PSI AP Physics B

Kinematics

Free Response Problems

1. A car whose speed is 20 m/s passes a stationary motorcycle which immediately gives chase with a
constant acceleration of 2.4 m/s2.
a. How far will the motorcycle travel before catching the car?
b. How fast will it be going at that time?
c. How does that compare to the car’s velocity?
d. Draw the following graphs for the car: x(t), v(t), a(t).
e. Draw the following graphs for the motorcycle: x(t), v(t), a(t).
f. Write the equation of motion for the car.
g. Write the equation of motion for the motorcycle.

2. A lab cart moves a long a straight

horizontal track. The graph describes
the relationship between the velocity
and time of the cart.
a. Indicate every time interval
for which speed
(magnitude of the velocity)
of the cart is decreasing.
b. Indicate every time at
which the cart is at rest.
c. Determine the horizontal
position x of the cart at t = 4 s if the cart is located at x0 = when t0 = 0.
d. Determine the traveled distance of the cart over 10 s from the beginning.
e. Determine the average speed of the cart for this time interval.
f. Find the acceleration of the cart during time: 0 s -4 s, 4 s – 8 s, 8 s – 10 s, 10 s – 14 s, 14 s – 16
s, 16 s – 20 s.
g. On the axes below, sketch the acceleration graph for the motion of the cart from t = 0 s to t =
20 s.
3. Find the magnitude and the direction of vector C for the following cases.
a. A = 10 N at 0 ,̊ B = 20 N at 0 ,̊ C = A + B
b. A = 10 N at 0 ,̊ B = 20 N at 180 ,̊ C = A + B
c. A = 10 N at 180 ,̊ B = 20 N at 180 ,̊ C = A + B
d. A = 10 N at 0 ,̊ B = 20 N at 90 ,̊ C = A + B
e. A = 10 N at 90 ,̊ B = 20 N at 0 ,̊ C = A + B

4. Find the magnitude and the direction of vector G as a sum of two vectors D and E by going through the
following steps.
a. D = 10 N at 37 .̊ Find Dx and Dy.
b. E = 20 N at 25 .̊ Find Ex and Ey.
c. Find Gx = Dx + Ex
d. Find Gy = Dy + Ey
e. Find the magnitude of G from its components
f. Find the direction of G.

5. Find the magnitude and the direction of vector C for the following cases.
a. A = 40 N at 0 ,̊ B = 10 N at 0 ,̊ C = A + B
b. A = 40 N at 0 ,̊ B = 10 N at 180 ,̊ C = A + B
c. A = 40 N at 180 ,̊ B = 10 N at 180 ,̊ C = A + B
d. A = 40 N at 0 ,̊ B = 10 N at 90 ,̊ C = A + B
e. A = 40 N at 90 ,̊ B = 10 N at 0 ,̊ C = A + B

6. Find the magnitude and the direction of vector G as a sum of two vectors D and E by going through the
following steps.
a. D = 30 N at 65 .̊ Find Dx and Dy.
b. E = 45 N at 15 .̊ Find Ex and Ey.
c. Find Gx = Dx + Ex
d. Find Gy = Dy + Ey
e. Find the magnitude of G from its components
f. Find the direction of G.

7. Two forces 300 N at 0 ̊ and 400 N at 90 p̊ ull on an object. Answer the following:
a. Draw a diagram showing the forces acting on the object.
b. Draw a sketch showing the vector sum of two forces.
c. Find the magnitude of the resultant force.
d. Find the direction of the resultant force.
8. A ship makes three displacements in the following order:
1) 76 mi, 48 ̊ north of east
2) 50 mi, 56 n ̊ orth of west; and
3) 47 mi, south
a. Draw a clear diagram showing all three displacement vectors with respect to horizontal points
(north, east, south, and west).
b. Find the X and Y components of displacement D1.
c. Find the X and Y components of displacement D2.
d. Find the X and Y components of displacement D3.
e. Find the magnitude of the resultant vector.
f. Find the direction of the resultant vector.

9. A bus makes three displacements I the following order:

4) 58 mi, 38 ̊ east of north
5) 69 mi, 46 ̊ west of north; and
6) 75 mi, south-east
a. Draw a clear diagram showing all three displacement vectors with respect to horizontal points
(north, east, south, and west).
b. Find the X and Y components of displacement D1.
c. Find the X and Y components of displacement D2.
d. Find the X and Y components of displacement D3.
e. Find the magnitude of the resultant vector.
f. Find the direction of the resultant vector.

10. A ball is thrown horizontally from the roof of a building 75 m tall with a speed of 4.6 m/s.
a. How much later does the ball hit the ground?
b. How far from the building will it land?
c. What is the velocity of the ball just before it hits the ground?

11. A projectile is fired with an initial speed of 150 m/s at an angle of 47 ̊ above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the projectile.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the projectile.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile 5 s after firing.

12. A projectile is fired from the edge of a cliff 95 m high with an initial speed of 50 m/s at an angle of 37 ̊
above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the projectile.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the projectile.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile just before it hits the bottom of the cliff.
13. A ball is thrown horizontally from the roof of a building 55 m tall with a speed of 3.8 m/s.
a. How much later does it hit the ground?
b. How far from the building will it land?
c. What is the velocity of the ball just before it hits the ground?

14. A projectile is fired with an initial speed of 110 m/s at an angle of 36 above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the projectile.
c. Determine the total horizontal distance covered by the projectile.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile 4s after firing.

15. A ball rolls off a 1.5 m tall horizontal table and lands on the floor .70 m away.
a. How much time is the ball in the air?
b. How does that time compare with the time it takes for a dropped ball to fall that same
distance.
c. What is the ball’s velocity while it was on the table top?
d. What is the horizontal component of its velocity just prior to impact/
e. What is the vertical component of its velocity just prior to impact?
f. What is the magnitude of its velocity just prior to impact?
g. What is the direction of its velocity just prior to impact?

16. An archer fires an arrow with a velocity of 42 m/s at an angle of 35 degrees above horizontal?
a. What is the horizontal component of its initial velocity?
b. What is the vertical component of its initial velocity?
c. What is the maximum height attained by the arrow?
d. How long does it take the arrow to reach that height?
e. What is the total amount of time that it’s in the air?
f. How far away does it strike the ground?
g. What is the horizontal component of its velocity just prior to impact?
h. What is the vertical component of its velocity just prior to impact?
i. What is the magnitude of its velocity just prior to impact?
j. What is the direction of its velocity just prior to impact?

17. A cannon is fired horizontally from a cliff 112m high with a speed of 25 m/s.
a. How much later does the cannon ball hit the ground?
b. How far from the cliff will it land?
c. What is the velocity of the cannon ball just before it hits the ground?

18. A ball is thrown horizontally from the roof of a building 12 m tall with a speed of 3.1 m/s.
a. How much later does the ball hit the ground?
b. How far from the building will it land?
c. What is the velocity of the ball just before it hits the ground?
19. A gazelle leaps from a cliff 2.5 m high with a speed of 5.6 m/s.
a. How much later does the gazelle hit the ground?
b. How far from the cliff will it land?
c. What is the velocity of the gazelle just before it hits the ground?

20. A projectile is fire with an initial speed of 40 m/s at an angle of 23 above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the projectile.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the projectile.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile 2s after firing.

21. A hose held near the ground shoots water at a speed of 3.5 m/s at an angle of 72 above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time of the water in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the water.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the water.
d. Determine the velocity of the water 1.5s after firing.

22. A soccer ball is kicked with a speed of 4.8m/s at an angle of 45 above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the ball.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the ball.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile 3s after firing.

23. A projectile is fired from the edge of a cliff 40 m high with an initial speed of 18 m/s at an angle of2
above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the projectile.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the projectile.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile just before it hits the bottom of the cliff.

24. A projectile is fired from the edge of a cliff 20 m high with an initial speed of 12 m/s at an angle of 41
above the horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the projectile.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the projectile.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile just before it hits the bottom of the cliff.

25. A football is kicked from a height of .85 m with an initial speed of 5.2 m/s at an angle of 50 above the
horizontal.
a. Determine the total time in the air.
b. Determine the maximum height reached by the football.
c. Determine the maximum horizontal distance covered by the football.
d. Determine the velocity of the projectile just before it hits the bottom of the cliff.
Answers d. 38.8 N d. 65.7 m/s at 54 o
e. 68.3 N
Free Response f. 34.6o
1. a. 333 m
b. 40 m/s
c. twice the speed

7. a.

d.

e. b.
𝑚 c. 500 N
f. 𝑥 = (20 𝑠 ) 𝑡
d. 53.1o
1 𝑚
g. 𝑥 = (2.4 2 ) 𝑡
2 𝑠
2. a. 8 to 10 s
b. 10 to 14 s
c. 8 m
d. 28 m
8. a.
e. 2.8 m/s
b. 50.9 mi and 56.5 mi
f. 1 m/s2, 0, -2 m/s2, 0, -1 m/s2, 0
c. -27.9 mi and 41.5 mi
d. 0 mi and -47 mi
e. 55.9 mi
f. 65.7o North of East

g.
3. a. 30N at 0o
b. 10N at 180o
c. 30N at 180o
9. a.
d. 22.4N at 63o
b. 35.7 mi and 45.7 mi
e. 22.4 at 26.6o
c. -49.6 mi and 47.9 mi
4. a. 8.0 N and 6.0 N
d. 53.0 mi and -53.0 mi
b. 18.1 N and 8.5 N
e. 56.4 mi
c. 26.1 N
f. 46.1o
d. 12.7 N
10. a. 3.9 s
e. 29 N
b. 18 m
f. 25.9 o
c. 39.3 m/s at 305 o
5. a. 50 N at 0o
11. a. 2 s
b. 30 N at 0o
b. 614 o
c. 50 N at 180o
c. 2244 m
d. 41.2 N at 14o
d. 118 m
e. 41.2 N at 76o
12. a. 8.4 s
6. a. 12.7 N and 27.2 N
b. 14 m
b. 43.5 N and 11.6 N
c. 335.2 m/s
c. 56.2 N