AP PHYSICS C: MECHANICS Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
1. Show all your work for each part of the question. The parts within the question may not have equal weight.
A wheel of unkown mass and unknown radius is shown in Figure . The wheel has a relatively heavy rim,
lightweight spokes, and a lightweight hub, such that the wheel can be approximated to have the rotational inertia
of a ring. The wheel can spin freely about a fixed axle with negligible friction. Also shown in Figure
is a friction pad, which can be pressed against the outer edge of the wheel’s rim while the wheel is spinning.
(a) A group of students wishes to determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between the wheel’s rim and the
friction pad. Describe an experimental procedure that would allow the students to determine the value of by
making a linear graph. In your description, include the measurements to be made along with the corresponding
equipment needed for each measurement. Provide enough detail so that the experiment could be replicated,
including any steps necessary to reduce experimental uncertainty.
(b) For the data collected in the procedure from part (a), describe how the students could create a linear graph and
how that graph could be analyzed to determine .
The following day the students are given a different wheel, Wheel , shown in Figure . The students’ assignment
is to determine the rotational inertia of Wheel . The mass of Wheel is not distributed uniformly, so
cannot be calculated from the wheel’s mass and radius. Also, there is no hub at the wheel’s center, so the wheel
AP Physics C: Mechanics Page 1 of 8
Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
cannot be directly mounted to an axle and rotated about its center for a direct experimental determination of .
To determine , the students are provided with a separate hub and a set of eight identical, removable spokes. The
spokes can be individually attached to the inner rim of the wheel and to the hub, as shown in Figure for two,
four, and six spokes. Each spoke has a significant mass and rotational inertia, while the hub has negligible
rotational inertia owing to its low mass and small radius.
The students mount the hub on a fixed axle and also wrap a long string around the wheel. Next, they use a spring
scale to pull on the string with a constant force, resulting in a constant torque of applied to the
wheel. Using a stopwatch, they measure the time it takes the wheel, initially at rest, to rotate full rotations,
and then repeat the entire procedure using different numbers of spokes. The table shows the students’ measured
values of for different numbers of spokes .
Number of Spokes
Time for Rotations
(c)
i. Indicate what quantities could be graphed to yield a straight line that could be used to calculate an
experimental value for .
Horizontal axis: __________ Vertical axis: __________
Use the remaining columns in the table, as needed, to record any quantities indicated that are not already
provided in the table. Label each column and include units.
ii. On the grid in Figure , plot the data points for the quantities indicated in part (c)(i). Clearly scale and label
all axes, including units. On the same grid, draw a straight line that best represents the data.
Page 2 of 8 AP Physics C: Mechanics
Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
(d) Using the line drawn in part (c)(ii), calculate an experimental value for .
Part A
Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.
0 1 2
The response accurately includes both of the following criteria.
1 point is earned for describing a valid procedure that includes measurements that can be used to
determine .
1 point is earned for repeating the experiment while varying an appropriate quantity and, as appropriate,
holding another quantity or quantities fixed, for multiple trials.
Example Response 1
Measure the mass of the wheel using a balance and the diameter of the wheel (which equals ) using a meterstick.
Place a weight on top of the friction pad, and measure their combined mass with the balance. Spin the wheel and time
how long it takes for the wheel to rotate times using a stopwatch. Then, place the weight-and-friction pad on top of the
wheel and let their combined weight apply a downward force at the top of the wheel, while keeping the friction pad from
sliding off the wheel. Use the stopwatch to time how long it takes the wheel to come to rest. Repeat the procedure with the
same mass applying the force, but with different initial angular velocities.
Example Response 2
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Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
1. Measure the mass and diameter of the wheel with a mass scale and a meterstick, respectively.
2. Start the wheel spinning and count how many rotations the wheel rotates in seconds, using a stopwatch.
3. Use a spring scale to push the friction pad against the wheel rim with a constant force. Count the number of rotations
that the wheel rotates, from the time the force is applied to when the wheel stops.
4. Start the wheel spinning again at close to the same speed as in step 2. Again, use the stopwatch and count how many
rotations the wheel rotates in seconds.
5. Repeat step 3, but push with a different amount of force.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 three more times, for a total of five trials, pushing with a different amount of force in each trial.
Part B
Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.
0 1 2
The response accurately includes both of the following criteria.
1 point is earned for describing a graph of two quantities whose dependence on one another involves .
Scoring Note: To earn this point it is not necessary for the two quantities to have a linear dependence.
1 point is earned for describing a valid method of determining the value of using a linear graph that
can be generated from the data collected in the procedure from part (a).
Scoring Note: The graph described must be linear in order to earn this point.
Example Response 1 (for part (a) Example Response 1)
From rotational kinematics, the angular acceleration is .
From Newton’s second law for rotation, , where the torque is and is the combined mass
of the weight and pad.
Equating the different expressions for angular acceleration:
Make a graph of the initial speeds on the vertical axis and the times to stop on the horizontal axis. The slope of a
best-fit line will be , so can be calculated from .
Example Response (for part (a) Example Response 2)
From rotational kinematics,
Page 4 of 8 AP Physics C: Mechanics
Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
From Newton’s second law for rotation, the angular acceleration is , where the torque is and is
the force reading from the spring scale. Therefore,
where is the number of rotations the wheel makes before stopping (not necessarily an integer).
Make a graph of on the vertical axis and the spring scale force on the horizontal axis. The slope of a best-fit line
will be , so can be calculated from .
Part C
Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.
0 1 2 3 4
The response accurately includes all of the following criteria.
1 point is earned for indicating appropriate quantities that would produce a straight-line graph to
determine .
Scoring note: Examples include
◦ and (on either axis)
◦ and (on either axis)
◦ and (on either axis)
◦ and (on either axis)
Note: Using entails less time spent doing calculations to fill in the data table, compared to using
, , or .
1 point is earned for graph axes that have
◦ linear scales for which the data uses at least half of the axis range,
AND
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Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
◦ labels (including units) consistent with the quantities listed in part (c)(i).
1 point is earned for correctly plotting data values from the table that are consistent with part (c)(i).
1 point is earned for drawing an appropriate best-fit line through the data points.
Example Response
Horizontal Axis: Vertical Axis:
Part D
Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.
0 1 2
The response accurately includes both of the following criteria.
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Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
1 point is earned for correctly relating to the vertical-or horizontal-axis intercept, as appropriate, for
the line drawn in part (c).
1 point is earned for correctly calculating .
Scoring Note: Linear regression on various combinations of graphed quantities gives the following
results.
Example Response
From Newton’s second law in rotational form,
From rotational kinematics,
Eliminating results in the following
In the graph of as a function of , the “ ” intercept is . Therefore,
From the graph in part (c), the intercept is , so
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Scoring Guide
Unit 5 Progress Check: FRQ 3
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