Mini practice paper: 8 questions
Mixed-difficulty questions from across the US Physics syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.
Q1 · Difficulty 1/3
In a perfectly inelastic collision between two objects, which quantity is conserved?
- Momentum only
- Both momentum and kinetic energy
- Kinetic energy only
- Neither momentum nor kinetic energy
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Momentum only
In a perfectly inelastic collision, the objects stick together and kinetic energy is NOT conserved — some is converted to thermal energy or deformation. Momentum IS conserved as long as the system is isolated. Option A confuses inelastic with elastic collisions. Option B describes only elastic collisions. Option D incorrectly claims momentum is not conserved.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
- Only visible light
- The full range of electromagnetic radiation from radio waves to gamma rays
- Sound waves
- Only X-rays and UV
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — The full range of electromagnetic radiation from radio waves to gamma rays
The EM spectrum: radio waves → microwaves → infrared → visible light → ultraviolet → X-rays → gamma rays. All travel at the speed of light in a vacuum.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3
What is the difference between weight and mass?
- They are the same
- Mass is the amount of matter (kg, constant everywhere); weight is the gravitational force on that mass (N, varies by location)
- Weight is constant everywhere
- Mass is measured in Newtons
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Mass is the amount of matter (kg, constant everywhere); weight is the gravitational force on that mass (N, varies by location)
Mass stays the same everywhere. Weight = mg, so it changes with g. On the Moon (g ≈ 1.6 m/s²), you weigh about 1/6 of your Earth weight.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3
A 2 kg object has a momentum of 10 kg·m/s. What is its velocity?
- 20 m/s
- 5 m/s
- 8 m/s
- 12 m/s
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — 5 m/s
p = mv, so v = p/m = 10/2 = 5 m/s.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3
A student pushes off a wall while on a frictionless skateboard and begins moving at 2 m/s. The student has a mass of 50 kg. Which statement best explains why this does NOT violate conservation of momentum?
- Friction from the ground cancels the student's momentum
- Momentum is created by the chemical energy in the student's muscles
- The skateboard absorbs the extra momentum from the push
- The wall gains an equal and opposite momentum through Earth
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — The wall gains an equal and opposite momentum through Earth
The wall is connected to Earth, which gains an equal and opposite momentum to the student's. Because Earth is so massive, its velocity change is unmeasurably small. Option B incorrectly states momentum is created from energy. Option C wrongly attributes momentum absorption to the skateboard. Option D incorrectly invokes friction — the scenario specifies frictionless.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3
A 5 kg skateboard is pushed by a student exerting a 40 N force on it. By Newton's Third Law, the skateboard exerts a 40 N force back on the student. Why does the student move less than the skateboard?
- The force on the student is smaller than the force on the skateboard
- Friction only acts on the skateboard, reducing its acceleration more
- The student has greater mass, so the same force produces less acceleration
- Action-reaction forces cancel out, so neither object should accelerate
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — The student has greater mass, so the same force produces less acceleration
Newton's Second Law (a = F/m) shows that equal forces produce different accelerations in objects of different mass. The student has much greater mass than the 5 kg skateboard, so the equal 40 N reaction force produces a smaller acceleration in the student. Option A incorrectly states the forces are unequal — Third Law forces are always equal. Option C is a classic misconception; action-reaction forces act on different objects and cannot cancel. Option D reverses the effect of friction and misapplies it.
Q7 · Difficulty 2/3
What is projectile motion?
- Straight-line motion
- Motion of an object launched into the air, following a curved path due to gravity
- Circular motion
- Motion at constant speed
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Motion of an object launched into the air, following a curved path due to gravity
Projectile motion combines horizontal motion (constant velocity, no horizontal force) with vertical motion (acceleration due to gravity). The result is a parabolic trajectory.
Q8 · Difficulty 2/3
What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?
- They are the same
- As wavelength increases, frequency decreases (they are inversely proportional)
- Both increase together
- There is no relationship
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — As wavelength increases, frequency decreases (they are inversely proportional)
Speed = wavelength × frequency (v = fλ). Since the speed of light is constant, longer wavelength means lower frequency and vice versa.
US Common Core Common Core US Physics FAQ
What does the US Common Core Common Core US Physics exam look like?
The US Common Core Common Core US Physics exam is structured across 2 components. Paper 1: Objective and short-answer questions covering the breadth of the specification. Paper 2: Structured and extended-response questions testing depth of understanding. Total exam time varies by board and tier — typically 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
Can I download a free US Common Core Common Core US Physics past paper?
Real US Common Core past papers are published directly by US Common Core on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is US Common Core Common Core US Physics graded?
See the official board specification for the current grading scale. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.