Interpreting the force concept inventory

Force Concept Inventory

Originally published in The Physics Teacher, March 1992 by

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is a multiple-choice "test" designed to assess student

understanding of the most basic concepts in Newtonian mechanics. The FCI can be used for

Mechanics Baseline Test5 which is recommended as an FCI companion test for assessing

quantitative problem-solving skills, and (c) Richard Hake's6 data collection on university and

3. Ibrahim Halloun & David Hestenes (1985). The initial knowledge state of college physics students, American Journal of Physics, 53 (11), 1043-1055.

4. Ibrahim Halloun & David Hestenes (1985). Common sense concepts about motion, American Journal of Physics, 53 (11), 1056-1065.

Mark your answers on the ParSCORE computer sheet.

Make only one mark per item.

Fill in the “Exam No.” given by your teacher.

Plan to finish this questionnaire in 30 minutes.

(D) considerably less for the heavier ball, but not necessarily half as long.

(E) considerably less for the lighter ball, but not necessarily half as long.

(D) the heavier ball hits the floor considerably closer to the base of the table than the lighter ball, but not necessarily at half the horizontal distance.

(E) the lighter ball hits the floor considerably closer to the base of the table than the heavier ball, but not necessarily at half the horizontal distance.

4. A large truck collides head-on with a small compact car. During the collision:
(A) the truck exerts a greater amount of force on the car than the car exerts on the truck.

(B) the car exerts a greater amount of force on the truck than the truck exerts on the car. (C) neither exerts a force on the other, the car gets smashed simply because it gets in the way of the truck.

5. Consider the following distinct forces:

1. A downward force of gravity.

(A) 1 only.

(B) 1 and 2.

7. A steel ball is attached to a string and is swung in a circular path in a horizontal plane as illustrated in the accompanying figure.

At the point P indicated in the figure, the string suddenly breaks near the ball.

USE THE STATEMENT AND FIGURE BELOW TO ANSWER THE NEXT FOUR QUESTIONS (8 through 11).

The figure depicts a hockey puck sliding with constant speed vo in a straight line from point "a" to point "b" on a frictionless horizontal surface. Forces exerted by the air are negligible. You are looking down on the puck. When the puck reaches point "b," it receives a swift horizontal kickin the direction of the heavy print arrow. Had the puck been at rest at point "b," then the kick would have set the puck in horizontal motion with a speed vk in the direction of the kick.

(A)	(B)		(D)	(E)

(E) greater than either of the speeds "vo" or "vk", but less than the arithmetic sum of these two speeds.

10. Along the frictionless path you have chosen in question 8, the speed of the puck after receiving the kick:
(A) is constant.

(B) a downward force of gravity, and a horizontal force in the direction of motion. (C) a downward force of gravity, an upward force exerted by the surface, and a horizontal force in the direction of motion.

(D) a downward force of gravity and an upward force exerted by the surface.

(A) a downward force of gravity along with a steadily decreasing upward force.

(B) a steadily decreasing upward force from the moment it leaves the boy’s hand until it reaches its highest point; on the way down there is a steadily increasing downward force of gravity as the object gets closer to the earth.

As observed by a person standing on
the ground and viewing the plane as in
the figure at right, which path would the
bowling ball most closely follow after
leaving the airplane?

USE THE STATEMENT AND FIGURE BELOW TO ANSWER THE NEXT TWO QUESTIONS (15 and 16).

(C) the amount of force with which the car pushes on the truck is greater than that with which the truck pushes back on the car.

(D) the car's engine is running so the car pushes against the truck, but the truck's engine is not running so the truck cannot push back against the car. The truck is pushed forward simply because it is in the way of the car.

(D) the upward force by the cable is greater than the sum of the downward force of gravity and a downward force due to the air.

(E) none of the above. (The elevator goes up because the cable is being shortened, not because an upward force is exerted on the elevator by the cable).

2. A force exerted by the rope pointing from A to O. 3. A force in the direction of the boy’s motion.

(A) 1 only. (B) 1 and 2. (C) 1 and 3. (D) 1, 2, and 3. (E) 1, 3, and 4.

Do the blocks ever have the same speed?

(A) No.

20. The positions of two blocks at successive 0.20-second time intervals are represented by the numbered squares in the figure below. The blocks are moving toward the right.

USE THE STATEMENT AND FIGURE BELOW TO ANSWER THE NEXT FOUR QUESTIONS (21 through 24).

A rocket drifts sideways in outer space from point "a" to point "b" as shown below. The rocket is subject to no outside forces. Starting at position "b", the rocket's engine is turned on and produces a constant thrust (force on the rocket) at right angles to the line "ab". The constant thrust is maintained until the rocket reaches a point "c" in space.

(C) continuously decreasing.

(D) increasing for a while and constant thereafter. (E) constant for a while and decreasing thereafter.

(E) is greater than either the weight of the box or the total force which resists its motion.

26. If the woman in the previous question doubles the constant horizontal force that she exerts on the box to push it on the same horizontal floor, the box then moves:
(A) with a constant speed that is double the speed “vo” in the previous question.

27. If the woman in question 25 suddenly stops applying a horizontal force to the box, then the box will:
(A) immediately come to a stop.

(B) continue moving at a constant speed for a while and then slow to a stop. (C) immediately start slowing to a stop.

(B) student "a" exerts a force on student "b", but "b" does not exert any force on "a". (C) each student exerts a force on the other, but "b" exerts the larger force.

(D) each student exerts a force on the other, but "a" exerts the larger force.

Which of the forces is (are) acting on the office chair?

(A) 1 only.

30. Despite a very strong wind, a tennis player manages to hit a tennis ball with her racquet so that the ball passes over the net and lands in her opponent's court.

Consider the following forces:
1. A downward force of gravity.

(B) 1 and 2.

(C) 1 and 3.