Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
Physics C: Mech · Unit 3 · Paper 2

Work, Energy, and Power unit test

A test on this unit alone, marked as a percentage and a letter grade — for the test your class is actually sitting, rather than for May. Answer everything, then submit once: seeing the answer to question 3 before attempting question 4 makes the final percentage meaningless.

Each paper is built from this unit’s 53 terms and is the same for everyone, so a teacher can assign “Unit 3, Paper 2” and every student sits the identical test. Multiple choice is marked objectively; the written sections you mark yourself against the model answer and rubric.
Suggested time 37 min 34 points0/17 attempted
1

Conservative forces and path independence

2

Gravitational potential energy in general

3

Net work and the work–energy theorem

4

Kinetic energy in terms of momentum

5

Deriving force from U(x)

6

Elastic potential energy

7

Where the factor of one half comes from

8

Kinetic energy is a scalar

9

Work done by a variable force from a graph

10

Units of energy and power

11

Circular orbit energy relations

12

Energy in a spring-mass system

Short answer 1. Define or explain: Turning points from a U diagram

3 pts

Short answer 2. Define or explain: Instantaneous power

3 pts

Short answer 3. Define or explain: Work as a dot product

3 pts

Short answer 4. Define or explain: Work as an integral

3 pts

Free response

10 pts

Students investigate the coefficient of kinetic friction between a block and a horizontal surface. They give the block an initial speed v₀ and measure the distance d it slides before coming to rest. They repeat the experiment for several initial speeds. v₀ (m/s) 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 d (m) 0.15 0.33 0.60 0.92 1.32

A(i). Describe a procedure the students could use to give the block a measurable, repeatable initial speed. A(ii). Describe one step that would reduce experimental uncertainty.

B(i). Derive an expression relating the sliding distance d to the initial speed v₀ and the coefficient of kinetic friction μ_k. B(ii). Indicate what quantities the students should graph to obtain a straight line usable to determine μ_k.

C(i). Calculate the values to be plotted on the horizontal axis. C(ii). Describe the axis labels, with units, the positions of the plotted points, and the best-fit line.

D. Using the best-fit line described in part C, calculate an experimental value for the coefficient of kinetic friction.