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Lesson 1: Pre-Unit Assessment — Practice Questions

  1. 1. In physics, what is the fundamental role of a force concerning an object's motion?

    • A. To provide the energy an object needs to exist
    • B. To cause a change in the object's state of motion
    • C. To maintain an object's current speed and direction
    • D. To decrease an object's overall mass
  2. 2. An asteroid is moving through the vacuum of deep space, far from any planets or stars. If it is traveling in a straight line at 1,000 km/s, what will its motion be like one hour later?

    • A. It will have gradually slowed down and stopped.
    • B. It will continue moving in a straight line at 1,000 km/s.
    • C. It will have accelerated to a much higher speed on its own.
    • D. It will have started to curve in a random direction.
  3. 3. A soccer ball is rolling across a flat, grassy field and gradually slows to a stop. What does this change in motion indicate?

    • A. The ball is seeking its natural state of rest.
    • B. The ball has run out of its initial energy.
    • C. A force, such as friction from the grass, is acting on the ball.
    • D. The initial kick was not strong enough to sustain motion indefinitely.
  4. 4. How is the principle that "objects naturally maintain a steady state of motion" useful as a baseline for scientific observation?

    • A. It proves that all motion in the universe will eventually cease.
    • B. It allows scientists to ignore objects that are not accelerating.
    • C. It establishes a predictable standard; any change from this standard implies a force has acted.
    • D. It is primarily used to demonstrate that friction is a universal force that always opposes motion in every situation.
  5. 5. A student pushes a toy car across the floor. According to physics, why does the car slow down and stop after the student is no longer pushing it?

    • A. The initial force from the push was completely used up by the car's motion.
    • B. The car's natural tendency is to be at rest, so it stops on its own accord.
    • C. An opposing force, such as friction, acted on the car to change its motion.
    • D. All moving objects require a continuous, uninterrupted force to keep them in motion.
  6. 6. A toy car is rolling straight across a smooth floor. If a brief force is applied from the car's left side, what change in its motion would you expect to observe?

    • A. The car will speed up but continue moving in a straight line.
    • B. The car's path will curve toward the right.
    • C. The car will stop immediately.
    • D. The car will slow down but continue moving in a straight line.
  7. 7. A student pushes a heavy box across the floor. If they want to apply a *stronger* force to the box, what aspect of the box's motion should they try to increase?

    • A. Its acceleration
    • B. Its final resting position
    • C. Its total distance traveled
    • D. Its surface temperature
  8. 8. A hockey puck is sliding due east across the ice. It is then struck by a player's stick, causing it to move much faster and in a northeast direction. What can you infer about the force applied by the stick?

    • A. The force was weak and directed to the west.
    • B. The force was strong and had a northward component.
    • C. The force was applied directly from the east.
    • D. The force only changed the puck's direction, not its speed.
  9. 9. The text describes force as a 'missing puzzle piece' that explains the difference between expected and actual motion. In this analogy, what does the force primarily explain?

    • A. The object's size and mass.
    • B. The reason for the change in motion.
    • C. The object's initial starting point.
    • D. Why the object was moving in the first place.
  10. 10. Imagine two identical remote-control cars, both moving forward at the same speed. The controller for Car A applies a gentle reverse thrust, and it slowly comes to a stop. The controller for Car B applies a maximum reverse thrust, and it stops abruptly. Which statement correctly compares the forces?

    • A. The force on Car A was stronger and in the opposite direction of the force on Car B.
    • B. The forces on both cars had the same strength and direction.
    • C. The force on Car B was stronger, but the direction of the force on both cars was the same (backward).
    • D. The direction of the force on Car A was forward, while the direction of the force on Car B was backward.