Free Fall and Projectile Motion Physics Test
DO NOT WRITE ON THE TEST
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability.
1. What is the only force acting on an object that is in "free fall?"
a. Gravity
c. A push
b. Friction
d. A pull
2. You throw a ball straight up into the air. What is true about the ball’s motion as it moves UPWARD?
a. The ball’s velocity increases
c. The ball’s velocity does not change
b. The ball’s velocity decreases
d. The ball stops
3. You throw a ball straight up into the air. What is true about the ball's motion at its HIGHEST POINT?
a. The ball’s velocity increases
c. The ball’s velocity does not change
b. The ball’s velocity decreases
d. The ball stops
4. You throw a ball straight up into the air. What is true about the ball’s motion as it moves DOWN?
a. The ball’s velocity increases
c. The ball’s velocity does not change
b. The ball’s velocity decreases
d. The ball stops
5. Find the time it takes and object to fall 633m.
a. 56.25 seconds
c. 14.15 seconds
b. 11.25 seconds
d. 63.3 seconds
6. An object is dropped off a 150 m tall cliff. How fast is it moving after 5 seconds?
a. 5 m/s
c. 50 m/s
b. 10 m/s
d. 100 m/s
7. A baseball is dropped from a bridge and it takes the ball 4.0 seconds to strike the water below. How high is the bridge
above the water?
a. 20 meters
c. 80 meters
b. 40 meters
d. 160 meters
8. You dropped your cell phone while standing in line at a store. What was the velocity of your phone as it hit the
ground if it fell 0.9 meters?
a. 0.42 m/s
c. 1.8 m/s
b. 4.24 m/s
d. 0.18 m/s
9. A skydiver wants to release his parachute after falling 250 meters. How long does the skydiver need to fall for to
reach 250 meters below the plane?
a. 5.03 seconds
c. 50 seconds
b. 22.36 seconds
d. 7.07 seconds
10. If you dropped a penny off the Empire State Building and it takes 9 seconds to land. How tall is the building?
a. 405 meters
c. 810 meters
b. 450 meters
d. 510 meters
11. If an apple falls from a tree and travels 17 meters, what was the velocity of the apple as it hits the ground?
a. 85 m/s
c. 18.44 m/s
b. 1.84 m/s
d. 14.45 m/s
12. Two objects of different masses are dropped from the same height at the same time. The object to reach the ground
first is the
a. object with less mass
c. object with more mass
b. neither, they both reach the ground at the same time d. not enough information to determine
13. In the absence of air resistance, the horizontal component of a projectile's velocity does not change as the projectile
moves.
a. Sometimes true
c. Always false
b. Always true
d. Not enough information
14. A cannonball is shot from a cannon horizontally with a speed of 40 m/s. An identical cannonball is dropped from the
same height at the same time. Which, if either, hits the ground first?
a. The cannonball that was shot
c. They hit the ground at the same time
b. The cannonball that was dropped
d. Not enough information
15. Projectiles 1, 2, and 3 were launched at the same time. Their trajectories are shown in the figure below. Which
projectile had the greatest initial launch velocity?
a. Projectile 1
c. Projectile 3
b. Projectile 2
d. They all have equal initial velocities
16. Projectiles 1, 2, and 3 were launched at the same time. Their trajectories are shown in the figure below. Which
projectile had the longest time of flight?
a. Projectile 1
c. Projectile 3
b. Projectile 2
d. They all hit the ground at the same time
17. A rock is kicked horizontally off a cliff. Which of the following statements correctly describes the horizontal and
vertical velocity components as the rock falls to the ground below?
a. The horizontal velocity increases and the vertical velocity increases.
b. The horizontal velocity remains constant and the vertical velocity increases.
c. The horizontal velocity increases and the vertical velocity remains constant.
d. Both the horizontal velocity and the vertical velocity remain constant.
18. If a bullet is fired and another bullet is dropped at the same time and height, which will hit the ground first?
a. The fired bullet
c. The bullets will hit the ground at the same time
b. The bullet that was dropped d. There is not enough information
19. A baseball is thrown with a horizontal velocity of 15 m/s. What would the balls horizontal velocity be after traveling
for 3 seconds?
a. 15 m/s
c. 45 m/s
b. 30 m/s
d. 10 m/s
20. You throw a ball off the top of a building with a horizontal velocity of 10 m/s and it land 23 meters away. How long
was the ball in the air?
a. 230 seconds
c. 2.14 seconds
b. 0.43 seconds
d. 2.3 seconds
21. A diver dives off a 45-meter cliff with a velocity of 9 m/s. What is the diver's vertical velocity as she hits the ground?
a. 30 m/s
c. 16 m/s
b. 5 m/s
d. 90 m/s
22. A physics book slides off a table with a horizontal speed of 2.5 m/s. It takes 0.6 seconds to hit the floor. How tall was
the physics table?
a. 1.8 meters
c. 3 meters
b. 1.5 meters
d. 6 meters
23. A water balloon is thrown into the air with a horizontal velocity of 5 m/s. As it landed its vertical velocity is 20 m/s.
What is the resulting velocity right as the water balloon hit the ground?
a. 425 m/s
c. 10 m/s
b. 5.6 m/s
d. 20.6 m/s
24. An arrow fired horizontally at 41 m/s travels 23 m horizontally before it hits the ground. From what height was it
fired?
a. 1.57 meters
c. 2.8 meters
b. 2.3 meters
d. 4.1 meters
25. A tiger leaps horizontally from a 12 m high rock with a speed of 4.5 m/s. How long does it take for the tiger to land?
a. 2.67 seconds
c. 2.4 seconds
b. 1.55 seconds
d. 1.9 seconds
Match the statement with the correct term:
a. Horizontal Velocity
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
The acceleration due to gravity on Earth.
When an object is moving in two dimensions but is only affected by gravity.
The type of velocity in projectile motion that stays constant.
The type of velocity in projectile motion that is affected by gravity.
The speed of an object at the peak of its trajectory, right before it falls back to Earth.
b. 10 m/s/s
c. Vertical Velocity
d. 0 m/s
e. Projectile Motion
Free Fall and Projectile Motion Physics Test
DO NOT WRITE ON THE TEST
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability.
1. What is the only force acting on an object that is in "free fall?"
a. Gravity
c. A push
b. Friction
d. A pull
2. You throw a ball straight up into the air. What is true about the ball’s motion as it moves UPWARD?
a. The ball’s velocity increases
c. The ball’s velocity does not change
b. The ball’s velocity decreases
d. The ball stops
3. You throw a ball straight up into the air. What is true about the ball's motion at its HIGHEST POINT?
a. The ball’s velocity increases
c. The ball’s velocity does not change
b. The ball’s velocity decreases
d. The ball stops
4. You throw a ball straight up into the air. What is true about the ball’s motion as it moves DOWN?
a. The ball’s velocity increases
c. The ball’s velocity does not change
b. The ball’s velocity decreases
d. The ball stops
5. Find the time it takes and object to fall 633m.
a. 56.25 seconds
c. 14.15 seconds
b. 11.25 seconds
d. 63.3 seconds
6. An object is dropped off a 150 m tall cliff. How fast is it moving after 5 seconds?
a. 5 m/s
c. 50 m/s
b. 10 m/s
d. 100 m/s
7. A baseball is dropped from a bridge and it takes the ball 4.0 seconds to strike the water below. How high is the bridge
above the water?
a. 20 meters
c. 80 meters
b. 40 meters
d. 160 meters
8. You dropped your cell phone while standing in line at a store. What was the velocity of your phone as it hit the
ground if it fell 0.9 meters?
a. 0.42 m/s
c. 1.8 m/s
b. 4.24 m/s
d. 0.18 m/s
9. A skydiver wants to release his parachute after falling 250 meters. How long does the skydiver need to fall for to
reach 250 meters below the plane?
a. 5.03 seconds
c. 50 seconds
b. 22.36 seconds
d. 7.07 seconds
10. If you dropped a penny off the Empire State Building and it takes 9 seconds to land. How tall is the building?
a. 405 meters
c. 810 meters
b. 450 meters
d. 510 meters
11. If an apple falls from a tree and travels 17 meters, what was the velocity of the apple as it hits the ground?
a. 85 m/s
c. 18.44 m/s
b. 1.84 m/s
d. 14.45 m/s
12. Two objects of different masses are dropped from the same height at the same time. The object to reach the ground
first is the
a. object with less mass
c. object with more mass
b. neither, they both reach the ground at the same time d. not enough information to determine
13. In the absence of air resistance, the horizontal component of a projectile's velocity does not change as the projectile
moves.
a. Sometimes true
c. Always false
b. Always true
d. Not enough information
14. A cannonball is shot from a cannon horizontally with a speed of 40 m/s. An identical cannonball is dropped from the
same height at the same time. Which, if either, hits the ground first?
a. The cannonball that was shot
c. They hit the ground at the same time
b. The cannonball that was dropped
d. Not enough information
15. Projectiles 1, 2, and 3 were launched from the same cannon. Their trajectories are shown in the figure below. Which
projectile had the greatest initial launch velocity?
a. Projectile 1
c. Projectile 3
b. Projectile 2
d. They all have equal initial velocities
16. Projectiles 1, 2, and 3 were launched from the same cannon. Their trajectories are shown in the figure below. Which
projectile had the longest time of flight?
a. Projectile 1
c. Projectile 3
b. Projectile 2
d. They all hit the ground at the same time
17. A rock is kicked horizontally off a cliff. Which of the following statements correctly describes the horizontal and
vertical velocity components as the rock falls to the ground below?
a. The horizontal velocity increases and the vertical velocity increases.
b. The horizontal velocity remains constant and the vertical velocity increases.
c. The horizontal velocity increases and the vertical velocity remains constant.
d. Both the horizontal velocity and the vertical velocity remain constant.
18. If a bullet is fired and another bullet is dropped at the same time and height, which will hit the ground first?
a. The fired bullet
c. The bullets will hit the ground at the same time
b. The bullet that was dropped d. There is not enough information
19. A baseball is thrown with a horizontal velocity of 15 m/s. What would the balls horizontal velocity be after traveling
for 3 seconds?
a. 15 m/s
c. 45 m/s
b. 30 m/s
d. 10 m/s
20. You throw a ball off the top of a building with a horizontal velocity of 10 m/s and it land 23 meters away. How long
was the ball in the air?
a. 230 seconds
c. 2.14 seconds
b. 0.43 seconds
d. 2.3 seconds
21. A diver dives off a 45-meter cliff with a velocity of 9 m/s. What is the diver's vertical velocity as she hits the ground?
a. 30 m/s
c. 16 m/s
b. 5 m/s
d. 90 m/s
22. A physics book slides off a table with a horizontal speed of 2.5 m/s. It takes 0.6 seconds to hit the floor. How tall was
the physics table?
a. 1.8 meters
c. 3 meters
b. 1.5 meters
d. 6 meters
23. A water balloon is thrown into the air with a horizontal velocity of 5 m/s. As it landed its vertical velocity is 20 m/s.
What is the resulting velocity right as the water balloon hit the ground?
a. 425 m/s
c. 10 m/s
b. 5.6 m/s
d. 20.6 m/s
24. An arrow fired horizontally at 41 m/s travels 23 m horizontally before it hits the ground. From what height was it
fired?
a. 1.57 meters
c. 2.8 meters
b. 2.3 meters
d. 4.1 meters
25. A tiger leaps horizontally from a 12 m high rock with a speed of 4.5 m/s. How long does it take for the tiger to land?
a. 2.67 seconds
c. 2.4 seconds
b. 1.55 seconds
d. 1.9 seconds
Match the statement with the correct term:
a. Horizontal Velocity
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
The acceleration due to gravity on Earth.
When an object is moving in two dimensions but is only affected by gravity.
The type of velocity in projectile motion that stays constant.
The type of velocity in projectile motion that is affected by gravity.
The speed of an object at the peak of its trajectory, right before it falls back to Earth.
b. 10 m/s/s
c. Vertical Velocity
d. 0 m/s
e. Projectile Motion
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