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. Which among the following is true about Total Internal Reflection?
[A] A ray passing from rarer to denser medium and not able to pass to denser medium at an angle greater than critical angle
[B] A ray passing from denser to rarer medium and not able to pass to rarer medium at an angle greater than critical angle
[C] A ray passing from either denser to rarer medium or rarer to denser medium and not able to pass any medium at an angle smaller than critical angle
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [A ray passing from denser to rarer medium and not able to pass to rarer medium at an angle greater than critical angle]
Notes:
A ray passing from denser to rarer medium and not able to pass to rarer medium at an angle greater than critical angle. Critical angle is the angle in which the incident ray is 90 degrees to that of the refracted ray.
2. Which of these is in action in the process of a liquid rising in the syringe when the piston is pulled up?
[A] Capillary action
[B] surface tension
[C] atmospheric pressure
[D] cohesive forces
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [atmospheric pressure]
Notes:
Atmospheric pressure is the force that causes liquid to rise in a syringe when the piston is pulled up. When the syringe is placed with its opening in a liquid and the plunger is pulled up, the air pressure inside the barrel becomes much less than the atmospheric pressure acting on the liquid. Fluids flow from a high pressure area to a low pressure area. Once the pressure inside the syringe is lower than the pressure outside the syringe, the fluid will flow into the syringe.
3. Crystals of which of the following naturally-occuring substance exhibits both ‘pyroelectric’ and ‘piezoelectric’ properties making it versatile for application in the field of electronics?
[A] Quartz
[B] Mica
[C] Topaz
[D] grapite
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Quartz]
Notes:
Quartz crystals have piezoelectric properties: they develop an electric potential upon the application of mechanical stress. An early use of this property of quartz crystals was in phonograph pickups. A common piezoelectric use of quartz today is as a crystal oscillator. The quartz clock is a familiar device using the mineral. Quartz is also strongly pyroelectric. Temperature changes create positive and negative charges within the crystal.
4. 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.
5. The pointer or arrow of the magnetized needle of a compass indicates which among the following?
[A] Geographic North Pole
[B] Magnetic North Pole
[C] Geo-magnetic North Pole
[D] Magnetic South Pole
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [ Magnetic South Pole]
Notes:
The north pole of a magnet in a compass points north because it is attracted to the Earth’s magnetic south pole, which is located near Earth’s geographic north pole. The geographic north pole of earth corresponds to magnetic south pole and geographic south pole of earth corresponds to magnetic north pole. The direction in which a compass needle points is known as magnetic north. This is not exactly the direction of the North Magnetic Pole. Instead, the compass aligns itself to the local geomagnetic field, which varies in a complex manner over the Earth’s surface. The angular difference between magnetic north and true north (defined in reference to the Geographic North Pole), at any particular location on the Earth’s surface, is called the magnetic declination. Most map coordinate systems are based on true north, and magnetic declination is often shown on map legends so that the direction of true north can be determined from north as indicated by a compass.
6. Which among the following is the correct sequence of the terms used for various phases of the rocky object from space entering earth’s atmosphere and reaching on earth?
[A] Meteoroid – Meteor – Meteorite
[B] Meteorite – Meteoroid – Meteor
[C] Meteor – Meteorite – Meteoroid
[D] Meteoroid – Meteorite – Meteor
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Meteoroid – Meteor – Meteorite]
Notes:
A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic body travelling through space. When such an object enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it heats up from atmospheric friction and produces a streak of light, both from the glowing object and the trail of glowing particles that it leaves in its wake. This phenomenon is called a meteor, or colloquially a “shooting star” or “falling star”. If a meteoroid, comet or asteroid or a piece thereof withstands ablation from its atmospheric entry and impacts with the ground, then it is called a meteorite. (Wikipedia)
7. Which of the these physical quantities is a vector quantity?
[A] Temperature
[B] Speed
[C] Gravitational Intensity
[D] Work
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gravitational Intensity]
Notes:
The physical quantities which have both magnitude and direction are called as Vector quantities. Some examples of Vector quantities: Acceleration, Velocity, Torque, Displacement, Gravitational Intensity, Force.
8. A projectile will achieve maximum horizontal range at which angle?
[A] 90°
[B] 60°
[C] 45°
[D] 30°
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [45°]
Notes:
A projectile will achieve maximum horizontal range when it is projected at an angle of 45°. This concept of maximum horizontal range is used by athletes in long jump, javelin throw, cricket ball throw etc
9. What is the maximum height that can be attained by a projectile?
[A] equal to its maximum range
[B] one half of its maximum range
[C] one-fourth of its maximum range
[D] twice of its maximum range
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [one-fourth of its maximum range]
Notes:
The maximum height that can be attained by a projectile is equal to one-fourth of its maximum range.
10. The inablity of a body to change its state of rest or motion is known as:
[A] Force
[B] Momentum
[C] Displacement
[D] Inertia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Inertia]
Notes:
Inertia is the property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force. There are three types of Inertia: 1. Inertia of rest 2. Inertia of motion 3. Inertia of direction