IB Physics — Practice Questions flashcards

6 of 60 questions free to study here · 5 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Multiple-choice practice on the syllabus, one best answer each, on kinematics, forces, energy, thermal physics, gases, circuits, waves, fields, induction, and atomic, nuclear and quantum physics.

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Practice deck · part of IB Physics · written against: IB Diploma Programme IB Physics subject guide for first assessment 2025 (themes A–E); SL and HL in one deck, HL-only cards under subtopic tags starting HL. Updated 2026-10-10.

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A stone is dropped from rest from a height of 44.1 m. Air resistance is negligible and g = 9.8 m/s². How long does it take to reach the ground?

A) 9.0 s
B) 2.1 s
C) 4.5 s
D) 3.0 s

D) 3.0 s

From $s = \frac{1}{2}gt^2$ ⁠, $t = \sqrt{\frac{2 \times 44.1}{9.8}} = \sqrt{9.0} = 3.0$ s. Stopping at $\frac{2s}{g} = 9.0$ forgets the square root.
Space Time and Motion › Kinematics
A ball is thrown horizontally at 15 m/s from the top of a cliff. Air resistance is negligible and g = 10 m/s². What is the ball's speed 2.0 s after it is thrown?

A) 35 m/s
B) 15 m/s
C) 20 m/s
D) 25 m/s

D) 25 m/s

The horizontal component stays 15 m/s while the vertical component grows to $10 \times 2.0 = 20$ m/s, so the speed is $\sqrt{15^2 + 20^2} = 25$ m/s. Adding the components directly to get 35 m/s ignores that they are perpendicular.
Space Time and Motion › Kinematics
A pure solid is heated at a constant rate. While it melts, its temperature stays constant. What happens to its internal energy during melting?

A) It increases, because the particles' potential energy rises
B) It decreases, because bonds between particles are broken
C) It increases, because the particles' mean kinetic energy rises
D) It stays the same, because the temperature does not change

A) It increases, because the particles' potential energy rises

The energy supplied breaks intermolecular bonds, raising the particles' potential energy, so the internal energy increases. The mean kinetic energy, which the temperature measures, stays the same, which is why the temperature is constant.
Particulate Nature of Matter › Thermal Energy Transfers
A mass on a spring oscillates with a period of 0.80 s. The mass is replaced by one four times as large, using the same spring. What is the new period?

A) 0.20 s
B) 1.6 s
C) 0.40 s
D) 3.2 s

B) 1.6 s

From $T = 2\pi\sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}$ ⁠, the period is proportional to $\sqrt{m}$ ⁠, so four times the mass doubles the period. 3.2 s assumes the period is proportional to the mass itself.
Wave Behaviour › Simple Harmonic Motion
A planet has twice the mass and twice the radius of Earth. Taking g = 9.8 m/s² at Earth's surface, what is the gravitational field strength at the planet's surface?

A) 2.5 m/s²
B) 20 m/s²
C) 4.9 m/s²
D) 9.8 m/s²

C) 4.9 m/s²

Surface field strength is $\frac{GM}{R^2}$ ⁠: doubling M doubles it, while doubling R divides it by 4, so the planet's g is half of Earth's. Assuming the two doublings cancel gives 9.8 m/s².
Fields › Gravitational Fields
An electron in a hydrogen atom falls from the −1.51 eV level to the −3.40 eV level. Taking h = 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s, c = 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s and e = 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C, what is the wavelength of the emitted photon?

A) 253 nm
B) 658 nm
C) 823 nm
D) 366 nm

B) 658 nm

The photon carries the difference between the levels, 1.89 eV, so $\lambda = \frac{hc}{E} = \frac{6.63 \times 10^{-34} \times 3.0 \times 10^8}{1.89 \times 1.6 \times 10^{-19}} \approx 658$ nm, red light. Adding the two energies (4.91 eV) gives 253 nm.
Nuclear and Quantum Physics › Structure of the Atom

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About these cards

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

Checked against:

IB Diploma Programme subject guide (topic outline only; no text copied): Physics guide for first assessment 2025, themes A–E.
OpenStax College Physics 2e, OpenStax University Physics Volumes 1–3 and OpenStax Astronomy 2e, consulted as references; no text copied.
Every numerical answer and main distractor was checked by script, using the constants stated in each question.
Constants and particle masses cross-checked against the CODATA 2022 recommended values of the fundamental physical constants, published by NIST (reference only).

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