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College Physics — Practice Questions flashcards

6 of 55 questions free to study here · 24 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, on kinematics, forces, energy, momentum, rotation, fluids, waves, sound, electric fields, circuits, magnetism, induction and optics.

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Practice deck · part of College Physics I/II (algebra-based) · written against: Standard two-semester algebra-based sequence; OpenStax College Physics 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied. Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. A stone is dropped from rest off a bridge and hits the water 3.0 s later. Ignoring air resistance and using g = 9.8 m/s², how high is the bridge above the water?

    A) 29 m
    B) 88 m
    C) 44 m
    D) 15 m
    C) 44 m

    From h=12gt2h = \frac{1}{2}gt^2⁠: ½ × 9.8 × 3.0² ≈ 44 m. Leaving out the ½ doubles the answer to 88 m, and 29 m is the impact speed in m/s (gt), not a distance.
    Kinematics in One Dimension
  2. A 60 kg skater standing at rest on frictionless ice throws a 3.0 kg ball forward at 10 m/s relative to the ice. With what speed does the skater recoil?

    A) 0.48 m/s
    B) 5.0 m/s
    C) 2.0 m/s
    D) 0.50 m/s
    D) 0.50 m/s

    The total momentum stays zero, so 60v = 3.0 × 10 and v = 0.50 m/s backward. Dividing the ball's 30 kg·m/s by the combined 63 kg (0.48 m/s) treats the pair as moving together, which they do not.
    Linear Momentum
  3. A heat engine runs between a hot reservoir at 327 °C and a cold reservoir at 27 °C. What is its maximum possible (Carnot) efficiency?

    A) 50%
    B) 92%
    C) 33%
    D) 8%
    A) 50%

    Convert to kelvins first: 600 K and 300 K, so e = 1 − 300 ÷ 600 = 50%. Plugging in Celsius temperatures (1 − 27 ÷ 327) gives the impossible-looking 92%.
    Thermodynamics
  4. A +2.0 μC charge moves from a point where the potential is 50 V to a point where it is 20 V. How much work does the electric field do on it?

    A) +1.4 × 10⁻⁴ J
    B) +60 J
    C) +6.0 × 10⁻⁵ J
    D) −6.0 × 10⁻⁵ J
    C) +6.0 × 10⁻⁵ J

    The field's work is q(VstartV_{start} − VendV_{end}⁠) = (2.0 × 10⁻⁶ C)(30 V) = +6.0 × 10⁻⁵ J; it is positive because a positive charge naturally moves toward lower potential. Leaving out the micro prefix gives 60 J.
    Electric Potential
  5. A straight wire 0.50 m long carries 4.0 A in a uniform 0.30 T magnetic field, making a 30° angle with the field. What magnetic force acts on the wire?

    A) 0.30 N
    B) 0.60 N
    C) 0.15 N
    D) 0.52 N
    A) 0.30 N

    F = ILB sin θ = 4.0 × 0.50 × 0.30 × sin 30° = 0.30 N. Only the component of the wire's length perpendicular to the field counts; ignoring the angle gives 0.60 N, and using cos 30° gives 0.52 N.
    Magnetism
  6. Light of wavelength 500 nm falls on two slits 0.10 mm apart, and the fringes form on a screen 2.0 m away. What is the spacing between neighboring bright fringes?

    A) 0.50 cm
    B) 1.0 mm
    C) 1.0 cm
    D) 10 cm
    C) 1.0 cm

    For small angles the spacing is Δy = λL ÷ d = (500 × 10⁻⁹ m)(2.0 m) ÷ (1.0 × 10⁻⁴ m) = 1.0 × 10⁻² m. Treating 0.10 mm as 10⁻³ m gives 1.0 mm, ten times too small.
    Wave Optics

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About these cards

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

Checked against:

  • OpenStax College Physics 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
  • Every numerical answer and its main wrong-answer slips were checked by script, using g = 9.8 m/s² as the study decks do.
  • Original questions written for this deck; no official, textbook or question-bank items were copied.

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