April 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.
Medical imaging (M6.3)
In a lab calibration of an X-ray detector, aluminium sheets are stacked in the beam. For this beam, the half-value thickness (HVT) in aluminium is 3.0 mm. If 9.0 mm of aluminium is placed in the beam, what percentage...
Forces and Motion (M3)
In a school lab, a launcher fires a small ball from ground level in still air. The next trial must keep the total time in the air the same as before but increase the horizontal distance travelled. Which adjustment to...
Materials: practical methods (M3.4)
In a lab to determine a wire’s stiffness, a student measures the extension directly with a dial gauge (±0.01 mm). With a 10 N load on a 1.0 m wire of diameter 0.50 mm, the extension is 0.20 mm. They can instead use a...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A lab hoist lifts a 50 kg crate vertically at steady speed. In Test 1, the speed is 0.40 m s^-1 and the hoist draws 400 W from the mains. In Test 2, the speed is increased to 0.60 m s^-1 and the input power rises to...
Medical imaging I: X-rays & CT — Half-value thickness (HVT)
Which statement must be true when a narrow X-ray beam of fixed energy passes normally through two identical aluminium plates, each with thickness equal to the half-value thickness (HVT) for aluminium at that energy?
Materials (M3)
In a lab to determine the Young modulus of a metal wire, a student measures the wire’s diameter with a micrometer, its original length L, then hangs a range of loads and plots extension against load; they use the...
DC circuits (Module 4) — Internal resistance and terminal p.d.
A small torch bulb has resistance 3.0 Ω when lit. It is powered first by one 1.5 V cell with internal resistance 0.50 Ω, then by two identical cells in series. Which statement must be true about the terminal p.d....
Synoptic: RC + circuits power; measurement strategies (no ln)
Which statement must be true when a 100 μF capacitor discharges through a 100 kΩ resistor and the voltage is monitored with a handheld digital voltmeter of 1.0 MΩ input resistance by timing the drop from 8.0 V to 4.0...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
In a required practical to determine the Young modulus of a metal wire that obeys Hooke’s law for the loads used, a student first marks two points 1.00 m apart on the wire and measures the extension between the marks...
Capacitance & RC (M6)
In a lab, you charge initially uncharged 22 µF capacitor(s) from a 6.0 V supply through a 100 kΩ resistor by closing a switch. You test three setups using the same resistor and supply: (i) a single capacitor, (ii) two...
Electrons, Waves and Photons (M4)
In a lab test, a fixed 12 Ω resistor is connected to a variable d.c. supply. The potential difference across it is increased from 3.0 V to 6.0 V. Which statement must be true about the power it dissipates?
DC Circuits (Module 4): meter loading; internal resistance; terminal pd
A student measures the emf E of a single cell by placing a voltmeter directly across its terminals. The cell’s internal resistance is 100 Ω. Meter A has an input resistance of 10 kΩ; Meter B has an input resistance of...
DC Circuits (AS) — Meter loading (qualitative)
In a lab, two 100 kΩ resistors are connected in series across a fresh 9.0 V battery to create a 4.5 V midpoint. A student measures the p.d. across the lower 100 kΩ resistor using a digital voltmeter with 1.0 MΩ input...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
In a lab, a 0.80 kg trolley moving at 1.5 m/s on a near-frictionless track collides with a 1.2 kg trolley at rest and they stick together. Immediately after impact, what is the speed of the joined trolleys?
Capacitors & RC (M6), DC Circuits: Power & Energy (M4)
A 9.0 V ideal DC supply is used to charge the same capacitor to steady state through either a 1.0 kΩ resistor or a 4.0 kΩ resistor. Ignore internal resistance and leakage. After each charge is complete (steady state...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
In a lab test, a student drops a small steel ball from height h onto a soft mat, then repeats from height 4h. Ignore air resistance and take g = 9.81 m s^-2. Compared with the first drop, by what factor is the speed...
Waves II: stationary waves in air columns (closed–open)
In a resonance-tube experiment, a vertical tube of length 0.50 m is closed at the bottom and open at the top. The lowest-frequency resonance with a tuning fork occurs at 170 Hz. Assuming uniform sound speed in air,...
DC Circuits (M4)
A technician has a 9.0 V lab power supply (assume negligible internal resistance) and two identical 6.0 Ω heating elements. In setup A the elements are wired in series; in setup B they are wired in parallel. Compared...
Waves I (Module 4): superposition; phase; intensity ∝ amplitude²
In a quiet lab, two identical speakers emit the same 1.0 kHz tone in phase and at equal amplitude. A microphone is placed exactly midway between them. With only one speaker on, the microphone reads an average sound...
Mechanics (M1): Kinematics — suvat problems
A lab trolley is brought to rest by the same magnetic brake in two trials. In both, the brake provides the same constant deceleration until the trolley stops. In trial 1 the starting speed is 0.80 m s−1 and the...
Thermal physics I: internal energy; specific heat; energy changes; heating curves (qual.)
Two 0.20 kg samples are heated in identical insulated beakers by the same 100 W immersion heater. Sample X is ice at −10°C that is heated until it becomes liquid water at +10°C. Sample Y is liquid water at 0°C heated...
Waves II (Stationary waves; harmonics; boundary conditions)
A cylindrical tube of fixed length L is driven by a speaker and resonates with both ends open at frequency f, corresponding to the second harmonic in that configuration. The tube is then closed at one end while L and f...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
Two low-friction trolleys on a straight air track collide and stick together. Trolley A (0.40 kg) moves at 1.2 m/s to the right; Trolley B (0.80 kg) moves at 0.30 m/s to the left. External horizontal forces are...
Quantum (M4)
In a lab, monochromatic light of wavelength 400 nm is shone onto a clean metal, giving a stopping potential of 0.90 V. The intensity is kept the same but the wavelength is reduced by 10% to 360 nm. Which statement must...
Waves & Optics (M4)
Two identical loudspeakers L1 and L2 are driven by the same signal generator at one frequency. With only L1 on, a microphone at point P measures a sound-pressure amplitude A; with only L2 on (its gain increased), the...
Foundations of Physics (M2)
In a lab, a mass on a vertical spring is driven by a vibration generator. A small paddle attached to the mass dips into oil to provide damping that can be increased slightly while all other settings stay the same. The...
Kinematics (Module 3)
In a lab, a student rolls a small steel ball off a bench 1.25 m high. It lands 0.80 m from the base. She repeats the trial, launching the ball horizontally at 1.5 times the original speed from the same height. Air...
Thermal physics I (M5.1)
Two identical 200 W immersion heaters are placed in identical insulated beakers, each containing 0.50 kg of liquid at the same initial temperature. One beaker holds water and the other holds cooking oil. Assume no heat...
Power in mechanics
Two shop hoists lift sacks vertically at constant speed through the same height of 4.0 m. Hoist 1 raises a 50 kg sack in 5.0 s. Hoist 2 raises a 75 kg sack in the same time. Air resistance is negligible. What is the...
Fields: Gravitational, Electric & Magnetic (M5/M6)
Two lab timing circuits each connect a 9.0 V battery, a resistor R, and an initially uncharged capacitor C in series with a switch. Circuit A uses R = 20 kΩ with C = 50 µF. Circuit B uses R = 10 kΩ with C = 100 µF. The...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A mechanic tries to loosen a tight bolt. First they push at right angles on the end of a 0.15 m spanner with a certain steady force. Then they switch to a 0.30 m spanner and push the same way with the same force at its...
Nuclear Physics (M6)
In a lab demo, a low-friction trolley moves at a steady horizontal speed u past a drop point and releases a small steel ball from a height h above the floor. Air resistance is negligible and take g = 9.81 m s^-2. The...
Electricity: Energy and power in d.c. circuits (Module 4)
In a lab, a 9.0 V d.c. supply runs a small motor. Initially the current is 0.20 A. After a light mechanical load is added, the current rises by 50% while the supply voltage remains at 9.0 V. By what percentage does the...
Capacitance I (M6.1)
In a lab, a parallel-plate capacitor is connected to a steady 9.0 V DC supply. A plastic sheet with relative permittivity 3.0 is fully inserted between the plates without changing the plate area or separation. Which...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A student is measuring Young modulus for a metal wire. With a 1.50 m test wire (constant diameter), adding a 10 N load produces an extra extension of 1.2 mm and the student’s lab book records the elastic energy stored...
Waves II: stationary waves; harmonics; boundary conditions; string/air column examples
In a resonance-tube lab, a vertical glass tube has its lower end under water (so the air column is closed at the bottom) and the top end open. A single tuning fork of fixed frequency is held at the top while the water...
DC Circuits (M4)
A 5.0 V microcontroller reads V_out from a potential divider used as a light sensor. The divider is made from a fixed 1.0 kΩ resistor and an LDR that is about 0.50 kΩ in bright light and about 5.0 kΩ in dim light....
Kinematics (displacement–time)
In a lab, a trolley moves in a straight line along a track. Its displacement–time graph is a straight line with gradient +0.8 m s−1 from t = 0 to 5.0 s, then a straight line with gradient −0.4 m s−1 from t = 5.0 s to...
Waves & Optics (M4)
Two monochromatic LEDs (A and B) each shine steadily on the same small photodiode. The photodiode receives the same power from each LED (3.0 mW). LED B emits light of frequency 1.5 times that of LED A. Which statement...
Nuclear Physics (M6)
A researcher compares the energy released per initial nucleon in two devices: a D–T fusion plasma where D + T → He‑4 + n, and a thermal reactor where U‑235 typically fissions into two fragments near A ≈ 120. Use these...
Quantum (M4)
In a darkened lab, a vacuum photocell with a clean sodium cathode (work function 2.3 eV) is illuminated by monochromatic light of wavelength 400 nm. The light intensity is then doubled while the wavelength is...
Capacitance & RC (M6)
A camera flash circuit charges a capacitor of capacitance C through a resistor R from a DC supply to its final voltage. To reduce shock risk, the designer plans to halve the supply voltage while doubling the...
Materials: springs in series/parallel (M3)
In a lab, a student uses two identical light springs, each marked 20 N m−1. They support the same 2.0 N weight in two set-ups: S = springs joined in series; P = springs in parallel sharing the load. What is the ratio...
Uncertainty propagation (no calculus)
A student determines g using a simple pendulum, using the proportionality g ∝ L/T^2. The length L has a percentage uncertainty of 1.0% and the measured period T has a percentage uncertainty of 2.0%. Using appropriate...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A walker moves along a straight footpath. Their displacement from a gate is recorded over 60 s and the displacement–time graph has three straight sections: from 0–20 s it increases uniformly from 0 m to +80 m; from...
Electric circuits — resistance & potential dividers (Module 4)
In a lab temperature probe, a 12 V supply is applied across a series pair: a fixed 4.0 kΩ resistor on top and an NTC thermistor on the bottom. The output V_out is measured across the thermistor. The thermistor is 4.0...
Quantum III: photoelectric effect; stopping potential; work function; de Broglie wavelength
In a vacuum photocell, a clean caesium-coated cathode has a threshold wavelength of 600 nm. With 400 nm light at low intensity, the stopping potential needed to just reduce the photocurrent to zero is measured as 0.70...