NECO Physics past questions and answers

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

NECO Physics: 75 objective past questions from 2 papers between 2005 and 2009, each with the answer and an explanation. Newer NECO papers are not in our bank yet. Here are ten.

1. 1.A ball of mass 0.1kg moving with velocity of 20ms^-1 is hit by a force which acts on it for 0.02s. If the ball moves off in the opposite direction with a velocity of 25ms^-1 , calculate the magnitude of the force.
   1. A
      450N
   2. B
      22.5N
   3. C
      25N
   4. D
      225N
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Given: mass m = 0.1 kg, initial velocity = 20 m/s, time of impact t = 0.02 s, final velocity = 25 m/s in the opposite direction.

   Force is the rate of change of momentum: F = m(v₂ − v₁)/t. Because the ball reverses direction, the two velocities must be given opposite signs. Taking the initial direction as positive, v₁ = +20 m/s and v₂ = −25 m/s.

   Change in velocity = v₂ − v₁ = −25 − 20 = −45 m/s.
   F = 0.1 × (−45) ÷ 0.02 = −4.5 ÷ 0.02 = −225 N.

   The magnitude of the force is 225 N.

2. 2.A plane progressive wave is represented by the equation y = 0.2sin (200πt - 0.5.x) where x and y are measured in cm and t in s. What is the frequency of the wave?
   1. A
      100 Hz
      Correct
   2. B
      200 Hz
   3. C
      50 Hz
   4. D
      0.5 Hz
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   Answer: A

   The wave equation is given as y = 0.2sin(200πt − 0.5x), which has the standard form y = A sin(ωt − kx).

   Comparing the two, the angular frequency is ω = 200π rad/s.

   Angular frequency relates to frequency by ω = 2πf, so:
   f = ω ÷ 2π = 200π ÷ 2π = 100 Hz

   This is the correct frequency of the wave.

   A candidate who forgets to divide by the extra factor of 2 (treating ω = 2πf as if f = ω/π) wrongly gets 200 Hz. Dividing by 4π instead of 2π by mistake gives 50 Hz, and confusing the frequency with the wave number coefficient (0.5, which is actually k, the wave number in the x-term) gives the wrong value of 0.5 Hz.

3. 3.Which of the following is a non-renewable energy source?
   1. A
      Coal
      Correct
   2. B
      Hydroelectric power
   3. C
      Solar energy
   4. D
      Wind energy
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   Coal is a non-renewable energy source. It is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants buried and compressed over millions of years, so once a deposit is mined and burnt, it cannot be replaced within a human lifetime. The rate at which it is used far outstrips the rate at which it forms.

4. 4.A radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 400KHz. If the speed of the wave is 3.0 ×10-8 ms-1, calculate the wavelength of the radio wave.
   1. A
      75 m
   2. B
      1.33 × 10⁻⁶ m
   3. C
      7.5 × 10⁵ m
   4. D
      750 m
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Given: frequency f = 400 kHz = 4.0 × 10⁵ Hz, and speed of the radio wave v = 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s (radio waves are electromagnetic waves, so they travel at the speed of light).

   The wave equation is v = fλ, so λ = v/f.

   λ = (3.0 × 10⁸) ÷ (4.0 × 10⁵) = 0.75 × 10³ = 750 m.

   That is the correct answer.

   Where the other results come from:
   7.5 × 10⁵ m comes from forgetting to convert 400 kHz to hertz and dividing by 400 instead of 400,000.
   1.33 × 10⁻⁶ m comes from inverting the formula and calculating f/v instead of v/f.
   75 m comes from a decimal-point slip when dividing the powers of ten.

   Always convert kHz to Hz first, then apply λ = v/f carefully, keeping track of the powers of ten.

5. 5.A body accelerating will have a constant speed if it is
   1. A
      moving in a straight line
   2. B
      moving in a circular path
      Correct
   3. C
      its velocity is increasing uniformly
   4. D
      the resultant force acting on it is zero
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   Answer: B

   Speed is only the magnitude of velocity, but acceleration is caused by any change in velocity, in magnitude or direction.

   A body that moves in a circular path at constant speed keeps changing its direction of motion every instant. Since velocity is changing (direction), the body is accelerating (this is centripetal acceleration, directed toward the centre of the circle) even though its speed never changes. This is why "moving in a circular path" is the correct answer.

6. 6.

   A projectile is projected with an initial velocity u, at an angle θ to the horizontal. The maximum height attained is.

   1. A
      u²cos²θ/2g
   2. B
      u sinθ/g
   3. C
      u²sin²θ/2g
      Correct
   4. D
      u²sin²θ/g
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   For a projectile launched with initial velocity u at angle θ to the horizontal, only the vertical component of velocity, u sinθ, affects the rise.

   At maximum height, the vertical velocity becomes zero. Using v² = u² − 2gh with v = 0 and initial vertical velocity u sinθ:

   0 = (u sinθ)² − 2gH
   H = u²sin²θ/2g

   This is the correct expression for maximum height.

   Using u²cos²θ/2g wrongly applies the horizontal component (which affects range, not height). Writing u sinθ/g gives the time to reach maximum height, not the height itself — a common mix-up between the two projectile formulas. Leaving out the factor of 2 gives u²sin²θ/g, which is twice the correct height.

7. 7.

   Which of the statements is/are true of two bodies involved in an inelastic collision? After collision. I. the kinetic energy increases

   II. The momentum decreases

   III. Their velocities are the same.

   1. A
      III only
      Correct
   2. B
      I, II and III
   3. C
      I and II only
   4. D
      II and III only
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   Answer: A

   Momentum is always conserved in any collision, elastic or inelastic — total momentum before equals total momentum after. So the claim that momentum decreases is wrong.

   Kinetic energy is the quantity that is NOT conserved in an inelastic collision — it decreases because some energy is lost as heat, sound, and permanent deformation of the bodies. So the claim that kinetic energy increases is wrong.

   What actually characterises an inelastic collision (especially a perfectly inelastic one) is that the two bodies move together with a common, equal velocity after impact — they effectively stick together.

8. 8.The electric potential at a distance d from a point charge q in air of permittivity e_o is expressed as
   1. A
      q/(4πe_od²)
   2. B
      q/(2πe_od)
   3. C
      q/(4πe_od)
      Correct
   4. D
      4πe_od/q
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   The electric potential at a distance d from a point charge q, in a medium of permittivity e_o, is given by V = q/(4πe_od).

   This comes from integrating the electric field due to the charge, from infinity up to the point at distance d. Since the field itself follows an inverse-square law, integrating it (which adds one power of d back) gives a potential that varies as 1/d, not 1/d².

   A common mistake is to write q/(4πe_od²) — but that expression is actually the formula for the electric field (or force per unit charge) at distance d, not the potential. Candidates often confuse the two because both involve the same constants.

9. 9.The amplitude of oscillation of a simple pendulum bob diminishes slowly because
   1. A
      air resistance and friction at the support continuously convert its mechanical energy into heat
      Correct
   2. B
      the mass of the bob reduces slowly as it swings
   3. C
      the acceleration due to gravity decreases slightly during oscillation
   4. D
      the length of the pendulum string gradually shortens as it swings
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   Answer: A

   Correct reasoning: A simple pendulum's amplitude dies down slowly because of damping — air resistance acting on the bob and string, together with friction at the point of support, continuously do negative work on the swinging bob.

   Each time the bob swings, some of its mechanical energy (kinetic + potential) is converted into heat by these resistive forces. Since less energy is available for each successive swing, the bob does not rise as high or swing as far out, so the amplitude keeps shrinking. This is exactly the process called damped oscillation.

   So the amplitude diminishes because air resistance and friction steadily drain the pendulum's mechanical energy away as heat.

10. 10.Electric charges on the surface of a conductor would be most evenly distributed if the shape of the conductor is
    1. A
       Cube
    2. B
       Sphere
       Correct
    3. C
       Cylinder
    4. D
       Cone
    Show answerHide answer

    Answer: B

    Charge on an isolated conductor always settles on the outer surface, but how evenly it spreads depends on the shape.

    Charge density is highest where the surface curves sharply (points, edges, corners) and lowest on flat or gently curved regions. This is why a conductor with corners or edges, such as a cube, concentrates charge at its corners, and a shape with a sharp tip, such as a cone, concentrates charge heavily at the tip (this is the working principle of a lightning conductor).

    A cylinder is better, but the flat ends and the curved edges where the flat ends meet the round surface still cause uneven crowding of charge.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

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