Description
In this collection there will be a bunch of Physics multiple Choice Questions.
It will be useful for all medical, physics and engineering students or any student who has physics tests
Study Set Content:
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 1
Science Bowl Practice Questions – Physics
1.
Multiple Choice: For the hydrogen atom, which series describes electron transitions to the N=1 orbit,
the lowest energy electron orbit? Is it the:
w) Lyman series
x) Balmer series
y) Paschen series
z) Pfund series
ANSWER: W -- LYMAN SERIES
2.
Multiple Choice: Electric current may be expressed in which one of the following units?
w) coulombs/volt
x) joules/coulomb
y) coulombs/second
z) ohms/second
ANSWER: Y -- COULOMBS/SECOND
3.
Short Answer: In the SI system of measure, what is the unit of capacitance?
ANSWER: FARAD
4.
Multiple Choice: A Newton is equal to which of the following?
w) kilogram-meter per second
x) meter per second squared
y) kilogram-meter per second squared
z) kilogram per meter-second
ANSWER: Y -- KILOGRAM-METER PER SECOND SQUARED
5.
Multiple Choice: For an object moving in uniform circular motion, the direction of the instantaneous
acceleration vector is:
w) tangent to the path of motion
x) equal to zero
y) directed radially outward
z) directed radially inward
ANSWER: Z -- DIRECTED RADIALLY INWARD
6.
Short Answer: A boy is standing on an elevator which is traveling downward with a constant velocity
of 30 meters per second. The boy throws a ball vertically upward with a velocity of 10 meters per
second relative to the elevator. What is the velocity of the ball, MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION,
relative to the elevator shaft the instant the boy releases the ball?
ANSWER: 20 METERS PER SECOND DOWN
7.
Multiple Choice: Work is equal to which of the following?
w) the cross product of force and displacement.
x) the product of force times time
y) force divided by time
z) the dot product of force and displacement
ANSWER: Z -- THE DOT PRODUCT OF FORCE AND DISPLACEMENT
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 2
8.
Multiple Choice: The work done by a friction force is:
w) always positive
x) always negative
y) always zero
z) either positive or negative depending upon the situation.
ANSWER: X -- ALWAYS NEGATIVE
9.
Multiple Choice: As defined in physics, work is:
w) a scalar quantity
x) always a positive quantity
y) a vector quantity
z) always zero
ANSWER: W -- A SCALAR QUANTITY
10.
Multiple Choice: A pendulum which is suspended from the ceiling of a railroad car is observed to hang
at an angle of 10 degrees to the right of vertical. Which of the following answers could explain this
phenomena?
w) The railroad car is at rest.
x) The railroad car is accelerating to the left.
y) The railroad car is moving with constant velocity to the right.
z) The railroad car is accelerating to the right.
ANSWER: X -- THE RAILROAD CAR IS ACCELERATING TO THE LEFT.
11.
Multiple Choice: Two forces have magnitudes of 11 newtons and 5 newtons. The magnitude of their
sum could NOT be equal to which of the following values?
w) 16 newtons
x) 5 newtons
y) 9 newtons
z) 7 newtons
ANSWER: X -- 5 NEWTONS
12.
Short Answer: A ball leaves a girl's hand with an upward velocity of 6 meters per second. What is the
maximum height of the ball above the girl's hand?
ANSWER: 1.8 METERS
13.
Short Answer: A boy throws a ball vertically upward with a velocity of 6 meters per second. How long
does it take the ball to return to the boy's hand?
ANSWER: 1.22 SECONDS (accept: 1.2 seconds)
14.
Short Answer: A toy train moves in a circle of 8 meters radius with a speed of 4 meters per second.
What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the train?
ANSWER: 2 METERS PER SECOND SQUARED
15.
Short Answer: A certain machine exerts a force of 200 newtons on a box whose mass is 30 kilograms.
The machine moves the box a distance of 20 meters along a horizontal floor. What amount of work
does the machine do on the box?
ANSWER: 4000 JOULES
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 3
16.
Short Answer: A box is initially at rest on a horizontal, frictionless table. If a force of 10 Newtons acts
on the box for 3 seconds, what is the momentum of the box at the end of the 3 second interval?
ANSWER: 30 NEWTON-SECONDS or 30 KILOGRAM-METER PER SECOND
17.
Multiple Choice: A block of metal which weighs 60 newtons in air and 40 newtons under water has a
density, in kilograms per meter cubed, of:
w) 1000
x) 3000
y) 5000
z) 7000
ANSWER: X -- 3000
18.
Short Answer: A 10 kilogram body initially moving with a velocity of 10 meters per second makes a
head-on collision with a 15 kilogram body initially at rest. The two objects stick together. What is the
velocity of the combined system just after the collision?
ANSWER: 4 METERS PER SECOND
19.
Short Answer: A certain spring is known to obey Hooke's Law. If a force of 10 newtons stretches the
spring 2 meters, how far will a 30 newton force stretch the spring?
ANSWER: 6 METERS
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 4
20.
Short Answer: A helicopter is ascending vertically with a constant speed of 6 meters per second
relative to the ground. At the instant the helicopter is 60 meters above the ground it releases a package.
What is the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the package, relative to the ground, the instant
the package is released by the helicopter?
ANSWER: 6 METERS/SECOND UP
21.
Multiple Choice: If the distance between two objects, each of mass 'M', is tripled, the force of attraction
between the two objects is:
w) 1/2 the original force
x) 1/3 the original force
y) 1/9 the original force
z) unchanged
ANSWER: Y -- 1/9 THE ORIGINAL FORCE
22.
Short Answer: A 40 kilogram girl climbs a vertical distance of 5 meters in twenty seconds at a constant
velocity. How much work has the girl done?
ANSWER: 2000 JOULES or 1960 JOULES
23.
Short Answer: A machine performs 8 Joules of work in 2 seconds. How much power is delivered by
this machine?
ANSWER: 4 WATTS
24.
Multiple Choice: In physics, a radian per second is a unit of:
w) angular displacement
x) angular velocity
y) angular acceleration
z) angular momentum.
ANSWER: X -- ANGULAR VELOCITY
25.
Multiple Choice: If the resultant force acting on a body of constant mass is zero, the body's momentum
is:
w) increasing
x) decreasing
y) always zero
z) constant
ANSWER: Z – CONSTANT
26.
Short Answer: What is the name of the first American physicist to win two Nobel prizes?
ANSWER: (JOHN) BARDEEN
27.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following scientists is responsible for the exclusion principle which
states that two objects may NOT occupy the same space at the same time? Was it:
w) Heisenberg
x) Bohr
y) Teller
z) Pauli
ANSWER: Z -- PAULI
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 5
28.
Short Answer: Who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909 with Guglielmo Marconi for his
contribution to the development of wireless telegraphy?
ANSWER: (CARL FERDINAND) BRAUN
29.
Short Answer: Who first theoretically predicted the existence of the positron, a positively charged
electron? He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933.
ANSWER: (PAUL ADRIEN MAURICE) DIRAC
30.
Short Answer: Name the female physicist who received the Nobel Prize in 1963 for her discovery
concerning the shell structure of the nucleus.
ANSWER: (MARIA GOEPPERT) MAYER
31.
Short Answer: The constant potential difference across a 2 ohm resistor is 20 volts. How many watts of
power are dissipated by this resistor?
ANSWER: 200 WATTS
32.
Short Answer: The potential difference across a 4 ohm resistor is 20 volts. Assuming that all of the
energy dissipated by this resistor is in the form of heat, how many joules of heat are radiated in 10
seconds?
ANSWER: 1000 JOULES
33.
Multiple Choice: The force acting between two point charges can be computed using which of the
following laws?
w) Ohm's Law
x) Ampere's Law
y) Coulomb's Law
z) Newton's Second Law.
ANSWER: Y -- COULOMB'S LAW
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 6
34.
Short Answer: Five volts are applied across the plates of a parallel plate capacitor. The distance of
separation of the plates is .02 meters. What is the magnitude of the electric field inside the capacitor?
ANSWER: 250 VOLTS PER METER or 250 NEWTONS PER COULOMB
35.
Short Answer: Used normally, a 150-watt, 120 volt light bulb requires how many amps of current?
ANSWER: 1.25 AMPS
36.
Short Answer: If 10 joules of energy are required to move 5 coulombs of charge between two points,
the potential difference between the two points is equal to how many volts?
ANSWER: 2 VOLTS
37.
Multiple Choice: Induced electric currents can be explained using which of the following laws?
w) Gauss's Law
x) Faraday's Law
y) Ohm's Law
z) Ampere's Law
ANSWER: X -- FARADAY'S LAW
38.
Multiple Choice: For a negative point charge, the electric field vectors:
w) circle the charge
x) point radially in toward the charge
y) point radially away from the charge
z) cross at infinity
ANSWER: X -- POINT RADIALLY IN TOWARD THE CHARGE
39.
Multiple Choice: For an infinite sheet of positive charge, the electric field lines:
w) run parallel to the sheet of charge
x) are perpendicular to the sheet of charge and point in toward the sheet
y) are perpendicular to the sheet of charge and point away from the sheet
z) fall off as one over r squared
ANSWER: Y -- ARE PERPENDICULAR TO THE SHEET OF CHARGE AND POINT AWAY
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 7
40.
Multiple Choice: Five coulombs of charge are placed on a thin-walled conducting shell. Once the
charge has come to rest, the electric potential inside the hollow conducting shell is found to be:
w) zero
x) uniform inside the sphere and equal to the electric potential on the surface of the sphere
y) smaller than the electric potential outside the sphere
z) varying as one over r squared.
ANSWER: X -- UNIFORM INSIDE THE SPHERE AND EQUAL TO THE ELECTRIC OTENT
41.
Short Answer: A two farad and a four farad capacitor are connected in series. What single capacitance
is "equivalent" to this combination?
ANSWER: 4/3 FARADS
42.
Multiple Choice: Three capacitors with different capacitances are connected in series. Which of the
following statements is TRUE?
w) All three of the capacitors have the same potential difference between their plates.
x) The magnitude of the charge is the same on all of the capacitor plates.
y) The capacitance of the system depends on the voltage applied across the three
capacitors.
ANSWER: X -- THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHARGE IS THE SAME ON ALL OF
THE CAPACITOR PLATES
43.
Multiple Choice: For a parallel-plate capacitor with plate area "A" and plate separation "d", the
capacitance is proportional to which of the following?
w) A divided by d squared
x) A times d
y) A divided by d
z) d divided by A
ANSWER: Y -- A DIVIDED BY D
44.
Multiple Choice: A constant potential difference is applied across the plates of a parallel-plate
capacitor. Neglecting any edge effects, the electric field inside the capacitor is:
w) constant
x) varying as one over r squared
y) decreasing as one moves from the positive to the negative plate z) zero
ANSWER: W -- CONSTANT
45.
Short Answer: A 10 farad capacitor is used in a circuit. The voltage difference between the plates of
the capacitor is 20 volts. What is the magnitude of the charge on each of the capacitor's plates?
ANSWER: 200 COULOMBS
46.
Short Answer: A circuit which employs a DIRECT CURRENT source has a branch which contains a
capacitor. After the circuit has reached a steady state, what is the magnitude of the current in the circuit
branch which contains the capacitor?
ANSWER: THE CURRENT IS ZERO
47.
Short Answer: A charged particle is moving in a UNIFORM magnetic field. If the direction of motion
of the charged particle is parallel to the magnetic field, describe the shape of the charged particle's path.
ANSWER: STRAIGHT LINE
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 8
48.
Multiple Choice: An infinitely long wire carries a current of three amps. The magnetic field outside the
wire:
w) points radially away from the wire
x) points radially inward
y) circles the wire
z) is zero.
ANSWER: Y -- CIRCLES THE WIRE
49.
Multiple Choice: A copper rod which is 1 centimeter in diameter carries a current of 5 amps. The
current is distributed uniformly throughout the rod. The magnetic field half way between the axis of the
rod and its outside edge is:
w) zero.
x) pointing radially outward
y) pointing radially inward
z) circles the axis of the rod
ANSWER: Z -- CIRCLES THE AXIS OF THE ROD
50.
Multiple Choice: Iron is what type of magnetic material? Is it:
w) diamagnetic
x) paramagnetic
y) ferromagnetic
z) non-magnetic
ANSWER: Y – FERROMAGNETIC
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 9
51.
Short Answer: The focal length of a concave mirror is 2 meters. An object is positioned 8 meters in
front of the mirror. Where is the image of this object formed?
ANSWER: 8/3 METER or 2.66 METERS IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR
52.
Short Answer: A converging thin lens has a focal length of 27 centimeters. An object is placed 9
centimeters from the lens. Where is the image of this object formed?
ANSWER: -13.5 CENTIMETERS or 13.5 CENTIMETERS ON THE OBJECT SIDE
OF THE LENS
53.
Short Answer: In Bohr's theory of the atom, what force was responsible for holding the electrons in
their orbit?
ANSWER: COULOMB FORCE or THE FORCE OF ATTRACTION BETWEEN THE PROTON
(NUCLEUS) AND THE ELECTRON
54.
Short Answer: Davisson and Germer scattered electrons from a crystal of nickel. The scattered
electrons formed a strong diffraction pattern. What important conclusion was drawn from this
experiment?
ANSWER: ELECTRONS ACTED LIKE WAVES
55.
Short Answer: The speed at which a wave propagates down a string is 300 meters per second. If the
frequency of this wave is 150 Hertz, what is the wavelength of this wave?
ANSWER: 2 METERS
56.
Multiple Choice: A standing wave is formed on a tightly stretched string. The distance between a node
and an antinode is:
w) 1/8 wavelength
x) 1/4 wavelength
y) 1/2 wavelength
z) 1 wavelength
ANSWER: X -- 1/4 WAVELENGTH
57.
Multiple Choice: When a physical property such as charge exists in discrete "packets" rather than in
continuous amounts, the property is said to be:
w) discontinuous
x) abrupt
y) quantized
z) noncontinuous
ANSWER: Y – QUANTIZED
58.
Short Answer: Assume a ray of light is incident on a smooth reflecting surface at an angle of incidence
of 15 degrees to the normal. What is the angle between the incident ray and the reflected ray?
ANSWER: 30 DEGREES
59.
Short Answer: The focal length of a concave spherical mirror is equal to 1 meter. What is the radius of
curvature of this mirror?
ANSWER: 2 METERS
60.
Short Answer: A virtual image can be formed by one or more of the following single mirrors? Identify
them.
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 10
w) plane mirror
x) concave spherical mirror
y) convex spherical mirror
z) all of the above
ANSWER: Z -- ALL OF THE ABOVE (accept: A, B and C)
61.
Short Answer: A quarter of a wavelength is equal to how many degrees of phase?
ANSWER: 90 DEGREES
62.
Multiple Choice: An organ pipe which is open at both ends resonates at its fundamental frequency.
Neglecting any end effects, what wavelength is formed by this pipe in this mode of vibration if the pipe
is 2 meters long?
w) 2 meters
x) 4 meters
y) 6 meters
z) 8 meters.
ANSWER: X -- 4 METERS
63.
Multiple Choice: Whose principle or law states that each point on a wavefront may be considered a
new wave source? Is it:
w) Snell's Law
x) Huygen's Principle
y) Young's Law
z) Hertz's Law.
ANSWER: X -- HUYGEN'S PRINCIPLE
64.
Short Answer: The frequency of a wave is 50 Hertz and its wavelength is 25 meters. What is the
velocity of this wave?
ANSWER: 1250 METERS/SECOND
65.
Multiple Choice: The wave nature of light is demonstrated by which of the following?
w) the photoelectric effect
x) color
y) the speed of light
z) diffraction
ANSWER: Z -- DIFFRACTION
66.
Multiple Choice: The collision between a photon and a free electron was first explained by which of
the following scientists?
w) Einstein
x) Heisenberg
y) Compton
z) Bohr
ANSWER: Y – COMPTON
67.
Short Answer: Besides solid, liquid, and gas, what is the fourth form of matter?
ANSWER: PLASMA
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 11
68.
Short Answer: What is 25,000 miles per hour on earth, and 5,300 miles per hour on the Moon?
ANSWER: ESCAPE VELOCITY
69.
Short Answer: In Einstein's universe, what is the fourth dimension?
ANSWER: TIME
70.
Multiple Choice: The Tesla and the Gauss are units of measure of:
w) conductance
x) magnetic field strength
y) magnetic flux
z) electrical current
ANSWER: X -- MAGNETIC FIELD STRENGTH
71.
Short Answer: Shockley, Brattain and Bardeen won a Nobel prize for what small invention?
ANSWER: TRANSISTOR
72.
Short Answer: What mechanical and electronic device has a name derived from a Czechoslovakian
word meaning "work; compulsory service"?
ANSWER: ROBOT
73.
Short Answer: What is the name of the temperature and pressure conditions at which water can be in
the solid, liquid and gas phases simultaneously?
ANSWER: TRIPLE POINT
74.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following colors of visible light has the longest wavelength? Is it:
w) violet
x) green
y) yellow
z) red
ANSWER: Z – RED
75.
Multiple Choice: A 10 kilogram mass rests on a horizontal frictionless surface. A horizontal force of 5
Newtons is applied to the mass. After the force has been applied for 1 second, the velocity of the mass
is:
w) 0 meters per second
x) 0.5 meters per second
y) 5 meters per second
z) 50 meters per second
ANSWER: X -- 0.5 METERS PER SECOND
76.
Multiple Choice: A worker lifts a 10 kilogram block a vertical height of 2 meters. The work he does on
the block is:
w) 5 Joules
x) 20 Joules
y) 49 Joules
z) 200 Joules
ANSWER: Z -- 200 JOULES
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 12
77.
Multiple Choice: An impulse of 10 kilogram-meter per second acting on an object whose mass is 5
kilogram will cause a change in the objects velocity of:
w) 0.5 meters per second
x) 2 meters per second
y) 10 meters per second
z) 50 meters per second
ANSWER: X -- 2 METERS PER SECOND
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 13
78.
Multiple Choice: The time needed for a net force of 10 newtons to change the velocity of a 5 kilograms
mass by 3 meters/second is:
w) 1.5 seconds
x) 6 seconds
y) 16.7 seconds
z) 150 seconds
ANSWER: W -- 1.5 SECONDS
79.
Multiple Choice: The value of G, the universal gravitational constant, was measured experimentally
by:
w) Newton
x) Cavendish
y) Copernicus
z) Kepler
ANSWER: X -- CAVENDISH
80.
Multiple Choice: Two steel balls are at a distance S from one another. As the mass of ONE of the balls
is doubled, the gravitational force of attraction between them is:
w) quartered
x) halved
y) doubled
z) quadrupled
ANSWER: Y -- DOUBLED
81.
Multiple Choice: If the distance between the earth and moon were halved, the force of the attraction
between them would be:
w) one fourth as great
x) one half as great
y) twice as great
z) four times as great
ANSWER: Z -- FOUR TIMES AS GREAT
82.
Multiple Choice: As a 10 kilogram mass on the end of a spring passes through its equilibrium position,
the kinetic energy of the mass is 20 joules. The speed of the mass is:
w) 2.0 meters per second
x) 4.0 meters per second
y) 5.0 meters per second
z) 6.3 meters per second
ANSWER: W -- 2.0 METERS PER SECOND
83.
Multiple Choice: As a longitudinal wave moves through a medium, the particles of the medium:
w) vibrate in a path parallel to the path of the wave
x) vibrate in a path perpendicular to the path of the wave
y) follow the wave along its entire path
z) do not move
ANSWER: W -- VIBRATE IN A PATH PARALLEL TO THE PATH OF THE WAVE
84.
Multiple Choice: As a pendulum is raised to higher altitudes, its period:
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 14
w) increases
x) decreases
y) remains the same
z) decreases, then remains the same
ANSWER: W -- INCREASES
85.
Multiple Choice: Two vibrating particles that are "out of phase" differ in the phase of their vibration
by:
w) 1/4 cycle
x) 1/2 cycle
y) 3/4 cycle
z) 1 cycle
ANSWER: X -- 1/2 CYCLE
86.
Multiple Choice: The SI unit of pressure is the:
w) Torr
x) dyne per centimeter squared
y) atmosphere
z) pascal
ANSWER: Z – PASCAL
87.
Multiple Choice: An electroscope charged WITHOUT contacting a charged body is charged by:
w) induction
x) conduction
y) convection
z) insulation
ANSWER: W -- INDUCTION
88.
Multiple Choice: The potential drop between the terminals of a battery is equal to the battery's EMF
when:
w) no current is drawn from the battery
x) a very large current is drawn from the battery
y) the internal resistance of the battery is very large
z) the resistance in the external circuit is small
ANSWER: W -- NO CURRENT IS DRAWN FROM THE BATTERY
89.
Multiple Choice: To convert a galvanometer to a voltmeter, you should add a:
w) high resistance in series
x) high resistance in parallel
y) low resistance in series
z) low resistance in parallel
ANSWER: W -- HIGH RESISTANCE IN SERIES
90.
Multiple Choice: The greatest induced EMF will occur in a straight wire moving at constant speed
through a uniform magnetic field when the angle between the direction of the wire's motion and the
direction of the magnetic field is
w) 0 degrees
x) 30 degrees
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 15
y) 60 degrees
z) 90 degrees
ANSWER: Z -- 90 DEGREES
91.
Multiple Choice: A 10 volt battery connected to a capacitor delivers a charge of 0.5 coulombs. The
capacitance of the capacitor is:
w) 2 x 10-2 farads
x) 5 x 10-2 farads
y) 2 farads
z) 5 farads
ANSWER: X -- 5 x 10-2 FARADS
92.
Multiple Choice: Two light rays will interfere constructively with maximum amplitude if the path
difference between them is:
w) one wavelength
x) one-half wavelength
y) one-quarter wavelength
z) one-eighth wavelength
ANSWER: W -- ONE WAVELENGTH
93.
Multiple Choice: Light is normally incident on a thin soap film and is reflected. If the wavelength of
this light is "L" and the index of refraction of the soap film is "N", complete destructive interference
will occur for a film thickness of:
w) L / 8N
x) L / 4N
y) L / 2N
z) 3L / 4N
ANSWER: Y -- L / 2N
94.
Multiple Choice: The Michelson interferometer was designed to study the nature of:
w) water waves
x) sound waves
y) an "ether"
z) sunlight
ANSWER: Y -- AN "ETHER"
95.
Multiple Choice: The Millikan experiment showed that electric charge was:
w) negative
x) quantized
y) positive
z) unmeasurable
ANSWER: X -- QUANTIZED
96.
Multiple Choice: When a metal becomes a superconductor, there is a tremendous decrease in its:
w) total volume
x) electrical resistance
y) length
z) density
Science Bowl Practice Questions
Physics - 16
ANSWER: X -- ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE
97.
Multiple Choice: An x-ray photon collides with a free electron, and the photon is scattered. During this
collision there is conservation of:
w) momentum but not energy
x) neither momentum nor energy
y) energy but not momentum
z) both momentum and energy
ANSWER: Z -- BOTH MOMENTUM AND ENERGY
98.
Multiple Choice: In the sun, helium is produced from hydrogen by:
w) radioactive decay
x) disintegration
y) fission
z) fusion
ANSWER: Z – FUSION
99.
Multiple Choice: The half-life of an isotope of an element is 5 days. The mass of a 10 gram sample of
this isotope remaining after 20 days is:
w) 0.312 grams
x) 0.625 grams
y) 1.25 grams
z) 2.50 grams
ANSWER: X -- 0.625 GRAMS
100.
Multiple Choice: The idea that electrons revolved in orbits around the nucleus of an atom without
radiating energy away from the atom was postulated by:
w) Thompson
x) Bohr
y) Rutherford
z) Einstein
ANSWER: X -- BOHR
