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FSc Part 1 Physics MCQs with answers

Practise FSc Part 1 Physics (Part 1) with 283 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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FSc Part 1 Physics MCQs with answers

Practise FSc Part 1 Physics (Part 1) with 283 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.

283 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. Measurements 28 questionsSI units, prefixes and significant figures, Errors and uncertainties, Dimensions of physical quantities
  2. Vectors and equilibrium 27 questionsVectors: representation, addition and rectangular components, Product of two vectors, Torque and equilibrium
  3. Motion and force 30 questionsDisplacement, velocity, acceleration and motion graphs, Newton's laws, momentum and collisions, Projectile motion
  4. Work and energy 28 questionsWork, power and conservative field, Work-energy principle and conservation of energy, Absolute potential energy, escape velocity and energy sources
  5. Circular motion 27 questionsAngular motion and centripetal force, Moment of inertia, angular momentum and rotational kinetic energy, Artificial satellites and weightlessness
  6. Fluid dynamics 21 questionsViscous drag, Stokes' law and terminal velocity, Equation of continuity and Bernoulli's equation
  7. Oscillations 28 questionsSimple harmonic motion and the reference circle, Mass-spring system, simple pendulum and energy in SHM, Free and forced oscillations, resonance and damping
  8. Waves 29 questionsProgressive waves and the speed of sound, Superposition, interference, beats and Doppler effect, Stationary waves in strings and air columns
  9. Physical optics 20 questionsWavefronts and interference of light, Diffraction and polarization
  10. Optical instruments 17 questionsMagnifying glass, microscopes and telescopes, Spectrometer, speed of light and optical fibres
  11. Heat and thermodynamics 28 questionsKinetic theory of gases, Internal energy and the first law of thermodynamics, Second law, heat engines and entropy
Sample FSc Part 1 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. The speed v of a transverse wave on a string depends on the tension F and the mass per unit length μ. Dimensional analysis gives

  1. A
    v ∝ √(F/μ)
  2. B
    v ∝ F/μ
  3. C
    v ∝ √(μ/F)
  4. D
    v ∝ Fμ
Show answer

Answer: A. F/μ = [MLT−2] ÷ [ML−1] = [L2T−2], and its square root is [LT−1], a speed.

2. Two equal and opposite forces act on a rod at different points, and their lines of action do not coincide. The rod will

  1. A
    remain at rest
  2. B
    accelerate in a straight line
  3. C
    rotate, because the net torque is not zero although the net force is zero
  4. D
    move in a straight line at constant velocity
Show answer

Answer: C. The forces form a couple: ΣF = 0 but Στ ≠ 0. The second condition of equilibrium fails, so the rod gains angular acceleration.

3. The momentum of a body increases steadily from 20 kg m s−1 to 50 kg m s−1 in 5 s. The net force on it is

  1. A
    6 N
  2. B
    10 N
  3. C
    14 N
  4. D
    30 N
Show answer

Answer: A. F = Δp/Δt = (50 − 20)/5 = 6 N. 30 N is the change in momentum, not its rate of change.

4. The main fuel gas in biogas, produced when animal dung decays in a closed digester, is

  1. A
    hydrogen
  2. B
    carbon monoxide
  3. C
    methane
  4. D
    ethanol
Show answer

Answer: C. Anaerobic decay of biomass produces biogas, which is mostly methane with some carbon dioxide. Ethanol is a liquid made by fermentation.

5. A space station of radius 40 m rotates to give artificial gravity equal to g at its rim. Its frequency of rotation must be about

  1. A
    0.079 Hz
  2. B
    0.49 Hz
  3. C
    0.25 Hz
  4. D
    12.7 Hz
Show answer

Answer: A. g = ω2R, so ω = √(9.8/40) = 0.495 rad s−1 and f = ω/2π = 0.079 Hz. 0.49 is ω, not f; 12.7 is the period in seconds.

6. Smoke from an incense stick rises smoothly at first, but higher up it breaks into irregular swirls. The swirling upper part is an example of

  1. A
    streamline flow
  2. B
    laminar flow
  3. C
    turbulent flow
  4. D
    ideal fluid flow
Show answer

Answer: C. As the smoke speeds up, the smooth (laminar or streamline) flow changes to irregular turbulent flow with eddies.

7. A simple pendulum hangs in a lift. When the lift accelerates upwards, the period of the pendulum

  1. A
    increases
  2. B
    decreases
  3. C
    stays the same
  4. D
    becomes infinite
Show answer

Answer: B. The effective value of g becomes g + a, and T = 2π√(l/(g + a)) is smaller. In a freely falling lift (geff = 0) the pendulum would not oscillate at all.

8. In a transverse wave, the particles of the medium

  1. A
    vibrate perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels
  2. B
    vibrate parallel to the direction in which the wave travels
  3. C
    travel along with the wave to the end of the medium
  4. D
    move in circles at constant speed
Show answer

Answer: A. In a transverse wave the particles vibrate at right angles to the direction of travel, forming crests and troughs. The wave carries energy, not matter.

9. A diffraction grating has 4000 lines per centimetre. Its grating element d is

  1. A
    2.5 × 10−6 m
  2. B
    2.5 × 10−4 m
  3. C
    4.0 × 10−5 m
  4. D
    2.5 × 10−7 m
Show answer

Answer: A. d = 1 cm/4000 = 2.5 × 10−4 cm = 2.5 × 10−6 m. 2.5 × 10−4 is the value in cm, not m.

10. The angular magnification of an optical instrument is the ratio of

  1. A
    image size to object size
  2. B
    image distance to object distance
  3. C
    the angle subtended at the eye by the image to the angle subtended by the object when placed at the near point and viewed directly
  4. D
    focal length of objective to that of eyepiece in every case
Show answer

Answer: C. Angular magnification M = θ'/θ compares the angle the image subtends with the angle the object subtends when seen by the unaided eye at 25 cm.

11. In a diesel engine,

  1. A
    the fuel is ignited by a spark plug
  2. B
    the fuel is ignited by air heated through rapid compression
  3. C
    there is no compression stroke
  4. D
    a petrol-air mixture is drawn in on the intake stroke
Show answer

Answer: B. Air alone is compressed so strongly (and nearly adiabatically) that it becomes hot enough to ignite the diesel sprayed into it. Spark plugs are used in petrol engines.

12. The wavelength of a yellow light is 550 nm. In metres, this is

  1. A
    5.5 × 10−7 m
  2. B
    5.5 × 10−9 m
  3. C
    5.5 × 10−6 m
  4. D
    5.5 × 10−10 m
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 nm = 10−9 m, so 550 nm = 550 × 10−9 m = 5.5 × 10−7 m. Writing 5.5 × 10−9 forgets to shift the decimal point.

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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 FSc Part 1 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 283 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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