Physics & Environmental Science — Midterm exam
Parent / teacher answer keyAn independent assessment of the core chapters listed below, followed by corrections and discussion.
18 questions · 42 points · suggested 60 minutes
Student instructions
- Suggested time: 60 minutes; allow breaks or accommodations and record them.
- Work independently with a calculator, blank paper and the reference relationships printed in this paper. Grades 9, 11 and 12 may also use the course-linked NYSED reference tables. Use no lesson notes or answer key during an assessed attempt.
- Show reasoning and units for written tasks. All supplied datasets are illustrative; do not present them as measurements you collected.
- Objective items: 1 point each. Written items: 3 points each, one per criterion. A parent or teacher marks the written work; the app never grades an explanation automatically.
- Sample exam: try the whole paper before opening the worked key, then revisit the linked chapters. The sample and final are different papers; this is a course assessment, not an official Regents examination.
Reference relationships
| Relationship, constant or reference | Use / conditions |
|---|---|
| Components | Ax=Acosθ; Ay=Asinθ; θ from +x; use correct quadrant |
| Constant acceleration | v=v₀+at; x−x₀=v₀t+½at²; Constant a only |
| Force | ΣF=ma; weight=mg; Selected object and vector components |
| Circular acceleration | ac=v²/r; Inward; supplied by actual interactions |
| Torque | τ=rFsinθ; Specify pivot and angle |
| Mechanical energy | K=½mv²; Ug=mgh; Us=½kx²; Define height zero and valid spring range |
| Impulse | J=Δp=FavgΔt; Vector signs; negligible external impulse for total p conservation |
| Waves | v=fλ; T=1/f; Medium and mode conditions |
| Optics | n=c/v; n₁sinθ₁=n₂sinθ₂; Angles from normal |
| Electricity | I=Q/t; V=IR; P=VI; E=Pt; Ohmic R for V=IR; component values |
| Capacitor | Q=CV; U=½CV²; Linear capacitance model |
| Photon | E=hf=hc/λ; Kmax=hf−φ; Emission requires threshold energy |
| Relativity | γ=1/√(1−v²/c²); Inertial-frame definitions required |
| Population | dN/dt=rN(1−N/K); Instantaneous continuous-model rate |
| Diversity | D=1−Σpi²; State this index convention and sampling |
| Resource budget | Δstorage=inputs−outputs; Common boundary and interval |
| Capacity factor | Eactual/(Prated×time); Not conversion efficiency |
| NA=6.022×10²³ mol⁻¹ | Avogadro constant, rounded for school calculations |
| h=6.626×10⁻³⁴ J·s | Planck constant, rounded |
| c=3.00×10⁸ m/s | Vacuum light speed, rounded |
| e=1.602×10⁻¹⁹ C | Elementary charge magnitude; 1 eV=1.602×10⁻¹⁹ J |
| g=9.8 m/s² | Typical near-surface Earth approximation; use a supplied local value if given |
| R=8.314 J/(mol·K) | Use SI pressure Pa and volume m³ |
| R=0.0821 L·atm/(mol·K) | Use atmosphere pressure and liter volume |
| F≈96485 C/mol electrons | Faraday constant |
| 1 u·c²≈931.5 MeV | Mass-energy conversion for consistent nuclear mass accounting |
| T(K)=T(°C)+273.15 | Use 273 only when a question specifies that rounded convention |
| 1 L=1000 mL; 1 mL=1 cm³ | Volume conversions |
| 1 kWh=3.60×10⁶ J | Energy conversion |
| cwater≈4.18 J/(g·°C) | Approximate liquid-water specific heat in ordinary conditions |
| Lf,water≈334 J/g; Lv,water≈2260 J/g | Water fusion and vaporization near ordinary-pressure transition conditions |
Coverage and marks
| Chapter | Questions | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement & Vector Foundations | 1, 2, 3 | 7 |
| Motion & Kinematics | 4, 5, 6 | 7 |
| Forces, Rotation & Equilibrium | 7, 8, 9 | 7 |
| Work, Energy & Momentum | 10, 11, 12 | 7 |
| Waves, Sound & Optics | 13, 14, 15 | 7 |
| Electricity, Magnetism & Circuits | 16, 17, 18 | 7 |
Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________
Question 1 · 1 point
Convert 3.0 kJ to joules.
Question 2 · 3 points
Convert 250 ms to seconds.
Question 3 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Vector Measurement and Closure. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 4 · 1 point
Which of the following is a vector quantity?
- displacement
- speed
- distance
- mass
Question 5 · 3 points
A student walks 40 m east, then turns and walks 30 m north. Find (a) the total distance traveled and (b) the magnitude of the displacement.
Question 6 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Motion Graphs from a Gentle Roll. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 7 · 1 point
A book rests on a table. Earth pulls the book down with the force of gravity. According to Newton's third law, what is the reaction force to this pull?
- The book pulling up on the Earth
- The book's inertia
- The table pushing up on the book
- The book pushing down on the table
Question 8 · 3 points
A net force of 84 N acts on a 12 kg cart on a frictionless surface. Find its acceleration.
Question 9 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Spring Force and Torque Evidence. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 10 · 1 point
Two cranes lift identical loads to the same rooftop, but Crane A takes 4 s while Crane B takes 8 s. Which statement is correct?
- Crane B does more work on the load
- The cranes have equal power
- Crane A has greater power
- Crane A does more work on the load
Question 11 · 3 points
A worker pulls a wagon with a 50 N force directed 60° above the horizontal, moving it 4.0 m along level ground. How much work does the pulling force do?
Question 12 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Impulse and Energy Accounting. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 13 · 1 point
A wave travels at 12 m/s with a frequency of 4 Hz. Find its wavelength.
Question 14 · 3 points
A wave has a frequency of 25 Hz and a wavelength of 8 m. Find its speed.
Question 15 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Standing-Wave Patterns. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 16 · 1 point
Find the force between a 2 μC charge and a 3 μC charge separated by 0.3 m. (k = 9 × 10⁹ N·m²/C²)
Question 17 · 3 points
Find the electrostatic force between a +3 μC charge and a +4 μC charge separated by 0.6 m. (Use k = 9 × 10⁹ N·m²/C² and 1 μC = 1 × 10⁻⁶ C.)
Question 18 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Low-Voltage Circuit Reasoning. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.