Progressive Forces and motion practice questions
Use Clevolab for progressive practice in forces and motion. This page shows what the topic covers, what skills the current set targets, and a few real examples from the reviewed question bank.
About this topic
Clevolab treats forces and motion as repeated practice with explanation, not just answer checking. This page is designed to make the topic legible before you open the app.
The current Progressive set covers velocity, acceleration, momentum, forces, and kinematics reasoning. 149 reviewed questions currently published for this page.
What you can practise
- Speed, velocity, and acceleration
- Newton's laws
- Momentum and impulse
- Force-resultant reasoning
- Kinematics interpretation
Real sample questions from the current set
These examples come from the reviewed questions currently stored for this topic. They are here so the page shows the actual flavour of Clevolab, not just a summary.
Sample question
What provides the centripetal force keeping a planet in its nearly circular orbit around the Sun?
- AThe planet’s rotationAnswer option
- BSolar windAnswer option
- CMagnetic forcesAnswer option
- DThe Sun’s gravitational attractionCorrect answer
Why this answer is right
Gravity supplies the inward (centripetal) force needed to bend the planet’s path into an orbit.
For a planet to follow a nearly circular path, it must continuously accelerate toward the center of its path. This inward (centripetal) acceleration is provided by an inward force. The required centripetal force satisfies $$F_c = m \frac{v^2}{r}$$ where $m$ is the planet’s mass, $v$ its orbital speed, and $r$ its orbital radius.
Sample question
Two perpendicular forces of $3\,\mathrm{N}$ and $4\,\mathrm{N}$ act on a $2.0\,\mathrm{kg}$ object. What is the magnitude of its acceleration?
- A$2.0\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}$Answer option
- B$3.5\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}$Answer option
- C$2.5\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}$Correct answer
- D$1.0\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}$Answer option
Why this answer is right
Resultant force is by Pythagoras: $F=\sqrt{3^2+4^2}=5\,\mathrm{N}$. Newton’s 2nd law gives $a=F/m=5/2=2.5\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}$.
Because the forces are perpendicular, their vector sum is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs $3\,\mathrm{N}$ and $4\,\mathrm{N}$. The magnitude of the net force is $$F_{\mathrm{net}} = \sqrt{(3\,\mathrm{N})^2 + (4\,\mathrm{N})^2} = 5\,\mathrm{N}.$$
Sample question
For a projectile of speed $v$ at angle $\theta$, what is the radius of curvature at the apex?
- A$\rho=\dfrac{v^2\cos^2\theta}{g}$Correct answer
- B$\rho=\dfrac{v^2\sin^2\theta}{g}$Answer option
- C$\rho=\dfrac{v\cos\theta}{g}$Answer option
- D$\rho=\dfrac{v^2}{g\cos\theta}$Answer option
Why this answer is right
Curvature radius is $\rho=\dfrac{v^3}{|\mathbf v\times\mathbf a|}$. At the apex, $v= v\cos\theta$ horizontally and $a=g$ vertically, so $|\mathbf v\times\mathbf a|=g\,v\cos\theta$. Thus $\rho=(v\cos\theta)^2/g$.
Use the curvature relation for planar motion: the normal (centripetal) acceleration satisfies $a_{n} = \dfrac{v^{2}}{\rho}$, where $v$ is the speed at that instant and $\rho$ is the radius of curvature.
How this page fits into Clevolab
Clevolab is broader than any one exam mode. GCSE and A-level pages are useful entry points, while the wider project is about sharpening understanding through repeated topic practice.