Basic Physics Practice Questions

Energy
Energy is the ability to do work.

Force
Force is the push or pull on an object that results in the object’s interaction with another object. Forces can cause an object to accelerate.

Mass
Mass is the amount of matter in an object.

Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity.  Speed and Acceleration practice

Gravity
Gravity is the force a planet or other body draws objects toward its center.

Velocity
Velocity is the speed of an object in a certain direction.

Friction
Friction is the force that opposes motion between two objects in contact.

Conservation of Energy
The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Equation for work
Work is equal to the force applied to an object multiplied by the distance over which that force is applied. The equation for work is W = F * d.

Equation for Power
Power is the rate at which work is done. The equation for power is P = W / t, where t is time.

1. Which of the following is not true of atomic theory?

a. Originated in the early 19th century with the work of John Dalton.

b. Is the field of physics that describes the characteristics and properties of atoms that make up matter.

c. Explains temperature as the momentum of atoms.

d. Explains macroscopic phenomenon through the behavior of microscopic atoms.

2. Which of these statements about atoms is/are correct?

a. Are the largest unit of matter that can take part in a chemical reaction.

b. Can be chemically broken down into much simpler forms.

c. Are composed of protons and neutrons in a central nucleus surrounded by electrons.

d. Do not differ in terms of atomic number or atomic mass.

3. Protons, neutrons, and electrons differ in that:

a. Protons and neutrons form the nucleus of an atom, while electrons are found in fixed energy levels around the nucleus of the atom.

b. Protons and neutrons are charged particles and electrons are neutral.

c. Protons and neutrons form fixed energy levels around the nucleus of the atom and electrons are located near the surface of the atom.

d. Protons, neutrons and electrons are charged particles.

4. Which of the statements about quantum theory is/are false?

a. Quantum theory is concerned with the emission and absorption of energy by matter and with the motion of material particles.

b. Quantum mechanics, a system based on quantum theory, has superseded Newtonian mechanics in the interpretation of physical phenomena on the atomic scale.

c. In quantum theory, energy is treated solely as a continuous phenomenon, while matter is assumed to occupy a very specific region of space and to move in a continuous manner.

d. Quantum theory states that energy is held to be emitted and absorbed in tiny, discrete amounts called quantum.

5. Newton’s laws of motion consist of three physical laws that form the basis for classical mechanics. Which of the following is/are not included in these laws?

a. Unless acted upon by a force, a body at rest stays at rest.

b. Unless acted upon by a force, a body in motion will change direction and gradually slow until it eventually stops.

c. To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

d. A body acted upon by a force will accelerate in the same direction as the force at a magnitude that is directly proportional to the force.

6.  Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge.  Which of the following statements about electricity is/are true?

a. Electrically charged matter is influenced by, and produces, electromagnetic fields.

b. Electric current is a movement or flow of electrically charged particles.

c. Electric potential is a fundamental interaction between the magnetic field and the presence and motion of an electric charge.

d. An influence produced by an electric charge on other charges in its vicinity is an electric field.

7. Which of the following is/are not included in Ohm’s Law?

a. Ohm’s Law defines the relationships between (P) power, (E) voltage, (I) current, and (R) resistance.

b. One ohm is the resistance value through which one volt will maintain a current of one ampere.

c. Using Ohm’s Law, voltage is determined using V = IR, with I equaling current and R equaling resistance.

d. An ohm (?) is a unit of electrical voltage.

8. The property of a conductor that restricts its internal flow of electrons is:

a. Friction

b. Power

c. Current

d. Resistance

9. In physics, ____________ is the force that opposes the relative motion of two bodies in contact.

a. Resistance

b. Abrasiveness

c. Friction

d. Antagonism

10.What is the difference, of any, between kinetic energy and potential energy?

a. Kinetic energy is the energy of a body that results from heat while potential energy is the energy possessed by an object that is chilled

b. Kinetic energy is the energy of a body that results from motion while potential energy is the energy possessed by an object by virtue of its position or state, e.g., as in a compressed spring.

c. There is no difference between kinetic and potential energy; all energy is the same.

d. Potential energy is the energy of a body that results from motion while kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object by virtue of its position or state, e.g., as in a compressed spring.

11. What are considered to be the four fundamental forces of nature?

a. Gravity, electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force

b. Gravity, electromagnetic force, negative nuclear force, and positive nuclear force

c. Polarity, electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force

d. Gravity, chemical magnetic force, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force

12. Starting with the weakest, arrange the fundamental forces of nature in order of strength.

a. Gravity, Weak Nuclear Force, Electromagnetic Force, Strong Nuclear Force

b. Weak Nuclear Force, Gravity, Electromagnetic Force, Strong Nuclear Force

c. Strong Nuclear Force, Weak Nuclear Force, Electromagnetic Force, Gravity

d. Gravity, Strong Nuclear Force, Weak Nuclear Force, Electromagnetic Force

13. What is the difference between Strong Nuclear Force and Weak Nuclear Force?

a. The Strong Nuclear Force is an attractive force that binds protons and neutrons and maintains the structure of the nucleus, and the Weak Nuclear Force is responsible for the radioactive beta decay and other subatomic reactions.

b. The Strong Nuclear Force is responsible for the radioactive beta decay and other subatomic reactions, and the Weak Nuclear Force is an attractive force that binds protons and neutrons and maintains the structure of the nucleus.

c. The Weak Nuclear Force is feeble and the Strong Nuclear Force is robust.

d. The Strong Nuclear Force is a negative force that releases protons and neutrons and threatens the structure of the nucleus, and the Weak Nuclear Force is an attractive force that binds protons and neutrons and maintains the structure of the nucleus.

14. The Law of Conservation of Mass states that:

a. No detectable gain but, depending on the substances used, some loss can occur in chemical reactions.

b. No detectable gain or loss occurs in chemical reactions.

c. No detectable loss but some gain occurs in chemical reactions.

d. Depending on the substances used, substantial gain or loss can occur in chemical reactions.

15. What is the difference, if any, between convection and heat radiation?

a. Thermal radiation is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the movement of fluids; convection is electromagnetic radiation emitted from all matter due to its possessing thermal energy.

b. Convection is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the movement of fluids; thermal radiation is nuclear energy emitted from all matter due to its possessing thermal energy.

c. Convection is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the movement of fluids; thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted from all matter due to its possessing thermal energy.

d. Convection is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the movement of fluids; thermal radiation is the barely detectable light emitted from all matter due to its possessing thermal energy.

1. C
Answer c is incorrect because atomic theory explains temperature as the motion of atoms (faster = hotter), not the momentum. The momentum of atoms explains the outward pressure that they exert.

2. C
The only correct statement is, Atoms “are composed of protons and neutrons in a central nucleus surrounded by electrons.”

3. A
Protons and neutrons form the nucleus of an atom, while electrons are found infixed energy levels around the nucleus of the atom.

4. C
In quantum theory, energy is treated solely as a continuous phenomenon, while matter is assumed to occupy a very specific region of space and to move in a continuous manner.

5. B
Unless acted upon by a force, a body in motion will change direction and gradually slow until it eventually stops.

This answer is related to Newton’s 1st law of motion which states that:  Unless acted upon by a force, a body at rest stays at rest, and a moving body continues moving at the same speed in a straight line.[ii]

6. C
Electric potential is a fundamental interaction between the magnetic field and the presence and motion of an electric charge.

Electric potential is the capacity of an electric field to do work on an electric charge, typically measured in volts, while electromagnetism is a fundamental interaction between the magnetic field and the presence and motion of an electric charge [iii]

7.  D
An ohm (?) is a unit of electrical voltage is not true.
Note:  An ohm is a unit of electrical resistance.

8. D
The property of a conductor that restricts its internal flow of electrons is resistance.

9. C
In physics, friction is the force that opposes the relative motion of two bodies in contact.

10. B
Kinetic energy is the energy of a body that results from motion while potential energy is the energy possessed by an object by virtue of its position or state, e.g., as in a compressed spring.

11. A
The four fundamental forces of nature are, gravity, electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force.

Note:  Electromagnetic force is more commonly known as electricity.

12. A

Starting with the weakest, the fundamental forces of nature in order of strength are, Gravity, Weak nuclear force, Electromagnetic force, Strong nuclear force.

Note: Although gravitational force is the weakest of the four, it acts over great distances. Electromagnetic force is of order 1039 times stronger than gravity.[iv]

13. A
The Strong Nuclear Force is an attractive force that binds protons and neutrons and maintains the structure of the nucleus, and the Weak Nuclear Force is responsible for the radioactive beta decay and other subatomic reactions.

Note: The Weak Nuclear Force is so named because it is only effective for short distances.  Nevertheless, it is through the Weak Nuclear Force that the sun provides us with energy by allowing one element to change into another element.4

14. B
There is no detectable gain or loss occurs in chemical reactions.

Note:  No detectable gain or loss in mass occurs in chemical reactions. However, the state of a substance may change in a chemical reaction. For example, substances involving in a chemical reaction can change from solid states to gaseous states but the total mass will not change.

15. C
Convection is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the movement of fluids; thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted from all matter due to its possessing thermal energy.

Note:   In physics, the term “fluid” means any substance that deforms under shear stress; it includes liquids, gases, plasmas, and some plastic solids.  Sunlight is solar electromagnetic radiation generated by the hot plasma of the Sun, and this thermal radiation heats the Earth.[v]

[ii] Herr, N. (2008). The Sourcebook for Teaching Science:  Strategies, Activities, and Instructional Resources. San Francisco, CA:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

[iii] Electric Energy and Electric Potential (n.d.) In The Physics Classroom online. Retrieved from www.physicsclassroom.com

[iv] The Four Fundamental Forces. (n.d.)  Oracle Education Foundation.  Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/27930/forces.htm

[v] Heat Transfer. (n.d.)  HyperPhysics Online.  Retrieved from hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/heatra.html