sides.B) Show that the musical scales were related to the integer numbers, and convincedhis contemporaries that the motion of the planets generated the “music in thespheres”.C) Predict that the motion of the planets and eclipses fairly well with hisearth-centered model of the universe.D) Measure the radius, diameter and circumference of the earth to a high degree ofaccuracy.E) Measure the ratio of the distance to the moon from earth to the radius of the earth.Page 6

Answer Key1. E2. D3. B4. E5. B6. C7. E8. E9. E10. B11. D12. C13. E14. C15. E16. E17. B18. C19. E20. B21. D22. B23. B24. E25. B26. E27. DPage 7