Physics Interview Questions

1. What is light year?

Answer - Light year is the unit of length used to measure large astronomical distances or in other word light
year is the distance travelled by the light in vacuum in one Julian year (365.26 days). In km it is equal to 9.46
× 1012.In parsec is equal to 0.406. It is mostly used to measure the Galactic distance.
TIP: You should know how to calculate Light year using simple maths.

2. Why ice floats on water?

Answer - The Reason for ice to float in water is that ice is less dense than water.
Reason for its Less density- As we know, d = 𝑚
𝑉
.Here, density is inversely proportional to volume, so as ice
have more volume occupied than liquid so it is less dense than water. That’s the reason why ice floats on
water.
Tip: Learn and read a little about Icebergs as well, how much portion they are above and below water.

3. Centrifugal and Centripetal force?

Answer – Centripetal Force -The component of force acting on a body in a curvilinear motion directed
towards the centre of axis of rotation.
It is this force which makes the body to follow circular path, if this force is not there then the body will follow
a straight line path.
Centrifugal force is a virtual force and it only exists in presence of centripetal force, to follow Newton’s
Third Law of motion.
Centrifugal force is basically the apparent force equal and opposite to the centripetal force, drawing a body
away from the centre of rotation
It is taken is consideration so that Newton’s 3rd Law do not violate.

4. Newton’s three laws and their applications?

Answer –
Newton’s first law of Motion
It states an object will remain at rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external
force.
1- A ball rolling down a hill keeps rolling until any friction or any external force is applied.
3- A large ball is kept in centre of a room, if no one pushes or pulls the ball it will remain at the same position.
Newton’s Second Law
The rate of change of Linear momentum of a body with time is directly proportional to the net external force
applied on it.
Applied force is directly proportional to Rate of change of momentum.
Which also be written as
F = (𝑚𝑣-𝑚𝑢)
𝑡
F = m (𝑢-𝑢)
𝑡
F = m x a, example with same amount of force pushing a cycle is easier than pushing a car.
Newton’s Third Law
Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Punching a wall, firing a gun, movement of ship.
Tip: There is a common question asked in interview, how does a Ship move ?

5. How does ship move?

Answer - Ship moves by Newton’s third law of motion. The propeller pushes the water backwards with force.
The reaction force acts in forward direction and moves the Ship.
6. How does an object float e.g. - why ship floats?
Answer - It is the concept of density. An object will float on water if it is less dense than water otherwise it
will sink. The same goes to ships, it is because of the fact that Ships have large air space in them which
decreases the average density of the ship less than water and ship can float on water.
As per principle of floatation the weight of water displaced by the ship is equal to the weight of the ship due to
which Ship floats in water.
Tip: The definition of Archimedes’s principle is a very common question , learn it with proper words and also
understand the concept as well.

7. Why is sky blue?

Answer - As per RAYLEIGH’S LAW,
Scattering is inversely proportional to wavelength raised to the power 4
As we know that in VIBGYOR, wavelength is maximum of red colour and minimum of Violet colour.
Hence:
Traffic light STOP signal is of red colour, because red has maximum wavelength so scatters minimum and
can be seen till farthest distance.
When it comes to White light from Sun, it disperses into seven constituent colours out of which
Violet, Indigo and Blue scatter the most in respective order and all these three colours combined together
seem to be blue in colour. Hence sky appears blue in the day.
During the sunrise and sunset, the sun is farthest away from us and since red colour scatters the least – thus
the sky colour seems to be red in colour.
Tip: This answer covers three common questions being asked in Interview

8. How is rainbow formed?

Answer - Rainbow is a splendid phenomenon of nature and a fine example of dispersion of lights.
When a man whose back is toward the sun is watching in the sky, the light rays coming suffer dispersion in
the small raindrops still dinging in the sky and acting like a prism. This leads to formation of concentric rings
called rainbow.
Rainbow is a classic example of Reflection, Refraction and Dispersion.

9. Difference between mass and weight

Answer - Mass is the amount of matter an object contains while weight is the force an object exert on the
ground. Mass is a Scalar quantity and weight is a vector quantity. Mass unit is Kilogramme and weight unit is
Kgf. Mass is measured using Beam balance and weight is measured using Spring Balance.

10. What is atmospheric pressure?

Answer - The pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere on Earth is known as atmospheric pressure its
value is 10, 1325 Pascal (14.69 pounds per sq. Inch) at Sea level.
Effect on pressure with altitude:
Pressure always decreases with increase in height this is because at higher altitudes there are fewer molecules
or less molecules as compared to that at sea level.
. °. One observed phenomenon
- At higher altitudes, we have a difficulty in breathing. This is because of the low atmospheric pressure.
Type of Atmospheric layers –
- Troposphere – ( the lowest part of atmosphere the part in which we live)
- The stratosphere – up to 50km from troposphere(region in which ozone layer lies)
- The mesosphere
- Thermosphere and Ionosphere
- The Exosphere

11. On increasing height, what happens to atmospheric pressure & boiling point?
Answer - Atmospheric pressure and boiling point both decreases with increase in height.
 Tip: Where does food cook faster on land or mountain? What is the role of pressure cooker? These are a few
Common questions that need to be understood well and are related to this concept.

12. Speed of sound in vacuum

Answer - Sound require medium to travel. Sound cannot travel in vacuum thus zero.
Tip: What is the speed of sound in solids? What is speed of sound in Liquids? What is speed of sound in gas?

13. Units and definitions of pressure, speed , velocity, acceleration, angular velocity, angular displacement,
angular acceleration ?
Answer –
Pressure is the amount of force acting per unit area. Its SI unit is Pascal. It’s a scalar quantity.
Speed is the change in position per unit time with no defined direction. It’s a scalar quantity.
Velocity is the change in position per unit time with a defined direction. It’s a vector quantity.
Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes. It’s a vector quantity.
Angular velocity is the rate of change of angular position of a rotating body.
Angular displacement is the angle in radians through which a point or line rotates in a specified sense about a
specified axis.
Angular acceleration is the rate at which angular velocity changes.
Tip: Most of the students have weak basic concepts regarding this topic.

14. Difference between interference and diffraction

Answer –
Diffraction – Phenomenon that occurs when a wave encounter an obstacle or a slit,
Bending of wave around the corners of an obstacle like ray of light from under the door.
Interference- In which two waves superimpose to form a resultant wave of greater, lower or of same
amplitude.
Tip: Do you know practical example of Diffraction and Interference?

15. What is wave and particle nature of light?

Answer –
Light as a particle
The emission of free electrons from a metal surface when the light is induced on it, is called photoemission or
photo electric effect. This effect led to the conclusion that light is made up of packets or quantum energy.
E = h*v
Light as a wave
Light is transverse and electromagnetic wave.
The wave nature of light was first illustrated through Diffraction, interference, polarization.
Tip: What is Polarization?

16. What are astronomical units?

Answer - A unit of measurement equal to 149.6 million kilometres that is the mean distance from the centre
of the earth to the centre of the sun.
Some Astronomical units are Astronomical unit (AU), Parsec, Light year.
17. What is the difference between infrared and ultraviolet rays of light?
Answer –
Radiations Freq Range (Hz) Production
Nuclear origin
Gamma Rays 5 x 1020 to 3 x 1019
Radioactivity
X- Ray tube, excitation of
X-Rays 3x 1019 to 1 x 1016
inner shell electrons
Excitation of atoms , arc
UV - Rays 1 x 1016 to 8 x 1014
lamps spark
Excitation of valence e- in
Visible - Rays 8 x 1014 to 4 x 1014
atoms
Vibrations of atoms &
Infrared Rays 4 x 1014 to 1 x 1011
molecules.
Klystron & magnetron
Microwaves 3 x 1011 to 1 x 109
value
Radio frequencies 3 x 109 to 3 x 108 L – C oscillatory circuit

Properties & uses of EM radiations

Gamma rays = Treatment of cancer &tumour, preservation of food for long time, nuclear reactions.
X- Rays = In surgeries, Investigation of Crystal structure.
UV- rays = Absorbed by ozone layer, detection of finger prints in forensic labs, in burglar alarms, Surgical
instruments sterilization preservation of food staff.
Visible Light = for seeing the objects, eye surgery (in form of laser)
Infrared Rays = Called heat waves, used un physical theory in solar cells solar water heaters & cookers,
staking photographs during for smoke, used in green house.
Micro waves = Radar Systems, speed of cricket / tennis ball, speed of automobiles.
Radio waves are used in communication systems.
18. What type of mirror is used in vehicles and why?
Answer - Convex mirror is used as a rear view mirror in vehicles because it gives a wide range of image
which allows driver to see most of the traffic behind him.

19. Lenz law?

Answer - Lenz’s law is based on Faraday’s law of induction.
Lenz’s law - It states that when an emf is generated by a change in magnetic flux according to Faraday’s law,
the polarity of the induced emf is such, that it produces a current that its magnetic field opposes the change
which produces it.
E = -𝑑ɸ𝐵
𝑑𝑡
-(ve) sign indicates that the induced emf (e) and the change in magnetic flux (d ɸ B)have opp. Signs.

20. What is potential difference?

Answer – The work done by an external agent in carrying a unit positive test charge from one point to the
other point in an electric field is called the potential difference b/w than points.
VA- VB =𝑤/𝑞
Electric Potential
 Work done by an external agent carrying a unit positive test charge from infinity to a point in the electric
field is called the electric potential at that point ,V= 𝑤/𝑞0
.

21. Draw domestic electric circuit with fan, bulb and heater?
Answer - Tip: Always remember that they are connected in parallel.

22. What is refractive index? Laws of refraction?

Answer - Refractive Index
The ratio of velocity of light in one medium to velocity of light in another medium is known as Refractive
index.
M = 𝑉₁
𝑉₂
It can be defined as a dimensionless no. that describes how fast light can propagate through the material.
1. First law of Refraction states that the Incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal at the point of incidence
all lie in the same plane.
2. Second law of refraction is Snell’s law.
According to Snell’s law the ratio of sine of angle of incidence and refraction of a light wave is constant when
it passes through from one medium to another.
1m2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑖
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑟
In other words it is a formula that describes the relationship b/w angle of incidence &refraction when referring
to light travelling from one medium to another
Absolute Refractive Index = ratio of Velocity of Light in Vacuum to velocity of light in Medium which is
always > 1.

23. Why water in earthen pots remain cool?

Answer - The water kept in an earthen pot remain cool in summer because of evaporation. The earthen pot
has many small holes, water seeps out through them and evaporates from the surface of pot. The energy
needed for evaporation is taken from the water kept in the earthen pot. As a result, water kept in earthen pot
remains cool.

24. Kirchhoff’s law ?

Answer –
Junction law (KCL): It states that the algebraic sum of all the currents meeting at a junction is always zero.
KCL is based on the law of conservation of charge.
Loop law (KVL): The algebraic sum of all the potential differences in a loop or mesh is always zero.
KVL is based on the law of conservation of energy.

25. What is bulk modulus? What is Young’s modulus?

Answer –
Bulk Modulus: The relative change in the volume of a body produced by a unit compressive or tensile stress
acting uniformly over its surface.
Young’s Modulus: It is the ratio between Stress and Strain of a Body. Stress is force per unit area and Strain
is Proportional deformation of an object (change in length/ Total length)

26. What is Mirage and how is it formed?

Answer - The Mirage is caused by total internal reflection of light because of light passing through layer of
air
of different densities. A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend to
produce a displaced image of different objects; it creates the illusion of water in Desert.
Tip: Do you know the definition of Total Internal Reflection.
27. Colours of rainbow
Answer - There are seven colours in a rainbow. These are Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red.

28. What is centre of mass? Does centre of mass shifts when immersed in water?
Answer - The centre of mass of a body is a point, where the whole mass of the body is supposed to be
concentrated.
Centre of mass is the point at which the distribution of mass is equal in all directions and does not depend on
gravitational field. Centre of gravity is the point at which the distribution of weight is equal in all directions
and it does depend on gravitational field.
Centre of gravity shifts when immersed in water and it depends on the shape of the section submerged.

29. Keppler’s Law ?

Answer - Keppler gave three laws of planetary motion:
Law of orbits: Each planet revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit with the sun situated at one of the
two
foci.
Law of Areas: The radius vector drawn from the sun to a planet sweeps out equal area in equal interval of
time i.e. the areal velocity of a planet around the sun is constant.
Law of Periods: The square of the period of revolution of a planet around the sun is directly proportional to
the cube of the semi major axis of its elliptical orbit.

30. Doppler Effect and its application?

Answer - Doppler Effect refers to the change in wave frequency during motion between a wave source and its
observer.
Doppler Effect is used in RADAR to measure the velocity of detected objects. It is also used to measure the
Ship speed.
Tip: How do we measure the depth of sea under the Ship?

31. How will you calculate area of leaf?

Answer - Leaf area meter is a scientific instrument that is specially designed to measure the area of leaves.
This instrument is based on Photometric Technology.

32. Why are warning signs Red in colour?

Answer - Red colour is used for danger signals because as red colour is having the longest wavelength, it is
the least scattered. So, this signal can be seen from a very long distance.

33. Define Density?

Answer - The degree of compactness of a substance is called Density. Density is a measure of mass per
Volume.
Tip: Note the SI and CGS unit of density. What is the density of water? What is the density of Sea water?
What is the density of mercury ? What is the density of iron?

34. What is Specific gravity?

Answer - Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a given reference material.
Specific gravity is another name for Relative density. It is a unitless quantity.
Tip: What is Specific gravity of water , sea water, iron , mercury ?

35. Difference between ‘g’ and ‘G’?

Answer - ‘g’ is acceleration due to gravity, its value is 9.81 m/sec2. It is the acceleration gained by an object
 which falls under the influence of gravity. 'G' is the force of attraction between two objects of unit masses and
separated by unit distance. It is universal gravitational constant which is equal to 6.67 * 10^(-11) Nsq.m/sq.kg.

36. How is Fog formed?

Answer - Fog forms when cold air moves over warm water due to which water vapour in the air condenses to
form tiny droplets or crystals in the air. That’s the reason, fog happens when it is humid.

37. What is mach number related to ? What is value of 1 Mach?

Answer - Mach number is the ratio of the velocity of an object to the velocity of sound in the surrounding
medium.
Value of 1 Mach is the speed of sound under normal atmospheric conditions i.e. 344m/s.
Mach is used to measure the speed of jets.

38. What happens on heating a hollow metal sheet?

Answer - On heating a hollow metal sheet the metal will go free expansion due to which the diameter will
decrease and length will increase.

39. What is momentum?

Answer - The amount of motion occurring in a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.
p=m.v. It is a Vector quantity.

40. What is angular momentum?

Answer - The amount of rotation of a body, which is the product of its moment of inertia and its angular
velocity.
L=mv/r or m x angular velocity

41. What is acceleration due to gravity?

Answer - Acceleration due to gravity is the rate at which an object changes its velocity due to the force of
gravity.
It is represented by 'g' which is equal to 9.8 m/s^2.

42. What do you mean by free fall?

Answer - Free fall is the downward movement under the force of gravity only.

43. What is total internal reflection ?

Answer - When a ray of light travels in from denser medium to rarer medium and strikes on the surface gets
reflected completely to the same medium is called Total Internal Reflection.
The phenomenon occurs if the angle of incidence is greater than a certain limiting angle which is called
critical angle.

44. What is difference between distance and displacement?

Answer - Distance is the length of the path taken by an object whereas displacement is the shortest distance
between the initial and final position of the object. Distance changes with path taken whereas Displacement
will always be the same, as there can be only one shortest route. Distance is a Scalar quantity and
Displacement is a Vector quantity.

45. What are work, power and energy?

Answer - Work is said to be done when a force is applied to an object and we see a significant change in the
position of the object that is Work done = Force X Displacement.
In physics we can define energy as the capacity to do work.
The unit of work and energy is joule which is named in honour of James Prescott Joule.
 Power can be defined as the rate at which work is done or work done per unit time. Its unit is watt (Joule/sec)
Tip – What is the value of 1 Horse Power and what is the value of 1 Kilowatt?

46. Time period of a pendulum ?

Answer - A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. Time period of a
pendulum is the time taken by a pendulum to complete one revolution.

47. When will be time period of pendulum be infinity and why?

Answer – Time period of a pendulum is infinity when value of g is 0.
Tip – Find out the formula for calculating Time period of a pendulum ?

48. What is Archimedes’s principle?

Answer - Archimedes' principle is fundamental to fluid mechanics. It states that when an object is fully or
partially immersed in fluid, it experiences a force acting upwards called buoyant force which is equal to the
weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
Tip: What is a Fluid? Does up thrust force acts on us on Earth?

49. What is law of floatation?

Answer - When an object displaces a weight of water equal to its own weight, it floats. This is called the
principle of flotation.

50. Where will food cook faster, on hill or land? Why?

Answer - On hill there is decrease in air pressure which causes decrease in boiling temperature because of
which it takes more time to cook at hilly areas or high altitudes as compared to plain land.
Tip: Concept of Pressure cooker is also very important.

51. What are different types of lenses?

Answer - There are three types of lenses: Concave, Convex and normal lens.

52. Difference between convex and concave lens?

Answer - Convex lens are converging lens and concave lens are diverging lens
Convex lens is thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges while concave lens is thinner in the middle and
Thicker at the edges.

53. Types of mirror & their uses?

Answer - There are three types of mirror: Concave mirror, convex mirror and Plane mirror
Concave mirrors are used in reflecting telescope, make-up mirror and shaving mirror.
Convex mirrors are used as rear view mirror in vehicles, spying mirror and street light reflectors.
Plane mirror is used as looking glass, used in solar cookers and kaleidoscope.

54. Open a refrigerator and leave the room, will the room become cool or hot ?
Answer - If we open a refrigerator and leave the room, the first rush of cold air may cool things down a little,
but in the long run, the room will get warmer. In this case heat is merely recycled from the room into the
refrigerator, then back into the room. Due to the constant running of the compressor the net room temperature
in the room would increase.

55. Relationship between wavelength, frequency & velocity?

Answer - Wavelength = Velocity/Frequency
1. Pendulam based question
2. Heisenberg Theorem
3. Bernoulli s theorem
4. Concept related to pressure cooker
5. Why ship doesn't sink
6. How plane fly
7. Lenz’s law
8. One question from Torque
9. Doppler effect
10. Radar
11. Boyle law
12. Charles law
13. Range of thermometer
14. Pressure cooker question
15. What is principle of lightening and. What happens to the temp. During lightening
16. 9. What is magnetic flux
17. 10. What is myopia
18. 11. Principle of pressur cooker
19. 12. Fleming left and right hand rule .
20. Pressure cooker
21. ohm's law, specific heat capacity,latent heat,unit of inductance,unit of capacitance.
22. How ship floats?
23. What decreases the density of the ship?
24. What is the formula of gravitational force?
25. What is the value of ‘g’?
26. What is the name of the speed that is responsible to leave the Earth. ? ( Escape velocity )
27. What is the formula of Escape velocity.
28. Equation of parabola
29. Why clouds burst.
30. Law of floatation.
31. Law of gravitation.
32. Static current
33. Avogadro law(brief)
34. Pascal's law
35. Boyant force
36. What is boyles law.
37. What is resonance in physics
38. What is static electricity?
39. What is boyles law?
40. What is archimedies principal
41. Law of floatation.
42. How pressure varies as we go down in a liquid.
43. What is Pitch, amplitude,Knote, Frequency, and wave?
44. What is magmatic field?
45. What is magnetic flux?
46. Tell me rate of change in magnetic flux?
47. Relation between intensity and amplitude?
48. What is magnetic field line?
49. What is Lenz law?
50. What is Archimedes principle? And its application.
51. Latent heat
52. Rectifiers
53. Semiconductors
54. Resistance
55. Difference between evaporation and boiling
56. latent heat
57. What is Archimedes principle and its application?
58. Difference between evaporation and boiling
59. What is Ideal gas.
60. All the three gas laws
61. How does aeroplane fly
62. Pascal's law
63. Working of pressure cooker
64. Questions on density
65. Boyles law
66. Bernoulli’s Theorem
67. Charl’s law
68. Bernoulli principal and Application
69. Charl’s law and Application
70. Right hand thumb principal
71. What is Heisenberg’s principle ?
72. How does the seasons occur ?
73. What is your weight and mass ?
74. What is Doppler’s Effect?
75. What is Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?
76. What is Boyle’s and Charle’s Law? Give day to day example?
77. What is Bernoulli’s Principle?
78. What is Archimedes Principle?
79. How waves form?
80. How does wind blow?
81. Archimedes principal
82. Why stars Twinkle
83. Why sky is blue
84. What is atmospheric pressure?
85. Why food cooks faster in pressure cooker?
86. What is bernoulli's principles?
87. Right hand thumb principal
88. Charls law and Application
89. Bernoulli principal and Application
90. Difference between mass and weight ?
91. Some questions on ac and dc current
92. Some pressure related questions
93. Archimedes principal
94. How does an object float
95. Unit of resistance
96. Why do start twinkle
97. Bernoulli theorem
98. Ideal gas law
99. What is π and how will you define it in terms of radians and what does it signify
100. Fleming left and right hand rule.
101. Principle of pressure cooker
102. What is myopia
103. What is magnetic flux
104. What is principle of lightening and what happens to the temperature. During listening.
105. Range of thermometer
106. Radar