Lesson 3.4.1.4

3.4.1.4 Projectile motion Quiz: AQA Physics, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.4.1.4, Projectile motion: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Physics (7408), Unit 4: Mechanics and materials, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In projectile motion without air resistance, what happens to the horizontal velocity?

    • Decreases to zero
    • Increases steadily
    • Accelerates at g
    • Remains constant

  2. What is the vertical acceleration of a projectile in a uniform gravitational field?

    • g/2, downwards
    • g, upwards
    • g, downwards
    • zero

  3. What shape is the path of a projectile without air resistance?

    • a hyperbola
    • a parabola
    • a circle
    • a straight line

  4. What happens to the magnitude of air resistance as an object's speed increases?

    • It remains constant
    • It decreases
    • It reaches zero
    • It increases

  5. What is the acceleration of an object falling at its terminal speed?

    • Decreasing
    • Zero
    • Increasing
    • 9.81 m s⁻²

  6. In which direction does the drag force act on a moving object?

    • Parallel to weight
    • Towards the pivot
    • Perpendicular to motion
    • Opposite to motion

  7. Which force opposes relative motion between two surfaces in contact?

    • Drag
    • Friction
    • Lift
    • Tension

  8. A ball is thrown horizontally at 10 m/s from a cliff 20 m high. Taking g = 10 m/s^2, how long until it lands?

    • 1.4 s
    • 2 s
    • 1 s
    • 4 s

  9. For the ball in the previous case, what horizontal distance does it travel?

    • 40 m
    • 20 m
    • 10 m
    • 5 m

  10. A projectile is launched at 20 m/s at 30 degrees to the horizontal. What is its horizontal velocity component?

    • 10 m/s
    • 23 m/s
    • 17 m/s
    • 20 m/s

  11. For the projectile in the previous case, what is the time of flight on level ground, taking g = 10 m/s^2?

    • 0.5 s
    • 4 s
    • 1 s
    • 2 s

  12. A projectile has initial vertical velocity 10 m/s with g = 10 m/s^2. What is its maximum height?

    • 5 m
    • 2.5 m
    • 20 m
    • 10 m

  13. What is the resultant force acting on an object falling at terminal speed?

    • Equal to drag
    • Zero
    • Infinite
    • Equal to weight

  14. How does air resistance affect both the maximum height and range of a projectile?

    • Increases both
    • Reduces height only
    • Reduces range only
    • Reduces both

  15. What happens to resistive forces as a vehicle accelerates to its top speed?

    • They increase
    • They decrease
    • They become zero
    • They stay constant

  16. A ball is thrown horizontally at 5 m/s from a table 1.25 m high. Taking g = 10 m/s^2, how far horizontally does it travel before landing?

    • 0.5 m
    • 1.25 m
    • 5 m
    • 2.5 m

  17. Ignoring air resistance, which ball lands first: one dropped vertically or one fired horizontally?

    • The dropped ball
    • The fired ball
    • Both land simultaneously
    • The heavier ball

  18. At what launch angle does a projectile have maximum range on level ground without air resistance?

    • 90 degrees
    • 30 degrees
    • 45 degrees
    • 60 degrees

  19. Compared to its ascent, how does air resistance affect the descent angle of a projectile?

    • Keeps it identical
    • Makes it steeper
    • Makes it vertical
    • Makes it shallower

  20. A projectile has vertical component 15 m/s. Taking g = 10 m/s^2, how long does it take to reach its highest point?

    • 3.0 s
    • 15 s
    • 0.75 s
    • 1.5 s

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