2026/2027 WAEC/GCE Physics Objective and Essay Questions and Answers
PAPER 1
OBJECTIVE TEST
Time Allowed: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Instructions to Candidates
- Answer all questions.
- Choose the correct option from A–D.
- Use HB pencil where necessary.
- All questions carry equal marks.
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS (1–60)
1. Physics is the study of
A. living things
B. matter and energy
C. chemicals only
D. plants and animals
Answer: B
2. The SI unit of force is
A. Joule
B. Newton
C. Pascal
D. Watt
Answer: B
3. Velocity is defined as
A. distance covered
B. speed in a given direction
C. rate of doing work
D. acceleration per second
Answer: B
4. The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is approximately
A. 5 m/s²
B. 9.8 m/s²
C. 15 m/s²
D. 20 m/s²
Answer: B
5. Which of the following is a scalar quantity?
A. Velocity
B. Force
C. Momentum
D. Mass
Answer: D
6. Work is done when
A. force acts without movement
B. displacement occurs in direction of force
C. energy is destroyed
D. mass increases
Answer: B
7. The unit of power is
A. Newton
B. Joule
C. Watt
D. Pascal
Answer: C
8. The energy possessed by a moving object is
A. potential energy
B. heat energy
C. kinetic energy
D. chemical energy
Answer: C
9. Newton’s first law of motion is also known as the law of
A. acceleration
B. momentum
C. inertia
D. gravitation
Answer: C
10. Friction can be reduced by
A. roughening surfaces
B. lubrication
C. increasing weight
D. heating surfaces
Answer: B
11. The pressure exerted by a liquid depends on
A. colour of liquid
B. depth of liquid
C. shape of container only
D. temperature only
Answer: B
12. Archimedes’ principle deals with
A. floating bodies
B. sound waves
C. magnetism
D. electricity
Answer: A
13. Heat travels through solids mainly by
A. convection
B. radiation
C. conduction
D. reflection
Answer: C
14. The SI unit of temperature is
A. Fahrenheit
B. Celsius
C. Kelvin
D. Joule
Answer: C
15. The boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure is
A. 0°C
B. 50°C
C. 100°C
D. 212°C only
Answer: C
16. Evaporation causes
A. heating
B. cooling
C. expansion
D. condensation
Answer: B
17. Sound cannot travel through
A. solids
B. liquids
C. gases
D. vacuum
Answer: D
18. The speed of light in vacuum is
A. 3×108 m/s3\times10^8\ \text{m/s}
B. 3 × 10⁶ m/s
C. 3 × 10⁴ m/s
D. 3 × 10² m/s
Answer: A
19. A convex lens is used to
A. diverge light rays
B. converge light rays
C. absorb light rays
D. reflect light rays
Answer: B
20. The splitting of white light into colours is called
A. diffraction
B. interference
C. dispersion
D. reflection
Answer: C
21. Electric current is measured using
A. voltmeter
B. ammeter
C. galvanometer
D. hydrometer
Answer: B
2026/2027 WAEC/GCE Physics Objective and Essay Questions and Answers
22. The SI unit of electric current is
A. volt
B. ohm
C. ampere
D. watt
Answer: C
23. Resistance is measured in
A. watts
B. volts
C. ohms
D. amperes
Answer: C
24. Ohm’s law states that
A. current is inversely proportional to voltage
B. voltage is directly proportional to current
C. resistance depends on current
D. power equals current × resistance
Answer: B
25. The device used to step up or step down voltage is
A. motor
B. generator
C. transformer
D. dynamo
Answer: C
26. A fuse protects electrical appliances from
A. low voltage
B. overcurrent
C. overheating only
D. electric field
Answer: B
27. Magnetic field lines around a magnet run from
A. south to north outside the magnet
B. north to south outside the magnet
C. east to west
D. west to east
Answer: B
28. Electromagnetic induction was discovered by
A. Newton
B. Ohm
C. Faraday
D. Archimedes
Answer: C
29. Radioactivity involves the
A. decay of unstable nuclei
B. heating of metals
C. conduction of heat
D. magnetization of iron
Answer: A
30. Alpha particles are
A. electrons
B. helium nuclei
C. electromagnetic waves
D. neutrons only
Answer: B
31. The SI unit of momentum is
A. kg m/s
B. N/m
C. J/s
D. kg/m³
Answer: A
32. Density is mass divided by
A. weight
B. pressure
C. force
D. volume
Answer: D
33. A body moving with constant velocity has
A. positive acceleration
B. negative acceleration
C. zero acceleration
D. infinite acceleration
Answer: C
34. The equation for kinetic energy is
A.
B. P = VI
C. F = ma
D. V = IR
Answer: A
35. The turning effect of a force is called
A. energy
B. torque
C. velocity
D. momentum
Answer: B
36. A machine is said to be 100% efficient if
A. output work > input work
B. output work = input work
C. no friction exists
D. power is constant
Answer: B
37. Latent heat is heat used to
A. increase temperature only
B. change state without temperature change
C. cool substances
D. produce radiation
Answer: B
38. Convection occurs mainly in
A. solids
B. liquids and gases
C. metals only
D. vacuum only
Answer: B
39. The echo principle is applied in
A. radar
B. sonar
C. microscope
D. transformer
Answer: B
40. Frequency is measured in
A. joules
B. hertz
C. watts
D. pascals
Answer: B
41. The relationship between wavelength, frequency and speed is
A.
B. F = ma
C. P = IV
D. V = IR
Answer: A
42. A concave mirror forms a real image when the object is
A. beyond focal point
B. at focal point only
C. between focal point and mirror
D. at infinity only
Answer: A
43. Short-sightedness is corrected using
A. convex lens
B. concave lens
C. cylindrical lens
D. prism
Answer: B
44. The unit of electrical power is
A. volt
B. ampere
C. watt
D. coulomb
Answer: C
45. The commercial unit of electrical energy is
A. joule
B. kilowatt-hour
C. watt
D. volt
Answer: B
46. Alternating current changes
A. resistance only
B. direction periodically
C. voltage only
D. temperature
Answer: B
47. The earth behaves like a giant
A. conductor
B. resistor
C. electromagnet
D. magnet
Answer: D
48. Gamma rays are
A. positively charged
B. negatively charged
C. neutral electromagnetic waves
D. helium nuclei
Answer: C
49. Half-life is the time taken for
A. all nuclei to decay
B. half the nuclei to decay
C. temperature to reduce
D. energy to disappear
Answer: B
2026/2027 WAEC/GCE Physics Objective and Essay Questions and Answers
50. Which of the following is renewable?
A. Coal
B. Petroleum
C. Solar energy
D. Natural gas
Answer: C
51. The SI unit of pressure is
A. newton
B. pascal
C. watt
D. joule
Answer: B
52. Mechanical advantage is
A. load × effort
B. effort/load
C. load/effort
D. work × power
Answer: C
53. The device used to measure atmospheric pressure is
A. hydrometer
B. manometer
C. barometer
D. hygrometer
Answer: C
54. Heat from the sun reaches Earth mainly through
A. conduction
B. convection
C. radiation
D. evaporation
Answer: C
55. The angle of incidence equals the angle of
A. deviation
B. reflection
C. refraction
D. diffraction
Answer: B
56. Which colour of light has the highest frequency?
A. Red
B. Blue
C. Violet
D. Green
Answer: C
57. A conductor allows
A. flow of electric charge
B. resistance only
C. heat prevention
D. magnetic shielding
Answer: A
58. Fleming’s left-hand rule is used for
A. generators
B. motors
C. transformers
D. lenses
Answer: B
59. The nucleus of an atom contains
A. electrons only
B. protons and neutrons
C. neutrons only
D. protons only
Answer: B
60. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed according to the law of
A. gravitation
B. motion
C. conservation of energy
D. inertia
Answer: C
PAPER 2
ESSAY QUESTIONS
Time Allowed: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Instructions
- Answer five questions only.
- All questions carry equal marks.
- Show all working clearly.
QUESTION 1
(a) Define velocity and acceleration.
(b) A car increases its velocity from 10 m/s to 30 m/s in 5 seconds. Calculate the acceleration.
ANSWER
(a)
Velocity is speed in a specified direction.
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time.
(b)
a=v−uta=\frac{v-u}{t}
Where:
u = 10 m/s
v = 30 m/s
t = 5 s
a=30−105a = \frac{30-10}{5} a=205=4 m/s2a = \frac{20}{5}=4\,m/s^2
Acceleration = 4 m/s²
QUESTION 2
State Newton’s three laws of motion.
ANSWER
First Law
A body remains at rest or continues in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force.
Second Law
F=maF=ma
The rate of change of momentum is proportional to the applied force.
Third Law
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
2026/2027 WAEC/GCE Physics Objective and Essay Questions and Answers
QUESTION 3
(a) Define density.
(b) Calculate the density of a body of mass 200 g and volume 50 cm³.
ANSWER
QUESTION 4
Explain conduction, convection and radiation.
ANSWER
Conduction
Transfer of heat through solids without movement of particles.
Convection
Transfer of heat in fluids through movement of particles.
Radiation
Transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves without material medium.
QUESTION 5
(a) State Ohm’s law.
(b) A resistor of 5 Ω carries a current of 2 A. Calculate the voltage across it.
ANSWER
QUESTION 6
Describe the formation of images by a convex lens.
ANSWER
A convex lens converges parallel rays to a focal point. Depending on object position, the image formed may be real, inverted, magnified, or diminished.
Applications include:
- Cameras
- Microscopes
- Human eye correction
QUESTION 7
Explain electromagnetic induction.
ANSWER
Electromagnetic induction is the production of electric current in a conductor when it cuts magnetic field lines.
Applications:
- Generators
- Transformers
- Dynamos
QUESTION 8
(a) What is radioactivity?
(b) State three uses of radioactive substances.
ANSWER
Radioactivity is the spontaneous decay of unstable atomic nuclei.
Uses:
- Cancer treatment
- Industrial radiography
- Carbon dating