10 free IB Physics A Space, Time & Motion questions written in the style of IB Physics papers: 5 multiple-choice and 5 structured, each with its answer and mark scheme. 3 of them are A* challenge questions, built to catch the mistakes strong students still make.
This topic covers A.1 Kinematics, A.2 Forces & momentum, A.3 Work, energy & power, A.4 Rigid body mechanics, A.5 Galilean & special relativity. Work through the questions below, then generate a full A Space, Time & Motion paper with a fresh set every time.
Generate a full A Space, Time & Motion paper →A box of mass 5 kg is released from rest at the top of a slope 10 m long and 3 m high. A constant friction force of 8 N acts on it.
What is the speed of the box at the bottom of the slope?
Answer: B
A ball is thrown upwards and returns to the thrower’s hand. Air resistance is NOT negligible. Which statements are correct?
I. Work is done against air resistance on both the upward and downward journeys.
II. The acceleration of the ball is g throughout.
III. The time taken to go up is less than the time taken to come down.
Answer: B
A person of mass 80 kg stands on a scale in a lift. The lift accelerates upwards at 1.5 m s−2.
What is the reading on the scale?
Answer: D
A car travelling at 16 m s−1 accelerates uniformly at 2 m s−2 for 3 s.
What distance does the car travel while it accelerates?
Answer: C
A force of 30 N acts on the end of a spanner of length 1.5 m. The force makes an angle of 90° with the spanner.
What is the torque about the other end?
Answer: C
A spacecraft moves at 0.80c relative to Earth. A clock on the spacecraft records 6.0 years for a journey.
Calculate the Lorentz factor.
Calculate the time for the journey measured on Earth.
Calculate the distance travelled according to the spacecraft observers.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | 1.67 γ = 1/√(1 − 0.64) = 1.67 ✓ | 1 |
| (b) | 10 years Δt = γΔt₀ ✓ 10 years ✓ | 2 |
| (c) | 4.8 ly 0.80c × 6.0 years ✓ 4.8 light-years ✓ | 2 |
A wind turbine has blades of length 20 m. Wind of speed 10 m s−1 passes through the turbine. The density of air is 1.2 kg m−3.
Show that the power available in the wind is about 750 kW.
The electrical output is 300 kW. Calculate the efficiency.
Calculate the power available when the wind speed halves.
Explain why a turbine can never extract all of the kinetic energy of the wind.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | 754 kW P = ½ρAv3 ✓ = 0.5 × 1.2 × π × 202 × 103 = 7.5 × 105 W ✓ | 2 |
| (b) | 40 % 300/754 = 0.40 ✓ | 1 |
| (c) | 94 kW P ∝ v3 ✓ 754/8 = 94 kW ✓ | 2 |
| (d) | air must keep moving the air must still have kinetic energy to move away from the turbine ✓ and there are frictional/electrical losses ✓ | 2 |
A pump lifts water from a well 25 m deep at a rate of 8.0 kg s−1. The water leaves the pipe at 4.0 m s−1.
Calculate the rate at which gravitational potential energy is gained.
Calculate the rate at which kinetic energy is gained.
The pump’s input power is 3.0 kW. Calculate its efficiency.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | 1960 W mgh per second = 8.0 × 9.8 × 25 ✓ 1960 W ✓ | 2 |
| (b) | 64 W ½ × 8.0 × 4.02 = 64 W ✓ | 1 |
| (c) | 68% (1960 + 64) ÷ 3000 ✓ 67–68% ✓ | 2 |
A stone is thrown from the top of a vertical cliff 30 m above the sea. Its initial velocity is 12 m s−1 at 40° above the horizontal. Air resistance is negligible.
Calculate the maximum height of the stone above the sea.
Show that the stone takes about 3.38 s to reach the sea.
Determine the horizontal distance from the foot of the cliff to where the stone lands.
Determine the speed of the stone as it hits the sea and the angle its velocity makes with the horizontal.
Air resistance is now taken into account. State and explain the effect on the horizontal distance and on the angle at which the stone hits the sea.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | 33.0 m vertical component 7.71 m s−1; rise = vy22g = 3.03 m ✓ height = 33.0 m ✓ | 2 |
| (b) | 3.38 s −30 = 7.71t − 4.91t2 ✓ solving: t = 3.38 s ✓ | 2 |
| (c) | 31.1 m 9.19 × 3.38 = 31.1 m ✓ | 1 |
| (d) | 27.1 m s−1 at 70.1° below horizontal vy = 7.71 − 9.81(3.38) = −25.5 m s−1 ✓ speed = 27.1 m s−1 ✓ angle = 70.1° below the horizontal ✓ | 3 |
| (e) | distance less, angle steeper the horizontal component of velocity decreases throughout, so the distance is smaller ✓ the horizontal velocity at impact is reduced more than the vertical ✓ so the stone hits the sea at a steeper angle ✓ | 3 |
Water falls through a vertical height of 80 m to the turbines of a hydroelectric power station at a rate of 40 m3 s−1. The density of water is 1000 kg m−3.
Calculate the rate at which the gravitational potential energy of the water decreases.
The overall efficiency is 85%. Determine the electrical power output.
Calculate the speed of the water as it reaches the turbines, assuming no energy losses in the pipes.
The station runs at full power for 4 hours each day. Calculate the electrical energy produced each day, in MJ.
State two energy transfers that reduce the efficiency.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | 31.4 MW mass per second = 40000 kg s−1 ✓ P = 40000 × 9.81 × 80 = 31.4 MW ✓ | 2 |
| (b) | 26.7 MW 26.7 MW ✓ | 1 |
| (c) | 39.6 m s−1 ½v2 = gh ✓ v = 39.6 m s−1 ✓ | 2 |
| (d) | 384238 MJ E = Pt = 26.7 × 106 × 14400 ✓ 384238 MJ ✓ | 2 |
| (e) | friction, heating thermal energy from friction in the pipes/turbine ✓ resistive heating in generator coils/cables (or sound) ✓ | 2 |
In the SL & HL syllabus, A Space, Time & Motion covers A.1 Kinematics, A.2 Forces & momentum, A.3 Work, energy & power, A.4 Rigid body mechanics, A.5 Galilean & special relativity.
This page has 10 A Space, Time & Motion questions with answers. For more, the free generator on mentorriyaz.in builds a new A Space, Time & Motion paper with a full mark scheme each time you click.
Riyaz Shaikh has mentored IGCSE, IB and A Level students for 15+ years, one-on-one, online and in Mumbai. The hardest questions on this site are the ones he uses to find a student's weak points.
Meet Riyaz →Original IB-style practice questions written for mentorriyaz.in. These are not IB past paper questions, and this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Updated 2026-11-04. Paper generator · mentorriyaz.in