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AP®︎ Physics 1: Topic 3.2 Practice Test

Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with focused practice questions on Topic 3.2 of AP Physics 1 – Work.

Questions List

Topic 3.2

Q10

Q11

Q12

Q13

Q14

Q15

Q16

Q17

Q18

Q19

Question 1 Easy

A student pushes a

10\ \text{kg}

cart across a level floor with a constant horizontal force of

30\ \text{N}

in the direction of motion. The cart moves

4.0\ \text{m}

2.0\ \text{s}

.

How much work does the student do on the cart during this motion?

120\ \text{J}

400\ \text{J}

60\ \text{J}

7.5\ \text{J}

What You’re Being Tested On:

Explore the learning objectives taken directly from the College Board’s AP® Physics 1 Curriculum. Ensure you’re prepared for the exact topics covered on the AP® exam, in-class tests, and quizzes, and gain confidence in your mastery of the material.

Topic 3.2: Work

Boundary Statements official exam scope notes

AP Physics 1 only expects students to analyze the transfer of mechanical energy (as defined in Unit 3, Topic 4: Conservation of Energy), although students should be aware that mechanical energy may be dissipated in the form of thermal energy or sound. In AP Physics 2, students will also study how thermal energy can be transferred between systems through heating or cooling.

Learning Objective: 3.2.A

Describe the work done on an object or system by a given force or collection of forces.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.1

Work is the amount of energy transferred into or out of a system by a force exerted on that system over a distance.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.1.i

The work done by a conservative force exerted on a system is path-independent and only depends on the initial and final configurations of that system.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.1.ii

The work done by a conservative force on a system—or the change in the potential energy of the system—will be zero if the system returns to its initial configuration.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.1.iii

Potential energies are associated only with conservative forces.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.1.iv

The work done by a nonconservative force is path-dependent.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.1.v

Examples of nonconservative forces are friction and air resistance.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.2

Work is a scalar quantity that may be positive, negative, or zero.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.3

The amount of work done on a system by a constant force is related to the components of that force and the displacement of the point at which that force is exerted.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.3.i

Only the component of the force exerted on a system that is parallel to the displacement of the point of application of the force will change the system’s total energy. Relevant equation: $W = F_{\parallel}d = Fd\cos\theta$

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.3.ii

The component of the force exerted on a system perpendicular to the direction of the displacement of the system’s center of mass can change the direction of the system’s motion without changing the system’s kinetic energy.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.4

The work-energy theorem states that the change in an object’s kinetic energy is equal to the sum of the work (net work) being done by all forces exerted on the object. Relevant equation: $\Delta K = \sum_i W_i = \sum_i F_{\parallel,i}d$

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.4.i

An external force may change the configuration of a system. The component of the external force parallel to the displacement times the displacement of the point of application of the force gives the change in kinetic energy of the system.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.4.ii

If the system’s center of mass and the point of application of the force move the same distance when a force is exerted on a system, then the system may be modeled as an object, and only the system’s kinetic energy can change.

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.4.iii

The energy dissipated by friction is typically equated to the force of friction times the length of the path over which the force is exerted $\Delta E_{\mathrm{mech}} = F_{f}d\cos\theta$

Essential Knowledge: 3.2.A.5

Work is equal to the area under the curve of a graph of $F_{\parallel}$ as a function of displacement.

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AP®︎ Physics 1: Topic 3.2 Practice Test

Question 1 Easy

What You’re Being Tested On:

Learning Objective 3.2.A: 3.2.A.1, 3.2.A.1.i, 3.2.A.1.ii, 3.2.A.1.iii, 3.2.A.1.iv, 3.2.A.1.v, 3.2.A.2, 3.2.A.3, 3.2.A.3.i, 3.2.A.3.ii, 3.2.A.4, 3.2.A.4.i, 3.2.A.4.ii, 3.2.A.4.iii, 3.2.A.5