GCSE Physics (AQA) chapter 5: Forces MCQs with answers

By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026

72 exam-style questions on Forces, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.

72 questions · 7 topics · 10 per test

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What chapter 5 covers

Ten Forces questions with answers

Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.

1. A 0.050 kg ball at rest is hit by a bat and leaves at 30 m/s. The bat is in contact with the ball for 0.010 s. What is the average force on the ball?

  1. A
    15 N
  2. B
    150 N
  3. C
    1.5 N
  4. D
    1500 N
Show answer

Answer: B. F = mΔv ÷ Δt = 0.050 × 30 ÷ 0.010 = 1.5 ÷ 0.010 = 150 N.

2. Where can the weight of an object be considered to act?

  1. A
    at a single point called the centre of mass
  2. B
    at the bottom of the object
  3. C
    at the top of the object
  4. D
    spread evenly, so there is no single point
Show answer

Answer: A. The weight of an object may be taken as acting at one point, its centre of mass.

3. Why is a dam built much thicker at the bottom than at the top?

  1. A
    the water pressure increases with depth, so the force on the lower part of the wall is greater
  2. B
    water is denser near the surface
  3. C
    atmospheric pressure is greater at the bottom of the dam
  4. D
    the dam only has to support its own weight
Show answer

Answer: A. p = hρg, so pressure rises with depth. The bottom of the dam must withstand the largest forces.

4. A diver descends from 5 m to 15 m below the surface of the sea. By how much does the pressure due to the water increase? (density of sea water = 1030 kg/m³, g = 9.8 N/kg)

  1. A
    50.5 kPa
  2. B
    101 kPa
  3. C
    151 kPa
  4. D
    10.3 kPa
Show answer

Answer: B. Δp = Δh × ρ × g = 10 × 1030 × 9.8 = 100 940 Pa ≈ 101 kPa. Using 15 m instead of the 10 m change gives 151 kPa.

5. Which list contains only scalar quantities?

  1. A
    mass, energy, distance
  2. B
    force, mass, speed
  3. C
    velocity, displacement, acceleration
  4. D
    weight, energy, time
Show answer

Answer: A. Mass, energy and distance have size only. Force and weight are vectors, as are velocity, displacement and acceleration.

6. A force of 10 N acts at 30° above the horizontal. A student resolves it into horizontal and vertical components using a scale drawing. What is the horizontal component?

  1. A
    5.0 N
  2. B
    8.7 N
  3. C
    10 N
  4. D
    11.5 N
Show answer

Answer: B. The 10 N force is the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, so each component is less than 10 N. The horizontal side measures 8.7 N; 5.0 N is the vertical component.

7. A car travels at a steady 25 m/s along a straight, level road. Which statement is correct?

  1. A
    the driving force is greater than the resistive forces
  2. B
    no forces act on the car
  3. C
    the driving force equals the resistive forces, so the resultant force is zero
  4. D
    there is a resultant force forwards
Show answer

Answer: C. Newton's first law: constant velocity means zero resultant force. The driving force exactly balances friction and air resistance.

8. Which factor increases the thinking distance of a driver but does not affect the braking distance?

  1. A
    the driver is tired or has drunk alcohol
  2. B
    the road is icy
  3. C
    the tyres are worn
  4. D
    the brakes are worn
Show answer

Answer: A. Tiredness, drugs, alcohol and distractions slow reaction time, increasing thinking distance. Road, tyre and brake condition affect braking distance.

9. A person pushes on a wall with a force of 200 N. What force does the wall exert on the person?

  1. A
    0 N, because the wall does not move
  2. B
    less than 200 N, in the opposite direction
  3. C
    200 N, in the opposite direction
  4. D
    200 N, in the same direction
Show answer

Answer: C. Newton's third law: when two objects interact, the forces they exert on each other are equal in size and opposite in direction.

10. In a closed system, what can be said about the total momentum before and after a collision?

  1. A
    it is greater before the collision
  2. B
    it is always zero
  3. C
    it is smaller before the collision
  4. D
    it is the same before and after
Show answer

Answer: D. Conservation of momentum: in a closed system the total momentum before an event equals the total momentum after it.

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Ways to practise this chapter

Forces: questions students ask

How many Forces MCQs are there?

72, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 7 topics: Forces and their interactions: scalars, vectors, weight and resultant forces (AQA 4.5.1), Work done and forces and elasticity (AQA 4.5.2–4.5.3), Moments, levers and gears (AQA 4.5.4), Pressure in fluids and atmospheric pressure (AQA 4.5.5), Describing motion: speed, velocity, acceleration and motion graphs (AQA 4.5.6.1), Newton's laws of motion and stopping distances (AQA 4.5.6.2–4.5.6.3), Momentum (AQA 4.5.7). Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.

Is the GCSE Physics (AQA) chapter 5 test free?

Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.

How is the chapter test marked?

The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.

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