College Board · AP Physics 1

AP Physics 1: Torque and rotational dynamics — Practice Questions & Answers

How spinning objects move: angular quantities, torque, moment of inertia, the rotational form of Newton's second law, and equilibrium.

168 practice questions available for this unit — here are 10 with full answers and explanations.

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Practice questions with answers

1 Multiple choice · Easy

A wheel turns through an angle of 6 rad in 3 s at a constant rate. What is its average angular velocity?

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WhyAverage angular velocity equals change in angle divided by time: 6 rad / 3 s = 2 rad/s.
2 Multiple choice · Easy

Which quantity is the rotational analog of force in Newton's second law?

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WhyTorque plays the role of force in the rotational form of Newton's second law (net torque = I times angular acceleration).
3 Multiple choice · Easy

A force of 10 N is applied perpendicular to a wrench at a distance of 0.30 m from the pivot. What is the magnitude of the torque about the pivot?

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WhyFor a perpendicular force, torque = r times F = 0.30 m times 10 N = 3 N m.
4 Multiple choice · Easy

To produce the largest torque with a given force on a door, where should the force be applied and in what direction?

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WhyTorque increases with lever arm and is maximized when the force is perpendicular to the radius, so push far from the hinge and perpendicular to the door.
5 Multiple choice · Easy

A rigid body is in rotational equilibrium. What must be true about the torques acting on it?

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WhyRotational equilibrium means the net torque about any axis is zero, so clockwise and counterclockwise torques balance.
6 Multiple choice · Easy

A disk speeds up from rest to 10 rad/s in 5 s with constant angular acceleration. What is its angular acceleration?

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WhyAngular acceleration = change in angular velocity / time = (10 rad/s - 0) / 5 s = 2 rad/s^2.
7 Fill in the blank · Easy

The moment of inertia of a point mass m at distance r from the axis of rotation is I = m r^.

Answer: 2

WhyFor a point mass, I = m r^2; the exponent on the radius is 2.
8 Multiple choice · Medium

A solid disk of moment of inertia 0.50 kg m^2 experiences a net torque of 4.0 N m. What is its angular acceleration?

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WhyUsing net torque = I times alpha, alpha = 4.0 N m / 0.50 kg m^2 = 8.0 rad/s^2.
9 Multiple choice · Medium

A point on the rim of a wheel of radius 0.25 m has a tangential (linear) speed of 4.0 m/s. What is the angular velocity of the wheel?

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WhyLinear and rotational speed relate by v = r times omega, so omega = v / r = 4.0 m/s / 0.25 m = 16 rad/s.
10 Multiple choice · Medium

A force of 20 N is applied at the end of a 0.40 m rod at an angle of 30 degrees to the rod. What is the magnitude of the torque about the other end?

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WhyTorque = r times F times sin(theta) = 0.40 m times 20 N times sin(30 deg) = 0.40 times 20 times 0.5 = 4.0 N m.

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Key terms in Torque and rotational dynamics

Rotational motion: Motion in which an object turns about an axis, with every point tracing a circular path around that axis.
Axis of rotation: The fixed line about which a rigid body rotates and around which all its points move in circles.
Rigid body: An idealized object whose particles keep fixed distances from one another so it does not deform as it rotates.
Angular position: The orientation of a rotating object measured as an angle relative to a chosen reference direction, in radians.
Angular displacement: The change in angular position of a rotating object, measured in radians.
Radian: The SI unit of angle equal to the arc length divided by the radius, with 2*pi rad in one full revolution.
Arc length: The distance traveled along a circular path, equal to the radius times the angular displacement in radians.
Angular velocity: The rate of change of angular position with respect to time, measured in rad/s.

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