Select the best possible answer.
1. Is it possible for a 100-lb woman to exert a greater pressure on the ground than a 250-lb man?
a. No, the woman's weight is not enough to produce a greater pressure.
b. Yes, if the woman wears shoes of much smaller contact area than the man's shoes.
c. Yes, if the woman wears shoes of much larger contact area than the man's shoes.
d. No, because a 100-lb person does not have enough strength to create a larger pressure.
2. The same force is applied to two cylinders that contain air. One has a piston with a large area, and the other has a piston with a small area. In which cylinder will the pressure be greater?
a. The large cylinder.
b. The small cylinder.
c. The pressure is the same in both because the same force is applied.
d. The pressure is zero in both because the air does not let the pressure to be applied.
3. A penny and a quarter are embedded in the concrete bottom of a swimming pool filled with water. Which of these experiences a greater pressure?
a. The penny.
b. The quarter.
c. Both experience the same pressure.
d. We cannot say because the areas are not given.
4. Why are the bicycle tires often inflated to a higher pressure than automobile tires?
a. The type of rubber used in bicycles generally requires a higher tire pressure.
b. The bicycles may be used in rough roads that necessitate the use of higher tire pressure.
c. The automobiles are more balanced and they do not require as much tire pressure.
d. The contact area of bicycles is smaller than the automobiles, resulting in a higher pressure.
5. When a mercury barometer is used to measure atmospheric pressure, does the closed end of the tube above the mercury column usually contain air?
a. Yes, there is still some air pressure in the closed end.
b. Yes, but the air in the closed end compressed at higher pressure than atmospheric pressure.
c. No, there is no air in that part of the tube. It is a vacuum out there.
d. No, but there could be some other gases in that part of the tube.
6. Could we use water instead of mercury to make a barometer?
a. No, because of the low boiling point of water.
b. No, because water's density being much higher than the mercury.
c. Yes, but the height of the tube becomes too small to measure.
d. Yes, but the height of the tube becomes more than 10 times larger.
7. If you filled an airtight balloon at the top of a mountain, would the balloon expand or contract as you descend the mountain?
a. The balloon will expand.
b. The balloon will contract.
c. The balloon stays the same as it was at the top of the mountain.
d. We cannot say because the strength of the balloon is not specified.
8. Is it possible for a solid metal ball to float in mercury?
a. Yes, if the ball has a small mass.
b. Yes, if the ball has a smaller density than the mercury.
c. No, because a solid ball will always sink to the bottom of mercury.
d. No, because a solid ball has always a higher density than the mercury.
9. A block of wood is floating in a pool of water. How does the buoyant force acting on the block compare to the weight of the block?
a. The buoyant force is greater than then the weight of the block.
b. The buoyant force is smaller than the weight of the block.
c. The buoyant force is equal to the weight of the block.
d. The buoyant force is actually zero because the wood is floating instead of sinking.
10. In the previous question, how does the volume of the block compare to the volume of the displaced water?
a. Volume of the block is more than the volume of the displaced water.
b. Volume of the block is less than the volume of the displaced water.
c. Volume of the block is equal to the volume of the displaced water.
d. Since the block is floating, the volume of the displaced water is actually zero.
11. A rowboat is floating in a swimming pool when the anchor is dropped over the side. What happens to the level of water in the swimming pool?
a. The level of water will stay the same.
b. The level of water will be higher.
c. The level of water will be lower.
d. We cannot say, as we do not know the density of the anchor.
12. A dam is thicker at the bottom than at the top partly because:
a. Water is denser at deeper levels.
b. Water pressure is greater with increasing depth.
c. Surface tension exists only on the surface of liquids.
d. It looks better.
13. The reason that buoyant force acts upward on a submerged object is that
a. It acts in a direction to oppose gravity.
b. If it acted downward, nothing would float.
c. The weight of fluid displaced reacts with an upward force.
d. Upward pressure against the bottom is greater than downward pressure against the top.
14. A completely submerged object always displaces its own:
a. Volume of fluid.
b. Weight of fluid.
c. Density of fluid.
d. All of these.
15. When an object is partly or wholly immersed in a liquid, it is buoyed up:
a. By a force equal to its own weight.
b. By a force equal to the weight of liquid displaced.
c. And floats because of Archimedes principle.
d. But nevertheless sinks.
16. The reason a life jacket helps you float is:
a. The jacket makes you weigh less.
b. The jacket has the same density as an average human.
c. The jacket repels water.
d. The density of both you and the jacket together is less than your density alone.
17. If you blow between two limp pieces of paper held hanging down a few inches apart, what will happen to the pieces of paper?
a. The pieces of paper will move apart from each other.
b. The pieces of paper move closer together.
c. The pieces of paper remain as they are with no change in their separation distance.
d. Either (a) or (b) depending on the atmospheric pressure.
18. A steady stream of water flowing in a narrow pipe reaches a point where the pipe widens. What happens to speed of the water when the pipe widens?
a. Speed of flow of water remains unchanged.
b. Speed of flow of water will increase.
c. Speed of flow of water will decrease.
d. Speed of flow of water will come to a halt.
19. In the previous question, what happens to the pressure of water when the pipe widens?
a. Pressure will increase.
b. Pressure will decrease.
c. Pressure will remain constant as before.
d. Pressure drops to zero.
20. A force of 40 N pushes down on the movable piston of a closed cylinder containing a gas. The piston area is 0.5 m2. What pressure does this produce in the gas?
a. 40 N.
b. 20 N.m2.
c. 76 cm Hg.
d. 80 N/m2.
21. A 110-lb woman puts all of her weight on one heel of her shoe that has an area of 0.4 in2. What is the pressure exerted on the ground?
a. 110 lb.
b. 44 lb.in2.
c. 275 psi.
d. 14.7 psi.
22. A 0.5-kg piece of wood is floating in water. What is the magnitude of the buoyant force acting on the block?
a. We cannot say because the density of wood is not given.
b. 0.5 kg.
c. 4.9 N.
d. 9.8 N/m2.
23. A certain boat displaces a volume of 2.5 m3 of water. Assume the density of water to be 1000 kg/m3. What is the mass of the displaced water?
a. 2500 kg.
b. 2.5 kg.
c. 1000 kg.
d. 400 kg.
24. What is the buoyant force acting on the boat of the previous question?
a. 9800 N.
b. 24500 N.
c. 100,000 N.
d. 2500 N.