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Laws and Theories of Physics Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Laws and Theories of Physics Quizzes, Trivia

Laws and Theories of Physics Trivia

Laws and Theories of Physics Trivia Quizzes

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10 quizzes and 100 trivia questions.
1.
  Ohm's Lore   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
My geek friends and I have designed this quiz to be conducive to the current interest in Ohm and his law. Resistance is expected.
Average, 10 Qns, LilahDeDah, Sep 19 23
Average
LilahDeDah
Sep 19 23
4782 plays
2.
  Gases Are All Around Us!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Gases are all around us, but how well do you know them? This quiz covers their properties, the kinetic theory, the collision theory and their transport phenomena as well. Best of luck and enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, Matthew_07, Dec 27 16
Tough
Matthew_07 gold member
3712 plays
3.
  Relativity From a Relative Layman   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A (relatively) simple quiz covering the background and a few simple applications of Einstein's famous theory.
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Oct 11 22
Tough
uglybird
Oct 11 22
2285 plays
4.
  Laws in Physics    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Remembering all the laws of physics is not an easy task. Here I will give you the statement of various laws in physics and you have to match them with the correct law.
Average, 10 Qns, The_Rubiks, Feb 22 19
Recommended for grades: 12
Average
The_Rubiks
Feb 22 19
256 plays
5.
  Replace Those Units!   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many phenomena in the electrical world can be expressed using one unit, instead of several. For example, a volt/ohm is the same as an ampere. Replace the given units in each question with a single unit.
Tough, 10 Qns, eburge, Nov 03 15
Tough
eburge gold member
929 plays
6.
  Wave Laws in Physics    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz covers laws and properties of waves of the scientific kind.
Average, 10 Qns, SmoothBrain, Jul 27 21
Average
SmoothBrain gold member
Jul 27 21
172 plays
7.
  Gas Laws    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Have you got a quiz or test coming up on Gas Laws in your high school chemistry class? Give this test a shot to test your knowledge thus far on the subject. Please keep in mind "T" "P" "V" stand for temperature, pressure, and volume respectively.
Average, 10 Qns, rgranger01, Jul 22 20
Recommended for grades: 11,12
Average
rgranger01
Jul 22 20
2335 plays
8.
  Who Needs Airbags?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Why do we need airbags? How do cars move? You'd be surprised how many everyday objects and occurrences have their concepts firmly rooted in Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion.
Average, 10 Qns, paradigmx, Nov 10 18
Average
paradigmx
Nov 10 18
1086 plays
9.
  Theories of Matter    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is on early and more recent theories about matter and people who created the theories. I hope you learn something new!
Difficult, 10 Qns, Lanire, Jul 03 13
Difficult
Lanire
3176 plays
10.
  Kinetic Theory of Gases and Related Laws    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz will test your understanding of the gas laws you may have studied in either chemistry or physics. A couple or more numerical problems are included, so a pen and and paper may be handy.
Tough, 10 Qns, pokho, Jul 14 19
Tough
pokho
Jul 14 19
179 plays
trivia question Quick Question
When a wave travels from one material into another, the speed or phase velocity can often change. What best describes this phenomenon?

From Quiz "Wave Laws in Physics"





Laws and Theories of Physics Trivia Questions

1. When a beam of white light experiences dispersion, the result is light which shows all of the colors in a rainbow. Through which device is this most commonly demonstrated?

From Quiz
Wave Laws in Physics

Answer: a prism

A prism is the device most commonly used; the famous artwork for the cover of the Pink Floyd album 'The Dark Side of The Moon' demonstrates this effect. Primaquine is a medicine used to treat malaria, a Pringle is an individual potato snack marketed by Kellogg's, and prindle is the pronunciation for the initials that make up the gears on an automatic transmission (park, reverse, neutral, drive, and low [gear]).

2. Which single unit can replace ohms x farads?

From Quiz Replace Those Units!

Answer: seconds

Resistance is measured in ohms, and capacitance is measured in farads. The formula for finding the time constant, tau τ, is resistance multiplied by capacitance. Thus, an ohm-farad is a second.

3. What was Newton's first law?

From Quiz Who Needs Airbags?

Answer: The law of inertia

Newton's first law, that of inertia, states that an object in motion tends to remain in motion, unless acted upon by another force. For example, in a car crash, the car is brought to a sudden stop. However, YOU continue moving forward until another force acts upon you -- hopefully, the airbag!

4. The equation PV=nRT shows the relationship between a variety of gas properties. What is this equation called?

From Quiz Gas Laws

Answer: Ideal Gas Law

The ideal gas law has 5 variables. Given 4 of the variables, it is possible to determine a fifth variable. Pressure x Volume = Moles x Gas Constant x Temperature

5. What can you replace amperes x ohms with?

From Quiz Replace Those Units!

Answer: volts

Current is measured in amperes, and resistance in ohms. Ohm's Law states that the current multiplied by resistance gives the voltage (or potential difference). Thus, an ampere-ohm is equal to a volt.

6. Inertia is the tendency of objects to remain in motion. But in a car crash, all of the air in a car stays in place without moving! Does this mean that air doesn't have inertia?

From Quiz Who Needs Airbags?

Answer: No; the air did move forward during the crash -- you just didn't notice it.

All objects with matter have inertia. Period, no questions asked. Since the air has an extremely small mass compared to, say, the car, it moves forward relatively little, but the air DID move forward.

7. In the equation PV=nRT what value does the "R" always have if the pressure is measured in Atmospheres and the temperature measured in Kelvin?

From Quiz Gas Laws

Answer: 0.0821

The variable "R" in the ideal gas law always will be the same if the pressure is measured in ATM and the temperature is measured in Kelvin. "R" is known as the gas constant.

8. Who was a Greek that severely criticized the theory of atoms in continuous motion and proposed the four-element theory of matter?

From Quiz Theories of Matter

Answer: Aristotle & Aristoteles

The thory was based on the idea that all matter is made up of four basic substances: earth, water, air, and fire. Aristotle and his followers believed that each of these basic substances had different combinations of four specific qualities: dry, moist, cold, and hot.

9. The peak distance of a wave from the equalibrium position is known by what term?

From Quiz Wave Laws in Physics

Answer: amplitude

The amplitude describes the distance of a wave from the equalibrium state. The period is the length of a full wave measured in time while wavelength is the full length measured in distance. Frequency is the number of wave crests passing a point in a specific time, often measured in hertz which represent one wave passing in one second.

10. Tesla x metres^2 can be expressed as a single unit. What is it?

From Quiz Replace Those Units!

Answer: weber

Magnetic field strength is measured in tesla, and cross-sectional area in square metres. Magnetic flux density is calculated by multiplying the magnetic field strength with the cross sectional area, and is measured in webers. Therefore, a tesla-square metre is equal to a weber.

11. Boyle's law relates the way two gas properties change when another property remains the same. What are the two changing properties in Boyle's law?

From Quiz Gas Laws

Answer: Pressure and volume

Boyle's law relates the pressure and the volume of a gas as long as the temperature remains constant.

12. When writing a formula, resistance is expressed in ohms. What symbol is used for this unit?

From Quiz Ohm's Lore

Answer: The Greek letter "Omega"

Ohms are symbolized by the upper-case Greek letter omega. Although most Greek letters have been commandeered for use by scientists, omicron has mostly escaped this fate because it resembles an "O" and would be confusing in formulae.

13. Despite the implications of Einstein's special theory of relativity, research into the nature of the medium in which electromagnetic waves traveled continued. What did Einstein claim his theory implied regarding this medium?

From Quiz Relativity From a Relative Layman

Answer: If the medium existed, it would not be possible to detect it.

Michelson never accepted relativity and continued to conduct additional experiments using refined versions of the original apparatus. Even after Michelson's death in 1931, Kennedy and Thorndike conducted one additional similar experiment in 1932.

14. Viewing an eclipse, casting a shadow, and observing a partially submerged object changing its visual shape are all experiments that can be done to observe rectilinear propagation of light waves. What does rectilinear propagation of light mean?

From Quiz Wave Laws in Physics

Answer: The tendency for light waves to travel in a straight line

Light waves tend to travel in a straight line. When viewing the partially submerged object, it appears to bend in the water because the density of air and water are different, and therefore the speed of light is different in each medium.

15. Coulombs x volts is the same as which unit?

From Quiz Replace Those Units!

Answer: joules

Charge is measured in coulombs, and voltage is measured in volts. Work is calculated by multiplying charge by voltage. Hence, a coulomb-volt is equal to a joule.

16. Newton's final law states that every action...

From Quiz Who Needs Airbags?

Answer: has an equal and opposite reaction.

Newton's third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. For example, if I am in a rolling chair and I push the desk, the desk pushes back on me, resulting in backwards motion.

17. Charles's Law is also known by which name?

From Quiz Gas Laws

Answer: Law of volumes

Charles's Law is named for Jacques Charles who carried out experiments in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He described how gases expanded when heated and contract when they cool.

18. Georg Ohm gave his name to the unit of electrical resistance. What are the first names of the men after whom other important properties of capacitance and inductance are named?

From Quiz Ohm's Lore

Answer: Joseph and Michael

The unit of inductance is called the henry, after Joseph Henry (1797-1878), American physicist and first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The unit of capacitance is called the farad, after Michael Faraday (1791-1867), British inventor of the electric motor, the dynamo, the transformer, and the generator. One farad is equivalent to one coulomb of stored charge per volt of applied potential difference. (Are you wondering what a coulomb is? Have you ever also wondered what the name of one unit of trivia is? Yes, these are things that make you go "Ohmmmm"...)

19. What did J.J. Thomson use in order to measure the mass of the atom and its electric charge in 1897?

From Quiz Theories of Matter

Answer: cathode ray tube

J.J. Thomson (1856-1940) used the most primitive tool of the listed above since he could not have an electronic microscope or a mass spectrometer at the time. CANDU is a Canadian-designed nuclear reactor system.

20. When standing and unmoving as a police car goes by with their siren on, you'll hear a change in the pitch of the siren. This observed change of frequency in relation to position of a sound wave is an effect named after what Austrian physicist?

From Quiz Wave Laws in Physics

Answer: Christian Doppler

Christian Doppler originally stated this phenomenon as a way to explain the color of binary stars, first described in 1842. The other choices are scientists known more for their works in chemistry rather than wave physics.

21. What can replace newtons / (amperes x metres)?

From Quiz Replace Those Units!

Answer: tesla

Force is measured in newtons, current in amperes, and distance in metres. Force can be calculated using the formula F=BIl, where F is the force, B is the magnetic field strength, I is the current, and l is the distance. Rearranging this for B, we find that a newton per ampere-metre is a tesla.

22. Dalton's Law of Partial Pressure can best be shown by an equation by: (P-1 is the pressure of the first gas)

From Quiz Gas Laws

Answer: P-1 + P-2 + P-3 = P-total

John Dalton created this law showing that the sum of all the gas pressures is equivalent to the total pressure.

23. The inverse of an ohm was once commonly known as a mho. What is the unit of measurement for conductance in today's jargon?

From Quiz Ohm's Lore

Answer: Siemens

Mho is the the inverse of a resistance, in other words 1/r. If we look at our now-familiar formula V=IR, we see that it could also be configured as I=V/r = I=V*(1/r), which is I=V*Mho German electrical engineer Werner von Siemens did some studies with this and the unit was renamed after him. (It is interesting to note that while the unit is now called a siemens, "mho" is still a viable Scrabble word, and I encourage its use as such.)

24. When a wave travels from one material into another, the speed or phase velocity can often change. What best describes this phenomenon?

From Quiz Wave Laws in Physics

Answer: refraction

The amount of refraction that occurs is defined by the refractive index of the material. Reflection occurs when a wave bounces off a surface. Diffraction happens when a wave encounters an obstacle and its path is disturbed. Magna fluctus is the Latin phrase for a large wave.

25. What is coulombs / seconds the same as?

From Quiz Replace Those Units!

Answer: amperes

Charge is measured in coulombs, and time is measured in seconds. Current is equal to charge divided by time, and so one coulomb per second will produce one ampere of current.

26. While the the more well-known parts of Newton's laws (inertia, f=ma, and equal reactions), a lesser known part of Newton's first law stated that all objects that have mass have inertia and what else?

From Quiz Who Needs Airbags?

Answer: gravitation

While it's true that all objects with mass have density, volume and gravitation, Newton's first law states gravitation specifically. What Newton means is that every object has some degree of influencing objects around it. A rock will not have as much as, say, the Earth, but it's still something.

27. What was Einstein's original choice for a name for his theory?

From Quiz Relativity From a Relative Layman

Answer: The theory of invariants

Einstein sought to determine what was invariant in all reference frames. Accordingly, Einstein's original title for his theory was the "Theory of Invariants". (Max Planck persuaded Einstein to change it to the "Theory of Relativity.") Einstein is often wrongly quoted as having said, "Everything is relative." He did not. In fact, Einstein became disenchanted with quantum theory in large measure because of the inherent uncertainty that quantum theory requires. After completing his work on relativity, Einstein spent the rest of his career unsuccessfully attempting to devise a "unified field theory" that would explain all known forces and banish Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.

28. What type of particles did Ernest Rutherford use in his 1911 experiment with gold foil?

From Quiz Theories of Matter

Answer: alpha particles

Alpha particle is basically the nucleus of a helium atom produced by radioactive decay of uranium.

29. While learning thermal physics and thermochemistry, you are sure to encounter the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution graph. What does the peak of the curve represent?

From Quiz Kinetic Theory of Gases and Related Laws

Answer: Most probable speed

The y-axis represents the number of molecules and the x-axis represents the molecular speed. Consequently , the x-coordinate at the peak would show the speed at which you will find the maximum amount of molecules. The most probable speed can be found by using the following formula: c* = square root of ( 2*R*T/M) where R is the universal gas constant, T is the temperature and M is the molar mass of the gas species concerned.

30. What is the equivalent of amperes^2 x ohms?

From Quiz Replace Those Units!

Answer: watts

Current is measured in amperes, and resistance in ohms. Power is equal to the square of the current multiplied by the resistance. Thus, one ampere-squared per ohm is a watt.

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