2026 F = ma Exam — Question 21 — Physics Guide

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F = ma (Final Problems)

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FMA-2026-21 · 2026 F = ma (AAPT)

2026 F = ma Exam — Question 21

A student stands on a large horizontal merry-go-round (R = 2.0 m) at an initial radius of r0 = 1.0 m. Both rotate at constant angular speed ω = 1.2 rad/s. The student wants to get off without walking and performs a sequence of identical vertical jumps of height h = 0.31 m. Ignore air resistance. What is the minimum number of jumps needed for the student to land off the platform? You may assume that the merry-go-round is much more massive than the student and that friction instantly brings the student back into co-rotation with the platform. — Source: Question 21, 2026 F = ma Exam, © 2026 American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the U.S. Physics Team. Adapted by PhysicsTrainer: reformatted into a separate question and answer choices for online multiple-choice practice; any shared setup from nearby questions is repeated here. Not affiliated with or endorsed by AAPT or the U.S. Physics Team.

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F = ma problems are © the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the U.S. Physics Team, the original source, and are used with permission. Problems shown here are adaptations: they have been reformatted by Physics Guide into separate question and answer-choice pieces for online multiple-choice practice. Physics Guide is an independent student project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, operated by, or supported by AAPT, F = ma, USAPhO, or the U.S. Physics Team.

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