Lesson 3.4.1.4

3.4.1.4 Projectile motion Quiz: AQA Physics, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.4.1.4, Projectile motion: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Physics (7408), Unit 4: Mechanics and materials, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In projectile motion without air resistance, what happens to the horizontal velocity?

    • It decreases to zero
    • It increases steadily
    • It equals the vertical velocity
    • It is constant

  2. What is the vertical acceleration of a projectile in a uniform gravitational field?

    • g/2, downwards
    • g, upwards
    • g, downwards
    • zero

  3. What shape is the path of a projectile without air resistance?

    • a hyperbola
    • a parabola
    • a circle
    • a straight line

  4. How does air resistance vary with speed?

    • It is constant at all speeds
    • It decreases as speed increases
    • It is zero above a threshold speed
    • It increases as speed increases

  5. What is terminal speed?

    • The speed at which the object stops
    • The speed at which drag balances weight so the acceleration is zero
    • The maximum speed of the Earth
    • The speed at which drag is zero

  6. In what direction does drag act on a moving object?

    • In the direction of motion
    • Perpendicular to motion only
    • Vertically downwards only
    • Opposite to the direction of motion

  7. Which statement describes friction qualitatively?

    • It acts in the direction of motion
    • It opposes relative motion between surfaces
    • It increases with decreasing contact
    • It is always zero for rough surfaces

  8. A ball is thrown horizontally at 10 m/s from a cliff 20 m high. Taking g = 10 m/s^2, how long until it lands?

    • 1.4 s
    • 2 s
    • 1 s
    • 4 s

  9. For the ball in the previous case, what horizontal distance does it travel?

    • 40 m
    • 20 m
    • 10 m
    • 5 m

  10. A projectile is launched at 20 m/s at 30 degrees to the horizontal. What is its horizontal velocity component?

    • 10 m/s
    • 23 m/s
    • 17 m/s
    • 20 m/s

  11. For the projectile in the previous case, what is the time of flight on level ground, taking g = 10 m/s^2?

    • 0.5 s
    • 4 s
    • 1 s
    • 2 s

  12. A projectile has initial vertical velocity 10 m/s with g = 10 m/s^2. What is its maximum height?

    • 5 m
    • 2.5 m
    • 20 m
    • 10 m

  13. What is the resultant force on a falling object when it reaches terminal speed?

    • equal to its drag
    • zero
    • increasing steadily
    • equal to its weight

  14. How does air resistance affect the range of a projectile?

    • It increases the range
    • It has no effect on the range
    • It only affects the horizontal velocity by increasing it
    • It reduces the range and the maximum height

  15. Why does a vehicle have a maximum speed?

    • Drag increases with speed until it balances the driving force
    • Its engine loses power at high speed only
    • Its mass increases with speed
    • Friction becomes zero at high speed

  16. A ball is thrown horizontally at 5 m/s from a table 1.25 m high. Taking g = 10 m/s^2, how far horizontally does it travel before landing?

    • 0.5 m
    • 1.25 m
    • 5 m
    • 2.5 m

  17. Two balls are released from the same height at the same instant. One is dropped and one is launched horizontally. Ignoring air resistance, which lands first?

    • The horizontally launched ball lands first
    • The dropped ball lands first
    • They land at the same time
    • It depends on their masses

  18. At what launch angle does a projectile have maximum range on level ground without air resistance?

    • 90 degrees
    • 30 degrees
    • 45 degrees
    • 60 degrees

  19. How does air resistance make the descent of a projectile differ from its ascent?

    • The path is unaffected
    • The descent is steeper and the path is asymmetric
    • The descent is faster than ascent by a fixed amount
    • The descent is shallower and the path is symmetric

  20. A projectile has vertical component 15 m/s. Taking g = 10 m/s^2, how long does it take to reach its highest point?

    • 3.0 s
    • 15 s
    • 0.75 s
    • 1.5 s

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