Forces: past paper questions

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• Question 6May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  All the forces acting on three identical beams are shown. Which beams are in equilibrium?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which property of an object never changes when a force acts on the object?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  What is measured by the moment of a force?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Forces are applied to four identical objects. The length of each arrow indicates the magnitude of the force. Which object is in equilibrium?

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• Question 7May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Four blocks are made of the same metal. They have the same volume and weight. They are placed as shown in the diagrams.

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A car is travelling along a straight horizontal road. The speed–time graph is shown. In which labelled part of the journey is the resultant force on the car zero?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Two identical containers, P and Q, are partly filled with different quantities of sand. The position of the centre of gravity for each container is labelled X. Which container is more stable and what is the reason why it is more stable?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a wooden beam PQ which is attached to a wall by a pivot at P and kept in a horizontal position by a vertical rope attached at Q.

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• Question 10Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which situation is not explained by the equation $P=\frac{F}{A}$?

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• Question 8Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a steel sphere falling through a cylinder of oil. Which row indicates what happens to the steel sphere and what happens to the oil as the steel sphere falls?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagrams show four identical objects.

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• Question 7May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the name of the point through which the weight of an object appears to act?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a force $F$ acting at ${90}^{\circ }$ to a bar at a distance $d$ from the point P. Which pair of changes causes the greatest increase in the moment of the force $F$ about the point P?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the unit of the moment of a force?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Four load–extension graphs are shown for a spring. Which graph shows that the load is proportional to the extension?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the point at which the weight of an object appears to act?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a beam balanced on a pivot. Two forces, $X$ and $Y$, are acting on the beam. Which calculation gives the moment of the force $Y$ about the pivot?

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• Question 5May/June 2026, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a bird in flight. The bird is flying in a horizontal direction to the right. In which direction does air resistance act on the bird?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A man holds a ladder in four different positions, pivoting around his shoulder. The weight of the ladder causes a moment about the man’s shoulder. In which position is the moment greatest?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A spring is stretched by adding loads to it. Which diagram shows the extension–load graph for the spring?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An object reaches terminal velocity after being dropped and falling through air. Which graph shows how its speed varies with time?

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• Question 6May/June 2026, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a uniform metre ruler of weight $Q$. Two additional weights, $P$ and $R$, act on the metre ruler. The ruler is balanced horizontally.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows the vertical forces acting on a ball as it falls vertically through the air. The ball does not reach terminal velocity.

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Which moving object has a resultant force acting on it?

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement gives a complete description of any object that is in equilibrium?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about the moment of a force is not correct?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  The momentum of a car changes from $10000\text{ kg m / s}$ to $15000\text{ kg m / s}$ in a time of $8.0\text{ s}$. What is the resultant force acting on the car?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a drawbridge that is attached to a wall by a hinge at one end and a cable at the other. The weight of the drawbridge and the tension in the cable are represented by the labelled arrows in the diagram. There is a third force at the hinge, which is not shown.

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 23Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An $800\text{g}$ mass is suspended from a light spring with a spring constant of $20\text{N/m}$. The mass is pulled down a further $10.0\text{cm}$ from the equilibrium position without the spring going past the limit of proportionality. The mass is then released.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Two forces with magnitudes $F_1$ and $F_2$ act on an object at right angles to each other. What is the magnitude of the resultant force?

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