June 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.
Practical methods of measuring material properties
In a lab to determine the stiffness of a steel wire, a student measures the wire’s diameter with a micrometer that reads 0.02 mm too high (positive zero error). The true diameter is 0.50 mm, but the student does not...
Waves II: stationary waves; harmonics; boundary conditions; air column examples (M4)
A lab tube of fixed length 0.80 m is used to find resonances with a phone’s tone generator. With one end firmly capped (other end open), the lowest resonant note is 110 Hz at room temperature. The cap is then removed...
Electromagnetic induction (M6): Lenz’s law
In a school demo, a strong neodymium magnet is dropped through a vertical copper pipe (the pipe is not part of an external circuit). Which statement must be true?
High level GCSE physics
In a lab, a friction pad exerts the same average retarding force each time a cart passes through it. Two identical carts start from rest at the top of smooth ramps of heights h and 2h, roll down, and then enter the...
Synoptic: measurement strategies for RC transients (no ln)
In a lab test, a student discharges a capacitor through a 100 kΩ resistor and estimates the circuit’s RC time by timing how long the capacitor’s voltage falls from 5.0 V to 2.5 V. An oscilloscope (input resistance 1.0...
Electric circuits: potential dividers (M4)
A student makes a mid-supply reference using two identical 3.0 kΩ resistors in series across a 9.0 V battery; V_out is taken across the lower resistor relative to ground. They then connect a 3.0 kΩ load in parallel...
Nuclear II: mass–energy; binding energy per nucleon; fission/fusion (qual.)
A revision poster lists average binding energy per nucleon (BE/A): U-235 = 7.6 MeV, typical fission fragments near A ≈ 120 = 8.5 MeV, deuterium (2H) = 1.1 MeV, helium-4 (4He) = 7.1 MeV. A student compares two...
Momentum & impulse (M3)
A worker (mass 80 kg) runs at 5.0 m/s and jumps onto a stationary trolley on low-friction wheels; they stick together and roll off as one. Assume external horizontal forces are negligible during the short collision....
Simple Harmonic Motion (M5)
A glider on a low-friction air track is attached to a horizontal spring and oscillates with small amplitude. When the glider is at its maximum displacement to the right, which statement must be true?
Mechanics: Moments & Equilibrium (M3)
In a lab, a uniform beam is pivoted at its centre and held horizontal. A 20 N weight is hung 0.60 m from the pivot on the left. To balance the beam, at what distance from the pivot on the right should a 15 N weight be...
Waves: superposition and path difference (Module 4)
Two identical loudspeakers S1 and S2 are driven by the same signal generator so they emit in phase. At a point P in front of them, the distances to S1 and S2 differ by 0.50 m. The wavelength of the sound is 0.20 m....
Kinematics — projectile motion (M3)
In a lab, a steel ball rolls off a 1.2 m-high bench horizontally at 1.5 m/s. In a second trial, it’s rolled off the same bench at 3.0 m/s. Air resistance is negligible. Which statement must be true?
DC circuits (Module 6.1.1): internal resistance, terminal p.d., meter loading (qualitative)
In a lab, a student connects a digital voltmeter directly across the terminals of a cell to “measure its emf”. The cell has noticeable internal resistance, and the voltmeter’s input resistance is large but finite....
SUVAT problems (Module 3.1.1 Motion)
A car on a dry road brakes with a steady deceleration. From 15 m/s it takes 20 m to come to rest. Under the same conditions, what is the stopping distance from 30 m/s (ignore reaction time)?
Electricity & Circuits (M4): Sensor circuits
A museum display uses a light sensor based on a potential divider: an LDR is connected to +9.0 V and a 4.0 kΩ fixed resistor to 0 V. The output voltage V_out is taken at their junction and measured by a high‑resistance...
Cross-topic problem solving (mechanics ↔ circuits energy)
A 12.0 V battery with internal resistance 1.0 Ω powers a small lab hoist that lifts a 2.0 kg mass vertically by 0.80 m in 1.6 s at steady speed. The current is 2.0 A throughout the lift. Neglect any change in kinetic...
DC circuits: meter loading; internal resistance & terminal pd (Module 4.3)
A student measures the emf of a 1.50 V cell that has an internal resistance of 50 Ω using an analogue voltmeter with sensitivity 1 kΩ per volt set to the 1.5 V range (so the meter’s input resistance is about 1.5 kΩ)....
Cross-topic problem solving (mechanics ↔ circuits energy; graphs & modelling)
A 12 V DC bench supply with some internal resistance powers a small winch that lifts a 0.50 kg mass vertically at a steady 0.40 m s−1. The p.d. across the motor terminals during the lift is 9.0 V. Assume essentially...
Dynamics: terminal velocity & drag (M3.2)
In a lab, a single paper coffee filter dropped from rest quickly reaches a steady falling speed of 1.5 m/s. Stacking two identical filters together keeps the cross-sectional area essentially the same but doubles the...
Fields: Gravitational, Electric & Magnetic (M5/M6)
In a lab, a conducting aluminium ring is dropped coaxially toward the open end of a vertical solenoid that carries a steady DC current. Air resistance is negligible. Compared with an identical drop when the solenoid...
Electricity — DC circuits (Module 4.2)
In a lab, a 9.0 V DC bench supply is connected to a single 18 Ω resistor R1; an ammeter in series with R1 reads the current in R1. Without changing the supply, a second identical 18 Ω resistor R2 is connected in...
Nuclear physics (A2): activity, decay law (qual.), half-life
In a school lab, a GM tube measures background radiation at 40 s⁻¹. With a sealed source at a fixed distance, the initial total count rate is 1040 s⁻¹. Several hours later, under identical setup, the total count rate...
Foundations of Physics (M2)
In a lab rig, a mass is hung from a plate attached to the ceiling by two branches in parallel. Branch 1 is a single light spring of constant k. Branch 2 is two identical light springs, each of constant k, connected in...
Projectile motion and suvat (Module 3)
A bench-top launcher in a physics lab fires a steel ball at a fixed speed u. With the barrel set to 30° above the horizontal, the ball lands back at the same height as launch. The launcher is then set to 60° with the...
Energy & power in DC circuits
An electric lab heater is powered by an ideal 12 V dc supply. When new, the heater's resistance is 6.0 Ω. After use, oxidation increases its resistance by 50% but the supply voltage remains 12 V. Which statement about...
Waves & optics (M4.2.2)
In a school lab, a green laser produces a double-slit interference pattern on a screen 2.0 m away. The double-slit slide is replaced with one where the slit separation is half the original, while slit widths and the...
Energy & power in DC circuits
A 3.0 V head torch originally uses a 0.60 W filament bulb. It is upgraded to a 1.2 W LED module, still powered by the same 3.0 V battery pack. For a continuous 30 min walk, which value is closest to the extra...
DC Circuits (M4)
In a lab test, a bench power supply is set to 6.0 V and connected to a resistor using long, thin leads. The current is 0.50 A. A voltmeter across just the resistor reads 5.8 V. Which statement must be true about the...
Electromagnetic induction (M6.3.2)
In a lab, a bar magnet’s north pole is pushed straight towards a flat coil. With a 200-turn coil and speed v, the peak induced emf is 3.0 V. The coil is then replaced by a 400-turn coil and the magnet is pushed at...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A football is kicked from level ground at 45° with initial speed u, giving a range R (air resistance negligible). On the next attempt, the same angle is used but the launch speed is increased by 20%. What happens to...
Kinematics: displacement–time
A cyclist travels along a straight cycle path. Displacement from the start is defined positive in the forward direction. From 0–20 s the displacement increases uniformly at 2.0 m/s; from 20–40 s it is constant; from...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
A small car collides head-on with a much heavier lorry on a straight road. During the brief impact, which statement must be true?
Work, energy & power (M3)
A garden fountain pump draws a steady electrical power of 200 W and raises water to a spout 10 m above the reservoir. When running, the flow reaches a steady value. If only 50% of the input power goes into increasing...
Kepler's laws (Module 5.4)
A comet follows a highly elliptical orbit around the Sun. As it travels from its farthest point (aphelion) towards its closest approach (perihelion), which statement must be true?
Quantum (M4)
In a darkened lab, a student shines a monochromatic green LED onto a small photodiode. They increase the LED’s intensity using its driver, while keeping the colour exactly the same. Ignoring heating, which statement...
Medical imaging I: X-rays — attenuation & HVT (M6.2)
In a quality-control test of an X-ray beam at fixed kVp, two 8.0 mm-thick inserts are compared. For this beam, material A has a half-value thickness (HVT) of 2.0 mm and material B has an HVT of 4.0 mm. Which statement...
Kinematics (M3.1.1)
In a lab, a motion sensor records a trolley that starts from rest, speeds up uniformly to 2.4 m/s in 2.0 s, then immediately slows uniformly to rest taking 4.0 s. The velocity–time graph is a straight-line rise...
Electric circuits & sensors (Module 4)
A light sensor is made by placing an LDR in series with a fixed resistor across a 5.0 V supply. The output voltage V_out is taken across the fixed resistor (from the junction to ground). As the room gets brighter, what...
Internal resistance & terminal pd (Module 4)
A bench power supply has an emf of 12.0 V and an internal resistance of 0.25 Ω. A student increases the current drawn from 2.0 A to 4.0 A by changing the external load. What happens to the terminal potential difference...
High level GCSE electricity, Potential dividers and sensor circuits, Meter loading (qualitative and simple quantitative)
A student tests a light sensor circuit powered by 5.0 V: a 10 kΩ fixed resistor is in series with an LDR to 0 V, and a voltmeter with 20 kΩ input resistance is connected across the LDR to read V_out at the junction....
Electricity (M4)
A student powers one small torch bulb from a 6 V battery. They then add a second identical bulb in parallel with the first using short, negligible-resistance wires. Assume the bulbs behave like simple resistors over...
Archimedes’ principle (M3.2)
A wooden block floats in fresh water. A 1 kg sealed metal tool can either be placed gently on top of the block (remaining above the water) or suspended from the block by a light string so the tool is fully submerged...
Thermal physics I (M5)
In a lab, identical 0.50 kg samples of water and an unknown liquid X are heated by the same immersion heater for the same time. Both start at 20 C. After heating, the water is at 25 C while liquid X is at 28 C. Assume...
Waves & Optics: Refraction and TIR (Module 4)
A narrow laser beam travels inside a glass block (refractive index 1.50) and strikes the glass–air boundary from the glass side. As the angle of incidence inside the glass is slowly increased, at roughly what angle to...
Quantum II: photoelectric effect; stopping potential; work function; de Broglie wavelength (intro)
In a lab, a clean metal photocathode with threshold frequency f0 is illuminated by monochromatic light of frequency 1.20 f0 and intensity I. The magnitude of the reverse potential needed to reduce the photocurrent to...
Practical skills: uncertainties & data handling (Modules 1–2)
A student estimates the acceleration a of a trolley down a shallow ramp from measurements of distance s and time t using a = 2s/t^2. They record s = 0.80 m with a metre rule (resolution 1 mm) and t ≈ 1.2 s with a...
Mechanics & Materials (M3)
On a dry test track the same car makes two emergency stops using the same brakes so the braking force is effectively constant. From 15 m/s it comes to rest in 20 m (braking distance only). From 30 m/s, what is the...
DC circuits: potential dividers and sensors (Revision weeks 1–6)
A light sensor uses a 9 V supply with a fixed 10 kΩ resistor in series with a light-dependent resistor (LDR). The output voltage is measured across the LDR. When the light level on the LDR increases, which statement...
Applied contexts: sensor circuits (M4.3)
An automatic night‑light uses a 5.0 V supply and a potential divider with an LDR to +5 V and a fixed 10 kΩ resistor to ground. The output voltage V_out (to a microcontroller) is taken across the 10 kΩ resistor. In...
Quantum (M4)
In a vacuum photoelectric experiment, a clean metal surface is illuminated by monochromatic light of fixed frequency well above the threshold. The anode is held sufficiently positive to collect all emitted electrons....
Quantum physics (Module 4.2): photoelectric effect
In a school lab, a clean metal surface in a vacuum tube is illuminated with monochromatic UV light of wavelength 365 nm. The stopping potential needed to reduce the photocurrent to zero is measured as 0.80 V. Using hc...
Waves I: progressive waves; c = fλ; superposition; phase; intensity ∝ amplitude² (qual.)
Two identical loudspeakers are driven by the same signal (so they are coherent and in phase). At a microphone P, the path difference from the two speakers is exactly one-third of the wavelength of the tone. Which...
Waves & Optics (M4)
A small loudspeaker emits sound equally in all directions in an open field. At a distance r, a microphone measures sound intensity I and pressure amplitude p. If the microphone is moved to 3r and air absorption is...
AS Mechanics: Equilibrium and moments
A uniform 2.0 m wooden shelf of mass 10 kg is hinged to a wall at the left end and held horizontal by a light cable attached at the right end, making 30° above the horizontal. A 15 kg toolbox sits on the shelf...