March 2026 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.
Synoptic: fields energy & potentials — equipotential reasoning (M6.1)
A pair of large parallel plates produces a uniform electric field. Equipotential lines are straight and 1.0 cm apart, with a 100 V step between neighbouring lines. A +2.0 nC bead is moved slowly from a point on the 200...
DC Circuits (M4)
In a lab, a student makes a 12.0 V potential divider using two identical 10 kΩ resistors to obtain about 6.0 V at the midpoint. They measure the midpoint to ground with an analogue voltmeter whose input resistance on...
Consolidation: mechanics & materials mixed reasoning; required practicals focus
In the standard Young modulus practical, a 1.0 m copper wire of diameter 0.40 mm extends by about 1.0 mm under a 30 N load. The dominant reading uncertainty in extension is ±0.10 mm. You must repeat the experiment but...
Mechanics (AS): Momentum (1D)
On a low-friction air track, cart A of mass m moves to the right at 1.2 m/s and collides head-on with cart B of mass 2m moving to the left at speed u. The carts stick together, and immediately after impact the pair...
Forces and Motion (Module 3)
In a lab, a student fires a small steel ball from a tabletop launcher at 45° to the horizontal. The first shot has a speed of 12 m/s; the second shot is 24 m/s at the same angle and height. Air resistance is...
SHM, damping and resonance bandwidth (M5)
In a lab, a mass–spring system is driven by a shaker providing a sinusoidal force of fixed amplitude. With light damping, the resonance peak occurs at f0 = 2.0 Hz, and the two half-power frequencies are measured as 1.8...
Materials (Module 3.4)
Two identical light springs, each with constant 30 N m^-1, are used to suspend a 3.0 N weight. Arrangement P has the springs side by side sharing the load (parallel). Arrangement S has the springs one below the other...
Quantum physics (AS): Photoelectric effect — stopping potential and work function
A photoelectric cell has a clean metal photocathode with work function 2.2 eV. Monochromatic light of wavelength 310 nm shines on it. The collector electrode is biased relative to the photocathode until the...
Sensors with potential dividers (Module 4)
A potential divider is used to sense temperature: a 6.0 kΩ fixed resistor is in series with an NTC thermistor. The supply is 9.0 V, and the output V_out is taken across the fixed resistor. The thermistor’s resistance...
Foundations of Physics (M2)
In a lab, a potential divider is made from two similar metal-film resistors: R1 = 2.0 kΩ (top) and R2 = 1.0 kΩ (bottom) in series across a 9.0 V supply. The output V_out is taken across R2. After a few minutes both...
Nuclear Physics (M6)
An X-ray beam in a dental clinic passes through a protective panel. For this beam energy, the panel’s half-value thickness (HVT) is 2.0 mm. If a 6.0 mm thick panel is used, which option best describes the transmitted...
Projectile motion (M3.1.3), SUVAT (M3.1.2)
A lab dart launcher fires the same foam dart at a fixed muzzle speed of 12 m/s, once at 30° and once at 60° above the horizontal. The dart lands back at the launch height on level ground. Air resistance is negligible....
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
On a smooth horizontal air track, cart A (mass m) moves to the right at speed u towards cart B (mass 10m) moving to the left at speed u/5. The carts collide head-on and stick together. Based only on momentum...
Electricity (M4)
A night-light uses an LDR in a potential divider to produce a control voltage V_out for a microcontroller. A 6.0 V supply feeds a fixed 2.0 kΩ resistor in series with the LDR to ground. V_out is taken across the LDR...
Electromagnetic induction (M6)
A hand‑cranked AC generator uses a single rectangular coil rotating at constant speed in a uniform magnetic field, connected to a high‑resistance voltmeter. At the instant when the plane of the coil is parallel to the...
Kinematics (M3.1.1)
In a lab test, two trolleys move along a straight track for 10 s. Trolley A moves at a constant 6 m/s. Trolley B starts from rest and increases speed uniformly, reaching 12 m/s at 10 s. Which statement about the...
Medical imaging II: Ultrasound; acoustic impedance & matching; reflection/transmission at boundaries
An ultrasound A-scan sends the same normal-incidence pulse through soft tissue (acoustic impedance 1.6 MRayl) toward two planar boundaries in a phantom: (i) soft tissue to bone (7.0 MRayl) and (ii) soft tissue to...
Electricity (M4)
A garden light uses a 9.0 V supply and a potential divider made from a 3.0 kΩ fixed resistor in series with an LDR. The output voltage V_out is measured across the LDR. In shade the LDR is 2.0 kΩ, but in bright...
Nuclear II: binding energy per nucleon (qualitative trends)
In a teaching lab discussion, a student proposes two nucleon-conserving rearrangements: X: combine two identical nuclei each with A ≈ 60 into a single nucleus with A ≈ 120; Y: split one very heavy nucleus with A ≈ 240...
Kinematics (M3)
In a lab, a small steel ball rolls off a horizontal bench 1.0 m high with negligible air resistance. If the launch speed is doubled while the height stays the same, which statement about the time to hit the floor and...
Waves & Optics (M4)
In a lab double-slit experiment, a student projects fringes on a screen 2.0 m from slits separated by 0.50 mm using a 600 nm laser. They then change three things at once: they switch to a 500 nm laser, move the screen...
Magnetic fields (M6): force on a charge; circular motion (qual.)
In a lab mass filter, a narrow beam of K+ ions (charge +e) enters a region of uniform magnetic field B at right angles with speed v and follows a circular arc to a screen. The setup is then changed to a beam of Rb+...
Mechanics: suvat problems
In a lab, two low-friction trolleys both start from rest and move in straight lines with constant (but not necessarily equal) accelerations. Motion sensors show trolley A travels 1.6 m in 1.0 s, while trolley B travels...
Mechanics (M3) — Moments and equilibrium
A 1.0 m uniform wooden ruler of mass 0.30 kg is supported on a knife edge at the 40 cm mark. A 0.40 kg mass is hung from the 10 cm mark. Where should a 0.20 kg mass be hung on the right-hand side so that the ruler is...
Linear motion with g=9.81 (M3)
Which statement must be true when a small ball is thrown straight up from a balcony and later caught at the same height by the thrower? Ignore air resistance and take g = 9.81 m s^-2 downward.
Mechanics (Module 3.5.2) — Momentum, impulse, and 1D conservation; elastic vs inelastic
On a low-friction track, a 0.50 kg glider A moves to the right at 2.0 m/s and collides centrally with a stationary 1.50 kg glider B. Two interchangeable bumpers are tested: - Foam bumper: the gliders stick together on...
Waves (Module 4): double-slit interference; path difference & phase
In a lab Young’s double-slit setup using a green laser and a distant screen, a thin transparent cover slip is slid directly in front of one slit only. Which statement must be true about the observed fringe pattern...
Forces and motion (Module 3.1.1): Linear motion with g = 9.81 m s^-2
In a safe lab drop test, a rubber ball is released from rest from 1.25 m above a soft mat. It takes about 0.50 s to reach the mat and its impact speed is about 4.9 m s^-1. Neglect air resistance and take g = 9.81 m...
Waves (M4)
A step-index optical fibre has a core of refractive index 1.48 and a cladding of refractive index 1.44. A light ray inside the core strikes the core–cladding boundary at 75° to the normal. Which statement must be true?
Medical imaging: Ultrasound (M6.3)
During a diagnostic ultrasound exam, a pulse at normal incidence encounters a boundary between muscle (acoustic impedance 1.6 Mrayl) and bone (7.8 Mrayl). Neglecting absorption and scattering, which is the best...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
In a straight-track lab, a trolley starts from rest and moves with constant acceleration. If the time of travel is doubled (with the same motion continuing), what happens to the displacement from the start?
Capacitance I (A2)
In a lab, a student charges an air-gap parallel-plate capacitor from a DC supply and then disconnects it so it is isolated (assume no leakage). Without changing plate area or separation, they fully slide a PTFE sheet...
Waves II: stationary waves; harmonics; boundary conditions
A student has a metal tube of fixed length that is open at both ends and resonates at its fundamental frequency of 240 Hz in air at room temperature. She covers one end to make it closed at one end, without changing...
DC Circuits (M4)
A travel mug warmer contains two identical resistive heating coils. A switch connects the coils either in series or in parallel across the same fixed-voltage 12 V socket. Ignoring heat losses and assuming the coils are...
High level GCSE electricity
An ideal 9 V battery is connected to resistor A (6 Ω) in series with a junction. One branch has resistor B (6 Ω). The other branch has a switch S in series with resistor C (12 Ω). Initially S is open so only B is...
Waves II: stationary waves; harmonics; boundary conditions; string/air column examples
Two organ pipes of equal length L are at the same temperature. Pipe X is open at both ends; pipe Y is closed at one end (stopped). Each is sounded at its fundamental. Assuming the speed of sound is the same in both,...
Waves & Optics (M4)
In a ripple tank, a motor-driven dipper produces plane water waves that pass a fixed point P. The motor speed (frequency) and water depth are unchanged, but the dipper’s oscillation amplitude is reduced by 40% using...
Electricity (M4): energy & power in DC circuits
In a lab test of a 6.0 V bench-powered heat pad that behaves as an ohmic resistor, the initial resistance is 4.0 Ω. You replace it with a longer strip of the same material so the resistance increases by 50%. The supply...
Kinematics (velocity–time graphs, acceleration)
On a test track, two cars brake uniformly over the same 6 s interval. Car A's speed falls linearly from 12 m/s to 0 m/s. Car B's speed falls linearly from 16 m/s to 4 m/s. Over this 6 s, what is the ratio of the...
DC Circuits (M4)
A portable incubator uses an NTC thermistor in a potential divider powered by 9.0 V. The fixed 3.0 kΩ resistor is connected to +9.0 V, the thermistor is connected to 0 V, and the output V_out is the voltage across the...