HESI A2 physics practice questions, set 4

HESI A2 · physics

HESI A2 physics practice questions set 4

You practice the motion, energy, and wave items some schools still score on HESI A2. Five of the 15 questions include the correct answer and rationale. The other ten keep answers in the study hub. Continue with the HESI A2 exam guide or more HESI A2 practice questions.

Five physics questions with answers

Cover the key. Write the first action. Then open the rationale and name why the other choices fail.

Question 1

A 50-kg box of iron fishing weights is balanced at the edge of a table. Peter gives it a push, and it falls 2 meters to the floor. Which of the following statements is true?

  1. A. Once the box hits the floor, it loses both its kinetic and potential energy.
  2. B. The box had kinetic energy only when it was balanced at the edge of the table.
  3. C. The box had both kinetic and potential energy after it fell.
  4. D. Once the box hits the floor, it loses all its kinetic energy.
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: C — The box had both kinetic and potential energy after it fell.

When the box is balanced at the edge of the table, it has potential energy due to its position above the ground. As Peter gives it a push, and it falls 2 meters to the floor, the box then has both kinetic energy (due to its motion) and potential energy (due to gravity). Therefore, the correct statement is that the box had both kinetic and potential energy after it fell. Option A is incorrect because the box retains its energy forms even after hitting the floor. Option B is incorrect as the box has kinetic energy both before and after falling. Option D is incorrect as the box still possesses kinetic energy even after hitting the floor.

Question 2

A caterpillar starts moving at a rate of 14 in/hr. After 15 minutes, it is moving at a rate of 20 in/hr. What is the caterpillar's rate of acceleration?

  1. A. 6 in/hr²
  2. B. 12 in/hr²
  3. C. 24 in/hr²
  4. D. 280 in/hr²
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: C — 24 in/hr²

Acceleration is the change in velocity over time. The change in velocity for the caterpillar is 20 in/hr - 14 in/hr = 6 in/hr. Since this change occurred over 15 minutes (or 0.25 hours), the acceleration can be calculated as (6 in/hr) / (0.25 hr) = 24 in/hr². Therefore, the caterpillar's rate of acceleration is 24 in/hr², which corresponds to choice C. Choice A, 6 in/hr², is incorrect as it does not account for the time factor and the correct calculation. Choice B, 12 in/hr², is incorrect as it doubles the correct acceleration value. Choice D, 280 in/hr², is significantly higher than the correct value, indicating a calculation error.

Question 3

The specific heat capacity of tin is 217 J/(g°C). Which of these materials would require about twice as much heat as tin to increase the temperature of a sample by 1°C?

  1. A. Copper [0.3844 J/(g°C)]
  2. B. Iron [0.449 J/(g°C)]
  3. C. Gold [0.1291 J/(g°C)]
  4. D. Aluminum [0.904 J/(g°C)]
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: D — Aluminum [0.904 J/(g°C)]

The correct answer is D: Aluminum. The specific heat capacity of aluminum is 0.904 J/(g°C), which is approximately 4 times that of tin. For a material to require about twice as much heat as tin to increase the temperature by 1°C, it should have a specific heat capacity roughly double that of tin. Therefore, aluminum fits this criterion better than the other options. Gold has a much lower specific heat capacity than tin, so it would require less, not more, heat to increase the temperature by 1°C. Copper and Iron also have specific heat capacities lower than tin, making them incorrect choices for requiring twice as much heat as tin.

Question 4

A solenoid is a long, tightly wound coil of wire that acts like a bar magnet when current flows through it. The magnetic field lines inside a solenoid are most similar to the field lines around:

  1. A. A single straight current-carrying wire
  2. B. A horseshoe magnet
  3. C. A permanent bar magnet
  4. D. A flat sheet conductor
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: C — A permanent bar magnet

The magnetic field lines inside a solenoid resemble the field lines around a permanent bar magnet. Both a solenoid and a bar magnet have north and south poles, resulting in a similar pattern of magnetic field lines. A single straight current-carrying wire produces a different field pattern because it has no coil structure like a solenoid. A horseshoe magnet has a unique field shape due to its pole arrangement, different from the uniform field pattern of a solenoid. A flat sheet conductor does not exhibit the same magnetic field characteristics as a solenoid, as it lacks the coil shape and alignment of a solenoid's magnetic field.

Question 5

Power (P) represents the rate of work done. Which formula accurately depicts power?

  1. A. P = W / F
  2. B. P = d / t
  3. C. P = W x t
  4. D. P = F / t
Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: D — P = F / t

Power (P) is defined as the rate of work done over time. The correct formula for power is P = W/t, where W is the work done, and t is the time taken. Therefore, option D, P = F / t, correctly represents power as work divided by time. Option A, P = W / F, is incorrect as it represents work divided by force, not power. Option B, P = d / t, is incorrect as it represents distance divided by time, not power. Option C, P = W x t, is incorrect as it represents work multiplied by time, not power. It's important to understand the distinction between work, power, force, time, and other related concepts to solve physics problems accurately.

Keep going past these 15 questions

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Ten more HESI A2 physics questions

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Question 6

At which point on a roller coaster does the car have the greatest potential energy?

  1. A. The start of the ride
  2. B. The highest peak
  3. C. The lowest trough
  4. D. The end of the ride
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Question 7

In fluid machinery, pumps are designed to primarily increase the fluid's:

  1. A. Pressure
  2. B. Velocity only
  3. C. Both pressure and velocity
  4. D. Neither pressure nor velocity
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Question 8

An object with a charge of 4 μC is placed 1 meter from another object with a charge of 2 μC. What is the magnitude of the resulting force between the objects?

  1. A. 0.04 N
  2. B. 0.072 N
  3. C. 80 N
  4. D. 8 10−6 N
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Question 9

What is the purpose of a switch in a circuit?

  1. A. To reverse the direction of alternating current
  2. B. To increase the voltage of the battery or cell
  3. C. To increase the resistance of wires in the circuit
  4. D. To allow the circuit to open and close
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Question 10

A 120-volt heat lamp draws 25 amps of current. What is the lamp's resistance?

  1. A. 96 ohms
  2. B. 104 ohms
  3. C. 150 ohms
  4. D. 4.8 ohms
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Question 11

A 780-watt refrigerator is powered by a 120-volt power source. What is the current being drawn?

  1. A. 660 amperes
  2. B. 150 amperes
  3. C. 6.5 amperes
  4. D. 0.15 amperes
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Question 12

When a car is driven for a long time, the pressure of air in the tires increases. This is best explained by which of the following gas laws?

  1. A. Boyle's law
  2. B. Charles' law
  3. C. Gay-Lussac's law
  4. D. Dalton's law
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Question 13

A key parameter in fluid selection is specific gravity (SG). For a submerged object in a reference fluid (often water), SG = ρ_object / ρ_reference. An object with SG > 1 will:

  1. A. Experience a net buoyant force acting upwards
  2. B. Experience a net buoyant force acting downwards
  3. C. Remain neutrally buoyant
  4. D. Require knowledge of the object's volume for buoyancy determination
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Question 14

A 25-cm spring stretches to 28 cm when a force of 12 N is applied. What would its length be if that force were doubled?

  1. A. 31 cm
  2. B. 40 cm
  3. C. 50 cm
  4. D. 56 cm
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Question 15

The triple point of a substance is the specific temperature and pressure at which all three phases (solid, liquid, and gas) can coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium. Which of the following statements about the triple point is true?

  1. A. It can vary depending on the container size.
  2. B. It is a unique point for each pure substance.
  3. C. The pressure at the triple point can be zero for some substances.
  4. D. The temperature at the triple point can be above the boiling point of the liquid phase.
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About these HESI A2 physics questions

HESI A2 physics practice questions, set 4 for nursing students in the United States. Fifteen items. Five include answers and rationales in American English.

No. Nursier is independent practice. Register through the official path named on the HESI A2 exam guide.

The first five questions already include the rationale. Start full practice to unlock the remaining keys, missed-question review, and the rest of the bank.

Keep going past these 15 questions

Missed-question review, longer banks, and the rest of 20,000+ nursing practice questions open when you start studying.