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Physics
10 original practice questions. Open them in any order.
Independent preparation material, not an official test or score prediction.
Spring stiffness and the launch speed of a cart
Passage type: Research Summary
A spring stretches when a mass hangs from it and pushes back when it is compressed. A stiffer spring changes length less when the same force acts on it. Students in a physics class studied two springs, Spring P and Spring Q, which had the same length and diameter but were made of different wire.
Experiment 1 Each spring was hung from a clamp. Masses of 100 g to 500 g were hung from the bottom of the spring, one at a time, and the extension (the increase in the spring's length) was measured with a ruler. The results are shown in Table 1.
Table 1
| Mass hung from spring (g) | Extension of Spring P (cm) | Extension of Spring Q (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| 200 | 4.0 | 10.0 |
| 300 | 6.0 | 15.0 |
| 400 | 8.0 | 20.0 |
| 500 | 10.0 | 25.0 |
Experiment 2 Each spring was fixed horizontally to a wall at one end of a level, low-friction track. A cart with a total mass of 125 g was pushed against the free end of the spring, compressing the spring by a measured distance, and then released. A light gate on the track measured the speed of the cart just after it left the spring. Each trial was repeated 3 times, and the average speed is shown in Table 2.
Table 2
| Compression of spring (cm) | Speed of cart, Spring P (m/s) | Speed of cart, Spring Q (m/s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | 0.40 | 0.25 |
| 4.0 | 0.80 | 0.50 |
| 6.0 | 1.20 | 0.75 |
| 8.0 | 1.60 | 1.00 |
Experiment 3 The procedure of Experiment 2 was repeated using only Spring P, compressed by 4.0 cm each time. Metal blocks were fastened to the cart so that the total mass of the cart was 125 g, 250 g, or 500 g. The average speeds are shown in Table 3.
Table 3
| Total mass of cart (g) | Speed of cart (m/s) |
|---|---|
| 125 | 0.80 |
| 250 | 0.57 |
| 500 | 0.40 |
Question 1 of 10 · easier
Science passage set — Research Summary (multiple choice, 4 options)
Read the science passage and answer the question. Choose the ONE best answer from the four choices. Calculators are not permitted.
Based on Table 1, if a 250 g mass had been hung from Spring P in Experiment 1, the extension of Spring P would most likely have been closest to:
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