Preparing for your Post UTME Physics exam?
This post contains a well-organized set of Post UTME Physics past questions and answers to help you study smart and perform excellently in your university screening test. The questions cover major topics such as mechanics, electricity, waves, thermodynamics, and modern physics.
Practice with these questions to strengthen your understanding and boost your exam confidence.
POST-UTME PHYSICS PAST QUESTIONS (1–100)
(Multiple Choice with Answers)
1. The S.I. unit of force is:
A. joule B. watt C. newton D. pascal
Answer: C
2. Which of the following instruments is used to measure mass?
A. Thermometer B. Spring balance C. Beam balance D. Barometer
Answer: C
3. A body at rest has:
A. kinetic energy B. potential energy C. momentum D. velocity
Answer: B
4. What is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth?
A. 8.9 m/s² B. 10.0 m/s² C. 9.8 m/s² D. 9.0 m/s²
Answer: C
5. A scalar quantity has:
A. magnitude and direction
B. magnitude only
C. direction only
D. neither magnitude nor direction
Answer: B
6. Which of these quantities is a vector?
A. Time B. Mass C. Speed D. Displacement
Answer: D
7. The work done when a force of 10N moves a body through 5m is:
A. 2J B. 50J C. 15J D. 5J
Answer: B
8. The power of a machine that does 60J of work in 2 seconds is:
A. 30W B. 120W C. 62W D. 58W
Answer: A
9. What class of lever is a wheelbarrow?
A. First class B. Second class C. Third class D. Neutral
Answer: B
10. The pressure in a liquid increases with:
A. height B. area C. density D. depth
Answer: D
11. The boiling point of pure water at sea level is:
A. 80°C B. 90°C C. 100°C D. 110°C
Answer: C
12. A hydrometer is used to measure:
A. pressure B. temperature C. density D. humidity
Answer: C
13. The fixed points of a Celsius thermometer are:
A. 0°C and 100°C B. 32°F and 212°F C. 273K and 373K D. -10°C and 110°C
Answer: A
14. The total energy in a closed system:
A. increases B. decreases C. remains constant D. becomes zero
Answer: C
15. Heat transfer that does not require a medium is called:
A. conduction B. convection C. radiation D. absorption
Answer: C
16. The unit of electric current is:
A. volt B. ampere C. ohm D. coulomb
Answer: B
17. A transformer works on the principle of:
A. direct current B. electromagnetic induction C. static electricity D. heating effect
Answer: B
18. The device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy is:
A. transformer B. generator C. electric cell D. battery charger
Answer: C
19. Ohm’s law states that:
A. V = IR B. P = IV C. E = mc² D. Q = It
Answer: A
20. The resistance of a wire increases with:
A. decrease in length
B. increase in thickness
C. decrease in temperature
D. increase in length
Answer: D
21. A device that stores electrical energy is:
A. resistor B. transformer C. capacitor D. diode
Answer: C
22. The frequency of a wave is measured in:
A. seconds B. hertz C. meters D. newtons
Answer: B
23. Light travels fastest in:
A. glass B. water C. air D. vacuum
Answer: D
24. The splitting of white light into its components is called:
A. refraction B. reflection C. dispersion D. diffraction
Answer: C
25. Which of the following is a luminous object?
A. Moon B. Mirror C. Sun D. Book
Answer: C
Post UTME Physics Past Questions
26. Which of these has the highest refractive index?
A. Vacuum B. Air C. Glass D. Water
Answer: C
27. The bouncing back of light at a surface is:
A. reflection B. refraction C. dispersion D. polarization
Answer: A
28. In sound waves, regions of high pressure are called:
A. rarefactions B. compressions C. nodes D. antinodes
Answer: B
29. A concave mirror is used in:
A. rearview mirrors B. solar cookers C. eyeglasses D. periscopes
Answer: B
30. The speed of sound in air is about:
A. 100 m/s B. 330 m/s C. 3,000 m/s D. 30,000 m/s
Answer: B
31. An object floats in water if its density is:
A. greater than water
B. less than water
C. equal to water
D. unrelated to water
Answer: B
32. The S.I. unit of pressure is:
A. Newton B. Pascal C. Joule D. Watt
Answer: B
33. The turning effect of a force is known as:
A. energy B. moment C. impulse D. friction
Answer: B
34. What is the period of a simple pendulum that makes 20 oscillations in 10 seconds?
A. 0.2s B. 2s C. 0.5s D. 1s
Answer: C
35. The distance-time graph of a body at constant speed is:
A. a curve B. a horizontal line C. a straight line D. a zigzag
Answer: C
36. Which of the following is not a renewable source of energy?
A. Sun B. Wind C. Coal D. Water
Answer: C
37. A lens that converges light rays is:
A. convex B. concave C. diverging D. plain
Answer: A
38. The law of inertia is also known as:
A. Newton’s second law
B. Newton’s third law
C. Newton’s first law
D. Hooke’s law
Answer: C
39. The area under a velocity-time graph represents:
A. acceleration B. speed C. distance D. force
Answer: C
40. The symbol for resistivity is:
A. ρ B. θ C. ε D. σ
Answer: A
41. Which wave requires a medium to travel?
A. Light B. X-rays C. Sound D. Gamma rays
Answer: C
42. The unit of momentum is:
A. kgm/s B. Nm C. N/s D. J
Answer: A
43. When a body is thrown vertically upward, its acceleration at the highest point is:
A. 10 m/s² downwards B. 0 m/s² C. 10 m/s² upwards D. Infinite
Answer: A
44. Which of these is a thermometric liquid?
A. Water B. Mercury C. Alcohol D. Both B and C
Answer: D
45. A change in momentum is known as:
A. force B. inertia C. impulse D. acceleration
Answer: C
46. Which law states that pressure is transmitted equally in all directions?
A. Hooke’s law B. Pascal’s law C. Boyle’s law D. Charles’ law
Answer: B
47. Which instrument is used to measure electric current?
A. Ammeter B. Voltmeter C. Galvanometer D. Multimeter
Answer: A
48. Which phenomenon explains why stars twinkle?
A. Reflection B. Refraction C. Diffraction D. Scattering
Answer: B
49. What is the function of a fuse in an electric circuit?
A. To increase current
B. To open and close the circuit
C. To protect the circuit from excess current
D. To convert A.C. to D.C.
Answer: C
50. The image formed by a plane mirror is:
A. real and inverted
B. virtual and inverted
C. virtual and upright
D. real and upright
Answer: C
POST-UTME PHYSICS PAST QUESTIONS (51–100)
(Multiple Choice with Answers — General)
51. The resistance of a 2 m long wire is 4 ohms. What is the resistance of 4 m of the same wire?
A. 2 ohms B. 4 ohms C. 6 ohms D. 8 ohms
Answer: D
52. Which law relates the pressure and volume of a gas at constant temperature?
A. Boyle’s Law B. Charles’ Law C. Pascal’s Law D. Newton’s Law
Answer: A
53. The point on a wave where the displacement is minimum is called:
A. crest B. trough C. node D. amplitude
Answer: C
54. What is the mechanical advantage of a machine that lifts a 200N load with a 50N effort?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
Answer: D
55. A vibrating tuning fork produces:
A. heat energy B. mechanical energy C. sound energy D. electrical energy
Answer: C
56. A capacitor stores:
A. charge B. current C. energy D. both A and C
Answer: D
57. In Newton’s third law, the action and reaction forces act:
A. on the same body
B. in the same direction
C. on different bodies
D. perpendicular to each other
Answer: C
58. Which part of the ear detects sound vibrations?
A. Ear canal B. Cochlea C. Eardrum D. Semi-circular canals
Answer: B
59. An electric bell uses:
A. capacitor B. magnet C. electromagnet D. insulator
Answer: C
60. If a wave has a speed of 20 m/s and frequency 5 Hz, its wavelength is:
A. 100 m B. 4 m C. 25 m D. 10 m
Answer: D
61. Which energy conversion occurs in an electric bulb?
A. Electrical to mechanical
B. Electrical to light
C. Mechanical to thermal
D. Electrical to nuclear
Answer: B
62. The escape velocity of an object depends on:
A. acceleration only
B. mass only
C. both mass and radius of the planet
D. friction
Answer: C
63. What is the work done when a force of 5N moves a body 0m?
A. 5J B. 0J C. 10J D. 1J
Answer: B
64. The center of gravity of a regular cone lies:
A. at the tip
B. at the base
C. along the axis, one-quarter from the base
D. along the axis, one-third from the base
Answer: D
65. What is the unit of electric field strength?
A. Nm B. NC⁻¹ C. Am⁻¹ D. Vm
Answer: B
66. Which of the following is not a method of heat transfer?
A. Convection B. Radiation C. Evaporation D. Conduction
Answer: C
67. Which of these devices uses the heating effect of electric current?
A. Transformer B. Electric iron C. Generator D. Photocell
Answer: B
68. The principle of flotation is based on:
A. Archimedes’ principle B. Boyle’s law C. Pascal’s law D. Newton’s second law
Answer: A
69. What is the acceleration of a car that increases its speed from 10 m/s to 30 m/s in 5 seconds?
A. 4 m/s² B. 5 m/s² C. 6 m/s² D. 2 m/s²
Answer: A
70. What is the purpose of a commutator in a DC motor?
A. Reduce resistance
B. Increase voltage
C. Reverse current direction
D. Store charge
Answer: C
71. The main source of the Earth’s magnetic field is:
A. the sun
B. electric storms
C. molten iron in the Earth’s core
D. the oceans
Answer: C
72. Which device measures atmospheric pressure?
A. Thermometer B. Manometer C. Barometer D. Voltmeter
Answer: C
73. When light passes from air into glass, it:
A. speeds up B. slows down C. remains the same D. disappears
Answer: B
74. What type of lens is used to correct long-sightedness?
A. Concave B. Convex C. Plano-concave D. Cylindrical
Answer: B
Most Repeated Post UTME Physics Past Questions
75. A neutral atom becomes a positive ion when it:
A. gains electrons
B. loses electrons
C. gains protons
D. loses protons
Answer: B
76. The image formed by a concave mirror can be:
A. only virtual
B. always erect
C. both real and virtual
D. only diminished
Answer: C
77. An electric circuit with only one path is called a:
A. parallel circuit B. series circuit C. short circuit D. closed circuit
Answer: B
78. Which of these cannot be charged by friction?
A. Plastic rod B. Copper rod C. Rubber rod D. Ebonite rod
Answer: B
79. X-rays are produced by:
A. oscillating charges
B. radioactive decay
C. high-speed electrons striking a metal target
D. heat radiation
Answer: C
80. The energy possessed by a moving object is called:
A. potential energy B. kinetic energy C. thermal energy D. electrical energy
Answer: B
81. Which of these phenomena demonstrates the wave nature of light?
A. Reflection B. Refraction C. Interference D. Rectilinear propagation
Answer: C
82. What happens to current in a series circuit when one component fails?
A. It increases
B. It decreases
C. It stops
D. It continues
Answer: C
83. Which particle is negatively charged?
A. Proton B. Neutron C. Electron D. Positron
Answer: C
84. The number of vibrations per second is called:
A. wavelength B. amplitude C. frequency D. speed
Answer: C
85. The upward force on a body submerged in a fluid is called:
A. tension B. normal reaction C. upthrust D. friction
Answer: C
86. What is the power consumed if 10A flows through a 200V device?
A. 2000W B. 20W C. 2100W D. 10W
Answer: A
87. Which of the following is not an electromagnetic wave?
A. Microwaves B. Infrared C. Gamma rays D. Sound waves
Answer: D
88. A voltmeter is always connected:
A. in parallel B. in series C. in inverse D. in feedback
Answer: A
89. What is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1kg of water by 1°C?
A. 100 J B. 1 J C. 4200 J D. 2400 J
Answer: C
90. If a body is acted upon by a resultant force, it will:
A. remain at rest
B. remain in uniform motion
C. accelerate
D. decelerate
Answer: C
91. The unit of work is:
A. newton B. pascal C. joule D. watt
Answer: C
92. The height-time graph for a free-falling object is a:
A. straight line B. curve C. horizontal line D. vertical line
Answer: B
93. Which energy conversion occurs in a microphone?
A. Electrical to sound
B. Sound to electrical
C. Heat to electrical
D. Sound to light
Answer: B
94. The standard atmospheric pressure is:
A. 760 mmHg B. 820 mmHg C. 680 mmHg D. 800 mmHg
Answer: A
95. In which medium does sound travel fastest?
A. Air B. Water C. Iron D. Vacuum
Answer: C
96. Which of the following is NOT a form of energy?
A. Light B. Time C. Heat D. Sound
Answer: B
97. The electromagnetic spectrum includes all except:
A. infrared B. ultraviolet C. visible light D. seismic waves
Answer: D
98. A lens that spreads light rays is:
A. Convex B. Concave C. Cylindrical D. Plano-convex
Answer: B
99. What is the function of a diode?
A. Store charge
B. Emit light
C. Convert AC to DC
D. Measure resistance
Answer: C
100. Which of these has the shortest wavelength?
A. Radio waves B. Microwaves C. Gamma rays D. Infrared
Answer: C
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Conclusion for Physics POST-UTME Questions
Getting ready for your Physics screening exam requires more than just theory — it demands practical understanding of real exam questions. These 100 Post UTME Physics past questions and answers are drawn from repeated patterns in university entrance tests. Use them to reinforce key principles in mechanics, energy, waves, electricity, and optics. The more you practice, the more confident and prepared you become.