AP Physics 2 Practice MCQs

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Questions

1. A fluid flows through a horizontal pipe with varying cross-sectional areas. According to the continuity equation, if the pipe narrows, what happens to the fluid's velocity?
  • Velocity decreases
  • Velocity remains the same
  • Velocity increases
  • Velocity becomes zero
2. An ideal gas undergoes an isothermal expansion. What happens to its internal energy?
  • Increases
  • Decreases
  • Remains constant
  • Varies unpredictably
3. Which of the following best describes Ohm's Law?
  • V = I/R
  • V = IR
  • I = V/R
  • Both B and C are correct
4. A capacitor is charged to a voltage V and then disconnected from the battery. Which quantity remains constant?
  • Charge (Q)
  • Voltage (V)
  • Capacitance (C)
  • Energy stored (U)
5. In thermodynamics, which process occurs at constant pressure?
  • Isothermal
  • Adiabatic
  • Isobaric
  • Isochoric
6. What is the efficiency of an ideal Carnot engine operating between temperatures T₁ and T₂?
  • 1 - T₂/T₁
  • 1 - T₁/T₂
  • T₂/T₁
  • T₁/T₂
7. In a parallel plate capacitor, what happens to the capacitance if the distance between the plates is doubled?
  • Capacitance doubles
  • Capacitance halves
  • Capacitance remains the same
  • Capacitance quadruples
8. Which of the following statements is true about a blackbody?
  • It reflects all incident radiation
  • It absorbs all incident radiation
  • It emits no radiation
  • It only emits radiation in the visible spectrum
9. According to the first law of thermodynamics, if a system does work on its surroundings, what happens to its internal energy?
  • Internal energy increases
  • Internal energy decreases
  • Internal energy remains constant
  • Cannot be determined
10. In a circuit, if the resistance increases while the voltage remains constant, what happens to the current?
  • Current increases
  • Current decreases
  • Current remains the same
  • Current becomes zero
11. Which law explains the relationship between the induced electromotive force (emf) and the rate of change of magnetic flux?
  • Faraday's Law
  • Ampère's Law
  • Gauss's Law
  • Lenz's Law
12. What is the work done by a non-conservative force in moving an object from point A to point B?
  • Equal to the change in kinetic energy
  • Equal to the change in potential energy
  • Equal to the negative of the change in mechanical energy
  • Equal to the sum of kinetic and potential energy changes
13. In an ideal gas undergoing adiabatic expansion, which of the following is true?
  • Heat is added to the system
  • Heat is removed from the system
  • No heat is exchanged
  • Both heat is added and removed
14. What is the primary factor that determines the speed of sound in a medium?
  • Temperature
  • Density
  • Elastic properties
  • All of the above
15. Which of the following is a characteristic of an ideal gas?
  • No intermolecular forces
  • Occupies no volume
  • Both A and B
  • Neither A nor B
16. In a series RC circuit, what is the time constant (τ)?
  • R + C
  • R × C
  • R / C
  • C / R
17. What is the phase relationship between voltage and current in an ideal inductor?
  • Voltage leads current by 90°
  • Voltage lags current by 90°
  • Voltage and current are in phase
  • Voltage is twice the current
18. Which equation represents the ideal gas law?
  • PV = nRT
  • P = nRT/V
  • Both A and B
  • Neither A nor B
19. What type of lens is thicker at the center than at the edges?
  • Concave lens
  • Convex lens
  • Plano-concave lens
  • Bifocal lens
20. Which of the following best describes thermal equilibrium?
  • Two objects have the same temperature
  • Two objects have different temperatures
  • Heat flows from the cooler to the hotter object
  • Heat flows from the hotter to the cooler object
21. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between frequency (f) and wavelength (λ) for electromagnetic waves?
  • f is directly proportional to λ
  • f is inversely proportional to λ
  • f is equal to λ
  • f and λ are unrelated
22. In an adiabatic process, what is the relationship between pressure (P) and volume (V) for an ideal gas?
  • PV = constant
  • P ∝ V
  • PV^γ = constant
  • P^γV = constant
23. Which of the following quantities is conserved in all closed systems?
  • Kinetic energy
  • Potential energy
  • Total mechanical energy
  • Momentum
24. What is the primary difference between conductors and insulators?
  • Conductors have free electrons, insulators do not
  • Insulators have free electrons, conductors do not
  • Conductors have higher resistance than insulators
  • There is no difference
25. According to Lenz's Law, the direction of an induced current is such that it:
  • Enhances the change causing it
  • Opposes the change causing it
  • Flows in a random direction
  • Depends on the material
26. What is the heat capacity at constant volume (Cᵥ) for a monoatomic ideal gas?
  • (3/2)R
  • (5/2)R
  • 2R
  • R
27. Which type of heat transfer does not require a medium?
  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Radiation
  • All require a medium
28. In an ideal transformer, if the number of turns in the primary coil is twice that of the secondary coil, what is the voltage in the secondary coil compared to the primary?
  • Half the primary voltage
  • Twice the primary voltage
  • Same as the primary voltage
  • Four times the primary voltage
29. What is the relationship between electric field (E) and electric potential (V) in a uniform electric field?
  • E = V/d
  • V = E × d
  • Both A and B are correct
  • E and V are unrelated
30. What is the energy stored in a capacitor with capacitance C and voltage V?
  • CV
  • (1/2)CV²
  • CV²
  • (1/2)C²V
31. Which of the following is true for an ideal gas undergoing an isobaric process?
  • Temperature remains constant
  • Pressure remains constant
  • Volume remains constant
  • Internal energy remains constant
32. In optics, what is the critical angle for total internal reflection to occur?
  • When light moves from a less dense to a more dense medium
  • When light moves from a more dense to a less dense medium
  • When light moves between two mediums of equal density
  • Critical angle is independent of medium densities
33. What is the potential difference across each resistor in a series circuit?
  • Equal for all resistors
  • Inversely proportional to their resistances
  • Directly proportional to their resistances
  • It depends on the power rating
34. Which phenomenon explains why a straw appears bent when placed in a glass of water?
  • Reflection
  • Refraction
  • Diffraction
  • Polarization
35. What is the primary factor that affects the buoyant force on an object submerged in a fluid?
  • Weight of the object
  • Volume of the displaced fluid
  • Density of the object
  • Surface area of the object
36. In a closed system, energy can be transformed from one form to another, but the total energy:
  • Increases
  • Decreases
  • Remains constant
  • Doubles
37. What is the frequency of a wave with a wavelength of 0.5 meters traveling at a speed of 10 m/s?
  • 5 Hz
  • 10 Hz
  • 15 Hz
  • 20 Hz
38. Which type of circuit component stores energy in the form of a magnetic field?
  • Resistor
  • Capacitor
  • Inductor
  • Diode
39. What is the term for the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?
  • Reflection
  • Refraction
  • Diffraction
  • Dispersion
40. In thermodynamics, an adiabatic process is characterized by:
  • Constant temperature
  • No heat exchange
  • Constant pressure
  • Constant volume
41. What is the relationship between electric current (I), voltage (V), and resistance (R) in a circuit?
  • I = V × R
  • I = V / R
  • V = I / R
  • V = I × R
42. Which law states that the total electric flux out of a closed surface is proportional to the charge enclosed?
  • Faraday's Law
  • Gauss's Law
  • Ampère's Law
  • Coulomb's Law
43. What type of wave requires a medium to travel through?
  • Electromagnetic waves
  • Sound waves
  • Radio waves
  • Gamma rays
44. In an ideal Carnot cycle, which two processes are isothermal?
  • Two isobaric processes
  • Two isochoric processes
  • Two adiabatic processes
  • Two isothermal processes
45. What is the magnetic field strength at the center of a circular loop of radius R carrying current I?
  • μ₀I/R
  • μ₀I/(2R)
  • μ₀I/(4R)
  • μ₀I/(8R)
46. Which type of process occurs at constant volume?
  • Isothermal
  • Adiabatic
  • Isobaric
  • Isochoric
47. What is the energy change associated with the transition between two energy levels in an atom?
  • Ionization energy
  • Excitation energy
  • Binding energy
  • Kinetic energy
48. In a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit, what happens to the voltage across the capacitor as it charges over time?
  • It decreases exponentially
  • It increases exponentially
  • It remains constant
  • It oscillates
49. What is the primary cause of diffusion in gases?
  • Gravitational forces
  • Electric forces
  • Random molecular motion
  • Pressure gradients
50. Which principle states that no two electrons can have the same set of four quantum numbers?
  • Pauli Exclusion Principle
  • Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
  • Aufbau Principle
  • Hund's Rule
Answers:
  1. C. Velocity increases
  2. C. Remains constant
  3. D. Both B and C are correct
  4. A. Charge (Q)
  5. C. Isobaric
  6. A. 1 - T₂/T₁
  7. B. Capacitance halves
  8. B. It absorbs all incident radiation
  9. B. Internal energy decreases
  10. B. Current decreases
  11. A. Faraday's Law
  12. C. Equal to the negative of the change in mechanical energy
  13. C. No heat is exchanged
  14. D. All of the above
  15. C. Both A and B
  16. B. R × C
  17. A. Voltage leads current by 90°
  18. A. PV = nRT
  19. B. Convex lens
  20. A. Two objects have the same temperature
  21. B. 1 Hz
  22. C. Inductor
  23. B. Refraction
  24. C. Total mechanical energy
  25. A. Conductors have free electrons, insulators do not
  26. D. Lenz's Law
  27. A. (3/2)R
  28. C. Radiation
  29. D. Both A and B are correct
  30. B. Gauss's Law
  31. B. Sound waves
  32. D. Isothermal and adiabatic
  33. A. Pauli Exclusion Principle
  34. D. (1/2)CV²
  35. B. Refraction
  36. B. Velocity lags current by 90°
  37. A. (3/2)R
  38. B. No heat exchange
  39. D. Both A and B
  40. C. Both A and B are correct
  41. B. Gauss's Law
  42. B. Sound waves
  43. D. Isothermal and adiabatic
  44. A. Pauli Exclusion Principle
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