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. A pendulum is taken to Moon, what will happen to its time period?
[A] Increases
[B] Decreases
[C] Remains constant
[D] Either increase or decrease
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Increases]
Notes:
When the simple pendulum is taken to the moon, value of gravitational constant g will decrease and thus, its time period will increase.
2. Which of the following causes the drop of water to be in spherical shape?
[A] Viscosity
[B] Air resistance
[C] Surface tension
[D] Temperature
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Surface tension]
Notes:
Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces to shrink into the minimum surface area possible. Surface tension allows insects, usually denser than water, to float and slide on a water surface. It is the reason for the water droplet’s round shape.
3. When two mercury drops are brought into contact they form a single bigger drop to get which of the following?
[A] Minimum volume
[B] Minimum surface area
[C] Maximum size
[D] Maximum surface area
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Minimum surface area]
Notes:
When two drops of mercury come into contact, they will tend to merge together and form a single drop with a minimum surface area. This is because of the properties of mercury, which is a liquid metal with a high surface tension. The surface tension of a liquid is a measure of its elasticity, and it is determined by the cohesive forces between the molecules of the liquid. In the case of mercury, the high surface tension causes the molecules at the surface of the liquid to be strongly attracted to each other, which results in the formation of a relatively smooth and spherical surface. When two drops of mercury are brought together, the surface tension causes them to merge and form a single drop with the smallest possible surface area. This phenomenon is known as the “minimization of surface area” and it is a common feature of liquids with high surface tension.
4. Which frequency range characterizes Ultrasound, that is beyond the upper limit of human auditory perception?
[A] Above 20 KHz
[B] Above 200 KHz
[C] Above 2 KHz
[D] Below 20 KHz
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Above 20 KHz]
Notes:
Ultrasound corresponds to sound waves with frequencies exceeding the upper limit of human perceptible sound, generally above 20 kHz. Humans, typically, can perceive sounds ranging between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Ultrasound, therefore, is beyond the auditory range of humans and is employed in technologies like medical imaging and sonar devices due to its unique properties.
5. How the brain interprets the frequency of an emitted sound is called its __:
[A] Pitch
[B] Amplitude
[C] Intensity
[D] Timbre
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Pitch]
Notes:
How the brain interprets the frequency of an emitted sound is called the pitch. Researchers have discovered a discrete region of the monkey brain that processes pitch, the relative high and low points of sound, by recognizing a single musical note played by different instruments.
6. 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.
7. You are sitting inside an open vehicle moving with uniform speed. When you throw a stone vertically upwards, the stone will fall__:
[A] Ahead of you
[B] Behind you
[C] Over you
[D] Either ahead or behind of you
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ Over you]
Notes:
Uniform speed means no acceleration. If there is no acceleration and the vehicle is moving with uniform speed; the stone will fall over you.
8. What is the range of masses involved in the study of Physics?
[A] 10-19 kg to 1038 kg
[B] 10-30 kg to 1055kg
[C] 10-30 kg to 1030kg
[D] 10-19 kg to 1055 kg
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [10-30 kg to 1055kg]
Notes:
The range of masses involved in the study of Physics ranges from 10-30 kg to 1055 kg. 10-30kg is the mass of an electron and 1055 kg is the mass of known observable universe. The range of time scale involved in the study of Physics ranges from 10-22 s to 1018 s. The range of length involved in the study of Physics ranges from 10-14m to 1026 m.
9. What is the time taken by the earth to complete one rotation about its axis with regard to a fixed star?
[A] Sidereal day
[B] Solar day
[C] Shake
[D] Tropical year
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sidereal day]
Notes:
Sidereal day is the time taken by the earth to complete one rotation about its axis w.r.t a fixed star Solar day is the time taken by the earth to complete one rotation about its axis w.r.t the sun. Shake is the smallest practical unit of time 1 shake = 10-8s Tropical year: The year in which there is a total solar eclipse.
10. Which of the following is NOT correct about the velocity of rocket at any time?
[A] it is directly proportional to the exhaust speed of the gases
[B] it is directly proportional to the natural log of ratio of intial mass of rocket to its mass at that instant
[C] length of the rocket
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [length of the rocket]
Notes:
The velocity of rocket at any time is directly proportional to the exhaust speed of the gases and to the natural log of ratio of intial mass of rocket to its mass at that instant. V = u log(m1/m2)