Basic College Physics

Chapter 2 Describing Motion: Reasoning and Judgment Exercises

1. Does a car speedometer measure speed, velocity, or both? Explain.

a. Reorder this question so that the complete subject is first and the complete predicate second.

b. May semantical analysis help determine the best answer.

c. May definitional analysis help determine the best answer.

2. When an object moves with constant velocity, does its average velocity during any time interval differ from its instantaneous velocity at any instant? Explain.

a. Reorder this question so that the complete subject is first and the complete predicate second.

b. May semantical analysis help determine the best answer.

c. May definitional analysis help determine the best answer.

3. Compare the acceleration of a motorcycle that accelerates from 80km/h to 90km/h with the acceleration of a bicycle that accelerates from rest to 10 km/h in the same time.

a. Reorder this question so that the complete subject is first and the complete predicate second.

b. May semantical analysis help determine the best answer.

c. May definitional analysis help determine the best answer.

d. May mathematical analysis help determine the best answer.

4. Can an object be increasing in speed as its acceleration decreases? If so, give an example. If not, explain.

a. Reorder this question so that the complete subject is first and the complete predicate second.

b. May semantical analysis help determine the best answer.

c. May definitional analysis help determine the best answer.

d. May mathematical analysis help determine the best answer.

e. May an experiential analysis help determine the best answer.

5. A baseball player hits a ball straight up into the air. It leaves the bat with a speed of 120km/h. In the absence of air resistance, how fast would the ball be traveling when it is caught at the same height above the ground as it left the bat? Explain.

a. May definitional analysis help determine the best answer.

b. May mathematical analysis help determine the best answer.

c. May an experiential analysis help determine the best answer.

The complete subject includes all words that tell who or what the subject is.

Example: Most birds | can fly.

The complete predicate includes all words that state the action or condition of the subject.

Example: Most birds | can fly.