Lesson 5.2.2

5.2.2 Centripetal force Quiz: OCR Physics, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 5.2.2, Centripetal force: 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Physics (H156), Unit 4: Newtonian world and astrophysics, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What motion results from a constant net force acting perpendicular to velocity?

    • Oscillatory motion
    • Linear motion
    • Circular motion
    • Parabolic motion

  2. What is the direction of centripetal force during uniform circular motion?

    • Away from centre
    • Along the tangent
    • Opposite to velocity
    • Towards the centre

  3. An object moves in a circle of radius 2.0 m at speed 4.0 m/s. What is its centripetal acceleration?

    • 16 m/s^2
    • 2.0 m/s^2
    • 8.0 m/s^2
    • 0.5 m/s^2

  4. A 0.50 kg object moves at 4.0 m/s in a circle of radius 2.0 m. What is the centripetal force?

    • 16 N
    • 2.0 N
    • 4.0 N
    • 8.0 N

  5. An object moves in a circle of radius 0.50 m with angular velocity 3.0 rad/s. What is its centripetal acceleration?

    • 4.5 m/s^2
    • 1.5 m/s^2
    • 0.17 m/s^2
    • 9.0 m/s^2

  6. What property of velocity changes due to centripetal acceleration?

    • Direction only
    • Magnitude only
    • Neither
    • Both magnitude and direction

  7. What provides the centripetal force for a satellite orbiting Earth?

    • Thrust
    • Tension
    • Gravity
    • Friction

  8. What provides the centripetal force on a whirling bung on a string?

    • Friction
    • Tension
    • Air resistance
    • Gravity

  9. The speed of an object in a circle of radius r with angular speed omega is:

    • omega r
    • omega/r
    • r/omega
    • omega^2 r

  10. A 0.20 kg mass moves at angular speed 5.0 rad/s in a circle of radius 0.30 m. What is the centripetal force?

    • 1.5 N
    • 7.5 N
    • 0.03 N
    • 0.3 N

  11. If the speed of an object moving in a circle is doubled, with mass and radius fixed, the centripetal force:

    • is unchanged
    • is halved
    • is multiplied by 2
    • is multiplied by 4

  12. If the radius of the circle is halved at the same speed and mass, the centripetal force:

    • is unchanged
    • doubles
    • halves
    • quadruples

  13. Which expression gives the centripetal force on an object of mass m and speed v in a circle of radius r?

    • mv^2/r
    • m v^2 r
    • mv/r^2
    • m r/v^2

  14. A car of mass 1000 kg takes a bend of radius 50 m at 15 m/s. What friction force is needed?

    • 750 N
    • 4500 N
    • 225 N
    • 3.0 x 10^4 N

  15. A ball on a string of radius 0.50 m has period 2.0 s. What is its centripetal acceleration?

    • 2.5 m/s^2
    • 4.9 m/s^2
    • 0.25 m/s^2
    • 9.9 m/s^2

  16. A car on a bend of radius 30 m can have at most 3000 N of friction. Its mass is 1000 kg. What is its maximum safe speed?

    • 9.5 m/s
    • 90 m/s
    • 15 m/s
    • 3.0 m/s

  17. What effect does Earth's gravity have on a satellite in circular orbit?

    • Increases its speed
    • Reduces its mass
    • Decreases its speed
    • Changes direction only

  18. A whirling bung has its string length halved, with the same speed and mass. The tension in the string:

    • doubles
    • quadruples
    • is unchanged
    • halves

  19. What is the work done by centripetal force during circular motion?

    • Positive
    • Variable
    • Negative
    • Zero

  20. If angular speed is doubled and radius halved, the centripetal force on a fixed mass:

    • halves
    • doubles
    • is unchanged
    • quadruples

All OCR Physics quizzes