A Level Physics (A2) MCQs with answers
Practise A Level Physics (A2) (9702) with 478 exam-style MCQs, each with the answer and a short explanation. Every test is marked the moment you finish and shows your score chapter by chapter, so you know what to revise next. It is free and needs no sign-up.
478 questions · 14 chapters
What each chapter covers 14 chapters
The questions follow the syllabus chapter by chapter. You can test the whole subject or one chapter at a time.
- Motion in a circle 21 questionsKinematics of uniform circular motion, Centripetal acceleration
- Gravitational fields 41 questionsGravitational field, Gravitational force between point masses, Gravitational field of a point mass, Gravitational potential
- Temperature 29 questionsThermal equilibrium, Temperature scales, Specific heat capacity and specific latent heat
- Ideal gases 32 questionsThe mole, Equation of state, Kinetic theory of gases
- Thermodynamics 20 questionsInternal energy, The first law of thermodynamics
- Oscillations 33 questionsSimple harmonic oscillations, Energy in simple harmonic motion, Damped and forced oscillations, resonance
- Electric fields 48 questionsElectric fields and field lines, Uniform electric fields, Electric force between point charges, Electric field of a point charge, Electric potential
- Capacitance 30 questionsCapacitors and capacitance, Energy stored in a capacitor, Discharging a capacitor
- Magnetic fields 59 questionsConcept of a magnetic field, Force on a current-carrying conductor, Force on a moving charge, Magnetic fields due to currents, Electromagnetic induction
- Alternating currents 23 questionsCharacteristics of alternating currents, Rectification and smoothing
- Quantum physics 42 questionsEnergy and momentum of a photon, Photoelectric effect, Wave-particle duality, Energy levels in atoms and line spectra
- Nuclear physics 31 questionsMass defect and nuclear binding energy, Radioactive decay
- Medical physics 39 questionsProduction and use of ultrasound, Production and use of X-rays, PET scanning
- Astronomy and cosmology 30 questionsStandard candles, Stellar radii, Hubble’s law and the Big Bang theory
Sample A Level Physics (A2) MCQs with answers 12 questions
12 questions from the test, one or two from each chapter. Try each one, then open the answer.
1. A car travels at 18 m s−1 along a straight road. Its wheels, of diameter 0.60 m, roll without slipping. What is the angular speed of each wheel?
- A
30 rad s−1
- B
9.5 rad s−1
- C
377 rad s−1
- D
60 rad s−1
Show answer
Answer: D. The rim moves at 18 m s−1 relative to the axle, so ω = v/r = 18/0.30 = 60 rad s−1. Using the diameter as r gives 30 rad s−1; 9.5 is the number of revolutions per second, not the angular speed.
2. Why can g be treated as constant for an object that rises a few hundred metres above the Earth's surface?
- A
the mass of the Earth is concentrated in a thin layer close to its surface
- B
the field lines become closer together with height, which cancels the effect of distance
- C
the rise is tiny compared with the Earth's radius, so r, and so GM/r2, barely changes
- D
g depends only on the mass of the object, which does not change as it rises
Show answer
Answer: C. In g = GM/r2, r is measured from the Earth's centre, about 6.4 × 106 m away. A rise of a few hundred metres changes r by only about 0.01%, so the change in g is negligible and the field lines there are almost parallel.
3. A platinum resistance thermometer and a thermocouple are each calibrated to read 0 °C at the melting point of ice and 100 °C at the boiling point of water. Both are left in the same well-stirred liquid until their readings are steady. One reads 40.0 °C and the other 39.2 °C. What is the best explanation?
- A
one of the thermometers must be faulty, because calibrated thermometers always agree
- B
the thermocouple measures temperature in kelvin, not in degrees Celsius
- C
a thermocouple can be used only for temperatures above 100 °C
- D
the two properties do not vary with temperature in exactly the same way between the fixed points
Show answer
Answer: D. Each scale assumes its property varies linearly between the fixed points, but different properties do not vary in exactly the same way, so the scales agree at 0 °C and 100 °C yet differ in between. This is why the thermodynamic scale, which does not depend on any substance, is the standard.
4. For a fixed amount n of an ideal gas, a graph of pV (y-axis) against thermodynamic temperature T (x-axis) is drawn. Which describes the graph?
- A
a straight line through the origin with gradient R/n
- B
a straight line with a positive intercept on the pV axis
- C
a curve whose gradient decreases as T increases
- D
a straight line through the origin with gradient nR
Show answer
Answer: D. pV = nRT, so pV is directly proportional to T: a straight line through the origin (pV = 0 at 0 K) with gradient nR.
5. A gas in a well-insulated cylinder is compressed quickly, so that no energy is transferred by heating. 80 J of work is done on the gas. Which statement is correct?
- A
its internal energy increases by 80 J and its temperature rises
- B
its internal energy decreases by 80 J and its temperature falls
- C
its internal energy is unchanged, because it has not been heated
- D
its internal energy increases by 80 J but its temperature does not change
Show answer
Answer: A. q = 0 and W = +80 J, so ΔU = +80 J. For a gas, a rise in internal energy means a rise in the mean kinetic energy of the molecules, so the temperature rises.
6. An oscillator has a frequency of 5.0 Hz. What are its period and its angular frequency?
- A
period 0.20 s, angular frequency 1.3 rad s−1
- B
period 0.20 s, angular frequency 31 rad s−1
- C
period 1.3 s, angular frequency 31 rad s−1
- D
period 0.20 s, angular frequency 5.0 rad s−1
Show answer
Answer: B. T = 1/f = 0.20 s and ω = 2πf = 2π/T = 31 rad s−1. The angular frequency is not equal to f, because one cycle is 2π rad.
7. How is the electric field strength E at a point related to the potential V?
- A
E is equal to the potential gradient, E = dV/dx
- B
E is equal to the potential multiplied by the distance, E = Vx
- C
E is equal to the negative of the potential gradient, E = −dV/dx
- D
E is equal to the area under a graph of V against x
Show answer
Answer: C. E = −dV/dx: the field points in the direction in which the potential falls, and its size is the magnitude of the potential gradient. For parallel plates this gives E = V/d.
8. For a capacitor discharging through a resistor, what is given by the gradient of the graph of charge on the capacitor against time at any instant?
- A
the p.d. across the capacitor at that instant
- B
minus the current in the resistor at that instant
- C
the time constant of the circuit
- D
the energy stored in the capacitor at that instant
Show answer
Answer: B. Current is the rate of flow of charge, so I = −dQ/dt during a discharge. The gradient is steepest (most negative) at the start, when the current is greatest.
9. A proton moves at 3.0 × 106 m s−1 at right angles to a uniform magnetic field of flux density 0.25 T. What is the magnetic force on it?
- A
1.2 × 10−13 N
- B
1.3 × 10−21 N
- C
3.6 × 10−7 N
- D
1.3 × 10−26 N
Show answer
Answer: A. F = BQv = 0.25 × 1.60 × 10−19 × 3.0 × 106 = 1.2 × 10−13 N. The charge, not the mass, appears in the formula.
10. A sinusoidal alternating current of peak value 3.0 A passes through a 20 Ω resistor. What is the mean power dissipated in the resistor?
- A
180 W
- B
90 W
- C
130 W
- D
60 W
Show answer
Answer: B. The maximum power is I02R = 3.02 × 20 = 180 W. For a sinusoidal current the mean power is half the maximum: 90 W. This is the same as Ir.m.s.2R with Ir.m.s. = 3.0/√2 A.
11. The energy levels of an atom are −9.0 eV (ground state), −4.2 eV, −2.6 eV and −1.2 eV. A beam of photons passes through a gas of these atoms, all in their ground state. Which photon energy can be absorbed?
- A
5.0 eV
- B
3.0 eV
- C
1.6 eV
- D
6.4 eV
Show answer
Answer: D. From the ground state an atom can absorb only 4.8, 6.4, 7.8 eV (to each higher level). 3.0 eV and 1.6 eV are differences between two excited levels, so they cannot be absorbed by atoms in the ground state; 5.0 eV matches no transition.
12. What is nuclear fission?
- A
the joining together of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, with the release of a large amount of energy
- B
the emission of an α-particle by an unstable heavy nucleus, forming a lighter nucleus
- C
the splitting of a heavy nucleus into two smaller nuclei, often after it absorbs a neutron
- D
the emission of a gamma-ray photon as an excited nucleus falls to a lower energy state
Show answer
Answer: C. In fission a heavy nucleus such as uranium-235 splits into two medium-sized nuclei plus a few neutrons, releasing energy. Joining light nuclei is fusion.
Try 466 more questions
Ways to practise 5 ways
- Quick check. 10 questions drawn fresh each time, about 10 minutes.
- By chapter. 10 questions from one chapter, for the topic you are revising now.
- Full paper. A full-length timed paper across the whole syllabus.
- Practice mode. See the right answer and an explanation after every question, with no clock.
- Exam mode. Timed like the real paper, with no going back.
When you get a question wrong, a short note called "The idea behind this" explains the topic it belongs to, with the rules to remember and a worked example.
Common questions
Is this A Level Physics (A2) test free?
Yes. Every test and every explanation is free, and you do not need an account. If you sign in, your results are kept across your devices.
Are these past paper questions?
The 478 MCQs are our own, written to the syllabus in the style of the exam.
How is the test marked?
Instantly. You get your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and a list of the topics to work on.
More help with A Level Physics (A2)
