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Subjects · Leaving Cert Physics

Leaving Cert Physics: Forces

How often Forces comes up on the Physics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 6 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

OL Asked on 6 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Physics course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Forces, Higher Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Forces.

(a)SI unit of force?
  1. Joule (J)
  2. Newton (N)
  3. Watt (W)
(b)Forces of 3.0 N and 4.0 N act at right angles. Magnitude of the resultant?
  1. 1.0 N
  2. 7.0 N
  3. 5.0 N
(c)Weight of a 5.0 kg mass on Earth (g = 9.8 m s⁻²)?
  1. 49 N
  2. 0.51 N
  3. 5.0 N
Show the answers

(a) Newton (N)

(b) 5.0 N

(c) 49 N

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Forces.

Higher Level

Asked on 6 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q6(a)
2025Q6(b)
2024Q14(a)
2023Not asked
2022Q6(c)
2021Not asked
2019Q5(c)
2018Q5(a)
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

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

More Forces questions

Forces, 2 marks

Which pair are both vector quantities?

  1. Kinetic energy and velocity
  2. Speed and displacement
  3. Momentum and displacement
Show the answer

Momentum and displacement

Vectors have size and direction: displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum. Mass, speed, energy and time are scalars.

Forces, 2 marks

What is the centre of mass of a body?

  1. The point at the very top of the body
  2. The point where all its mass can be taken to act
  3. The point where the body is at its thickest
Show the answer

The point where all its mass can be taken to act

Gravity acts on every particle of a body, but the total effect is the same as the whole weight acting at the centre of mass.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 6 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q6(d), Q7
2025Q7
2024Not asked
2023Q7
2022Not asked
2021Not asked
2019Not asked
2018Q11
2017Q6, Q12(a)
2016Q6

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

More Forces questions

Forces, 3 marks

Weight of a 60 kg person on Earth (g = 9.8 m s⁻²)?

  1. 60 N
  2. 6.1 N
  3. 588 N
Show the answer

588 N

W = mg = 60 × 9.8 = 588 N. 60 is the mass, not the weight, and 6.1 comes from dividing by g instead of multiplying.

Forces, 2 marks

An astronaut travels to the Moon. What happens to her mass?

  1. It falls to about one sixth
  2. It stays the same
  3. It becomes zero
Show the answer

It stays the same

Mass is the amount of matter and does not change with place. Her weight falls to about one sixth, because g on the Moon is smaller.

Forces, 3 marks

Forces of 10 N east and 4 N west act on a box. Resultant force?

  1. 6 N east
  2. 14 N east
  3. 6 N west
Show the answer

6 N east

Forces in opposite directions are subtracted: 10 − 4 = 6 N, in the direction of the larger force, which is east.

Other Physics topics

All of Leaving Cert Physics