Some AP Energy MC Questions

1. An amusement park ride has two identical carriages that revolve

around the center of the ride’s axle, as shown in the figure. Both
carts travel at a constant tangential speed at all points along the
circular path. At what position is the total mechanical energy of the
cart-cart-Earth system at its maximum value?

a. b.

c. d. The total energy of the Earth-Ferris

wheel ride is constant.

2. Objects X and Y are connected by a string of negligible mass and

suspended vertically over a pulley of negligible mass, creating an
Atwood’s machine, as shown in the figure. The objects are initially
at rest, and the mass of Object Y is greater than the mass of
Object X. As Object Y falls, how does the gravitational potential
energy of the Object X-Object Y-Earth system change? All
frictional forces are considered to be negligible.
a. The gravitational potential energy increases because the center
of mass of Object X and Object Y moves upward.
b. The gravitational potential energy increases because the center
of mass of Object X and Object Y moves downward.
c. The gravitational potential energy decreases because the center of mass of Object X and
Object Y moves upward.
d. The gravitational potential energy decreases because the center of mass of Object X and
Object Y moves downward.
3. A block of mass M is released from rest at point
1, as shown in the figure. The block slides
without frictional forces along the circular arc but
encounters frictional forces as soon as it
reaches the horizontal portion of the track at
point 2. The block travels a distance D along
the horizontal track before coming to rest at
point 3. Consider the block-Earth system. In terms of the mechanical energy of the system,
which of the following claims is correct, and why?
a. The system is open, because there is a net force exerted on the block.
b. The system is open, because the block’s velocity is zero at points 1 and 3.
c. The system is closed, because there is a net force exerted on the block.
d. The system is closed, because the block’s velocity is zero at points 1 and 3.

4. A 4 kg block is pushed up an incline that makes

a 30o angle with the horizontal, as shown in the
figure. Once the block is pushed a distance
of d=5.0 m up the incline, the block remains at
rest. What is the approximate change in the
gravitational potential energy of the block-Earth
system when the block is held at rest compared to
its original location at the bottom of the incline?
a. 0 J
b. 100 J
c. 100√3 J
d. 200 J

5. An object of mass M is attached to a string of negligible mass and spun

in a vertical circle of radius R, as shown in the figure above. As the
object’s height increases, its speed decreases such that the object-Earth
system’s total mechanical energy remains constant. By how much does
the object’s kinetic energy decrease in moving from point O, the lowest
point on the circle, to point P, the highest point on the circle?
a. 1/2MgR
b. MgR
c. √2MgR
d. 2MgR

6. An experiment is conducted such that an

applied force is exerted on a 5kg object as it
travels across a horizontal surface in which
frictional forces are NOT considered to be
 negligible. A graph of the net force exerted on the object as a function of the object’s
distance traveled is shown. How could a student use the graph to determine the net work
done on the object?
a. Multiply the average value of the applied force by the total distance the object traveled.
b. Multiply the slope of the best fit line by the total distance the object traveled.
c. Calculate the area bound by the line of best fit and the horizontal axis from 0m to 5m.
d. There is not enough information that is known or can be obtained from the graph to
determine the net work done on the object.

7. The surface of an incline is coated with an

experimental substance that is intended to
reduce the frictional force between a block
and the surface of the incline. A 2 kg block
is placed at the top of the incline at a height
of 1.8 m, as shown in the figure. After the
block is released from rest, the block slides
down the incline and a motion detector at the bottom of the incline measures the block’s
speed as 5.8ms after the block is no longer on the incline. Which of the following claims is
correct about the experimental substance?
a. The experimental substance reduced all the frictional force because all the gravitational
potential energy of the Earth-block system at the top of the incline was converted into the
kinetic energy of the block at the bottom of the incline.
b. The experimental substance did not reduce all the frictional force because some of the
gravitational potential energy of the Earth-block system at the top of the incline was
converted into nonmechanical energy.
c. The effectiveness of the experimental substance cannot be determined because the speed
of the block at the bottom of the inline, as measured by the motion detector, indicates that
the block has more energy at this location than the Earth-block system had at the top of the
incline.
d. The effectiveness of the experimental substance cannot be determined without knowing the
magnitude of the frictional force between the block and the incline before and after the
experimental substance was applied to the incline.

8. A student is conducting an experiment to analyze

the mechanical energy of a block-spring system.
The student places a block of mass 2kg on a
horizontal surface and attaches the block to a
horizontal spring of negligible mass and spring
constant 100N/m, as shown in the figure. There is negligible friction between the block and
the horizontal surface. The other end of the spring is attached to a wall. The block-spring
system is initially at the spring’s equilibrium position.
The student wants to collect data of the block-spring system that can be used to determine the work
done on the spring by the block when the spring is compressed. Which of the following includes only
the measuring devices that the student will need in order to collect the data?

a. Force probe and meterstick

b. Stopwatch and meterstick
c. Stopwatch and force probe
d. Force probe, stopwatch, and meterstick

9. A student conducts an experiment in which an

object is released from rest and falls to the
floor. In the experiment, frictional forces
CANNOT be neglected. The student uses
experimental data to create two graphs. Figure
1 is a graph of kinetic energy of the object as a
function of time. Figure 2 is a graph of the
object-Earth system’s gravitational potential
energy as a function of time. How should the
student use one or both graphs to determine
how much the total mechanical energy
changes after 5s ?
a. Calculate the magnitude of the difference
between the final kinetic energy of the object
and the final kinetic energy of the object by
using the graph in Figure 1.
b. Calculate the magnitude of the difference
between the final gravitational potential
energy of the system and the initial
gravitational potential energy of the system
by using the graph in Figure 2.
c. Calculate the magnitude of the difference
between the final kinetic energy of the object found from the graph in Figure 1 and the final
gravitational potential energy of the object-Earth system found from the graph in Figure 2.
d. Calculate the magnitude of the difference between the final kinetic energy of the object found
from the graph in Figure 1 and the initial gravitational potential energy of the object-Earth
system found from the graph in Figure 2.

10. A student is conducting an

experiment to analyze the mechanical
energy of a block-spring system. The
student places a block of
mass 2kg on a horizontal surface
and attaches the block to a horizontal
spring of negligible mass and spring
constant 100N/m, as shown in the
figure. There is negligible friction
between the block and the horizontal
 surface. The other end of the spring is attached to a wall. The block-spring system is initially
at the spring’s equilibrium position.
a. Determine the slope of the line of best fit through the data from 0.0 m to 1.0 m.
b. Determine the area bound by the line of best fit through the data and the horizontal axis
from 0.0 m to 1.0 m.
c. Use the maximum value of the force exerted on the spring and multiply that value by the
maximum distance that the spring is compressed.
d. This graph cannot be used to determine the work done by the block on the spring because
the force exerted on the spring by the block is not constant.

11. A block on a horizontal surface is placed in contact

with a light spring with spring constant k, as shown
in Figure 1. When the block is moved to the left so
that the spring is compressed a distance d from its
equilibrium length, the potential energy stored in the
spring-block system is Em . When a second block
of mass 2m is placed on the same surface and the
spring is compressed a distance 2d, as shown in
Figure 2, how much potential energy is stored in the
spring compared to the original potential
energy Em ? All frictional forces are considered to be negligible.
a. ½ Em
b. Em
c. 2 Em
d. 4 Em

12. A conveyor belt ramp of

length 7m is inclined
at 20° with respect to
the horizontal and is
used to move objects
from one location to
another location. When
an object is placed on
the conveyor belt, the
object travels up the
incline with a constant
speed of 1.5 m/s . A
motor is used to keep the conveyor belt moving. The mass of the objects that are placed on
the conveyor belt are varied.

Suppose the motor breaks and a person must push an object of mass 30kg from the bottom of the
incline to the top of the incline. The person can exert a force of 150N on the object parallel to the
incline. What is the approximate amount of work that the person does on the object to move it to the
top of the incline? Assume that all frictional forces are negligible.
 a. 0J
b. 239 J
c. 658 J
d. 1050 J

13. Two blocks of the same mass but

made of different material slide across
a horizontal, rough surface and
eventually come to rest. A graph of the
kinetic energy of each block as a
function of position along the surface
is shown. Which of the following is a
true statement about the frictional
force Ff that is exerted on the two
blocks?
a. Ff2=2Ff1, since the force of friction
is represented as the slope for each of the two curves.
b. Ff2=1/2Ff1, since the force of friction is represented as the inverse slope for each of the two
curves.
c. Ff2=2Ff1, since the force of friction is represented as the inverse of the area bound by
each curve and the horizontal axis.
d. Ff2=1/2Ff1, since the force of friction is represented as the area bound by each curve and
the horizontal axis.

14. A student conducts an experiment in which an

object is released from rest above a motion
detector so that data can be collected about the
object’s motion as the object falls to the ground.
The experiment is conducted near Earth’s
surface. All frictional forces are considered to be
negligible unless otherwise stated.

The student collects the data necessary to graph the

object’s kinetic energy as a function of time, as shown.
Which of the following graphs represents the sum of the kinetic energy K and gravitational potential
energy Ug of the object-Earth system as a function of time?

a. b.
 c. d.

15. A graph of the net force F exerted on an

object as a function of x position is shown for
the object of mass M as it travels a horizontal
distance 3d . Which expression represents
the change in the kinetic energy of the object?
a. 3Fd
b. 3.5Fd
c. 4.5Fd
d. 6Fd

16. Consider a system of two objects and Earth.

Object X and object Y are held together by a light
string as shown in the figure. MY is larger than MX.
The two-object system is released from rest in the
orientation shown in the figure at a height H above Earth’s surface. The change in the kinetic
energy of the system from when it is released to the instant it hits the ground is most nearly
a. MYgH
b. MXgH
c. (MY−MX)gH
d. (MY+MX)gH

17. A block of mass M is sliding with an initial speed vi along a horizontal surface with negligible
friction. A constant force of magnitude FA is exerted on the object at an upward angle
of 60∘ from the horizontal, causing the object to speed up. If the block remains in contact
with the floor, what is the change in the block’s kinetic energy as it moves a horizontal
distance Δx ?
a. 1/2FAΔx
b. FAΔx
c. 1/2Mv2i+1/2FAΔx
d. 1/2Mv2i+FAΔx
 18. A block of mass m is launched by a spring of negligible mass along a horizontal surface of
negligible friction. The spring constant of the spring is k. The spring is initially compressed a
distance x0. The block is released from rest. Some time after the block is released and
travels in the direction shown in the figure, the spring compression is xf. Which of the
following mathematical calculations can a student use to determine the speed vf of the block
at this new position?
a. 1/2kx20=1/2mv2f. Solve for vf.
b. 1/2kx20=1/2kx2f+1/2mv2f. Solve for vf.
c. F∥d=1/2mΔv2 and F∥=kx0 . Solve for Δv.
d. Fdcosθ=1/2mΔv2 and F=kx0 . Solve for Δv.

19. A conveyor belt ramp of length 7m is inclined

at 20° with respect to the horizontal and is used to
move objects from one location to another
location. When an object is placed on the
conveyor belt, the object travels up the incline with
a constant speed of 1.5 m/s . A motor is used to
keep the conveyor belt moving. The mass of the
objects that are placed on the conveyor belt are varied.

For the system that only includes the object, which of the following claims best describes what
happens to the mechanical energy of the system while the object is moving from the bottom of the
ramp to the top of the ramp?

a. The mechanical energy of the object increases because the gravitational potential energy
increases as the object moves up the ramp.
b. The mechanical energy of the object decreases because the force due to gravity from Earth
does negative work on the object as it moves up the ramp.
c. The mechanical energy of the object is constant because the kinetic energy of the object is
constant.
d. A determination of the change of the mechanical energy of the object cannot be made
without knowing the power of the motor that is used to move the conveyor belt.

20. A block of mass M is released from rest and

slides down an incline, as shown in the
figure. The length D of the incline is 0.8
m and the angle of the incline, θ, is 37°. A
graph of the speed v as a function of
time t of the block as it descends the incline
is shown. How could a student use the
graph and the information provided to
determine whether the block-Earth system is
an open system or a closed system?
a. Use the known mass of the block and the final velocity of the block after 0.5 s to determine
the final kinetic energy of the block.
b. Use the known length of the incline and the known angle that the incline makes with the
horizontal to determine the height above the ground at which the block is released. Use this
height and the object’s known mass to determine the initial gravitational potential energy of
the block-Earth system.
c. Use the known mass of the block and the initial velocity of the block at 0.0 s to determine
the initial kinetic energy of the block. Compare it with final kinetic energy of the block that can
be found as described above.
d. Determine final kinetic energy as described above and compare it with the initial gravitational
potential energy of the block-Earth system as described above.

21. A person starting from rest at

point 1 swings along a circular arc from a
rope, as shown above. Point 2 is at a
lower height than point 1. What is the
trajectory of the person when the person
lets go of the rope at Point 2 ?

a. b.

c. d.

22. A planet moves in an elliptical orbit around a

star, as shown in the diagram. Which of the
following is true as the planet moves from
position 1 to position 2?
a. The planet loses kinetic energy due to
negative gravitational work; thus, the total
energy in the planet-star system decreases.
b. The planet’s kinetic energy increases due to positive gravitational work; thus, the total energy
in the planet-star system increases.
c. Kinetic energy decreases and gravitational potential energy increases, but the total energy in
the planet-star system stays constant.
d. Potential energy decreases and kinetic energy increases, but the total energy in the planet-
star system stays constant.
23. A block of mass M=0.10kg is attached to one end of a spring with spring
constant k=100Nm . The other end of the spring is attached to a fixed wall. The block is
pushed against the spring, compressing it a distance x=0.04m . The block is then
released from rest, and the block-spring system travels along a horizontal, rough track. Data
collected from a motion detector are used to create a graph of the kinetic energy K and
spring potential energy Us of the system
as a function of the block's position as the
spring expands. How can the student
determine the amount of mechanical
energy dissipated by friction as the spring
expanded to its natural spring length?
a. Use Fd with F equal to the distance the
spring is compressed. Then multiply the
value by the spring constant of the spring.
Then multiply this value by d equal to the
total displacement of the center of mass of
the block.
b. Subtract the final kinetic energy of the
block-spring system from the initial spring
potential energy stored within the block-
spring system.
c. Use 1/2kx2 with k equal to 100Nm and x equal to the maximum compression of the spring.
d. Use the value of the kinetic energy of the block-spring system when the block is at a position
of 0 m.

24. A student swings a ball at the end of a string of length R in a

vertical circle as shown. The ball moves with the minimum
speed necessary to complete a circular path at point 1.
Consider the system of the ball. In terms of the mechanical
energy of the system, which of the following claims is correct,
and why?
a. The system is open, because the ball is able to complete a
full revolution around the circle.
b. The system is open, because a net force is exerted on the
ball as it travels in a circle.
c. The system is closed, because the ball is able to complete a
full revolution around the circle.
d. The system is closed, because the speed of the ball remains
constant as it travels in the vertical circle.

25. Three identical massive bodies are at the corners of an

equilateral triangle, each a distance D0 from the center
 of mass of the other two bodies, as shown in the figure. Each body has mass M. What is the
gravitational potential energy of the three-body system?
a. Zero
2
−G M
b.
D0
2
−2G M
c.
D0
2
−3 G M
d.
D0

26. Blocks X and Y are connected by a string that passes over a pulley,
as shown in the figure. Block Y has more mass than Block X. The
string and pulley have negligible mass, and the pulley rotates with
negligible friction. After the blocks are released from rest, what
happens to the mechanical energy Emech of the system consisting
of the two blocks and Earth?
a. Emech decreases.
b. Emech remains constant.
c. Emech increases.
d. The change of Emech cannot be determined without knowing the
ratio of the blocks’ masses and their initial distances from Earth’s surface.

27. Figure 1 shows the

kinetic energy as a
function of time for
a 2kg object that is
released from rest and
falls toward Earth’s
surface. Figure 2 shows
the kinetic energy as a
function of time for
a 5kg object that is
released from rest and
falls toward Earth’s surface. Both objects are released simultaneously from the same height.
How much does the gravitational potential energy of the object-object-Earth system change
from 0s to 10s ?
a. 400 J
b. 600 J
c. 1000 J
d. 1400 J
 28. A cart is going around a circular loop, as shown in the figure. The cart moves with the
smallest speed necessary to stay in contact with the loop to complete a circular path at point
1. What is the speed of the cart at point 2?
a. Zero
b. √ gR
c. √ 3 gR
d. √ 5 gR

29. An experiment is conducted such that an applied force

is exerted on a 2kg object as it travels across a
horizontal surface. A graph of the net force exerted on
the object as a function of the object’s distance
traveled is shown. How could a student use the graph
to determine the work done by the applied force?
a. Multiply the maximum value of the applied force by the
total distance the object traveled.
b. Multiply the weight of the object by the total distance
traveled by the object.
c. Calculate the slope of the line of best fit.
d. Calculate the area bound by the line of best fit and the horizontal axis from 0m to 3m.

30. A student conducts an experiment in which an object is released from rest above a motion
detector so that data can be collected about the object’s motion as the object falls to the
ground. The experiment is conducted near Earth’s surface. All frictional forces are
considered to be negligible unless otherwise stated.

The student wants to collect data to determine the work done by the force due to gravity on the
object as it falls. Which of the following lists contains the fewest number of measuring devices, in
addition to the motion detector, that the student can use?

a. Spring scale
b. Spring scale and meterstick
c. Stopwatch and meterstick
d. Spring scale, meterstick, and stopwatch