GCSE Physics (AQA) chapter 7: Magnetism and electromagnetism MCQs with answers

By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026

32 exam-style questions on Magnetism and electromagnetism, 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.

32 questions · 3 topics · 10 per test

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What chapter 7 covers

Ten Magnetism and electromagnetism questions with answers

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

1. Which change increases the potential difference induced when a magnet is pushed into a coil?

  1. A
    moving the magnet faster
  2. B
    moving the magnet more slowly
  3. C
    using a coil with fewer turns
  4. D
    using a weaker magnet
Show answer

Answer: A. A faster change in the magnetic field, a stronger magnet, or more turns on the coil all give a larger induced p.d.

2. Where is the magnetic field of a bar magnet strongest?

  1. A
    at the poles, where the field lines are closest together
  2. B
    in the middle of the magnet
  3. C
    far away from the magnet
  4. D
    the same everywhere around the magnet
Show answer

Answer: A. The field is strongest at the poles, shown by the field lines being closest together there. It gets weaker with distance.

3. What is the motor effect?

  1. A
    the force on a conductor carrying a current in a magnetic field
  2. B
    the potential difference induced when a wire moves through a magnetic field
  3. C
    the heating of a wire that carries a current
  4. D
    the magnetic field of a permanent magnet
Show answer

Answer: A. A current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field feels a force because the two magnetic fields interact. Inducing a p.d. is the generator effect.

4. Why does a transformer not work with a direct current in its primary coil?

  1. A
    a direct current is too large for the coils
  2. B
    the iron core blocks direct current
  3. C
    direct current has too low a potential difference
  4. D
    a direct current produces a magnetic field that does not change, so no p.d. is induced in the secondary coil
Show answer

Answer: D. An alternating current in the primary makes a changing magnetic field in the iron core, which induces a p.d. in the secondary. A steady field induces nothing.

5. In a simple dc electric motor, what is the job of the split-ring commutator?

  1. A
    to change the dc supply into ac
  2. B
    to reduce friction as the coil turns
  3. C
    to increase the strength of the magnetic field
  4. D
    to reverse the current in the coil every half turn, so the coil keeps turning in the same direction
Show answer

Answer: D. Without the commutator the forces would reverse after half a turn and the coil would stop. Reversing the current every half turn keeps the rotation going.

6. A freely suspended compass needle always settles pointing north–south. What does this provide evidence for?

  1. A
    the Earth has an electric field
  2. B
    the needle is attracted by the Sun
  3. C
    gravity acts on the compass needle
  4. D
    the Earth has a magnetic field, which suggests that its core is magnetic
Show answer

Answer: D. A compass is a small bar magnet that lines up with a magnetic field. It points the same way everywhere, which is evidence for the Earth's magnetic core.

7. Which describes a graph of output potential difference against time for a dynamo?

  1. A
    a wave that alternates between positive and negative values
  2. B
    a straight horizontal line at a constant value
  3. C
    a p.d. that rises and falls but never changes direction
  4. D
    a line at zero
Show answer

Answer: C. The commutator reverses the connections every half turn, so the output varies in size but always stays positive: direct current. The alternating wave is the output of an alternator.

8. In Fleming's left-hand rule, what does the first finger represent?

  1. A
    the direction of the current
  2. B
    the direction of the magnetic field, from north to south
  3. C
    the direction of the force
  4. D
    the direction the electrons move
Show answer

Answer: B. First finger: Field. Second finger: Current. Thumb: Motion (force).

9. The frequency of the alternating current in a loudspeaker coil is doubled. What happens to the sound?

  1. A
    the cone vibrates twice as often, so the sound has a higher pitch
  2. B
    the sound becomes louder but the pitch is unchanged
  3. C
    the sound has a lower pitch
  4. D
    there is no change in the sound
Show answer

Answer: A. The cone vibrates at the frequency of the current, and the frequency of the sound sets its pitch. The size of the current affects loudness.

10. What makes the cone of a moving-coil loudspeaker vibrate?

  1. A
    a direct current in the coil
  2. B
    the permanent magnet vibrating by itself
  3. C
    a potential difference induced in the coil by sound waves
  4. D
    an alternating current in the coil, which sits in a magnetic field, producing a force that keeps changing direction
Show answer

Answer: D. The ac in the coil in the magnet's field produces a force (the motor effect) that reverses as the current reverses, so the coil and cone move in and out, creating sound waves.

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Ways to practise this chapter

Magnetism and electromagnetism: questions students ask

How many Magnetism and electromagnetism MCQs are there?

32, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 3 topics: Magnets, magnetic fields and electromagnets (AQA 4.7.1, 4.7.2.1), The motor effect, electric motors and loudspeakers (AQA 4.7.2.2–4.7.2.4), Induced potential, generators, microphones and transformers (AQA 4.7.3). Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.

Is the GCSE Physics (AQA) chapter 7 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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