CSS Physics MCQs

This comprehensive set of MCQs on Physics for the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination is meticulously designed to encompass all core topics outlined in the CSS Physics syllabus. Covering fundamental concepts such as Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Modern Physics, these MCQs aim to help aspiring CSS candidates solidify their understanding and application of physics principles relevant to the examination.

Who should practice CSS Physics MCQs?

Candidates preparing for the CSS examination who seek to strengthen their grasp of physics concepts and problem-solving skills.
Individuals who wish to gain a solid understanding of physics topics essential for various technical and analytical roles in the civil services.
University students aiming to revise high-yield topics, including wave-particle duality, relativity, and nuclear physics, which are vital for the CSS Physics syllabus.
Anyone looking to reinforce their analytical skills and enhance their ability to interpret complex physical phenomena in a structured manner.
Students focused on building a comprehensive knowledge base in physics that will assist them in excelling in competitive exams and advancing their scientific aptitude.

1. Which of the following is a vector product of two vectors?

A) Dot Product
B) Cross Product
C) Triple Product
D) Scalar Product

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2. The divergence of a vector field is a measure of what?

A) Rate of change of the vector
B) How much the field spreads out
C) The rate of rotation of the field
D) None of the above

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3. Which of the following equations represents Newton’s second law of motion?

A) F = ma
B) F = mv^2
C) F = mgh
D) F = mg

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4. The conservation of energy states that energy cannot be what?

A) Created
B) Destroyed
C) Transformed
D) Both A and B

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5. Which of the following describes the angular momentum of a rigid body?

A) L = Iω
B) L = mv
C) L = mgh
D) L = Fd

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6. The phenomenon of precession is primarily associated with what?

A) Gyroscopes
B) Friction
C) Fluid dynamics
D) Kinematics

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7. What is the primary force acting on a satellite in orbit?

A) Gravitational Force
B) Electromagnetic Force
C) Nuclear Force
D) Frictional Force

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8. According to Kepler’s first law, planets move in what type of orbit?

A) Circular
B) Elliptical
C) Parabolic
D) Hyperbolic

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9. The centripetal force acting on an object moving in a circle is directed towards what?

A) The center of the circle
B) The tangent to the circle
C) Away from the center
D) None of the above

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10. Which postulate is not part of Einstein’s special theory of relativity?

A) The laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames.
B) The speed of light in a vacuum is constant for all observers.
C) Gravity affects the speed of light.
D) Time is relative.

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11. The Michelson-Morley experiment was designed to detect what?

A) The existence of the ether
B) Gravitational waves
C) Magnetic fields
D) Black holes

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12. Lorentz transformation relates to what kind of changes?

A) Speed changes
B) Time and space changes
C) Energy changes
D) Force changes

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13. Time dilation occurs when an object moves at what speed?

A) Low speed
B) Constant speed
C) Near the speed of light
D) Any speed

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14. Length contraction occurs in what context?

A) At rest
B) When moving at high speeds
C) When exposed to strong gravity
D) None of the above

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15. The relationship $E=mc^2$ is a statement of what principle?

A) Conservation of momentum
B) Conservation of energy
C) Equivalence of mass and energy
D) Conservation of angular momentum

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16. Surface tension is primarily due to what?

A) Cohesion of molecules
B) Adhesion of molecules
C) Gravity
D) Pressure

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17. Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s what?

A) Density
B) Resistance to flow
C) Temperature
D) Pressure

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18. What does Bernoulli’s theorem relate to?

A) Conservation of mass
B) Conservation of energy in fluid flow
C) Conservation of momentum
D) Thermodynamics

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19. In simple harmonic motion, the restoring force is proportional to what?

A) Displacement
B) Velocity
C) Acceleration
D) Time

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20. The phenomenon of resonance occurs when a system is driven at what frequency?

A) High frequency
B) Low frequency
C) Natural frequency
D) Random frequency

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21. What type of wave motion does a wave on a string represent?

A) Longitudinal
B) Transverse
C) Circular
D) Periodic

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22. The phase velocity of a wave is defined as what?

A) The speed at which the energy travels
B) The speed of individual wave crests
C) The speed of sound
D) The speed of light

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23. What is a standing wave?

A) A wave that travels in one direction
B) A wave that does not move
C) A wave formed by the interference of two traveling waves
D) None of the above

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24. Newton’s rings are a phenomenon related to what property of light?

A) Reflection
B) Refraction
C) Interference
D) Diffraction

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25. What is the primary principle behind diffraction gratings?

A) Reflection
B) Refraction
C) Interference of light waves
D) Absorption

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26. Which of the following describes the phenomenon of normal dispersion?

A) The speed of light decreases with increasing wavelength
B) The speed of light increases with increasing wavelength
C) Different wavelengths of light refract at different angles
D) None of the above

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27. What do lasers primarily rely on for their operation?

A) Reflection
B) Spontaneous emission
C) Stimulated emission
D) Absorption

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28. The first law of thermodynamics is a statement of what principle?

A) Conservation of energy
B) Conservation of momentum
C) Conservation of charge
D) Conservation of angular momentum

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29. What does the Van der Waals equation account for in real gases?

A) Kinetic energy
B) Attraction between molecules
C) Repulsion between molecules
D) Both B and C

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30. Entropy is often associated with what concept in thermodynamics?

A) Order
B) Disorder
C) Energy conservation
D) Heat transfer

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31. The kinetic theory of gases describes gases as consisting of what?

A) Fixed particles
B) Particles in random motion
C) Liquids
D) Solids

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32. Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics applies to what type of particles?

A) Bosons
B) Fermions
C) Classical particles
D) Photons

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33. What is a primary characteristic of a semiconductor?

A) High conductivity
B) Low conductivity
C) Infinite conductivity
D) Zero conductivity

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34. Which law relates the current flowing through a conductor to the voltage across it?

A) Faraday’s law
B) Ohm’s law
C) Ampere’s law
D) Kirchhoff’s law

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35. The magnetic field inside a solenoid is what?

A) Zero
B) Uniform
C) Varies with distance
D) Depends on the current only

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36. What is the function of a capacitor in a circuit?

A) Store energy
B) Convert energy
C) Amplify signals
D) Increase resistance

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37. The photoelectric effect demonstrates what phenomenon?

A) Light behaves like a wave
B) Light behaves like a particle
C) Light has no mass
D) Light is always absorbed

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38. Which equation describes the relationship between frequency and wavelength of light?

A) E = mc²
B) v = fλ
C) F = ma
D) pV = nRT

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39. What happens to the resistance of a conductor as its temperature increases?

A) Resistance decreases
B) Resistance increases
C) Resistance remains constant
D) Resistance becomes zero

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40. What is the phenomenon where light splits into its component colors called?

A) Reflection
B) Refraction
C) Dispersion
D) Diffraction

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41. Which of the following particles has the smallest mass?

A) Proton
B) Neutron
C) Electron
D) Alpha particle

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42. The principle of superposition applies to which of the following?

A) Forces
B) Waves
C) Electric fields
D) All of the above

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43. The Compton effect is associated with the scattering of what?

A) Electrons
B) Protons
C) Photons
D) Neutrons

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44. The uncertainty principle is a fundamental concept in what theory?

A) Classical mechanics
B) Quantum mechanics
C) Relativity
D) Electromagnetism

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45. Which of the following is a characteristic of black body radiation?

A) Depends on the material
B) Emits radiation at all wavelengths
C) Only emits visible light
D) Emits no radiation

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46. What is the term for the maximum displacement of a wave from its equilibrium position?

A) Amplitude
B) Wavelength
C) Frequency
D) Period

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47. The principle of conservation of charge states that the total charge in an isolated system is what?

A) Constant
B) Variable
C) Always positive
D) Always negative

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48. Which of the following is not a fundamental force of nature?

A) Gravitational
B) Electromagnetic
C) Nuclear
D) Frictional

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49. What is the unit of power in the SI system?

A) Joule
B) Watt
C) Newton
D) Pascal

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50. What is the condition for equilibrium of a rigid body?

A) Net force equals zero
B) Net torque equals zero
C) Both A and B
D) None of the above

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51. The angle of incidence is equal to what in reflection?

A) Angle of refraction
B) Angle of diffraction
C) Angle of reflection
D) Angle of polarization

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52. The Doppler effect is observed when there is a change in what?

A) Distance
B) Speed
C) Frequency of waves
D) Wavelength only

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53. The frequency of a sound wave is perceived as what?

A) Pitch
B) Loudness
C) Timbre
D) Quality

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54. What does the gravitational force between two masses depend on?

A) Distance
B) Mass
C) Both A and B
D) None of the above

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55. The moment of inertia depends on what factors?

A) Mass distribution
B) Axis of rotation
C) Both A and B
D) None of the above

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56. A system that does work on its surroundings is described as what?

A) Isolated
B) Closed
C) Open
D) Non-conservative

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57. What is the ideal gas law equation?

A) PV = nRT
B) F = ma
C) E = mc²
D) P = F/A

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58. The efficiency of a machine is defined as what?

A) Work output divided by work input
B) Work input divided by work output
C) Force divided by distance
D) Energy lost divided by energy gained

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59. The second law of thermodynamics introduces the concept of what?

A) Energy conservation
B) Entropy
C) Heat transfer
D) Work

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60. The critical angle is related to what phenomenon?

A) Total internal reflection
B) Refraction
C) Reflection
D) Diffraction

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61. An increase in temperature generally leads to what change in the kinetic energy of particles?

A) Decrease
B) Increase
C) No change
D) Total loss

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62. The phenomenon of thermal expansion occurs in what state of matter?

A) Solids only
B) Liquids only
C) Gases only
D) All states of matter

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63. Which of the following properties of a sound wave is related to its intensity?

A) Wavelength
B) Frequency
C) Amplitude
D) Speed

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64. Which principle explains why airplanes can fly?

A) Bernoulli’s principle
B) Pascal’s principle
C) Archimedes’ principle
D) Newton’s third law

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65. The heat transfer that occurs due to the movement of fluids is called what?

A) Conduction
B) Convection
C) Radiation
D) Reflection

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66. What is the purpose of a fuse in an electrical circuit?

A) Increase resistance
B) Provide safety by breaking the circuit
C) Store energy
D) Decrease voltage

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67. The behavior of light can be described as what?

A) Only a wave
B) Only a particle
C) Both wave and particle
D) Neither

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68. What is the primary source of energy in the universe?

A) Geothermal energy
B) Solar energy
C) Nuclear energy
D) Chemical energy

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69. Which of the following describes a non-conservative force?

A) Gravitational force
B) Electromagnetic force
C) Frictional force
D) Tension force

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70. A wave’s frequency is inversely proportional to what?

A) Amplitude
B) Wavelength
C) Speed
D) Energy

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71. In a series circuit, the total resistance is what?

A) Equal to the sum of individual resistances
B) Equal to the reciprocal of the sum of individual resistances
C) Constant
D) Zero

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72. Which law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?

A) Newton’s first law
B) Newton’s second law
C) Newton’s third law
D) Law of conservation of energy

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73. The unit of electric charge is what?

A) Joule
B) Coulomb
C) Volt
D) Ohm

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74. A wave’s speed is calculated using which formula?

A) v = fλ
B) v = A/T
C) v = m/a
D) v = E/P

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75. The refractive index of a medium is defined as what?

A) The ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the medium
B) The ratio of wavelength in vacuum to wavelength in the medium
C) The angle of incidence to the angle of refraction
D) None of the above

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76. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a solid?

A) Definite shape
B) Definite volume
C) Compressible
D) Incompressible

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77. The process of changing from a gas to a liquid is called what?

A) Evaporation
B) Sublimation
C) Condensation
D) Freezing

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78. The formula for calculating the gravitational potential energy is what?

A) PE = mgh
B) PE = mv^2
C) PE = Fd
D) PE = 1/2 kx^2

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79. The speed of sound in air is primarily affected by what?

A) Humidity
B) Temperature
C) Pressure
D) All of the above

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80. The direction of a magnetic field is defined by what?

A) The direction of the force on a positive charge
B) The direction of current flow
C) The direction of electron movement
D) All of the above

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81. The principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be what?

A) Created or destroyed
B) Converted
C) Transferred
D) Increased

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82. What is the SI unit of frequency?

A) Hertz
B) Joule
C) Watt
D) Newton

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83. In which of the following processes does heat transfer occur without physical movement of the material?

A) Convection
B) Conduction
C) Radiation
D) All of the above

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84. Which wave property is related to the energy of the wave?

A) Wavelength
B) Frequency
C) Amplitude
D) Speed

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85. In the context of electric circuits, what does EMF stand for?

A) Electromotive force
B) Electromagnetic field
C) Electrostatic method
D) Electric motor frequency

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86. The kinetic energy of an object is given by which formula?

A) KE = 1/2 mv^2
B) KE = mv
C) KE = mgh
D) KE = 1/2 kx^2

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87. What is the primary reason for the seasons on Earth?

A) Distance from the sun
B) Earth’s rotation
C) Earth’s axial tilt
D) Solar activity

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88. Which of the following best describes a scalar quantity?

A) Has both magnitude and direction
B) Has only direction
C) Has only magnitude
D) Can be either magnitude or direction

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89. The phenomenon of diffraction is best described as what?

A) Bending of light around obstacles
B) Reflection of light off a surface
C) Separation of light into colors
D) Change in speed of light

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90. The unit of force is defined as what?

A) Joule
B) Newton
C) Watt
D) Pascal

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91. What is the effect of increasing the area of a piston in a hydraulic system?

A) Decreases pressure
B) Increases pressure
C) Allows for greater force
D) Reduces force

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92. Which type of electromagnetic radiation has the highest frequency?

A) Radio waves
B) Infrared
C) Visible light
D) Gamma rays

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93. Which of the following is true about the acceleration of an object in free fall?

A) It is zero
B) It is constant
C) It decreases as it falls
D) It increases with altitude

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94. The total momentum of a system remains constant in the absence of what?

A) External forces
B) Internal forces
C) Friction
D) Gravity

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95. Which of the following best describes an elastic collision?

A) Total kinetic energy is conserved
B) Total momentum is not conserved
C) Kinetic energy is lost
D) All of the above

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96. What is the primary factor that determines the resistance of a conductor?

A) Length
B) Cross-sectional area
C) Material
D) All of the above

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97. The law of universal gravitation states that every mass attracts every other mass with a force that is proportional to what?

A) The square of the distance
B) The product of their masses
C) The sum of their masses
D) Their individual volumes

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98. What type of wave does not require a medium to travel?

A) Sound wave
B) Water wave
C) Light wave
D) Seismic wave

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99. The phase change from liquid to gas is called what?

A) Condensation
B) Evaporation
C) Freezing
D) Sublimation

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100. The measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance is what?

A) Temperature
B) Heat
C) Energy
D) Pressure

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