Chapter 1--A World View
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. Let's start off with an easy one. The subject matter in this course is 
A. psychology.
B. physics.
C. philosophy.
D. physiology.
 
2. Which aspect of the scientific worldview does this course primarily promote? 
A. an analytical worldview.
B. a mechanical worldview.
C. a quantitative worldview.
D. a conceptual worldview.
 
3. Which of the following is not a valid criterion for the acceptance of a physical law or theory? 
A. agreement with past data
B. based on scientific principles
C. ability to predict future results
D. prestige of the scientist proposing it
 
4. In physics a world view is 
A. the visual stimuli that allow the physicist to experience the microscopic world.
B. the idea that the Sun is at the center of the Solar System.
C. a shared set of ideas that represents the current explanations of how the material world operates.
D. the unchanging rules used to predict the behavior of physical systems.
 
5. Bode's law giving the sizes of the orbits of the planets is no longer considered to be a physical law because it 
A. did not agree with the data known at the time it was proposed.
B. did not make any predictions that could be tested.
C. was actually proposed by Titus of Wittenburg.
D. was not based on physical principles.
 
6. Besides the United States, which of the following major countries has not adopted the metric system of units? 
A. No other
B. Great Britain
C. Australia
D. Russia
 
7. How many millimeters are there in one kilometer? 
A. 10
B. 100
C. 1000
D. 1,000,000
 
8. A meter is about the same length as 
A. a mile.
B. a foot.
C. a yard.
D. an inch.
 
9. Approximately how long is an average car? 
A. 1 meter
B. 5 meters
C. 10 meters
D. 20 meters
 
10. A kilometer is roughly the same distance as 
A. one-tenth of a mile.
B. one-half of a mile.
C. one mile.
D. 10 miles.
 
11. About how many times would you have to run the length of a football field in order to run 1 km? 
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 20
 
12. The length of a typical maple bar donut is about 
A. 15 mm.
B. 15 cm.
C. 1.5 m.
D. 0.15 km.
 
13. The height of an average adult human being is roughly 
A. 1 meter.
B. 2 meters.
C. 5 meters.
D. 10 meters.
 
14. Which of the following is equal to 86,400 seconds? 
A. 8.64 ´ 103 seconds
B. 8.64 ´ 104 seconds
C. 8.64 ´ 105 seconds
D. 8.64 ´ 106 seconds
 
15. The number of seconds in a week is equal to 6.05 ´ 105 seconds. This can also we written as 
A. 60,500 seconds.
B. 605,000 seconds.
C. 6,050,000 seconds.
D. 60,500,000 seconds.
 
16. A mass of 4.3 ´ 103 grams can also be written as 
A. 43 grams.
B. 430 grams.
C. 4300 grams.
D. 4,300 grams.
 
17. The diameter of a typical atom is approximately 0.000 000 000 1 meter. This can also be written as 
A. 1 ´ 10-9 meter.
B. 1 ´ 10-10 meter.
C. 1 ´ 10-11 meter.
D. 1 ´ 1010 meter.
 
18. What is the product of 4 ´ 104 and 2 ´ 108? 
A. 8 ´ 104
B. 8 ´ 108
C. 8 ´ 1012
D. 8 ´ 1032
 
19. What is the result of dividing 6 ´ 108 by 2 ´ 104 ? 
A. 3 ´ 104
B. 3 ´ 108
C. 3 ´ 1012
D. 3 ´ 102
 
20. When you calculate the speed (in meters per second) in an experiment, your calculator display reads 12.666667. If you are asked to record your result to three significant figures, you should write 
A. 12.6 m/s.
B. 12.7 m/s.
C. 12.666 m/s.
D. 12.667 m/s.
 
21. How many significant figures are there in the measurement 0.000 234 m2 ? 
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
 
22. Which of the following expressions gives the number of seconds in one week? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
23. Given that a mile is equal to 1600 m, which calculation shows the correct conversion of a speed of 25 mph to the same speed in m/s? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
24. Given that a mile is equal to 1600 m, which calculation shows the correct conversion of a speed of 20 m/s to the same speed in mph? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
25. If there are 8 furlongs in one mile, how fast in miles per hour can a horse run if it can complete a 12-furlong race in 2 minutes? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
26. A certain piece of fabric sells in Canada for $4.75 CD per meter. Given that 1 meter = 1.09 yards and $1.00 US= $0.65 CD, what is the price of the fabric in US dollars per yard? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
27. On average, Americans eat 28 pounds of bananas per year. On average, how many pounds of bananas are eaten each day in the U.S.? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
28. If a league is equal to 3 miles, how many miles are there in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?" 
A. 6,667
B. 19,997
C. 20,003
D. 60,000
 
29. A speed of 90 km/hr is equal to ____ m/s. 
A. 25
B. 90
C. 150
D. 324
 
30. A speed of 36 m/s is equal to ____ km/hr. 
A. 6
B. 10
C. 60
D. 130
 
31. A speed of 3 m/s is approximately equal to ____ km/hr. 
A. 0.2
B. 0.8
C. 11
D. 50
 
32. If there are 8 furlongs in one mile, how many furlongs does a horse run in a 4-mile race? 
A. 2
B. 4
C. 8
D. 32
 
33. If there are 8 furlongs in one mile, how fast in miles per hour can a horse run if it can complete a 12-furlong race in 2 minutes? 
A. 15 mph
B. 30 mph
C. 45 mph
D. 60 mph
 
34. There are about 2.5 cm in one inch. To find the length in cm of a footlong submarine sandwhich, you should 
A. mulitply 12*2.5
B. divide 12/2.5
C. divide 2.5/12
D. none of these
 
35. There are about 1.6 km in one mile.  To find the distance in miles of a 10 km race, you should 
A. multiply 10*1.6
B. divide 10/1.6
C. divide 1.6/10
D. none of these
 
36. One meter is about the same length as 3.25 feet.  A child has height h measured in meters. To find the height of the child in feet, you should 
A. multiply 3.25*h
B. divide 3.25/h
C. divide h/3.25
D. none of these
 
37. A brand new baby has a mass of about 
A. 100 grams
B. 500 grams
C. 1000 grams
D. 5000 grams
 
38. One mile per hour is about that same speed as 2700 furlongs per fortnight.  To find the speed in furlongs per fortnight of an airplane that cruises at a speed of v miles per hour, you should 
A. multiple 2700*v
B. divide 2700/v
C. divide v/2700
D. none of these
 
39. While her big brother isn’t looking, a baby sister drops his piggy bank from a second story window.  About how long does it take to hit the ground?   
A. 1 second
B. 10 seconds
C. 50 seconds
D. 100 seconds
 
40. The mass of an average size car is about 
A. 1 kg
B. 10 kg
C. 100 kg
D. 1000 kg
E. 10,000 kg
 
41. Suppose 9 pumpkin pies can fit on a small square table cloth 1 meter on a side. How many pies will fit on a second table cloth 2 meters on a side? 
A. about 20
B. about 50
C. about 80
D. more than 100
 
42. A large state, like Montana, might have an area of about 150,000 square miles.  A small state, like Massachusetts, might have an area of about 50,000 square miles.  By how many orders of magnitude is the large state larger than the small state? 
A. zero
B. one
C. two
D. three
 
43. About how many orders of magnitude is the distance from New York to Los Angeles greater than your own height? 
A. three
B. six
C. nine
D. twelve

Chapter 1--A World View Key
 
1. Let's start off with an easy one. The subject matter in this course is 
A. psychology.
B. physics.
C. philosophy.
D. physiology.
 
2. Which aspect of the scientific worldview does this course primarily promote? 
A. an analytical worldview.
B. a mechanical worldview.
C. a quantitative worldview.
D. a conceptual worldview.
 
3. Which of the following is not a valid criterion for the acceptance of a physical law or theory? 
A. agreement with past data
B. based on scientific principles
C. ability to predict future results
D. prestige of the scientist proposing it
 
4. In physics a world view is 
A. the visual stimuli that allow the physicist to experience the microscopic world.
B. the idea that the Sun is at the center of the Solar System.
C. a shared set of ideas that represents the current explanations of how the material world operates.
D. the unchanging rules used to predict the behavior of physical systems.
 
5. Bode's law giving the sizes of the orbits of the planets is no longer considered to be a physical law because it 
A. did not agree with the data known at the time it was proposed.
B. did not make any predictions that could be tested.
C. was actually proposed by Titus of Wittenburg.
D. was not based on physical principles.
 
6. Besides the United States, which of the following major countries has not adopted the metric system of units? 
A. No other
B. Great Britain
C. Australia
D. Russia
 
7. How many millimeters are there in one kilometer? 
A. 10
B. 100
C. 1000
D. 1,000,000
 
8. A meter is about the same length as 
A. a mile.
B. a foot.
C. a yard.
D. an inch.
 
9. Approximately how long is an average car? 
A. 1 meter
B. 5 meters
C. 10 meters
D. 20 meters
 
10. A kilometer is roughly the same distance as 
A. one-tenth of a mile.
B. one-half of a mile.
C. one mile.
D. 10 miles.
 
11. About how many times would you have to run the length of a football field in order to run 1 km? 
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 20
 
12. The length of a typical maple bar donut is about 
A. 15 mm.
B. 15 cm.
C. 1.5 m.
D. 0.15 km.
 
13. The height of an average adult human being is roughly 
A. 1 meter.
B. 2 meters.
C. 5 meters.
D. 10 meters.
 
14. Which of the following is equal to 86,400 seconds? 
A. 8.64 ´ 103 seconds
B. 8.64 ´ 104 seconds
C. 8.64 ´ 105 seconds
D. 8.64 ´ 106 seconds
 
15. The number of seconds in a week is equal to 6.05 ´ 105 seconds. This can also we written as 
A. 60,500 seconds.
B. 605,000 seconds.
C. 6,050,000 seconds.
D. 60,500,000 seconds.
 
16. A mass of 4.3 ´ 103 grams can also be written as 
A. 43 grams.
B. 430 grams.
C. 4300 grams.
D. 4,300 grams.
 
17. The diameter of a typical atom is approximately 0.000 000 000 1 meter. This can also be written as 
A. 1 ´ 10-9 meter.
B. 1 ´ 10-10 meter.
C. 1 ´ 10-11 meter.
D. 1 ´ 1010 meter.
 
18. What is the product of 4 ´ 104 and 2 ´ 108? 
A. 8 ´ 104
B. 8 ´ 108
C. 8 ´ 1012
D. 8 ´ 1032
 
19. What is the result of dividing 6 ´ 108 by 2 ´ 104 ? 
A. 3 ´ 104
B. 3 ´ 108
C. 3 ´ 1012
D. 3 ´ 102
 
20. When you calculate the speed (in meters per second) in an experiment, your calculator display reads 12.666667. If you are asked to record your result to three significant figures, you should write 
A. 12.6 m/s.
B. 12.7 m/s.
C. 12.666 m/s.
D. 12.667 m/s.
 
21. How many significant figures are there in the measurement 0.000 234 m2 ? 
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
 
22. Which of the following expressions gives the number of seconds in one week? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
23. Given that a mile is equal to 1600 m, which calculation shows the correct conversion of a speed of 25 mph to the same speed in m/s? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
24. Given that a mile is equal to 1600 m, which calculation shows the correct conversion of a speed of 20 m/s to the same speed in mph? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
25. If there are 8 furlongs in one mile, how fast in miles per hour can a horse run if it can complete a 12-furlong race in 2 minutes? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
26. A certain piece of fabric sells in Canada for $4.75 CD per meter. Given that 1 meter = 1.09 yards and $1.00 US= $0.65 CD, what is the price of the fabric in US dollars per yard? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
27. On average, Americans eat 28 pounds of bananas per year. On average, how many pounds of bananas are eaten each day in the U.S.? 
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
 
28. If a league is equal to 3 miles, how many miles are there in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?" 
A. 6,667
B. 19,997
C. 20,003
D. 60,000
 
29. A speed of 90 km/hr is equal to ____ m/s. 
A. 25
B. 90
C. 150
D. 324
 
30. A speed of 36 m/s is equal to ____ km/hr. 
A. 6
B. 10
C. 60
D. 130
 
31. A speed of 3 m/s is approximately equal to ____ km/hr. 
A. 0.2
B. 0.8
C. 11
D. 50
 
32. If there are 8 furlongs in one mile, how many furlongs does a horse run in a 4-mile race? 
A. 2
B. 4
C. 8
D. 32
 
33. If there are 8 furlongs in one mile, how fast in miles per hour can a horse run if it can complete a 12-furlong race in 2 minutes? 
A. 15 mph
B. 30 mph
C. 45 mph
D. 60 mph
 
34. There are about 2.5 cm in one inch. To find the length in cm of a footlong submarine sandwhich, you should 
A. mulitply 12*2.5
B. divide 12/2.5
C. divide 2.5/12
D. none of these
 
35. There are about 1.6 km in one mile.  To find the distance in miles of a 10 km race, you should 
A. multiply 10*1.6
B. divide 10/1.6
C. divide 1.6/10
D. none of these
 
36. One meter is about the same length as 3.25 feet.  A child has height h measured in meters. To find the height of the child in feet, you should 
A. multiply 3.25*h
B. divide 3.25/h
C. divide h/3.25
D. none of these
 
37. A brand new baby has a mass of about 
A. 100 grams
B. 500 grams
C. 1000 grams
D. 5000 grams
 
38. One mile per hour is about that same speed as 2700 furlongs per fortnight.  To find the speed in furlongs per fortnight of an airplane that cruises at a speed of v miles per hour, you should 
A. multiple 2700*v
B. divide 2700/v
C. divide v/2700
D. none of these
 
39. While her big brother isn’t looking, a baby sister drops his piggy bank from a second story window.  About how long does it take to hit the ground?   
A. 1 second
B. 10 seconds
C. 50 seconds
D. 100 seconds
 
40. The mass of an average size car is about 
A. 1 kg
B. 10 kg
C. 100 kg
D. 1000 kg
E. 10,000 kg
 
41. Suppose 9 pumpkin pies can fit on a small square table cloth 1 meter on a side. How many pies will fit on a second table cloth 2 meters on a side? 
A. about 20
B. about 50
C. about 80
D. more than 100
 
42. A large state, like Montana, might have an area of about 150,000 square miles.  A small state, like Massachusetts, might have an area of about 50,000 square miles.  By how many orders of magnitude is the large state larger than the small state? 
A. zero
B. one
C. two
D. three
 
43. About how many orders of magnitude is the distance from New York to Los Angeles greater than your own height? 
A. three
B. six
C. nine
D. twelve