Ten exam-style questions across the ESAT physics specification, from electricity and magnetism to waves and radioactivity. Every question you master brings you one step closer to your place on a top science or engineering course.
Free mock quiz – not an official test. This is a free practice (mock) quiz written according to the official ESAT physics specification. It is not an official ESAT test and is not produced or endorsed by UAT-UK or the ESAT organisers.
Choose one answer for each question. You will see straight away whether you are right, with a short worked solution. Treat it like exam day: no notes and no calculator, as in the ESAT.
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1Mechanics: Energy and Efficiency
Question 1: Mechanics: Energy and Efficiency
An electric motor lifts a 40 kg load at a steady speed through a height of 6.0 m in 12 s. The electrical power supplied to the motor is 250 W. What is the efficiency of the motor? (g = 10 N kg−1)
Useful energy = gain in GPE = mgh = 40 × 10 × 6.0 = 2400 J. Energy supplied = Pt = 250 × 12 = 3000 J. Efficiency = useful energytotal energy × 100 = 24003000 × 100 = 80%.
2Mechanics: Force and Extension
Question 2: Mechanics: Force and Extension
A spring stretches by 3.0 cm when a force of 6.0 N is applied. It obeys Hooke's law up to an extension of 8.0 cm. How much elastic energy does the spring store when it is stretched by 5.0 cm?
Spring constant k = Fx = 6.00.030 = 200 N m−1. Energy stored E = 12kx2 = 12 × 200 × 0.0502 = 0.25 J. (0.50 J comes from leaving out the half; 25 J from using centimetres.)
3Electricity: Electrostatics
Question 3: Electricity: Electrostatics
A polythene rod is rubbed with a dry woollen cloth and becomes negatively charged. Which statement is correct?
Charging by friction moves only electrons, because protons are fixed in the nuclei. The rod gains electrons, so it becomes negative. The cloth loses the same number of electrons, so it is left with an equal positive charge. No charge is created.
4Magnetism: Motor Effect
Question 4: Magnetism: Motor Effect
A straight wire of length 20 cm is at right angles to a uniform magnetic field of flux density 0.050 T. A force of 0.030 N acts on the wire. What is the current in the wire?
F = BIL, so I = FBL = 0.0300.050 × 0.20 = 0.0300.010 = 3.0 A. (0.030 A or 0.0030 A come from leaving the length in centimetres.)
5Magnetism: Electromagnetic Induction
Question 5: Magnetism: Electromagnetic Induction
The coil of a simple ac generator is rotated at twice its original rate in the same magnetic field. What happens to the peak output voltage and to the frequency of the output?
Rotating faster makes the coil cut the field lines twice as quickly, so the induced voltage (which depends on the rate of cutting) doubles. Each full turn gives one cycle of the ac output, so twice as many turns per second also doubles the frequency.
6Thermal Physics: Radiation
Question 6: Thermal Physics: Radiation
Two identical metal cans, one painted matt black and the other polished shiny silver, are filled with the same mass of hot water at the same temperature and left in the same cool room. Which statement is correct?
At the same temperature, matt black surfaces emit (and absorb) infrared radiation faster than shiny, light surfaces. Shiny surfaces are poor emitters and good reflectors. So the black can loses energy faster and cools faster.
7Matter: Latent Heat
Question 7: Matter: Latent Heat
How much energy is needed to turn 0.20 kg of ice at 0 °C into water at 20 °C? (specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 3.3 × 105 J kg−1, specific heat capacity of water = 4.2 × 103 J kg−1 K−1)
Melting: E = mL = 0.20 × 3.3 × 105 = 66 000 J. Warming the water: E = mcΔθ = 0.20 × 4200 × 20 = 16 800 J. Total = 82 800 J ≈ 83 kJ. (66 kJ and 17 kJ are only one of the two stages.)
8Waves: Sound and Ultrasound
Question 8: Waves: Sound and Ultrasound
A ship's sonar sends a pulse of ultrasound straight down to the sea bed. The echo returns 0.40 s after the pulse is sent. The speed of sound in sea water is 1500 m s−1. How deep is the water under the ship?
In 0.40 s the pulse travels 1500 × 0.40 = 600 m. This is the distance down and back, so the depth is 6002 = 300 m.
9Radioactivity: Nuclear Equations
Question 9: Radioactivity: Nuclear Equations
A nucleus with mass number 232 and atomic number 90 emits one alpha particle and then two beta (β−) particles. What are the mass number and atomic number of the final nucleus?
Alpha emission: the mass number falls by 4 and the atomic number by 2, giving 228 and 88. Each β− emission leaves the mass number unchanged and raises the atomic number by 1: two of them give 228 and 90. The final nucleus is an isotope of the original element.
10Radioactivity: Ionising Radiation
Question 10: Radioactivity: Ionising Radiation
A radioactive source gives out one type of radiation. The radiation passes through a sheet of paper but is stopped by a few millimetres of aluminium. It is deflected when it passes through a magnetic field. Which type of radiation is it?
Alpha is stopped by paper, so it is not alpha. Gamma passes through aluminium and is not deflected by a magnetic field, because it has no charge, so it is not gamma. Only beta passes through paper, is stopped by a few millimetres of aluminium and is deflected.
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Free mock quiz – not an official test. All questions are original practice questions written by Christos Fotakidis according to the official ESAT physics specification. They are not ESAT questions, they are not taken from any past paper, and this page is not produced or endorsed by UAT-UK or the ESAT organisers.
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