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EmSAT Achieve Friction, Drag, and Elasticity — practice questions

Explore 29 free Friction, Drag, and Elasticity questions in EmSAT Achieve Physics. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Friction, Drag, and Elasticity questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–29 of 29.

What does friction do to the relative motion of two surfaces in contact?Read the answer and worked solution →In which direction does the force of friction act?Read the answer and worked solution →What name is given to friction between two surfaces that are sliding over each other?Read the answer and worked solution →For the same pair of surfaces, how do static and kinetic friction compare?Read the answer and worked solution →Why is a heavy crate harder to start moving than to keep moving?Read the answer and worked solution →How does static friction respond as you push harder on a crate that will not move?Read the answer and worked solution →In the expression for the largest static friction, what does the normal force represent?Read the answer and worked solution →Which symbol in the kinetic friction relation stands for the coefficient of kinetic friction?Read the answer and worked solution →Friction is proportional to the normal force, but not to which quantity?Read the answer and worked solution →When two rough surfaces touch, how much of the total area is really in contact?Read the answer and worked solution →What happens to the true area of contact when the normal force is increased?Read the answer and worked solution →How does the drag force on a moving object depend on its speed?Read the answer and worked solution →A skydiver reaches terminal velocity. What is true of the forces on them?Read the answer and worked solution →Why does the speed stop changing once the net force on a falling body is zero?Read the answer and worked solution →Two skydivers of different mass fall in the same posture. Which reaches the greater terminal velocity?Read the answer and worked solution →In Hooke's law, what does the change in length of the object represent?Read the answer and worked solution →A block sits still on a bench while nobody pushes it. What is the friction on it?Read the answer and worked solution →Oiling a concrete floor makes a crate easier to move. What has changed?Read the answer and worked solution →Adding a heavy box on top of a crate makes it harder to push. Why?Read the answer and worked solution →Why do two surfaces become warm when they are rubbed together?Read the answer and worked solution →Which of these is the standard everyday example of kinetic friction acting?Read the answer and worked solution →What kind of characteristics of friction are the simple rules taught at school?Read the answer and worked solution →What would a nearly friction-free environment save on a large scale?Read the answer and worked solution →Which two forces act on a skydiver falling through air, once buoyancy is ignored?Read the answer and worked solution →What happens to the downward force of gravity on a skydiver as their speed rises?Read the answer and worked solution →Static or kinetic?Read the answer and worked solution →What friction depends onRead the answer and worked solution →How terminal velocity arrivesRead the answer and worked solution →Friction and drag bingoRead the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

What does friction do to the relative motion of two surfaces in contact?

  1. It opposes their relative motion
  2. It speeds up their relative motion
  3. It has no effect on their motion
  4. It reverses their relative motion
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Correct answer: A. It opposes their relative motion

1. Friction arises wherever two surfaces are in contact with one another. 2. It is a force, and its effect is always to oppose relative motion between those surfaces. 3. So it acts against the motion that is happening, or against the motion being attempted. 4. It can never drive the surfaces faster or drive them backwards past rest. _Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Further Applications of Newton's Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity", section Friction_

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In which direction does the force of friction act?

  1. At right angles to the surface
  2. Parallel to the contact surface
  3. Vertically downward at all times
  4. Along the line joining the centres
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Correct answer: B. Parallel to the contact surface

1. Friction acts in the plane where the two surfaces touch. 2. That makes it parallel to the contact surface, not perpendicular to it. 3. Within that plane it points so as to oppose the motion, or the attempted motion. 4. The force perpendicular to the surface is the normal force, a separate force altogether. _Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Further Applications of Newton's Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity", section Friction_

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What name is given to friction between two surfaces that are sliding over each other?

  1. Static friction
  2. Rolling friction
  3. Kinetic friction
  4. Fluid friction
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Correct answer: C. Kinetic friction

1. The name depends on whether the surfaces are actually moving relative to one another. 2. When they are sliding, the friction between them is called kinetic friction. 3. A hockey puck slowing as it slides across ice is the standard example. 4. When the objects are stationary instead, static friction acts between them. _Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Further Applications of Newton's Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity", section Kinetic Friction_

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