The Bronx High School of Science Version A ______

Physics - Exam
Base your answers to questions 1 through 3 on the
following information. In the diagram below, a 10.-
kilogram sphere, A, is projected horizontally with a
velocity of 30. meters per second due east from a height
of 20. meters above level ground. At the same instant, a
20.-kilogram sphere, B, is projected horizontally with a
velocity of 10. meters per second due west from a height
of 80. meters above level ground. [Neglect air friction.]

1. Initially, the spheres are separated by a horizontal

distance of 100. meters. What is the horizontal
separation of the spheres at the end of 1.5 seconds?
(A) 40. m (C) 45 m
(B) 15 m (D) 30 m
2. The magnitude of the horizontal acceleration of
sphere A is
(A) 0.0 m/s2 (C) 9.8 m/s2
(B) 2.0 m/s2 (D) 15 m/s2
3. Compared to the vertical acceleration of sphere A,
the vertical acceleration of sphere B is
(A) the same (C) one-half as great
(B) twice as great (D) four times as great

Version A Page 1
Base your answers to questions 4 and 5 on the information and diagram below.

A student standing on a knoll throws a snowball horizontally 4.5 meters above the level ground toward a
smokestack 15 meters away. The snowball hits the smokestack 0.65 second after being released. [Neglect air
resistance.]

4. At the instant the snowball is released, the horizontal component of its velocity is approximately
(A) 23 m/s (B) 9.8 m/s (C) 6.9 m/s (D) 17 m/s
5. Approximately how far above the level ground does the snowball hit the smokestack?
(A) 0.4 m (B) 2.4 m (C) 0.0 m (D) 4.5 m
6. The diagram below shows the muzzle of a cannon 7. A baseball player throws a ball horizontally. Which
located 50. meters above the ground. When the statement best describes the ball's motion after it is
cannon is fired, a ball leaves the muzzle with an thrown? [Neglect the effect of friction.]
initial horizontal speed of 250. meters per second. (A) Its vertical speed increases, and its horizontal
[Neglect air resistance.] speed increases.
(B) Its vertical speed remains the same, and its
horizontal speed increases.
(C) Its vertical speed increases, and its horizontal
speed remains the same.
(D) Its vertical speed remains the same, and its
horizontal speed remains the same.

Which action would most likely increase the time

of flight of a ball fired by the cannon?
(A) giving the ball a greater initial horizontal
velocity
(B) moving the cannon closer to the edge of the cliff
(C) positioning the cannon higher above the ground
(D) pointing the muzzle of the cannon toward the
ground

Version A Page 2
Base your answers to questions 8 through 10 on the 11. The diagram below shows a student throwing a
information and diagram below. baseball horizontally at 25 meters per second from
a cliff 45 meters above the level ground.
A ball is thrown horizontally with an initial
velocity of 20.0 meters per second from the top
of a tower 60.0 meters high.

Approximately how far from the base of the cliff

8. What is the horizontal velocity of the ball just does the ball hit the ground? [Neglect air
before it reaches the ground? [Neglect air resistance.]
resistance.] (A) 75 m (C) 230 m
(A) 34.3 m/s (C) 68.6 m/s (B) 140 m (D) 45 m
(B) 20.0 m/s (D) 9.81 m/s Base your answers to questions 12 and 13 on the
9. What is the initial vertical velocity of the ball? information and diagram below.
(A) 9.81 m/s (C) 60.0 m/s A child kicks a ball with an initial velocity of
(B) 20.0 m/s (D) 0 m/s 8.5 meters per second at an angle of 35º with the
10. What is the approximate total time required for the horizontal, as shown. The ball has an initial
ball to reach the ground? [Neglect air resistance.] vertical velocity of 4.9 meters per second and a
total time of flight of 1.0 second. [Neglect air
(A) 12.2 s (C) 3.00 s
resistance.]
(B) 2.04 s (D) 3.50 s

12. The horizontal component of the ball’s initial

velocity is approximately
(A) 7.0 m/s (C) 4.9 m/s
(B) 13 m/s (D) 3.6 m/s

Version A Page 3
 13. The maximum height reached by the ball is 18. What is the total displacement of the ball from the
approximately time it is thrown until it returns to the point from
(A) 1.2 m (C) 4.9 m which it was thrown?
(B) 2.5 m (D) 8.5 m (A) 9.8 m (C) 0 m
(B) 248 m (D) 49 m
14. A plane flying horizontally above Earth’s surface at 19. Which graph best represents the relationship
100. meters per second drops a crate. The crate between velocity and time for the motion of the
strikes the ground 30.0 seconds later. What is the ball?
magnitude of the horizontal component of the
crate’s velocity just before it strikes the ground?
[Neglect friction.]
(A) 394 m/s (C) 294 m/s
(A) (C)
(B) 0 m/s (D) 100. m/s
Base your answers to questions 15 through 19 on the
information below.

A ball is projected vertically upward from

the surface of the Earth with an initial speed of (B) (D)
+49 meters per second. The ball reaches its
maximum height in 5.0 seconds. (Disregard air
resistance.)
20. A rock is thrown horizontally from the top of a cliff
at 12 meters per second. Approximately how long
15. Which graph best represents the relationship
does it take the rock to fall 45 meters vertically?
between displacement and time for the motion of
[Assume negligible air resistance.]
the ball?
(A) 1.0 s (C) 3.0 s
(B) 5.0 s (D) 8.0 s
21. Above a flat horizontal plane, an arrow, A, is shot
horizontally from a bow at a speed of 50 meters per
second, as shown in the diagram below. A second
(A) (C) arrow, B, is dropped from the same height and at
the same instant as A is fired.

(B) (D)

16. What is the maximum height reached by the ball?

(A) 122.5 m (C) 245 m
(B) 49.0 m (D) 24.5 m
17. What is the velocity of the ball just as it returns to Neglecting air friction, compared to the amount of
the point from which it was thrown? time A takes to strike the plane, the amount of time
(A) +49 m/s (C) 0 m/s B takes to strike the plane is
(B) –49 m/s (D) –9.8 m/s (A) less (C) the same
(B) greater

Version A Page 4
 22. A ball is thrown horizontally at a speed of 20. 26. A 2-kilogram block is dropped from the roof of a
meters per second from the top of a cliff. How long tall building at the same time a 6-kilogram ball is
does the ball take to fall 19.6 meters to the ground? thrown horizontally from the same height. Which
(A) 1.0 s (C) 9.8 s statement best describes the motion of the block
(B) 2.0 s (D) 4.0 s and the motion of the ball? [Neglect air resistance.]
(A) The 6-kg ball hits the ground first because it
23. A book is pushed with an initial horizontal velocity has more mass.
of 5.0 meters per second off the top of a desk. What (B) The 2-kg block hits the ground first because it
is the initial vertical velocity of the book? has no horizontal velocity.
(A) 2.5 m/s (C) 0 m/s (C) The 6-kg ball hits the ground first because it is
(B) 10. m/s (D) 5.0 m/s round.
Base your answers to questions 24 and 25 on the diagram (D) The block and the ball hit the ground at the
below which shows a ball projected horizontally with an same time because they have the same vertical
initial velocity of 20. meters per second east, off a cliff acceleration.
100. meters high. [Neglect air resistance.] 27. A red ball and a green ball are simultaneously
thrown horizontally from the same height. The red
ball has an initial speed of 40. meters per second
and the green ball has an initial speed of 20. meters
per second. Compared to the time it takes the red
ball to reach the ground, the time it takes the green
ball to reach the ground will be
(A) the same (C) half as much
(B) four times as much (D) twice as much
Base your answers to questions 28 and 29 on the
information below.
24. How many seconds does the ball take to reach the
Projectile A is launched horizontally at a
ground?
speed of 20. meters per second from the top of a
(A) 2.0 s (C) 9.8 s cliff and strikes a level surface below, 3.0
(B) 20. s (D) 4.5 s seconds later. Projectile B is launched
25. During the flight of the ball, what is the direction of horizontally from the same location at a speed of
its acceleration? 30. meters per second.
(A) westward (C) upward
28. The time it takes projectile B to reach the level
(B) downward (D) eastward surface is
(A) 4.5 s (C) 3.0 s
(B) 2.0 s (D) 10. s
29. Approximately how high is the cliff?
(A) 44 m (C) 29 m
(B) 60. m (D) 104 m

Version A Page 5
 30. The diagram below represents the path of an object
after it was thrown.
Base your answers to questions 34 through 36 on the
diagram below which represents a ball being kicked by a
foot and rising at an angle of 30.º from the horizontal.
The ball has an initial velocity of 5.0 meters per second.
[Neglect friction.]

What happens to the object’s acceleration as it

travels from A to B? [Neglect friction.]
(A) It decreases. (C) It remains the same.
(B) It increases.
31. A 0.2-kilogram red ball is thrown horizontally at a
speed of 4 meters per second from a height of 3
meters. A 0.4-kilogram green ball is thrown 34. What is the magnitude of the horizontal component
horizontally from the same height at a speed of 8 of the ball's initial velocity?
meters per second. Compared to the time it takes (A) 2.5 m/s (C) 4.3 m/s
the red ball to reach the ground, the time it takes the (B) 5.0 m/s (D) 8.7 m/s
green ball to reach the ground is
(A) four times as great (C) the same 35. As the ball rises, the vertical component of its
velocity
(B) twice as great (D) one-half as great
(A) decreases (C) remains the same
32. A 0.25-kilogram baseball is thrown upward with a (B) increases
speed of 30. meters per second. Neglecting friction,
the maximum height reached by the baseball is 36. If the angle between the horizontal and the
approximately direction of the 5.0-meters-per-second velocity
(A) 74 m (C) 15 m decreases from 30.º to 20.º, the horizontal distance
the ball travels will
(B) 92 m (D) 46 m
(A) decrease (C) remain the same
33. Which graph best represents the relationship (B) increase
between the velocity of an object thrown straight
upward from Earth’s surface and the time that
elapses while it is in the air? [Neglect friction.] Base your answers to questions 37 through 39 on the
information and diagram below.

A cannon elevated at an angle of 35º to the

horizontal fires a cannonball, which travels the
path shown in the diagram below.
[Neglect air resistance and assume the ball lands
at the same height above the ground from which
(A) (C) it was launched.]

37. If the ball lands 7.0 × 102 meters from the cannon
10. seconds after it was fired, what is the horizontal
component of its initial velocity?
(B) (D)
(A) 35 m/s (C) 7.0 m/s
(B) 70. m/s (D) 49 m/s

Version A Page 6
 38. If the ball's time of flight is 10. seconds, what is the 42. A golf ball is propelled with and initial velocity of
vertical component of its initial velocity? 60. meter per second at 37º above the horizontal.
(A) 98 m/s (C) 70. m/s The horizontal component of the golf ball's initial
(B) 49 m/s (D) 9.8 m/s velocity is
(A) 36 m/s (C) 48 m/s
39. If the angle of elevation of the cannon is decreased
(B) 40. m/s (D) 30. m/s
from 35º to 30.º, the vertical component of the
ball's initial velocity will 43. A bullet is fired from a rifle with a muzzle velocity
(A) increase and its horizontal component will of 100. meters per second at an angle of 30.° above
decrease the horizontal. What is the magnitude of the vertical
(B) decrease and its horizontal component will component of the muzzle velocity?
decrease (A) 0.0 m/s (C) 87. m/s
(C) increase and its horizontal component will (B) 50. m/s (D) 100. m/s
increase
44. A projectile is fired with a velocity of 150. meters
(D) decrease and its horizontal component will
per second at an angle of 30º with the horizontal.
increase
What is the magnitude of the vertical component of
the velocity at the time the projectile is fired?
Base your answers to questions 40 and 41 on the (A) 225 m/s (C) 75.0 m/s
information and diagram below (B) 150. m/s (D) 130. m/s
A golf ball leaves a golf club with an initial 45. An object is thrown into the air
velocity of 40.0 meters per second at an angle of and follows the path shown in
40º with the horizontal. the diagram above. Which
vector best represents the
acceleration of the object at
point A? [Neglect air friction.]

(A) (C)

(B) (D)

46. A projectile is launched at an angle of 60° above

the horizontal. Compared to the vertical component
of the initial velocity of the projectile, the vertical
40. What is the total horizontal distance traveled by the component of the projectile's velocity when it has
golf ball during the first 2.50 seconds of its flight? reached its maximum height is
(A) 64.3 m (C) 100. m (A) less (C) the same
(B) 76.6 m (D) 40.0 m (B) greater
41. What is the vertical component of the golf ball’s
initial velocity?
(A) 61.3 m/s (C) 40.0 m/s
(B) 25.7 m/s (D) 30.6 m/s

Version A Page 7
Base your answers to questions 47 and 48 on the 48. Which graph best represents the horizontal speed of
information and diagram below. the projectile as a function of time? [Neglect air
resistance.]
A projectile is launched at an angle of 60.º (A)
above the horizontal at an initial speed of 40.
meters per second, as shown in the diagram
below. The projectile reaches its highest altitude
at point P and strikes a target at point T.
[Neglect air resistance.]

(B)

47. What is the magnitude of the vertical component of

the projectile's initial speed?
(C)
(A) 4.3 m/s (C) 9.8 m/s
(B) 20 m/s (D) 35 m/s

(D)

Version A Page 8
Base your answers to questions 49 through 51 on on the diagram and information below.

A machine launches a tennis ball at an angle of 45° with the horizontal, as shown. The ball has an initial vertical
velocity of 9.0 meters per second and an initial horizontal velocity of 9.0 meters per second. The ball reaches its
maximum height 0.92 second after its launch. [Neglect air resistance and assume the ball lands at the same height
above the ground from which it was launched.]

49. The speed of the tennis ball as it leaves the launcher is approximately
(A) 8.3 m/s (B) 4.5 m/s (C) 18 m/s (D) 13 m/s
50. The total horizontal distance traveled by the tennis ball during the entire time it is in the air is approximately
(A) 23 m (B) 4.1 m (C) 17 m (D) 8.3 m
51. The speed at which the launcher fires tennis balls is constant, but the angle between the launcher and the horizontal can
be varied. As the angle is decreased from 45° to 30.°, the range of the tennis balls
(A) decreases (B) increases (C) remains the same
52. An archer uses a bow to fire two similar arrows 54. A ball is thrown at an angle of 38° to the horizontal.
with the same string force. One arrow is fired at an What happens to the magnitude of the ball’s
angle of 60.° with the horizontal, and the other is vertical acceleration during the total time interval
fired at an angle of 45° with the horizontal. that the ball is in the air?
Compared to the arrow fired at 60.°, the arrow fired (A) It remains the same.
at 45° has a (B) It increases, then decreases.
(A) longer flight time and shorter horizontal range (C) It decreases, then increases.
(B) shorter flight time and longer horizontal range (D) It decreases, then remains the same.
(C) shorter flight time and shorter horizontal range
55. A ball thrown vertically upward reaches a
(D) longer flight time and longer horizontal range
maximum height of 30. meters above the surface of
53. A vector makes an angle, ‡, with the horizontal. Earth. At its maximum height, the speed of the ball
The horizontal and vertical components of the is
vector will be equal in magnitude if angle ‡ is (A) 24 m/s (C) 9.8 m/s
(A) 90° (C) 45° (B) 0.0 m/s (D) 3.1 m/s
(B) 60° (D) 30°
56. A golf ball is hit at an angle of 45° above the
horizontal. What is the acceleration of the golf ball
at the highest point in its trajectory? [Neglect
friction.]
(A) 6.9 m/s2 horizontal (C) 9.8 m/s2 upward
(B) 0.0 m/s2 (D) 9.8 m/s2 downward

Version A Page 9
 57. Four cannonballs, each with mass M and initial 59. The diagram below shows a golf ball being struck
velocity V, are fired from a cannon at different by a club. The ball leaves the club with a speed of
angles relative to the Earth. Neglecting air friction, 40. meters per second at an angle of 60.° with the
which angular direction of the cannon produces the horizontal.
greatest projectile height?
(A) 45º (C) 20º
(B) 90º (D) 70º
58. The diagram below shows a baseball being hit with
a bat. Angle θ represents the angle between the
horizontal and the ball's initial direction of motion.

If the ball strikes the ground 7.1 seconds later, how

far from the golfer does the ball land? [Assume
level ground and neglect air resistance.]
(A) 280 m (C) 35 m
(B) 140 m (D) 71 m
60. A projectile is fired from a gun near the surface of
Which value of θ would result in the ball traveling Earth. The initial velocity of the projectile has a
the longest horizontal distance? [Neglect air vertical component of 98 meters per second and a
resistance.] horizontal component of 49 meters per second.
(A) 60º (C) 30º How long will it take the projectile to reach the
highest point in its path?
(B) 75º (D) 45º
(A) 10. s (C) 20. s
(B) 100. s (D) 5.0 s
61. A basketball player jumped straight up to grab a
rebound. If she was in the air for 0.80 second, how
high did she jump?
(A) 0.50 m (C) 3.1 m
(B) 1.2 m (D) 0.78 m

Version A Page 10
 Answer Key
Projectile motion AW [Nov 01, 2010]

1. A 27. A

2. A 28. C

3. A 29. A

4. A 30. C

5. B 31. C

6. C 32. D

7. C 33. A

8. B 34. C

9. D 35. A

10. D 36. A

11. A 37. B

12. C 38. B

13. A 39. D

14. D 40. B

15. D 41. B

16. A 42. C

17. B 43. B

18. C 44. C

19. A 45. A

20. C 46. A

21. C 47. D

22. B 48. A

23. C 49. D

24. D 50. C

25. B 51. A

26. D 52. B

Version A
 Answer Key
Projectile motion AW [Nov 01, 2010]

53. C

54. A

55. B

56. D

57. B

58. D

59. B

60. A

61. D

Version A