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AS Level Physics MCQs with answers

Practise AS Level Physics (9702) with 275 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.

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AS Level Physics MCQs with answers

Practise AS Level Physics (9702) with 275 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.

275 questions · 11 chapters

What each chapter covers 11 chapters

The questions follow the syllabus chapter by chapter. You can test the whole subject or one chapter at a time.

  1. Physical quantities and units 34 questionsPhysical quantities, SI units, Errors and uncertainties, Scalars and vectors
  2. Kinematics 10 questionsEquations of motion
  3. Dynamics 26 questionsMomentum and Newton’s laws of motion, Non-uniform motion, Linear momentum and its conservation
  4. Forces, density and pressure 25 questionsTurning effects of forces, Equilibrium of forces, Density and pressure
  5. Work, energy and power 18 questionsEnergy conservation, Gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy
  6. Deformation of solids 18 questionsStress and strain, Elastic and plastic behaviour
  7. Waves 41 questionsProgressive waves, Transverse and longitudinal waves, Doppler effect for sound waves, Electromagnetic spectrum, Polarisation
  8. Superposition 34 questionsStationary waves, Diffraction, Interference, The diffraction grating
  9. Electricity 26 questionsElectric current, Potential difference and power, Resistance and resistivity
  10. D.C. circuits 26 questionsPractical circuits, Kirchhoff’s laws, Potential dividers
  11. Particle physics 17 questionsAtoms, nuclei and radiation, Fundamental particles
Sample AS Level Physics MCQs with answers 12 questions

12 questions from the test, one or two from each chapter. Try each one, then open the answer.

1. Which quantity is an SI base quantity?

  1. A
    force
  2. B
    energy
  3. C
    electric current
  4. D
    charge
Show answer

Answer: C. The base quantities are mass, length, time, current, temperature, amount of substance and luminous intensity. Force, energy and charge are derived.

2. A projectile is fired at an angle to the horizontal. Ignoring air resistance, which quantity stays constant during the flight?

  1. A
    vertical velocity
  2. B
    horizontal velocity
  3. C
    speed
  4. D
    kinetic energy
Show answer

Answer: B. No horizontal force acts, so the horizontal component of velocity is constant. The vertical component changes under gravity, so speed and KE vary.

3. An object is dropped from rest and falls through air. Which describes its acceleration?

  1. A
    constant and equal to g
  2. B
    starts at zero and increases to g
  3. C
    starts at g and decreases to zero
  4. D
    starts at g and increases
Show answer

Answer: C. At release the speed is zero, so there is no drag and a = g. As speed rises, drag increases, the resultant force falls and the acceleration falls to zero at terminal velocity.

4. A door is opened by a force of 25 N applied at right angles to the door, 0.80 m from the hinge. What force, applied at right angles 0.50 m from the hinge, gives the same moment?

  1. A
    16 N
  2. B
    25 N
  3. C
    40 N
  4. D
    50 N
Show answer

Answer: C. Moment = 25 × 0.80 = 20 N m. At 0.50 m: F = 20 ÷ 0.50 = 40 N. A smaller distance needs a larger force.

5. The maximum useful output power of a car engine is 45 kW. At its top speed the total resistive force on the car is 1.5 kN. What is the top speed?

  1. A
    0.033 m s−1
  2. B
    3.0 m s−1
  3. C
    30 m s−1
  4. D
    300 m s−1
Show answer

Answer: C. At top speed the driving force equals the resistive force, and P = Fv, so v = 45 000 ÷ 1500 = 30 m s−1.

6. In an experiment to find the Young modulus of a metal, the wire used is long and thin. What is the main reason?

  1. A
    to produce an extension large enough to measure with a small percentage uncertainty
  2. B
    to keep the stress small
  3. C
    to reduce the weight of the wire
  4. D
    to keep the wire below its elastic limit
Show answer

Answer: A. Metals extend very little. A long wire gives a larger extension for a given strain, and a thin wire gives a larger stress for a given load, so the extension can be measured more precisely.

7. Which statement is correct for a longitudinal wave?

  1. A
    the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
  2. B
    the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
  3. C
    it cannot travel through a gas
  4. D
    it can be polarised
Show answer

Answer: B. In a longitudinal wave (sound) particles oscillate along the direction of travel, forming compressions and rarefactions. Only transverse waves can be polarised.

8. Using the same grating (d = 2.0 × 10−6 m) and 500 nm light, what is the highest order of maximum that can be observed?

  1. A
    2
  2. B
    3
  3. C
    4
  4. D
    5
Show answer

Answer: C. nmax = d/λ = 2.0 × 10−6 ÷ 5.0 × 10−7 = 4 (sin θ cannot exceed 1).

9. The p.d. across a component is 12 V and a charge of 5.0 C passes through it. How much energy is transferred?

  1. A
    2.4 J
  2. B
    17 J
  3. C
    60 J
  4. D
    0.42 J
Show answer

Answer: C. W = QV = 5.0 × 12 = 60 J. The volt is a joule per coulomb.

10. A 12 V supply of negligible internal resistance drives current through two resistors in series, 20 Ω and 40 Ω. What is the current?

  1. A
    0.2 A
  2. B
    0.3 A
  3. C
    0.6 A
  4. D
    1.2 A
Show answer

Answer: A. Total R = 60 Ω; I = 12 ÷ 60 = 0.20 A.

11. What is the charge of an antiproton?

  1. A
    +1
  2. B
    0
  3. C
    −1
  4. D
    +2
Show answer

Answer: C. Antiparticles have the same mass and opposite charge: the antiproton (anti-up, anti-up, anti-down) has charge −1.

12. A ball moving east at 4.0 m s−1 hits a wall and rebounds west at 3.0 m s−1. What is its change in velocity?

  1. A
    1.0 m s−1 east
  2. B
    1.0 m s−1 west
  3. C
    7.0 m s−1 east
  4. D
    7.0 m s−1 west
Show answer

Answer: D. Taking east as positive: Δv = final − initial = (−3.0) − (+4.0) = −7.0 m s−1, i.e. 7.0 m s−1 west.

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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.

Common questions

Is this AS Level Physics 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 275 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.

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