2019, Question 2 · Long free-response · 12 points · about 25 minutes
Table block pulled by hanging block
Estimate the acceleration of a table block and a hanging block in extreme mass cases, draw free body diagrams, derive the acceleration, check it against the estimates, and compare tensions with a massive pulley.
This exam had five free-response questions in 90 minutes: Questions 1, 4 and 5 were short questions worth 7 points each with about 13 minutes suggested, and Questions 2 and 3 were long questions worth 12 points each with about 25 minutes suggested. The current exam has 4 free-response questions in 95 minutes. The skills these questions practice still count.
Lessons this question draws on
1 Read the question
The question is College Board's, from the 2019 exam. It starts on page 6 of the PDF. College Board no longer posts this exam, so it opens from the copy of College Board's PDF that the Internet Archive saved on May 15, 2025.
2 Write your answer
Answer each part the way you would on the exam, in full sentences, with your work shown. Your writing saves as you type.
3 Score it
Score your answer against College Board's scoring guidelines, one point at a time. Give yourself a point only when your answer says what the guideline asks for.
Scoring guidelines (PDF, page 6) What the exam readers saw (Chief Reader report)
Question, scoring guidelines and Chief Reader report: College Board, from the Internet Archive. The title and summary are ours.