ATARMAxxing · Physics
QCE Physics Practice Exams with Worked Solutions
20 full-length papers · worked solutions for every question
The 20 practice exams inside the QCE Physics Mastery Pack, each set out like the real paper with a separate worked-solution guide. Open any paper to see what it covers.
- Unit 3 Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion and centripetal dynamics, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's three laws, orbital speed and satellite mechanics (geostationary orbit above Queensland), Coulomb's Law and electric fields, work on charges, the motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), transformers and power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model), Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons, mesons, antiparticles, fundamental forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- QCAA EA format: Paper 1 (Section A 20 MCQ = 20 marks; Section B short/extended response = 28 marks) and Paper 2 (Section C stimulus-based short/extended response = 49 marks); grand total 97 marks
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only: describe/explain, apply, analyse evidence, interpret evidence; higher-mark differentiation via evaluate, justify, deduce, compare with full evidence-principle-conclusion reasoning chains
- Band A standard: correct QCAA Formula and Data Book formula, substitution with units, step-by-step algebra, final answer with correct SI unit and significant figures; precise terminology; follow-through marking
- Special relativity (Lorentz factor, time dilation, length contraction, simultaneity, relativistic momentum/energy, mass-energy equivalence) anchored to a 0.85c interstellar voyage to Alpha Centauri
- Unit 3 Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion, Newton's law of universal gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's three laws, orbital/satellite mechanics
- Unit 3 electromagnetism: Coulomb's law, electric fields, work on charges, the motor effect (F=BIL and F=qvB), electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, transformers and power transmission
- Unit 4 quantum theory: Planck's hypothesis, the photoelectric effect, de Broglie wave-particle duality, the Bohr hydrogen model
- Unit 4 Standard Model: quark/lepton classification, baryons and mesons, antiparticles, four fundamental forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams
- QCAA EA format and cognition: Paper 1 (Section A 20 MCQ + Section B short response 28 marks), Paper 2 (Section C 49 marks), Assessment Objectives 1-4 with evaluate/justify/deduce/compare reasoning chains for Band A
- Unit 3 Gravity & Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion, Newton's gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's laws, orbital/satellite mechanics, Coulomb's Law, electric fields, work on charges, motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday & Lenz), AC generators, transformers & power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model), Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons, mesons, antiparticles, four forces & exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Stimulus thread: a charged oil droplet suspended motionless between parallel plates (Millikan-style) - calculating electric field strength E=V/d, charge q from force balance qE=mg, number of excess electrons, and work done W=qV moving the droplet between plates
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only: describe/explain, apply/calculate, analyse evidence, interpret & justify - with higher-mark items using evaluate, justify, deduce and compare
- Band A standard: correct QCAA Formula & Data Book formula stated, full substitution with units, step-by-step algebra, final answer with correct SI unit and significant figures; full evidence to principle to conclusion reasoning chains
- Unit 3 Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion and centripetal dynamics, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's three laws, orbital/satellite mechanics, Coulomb's Law, electric fields, work done on charges, the motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, and transformers with power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (Einstein's postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck's hypothesis, photoelectric effect, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model), and the Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons, mesons, antiparticles, four forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Cosmic-ray muon stimulus thread: applying time dilation in the Earth frame and length contraction in the muon rest frame to explain why muons reach sea level despite a short half-life, with quantitative survival-fraction reasoning that reconciles both frames
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only: describe/explain, apply/calculate, analyse evidence, interpret/evaluate/justify; full reasoning chains (stimulus evidence then physics principle then conclusion), correct SI units and significant figures, step-by-step working, and QCAA Formula and Data Book usage
- Unit 3: electromagnetic induction (Faraday's and Lenz's Laws), AC generators, transformers and power transmission, motor effect, Coulomb's Law and electric fields, work on charges, circular motion, gravitation, Kepler's laws and orbital mechanics
- Unit 4: special relativity (time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (photoelectric effect, de Broglie wavelength, Bohr hydrogen model, Planck's hypothesis), Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons/mesons, exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Context thread: a wind turbine generator supplying a remote Queensland farm via electromagnetic induction and transformer step-up for grid transmission
- Assessment Objectives 1-4: describe/explain, apply/calculate, analyse evidence, interpret/evaluate/justify with full reasoning chains
- Band A standard: correct formula from QCAA Formula and Data Book, substitution with units, step-by-step manipulation, final answer with SI unit and significant figures, follow-through marking
- Unit 3 Gravity & Electromagnetism: circular motion, Newton's gravitation, Kepler's laws, orbital mechanics, Coulomb's law, electric fields, motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, transformers & power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie, Bohr model), Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons/mesons, fundamental forces & bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Core stimulus: solar-panel photoelectric experiment — UV light of varying frequency on a metal surface, stopping-voltage measurements, Ek-f graph analysis to extract work function W (= 3.32e-19 J, 2.07 eV) and threshold frequency f0 (= 5.0e14 Hz, gradient = h = 6.63e-34 J s)
- QCAA EA format: Paper 1 (Section A 20 MCQ + Section B 28-mark short response) and Paper 2 (Section C 49-mark stimulus/extended response); Assessment Objectives 1-4 only
- Band A standard: full reasoning chains (evidence → physics principle → conclusion), QCAA Formula & Data Book constants, correct SI units, significant figures, and the demanding verbs evaluate/justify/deduce/compare in higher-mark items
- QCAA Physics Units 3 & 4 (General, 2025 v1.3) full External Assessment, contextualised around the Large Hadron Collider
- Unit 3 Gravity & Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion, Newton's gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's laws, orbital/satellite speed, Coulomb's law and electric fields, work on charges, motor effect, F=qvB, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, transformers and power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie, Bohr hydrogen model), Standard Model (quarks/leptons, baryons/mesons, antiparticles, four forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Assessment Objectives 1-4: describe/explain, apply, analyse evidence, interpret evidence; full reasoning chains; multi-step calculation with correct units and significant figures; Band A model answers with marking-guide criteria
- Paper 1 (Section A 20 MCQ + Section B short response 28 marks) and Paper 2 (Section C data/extended response 49 marks); grand total 97 marks
- Unit 3: uniform circular motion and centripetal force
- Unit 3: Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and gravitational field strength
- Unit 3: Kepler's laws, orbital mechanics and satellite speed (incl. geostationary orbits)
- Unit 3: Coulomb's Law, electric fields and work done on charges
- Unit 3: motor effect and magnetic force on conductors and moving charges
- Unit 3: electromagnetic induction (Faraday's and Lenz's Laws), AC generators
- Unit 3: transformers and power transmission losses
- Unit 4: special relativity (time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence E=mc2)
- Unit 4: quantum theory (photoelectric effect, de Broglie wavelength, Bohr hydrogen model)
- Unit 4: Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons/mesons, exchange bosons, conservation laws)
- Stimulus context: RTG (radioisotope thermoelectric generator) on a planetary rover converting nuclear decay energy to electricity
- MRI superconducting magnets as the stimulus thread: force on a current-carrying wire (F = BIL), the motor effect, torque on coil, and quantitative contrast with Earth's ~5x10-5 T field
- Unit 3 Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion and centripetal dynamics, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's three laws, orbital/satellite speed
- Coulomb's Law, electric fields, and work done on charges; the motor effect on conductors and moving charges (F = BIL, F = qvB)
- Electromagnetic induction (Faraday's and Lenz's Laws), AC generators, transformer operation, and high-voltage power transmission losses
- Unit 4 Special Relativity: Einstein's two postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, and mass-energy equivalence E = mc2
- Unit 4 Quantum theory: Planck's hypothesis, the photoelectric effect, de Broglie wave-particle duality, and the Bohr hydrogen model
- Unit 4 Standard Model: quark/lepton classification, baryons and mesons, antiparticles, the four fundamental forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, and Feynman diagrams
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 across Paper 1 (20 MCQ + Section B short response, 28 marks) and Paper 2 (Section C extended response with data/graphs, 49 marks), with the demanding verbs evaluate, justify, deduce and compare reserved for higher-mark items
- Unit 4 quantum theory anchored on de Broglie electron diffraction through a crystal lattice and comparison to X-ray Bragg diffraction
- de Broglie wavelength from accelerating voltage, momentum and kinetic energy of accelerated electrons
- Bragg's law nλ = 2d sinθ: multi-order diffraction, electron vs X-ray diffraction angles, crystal lattice spacing determination
- photoelectric effect (work function, threshold frequency, stopping voltage, Planck gradient from KEmax-frequency graphs)
- Bohr hydrogen atom: energy levels, transition energies and emission wavelengths
- Unit 4 special relativity: time dilation, length contraction, mass–energy equivalence
- Standard Model: quark composition, conservation laws in particle decays, exchange bosons
- Unit 3 gravity: Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's third law, satellite and geostationary orbital mechanics
- Unit 3 electromagnetism: Coulomb's Law and electric fields, work on charges, the motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), transformers and power transmission
- Assessment Objectives 1-4: describe/explain, apply/calculate, analyse evidence, interpret/justify/evaluate with full evidence-principle-conclusion reasoning chains
- QCAA Physics Units 3 & 4 (General, 2025 v1.3) External Assessment
- Unit 3: uniform circular motion and centripetal dynamics, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's three laws, orbital/satellite mechanics, Coulomb's Law and electric fields, work done on charges, the motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, transformers and power transmission
- Unit 4: special relativity (postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie, Bohr model), Standard Model (quarks/leptons, baryons/mesons, antiparticles, four forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Stimulus context: a neutron-star binary system analysed with Kepler's third law (extremely short orbital period) to determine total stellar mass and to compare neutron-star surface gravitational field strength with Earth's
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only (describe/explain, apply, analyse evidence, interpret evidence); higher-mark items target evaluate/justify/deduce with full evidence → principle → conclusion reasoning chains
- Paper 1 (Section A: 20 MCQ = 20 marks; Section B: short/extended response = 28 marks) + Paper 2 (Section C: stimulus-based short/extended response = 49 marks); grand total 97 marks
- QCAA Physics Units 3 & 4 (General, 2025 v1.3) External Assessment - Practice EA 12 of 20
- Stimulus thread: HVDC power transmission across regional Queensland - I-squared-R losses, step-up transformers, Faraday's Law
- Unit 3 Gravity & Electromagnetism: circular motion, gravitation, Kepler, orbits, Coulomb's Law, electric fields, motor effect, induction, AC generators, transformers, power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie, Bohr), Standard Model (quarks, leptons, bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Paper 1 (Section A: 20 MCQ = 20 marks; Section B: short response = 28 marks) + Paper 2 (Section C: data/stimulus extended response = 49 marks); grand total 97
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only; higher-mark items use evaluate/justify/deduce/compare with full evidence-principle-conclusion reasoning chains
- Every worked solution arithmetically verified in Python; all answers given with correct SI units and significant figures
- QCAA Physics Units 3 and 4 (General, 2025 v1.3) full practice External Assessment (Practice EA 13 of 20)
- Unit 3 Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion and centripetal force, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength and Kepler's laws, orbital and satellite mechanics, Coulomb's Law and electric fields, work done on charges, the motor effect (force on conductors and moving charges), electromagnetic induction (Faraday's and Lenz's Laws), AC generators, transformers and power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (two postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck's hypothesis, photoelectric effect, de Broglie wave-particle duality, Bohr hydrogen atom), the Standard Model (quarks and leptons, baryons and mesons, antiparticles, four fundamental forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Stimulus flavour: a Bohr hydrogen atom excited to n=4 then falling to n=2, emitting a 487.5 nm photon in the Balmer series
- Format: Paper 1 (Section A: 20 MCQ = 20 marks; Section B short response = 28 marks) and Paper 2 (Section C stimulus-based short/extended response = 49 marks); grand total exactly 97 marks
- Assesses Assessment Objectives 1-4 only; Band A model answers with full step-by-step working, correct SI units and significant figures, and marking-guide criteria
- Unit 4 Standard Model: electron-positron annihilation, Feynman diagrams, exchange bosons, conservation laws, quark/lepton classification
- Unit 4 Special Relativity: time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence, muon decay evidence
- Unit 4 Quantum: photoelectric effect, Planck's hypothesis, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model
- Unit 3 Gravity: uniform circular motion, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's laws, orbital/satellite mechanics
- Unit 3 Electromagnetism: Coulomb's Law, electric fields, work on charges, motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, transformers and power transmission
- Assessment Objectives 1-4: describe/explain, apply/calculate, analyse evidence, interpret/justify/evaluate with full reasoning chains
- QCAA Physics Units 3 & 4 (General, 2025 v1.3) Practice External Assessment 15 of 20
- Stimulus context: a probe descending into a deep gravity well near a 12-solar-mass star — gravitational field strength vs radius, orbital/satellite speed, Kepler's laws, and relativistic length contraction at final orbital speed
- Unit 3 — Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion and centripetal dynamics, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's three laws, orbital mechanics, Coulomb's Law and electric fields, work on charges, the motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday's and Lenz's Laws), AC generators and transformers/power transmission
- Unit 4 — Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (two postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass–energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model), the Standard Model (quarks/leptons, baryons/mesons, antiparticles, four forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Format: Paper 1 (Section A 20 MCQ = 20 marks; Section B short/extended = 28 marks) + Paper 2 (Section C stimulus/data short and extended response = 49 marks); grand total 97 marks
- Assesses Assessment Objectives 1–4 only; higher-mark Paper 2 items target evaluate/justify/deduce/compare with full evidence → principle → conclusion reasoning chains; all working shown with correct SI units and significant figures, every value drawn from the QCAA Formula and Data Book
- Unit 3 Gravity & Electromagnetism: Coulomb's Law, electric fields, work on charges, Newton's law of gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's laws, orbital/satellite motion, uniform circular motion, motor effect, magnetic force on charges/conductors, Faraday's & Lenz's Laws, AC generators, transformers, power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck, photoelectric effect, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model), Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons, mesons, antiparticles, fundamental forces & exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Stimulus context: a charged sphere rolled on a frictionless horizontal surface near a second charged sphere — applying Coulomb's Law, comparing the electric force to gravity between the same masses, and locating the equilibrium separation
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only (describe/explain, apply, analyse, interpret); Band A reasoning chains (evidence cited → physics principle → justified conclusion) on evaluate/justify/deduce/compare items; correct QCAA Formula & Data Book formulae, SI units and significant figures throughout
- Special relativity (Unit 4): Einstein's postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence - framed around a SpaceX Starship near-relativistic re-entry thought experiment
- Quantum theory (Unit 4): Planck's hypothesis, photoelectric effect, de Broglie wave-particle duality, Bohr hydrogen model
- Standard Model (Unit 4): quarks/leptons, baryons/mesons, antiparticles, four fundamental forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams
- Gravity (Unit 3): uniform circular motion, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, gravitational field strength, Kepler's laws, orbital/satellite mechanics
- Electromagnetism (Unit 3): Coulomb's Law, electric fields, work on charges, motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, transformers and power transmission
- QCAA EA format: Paper 1 (Section A 20 MCQ + Section B short response 28 marks) and Paper 2 (Section C extended/data response 49 marks); total 97 marks
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 with emphasis on higher-mark evaluate/justify/deduce verbs and full evidence-principle-conclusion reasoning chains
- Unit 3: uniform circular motion and centripetal force
- Unit 3: Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and gravitational field strength
- Unit 3: Kepler's laws and orbital/satellite mechanics
- Unit 3: Coulomb's Law, electric fields and work done on charges
- Unit 3: motor effect and magnetic force on conductors and moving charges
- Unit 3: electromagnetic induction, Faraday's and Lenz's Laws, AC generators and transformers/power transmission
- Unit 4: special relativity (time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence)
- Unit 4: quantum theory (photoelectric effect, Planck, de Broglie, Bohr hydrogen model)
- Unit 4: Standard Model, conservation laws and Feynman diagram reasoning
- Stimulus focus: applying charge, baryon number and lepton number conservation to evaluate a proposed particle decay
- Unit 3 Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion and centripetal force, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and gravitational field strength, Kepler's three laws and orbital/satellite mechanics, Coulomb's Law and electric fields, work done on charges, the motor effect (F=BIL and F=qvB), electromagnetic induction via Faraday's and Lenz's Laws, AC generators, and transformer operation applied to power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (two postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck's hypothesis, photoelectric effect, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model), and the Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons/mesons, antiparticles, four fundamental forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Stimulus context: a 330 kV to 240 V outback substation transformer (turns ratios, Lenz's Law in coil operation, current ratios at 100% efficiency) plus power-transmission loss analysis
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only (describe/explain, apply, analyse evidence, interpret evidence) with the full evidence-to-principle-to-conclusion reasoning chain demanded by Band A, across Paper 1 (Section A 20 MCQ + Section B 28 marks) and Paper 2 (Section C 49 marks), total 97 marks
- Unit 3 Gravity and Electromagnetism: uniform circular motion, Newton's universal gravitation, gravitational field strength and Kepler's laws, orbital/satellite mechanics, Coulomb's law and electric fields, work on charges, motor effect, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators, transformers and power transmission
- Unit 4 Revolutions in Modern Physics: special relativity (postulates, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence), quantum theory (Planck's hypothesis, photoelectric effect, de Broglie duality, Bohr hydrogen model), the Standard Model (quarks, leptons, baryons/mesons, antiparticles, four forces and exchange bosons, conservation laws, Feynman diagrams)
- Stimulus thread: a magnetically confined ionised-hydrogen plasma emitting a blackbody spectrum, used to contrast the classical Rayleigh-Jeans prediction with the Planck quantised spectrum, locate the peak wavelength via Wien's law, and identify the soft X-ray regime
- Assessment Objectives 1-4 only: describe/explain, apply, analyse evidence, interpret evidence; higher-mark Paper 2 items use evaluate, justify, deduce and compare with a full evidence-to-principle-to-conclusion reasoning chain
- Band A standard: correct QCAA formula stated, substitution with units, step-by-step algebra, final SI answer to appropriate significant figures, precise terminology, follow-through marking
Included in the QCE Physics Mastery Pack
20 full-length practice exams with worked solutions, 20 revision notes, 64 practice questions and 200 flashcards.
Preview a sample note and question free on the QCE Physics hub →