O Level / IGCSE Physics chapter 1: Motion, forces and energy MCQs with answers

By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026

224 exam-style questions on Motion, forces and energy, 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.

224 questions · 8 topics · 10 per test

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What chapter 1 covers

Ten Motion, forces and energy questions with answers

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

1. Why do modern cars have crumple zones at the front?

  1. A
    to make the car lighter
  2. B
    to increase the time of the collision and so reduce the force
  3. C
    to increase the momentum of the car
  4. D
    to stop the car faster
Show answer

Answer: B. Force = change in momentum ÷ time. The momentum change is fixed, so a longer collision time gives a smaller force on the passengers.

2. A student times 20 complete swings of a pendulum and gets 30.0 s. What is the period of the pendulum?

  1. A
    0.67 s
  2. B
    1.5 s
  3. C
    15 s
  4. D
    600 s
Show answer

Answer: B. Period = time for one swing = 30.0 ÷ 20 = 1.5 s. Timing many swings reduces the effect of reaction time.

3. A 40 kg crate is pushed up a smooth ramp 5.0 m long onto a platform 1.5 m above the ground. What is the increase in the gravitational potential energy of the crate? (g = 10 N/kg)

  1. A
    60 J
  2. B
    600 J
  3. C
    2000 J
  4. D
    2600 J
Show answer

Answer: B. ΔE = mgΔh uses the vertical rise only: 40 × 10 × 1.5 = 600 J. Using the 5.0 m length of the ramp gives 2000 J.

4. A box is pulled at constant speed across a rough horizontal floor by a horizontal rope. Which forces should be drawn on the free-body diagram of the box?

  1. A
    weight and tension only
  2. B
    weight, normal contact force and tension only
  3. C
    weight, normal contact force, tension and friction
  4. D
    tension and friction only
Show answer

Answer: C. Gravity pulls down (weight), the floor pushes up (normal contact force), the rope pulls forward (tension) and the rough floor drags back (friction). At constant speed these balance in pairs.

5. An electric kettle heats water. Which statement describes the main energy transfer?

  1. A
    energy is transferred by heating from the chemical store of the water to the kettle
  2. B
    energy is transferred by waves from the kinetic store of the water to the element
  3. C
    energy is transferred by an electric current to the element, then by heating to the internal store of the water
  4. D
    energy is transferred by mechanical work to the gravitational store of the water
Show answer

Answer: C. The mains supply does electrical work on the heating element; the hot element then heats the water, raising its internal (thermal) store.

6. A space probe travels away from the Earth into deep space. What happens to its mass and to its weight?

  1. A
    both its mass and its weight decrease
  2. B
    both its mass and its weight stay the same
  3. C
    its mass stays the same and its weight decreases
  4. D
    its mass decreases and its weight stays the same
Show answer

Answer: C. Mass is the quantity of matter and does not depend on place. The Earth's gravitational field gets weaker with distance, so the gravitational force on the probe, its weight, decreases.

7. A lift of mass 800 kg is pulled upwards by its cable with a tension of 9600 N. What is the acceleration of the lift? (g = 10 N/kg)

  1. A
    2.0 m/s2 downwards
  2. B
    2.0 m/s2 upwards
  3. C
    10 m/s2 upwards
  4. D
    12 m/s2 upwards
Show answer

Answer: B. Weight = 800 × 10 = 8000 N downwards. Resultant force = 9600 − 8000 = 1600 N upwards, so a = 1600 ÷ 800 = 2.0 m/s2 upwards. Ignoring the weight gives 9600 ÷ 800 = 12 m/s2.

8. What is the increase in pressure at a depth of 5.0 m in water of density 1000 kg/m3? (g = 10 N/kg)

  1. A
    500 Pa
  2. B
    5 000 Pa
  3. C
    50 000 Pa
  4. D
    500 000 Pa
Show answer

Answer: C. Δp = ρgΔh = 1000 × 10 × 5.0 = 50 000 Pa.

9. Two ice skaters stand at rest facing each other and push apart. Skater P has a mass of 60 kg and moves off at 2.0 m/s. Skater Q has a mass of 40 kg. What is the speed of Q?

  1. A
    0 m/s
  2. B
    1.3 m/s
  3. C
    2.0 m/s
  4. D
    3.0 m/s
Show answer

Answer: D. Total momentum is zero before and after, so Q has the same size of momentum as P in the opposite direction: 40 × v = 60 × 2.0, giving v = 120 ÷ 40 = 3.0 m/s. The lighter skater moves faster.

10. A student times 10 complete oscillations of a pendulum three times and gets 16.2 s, 16.6 s and 16.4 s. What is the best value for the period?

  1. A
    0.164 s
  2. B
    1.64 s
  3. C
    4.92 s
  4. D
    16.4 s
Show answer

Answer: B. Mean time for 10 oscillations = (16.2 + 16.6 + 16.4) ÷ 3 = 16.4 s, so period = 16.4 ÷ 10 = 1.64 s. 4.92 s divides the total by 10 but forgets to average the three runs.

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Motion, forces and energy: questions students ask

How many Motion, forces and energy MCQs are there?

224, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 8 topics: Physical quantities and measurement techniques, Motion, Mass and weight, Density, Forces, Momentum, Energy, work and power, Pressure. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.

Is the O Level / IGCSE Physics chapter 1 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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