Physics MCQs
Topic Notes: Physics
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
1
Why is steel considered more elastic than rubber?
Answer:
is deformed very easily
Elasticity is defined by the Young's modulus, which measures the ratio of stress to strain. A material is more elastic if it requires a greater force to produce a unit of strain. Steel requires a much larger force to deform than rubber, making it more elastic.
2
How is the modulus of rigidity defined in terms of stress and strain?
Answer:
Shearing stress to shearing strain
The modulus of rigidity, also known as the shear modulus, is defined as the ratio of shear stress to shear strain within the elastic limit of a material. It measures a material's resistance to shape deformation when subjected to a shearing force. This property is fundamental in solid mechanics and depends entirely on the material's internal structure; stiffer materials exhibit a higher modulus of rigidity.
3
Young's modulus is a physical property primarily associated with which state of matter?
Answer:
Solid only
Young's modulus, or the modulus of elasticity, quantifies the relationship between tensile stress and tensile strain in a material. It is a fundamental property of solid materials that undergo elastic deformation. While fluids (liquids and gases) exhibit bulk modulus (resistance to compression), they do not possess Young's modulus because they cannot support shear or tensile stress in a static state, as they flow under such forces.
4
How is the density of a substance formally defined?
Answer:
Mass per unit volume
Density is a fundamental physical property defined as the ratio of an object's mass to its volume. It represents how much matter is contained within a specific amount of space. The SI unit for density is kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³).
5
What is the dimensional formula for the elastic modulus of a material?
Answer:
ML-1T-2
Elastic modulus is defined as the ratio of stress to strain. Since strain is a dimensionless quantity, the dimensions of the elastic modulus are identical to those of stress. Stress is defined as force per unit area (Force/Area). Given that Force has dimensions MLT^-2 and Area has dimensions L^2, the resulting dimension for stress and elastic modulus is ML^-1T^-2.
6
Calculate the Young's modulus of a steel wire with a length of 1 m and a cross-sectional area of 5 * 10^-5 m^2, if it stretches by 1 mm under a force of 10,000 N.
Answer:
2 * 1011 N m-2
Young's modulus (Y) is defined as stress divided by strain. Stress is force/area (10,000 / 5 * 10^-5 = 2 * 10^8 Pa). Strain is change in length/original length (0.001 m / 1 m = 0.001). Dividing stress by strain gives Y = 2 * 10^8 / 0.001 = 2 * 10^11 N/m^2.
7
Young's modulus is a physical property applicable to which state of matter?
Answer:
Solid only
Young's modulus, or the modulus of elasticity, quantifies the relationship between tensile stress and tensile strain in a material. This mechanical property is specifically defined for solids, which maintain a definite shape and resist deformation. Fluids (liquids and gases) do not possess a Young's modulus because they cannot support shear stress or tensile stress in a static state, instead exhibiting bulk modulus properties.
8
Given a strain Α produced in an elastic wire, what is the expression for the energy stored per unit volume in terms of Young's modulus Y?
Answer:
Y∝2
The energy density in a deformed material is defined as 0.5 * stress * strain. Since stress = Y * strain, substituting this into the formula yields 0.5 * Y * (strain)^2. The provided answer D represents the proportional relationship to the square of the strain, although it omits the factor of 0.5 commonly found in the standard derivation.
9
What is the formal definition of the bulk modulus of elasticity?
Answer:
the ratio of normal stress to the volumetric strain within the elastic limit
The bulk modulus (K) measures a substance's resistance to uniform compression. It is defined as the ratio of the change in pressure (normal stress) applied to a body to the resulting fractional change in its volume (volumetric strain). Mathematically, it is expressed as K = -ΔP / (ΔV/V), where the negative sign indicates volume decrease with pressure increase.
10
What is the SI unit for Young's modulus of elasticity?
Answer:
Nm-2
Young's modulus is defined as the ratio of stress to strain. Since strain is a dimensionless quantity, the unit of Young's modulus is the same as stress. Stress is defined as force per unit area, which is measured in Newtons per square meter (N/m² or Nm⁻²).