PHY 101: General Physics I

Practice Exam

Maximum Marks: 100 Duration: 3 Hours

Instructions

• Answer all questions.

• Use a separate sheet for calculations if necessary.

• Show all steps for calculation-based questions to receive full credit.

• MCQs and True/False questions have no negative marking.

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (50 Marks,

25 Questions)
Each question carries 2 marks.

1. What is the SI unit of energy?

• A) Newton
• B) Joule
• C) Watt
• D) Pascal

2. Dimensional analysis helps in:

• A) Measuring physical quantities

• B) Converting units
• C) Checking the consistency of equations
• D) Determining constants
 5. A ball is thrown vertically upwards with a velocity of 20 m/s. How long
will it take to return to the same point?

• A) 2 s
• B) 4 s
• C) 6 s
• D) 8 s

6. A projectile is launched with an initial velocity of 50 m/s at an angle

of 30◦ . Which of the following remains constant during its motion
(neglecting air resistance)?

• A) Horizontal velocity
• B) Vertical velocity
• C) Speed
• D) Acceleration

7. What is the dot product of two perpendicular vectors?

• A) Zero
• B) Positive
• C) Negative
• D) Cannot be determined

8. Two forces of 10 N and 20 N act on an object at 90◦ to each other.

What is the resultant force?

• A) 10 N
• B) 20 N
• C) 22.4 N
• D) 30 N

9. A person walks 3 km east and 4 km north. What is their resultant

displacement?

• A) 5 km
• B) 6 km
• C) 7 km
• D) 8 km

10. Which of the following is an example of Newton’s Second Law?

• A) A rocket launching upwards.

• B) A book resting on a table.
• C) A car stopping due to brakes being applied.
• D) A satellite orbiting the Earth.

2
11. A 10 kg object experiences a net force of 50 N. What is its acceleration?

• A) 5 m/s2
• B) 10 m/s2
• C) 50 m/s2
• D) 500 m/s2

12. Frictional force always acts:

• A) In the direction of motion

• B) Opposite to the direction of motion
• C) Perpendicular to the direction of motion
• D) Independent of motion

13. Which force is responsible for the centripetal acceleration of an object

in circular motion?

• A) Frictional force
• B) Gravitational force
• C) Centripetal force
• D) Magnetic force

14. The force of gravity between two objects depends on:

• A) Their masses and distance between them.

• B) Their volumes and masses.
• C) The square of their velocities.
• D) Their density and acceleration.

15. Which of the following quantities remains constant for a satellite in

uniform circular orbit?

• A) Speed
• B) Velocity
• C) Acceleration
• D) Position

16. What is the gravitational force acting on a 10 kg object near the Earth’s
surface? (Take g = 9.8 m/s2 ).

• A) 9.8 N
• B) 98 N
• C) 980 N
• D) 9800 N

17. Work is done when:

3
 • A) A force is applied without displacement.
• B) A force is applied with displacement perpendicular to the force.
• C) A force is applied with displacement along or opposite to the
direction of force.
• D) None of the above.

18. A 5 kg block is lifted 2 m vertically. How much work is done? (Take

g = 9.8 m/s2 ).

• A) 49 J
• B) 98 J
• C) 98 N
• D) 196 J

19. What is the unit of power in the SI system?

• A) Newton
• B) Joule
• C) Watt
• D) Erg

20. Momentum is conserved in:

• A) Elastic collisions only

• B) Inelastic collisions only
• C) Both elastic and inelastic collisions
• D) None of the above

21. A 10 kg object moves with a velocity of 5 m/s. Its momentum is:

• A) 10 kg·m/s
• B) 25 kg·m/s
• C) 50 kg·m/s
• D) 100 kg·m/s

22. The impulse experienced by an object is equal to its change in:

• A) Energy
• B) Momentum
• C) Force
• D) Velocity

23. If a 2 kg ball traveling at 4 m/s strikes a wall and bounces back at 2 m/s,
what is the magnitude of the change in momentum?

• A) 2 kg·m/s

4
 • B) 4 kg·m/s
• C) 8 kg·m/s
• D) 12 kg·m/s

24. In a perfectly inelastic collision, the two objects:

• A) Stick together after collision

• B) Separate with the same velocities
• C) Bounce back without deformation
• D) Have no change in momentum

25. The center of mass of a system:

• A) Is always at the geometric center of the system

• B) Moves as if all the mass of the system is concentrated at that
point
• C) Depends on the velocity of the system
• D) Is fixed regardless of external forces

Section B: True or False (10 Marks, 10 Ques-

tions)
Each question carries 1 mark. Indicate your answer in the box
provided.

1. Dimensional analysis can be used to check the correctness of an equa-

tion.

2. Velocity is the rate of change of acceleration.

3. Scalar quantities have both magnitude and direction.

4. Newton’s Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite
reaction.

5. Centripetal force is directed away from the center of the circular path.

6. Work is a scalar quantity.

7. Momentum is a conserved quantity only in elastic collisions.

8. Free-fall motion neglects the effects of air resistance.

5
 9. Friction always opposes the relative motion of surfaces.
10. Mechanical energy is conserved in the presence of non-conservative
forces.

Section C: Calculation-Based Questions (40 Marks,

8 Questions)
Each question carries 5 marks. Provide detailed calculations for
full credit.

1. A football is kicked at an angle of 37◦ to the horizontal with an initial

velocity of 25 m/s.
• Calculate the time of flight of the football.
• Determine the horizontal range.
• Find the maximum height reached by the football. (Take g =
9.8 m/s2 ).

2. A car of mass 1200 kg is traveling on a flat, circular track of radius

50 m.
• If the coefficient of static friction between the tires and the road
is 0.6, calculate the maximum speed the car can maintain without
skidding.

6
 • Determine the centripetal force acting on the car at this speed.

3. A roller coaster starts from rest at a height of 30 m above the ground.

It descends a steep track and rises again to a height of 10 m.
• Assuming no energy is lost due to friction, find the speed of the
roller coaster at the lowest point.
• Calculate its speed when it rises back to the 10 m height. (Use
g = 9.8 m/s2 ).

7
4. A 10 kg block is pushed up a 30◦ incline with a force of 100 N. The
block moves 5 m along the incline, and the coefficient of kinetic friction
between the block and the incline is 0.2.

• Calculate the work done by the applied force.

• Determine the work done against friction.
• Find the net work done on the block.

5. A 2 kg cart moving at 3 m/s collides elastically with a stationary 1 kg

cart.

• Calculate the velocities of both carts after the collision.

• Show that momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

8
6. Two skaters, one of mass 50 kg and the other 70 kg, stand on a fric-
tionless ice rink. They push off each other, and the 50 kg skater moves
with a velocity of 2 m/s.

• Calculate the velocity of the 70 kg skater.

• Determine the velocity of their center of mass before and after the
push.