Motion Practice Questions
WAEC (West Africa) · WAEC Physics · 143 free MCQs with instant results and detailed explanations.
143
Total
52
Easy
70
Medium
21
Hard
Start Practicing Motion
Take a timed quiz or customize your practice session
Sample Questions from Motion
Here are 10 sample questions. Start a quiz to get randomized questions with scoring.
Q1
Easy
An object moves in a straight line with a constant speed of 20 m/s. How far will it travel in 5 seconds?
A.
100 m
B.
80 m
C.
60 m
D.
40 m
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
The distance traveled can be calculated using the formula: distance = speed × time. Here, distance = 20 m/s × 5 s = 100 m.
Q2
Easy
If a car accelerates from rest to a speed of 30 m/s in 10 seconds, what is its acceleration?
A.
3 m/s²
B.
6 m/s²
C.
5 m/s²
D.
2 m/s²
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
Acceleration can be calculated using the formula: acceleration = (final speed - initial speed) / time. Here, acceleration = (30 m/s - 0 m/s) / 10 s = 3 m/s².
Q3
Easy
A cyclist travels 200 meters in 40 seconds. What is the average speed of the cyclist?
A.
4 m/s
B.
5 m/s
C.
6 m/s
D.
7 m/s
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: B
Average speed can be determined using the formula: average speed = total distance / total time. Here, average speed = 200 m / 40 s = 5 m/s.
Q4
Medium
A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 20 m/s in 5 seconds. What is the distance covered by the car during this time?
A.
50 m
B.
25 m
C.
100 m
D.
10 m
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
The distance covered can be calculated using the formula: distance = initial velocity * time + 0.5 * acceleration * time^2. The acceleration is 4 m/s², leading to a distance of 50 m.
Q5
Medium
An object is thrown vertically upward with an initial speed of 30 m/s. How high does it rise before coming to a momentary stop?
A.
45 m
B.
30 m
C.
90 m
D.
15 m
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
The maximum height can be calculated using the equation: h = (initial velocity)² / (2 * g) where g is approximately 10 m/s². This gives a height of 45 m.
Q6
Medium
A train travels 120 km at 60 km/h and then 80 km at 40 km/h. What is the average speed of the entire journey?
A.
52 km/h
B.
50 km/h
C.
56 km/h
D.
48 km/h
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
Average speed is total distance divided by total time. The total distance is 200 km and the total time is 3 hours, leading to an average speed of 52 km/h.
Q7
Medium
If a cyclist moves with a speed of 5 m/s for 10 seconds and then stops for 5 seconds before continuing at a speed of 2 m/s for another 10 seconds, what is the total distance traveled?
A.
70 m
B.
50 m
C.
60 m
D.
40 m
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: C
The total distance is the sum of distances in both parts of the journey: 50 m while moving at 5 m/s and 20 m while moving at 2 m/s, totaling 60 m.
Q8
Hard
A car accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 25 m/s in 10 seconds. What is the distance covered by the car during this time?
A.
125 m
B.
250 m
C.
200 m
D.
150 m
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
The distance covered by an object under uniform acceleration can be calculated using the formula s = ut + (1/2)at². Here, initial velocity (u) = 0 m/s, final velocity (v) = 25 m/s, and time (t) = 10 s. The acceleration (a) can be determined from v = u + at, giving a = (v - u)/t = 25/10 = 2.5 m/s². Plugging this into the distance formula: s = 0*10 + (1/2)*2.5*(10)² = 125 m.
Q9
Hard
A ball is thrown vertically upward with an initial speed of 20 m/s. Assuming acceleration due to gravity is -10 m/s², what will be the maximum height reached by the ball?
A.
20 m
B.
30 m
C.
40 m
D.
10 m
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
To find the maximum height, we can use the equation v² = u² + 2as where v is the final velocity (0 m/s at the top), u is the initial velocity (20 m/s), and a is the acceleration (-10 m/s²). Rearranging gives 0 = (20)² + 2*(-10)*s. Solving for s yields s = 20 m.
Q10
Hard
Two objects A and B are moving in the same direction with speeds of 20 m/s and 30 m/s, respectively. If object A is 50 m behind object B, how long will it take for object A to catch up with object B?
A.
5 seconds
B.
10 seconds
C.
15 seconds
D.
20 seconds
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: A
The relative speed between the two objects is (30 m/s - 20 m/s) = 10 m/s. To catch up, object A needs to cover the distance of 50 m at the relative speed of 10 m/s. The time taken can be calculated using the formula: time = distance / speed = 50 m / 10 m/s = 5 seconds.
Showing 10 of 143 questions. Start a quiz to practice all questions with scoring and timer.
Practice All 143 Questions →Other WAEC (West Africa) Subjects
Motion — WAEC (West Africa) WAEC Physics Practice Questions Online
This page contains 143 practice MCQs for the chapter Motion in WAEC (West Africa) WAEC Physics. The questions are organized by difficulty — 52 easy, 70 medium, 21 hard — so you can choose the right level for your preparation.
Every question includes a detailed explanation to help you understand the concept, not just memorize answers. Take a timed quiz to simulate exam conditions, or practice at your own pace with no time limit.