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 defines gravitational mass?
[A] Ratio of weight of a body and acceleration due to gravity
[B] Ratio of Acceleration due to gravity and weight of a body
[C] matter contained in a body
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ratio of weight of a body and acceleration due to gravity]
Notes:
Gravitational mass is the Ratio of weight of a body and acceleration due to gravity. Gravitational mass is the mass of a body as measured by its gravitational attraction for other bodies.
2. When a barometer is taken down in a coal mine , which of the following happens with the Mercury level in the tube?
[A] rises
[B] falls
[C] falls then rises
[D] remains unaltered
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [rises]
Notes:
When a barometer is taken down into a coal mine, the mercury level rises. This is because the temperature increases as you move down the Earth’s crust. There is also very little wind, so the warmth can’t distribute the temperature and moderate it. A barometer is an instrument that measures pressure. In a coal mine, the pressure is higher than normal pressure. When a barometer is taken down into a coal mine, it shows a greater reading.
3. 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.
4. At which of the following places water shall boil at the lowest temperature?
[A] Kochi
[B] Ooty
[C] Mount Abu
[D] New Delhi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ooty]
Notes:
This question is related to Antoine equation. Water to get boil, its vapour pressure must reach to its surrounding pressure. In a pressure cooker, it boils at the highest temperature. Elevation of Kochi is 0 m, ooty is 2,486 m, Mount Abu is 1,200 m, New Delhi is 216 m, Shimla is 2,205 m. So comparing all of them, water will boil at lowest temperature at ooty, followed by Shimla, Mount Abu , New Delhi and Kochi. This is because , higher we go lower is the atmospheric pressure and lower is the point where water`s vapour pressure gets equal to the atmospheric pressure.
5. The alpha radiation is not used in radiotherapy because:
[A] It is an ionizing radiation
[B] It is unable to penetrate human skin
[C] It is toxic to human tissues
[D] It is not cost effective
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ It is unable to penetrate human skin]
Notes:
Alpha radiation is not used in radiotherapy because it cannot penetrate human skin. Alpha particles are a highly ionizing form of particle radiation with a short range. They can be stopped by a few centimeters of air or by skin. This means that external therapy would be useless because the alpha radiation would not be able to enter the body. Alpha particles have a very large atomic volume. They are given additional mass by the two neutrons they contain. This facilitates ionization by coulombic interaction or direct collision of the alpha particle with atomic electrons. Radiation therapy is a treatment that uses ionizing radiation to kill or control the growth of malignant cells. It is often delivered by a linear particle accelerator.
6. 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.
7. Nuclear Reactors are based on which of the following phenomenon?
[A] Magnetic confinement of Plasma
[B] Nuclear Fusion
[C] Controlled Nuclear Fission
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Controlled Nuclear Fission]
Notes:
Nuclear Reactors uses Controlled Nuclear Fission to generate electricity. A nuclear reactor splits the atoms of nuclear fuel (eg. uranium) to generate energy to turn water into steam to drive turbine generators. Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus into two lighter ones. Fission was discovered in 1938 by the German scientists Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner, and Fritz Strassmann.
8. What is the relation between Time period and Frequency in case of uniform circular motion?
[A] reciprocal to each other
[B] equal to each other
[C] no relation between them
[D] Time period is one half of the Frequency
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [reciprocal to each other]
Notes:
Time period and Frequency are reciprocal to each other in case of uniform circular motion. Time period = 1 /Frequency Time Period is the time taken by the object to complete one revolution. Frequency is the number of revolutions completed by the object in unit time.
9. What is the absolute unit of power in c.g.s system?
[A] dyne
[B] erg
[C] watt
[D] erg s-1
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [erg s-1]
Notes:
Power is defined as the rate of doing work. The absolute unit of power in c.g.s system is erg s-1 The absolute unit of power in S.I system is watt 1 watt = 1 joule/sec 1 kW= 1000 watt 1 h.p = 746 W
10. Which of the following is the orbital velocity of a satellite orbiting very close to the surface of earth?
[A] 7.92 km/s
[B] 9.8 km/s
[C] 11.2 km/s
[D] 14.8 km/s
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [7.92 km/s]
Notes:
In this case, the radius of the orbit will be nearly equal to the radius of earth. The orbital velocity of a satellite orbiting very close to the surface of earth is 7.92 km/s.