Think you’ve got your head wrapped around Physics Basics? Put your knowledge to
the test. Good luck — the Stickman is counting on you!
Q. What is the ultimate goal of physics?
To frustrate students everywhere
To explain tiny things and large things, but not medium-sized things
To explain how matter works
To come up with a Theory of Everything (TM)
To explain how biological organisms work
Q. Which of the following is NOT a topic in physics?
Forces
Motion
Quantum mechanics
Optics
Ecology
Q. Which of the following terms describes “the rate at which our position changes”?
Velocity
Acceleration
Displacement
Position
Energy
Q. Which of the following forces always points straight down, towards the ground?
Magnetic force
Gravity
Buoyancy
Drag
Tension
Q. Which of the following statements about forces is false?
Forces are pushes or pulls
Forces explain why motion happens/changes
Forces explain what happens to objects, not why
Newton’s laws are part of the topic of forces
Friction is a force
Q. What main energy transfer happens when a ball rolls down a (frictionless) hill?
Kinetic energy changes into gravitational potential energy
Kinetic energy changes into heat energy
Gravitational potential energy changes into kinetic energy
Heat energy changes into kinetic energy
Rotation energy changes into kinetic energy
Q. Which of the following objects would have the LEAST momentum?
A penny on the top of a fast-moving train
A sumo wrestler moving around a ring
The fast-moving train itself
A car parked on a hill
An apple falling towards Isaac Newton’s head
Q. Which of the following is a type of collision where the objects always have less kinetic (movement) energy after the collision than they had before the collision?
Major collision
Inelastic collision
Bouncy collision
Elastic collision
Explosive collision
Q. Which of the following laws says that the total disorder in the universe can only increase?
Newton’s first law
Newton’s second law
The first law of thermodynamics
The second law of thermodynamics
The law of restitution
Q. How does the pressure above and below an aircraft wing’s compare as it rises into the air?
The pressure below the wing is higher than the pressure above the wing
The pressure below the wing is lower than the pressure above the wing
The pressure below the wing is equal to the pressure above the wing
The pressure below and above the wing depend on the exact situation
The pressure below and above the wing depend on the type of aircraft