PHYSICS SAMPLE QUESTIONS ON FUNDAMENTALS OF MOTION

Here are WAEC and NECO–style Physics questions (2019–2024 trend) on the topic “Fundamentals of Motion” — including multiple-choice, structured theory, and solved examples.

🔹 SECTION A: Multiple-Choice Questions (Objective Type)

1. Which of the following quantities is a vector?
A. Speed
B. Distance
C. Displacement
D. Time
✅ Answer: C. Displacement

2. A car moves 100 m east and then 60 m west. Its displacement is:
A. 160 m
B. 60 m
C. 40 m east
D. 40 m west
✅ Answer: C. 40 m east
Displacement = 100 − 60 = 40 m (toward east).

3. A vehicle travels at 20 m/s for 10 s. The distance covered is:
A. 2 m
B. 200 m
C. 20 m
D. 10 m
✅ Answer: B. 200 m
Distance = speed × time = 20 × 10 = 200 m.

4. If a car starts from rest and attains a velocity of 30 m/s in 10 s, find its acceleration.
A. 3 m/s²
B. 0.3 m/s²
C. 300 m/s²
D. 30 m/s²
✅ Answer: A. 3 m/s²
Acceleration = (v – u)/t = (30 – 0)/10 = 3.

5. Which of these graphs shows uniform acceleration?
A. Straight line parallel to time axis
B. Straight line passing through the origin on a velocity-time graph
C. Curved line on a distance-time graph
D. Straight line on a distance-time graph
✅ Answer: B. Straight line through origin on v–t graph

6. Which of the following represents the unit of acceleration?
A. m/s
B. m/s²
C. m²/s
D. m·s
✅ Answer: B. m/s²

7. The slope of a velocity–time graph represents:
A. Distance
B. Displacement
C. Acceleration
D. Speed
✅ Answer: C. Acceleration

8. An object dropped from rest falls freely under gravity. Which statement is true?
A. Its velocity remains constant
B. Its acceleration decreases with time
C. Its acceleration remains constant
D. Its velocity decreases with time
✅ Answer: C. Its acceleration remains constant (≈ 9.8 m/s²)

9. The area under a velocity–time graph represents:
A. Acceleration
B. Force
C. Distance travelled
D. Power
✅ Answer: C. Distance travelled

10. A body moving with uniform velocity has:
A. Constant acceleration
B. Zero acceleration
C. Increasing velocity
D. Decreasing velocity
✅ Answer: B. Zero acceleration

11. The slope of a velocity-time graph represents:
A. Speed
B. Distance
C. Acceleration
D. Displacement
✅ Answer: C. Acceleration

12. Which of the following quantities is a vector?
A. Distance
B. Speed
C. Velocity
D. Time
✅ Answer: C. Velocity

13. A car travels at 20 m/s for 30 s. What distance does it cover?
✅ Solution:
Distance = speed × time = 20 × 30 = 600 m

14. An object starts from rest and attains a velocity of 10 m/s in 5 s. Find its acceleration.
✅ Solution:

15. The area under a velocity-time graph represents:
A. Acceleration
B. Displacement
C. Force
D. Momentum
✅ Answer: B. Displacement

16. A stone is dropped from a height of 45 m. Calculate the time taken to hit the ground.
Take .
✅ Solution:

17. A car moves with uniform acceleration of . If its initial velocity is , find its velocity after 4 seconds.
✅ Solution:

18. Which of the following statements about motion is true?
A. Uniform speed implies uniform acceleration.
B. Uniform acceleration means constant rate of change of velocity.
C. Acceleration is always positive.
D. Velocity and speed are always equal.
✅ Answer: B.

19. The motion of a body is said to be uniform when:
A. It moves equal distances in equal intervals of time.
B. It moves unequal distances in equal intervals of time.
C. Its speed increases uniformly.
D. Its velocity decreases uniformly.
✅ Answer: A.

20. A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a velocity of in 10 s. Find the distance covered.
✅ Solution:

🔹 SECTION B: Structured / Theory-Style Questions

1. (a) Define the following terms:
(i) Speed
(ii) Velocity
(iii) Acceleration
(b) Differentiate between uniform and non-uniform motion.
✅ Solution:
Speed: Rate of change of distance with time.
Velocity: Rate of change of displacement with time.
Acceleration: Rate of change of velocity with time.
Uniform motion: Constant speed in a straight line.
Non-uniform motion: Speed or direction changes with time.

2. A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a velocity of 20 m/s in 10 s.
(a) Find the acceleration.
(b) Find the distance covered in this time.

3. An object moving at 15 m/s is uniformly decelerated at 3 m/s² until it stops.
Find:
(a) The time taken to stop
(b) The distance covered before stopping

4. State three differences between distance–time and velocity–time graphs.
✅ Answer:
Distance–Time Graph Velocity–Time Graph
Slope gives velocity Slope gives acceleration
Straight line ⇒ uniform velocity Straight line ⇒ uniform acceleration
Area under graph has no meaning Area gives distance or displacement

5. (a) What is meant by uniform acceleration?
(b) A ball is dropped from a height of 80 m. Find the time taken to reach the ground. (Take g = 10 m/s²)

6. State two examples of uniform motion and two of non-uniform motion.
✅ Answer:
Uniform motion: a car on a straight highway at steady speed; Earth orbiting the sun (approx).
Non-uniform motion: a freely falling object; a car braking to a stop.

7. A train moving at 25 m/s is brought to rest in 20 s.
(a) Find its uniform deceleration.
(b) Find the dist ance travelled during this time.

8. (a) Define the following terms:
(i) Speed
(ii) Velocity
(iii) Acceleration

9. State the three equations of uniformly accelerated motion.
✅ Answer:
v = u + at
s = ut + ½at²
v² = u² + 2as
s = ((v+u)/2)t
Where:
 u = initial velocity, v = final velocity, a = acceleration, s = displacement, t = time.

10. Sketch a velocity–time graph for a body moving with:
(i) uniform velocity,
(ii) uniform acceleration,
(iii) uniform deceleration.
✅ Answer:
(i) Horizontal line (constant velocity).
(ii) Straight line sloping upward.
(iii) Straight line sloping downward.

11. A ball is thrown vertically upward with a velocity of 20 m/s.
Find:
(a) the maximum height reached,
(b) the total time of flight.
(Take g = 10 m/s²).
✅ Solution: Given Data:
Initial velocity, u = 20 m/s
Acceleration due to gravity, g = 10 m/s²
At maximum height, final velocity, v = 0
(a) Maximum Height
Use the equation of motion:
v² = u² - 2gh
Substitute the known values:
0 = 20² - 2(10)h
0 = 400 - 20h
20h = 400
h = 400/20 = 20 m
✅ Maximum height = 20 m
(b) Total Time of Flight
Time to reach maximum height:
v = u - gt
0 = 20 - 10t
10t = 20
t = 20/10
t = 2 s
Since total flight time = time up + time down = 2t = 4s
✅ Total time of flight = 4 s

12. Explain the difference between distance and displacement, giving one example each.
✅ Answer:
Distance — total path covered (scalar).
Displacement — shortest straight-line distance from start to finish (vector).
Example: if you walk 3 m east and 4 m north, distance = 7 m, displacement = 5 m northeast.

13. A train moving with an initial velocity of 20 m/s accelerates uniformly at 2 m/s² for 40 s.
Find:
(a) its final velocity,
(b) the distance covered.
✅ Solution:
Given Data:
Initial velocity, u = 20 m/s
Acceleration, a = 2 m/s²
Time, t = 40 s
(a) Final Velocity, v = u + at
v = 20 + (2 × 40)
v = 20 + 80 = 100 m/s
✅ Final velocity = 100 m/s
(b) Distance Covered
s = ut + ½at²
s = (20 × 40) + ½(2)(40²)
s = 800 + (1)(1600)
s = 800 + 1600 = 2400
✅ Distance covered = 2400 m
✅ Final Answers:
(a) Final velocity, v = 100 m/s
(b) Distance covered, s = 2400 m

14. (a) Define uniform acceleration.
(b) State two examples of uniformly accelerated motion.
✅ Answer:
(a) Acceleration is said to be uniform when the rate of change of velocity is constant.
(b) Examples:
i. A body falling freely under gravity.
ii. A car accelerating uniformly along a straight road.

15. A vehicle moves 100 m in 4 s while increasing its speed from 10 m/s to 30 m/s.
Find its acceleration and verify the distance using equations of motion.

16. Differentiate between linear, projectile, and circular motion, giving one example of each.
✅ Answer:
Linear motion: along a straight line (e.g., car on a straight road).
Projectile motion: two-dimensional motion under gravity (e.g., thrown ball).
Circular motion: body moves in a circle (e.g.fan blades).