Physics for Non-Science Majors
Test Preparation
Course Introduction
This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts and principles of physics, designed specifically for students without a strong background in science or mathematics. Topics include motion, energy, heat, sound, electricity, magnetism, light, and the structure of the universe, with an emphasis on real-world applications and everyday phenomena. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and simple experiments, students develop a conceptual understanding of how the physical world works, fostering scientific literacy and critical thinking skills essential for informed citizenship.
Recommended Textbook
The Physical Universe 13th Edition by Konrad Krauskopf
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19 Chapters
954 Verified Questions
954 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The Scientific Method
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Leap years are needed because
A)the earth's orbit is not a perfect circle.
B)the length of the day varies.
C)the length of the year varies.
D)the length of the year is not a whole number of days.
Answer: D
Q2) When the sun, the earth, and the moon are all in line,
A)high tides and low tides are both higher than usual.
B)high tides and low tides are both lower than usual.
C)high tides are higher than usual and low tides are lower than usual.
D)high tides are lower than usual and low tides are higher than usual.
Answer: C
Q3) Stars and planets are round because
A)a sphere is the most natural shape.
B)they rotate.
C)gravity forces them into this shape.
D)friction in space grinds them into this shape.
Answer: C
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3
Chapter 2: Motion
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60 Verified Questions
60 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The weight of an object
A)is the same everywhere in the universe.
B)depends only upon its mass.
C)depends only upon the acceleration of gravity.
D)depends upon both its mass and the acceleration of gravity.
Answer: D
Q2) Which of the following statements is incorrect?
A)All vector quantities have directions.
B)All vector quantities have magnitudes.
C)All scalar quantities have directions.
D)All scalar quantities have magnitudes.
Answer: C
Q3) A boat whose velocity through the water is 20 km/h is moving in a river whose current is 6 km/in relative to the riverbed.The velocity of the boat relative to the riverbed must be between
A)6 and 20 km/h.
B)6 and 26 km/h.
C)12 and 20 km/h.
D)12 and 26 km/h.
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Energy
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47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) An 800-kg car moving at 80 km/h collides head-on with a 1200-kg car moving at 40 km/h in the opposite direction.The total kinetic energy lost by the cars is A)0.
B)less than that lost by the cars in question 48.
C)the same as that lost by the cars in question 48.
D)more than that lost by the cars in question 48.
Answer: D
Q2) The speed of a 4000-kg truck whose KE is 1.8 MJ is
A)0.95 m/s.
B)30 m/s.
C)94 m/s.
D)900 m/s.
Answer: B
Q3) A 1-kg mass has a KE of 1 J when its speed is A)0.45 m/s.
B)1 m/s.
C)1.4 m/s.
D)4.4 m/s.
Answer: C
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Energy and the Future
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41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the following energy sources, the one most likely to run out of reserves first is
A)coal.
B)oil.
C)natural gas.
D)nuclear.
Q2) Despite the harm their burning does to the environment, fossil fuels will remain widely used for which of the following reason(s)?
A)The prices of fossil fuels do not include the cost of the damage their burning does to the environment.
B)The technologies of producing and using fossil fuels are well developed after many years of experience.
C)Fossil fuel production and use are on large enough scales to be relatively economical.
D)The continuing use of fossil fuels avoids the new investment needed for other energy sources.
E)All of the above
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6
Chapter 5: Matter and Heat
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64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Suppose there were molecules that had no attraction whatsoever for one another.A collection of such molecules would form a
A)gas.
B)liquid.
C)amorphous solid.
D)crystalline solid.
Q2) The work output of every heat engine
A)equals its heat intake.
B)equals the difference between its heat intake and heat exhaust.
C)depends only on its intake temperature.
D)depends only on its exhaust temperature.
Q3) In an isolated system, entropy
A)cannot decrease.
B)must remain constant.
C)cannot increase.
D)may increase, decrease, or remain constant.
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Chapter 6: Electricity and Magnetism
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50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the resistance in a 60-W, 12-V light bulb?
A)0.2 ohms
B)0.42 ohms
C)2.4 ohms
D)5 ohms
Q2) At different places on the earth's surface, the earth's magnetic field
A)is the same in direction and magnitude.
B)may be different in direction but not in magnitude.
C)may be different in magnitude but not in direction.
D)may be different in both magnitude and direction.
Q3) A solid conductor is one
A)whose electrons are firmly bound in place.
B)whose electrons are free to move about.
C)that has no electrons.
D)that has too many electrons.
Q4) A kilowatt hour is a unit of A)energy.
B)power.
C)potential difference.
D)electric charge.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Waves
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56 Verified Questions
56 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Light of which of the following colors is scattered most in the atmosphere?
A)red
B)blue
C)yellow
D)green
Q2) Ocean waves whose period is 8 s are observed to have a wavelength of 100 m.Their speed is
A)0.08 m/s.
B)12.5 m/s.
C)100 m/s.
D)800 m/s.
Q3) In an electromagnetic wave, the electric field is
A)parallel to both the magnetic field and the wave direction.
B)perpendicular to both the magnetic field and the wave direction.
C)parallel to the magnetic field and perpendicular to the wave direction.
D)perpendicular to the magnetic field and parallel to the wave direction.
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Chapter 8: The Nucleus
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Sample Questions
Q1) The atoms of the isotopes of an element are different in which one or more of the following?
A)number of electrons
B)number of protons
C)number of neutrons
D)atomic mass
E)Both C and D
Q2) Which one or more of the following is not a unit of energy?
A)joule
B)kilowatt
C)ampere-hour
D)electron volt
E)Both B and C
Q3) The number of quarks in a proton or a neutron is A)1.
B)2.
C)3.
D)4.
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Chapter 9: The Atom
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Sample Questions
Q1) When light is directed at a metal surface, the emitted electrons
A)are called photons.
B)have random energies.
C)have energies that depend upon the intensity of the light.
D)have energies that depend upon the frequency of the light.
Q2) The number of quantum numbers needed to determine the size and shape of the probability cloud of an atomic electron is A)1.
B)2.
C)3.
D)4.
Q3) The energy difference between adjacent energy levels in an atom
A)is the same for all quantum numbers.
B)is smaller for small quantum numbers.
C)is larger for large quantum numbers.
D)shows no regularity.
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Chapter 10: The Periodic Law
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53 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The charge on halogen ions is A)+1.
B)+2.
C)-1.
D)-2.
Q2) The name of the compound Ca<sub>3</sub>N<sub>2</sub> is
A)calcium nitride.
B)calcium nitrate.
C)calcium nitrite.
D)calcium trinitride.
Q3) An atom whose outer electron shell is filled is A)a halogen.
B)an active metal.
C)an inactive metal.
D)an inert gas.
Q4) Carbon
A)is a typical metal.
B)is a typical nonmetal.
C)has properties intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals.
D)has properties no other element has.
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Crystals, Ions, and Solutions
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Sample Questions
Q1) An example of a covalent solid is A)ice.
B)diamond.
C)table salt.
D)tin.
Q2) Polar molecules behave as though they
A)contain tiny magnets.
B)have a positive charge at both ends.
C)have a negative charge at both ends.
D)have a positive charge at one end and a negative charge at the other.
Q3) A solution of ammonia, NH<sub>3</sub>, in water is A)acidic.
B)basic.
C)neutral.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the concentration.
Q4) Pure water does not
A)contain H<sup>+</sup> ions.
B)contain OH<sup>-</sup> ions.
C)contain polar molecules.
D)form ionic crystals when it freezes.
13
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Chapter 12: Chemical Reactions
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Sample Questions
Q1) If a certain reaction is endothermic, the reverse reaction
A)cannot occur.
B)may occur spontaneously.
C)cannot occur spontaneously.
D)absorbs energy.
Q2) The speed of a chemical reaction is not affected by A)the surface area of the reactants. B)catalysts.
C)the concentration of reactants.
D)the type of bond in reaction products.
Q3) The number of moles of atomic oxygen in 1 mole of Ca<sub>3</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub> is A)1.
B)2.
C)4.
D)8.
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Chapter 13: Organic Chemistry
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46 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The mass of fat needed to provide an animal with as much energy as 1 g of carbohydrate is about
A)0.5 g.
B)1 g.
C)2 g.
D)4 g.
Q2) An organic acid molecule contains one or more carboxyl groups whose molecular formula is
A)CO.
B)OH.
C)COH.
D)COOH.
Q3) Nylon is an example of A)a monomer.
B)a polymer.
C)an isomer.
D)an elastomer.
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Chapter 14: Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
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52 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Tornadoes
A)are narrow cyclonic storms.
B)are narrow anticyclonic storms.
C)are at the central parts of hurricanes.
D)occur mainly in the winter.
Q2) Most of the world's freshwater is found
A)in lakes and rivers.
B)in clouds.
C)frozen in Greenland.
D)frozen in Antarctica.
Q3) A temperature inversion that acts to trap smog in localities such as Los Angeles consists of
A)cold air above a layer of warm air.
B)warm air above a layer of cold air.
C)dry air above a layer of moist air.
D)moist air above a layer of dry air.
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Chapter 15: The Rock Cycle
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53 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which one or more of the following statements apply to earthquake S waves?
A)They are back-and-forth vibrations like sound waves.
B)They are transverse vibrations like waves in a taut string.
C)They travel in straight lines through the earth's interior.
D)They can pass through the earth's core.
Q2) The chief source of the energy that powers geological processes today is
A)the sun.
B)heat left over from the earth's formation.
C)electric currents in the earth's core.
D)radioactivity in the earth's interior.
Q3) Earthquakes often occur in regions where
A)the mantle reaches the surface.
B)the oceans are deepest.
C)glaciers are found.
D)volcanoes are found.
Q4) An example of a light-colored, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock is A)granite.
B)shale.
C)gneiss.
D)basalt.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: The Evolving Earth
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Sample Questions
Q1) The theory of evolution is supported by which one or more of the following?
A)the fossil record of organisms in the past
B)the distribution of life forms around the world
C)similarities in the anatomies of different species
D)the occurrence of mutations
E)All of the above
Q2) Classed as mammals are A)reptiles.
B)fish.
C)birds.
D)human beings.
Q3) Living things have been present on the earth
A)only in the most recent geological era.
B)only since Pangaea split into Laurasia and Gondwana.
C)for most of its existence.
D)for all of its existence.
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Chapter 17: The Solar System
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the following planets, the one with the most satellites is A)Venus.
B)Mars.
C)Jupiter.
D)Neptune.
Q2) The surface of Mars does not contain A)active volcanoes.
B)meteor craters.
C)deserts of sand.
D)signs of surface water in the past.
Q3) The surface of Jupiter's satellite Europa may be covered by A)vegetation.
B)metallic hydrogen.
C)the highest volcanoes in the solar system.
D)a layer of water ice floating on liquid water.
Q4) A planet that consists largely of compressed gases is A)Mercury.
B)Venus.
C)Mars.
D)Neptune.
Page 19
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Chapter 18: The Stars
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Sample Questions
Q1) Binary stars are valuable to astronomers because they permit the determination of stellar A)diameters.
B)distances.
C)masses.
D)temperatures.
Q2) The light the sun emits comes from A)its interior.
B)a thin gas layer at its surface.
C)a thin liquid layer at its surface.
D)a thin solid layer at its surface.
Q3) A supernova explosion may leave behind which one or more of the following?
A)a black hole
B)a neutron star
C)a pulsar
D)a red giant
E)Both A, B and C
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Chapter 19: Universe
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Sample Questions
Q1) The sun is
A)a Population I star.
B)a Population II star.
C)different from Population I and II stars.
D)a member of a globular cluster.
Q2) Immediately after the big bang, the universe contained
A)only matter.
B)equal amounts of matter and antimatter.
C)slightly more matter than antimatter.
D)slightly more antimatter than matter.
Q3) In the light of current evidence, a reasonable figure for the age of the universe is
A)13.7 million years.
B)13.7 billion years.
C)100 billion years.
D)15 trillion years.
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