Book a free demo

A Level Physics (A2) topical MCQs with answers

Practise A Level Physics (A2) (9702) with 1070 exam-style MCQs by chapter, 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.

· Formula sheet · Chapters and sample questions

Loading the test…

A Level Physics (A2) topical MCQs with answers

Practise A Level Physics (A2) (9702) with 1070 exam-style MCQs by chapter, 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.

1070 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.

  1. Motion in a circle 48 questionsKinematics of uniform circular motion, Centripetal acceleration
  2. Gravitational fields 96 questionsGravitational field, Gravitational force between point masses, Gravitational field of a point mass, Gravitational potential
  3. Temperature 72 questionsThermal equilibrium, Temperature scales, Specific heat capacity and specific latent heat
  4. Ideal gases 72 questionsThe mole, Equation of state, Kinetic theory of gases
  5. Thermodynamics 48 questionsInternal energy, The first law of thermodynamics
  6. Oscillations 74 questionsSimple harmonic oscillations, Energy in simple harmonic motion, Damped and forced oscillations, resonance
  7. Electric fields 120 questionsElectric fields and field lines, Uniform electric fields, Electric force between point charges, Electric field of a point charge, Electric potential
  8. Capacitance 72 questionsCapacitors and capacitance, Energy stored in a capacitor, Discharging a capacitor
  9. Magnetic fields 122 questionsConcept of a magnetic field, Force on a current-carrying conductor, Force on a moving charge, Magnetic fields due to currents, Electromagnetic induction
  10. Alternating currents 47 questionsCharacteristics of alternating currents, Rectification and smoothing
  11. Quantum physics 100 questionsEnergy and momentum of a photon, Photoelectric effect, Wave-particle duality, Energy levels in atoms and line spectra
  12. Nuclear physics 51 questionsMass defect and nuclear binding energy, Radioactive decay
  13. Medical physics 76 questionsProduction and use of ultrasound, Production and use of X-rays, PET scanning
  14. Astronomy and cosmology 72 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 centrifuge for training pilots swings a seat in a horizontal circle of radius 8.0 m. What angular speed gives the pilot a centripetal acceleration of 6g?

  1. A
    0.43 rad s−1
  2. B
    2.7 rad s−1
  3. C
    7.4 rad s−1
  4. D
    7.7 rad s−1
Show answer

Answer: B. ω = √(a/r) = √(6 × 9.81/8.0) = √7.36 = 2.7 rad s−1. 7.4 forgets the square root, 7.7 leaves out r, and 0.43 is the rotation frequency in Hz.

2. Mars has 0.11 times the mass of the Earth and 0.53 times its radius. The field strength at the Earth’s surface is 9.81 N kg−1. What is the weight of a 60 kg rover on the surface of Mars?

  1. A
    65 N
  2. B
    120 N
  3. C
    230 N
  4. D
    1500 N
Show answer

Answer: C. gMars = 9.81 × 0.11/0.532 = 3.8 N kg−1, so W = 60 × 3.84 = 230 N. 120 N forgets to square the radius ratio, and 65 N leaves out the radius altogether.

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?

  1. A
    one of the thermometers must be faulty, because calibrated thermometers always agree
  2. B
    the thermocouple measures temperature in kelvin, not in degrees Celsius
  3. C
    a thermocouple can be used only for temperatures above 100 °C
  4. 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. Copper has density 8900 kg m−3 and molar mass 63.5 g mol−1. How many atoms are in 1.0 cm3 of copper?

  1. A
    8.4 × 1019
  2. B
    8.4 × 1022
  3. C
    8.4 × 1025
  4. D
    5.4 × 1029
Show answer

Answer: B. Mass = 8900 × 1.0 × 10−6 = 8.9 × 10−3 kg; n = 8.9 × 10−3/0.0635 = 0.140 mol; N = 0.140 × 6.02 × 1023 = 8.4 × 1022. The other powers of ten come from converting cm3 or grams wrongly.

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?

  1. A
    its internal energy increases by 80 J and its temperature rises
  2. B
    its internal energy decreases by 80 J and its temperature falls
  3. C
    its internal energy is unchanged, because it has not been heated
  4. 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. The displacement of an oscillator, in metres, is x = 0.030 sin(20t), where t is in seconds. What is its maximum acceleration?

  1. A
    0.60 m s−2
  2. B
    12 m s−2
  3. C
    400 m s−2
  4. D
    470 m s−2
Show answer

Answer: B. ω = 20 rad s−1, so amax = ω2x0 = 400 × 0.030 = 12 m s−2. 0.60 is the maximum speed ωx0; 470 treats 20 as a frequency in Hz.

7. An electron enters the uniform field between two parallel plates with speed v, moving parallel to the plates, and leaves them having been deflected sideways by a distance y. The electron is now sent in with speed 2v. What is its sideways deflection as it leaves the plates?

  1. A
    y/2
  2. B
    y/4
  3. C
    2y
  4. D
    4y
Show answer

Answer: B. The sideways acceleration is unchanged but the time between the plates is halved. The deflection is ½at2, so it falls to (½)2 = ¼ of y. y/2 forgets that t is squared.

8. An isolated metal sphere of radius 0.10 m carries a charge of 2.0 × 10−7 C. How much electric potential energy is stored?

  1. A
    1.8 × 10−3 J
  2. B
    3.6 × 10−3 J
  3. C
    0.018 J
  4. D
    1.8 × 104 J
Show answer

Answer: A. V = 8.99 × 109 × 2.0 × 10−7/0.10 = 1.8 × 104 V, so W = ½QV = ½ × 2.0 × 10−7 × 1.8 × 104 = 1.8 × 10−3 J. Leaving out the ½ gives 3.6 × 10−3 J; 1.8 × 104 is the potential in volts.

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?

  1. A
    1.2 × 10−13 N
  2. B
    1.3 × 10−21 N
  3. C
    3.6 × 10−7 N
  4. 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?

  1. A
    180 W
  2. B
    90 W
  3. C
    130 W
  4. 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?

  1. A
    5.0 eV
  2. B
    3.0 eV
  3. C
    1.6 eV
  4. 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. The mass defect of a carbon-12 nucleus (6 protons, 6 neutrons) is 0.0990 u. What is its binding energy per nucleon? (1 u = 1.66 × 10−27 kg)

  1. A
    7.70 MeV
  2. B
    15.4 MeV
  3. C
    92.4 MeV
  4. D
    1110 MeV
Show answer

Answer: A. Binding energy = 0.0990 × 1.66 × 10−27 × (3.00 × 108)2 = 1.48 × 10−11 J = 92.4 MeV; per nucleon 92.4 ÷ 12 = 7.70 MeV. Dividing by 6 (protons only) gives 15.4 MeV, and 92.4 MeV is the total.

Try 1058 more questions

Ways to practise 5 ways

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.

All A Level Physics (A2) rules on one page

A Level Physics (A2): frequently asked questions

Is this A Level Physics (A2) test free?

Yes. Every test, answer and explanation is free, and you do not need an account. Sign in only if you want your results kept across devices.

How many A Level Physics (A2) questions are there?

1070 MCQs with answers, covering 14 chapters of the syllabus. Each test draws new questions, so you can practise many times.

Are these A Level Physics (A2) past paper questions?

No. The 1070 MCQs are our own, written to the syllabus in the style of the exam.

How is the test marked?

Instantly. You see your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the topics to work on next. Questions you got wrong are saved so you can retry them.

Can I practise one chapter or only my weak topics?

Yes. Pick a chapter, build your own test from chosen topics, or practise your weakest topics and your past mistakes.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. It runs in the browser on any phone or computer, and you can add it to your home screen like an app.

More help with A Level Physics (A2)

Other AS & A Level tests

Physics ASChemistry ASChemistry A2Maths ASMaths Pure 3Biology ASBiology A2Economics ASEconomics A2Accounting ASAccounting A2Business ASBusiness A2Computer Science ASComputer Science A2Further MathsPsychology ASPsychology A2History