Force and Motion

Force and Motion MDCAT MCQs with answers

121 past paper MCQs from Physics unit 2, Force and Motion, across 10 topics. They are arranged topic by topic; bigger topics show a sample here and link to their full set and to study notes. Tap “Show answer” for the correct option and a short solution.

Practise as a quiz

Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration

1.Which of the following is the correct definition of variable velocity? (MDCAT 2022)

  1. unequal distances are covered in equal intervals of time
  2. equal displacements are made in unequal intervals of time
  3. unequal displacements are made in equal intervals of time
  4. equal displacements are made in equal intervals of time
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) unequal displacements are made in equal intervals of time

Velocity is displacement per unit time, so it varies when the displacement in equal times is unequal.

2.Which of the following is the correct definition of variable velocity? (MDCAT 2023)

  1. unequal distances are covered in equal intervals of time
  2. equal displacements are made in unequal intervals of time
  3. unequal displacements are made in equal intervals of time
  4. equal displacements are made in equal intervals of time
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) unequal displacements are made in equal intervals of time

Velocity is displacement per unit time, so it varies when the displacement in equal times is unequal.

3.A man is in a car that is moving with a uniform velocity. His velocity with respect to the car is: (MDCAT 2023)

  1. $10\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$
  2. $36\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$
  3. zero
  4. infinite
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) zero

He does not move relative to the car, so his velocity in the frame of the car is zero.

All 19 Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration MCQs → Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration notes →

Displacement–Time and Velocity–Time Graphs

4.In a displacement-time graph, if the slope is constant then the velocity is: (MDCAT 2023)

  1. variable
  2. constant
  3. may be variable or constant
  4. infinite
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) constant

The slope of a displacement-time graph is the velocity, so a constant slope is a constant velocity.

5.The velocity-time plot for a moving particle is a straight line. This means: (MDCAT 2023)

  1. the particle has a constant acceleration
  2. the particle has never turned around
  3. the particle has zero displacement
  4. the data are insufficient
Show answer

Correct answer: (a) the particle has a constant acceleration

The slope of a velocity-time graph is the acceleration, and a straight line has a constant slope.

6.In a velocity-time graph the area under the graph is equal to the: (MDCAT 2024)

  1. speed of the object
  2. velocity of the object
  3. distance covered by the object
  4. acceleration of the object
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) distance covered by the object

The area is velocity multiplied by time, which is the distance covered.

All 12 Displacement–Time and Velocity–Time Graphs MCQs → Displacement–Time and Velocity–Time Graphs notes →

Uniform and Variable Acceleration

7.A car starts from rest and moves with a uniform acceleration of 3m/s^2. What will be its velocity after 5 seconds? (KMU MDCAT 2025)

  1. 8m/s
  2. 12m/s
  3. 15m/s
  4. 18m/s
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) 15m/s

$v=at=3\times5$, which is $15\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$.

8.Unequal changes occurring in velocity of a body is called (SZABMU MDCAT 2025)

  1. Uniform acceleration
  2. Instantaneous acceleration
  3. variable acceleration
  4. Uniform velocity
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) variable acceleration

Unequal changes of velocity in equal times are a variable acceleration.

9.If the car is slowing down along negative x axis then acceleration will be along: (NUMS MDCAT 2023)

  1. Positive x Axis
  2. Negative x Axis
  3. Positive y Axis
  4. Negative y Axis
Show answer

Correct answer: (a) Positive x Axis

Slowing down means the acceleration points against the motion, so along the positive axis.

All 7 Uniform and Variable Acceleration MCQs → Uniform and Variable Acceleration notes →

Projectile Motion

10.A stone thrown horizontally from the top of a tall building follows a path that is: (MDCAT 2022)

  1. circular
  2. made of two straight line segments
  3. hyperbolic
  4. parabolic
Show answer

Correct answer: (d) parabolic

The horizontal velocity is constant and the vertical motion is uniformly accelerated, and the two together give a parabola.

11.The two-dimensional motion under constant acceleration due to gravity is called: (MDCAT 2024)

  1. circular motion
  2. rotational motion
  3. projectile motion
  4. vibratory motion
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) projectile motion

A projectile moves in a vertical plane with the constant downward acceleration $g$.

12.A ball is thrown into the air with certain velocity v making an angle θ with horizontal. If air resistance is neglected, then at maximum height its velocity is: (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. Equal to initial velocity
  2. Half of initial velocity
  3. Equal to zero
  4. Minimum but not zero
Show answer

Correct answer: (d) Minimum but not zero

The vertical component is spent at the top, but the horizontal component is carried right through.

All 14 Projectile Motion MCQs → Projectile Motion notes →

Height, Range and Time of Flight

13.The range of a projectile will be maximum if the factor $\sin2\theta$ becomes: (MDCAT 2024)

  1. zero
  2. 1
  3. $1/2$
  4. $-1$
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) 1

$R=v^2\sin2\theta/g$ is largest when $\sin2\theta=1$, that is at $\theta=45^\circ$.

14.If the horizontal range of a projectile becomes half of its maximum possible horizontal range, the probable angle of projection is; (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. 15º
  2. 30º
  3. 45º
  4. 60º
Show answer

Correct answer: (a) 15º

The range is largest at $45^{\circ}$, and half of it needs $\sin2\theta=0.5$, so $\theta$ is $15^{\circ}$.

15.Angle at which maximum range of projectile is achieved? (NUMS MDCAT 2025)

  1. 0°
  2. 45°
  3. 90°
  4. 76°
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) 45°

The range goes as $\sin2\theta$, which is largest at $\theta=45^{\circ}$.

All 20 Height, Range and Time of Flight MCQs → Height, Range and Time of Flight notes →

Newton’s Laws of Motion

16.A fireman slides down a rope whose breaking load is three quarters of his weight. With what acceleration should the fireman slide down, if the acceleration due to gravity is $g$? (MDCAT 2022)

  1. $g$
  2. $g/4$
  3. $3g/4$
  4. zero
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) $g/4$

The rope can pull up with at most $\tfrac{3}{4}mg$, so $ma=mg-\tfrac{3}{4}mg$ and $a=g/4$.

17.According to Newton's laws of motion the mass of an object is a quantitative measure of its: (MDCAT 2024)

  1. weight
  2. inertia
  3. speed
  4. acceleration
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) inertia

The greater the mass, the greater the force needed for a given acceleration, so mass measures inertia.

18.A passenger standing in a stationary bus. When the bus suddenly starts moving forward, the passenger falls backward. Which phenomenon best explains this observation? (KMU MDCAT 2025)

  1. Friction
  2. Gravity
  3. Inertia
  4. Deceleration
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) Inertia

The passenger keeps the state of rest while the floor moves forward under them.

All 14 Newton’s Laws of Motion MCQs → Newton’s Laws of Motion notes →

Linear Momentum and the Second Law

19.The product of force and time is equal to: (MDCAT 2020)

  1. angular momentum
  2. force
  3. change in momentum
  4. velocity
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) change in momentum

$F\Delta t$ is the impulse, and the impulse equals the change in momentum.

20.The time rate of change of linear momentum of a body is equal to its: (MDCAT 2020)

  1. force
  2. momentum
  3. power
  4. acceleration
Show answer

Correct answer: (a) force

Newton's second law in its general form is $F=\Delta p/\Delta t$.

21.If two equal masses are in motion with the same individual speeds, we can conclude that: (MDCAT 2023)

  1. their momenta are the same
  2. their momenta can be different from each other
  3. their kinetic energies are different from each other
  4. their total energies are different
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) their momenta can be different from each other

Momentum is a vector, so equal masses at equal speeds in different directions have different momenta.

All 12 Linear Momentum and the Second Law MCQs → Linear Momentum and the Second Law notes →

Third Law and Conservation of Momentum

22.Which of the following is incorrect? (MDCAT 2022)

  1. the reaction force on a body is always balanced by the action force on the same body
  2. reaction and action forces are always equal in magnitude
  3. action and reaction forces never act on the same body
  4. Newton's third law is always valid
Show answer

Correct answer: (a) the reaction force on a body is always balanced by the action force on the same body

Action and reaction act on two different bodies, so they can never balance each other on one body.

23.A canon is placed on a smooth surface. When it fires a shell, the canon moves backward, this recoil occurs due to: (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. law of conservation of energy
  2. Backward thrust of the gases
  3. Newton's third law of motion
  4. Newton's first law of motion
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) Newton's third law of motion

The shell is pushed forward and the cannon takes an equal and opposite push backwards.

24.A 0.02kg bullet moving at 300m/s embeds itself in a 2 kg block at rest on a smooth surface. What is the velocity of the block-bullet system just after impact? (KMU MDCAT 2025)

  1. 2m/s
  2. 3m/s
  3. 4m/s
  4. 5m/s
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) 3m/s

Momentum is conserved, so $0.02\times300$ is shared by $2.02\,\mathrm{kg}$, giving about $3\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$.

All 10 Third Law and Conservation of Momentum MCQs → Third Law and Conservation of Momentum notes →

Elastic and Inelastic Collisions

25.In an elastic collision the total kinetic energy: (MDCAT 2024)

  1. dissipates after the collision
  2. increases after the collision
  3. reduces after the collision
  4. before and after the collision remains the same
Show answer

Correct answer: (d) before and after the collision remains the same

An elastic collision is defined as one in which the kinetic energy is conserved.

26.If a body having mass m1 (2 kg), moving with 5 m/s approaches another mass, m2 (3 kg) with speed of 1 m/s in same direction, relative speed of approach is 4 m/s. Relative speed of separation after collision will be: (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. 4 m/s
  2. 2 m/s
  3. 6 m/s
  4. depends on masses
Show answer

Correct answer: (a) 4 m/s

In a perfectly elastic collision the relative speed of separation equals the relative speed of approach.

27.A body of mass 2 kg moving with velocity 3 m/s collides with a body of mass 1 kg at rest. If they stick together, their common velocity after collision is: (SZABMU MDCAT 2025)

  1. 1 m/s
  2. 2 m/s
  3. 3 m/s
  4. 4 m/s
Show answer

Correct answer: (b) 2 m/s

Momentum is conserved, so $2\times3$ is shared by $3\,\mathrm{kg}$, giving $2\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$.

All 12 Elastic and Inelastic Collisions MCQs → Elastic and Inelastic Collisions notes →

Momentum and Explosive Forces

28.The explosion of explosive material is application of: (NUMS MDCAT 2022)

  1. Law of conservation of energy
  2. Law of conservation of mass
  3. Law of conservation of momentum
  4. Newton's third law of motion
Show answer

Correct answer: (c) Law of conservation of momentum

The fragments fly apart with momenta that add to the zero the charge began with.

More MDCAT Physics units