Step up to our force and motion concepts quick check - a friendly, free interactive adventure crafted for curious minds! This motion and force quiz challenges you to apply Newton's laws and kinematics principles through dynamic problems on force vectors, friction, and acceleration. Test your knowledge with a variety of force and motion questions and dive into an engaging motion quiz that gives instant feedback and clear explanations. Perfect for students prepping for exams or anyone wanting a physics fundamentals boost, you'll reinforce core ideas in minutes. Ready to spark your curiosity? Jump in now and ace this quick physics quiz!
Which of the following best describes Newton's First Law?
An object in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by a net external force.
The force acting on an object equals its mass times its acceleration.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
A force is required to maintain an object's constant velocity.
Newton's First Law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object will maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless a net external force acts on it. This definition highlights the concept of inertia as the tendency to resist changes in motion. It is one of the foundational principles in classical mechanics. Learn more at Wikipedia.
What is the SI unit of force?
Newton
Pascal
Joule
Watt
The SI unit of force is the Newton (N), defined as kg·m/s², indicating the amount of force needed to accelerate a 1 kg mass by 1 m/s². It is named after Sir Isaac Newton in recognition of his work in classical mechanics. For more details, see Khan Academy.
Which statement correctly distinguishes speed from velocity?
Speed is scalar and has magnitude only; velocity is vector and has magnitude and direction.
Speed is vector and has direction only; velocity is scalar and has magnitude only.
Both speed and velocity are vectors.
Both speed and velocity are scalars.
Speed measures how fast an object moves and has no direction, making it a scalar quantity. Velocity adds directional information to speed, making it a vector. This distinction is fundamental in kinematics. Read more at The Physics Classroom.
If the net force acting on an object is zero, what can be said about its motion?
It moves with constant velocity (which may be zero).
It must be at rest.
It must be accelerating.
Its speed will decrease to zero.
Zero net force implies no change in an object's velocity, so it either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant speed in a straight line. This is a direct consequence of Newton's First Law. See Wikipedia for more information.
Which quantity measures an object's resistance to changes in motion?
Inertia
Momentum
Force
Velocity
Inertia is the property of matter that resists changes to its state of motion or rest. It depends directly on the object's mass. The greater the mass, the greater the inertia. For more, visit Khan Academy.
What is the weight of a 10 kg object near Earth's surface (g = 9.8 m/s²)?
98 N
10 N
100 N
9.8 N
Weight is the gravitational force on an object and is calculated by W = m·g. For a 10 kg mass, weight = 10 kg × 9.8 m/s² = 98 N. More details at The Physics Classroom.
Friction always acts in which direction relative to an object's motion?
Opposite to the direction of motion.
In the same direction as motion.
Perpendicular to motion.
In the direction of net external force.
Friction resists relative motion between surfaces and therefore acts opposite to the direction of motion or impending motion. It converts kinetic energy into thermal energy. See Khan Academy.
When a car moves at a constant speed in a straight line, what is the net force acting on it?
Zero.
Equal to its weight.
Equal to the frictional force forward.
Equal to the engine force only.
Constant speed in a straight line implies zero acceleration, so by Newton's Second Law (F = m·a), the net force must be zero. All forces balance out. More at Wikipedia.
A car accelerates from rest to 20 m/s in 5 s. What is its acceleration?
4 m/s²
100 m/s²
0.25 m/s²
Cannot determine without displacement
Acceleration is change in velocity over time: a = (v_f - v_i)/t = (20 m/s - 0)/5 s = 4 m/s². This is a uniform acceleration problem. For more examples, see The Physics Classroom.
A ball thrown vertically upward reaches the top of its trajectory. What is its acceleration at that instant?
9.8 m/s² downward
0 m/s²
9.8 m/s² upward
Increasing in magnitude
Gravity acts on the ball throughout its flight, so its acceleration remains g downward (?9.8 m/s²) even when its instantaneous velocity is zero at the peak. See Khan Academy.
On a frictionless incline of angle ?, what is the acceleration of a block sliding down?
g sin ?
g cos ?
g tan ?
g
The component of gravitational acceleration along the incline is g sin ? when friction is absent. The normal component g cos ? does not contribute to motion down the plane. More at The Physics Classroom.
A 5 kg object is pushed with a 15 N force across a rough surface at constant velocity. What is the magnitude of the frictional force?
15 N
75 N
49 N
0 N
At constant velocity, net force is zero, so friction must balance the applied force. Therefore the frictional force is equal in magnitude to 15 N. See Khan Academy.
What is the momentum of a 2 kg mass moving at 3 m/s?
6 kg·m/s
5 kg·m/s
1.5 kg·m/s
0.67 kg·m/s
Momentum p = m·v, so for m = 2 kg and v = 3 m/s, p = 6 kg·m/s. Momentum combines mass and velocity into a conserved quantity. More at Khan Academy.
A 50 N net force is applied to a 10 kg object. What is its acceleration?
5 m/s²
0.2 m/s²
500 m/s²
Cannot determine without time
By Newton's Second Law, F = m·a, so a = F/m = 50 N / 10 kg = 5 m/s². This fundamental relation links force, mass, and acceleration. More at Wikipedia.
Impulse is best defined as which of the following?
Change in momentum of an object.
Force per unit area on an object.
Energy stored in motion.
Rate at which work is done.
Impulse equals the net force acting on an object times the time interval and results in a change in momentum. It is measured in N·s (kg·m/s). Learn more at The Physics Classroom.
A 2 kg object moving at 3 m/s collides elastically with an identical stationary object. What is the speed of the first object after the collision?
0 m/s
3 m/s
1.5 m/s
6 m/s
In an elastic collision between equal masses where one is initially at rest, the moving mass comes to rest and transfers its velocity to the other mass. Hence the first object’s speed is 0 m/s after collision. See Wikipedia.
Which force is responsible for keeping a car moving in a circular path at constant speed?
Centripetal force
Centrifugal force
Gravitational force
Inertial force
Centripetal force acts toward the center of the circular path and is necessary to change the direction of the velocity vector while maintaining constant speed. It can arise from friction, tension, or gravity. Learn more at Khan Academy.
A spring with k = 200 N/m is compressed by 0.1 m. What is the elastic potential energy stored?
1 J
10 J
2 J
0.1 J
Elastic potential energy in a spring is (1/2) k x². Substituting k = 200 N/m and x = 0.1 m yields 0.5 × 200 × (0.1)² = 1 J. More at Wikipedia.
A 5 kg block on a horizontal surface has a kinetic friction coefficient ?? = 0.2. What is the frictional force acting on it?
9.8 N
10 N
1 N
0.98 N
Kinetic friction force is ?? m g. Substituting ?? = 0.2, m = 5 kg, g = 9.8 m/s² gives 0.2 × 5 × 9.8 ? 9.8 N. See Khan Academy.
An elevator of mass 1000 kg accelerates upward at 2 m/s². What is the tension in the cable?
11,800 N
9,800 N
8,000 N
1,000 N
Tension must overcome gravity and provide net upward force: T = m(g + a) = 1000(9.8 + 2) ? 11,800 N. This combines weight and mass·acceleration. See The Physics Classroom.
According to the work-energy theorem, the net work done on an object equals the change in its:
Kinetic energy
Potential energy
Momentum
Mechanical power
The work-energy theorem states that the net work done by all forces on an object equals its change in kinetic energy. Potential energy relates to conservative forces separately. More at Khan Academy.
A 3 kg object moving at 4 m/s collides inelastically and sticks to a 2 kg stationary object. What is their speed after collision?
2.4 m/s
1.2 m/s
7.2 m/s
4.8 m/s
In a perfectly inelastic collision, momentum is conserved: (3×4 + 2×0) / (3+2) = 12/5 = 2.4 m/s. Kinetic energy is not conserved. More at Wikipedia.
A car of mass 1500 kg experiences a drag force given by F_d = 0.5 v² (in N) when moving at speed v in m/s. What is the drag force at 20 m/s?
200 N
100 N
400 N
50 N
Substitute v = 20 m/s into F_d = 0.5 v²: F_d = 0.5 × (20)² = 0.5 × 400 = 200 N. This illustrates velocity-squared dependence of drag. See Wikipedia.
What is the minimum incline angle ? for which a block with coefficient of static friction ?_s = 0.3 will begin to slide?
?17°
?30°
?45°
?10°
A block begins to slide when tan ? = ?_s, so ? = arctan(0.3) ? 16.7°. Static friction no longer holds at larger angles. For derivation, see The Physics Classroom.
A rocket in deep space ejects gas at high velocity to accelerate forward. Which conservation law primarily explains its motion?
Conservation of momentum
Conservation of mechanical energy
Conservation of angular momentum
Conservation of mass
Rocket thrust arises from the conservation of momentum: ejecting mass backward increases the rocket's forward momentum. Energy considerations are secondary. Read more at Wikipedia.
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Study Outcomes
Apply Newton's Laws of Motion -
Identify which of Newton's laws governs a given scenario and predict resulting object behavior under various forces.
Calculate Basic Kinematic Quantities -
Use provided data on distance and time to compute displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration in one-dimensional motion problems.
Interpret Force Diagrams -
Analyze free-body diagrams to determine net forces and predict whether an object will accelerate, decelerate, or maintain constant velocity.
Differentiate Scalars and Vectors -
Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities and correctly apply direction-based calculations in physics problems.
Apply Concepts to Real-World Situations -
Predict how changes in force magnitude or direction affect object motion in everyday contexts.
Evaluate Conceptual Understanding -
Assess your strengths and pinpoint areas for improvement in basic physics fundamentals through immediate feedback.
Cheat Sheet
Law of Inertia (Newton's First Law) -
In your force and motion concepts quick check, remember that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted on by a net external force. This principle, sourced from MIT OpenCourseWare, helps you predict motion when F_net = 0. A handy mnemonic is "Inertia Insists Items Idle."
Force and Acceleration -
Newton's Second Law (F = ma) defines the backbone of any motion and force quiz, relating net force (in newtons) to mass and acceleration in m/s². Try computing the force needed to accelerate a 2 kg object at 3 m/s² to cement F = ma in your mind. Research from Khan Academy shows practicing varied mass - force scenarios boosts retention.
Action - Reaction Pairs -
Newton's Third Law states every action has an equal and opposite reaction, a key concept in our physics fundamentals test and in everyday examples like swimming or rocket propulsion. NASA's official resources illustrate how exhaust gases push rockets upward, exemplifying this law in real-world contexts. Think "Push-Pull Partners" to recall this symmetry.
Kinematic Equations for Constant Acceleration -
Master the set v = v₀ + at and s = v₀t + ½at² to solve time, velocity, and displacement problems in any quick physics quiz. According to the University of Cambridge Physics Department, systematically plugging in known variables helps avoid mistakes. A tip: draw motion diagrams first to visualize each term.
Mass vs. Weight Distinction -
Though often confused in a basic physics concepts quiz, mass is an object's inertia measure (kg), while weight (N) equals mg, with g ≈ 9.8 m/s². The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology clarifies that weight varies with gravity but mass remains constant everywhere. Remember "Mass is constant, weight is a force" as an easy recall phrase.
