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IBPhysicsHLExam QuestionsSpace, Time & MotionRigid Body Mechanics

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First teaching 2023

First exams 2025

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Rigid Body Mechanics (HL IB Physics)

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Rigid Body Mechanics

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1
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Two co-planar forces of equal magnitude F act on the rim of a wheel.

Which pair of forces act as a couple on the wheel?

q7_moments_aqa-as-physics-mcq

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    2
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    Three statements about rotational equilibrium are:

    1. There is a resultant force acting on the system
    2. There is no resultant torque acting on the system
    3. The system rotates with a constant angular velocity

    Which statements about rotational equilibrium are correct?

    • I and II only

    • I and III only

    • II and III only

    • I, II and III

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    3
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    Which equation links linear displacement and angular displacement? 

    • s space equals space u t space plus space 1 half a t squared

    • v space equals space r omega

    • s space equals space r theta

    • a space equals space minus omega squared x

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    4
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    At the beginning of a wash cycle, a washing machine drum makes its first full revolution from rest in 0.05 seconds.

    What is the rotational velocity of the drum after one full revolution? 

    • 1 halfπ rad s−1

    • 1 over 10π rad s−1

    • 40π rad s−1

    • 80π rad s−1

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    5
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    A rigid rod is rotated about different axis of rotation from different positions along the rod. The axis of rotation is indicated by a straight line and the direction of rotation with an arrow. 

    9-2-e-1b-moments-rod-rotating

    Which of the following rods is the hardest to rotate? 

    rigid-body-mechanics-mcq5e-ib-hl-physics

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      1
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      A student holds a pencil of negligible mass horizontally by the tip and lets it swing down to a vertical position. The pencil is 8 cm long and there is a 2 g mass of blu-tac stuck on the end that swings. 

      What is the moment of inertia acting on the bluc-tac during this motion? 

      • 1.28 × 10−5 kg m2

      • 1.6 × 10−4 kg m2

      • 123 kg m2

      • 128 kg m2

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      2
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       A boy of mass 55 kg is bouncing on a trampoline. When he does a somersault he tucks up into a ball so his whole body is no more than 67 cm away from his centre of mass. During his somersault, he rotates with a linear velocity of 7.1 m s−1.

      rigid-body-mechanics-mcq2m-ib-hl-physics

      What is the boy's maximum angular momentum during the somersault?

      • 175 kg m2 rad s−1

      • 262 kg m2 rad s−1

      • 391 kg m2 rad s−1

      • 2.62 × 106 kg m2 rad s−1

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      3
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      A ceremonial pole of length S is being held by two performers. There is one performer holding each end. Both performers are applying a force of 15 N at an angle of 60° to the pole. The total torque applied by the couple on the pole is 45 N m. 

      4-1-3d-e-torque-angled-forces

      What is the length of the ceremonial pole S ?

      • square root of 3N m

      • 3 N m

      • 2 square root of 3 N m

      • 4 square root of 3 N m

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      4
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      A rod is fixed to a pulley. Two 50 N forces are applied to the ends of the rod as shown. The tension in the rope attached to the pulley is T. The system is in equilibrium.

      q5-paper-1-june-2018-ocr-a-level-physics

      What is the value of the tension in the rope?

      • 40 N m

      • 100 N 

      • 150 N

      • 200 N

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      5
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      A CD of radius 60 mm rotates at a rate of 500 revolutions per minute. 

      What is the linear acceleration of the outer rim of the CD when it rotates for 3 seconds?

      • 1.05 m s−2

      • 10.5 m s−2

      • 17.5 rad s−2

      • 62.5 m s−2

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      1
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      A swinging clock pendulum is 12 cm long with a bob of mass 5 g. The linear acceleration of the swing is 4.2 m s−2.

      What is the torque acting on the pendulum bob at the amplitude of the swing? 

      • 7.2 × 10−5 N m

      • 3.024 × 10−4 N m

      • 2.52 × 10−3 N m

      • 252 N m

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      2
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      A record with a radius of 17 cm and a mass of 150 g is being played on a turntable at a rate of 35 revolutions per minute.

      Calculate the resultant torque on the outer rim of the record when it is played for the first 3 seconds. 

      • 2.65 × 10−3 N m

      • 7.95 × 10−3 N m

      • 0.025 N m

      • 0.25 Nm

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      3
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      A car has four wheels each modelled as a point mass with a diameter of 50 cm and a mass of 28 kg. As the car drives along a flat horizontal road, each tire moves with a linear velocity of 14 m s−1. 

      What is the total rotational kinetic energy of the top point of all four tires?

      • 98 J

      • 686 J

      • 2744 J

      • 10976 J

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      4
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      A wind-up toy ballerina statue starts unwinding by rotating at 3 revolutions per minute about a pivot at its feet. During the unwinding, the ballerina rotates 360π radians and has a maximum radius of rotation of 25 cm from its pivot. The ballerina maintains a constant linear acceleration of 1.75 × 10−4 m s−2 as it unwinds.

      How many minutes does it take the ballerina to unwind?

      • 20

      • 23

      • 30

      • 1404

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      5
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      A car wheel of mass 12 kg is manoeuvred on the floor by attaching two identical solid cylinders each of mass 4 kg, length 15 cm and diameter 5 cm either side of a fastening in the centre of the wheel. The outside of the wheel is made up of a solid rim and tire with a radius of 30 cm from the centre of the tire. The inside of the tire with the spokes and fastening is modelled as an empty space with a radius of 20 cm from the centre. 

      Moment of inertia of a solid cylinder rotated through the centre of the circular face: I space equals space 1 half m R squared where R is the radius of the circle

      Moment of inertia of a cylinder with an empty centre: I space equals space 1 half m open parentheses A squared plus B squared close parentheses where A is the radius of the empty centre and B is the radius of the entire circle

      rigid-body-mechanics-mcq5h

      What is the overall moment of inertia of this system? 

      • 0.2675 kg m2

      • 0.7813 kg m2

      • 0.7825 kg m2

      • 0.7900 kg m2

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