CENTRIPETAL FORCE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1.) A car rounds a curve while maintaining a constant speed.
a.) The question could as well have been stated, “A car rounds a curve while
maintaining a constant velocity.”
b.) With constant speed, the net force on the car is zero.
c.) With constant speed, there is still be a net force that is directed outward (relative to
the curve) on the car.
d.) With constant speed, there is still be a net force that is directed inward (relative to
the curve) on the car.
2.) A mass attached to a string that is itself attached to the ceiling swings back and forth.
a.) At the bottom of the arc, it has no net force acting on it.
b.) At the bottom of the arc, it has no net force acting in the vertical.
c.) At the bottom of the arc, tension and gravity balance one another out.
d.) At the bottom of the arc, there is no centrifugal force.
3.) A mass attached to a string that is itself attached to the
ceiling swings back and forth. If the bob is observed to be
moving upward at a given instance, as shown to the right,
which arrow best depicts the direction of the net force acting
on the bob at that instant?
a.) A
b.) B
c.) C
d.) D
4.) For the bob shown in Problem 3:
a.) The forces acting on the bob are tension, gravity and a centripetal force;
b.) The center-seeking forces acting on the bob are tension and a centripetal force.
c.) The only center-seeking force acting on the bob is tension.
d.) If the bob had been moving downward, the net center seeking force would be the
same as when the bob was moving upward along its arc.
5.) A car rounds a very steep, banked curve moving at low speed. A
front-end view of the car is shown to the right. Which of the directions
shown depicts the net centripetal force acting on the car.
a.) A
b.) B
c.) C
d.) D
