Book a free demo

CSS Physics MCQs with answers

Practise CSS Physics (Optional) with 208 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.

Loading the test…

CSS Physics MCQs with answers

Practise CSS Physics (Optional) with 208 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.

208 questions · 3 chapters

What each chapter covers 3 chapters

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

  1. Mathematical methods and mechanics 80 questionsVectors and vector analysis, Kinematics, Newton's laws, work, energy and momentum, Rotational motion and gravitation, Oscillations and waves
  2. Heat, electricity and light 64 questionsThermodynamics and kinetic theory, Electrostatics and current electricity, Magnetism, induction and Maxwell's equations, Optics
  3. Modern physics 64 questionsSpecial relativity, Quantum physics and atomic structure, Nuclear and particle physics, Solid-state physics and electronics
Sample CSS 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. A pipe closed at one end has a fundamental frequency of 100 Hz. Which of these frequencies can also be sounded as a resonance of this pipe?

  1. A
    300 Hz
  2. B
    200 Hz
  3. C
    400 Hz
  4. D
    150 Hz
Show answer

Answer: A. A closed pipe supports only odd harmonics: 100, 300, 500 Hz and so on, because it needs a node at the closed end and an antinode at the open end.

2. Which of these electromagnetic waves has the highest frequency?

  1. A
    microwaves
  2. B
    infrared radiation
  3. C
    ultraviolet light
  4. D
    radio waves
Show answer

Answer: C. In order of increasing frequency the spectrum runs radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays.

3. A particle is moving so that its total energy is exactly twice its rest energy. Its kinetic energy is

  1. A
    equal to twice its rest energy
  2. B
    equal to its rest energy
  3. C
    half its rest energy
  4. D
    zero
Show answer

Answer: B. Total energy = rest energy + kinetic energy, so E = 2mc2 means KE = 2mc2 − mc2 = mc2.

4. A satellite of mass m moves in a circular orbit of radius r about a planet of mass M. Its total mechanical energy is

  1. A
    +GMm/(2r)
  2. B
    −GMm/r
  3. C
    −GMm/(2r)
  4. D
    −GMm/(4r)
Show answer

Answer: C. KE = GMm/(2r) and PE = −GMm/r, so the total is −GMm/(2r). The negative sign shows that the satellite is bound.

5. Two identical resistors are connected across the same battery, first in series and then in parallel. The total power dissipated in the parallel connection compared with the series connection is

  1. A
    twice as large
  2. B
    the same
  3. C
    one quarter as large
  4. D
    four times as large
Show answer

Answer: D. With a fixed voltage V, P = V2/Req. Series: Req = 2R; parallel: Req = R/2. The ratio is 2R/(R/2) = 4.

6. Light of photon energy 4.5 eV falls on a metal whose work function is 2.0 eV. The maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectrons is

  1. A
    6.5 eV
  2. B
    2.5 eV
  3. C
    2.0 eV
  4. D
    4.5 eV
Show answer

Answer: B. Einstein's equation: Kmax = hf − φ = 4.5 − 2.0 = 2.5 eV. The stopping potential is therefore 2.5 V.

7. A body's speed is doubled and its mass is halved. Its kinetic energy

  1. A
    stays the same
  2. B
    quadruples
  3. C
    doubles
  4. D
    is halved
Show answer

Answer: C. KE = ½mv2. The new value is ½(m/2)(2v)2 = ½ × (m/2) × 4v2 = 2 × (½mv2).

8. A transparent material has a refractive index of 2. The critical angle for light travelling from this material into air is

  1. A
    45°
  2. B
    60°
  3. C
    90°
  4. D
    30°
Show answer

Answer: D. sin C = n2/n1 = 1/2, so C = 30°. For light going from the material to air, incidence beyond this angle gives total internal reflection.

9. Taking c = 3 × 108 m s−1, the energy equivalent of a mass of 1 mg (10−6 kg) is

  1. A
    9 × 1013 J
  2. B
    9 × 107 J
  3. C
    9 × 1010 J
  4. D
    3 × 102 J
Show answer

Answer: C. E = mc2 = 10−6 × (3 × 108)2 = 10−6 × 9 × 1016 = 9 × 1010 J. The value 9 × 1013 J is the answer for 1 g.

10. A planet has eight times the mass of the Earth and twice its radius. The acceleration due to gravity at its surface is

  1. A
    4g
  2. B
    2g
  3. C
    g/2
  4. D
    8g
Show answer

Answer: B. g = GM/R2, so the ratio to Earth's value is 8/22 = 2.

11. A particle of charge 2 μC moves at 103 m s−1 at right angles to a uniform magnetic field of 0.5 T. The magnetic force on it is

  1. A
    2 × 10−3 N
  2. B
    1 × 10−3 N
  3. C
    1 × 10−6 N
  4. D
    0
Show answer

Answer: B. F = qvB sin 90° = (2 × 10−6)(103)(0.5) = 1 × 10−3 N. The force would be zero only if v were parallel to B.

12. In the Schrödinger description of an electron in an atom, the quantity |ψ|2 at a point represents

  1. A
    the probability per unit volume of finding the electron there
  2. B
    the energy of the electron at that point
  3. C
    the momentum of the electron at that point
  4. D
    the charge of the electron at that point
Show answer

Answer: A. ψ itself has no direct physical meaning; the Born rule interprets |ψ|2 as a probability density, so its integral over all space is 1.

Try 196 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.

Common questions

Is this CSS 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 208 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 CSS Physics

Other CSS tests

English (Précis and Composition)Pakistan AffairsIslamic StudiesInternational RelationsPolitical ScienceSociologyGender StudiesJournalism and Mass CommunicationPhilosophyInternational LawHistory of the USAMuslim Law and Jurisprudence