September 2025 Daily Physics questions
Free AS and A2 Daily MCQs from PhysicsUK. Questions appear here after a 7-day delay so pupils can practise with the answer and explanation available.
Quantum II: photoelectric effect; stopping potential; work function; de Broglie wavelength (intro)
A clean metal photocathode is illuminated with monochromatic light of frequency f, producing a stopping potential of 0.60 V. The metal’s threshold frequency is 0.5 f. The light frequency is then doubled to 2f while the...
Dynamics: forces, free-body diagrams; Newton’s laws; friction and drag (qualitative)
Which statement must be true when a skydiver has just reached terminal speed during a vertical fall?
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A small ball is released from rest in a tall tube of fluid. Assume the only significant forces are its weight (downward) and a drag force that increases with speed (upward). Before the ball reaches terminal speed,...
Dynamics (M3)
Two carts, A and B, start from rest on a smooth horizontal track. The same motor pulls each cart with the same constant horizontal force for 4.0 s. Cart B has 50% greater mass than cart A. At 4.0 s, cart A is moving at...
Physical quantities & SI, Scalars vs vectors, Kinematics: displacement–time
A trolley moves along a straight track. Its displacement s from the start is recorded versus time t. The displacement–time graph is piecewise straight: from t = 0 to 8 s, s increases uniformly from 0 m to +6 m; from 8...
Dynamics: forces and Newton’s laws, Friction (qualitative)
On a level warehouse floor, a 30 kg crate is pulled with a steady horizontal force of 60 N and moves at constant speed. A worker quickly loads an extra 25% mass onto the crate, but the pulling force remains 60 N....
Quantum II: photoelectric effect; stopping potential; work function
A vacuum photocell with a clean metal cathode has a threshold frequency f0. With light of frequency 1.5 f0 at some intensity, a potential difference of 0.80 V (with an appropriate polarity) just reduces the...
Foundations of physics (M2): Scalars and vectors; units, Forces and motion (M3): Kinematics — displacement–time graphs
Two walkers move in a straight line along a path. From t = 0 s to t = 8 s, their motions are straight lines on displacement–time graphs: Walker P goes from (0 s, 0 m) to (8 s, +24 m); Walker Q goes from (0 s, 0 m) to...
Forces and Motion (M3): Kinematics
Two cyclists start together from rest on a straight path. Cyclist A accelerates uniformly at a for a time T. Cyclist B accelerates uniformly at 2a for a time T/2. Neglect resistive forces. Which statement must be true...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
Which statement must be true when a ball is thrown straight up with negligible air resistance? If the initial speed is doubled, what happens to (i) the time taken to reach the highest point and (ii) the maximum height...
Physical quantities & SI, Scalar vs vector, Kinematics (displacement–time)
A trolley’s displacement from a motion sensor is plotted against time. For a 4 s interval the displacement–time graph is a straight horizontal line. Which statement must be true during that interval?
Physical quantities & SI (M2), Scalars and vectors (M2), Kinematics: displacement–time graphs (M3)
A motion sensor records a straight-line displacement–time graph through the origin for a student walking directly away from the sensor at constant speed. On a second trial the student walks in the same direction at...
Kinematics (velocity–time graphs, acceleration)
A trolley moves to the right along a straight, level track. At t = 0 it has a positive velocity, and a constant braking force then produces a uniform acceleration to the left. You consider the trolley’s displacement...
Kinematics (velocity–time, acceleration), Basic algebra
A trolley on a straight track starts from rest. Trial 1: it reaches 8.0 m/s uniformly in 4.0 s, then continues at 8.0 m/s for a further 2.0 s. Trial 2: it reaches the same 8.0 m/s uniformly in 2.0 s, then continues at...
Kinematics (equations of motion), Projectile motion (intro), Scalars vs vectors
Two identical balls are launched from the same level at the same angle to the horizontal. Ball B is launched at 1.5 times the launch speed of Ball A. Air resistance is negligible. Which statement must be true?
Physical quantities & SI, Scalars and vectors, Kinematics (displacement–time)
A trolley moves in a straight line from mark O to mark P, a displacement of 6.0 m. On a second run it travels from O to P in half the time, along the same straight line and in the same direction. Which statement must...
Physical quantities & SI, Scalar vs vector, Kinematics (displacement–time)
A trolley moves along a straight track. Its displacement–time graph is a straight line with a constant negative gradient. Which statement must be true?
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A trolley moves in a straight line. Its displacement–time graph is described as: from t = 0 s to 4 s, displacement increases uniformly from 0 m to +8 m; from 4 s to 7 s, displacement remains constant at +8 m; from 7 s...
Physical quantities & SI, Scalars vs vectors, Kinematics (displacement–time)
A toy car moves in a straight line on a bench. Its displacement s from the start (positive to the right) is plotted against time t as three straight segments: from 0–4 s, s increases uniformly from 0 m to +8 m; from...
Physical quantities & SI, Scalar vs Vector, Kinematics (displacement–time)
Along a straight track, a trolley travels 8 m forward in 4 s, remains stationary for 2 s, then travels 4 m backward in 2 s. Using the total elapsed time, which statement must be true about its average speed and the...
Physical quantities & SI (M2), Scalar vs vector (M2), Kinematics: displacement–time (M3)
A trolley on a straight track is monitored. Its displacement from the start increases uniformly from 0.0 m to +8.0 m during the first 10 s. It then decreases uniformly, reaching −4.0 m at t = 25 s. Which statement must...
Kinematics (displacement–time) — AS, Scalars vs vectors — AS, Physical quantities & SI — AS, Basic algebra
A student walks along a straight corridor. A displacement–time graph for their motion has two straight sections: from t = 0 to 20 s the displacement increases uniformly from 0 m to +16 m; from t = 20 s to 50 s the...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A trolley on a smooth, level bench accelerates at 0.80 m/s^2 when pulled with a steady 4.0 N force. The same pull is applied to a second trolley with four times the mass. What is the acceleration of the second trolley?
DC Circuits (M4)
A 6 V supply powers a single filament bulb rated for 6 V. A second identical bulb is then connected in parallel across the same supply using short leads. Assume the supply maintains constant voltage and the leads’...
Forces and motion (M3)
Two trolleys A and B start from rest on a smooth bench. The same constant horizontal pull is applied to each for exactly 1.0 s. Trolley B has twice the mass of trolley A. Which statement must be true after the 1.0 s?
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A smooth lab trolley is pulled with a constant horizontal force using a spring balance. Friction is negligible. You then load the trolley so its mass is doubled, but you pull with the same force as before. What happens...
Waves & Optics (M4)
Which statement must be true when a loudspeaker in room‑temperature air is driven at double its original frequency? Take the speed of sound in air as about 340 m/s. Initially the tone is 170 Hz.
Foundations of Physics (M2)
Two solid blocks are made of the same material. Block X has mass 600 g and Block Y has mass 300 g. Which statement about their volumes must be true?
Materials (M3)
A 1.0 kg block of uniform wax is cut cleanly into two equal halves at the same temperature, with no material lost. Compared with the original block, what is true for each half?
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A trolley on a smooth track is pulled by the same steady horizontal force in two runs. In the second run, the trolley’s mass is doubled by adding weights. Ignore friction. What happens to its acceleration?
Foundations of Physics (M2)
Two perpendicular forces act on a trolley on a smooth bench: 3.6 N due east and 4.8 N due north. What is the magnitude of the resultant force?
Medical imaging — Ultrasound A-scan, Acoustic impedance and boundary reflections, Coupling gel and impedance matching, Attenuation via half-value thickness, Time-of-flight and echo positioning
A pulsed ultrasound A-scan is used to locate a small bone 3.0 cm beneath the skin. Trial 1 is performed with a thin air gap between the transducer and skin; at an air–skin boundary about 99% of incident intensity is...
Quantum: wave–particle duality, de Broglie wavelength, Proportional reasoning
In a lab, a narrow electron beam is adjusted so that the electrons move at twice their previous speed, with everything else unchanged. Which statement must be true about the electrons’ de Broglie wavelength?