Physics MCQs
Physics Objective (Multiple Choice) General Knowledge & General Science Questions & Answers for SSC-CGL, UPPSC, NDA, CDS and all one day examinations of India.
1. Steam at 100 degree centigrade causes more severe burns. Which of the following phenomena will you use to explain this?
[A] Specific heat
[B] Latent heat
[C] Fusion
[D] Fission
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Latent heat]
Notes:
Latent heat is energy released or absorbed, by a body or a thermodynamic system, during a constant-temperature process. So steam at 100 degree centigrade causes more severe burns.
2. Mach number is a measure of which of the following?
[A] Speed
[B] Heat Transfer
[C] Static Pressure
[D] Volume
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Speed]
Notes:
Mach number refers to the ratio of the velocity of a fluid to the velocity of sound in that fluid, named after Ernst Mach (1838–1916), an Austrian physicist and philosopher. Speed of sound is Mach 1 speed.
3. Which among the following temperature scale is based upon absolute zero?
[A] Celsius
[B] Fahrenheit
[C] Kelvin
[D] Rankine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Kelvin]
Notes:
Kelvin is the base unit of temperature (SI unit), having the unit symbol K. The Kelvin temperature scale has an absolute zero (0°K) below which temperatures do not exist. It is the lowest possible temperature. At this temperature there is no motion and no heat. It is equivalent to 0°K, or -273.15° C, or at -460° F.
4. Whenever there are high winds, such as in storms, thin metal roofs on sheds as well as concave roofs on huts are sometimes blown away. Which among the following explains this correctly?
[A] During windstorm , the atmospheric pressure above the roof is very high in comparison to below the roof
[B] During windstorm , the atmospheric pressure above the roof is very low in comparison to below the roof
[C] The high velocity wind exerts tangential force on the roof surface
[D] The high velocity wind exerts vertical force on the roof surface
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [During windstorm , the atmospheric pressure above the roof is very low in comparison to below the roof]
Notes:
During the storm, the velocity of wind above the roof surface is very high and hence pressure is low. The pressure below the roof is atmospheric which is higher than the pressure of upper surface. Due to this pressure difference, the roof blows.
5. Which among the following orbits are more prone to harms of space debris or space Junk in comparison to others?
[A] Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit
[B] Low Earth Orbit
[C] Geosynchronous orbit
[D] Geostationary Orbit
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [ Geostationary Orbit]
Notes:
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is more prone to space debris or space junk. This is because space debris is more concentrated in orbits closer to Earth. Most debris is within 2,000 km (1,200 miles) of Earth’s surface.
Space debris orbits the Earth at tremendous speeds, about 15,700 miles per hour (25,265 kph) in low Earth orbit. In the event of a collision, it could cause significant damage to a satellite or spacecraft.
Experts are concerned about the amount of space debris in regions that are too high to benefit from the cleansing effects of Earth’s atmosphere. They believe that if there is too much space junk in orbit, it could result in a chain reaction where more and more objects collide and create new space junk.
6. If the time taken in an echo is 5 seconds, which among the following will be the approximate distance of the object from source of sound? (assume normal room temperature at 20°C)
[A] 1715 meters
[B] 1256 meters
[C] 857 meters
[D] 554 meters
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ 857 meters]
Notes:To calculate the distance of the object from the source of sound based on the time taken for the echo, we can use the formula for distance traveled by sound:
Distance = (Speed of Sound × Time) / 2
The speed of sound in air at normal room temperature (20°C) is approximately 343 meters per second (m/s).
Given that the time taken in the echo is 5 seconds, we can plug the values into the formula:
Distance = (343 m/s × 5 s) / 2 Distance = 1715 meters / 2 Distance ≈ 857.5 meters
So, the approximate distance of the object from the source of sound is approximately 857.5 meters.
7. When equal force acts for equal time on two masses, both gain:
[A] Same velocity
[B] Same acceleration
[C] Same kinetic energy
[D] Same momentum
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Same momentum]
Notes:
When equal force acts for equal time, impulse (F × t) is equal. Impulse equals change in momentum, so both bodies gain same momentum regardless of their masses. Velocity and acceleration depend on mass, so they will differ.
8. Who was the first scientist to discover Electrons?
[A] Albert Einstein
[B] Isaac Newton
[C] J.C. Bose
[D] J.J Thompson
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [J.J Thompson]
Notes:
J.J Thompson was the first scientist to discover and identify the electrons and to make the discovery of the first subatomic particle. He was also the first scientist to find evidence for isotopes of a stable (non-radioactive) element in 1913, as part of his exploration into the composition of canal rays (positive ions). His experiments to determine the nature of positively charged particles led to the development of the mass spectrograph. J.J Thompson belonged to United Kingdom. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906 for his work on the conduction of electricity in gases.
9. Which of the following conditions is true for an object to be in equilibrium?
[A] No linear motion of the object
[B] No rotational motion of the object
[C] Minimum potential energy of the object
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [All of the above]
Notes:
The conditions for equilibrium for an object: 1. There is no linear motion of the object i.e. the resultant force on the object is zero 2. There should not be any rotational motion of the object i.e. the torque on the object should be zero 3. The potential energy of the object should be minimum for stable equilibrium.
10. Which of these is the cause of Friction?
[A] Roughness of surfaces in contact
[B] Force of adhesion between the molecules of the surfaces in contact
[C] Both a and b
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Both a and b]
Notes:
Friction is the force that opposes the relative motion between the two surfaces of objects in contact. Friction is caused due to: 1. Roughness of surfaces in contact 2. Force of adhesion between the molecules of the surfaces in contact