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FE · 9% of the exam

Dynamics practice questions

10 free Dynamics questions for the FE Other Disciplines Exam (FE) exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question FE quiz

What this domain covers

Bodies in motion: kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies, using force, energy and momentum methods.

Exam weight
9%
On a real exam
≈ 10 questions
In our bank
54 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Kinematics of particles, including projectile motion
  • Rigid-body kinematics and rotation
  • Newton's second law for particles and rigid bodies
  • Work-energy principle
  • Impulse, momentum and impacts

How to study it

For each practice problem, decide first whether force, energy or momentum is the quickest route; choosing the method well is most of the work.

Sample Dynamics questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    A car skids on level pavement with a kinetic friction coefficient of 0.5. Its deceleration is about:

    • A0.5 m/s²
    • B9.81 m/s²
    • C4.9 m/s²
    • D19.6 m/s²
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 4.9 m/s²

    • AIncorrect. Multiply μ by g.
    • BIncorrect. Multiply g by μ.
    • CCorrect. a = μg = 0.5 × 9.81.
    • DIncorrect. Multiply, don't divide.

  2. Question 2

    A spring with k = 900 N/m holds a 1-kg mass. Its natural frequency is about:

    • A4.8 Hz
    • B30 Hz, the circular frequency
    • C900 Hz
    • D143 Hz
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 4.8 Hz

    • ACorrect. \(f = \tfrac{1}{2\pi}\sqrt{k/m}\).
    • BIncorrect. 30 is ω in rad/s.
    • CIncorrect. That ignores the square root and \(2\pi\).
    • DIncorrect. That isn't the calculation.

  3. Question 3

    A car accelerates uniformly from rest to 25 m/s in 10 s. Its acceleration is:

    • A2.5 m/s²
    • B250 m/s², multiplying instead
    • C0.4 m/s²
    • D25 m/s²
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 2.5 m/s²

    • ACorrect. Change in velocity divided by time.
    • BIncorrect. Divide by time.
    • CIncorrect. That inverts the ratio.
    • DIncorrect. That ignores time.

  4. Question 4

    A train travels 120 km in 1.5 hours. Its average speed is:

    • A60 km/h
    • B180 km/h
    • C80 km/h
    • D120 km/h
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 80 km/h

    • AIncorrect. Recheck: 120/1.5.
    • BIncorrect. Divide, don't multiply.
    • CCorrect. 120 km ÷ 1.5 h = 80 km/h.
    • DIncorrect. Divide by 1.5 h.

  5. Question 5

    A 10-kg mass is raised 5 m. Taking g = 9.81 m/s², its gain in gravitational potential energy is about:

    • A50 J
    • B491 J
    • C98 J
    • D245 J
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 491 J

    • AIncorrect. Include g.
    • BCorrect. PE = mgh = 10(9.81)(5).
    • CIncorrect. Multiply by the 5-m height.
    • DIncorrect. There's no ½ in mgh.

  6. Question 6

    A rotor with I = 4 kg·m² has an angular acceleration of 2 rad/s². The net torque on it is:

    • A8 N·m
    • B2 N·m
    • C6 N·m
    • D16 N·m
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 8 N·m

    • ACorrect. T = Iα = 4 × 2.
    • BIncorrect. Multiply, don't divide.
    • CIncorrect. Multiply, don't add.
    • DIncorrect. Recheck: 4 × 2.

  7. Question 7

    A simple pendulum is 1 m long. Taking g = 9.81 m/s², its period for small swings is about:

    • A0.3 s
    • B1.0 s
    • C6.3 s
    • D2.0 s
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 2.0 s

    • AIncorrect. Multiply by 2π.
    • BIncorrect. Recheck: 2π × 0.319.
    • CIncorrect. Take √(L/g).
    • DCorrect. \(T = 2\pi\sqrt{L/g}\).

  8. Question 8

    A thin hoop has a mass of 2 kg and a radius of 0.5 m. Its moment of inertia about its center is:

    • A0.5 kg·m²
    • B0.25 kg·m², using \(\tfrac{1}{2}mr^2\)
    • C1.0 kg·m², using mr
    • D2.0 kg·m²
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 0.5 kg·m²

    • ACorrect. \(I = mr^2\).
    • BIncorrect. That's a solid disk.
    • CIncorrect. Square the radius.
    • DIncorrect. That isn't the calculation.

  9. Question 9

    Ignoring air resistance and taking g = 9.81 m/s², an object dropped from rest falls how far in 2 s?

    • A9.81 m
    • B19.6 m
    • C39.2 m
    • D4.9 m
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 19.6 m

    • AIncorrect. Use t² = 4.
    • BCorrect. s = ½gt² = ½(9.81)(4).
    • CIncorrect. Include the ½ factor.
    • DIncorrect. That's the distance after 1 s.

  10. Question 10

    A projectile is launched from level ground at 20 m/s, 30° above the horizontal. Neglecting air resistance and taking g = 9.81 m/s², its total time of flight is closest to:

    • A2.04 s
    • B1.02 s
    • C3.53 s
    • D4.08 s
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 2.04 s

    Time of flight depends only on the vertical launch velocity: t = 2v₀sinθ/g = 2(20)(0.5)/9.81 ≈ 2.04 s.

    • ACorrect. On level ground, t = 2v₀sinθ/g = 2(20)(0.5)/9.81 ≈ 2.04 s.
    • BIncorrect. v₀sinθ/g ≈ 1.02 s is only the time to reach the peak. The trip down takes the same time again.
    • CIncorrect. This comes from using the horizontal component (v₀cosθ) in place of the vertical component. Only vertical motion sets the time of flight.
    • DIncorrect. This is double the correct value, as if 4v₀sinθ/g were used instead of 2v₀sinθ/g.

Dynamics: FAQs

How much of the FE exam is Dynamics?

Dynamics is 9% of the FE exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 110-question form works out to roughly 10 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Dynamics domain cover?

Bodies in motion: kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies, using force, energy and momentum methods.

How should I study Dynamics for FE?

For each practice problem, decide first whether force, energy or momentum is the quickest route; choosing the method well is most of the work.

Where can I practise more Dynamics questions?

This page has 10 free Dynamics questions with answers. The ExamWize FE question bank has 54 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other FE topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the FE cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Dynamics exam-ready

The full FE bank has 54 Dynamics questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full FE practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with NCEES; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.