Lesson 1.1.1

1.1.1 Base and derived quantities, SI units and estimation Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1.1.1, Base and derived quantities, SI units and estimation: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 1: Working as a Physicist, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which of these is a base quantity in the SI system?

    • Electric potential difference
    • Electric charge
    • Electric current
    • Electrical resistance

  2. Which of these is NOT an SI base unit?

    • Kelvin (K)
    • Metre (m)
    • Newton (N)
    • Second (s)

  3. The SI base unit of amount of substance is the:

    • Particle (p)
    • Mole (mol)
    • Kilogram (kg)
    • Atomic mass unit (u)

  4. The coulomb, the SI unit of electric charge, expressed in SI base units is:

    • A s^-1 kg
    • kg m^2 s^-2
    • A s
    • A/s

  5. The SI unit of pressure, written in base units, is:

    • kg m^-1 s^-2
    • kg m^2 s^-2
    • kg m s^-2
    • kg m^-2 s^-2

  6. The SI prefix micro (symbol u) represents a factor of:

    • 10^-6
    • 10^-12
    • 10^-9
    • 10^-3

  7. Which quantity is a derived quantity rather than a base quantity?

    • Length
    • Force
    • Temperature
    • Mass

  8. The SI unit of energy written in base units is:

    • kg m^-1 s^-2
    • kg m s^-2
    • kg m^2 s^-2
    • kg m^2 s^-1

  9. A quantity has SI unit m s^-2. Which quantity is it most likely to be?

    • Frequency
    • Velocity
    • Acceleration
    • Momentum

  10. A student estimates the mass of a family car. Which estimate is most sensible?

    • About 1 x 10^3 kg
    • About 1 x 10^5 kg
    • About 1 x 10^7 kg
    • About 1 x 10^1 kg

  11. Estimate the number of seconds in one year, to the nearest order of magnitude.

    • About 3 x 10^7 s
    • About 3 x 10^6 s
    • About 3 x 10^9 s
    • About 3 x 10^5 s

  12. A ball of radius 4 cm is approximated as a sphere. Which is the best estimate of its volume in m^3?

    • About 2.7 x 10^-2 m^3
    • About 2.7 x 10^-4 m^3
    • About 8.0 x 10^-4 m^3
    • About 2.7 x 10^-6 m^3

  13. A quantity X = F/m is calculated using force in newtons and mass in kilograms. What is the SI unit of X?

    • N kg
    • m s^-2
    • m s^-1
    • kg m s^-2

  14. Express 4.5 km in metres.

    • 450 m
    • 45000 m
    • 0.0045 m
    • 4500 m

  15. The density of water is 1000 kg m^-3. What is this in g cm^-3?

    • 1.0 g cm^-3
    • 1000 g cm^-3
    • 10 g cm^-3
    • 0.001 g cm^-3

  16. Estimate the typical speed of a jogging person in SI units.

    • About 3 m s^-1
    • About 0.3 m s^-1
    • About 30 m s^-1
    • About 300 m s^-1

  17. A student suggests the centripetal force formula F = k m v^2 / r, where k is a dimensionless number. Which statement is correct?

    • The equation is dimensionally consistent, because m v^2 / r has units of N.
    • The equation is consistent only if k has units of newtons.
    • The equation is inconsistent, because m v^2 / r has units of kg m^2 s^-2.
    • The equation is inconsistent, because v^2 cannot appear in a force equation.

  18. Which statement about SI base quantities is correct?

    • Each can be written as a product of the other base quantities.
    • Each one is defined in terms of the newton.
    • They are independent of each other, so none can be written in terms of the others.
    • They apply only to quantities studied in mechanics.

  19. The viscosity eta appears in Stokes' law F = 6 pi eta r v. What are the base units of eta?

    • kg m^-1 s^-2
    • kg m s^-1
    • kg m^-2 s^-1
    • kg m^-1 s^-1

  20. Estimate the time for an object to fall 20 m from rest, taking g = 10 m s^-2.

    • About 0.2 s
    • About 2 s
    • About 4 s
    • About 20 s

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