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AP Physics 2 — Practice Questions flashcards

6 of 60 questions free to study here · 7 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, on thermodynamics, electric fields and potential, circuits, magnetism and induction, optics, waves and modern physics.

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Practice deck · part of AP Physics 2 · written against: College Board AP Physics 2 Course and Exam Description (2024 revision). Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. A sealed, rigid container of ideal gas is heated from 200 K to 800 K. By what factor does the rms speed of the gas molecules change?

    A) It increases by a factor of 2
    B) It increases by a factor of 16
    C) It increases by a factor of 4
    D) It increases by a factor of √2
    A) It increases by a factor of 2

    The rms speed is proportional to the square root of absolute temperature, and √(800 ÷ 200) = √4 = 2. A factor of 4 is the change in the average kinetic energy, not the speed.
    Thermodynamics › Ideal Gases and Kinetic Theory
  2. A +4.0 μC charge and a +5.0 μC charge are 0.20 m apart. What is the electric force each exerts on the other? (Use k = 9.0 × 10⁹ N·m²/C².)

    A) 4.5 N, repulsive
    B) 0.90 N, attractive
    C) 0.90 N, repulsive
    D) 4.5 N, attractive
    A) 4.5 N, repulsive

    F = kq₁q₂ ÷ r² = (9.0 × 10⁹)(4.0 × 10⁻⁶)(5.0 × 10⁻⁶) ÷ 0.040 = 4.5 N, and like charges repel. 0.90 N comes from dividing by r instead of r².
    Electric Force Field and Potential › Charge and Coulomb's Law
  3. Wire A has resistance R. Wire B is made of the same material but is twice as long and has twice the diameter. What is the resistance of wire B?

    A) R
    B) R/4
    C) R/2
    D) 2R
    C) R/2

    Doubling the diameter makes the cross-sectional area 4 times larger, so R = ρL ÷ A becomes 2 ÷ 4 = 1/2 of the original. Answering R assumes doubling the diameter only doubles the area.
    Electric Circuits › Current Resistance and Ohm's Law
  4. An object stands 10 cm in front of a concave mirror whose focal length is 20 cm. Which describes the image?

    A) Virtual, upright, twice the size, 20 cm behind the mirror
    B) Real, inverted, twice the size, 20 cm in front of the mirror
    C) Real, inverted, the same size, 20 cm in front of the mirror
    D) Virtual, upright, half the size, 6.7 cm behind the mirror
    A) Virtual, upright, twice the size, 20 cm behind the mirror

    1/sis_i = 1/20 − 1/10 = −1/20, so sis_i = −20 cm (virtual, behind the mirror) and M = −sis_i ÷ sos_o = +2. An object inside the focal point of a concave mirror always gives an enlarged, upright, virtual image.
    Geometric Optics › Reflection and Mirrors
  5. The source of a sound wave traveling through still air doubles its frequency. What happens to the wave's speed and wavelength?

    A) The speed and the wavelength both stay the same
    B) The speed halves and the wavelength doubles
    C) The speed doubles and the wavelength stays the same
    D) The speed stays the same and the wavelength halves
    D) The speed stays the same and the wavelength halves

    Wave speed is set by the medium, so it does not change. From v = fλ, doubling f at fixed v halves λ.
    Waves Sound and Physical Optics › Wave Properties and Sound
  6. Light of wavelength 400 nm shines on a metal with a work function of 2.0 eV. What is the maximum kinetic energy of the ejected electrons? (Use hc = 1240 eV·nm.)

    A) 5.1 eV
    B) 3.1 eV
    C) 2.0 eV
    D) 1.1 eV
    D) 1.1 eV

    Each photon carries 1240 ÷ 400 = 3.1 eV, and K_max = hf − φ = 3.1 − 2.0 = 1.1 eV. 3.1 eV is the photon energy before the work function is subtracted.
    Modern Physics › Photons and Wave-Particle Duality

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Thermodynamics and ElectricityMagnetism, Optics and Modern Physics

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Topic outline follows the College Board AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description (2024 revision), Units 9–15 (outline only; no course or exam text reproduced).
  • OpenStax College Physics 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.

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