PHSYICS

SAMPLE RECRUITMENT EXAM

Choose the correct answer - A, B, C or D

1. When the temperature of a copper wire increases, its ability to conduct

electricity does which of the following?
(A) Remains the same
(B) Increases
(C) Decreases
(D) Remains the same at first then increases

2. Look at the picture of two people supporting a balloon.

Figure 1
Which of the following would be needed in pictures three and four for one
person to force the other person backwards?
(A) Acceleration
(B) Increased mass
(C) A larger balloon
(D) Deflating the balloon
3. Which of the following best describes what happens if you increase the
number of turns of wire in an electromagnet?
(A) The wire burns up.
(B) The magnetic field gets bigger.
(C) The magnet’s strength lessens.
(D) The magnetic field reverses poles.

4. Suppose you apply 5 N of force to an object and record the resulting

acceleration. You then repeat this procedure with 10 N, 15 N, and 20 N of
force. You collect your data and plot it on an xy-plane, with the force on the y-
axis and acceleration on the x-axis. You then draw a line through the data
points (see below). The slope of this line is ______________.

Figure 2
(A) The mass of the object
(B) The momentum of the object
(C) The kinetic energy of the object
(D) The density of the object
5. Look at the picture of the ball bouncing. Which of the following best
illustrates that energy has been transferred to the ball?

Figure 3
(A) The ball dropping
(B) The ball bouncing up again
(C) The ball compacting as it hits the ground
(D) The ball being held before being dropped

6. Compact discs (CDs) are a digital means of storing music and largely
replaced vinyl records. Consider the three statements below:
1. 1. CDs are an improvement over vinyl records since nothing is touching the
disc as it’s being played. The physical contact between the needle of the
record player and the vinyl record itself causes both to wear out over time.
2. 2. CDs are an improvement over vinyl records since the sound quality is
better.
3. 3. CDs are an improvement over vinyl records because they can hold more
data per unit area of disc space.
Which statement, or statements, discuss the advantages of CDs with respect
to data transfer and/or storage?
(A) Statement 1
(B) Statement 2
(C) Statement 3
(D) Statements 1 and 3
7. Look at the drawing of an experiment that requires rubbing a balloon against
a surface and then against another balloon.

Figure 4
Which of the following best describes what the experiment is showing?
(A) How helium works
(B) How balloons float
(C) How a stationary object stops another object
(D) How objects with the same charge repel each other

8. Which of the following best describes what you would focus on if you were
making a football helmet especially designed for preventing concussions?
(A) a material that reflects energy
(B) a material that absorbs energy
(C) a material that provides friction
(D) a material that magnifies energy

9. Which form of energy transfer do you see when you boil water?
(A) Convection
(B) Conduction
(C) Radiation
(D) Solar
10. In winter time, a parked car initially at -10.0°C is started and driven downhill at
a speed of 10 mph. Soon the average temperature of the car has increased
to 30.0°C as it continues to move at 10 mph. At this point, has the thermal
energy of the car increased or decreased since being started?
(A) Increased
(B) Decreased
(C) Hasn’t changed
(D) Can’t be determined

11. A wire is cut into four pieces of different lengths. Each piece is stretched
between two supports to the same tightness. Which of the pieces, shown
below, would give the highest pitch if it were plucked in the middle?
(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)
12. Magnetic levitation (or maglev) trains use magnetic forces to both levitate the
train off the ground and propel it forward. Study the diagrams of maglev
levitation and propulsion below. Based on what’s shown, how are magnetic
attraction and repulsion forces used in maglev technology?

Figure 5
(A) Attractive and repulsive forces are both used for levitation and
propulsion.
(B) Attractive forces are used for levitation, repulsive forces are used for
propulsion.
(C) Attractive forces are used for propulsion, repulsive forces are used for
levitation.
(D) Only attractive forces are used for levitation and propulsion.
13. Two identical cars travel at 80 kilometers per hour toward the center of the
intersection (point A shown below) with equal force. The cars collide at the
intersection. If after they collide the cars stick to each other and move
together, they will come to rest closest to:

Figure 6
(A) point A
(B) point B
(C) point C
(D) point D
14. A hot and a cold object are placed in contact with one another in a closed
system. Which of the graphs below correctly represent how the temperature
of the hot object (in red) and the cold object (in blue) will change with time?
(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)
15. This is a picture of the Apollo 15 launch. From whose perspective would an
astronaut inside the vehicle seem to have zero speed? Assume that
observes would consider the astronaut in motion if the spaceship was
moving.

Figure 7
(A) An observer in orbit
(B) An observer flying nearby in a plane
(C) An observer on the ground