A Level CIE Physics 15 mins 15 questions

Multiple Choice Questions

4.1 Turning Effects of

Forces
Centre of Gravity / Moments / Turning Effects of Forces

Easy (5 questions) /5 Scan here for your answers

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Medium (5 questions) /5

Hard (5 questions) /5

Total Marks /15

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Easy Questions
1 What is the centre of gravity of an object?

A. the geometrical centre of the object

B. the point about which the total torque is zero

C. the point at which the weight of the object may be considered to act

D. the point through which gravity acts

(1 mark)

2 The diagram shows four forces applied to a circular object.

Which of the following describes the resultant force and resultant torque on the object?

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 Resultant force Resultant torque

A non-zero non-zero

B non-zero zero

C zero non-zero

D zero zero

(1 mark)

3 Two co-planar forces act on the rim of a wheel. The forces are equal in magnitude.

Which arrangement of forces provides only a couple?

(1 mark)

4 Two parallel forces, each of magnitude F, act on a body as shown

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 What is the magnitude of the torque on the body produced by this couple?

A. Fd

B. Fs

C. 2 Fd

D. 2Fs
(1 mark)

5 A steering wheel of diameter 0.38 m is rotated to the left by two forces of 2 N, as show in
the diagram.

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What is the moment of the couple produced by the rotation of the steering wheel?

A. 0.38 N

B. 0.50 N

C. 0.76 N

D. 1.0 N
(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 A 20 cm ruler is pivoted at its centre. Equal and opposite forces of magnitude 5.0 N are
applied to the ends of the ruler, creating a couple as shown

What is the magnitude of the torque of the couple on the ruler when it is in the position
shown?

A. 0.17 N m

B. 0.87 N m

C. 1.0 N m

D. 1.7 N m

(1 mark)

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2 A 10 cm beam is pivoted at its centre. Equal and opposite forces of 10 N pull the ends of
the beam, creating a couple as shown.

What magnitude is the torque of the couple?

A. 0.25 N m

B. 0.5 N m

C. 0.87 N m

D. 1 N m
(1 mark)

3 A 1 m long uniform beam is hung from the ceiling by a rope. and is balanced when a 20 g
mass is positioned 30 cm from the rope as shown.

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 What is the mass of the metre rule?

A. 0.06 g

B. 20 g

C. 60 g

D. 100 g
(1 mark)

4 A door handle in the diagram below has a length 10 cm requires a force of 20 N to turn
it.

If the handle breaks and the door must be opened using the axle of the handle, with a
diameter of 0.5 cm, how much force is needed?

A. 4 N

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 B. 8 N

C. 40 N

D. 400 N
(1 mark)

5 A car wheel nut can be loosened by applying a force of 310 N on the end of a bar of
length 0.7 m as in X. A car mechanic is capable of applying forces of 650 N
simultaneously in opposite directions on the ends of a wheel wrench as in Y.

What is the minimum length l of the wrench which would be needed for him to loosen
the nut?

650
A. l = = 0 . 17 m
(310 × 0 . 7)

(310 × 0 . 7)
B. l = = 0 . 33 m
650

(310 × 0 . 7)
C. l = = 3 . 00 m
(2 × 650)

(2 × 650)
D. l = = 6 . 00 m
(310 × 0 . 7)

(1 mark)

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Hard Questions
1 The diagram shows a solid cube with weight W and sides of length L. It is supported by a
frictionless spindle that passes through the centres of two opposite vertical faces. One of
these faces is shaded.

L
The spindle is now removed and replaced at a distance 4
to the right of its original
position.

When viewing the shaded face, what is the torque of the couple that will now be needed
to stop the cube from toppling?

A. WL
2
anticlockwise

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 B. WL
2
clockwise

C. WL
4
anticlockwise

D. WL
4
clockwise

(1 mark)

2 A trailer of weight 30 kN is attached to a truck. The trailer is raised until it is held at 50˚ to
the horizontal by a vertical force F as shown in the diagram.

The trailer is 2.7 m in length and the position of its centre of gravity G is a third of the
length from the hinge at O.

What is the vertical force F applied to the end of the trailer?

A. 10 kN

B. 15 kN

C. 30 kN

D. 60 kN

(1 mark)

3 A 1 m long uniform beam has a mass of 2 kg and has a further mass of 5 kg attached at
the end. It is in contact with a wall on one side and is supported by a wire at an angle of
30° to the beam. The beam is in equilibrium. What is the tension, T, in the wire?

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 A. 17.14 N

B. 84 N

C. 140 N

D. 168 N
(1 mark)

4 A beam of length L and weight w is suspended from the ceiling by two ropes. One rope is
attached at the leftmost point of the beam, the second at a distance of 2 m along the
beam. A weight W is suspended from the beam at a distance d from one end of the
beam. Which formula expresses the value of d that must be used to ensure that the
tension in both ropes is equal?

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 1
W+w− wL
2
A. d =
W

1
W+w− wL
2
B. d =
2W

2W + 2w − wL
C. d =
W

w
D. d = W (1 + )
W
(1 mark)

5 The diagram shows a bow and arrow. The arrow is positioned at the centre, X, of the
string of the bow stretched between points Y and Z. The string is pulled back such that
the tension in the bowstring is 10 N. What force will accelerate the arrow in the direction
of point A, when the string is released?

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A. 5.15 N

B. 5.75 N

C. 8.58 N

D. 10.3 N
(1 mark)

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