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Physics entrance exam, 2018 E.C. (2026)

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in Physics, as students sat it in 2018 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation.

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  • Natural science stream

    Who sits it

  • 2018 E.C. (2026)

    Exam year

  • 55 questions with answers

    In this set

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Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact textbook section, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 2

During a charging process by induction, a positively charged rod is brought closed to a neutral metal sphere mounted on an insulated stand without touching it. Then, the metal sphere:

  1. A.becomes positively charged, whenever it is grounded.
  2. B.loses some electrons, whenever it is grounded.
  3. C.gains some electrons, whenever it is grounded.
  4. D.gains some protons whenever it is grounded.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C gains some electrons, whenever it is grounded.

Why

During induction, when a positively charged rod is brought near a neutral metal sphere and the sphere is grounded, free electrons from the ground flow to the sphere to neutralize the positive charge on the side opposite the rod, making the sphere gain electrons.

Question 3

A positively charged rod is brought near to a neutral electroscope A and a negatively charged rod is brought near to a neutral electroscope B. What will happen to the gold foils of the electroscopes? The gold foils of:

  1. A.both electroscopes attract each other.
  2. B.both electroscopes repel each other.
  3. C.electroscope A repels and that of B attracts each other.
  4. D.electroscope A attract and that of B repels each other.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B both electroscopes repel each other.

Why

When any charged rod (whether positive or negative) is brought near a neutral electroscope, charges are induced on the leaves. Since both leaves receive like charges, they repel each other.

Question 4

A particle moving with a speed of v0 to the right starts accelerating uniformly with acceleration a. The total distance covered by the particle during the time interval t is s. Assuming the right direction is positive, which one of the following equations enables us to calculate the time t in terms of v0, a and s?

  1. A.t= [ -v0+ √(v02+ 2as) ] /a
  2. B.t= [ -v0+ √(v02+ 2as) ] / 2a
  3. C.t= [v0+ √(v02+ 2as) ] /a
  4. D.t= [v0- √(v02+ 2as) ] / 2a
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A t= [ -v0+ √(v02+ 2as) ] /a

Why

Using the kinematic equation: s = v0t + (1/2)at2. Rearranging gives the quadratic equation: (a/2)t2 + v0t - s = 0. Solving for t using the quadratic formula yields the positive root: t = [ -v0 + √(v02 + 2as) ] / a.

Question 5

The figure shown below represents the position-time graph of uniformly accelerated ball in a straight line. The instantaneous velocity of the ball at point x is equal to: [Figure: A position-time graph with a vertical axis labeled Position (m) and a horizontal axis labeled Time (s). The vertical axis has three marked points from bottom to top: S1, S2, and S3. The horizontal axis has three marked points from left to right: t1, t2, and t3, with dashed vertical lines extending upward from each to a curve. A curved line representing motion starts at position S1 at time t1 and rises to position S3 at time t3. On the curve, a marked point labeled x corresponds to position S2 and time t2, with dashed lines going from point x to S2 on the vertical axis and t2 on the horizontal axis.]

  1. A.the average velocity during the time interval betweent1andt3.
  2. B.the ratio of the position at x (s2) to the timet2.
  3. C.the total distance travelled to the total time,t3-t1.
  4. D.the slope of the tangent line at point x.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D the slope of the tangent line at point x.

Why

By definition, the instantaneous velocity of a moving object at any point on a position-time graph is equal to the slope of the tangent line drawn at that point.

Question 6

A weight of 1000 N suspended from an aluminum wire of length 2.5 m causes a 4.0 × 10-3 tensile strain on the wire. What is the change in length of the aluminum wire?

  1. A.10 cm
  2. B.0.01 cm
  3. C.0.1 cm
  4. D.1 cm
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D 1 cm

Why

Tensile strain is defined as ΔL / L. Therefore, ΔL = strain × L = (4.0 × 10-3) × 2.5 m = 0.01 m = 1 cm.

Question 7

For a coil placed in a variable magnetic field, Lenz's law states that the direction of the induced current in the coil is in such a way as to:

  1. A.oppose the flux change through the coil.
  2. B.make the flux through the coil zero.
  3. C.increase the flux through the coil.
  4. D.decrease the flux through the coil.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A oppose the flux change through the coil.

Why

Lenz's Law states that the direction of the induced current in a conductor is such that it creates a magnetic field opposing the change in the magnetic flux that induced it.

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Physics papers from other years

2017 E.C. (2025)2016 E.C. (2024)2015 E.C. (2023)2014 E.C. (2022)2005 E.C. (2013)

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Are these the real 2018 E.C. Physics entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in Physics that students sat in 2018 E.C. (2026). Our set holds 55 of its questions, each with its answer and an explanation that points back to the textbook.

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Can I download the Physics 2018 E.C. paper as a PDF?

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