The following 20 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) are based on
Chapter 4: Describing Motion Around Us from the NCERT Class 9
Science textbook Exploration. Each question has four options - select the
best answer and click to check.
Instructions: Read each question carefully. Choose the most
appropriate option from (a), (b), (c), or (d). Click
Show Answer to reveal the correct answer with explanation.
Multiple Choice Questions
1Which quantity specifies an object's location relative to a chosen origin?
(a) Position
(b) Speed
(c) Acceleration
(d) Time interval
(a) is correct
Position is described using a reference point or origin and a direction.
2Which statement about distance is correct?
(a) It can be negative
(b) It is the total path length travelled
(c) It depends only on initial and final positions
(d) It is always zero for a round trip
(b) is correct
Distance measures the complete path and is a scalar quantity.
3Displacement is:
(a) Total path length
(b) Change in position with direction
(c) Always greater than distance
(d) Never zero
(b) is correct
Displacement is the directed straight-line change from initial to final position.
4A runner completes one lap and returns to the starting point. The runner's displacement is:
(a) Equal to the track length
(b) Half the track length
(c) Zero
(d) Negative
(c) is correct
Initial and final positions coincide, so the change in position is zero.
5Which relation is always true?
(a) Distance is less than displacement
(b) Distance is greater than or equal to displacement magnitude
(c) Distance always equals displacement
(d) Displacement has no direction
(b) is correct
The straight-line separation cannot exceed the actual path travelled.
6Average speed equals:
(a) Total displacement / total time
(b) Total distance / total time
(c) Change in velocity / time
(d) Distance x time
(b) is correct
Average speed is based on the entire path length divided by total elapsed time.
7Average velocity equals:
(a) Total distance / time
(b) Displacement / total time
(c) Speed x time
(d) Final velocity only
(b) is correct
Average velocity includes the direction of the net displacement.
8A car travels 120 m in 10 s. Its average speed is:
(a) 12 m/s
(b) 1200 m/s
(c) 0.12 m/s
(d) 110 m/s
(a) is correct
Average speed = 120/10 = 12 m/s.
9A swimmer goes 25 m to the far end and returns to the start in 50 s. The average velocity is:
(a) 1 m/s
(b) 0.5 m/s
(c) Zero
(d) 2 m/s
(c) is correct
The swimmer's total displacement is zero, so displacement divided by time is zero.
10Average acceleration is calculated as:
(a) Change in velocity / time
(b) Distance / time
(c) Velocity x time
(d) Displacement / speed
(a) is correct
Acceleration measures how rapidly velocity changes.
11A velocity changes from 5 m/s to 15 m/s in 2 s. The average acceleration is:
(a) 5 m/s^2
(b) 10 m/s^2
(c) 20 m/s^2
(d) 7.5 m/s^2
(a) is correct
a = (15 - 5)/2 = 5 m/s^2.
12Negative acceleration in a chosen positive direction indicates that:
(a) Velocity cannot change
(b) Acceleration acts opposite to that positive direction
(c) The object is always at rest
(d) Distance becomes negative
(b) is correct
The sign records direction; it may correspond to slowing down or speeding up in the negative direction.
13The slope of a position-time graph represents:
(a) Velocity
(b) Acceleration
(c) Distance
(d) Force
(a) is correct
Change in position divided by change in time is velocity.
14A horizontal line on a position-time graph shows that the object is:
(a) Moving uniformly
(b) Accelerating
(c) At rest
(d) Moving in a circle
(c) is correct
Its position does not change as time passes.
15The slope of a velocity-time graph gives:
(a) Displacement
(b) Acceleration
(c) Position
(d) Distance only
(b) is correct
Change in velocity per unit time is acceleration.
16The area under a velocity-time graph gives:
(a) Acceleration
(b) Displacement
(c) Speed
(d) Time
(b) is correct
Velocity multiplied by a small time interval gives displacement; the total is the graph's signed area.
17Which equation applies to motion with constant acceleration?
(a) v = u + at
(b) v = u/t
(c) s = a/t
(d) u = vt^2
(a) is correct
For uniform acceleration, final velocity equals initial velocity plus acceleration multiplied by time.
18An object starts from rest and accelerates at 2 m/s^2 for 5 s. Its final velocity is:
(a) 2 m/s
(b) 5 m/s
(c) 10 m/s
(d) 25 m/s
(c) is correct
Using v = u + at gives 0 + 2 x 5 = 10 m/s.
19An object moves at 4 m/s for 3 s with constant velocity. Its displacement is:
(a) 1.33 m
(b) 7 m
(c) 12 m
(d) 24 m
(c) is correct
With zero acceleration, displacement = velocity x time = 4 x 3 = 12 m.
20In uniform circular motion, which quantity changes continuously even when speed is constant?
(a) Mass
(b) Velocity
(c) Time
(d) Radius
(b) is correct
Velocity changes because its direction is continuously changing along the circular path.
