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Subjects · Leaving Cert Physical Education

Leaving Cert Physical Education: Newton's laws, vectors & scalars

How often Newton's laws, vectors & scalars comes up on the Physical Education papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 4 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2024. most years

OL Asked on 2 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025.

Newton's laws, vectors & scalars, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Newton's laws, vectors & scalars.

(a)Newton's first law of motion is also called the law of?
  1. Acceleration
  2. Inertia
  3. Action and reaction
(b)A kick gives a 0.4 kg ball an acceleration of 50 m/s². What force was applied?
  1. 0.008 N
  2. 125 N
  3. 20 N
(c)A sprinter pushes back into the blocks and is driven forward. Which law explains this?
  1. Newton's third law
  2. Newton's second law
  3. Newton's first law
Show the answers

(a) Inertia

(b) 20 N

(c) Newton's third law

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Newton's laws, vectors & scalars.

Higher Level

Asked on 4 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2024. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Not asked
2024Q13
2023Q7
2022Q8, Q14
2021Q17

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Newton's laws, vectors & scalars questions

Newton's laws, vectors & scalars, 3 marks

Why does a heavy prop need more force than a light winger to get moving from a standstill?

  1. Heavier players have less friction
  2. Mass has no effect on starting
  3. Greater mass means greater inertia
Show the answer

Greater mass means greater inertia

Newton's first law: a body stays at rest unless a force acts. Inertia rises with mass, so a heavier player needs a bigger force to start moving or to change direction.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 2 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q6, Q17
2024Not asked
2023Q14
2022Not asked
2021Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Newton's laws, vectors & scalars questions

Newton's laws, vectors & scalars, 2 marks

Newton's first law is also called the law of…

  1. Acceleration
  2. Reaction
  3. Inertia
Show the answer

Inertia

An object stays at rest or keeps moving at the same speed unless a force acts on it. A ball on the penalty spot will not move until it is kicked.

Newton's laws, vectors & scalars, 3 marks

A sprinter pushes back on the blocks and moves forward. Which of Newton's laws is this?

  1. Second law: force and acceleration
  2. Third law: action and reaction
  3. First law: inertia
Show the answer

Third law: action and reaction

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The sprinter pushes backwards on the blocks and the blocks push the sprinter forwards.

Newton's laws, vectors & scalars, 3 marks

The same force is used to kick a lighter ball. By Newton's second law, the ball's acceleration is…

  1. Greater
  2. Smaller
  3. The same
Show the answer

Greater

Force = mass x acceleration. If the force stays the same and the mass is smaller, the acceleration must be bigger. This is why a light ball flies off the boot faster.

Other Physical Education topics

All of Leaving Cert Physical Education