UUS Practice Tests⌕ Search
Teacher Certification · 718

Georgia GACE Physics (6-12) Assessment Practice Test

The Georgia GACE Physics (6-12) Assessment practice page samples physics concepts and quantitative reasoning used in secondary-level instruction. Its questions address motion and forces, work and energy, heat and gases, waves, and light. Problems ask you to interpret physical situations, select relevant equations, track units, and calculate how measurable quantities change under stated conditions.

Exam overview

Exam providerGeorgia Professional Standards Commission
Exam code718
CategoryTeacher Certification

About the Georgia GACE Physics (6-12) Assessment Exam

Physics problem solving begins by identifying the system, known values, and the quantity being sought. Mechanics questions can involve vectors, impulse, friction, circular motion, work, and gravitational potential energy; solving them requires attention to direction, force components, and the relationship between motion and acceleration. Thermal questions use specific heat and gas-law relationships, with care to distinguish temperature scales and recognize constraints such as constant pressure or constant temperature. Wave and optics problems call for reasoning about reflection, orientation, refraction, and the behavior of light at a boundary. For secondary teaching, these concepts also support clear explanations of why a model or equation applies, how units confirm a calculation, and what a result means in the physical situation.

Sample Practice Questions

Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.

Question 1

A transverse pulse travels along a rope toward a fixed end. When the pulse reflects from the fixed end, what happens to its orientation?

  1. AIt reflects without changing orientation.
  2. BIt reflects inverted.
  3. CIt is absorbed completely by the end.
  4. DIt continues through the fixed end unchanged.
Show answerCorrect answer: B

A fixed end cannot move, so the reflected pulse must have zero displacement at the boundary. The resulting reflection is inverted relative to the incident pulse.

Question 2

A gas is kept at constant pressure while its volume increases from 2.0 L to 3.0 L. If its initial absolute temperature is 300 K, what is its final absolute temperature?

  1. A200 K
  2. B300 K
  3. C450 K
  4. D600 K
Show answerCorrect answer: C

At constant pressure, volume is proportional to absolute temperature. Therefore T₂ = T₁(V₂/V₁) = 300 K × (3.0/2.0) = 450 K.

Question 3

A 2.0 kg object is moving east at 3.0 m/s. What impulse is required to bring it to rest?

  1. A6.0 N·s east
  2. B6.0 N·s west
  3. C1.5 N·s west
  4. D0 N·s
Show answerCorrect answer: B

Impulse equals change in momentum. Taking east as positive, Δp = 0 − (2.0 kg)(3.0 m/s) = −6.0 kg·m/s, so the impulse is 6.0 N·s west.

Question 4

A 2.0 kg sample of water receives 8,400 J of heat. If the specific heat capacity of water is 4,200 J/(kg·°C), how much does its temperature increase, assuming no phase change or heat loss?

  1. A0.50°C
  2. B1.0°C
  3. C2.0°C
  4. D4.0°C
Show answerCorrect answer: B

Use Q = mcΔT. Rearranging gives ΔT = Q/(mc) = 8,400/[(2.0)(4,200)] = 1.0°C.

Question 5

A 2.0 kg block is pulled 5.0 m across a horizontal surface by a constant 10 N force directed 60° above the horizontal. The block’s displacement is horizontal. How much work does the pulling force do?

  1. A0 J
  2. B25 J
  3. C43 J
  4. D50 J
Show answerCorrect answer: B

Work is the dot product of force and displacement: W = Fd cos θ. Thus W = (10 N)(5.0 m)cos 60° = 25 J. Only the component of the force parallel to the displacement contributes.

Question 6

A satellite moves in a circular orbit at constant speed. Which statement about its acceleration is correct?

  1. AIt is zero because the satellite's speed is constant.
  2. BIt points in the direction of motion because the satellite is moving.
  3. CIt points toward the center of the orbit because the velocity direction changes.
  4. DIt points away from the center because the satellite is being pulled outward.
Show answerCorrect answer: C

Acceleration measures change in velocity, which includes a change in direction. In uniform circular motion the centripetal acceleration points toward the circle's center, even when speed is constant.

Question 7

A sealed syringe contains air at 100 kPa and 20°C. Its plunger is pushed inward slowly so that the air remains at constant temperature, reducing the volume to half its initial value. What is the final pressure?

  1. A50 kPa
  2. B100 kPa
  3. C150 kPa
  4. D200 kPa
Show answerCorrect answer: D

For a fixed amount of gas at constant temperature, Boyle’s law states that pressure times volume is constant. Halving the volume therefore doubles the pressure, from 100 kPa to 200 kPa.

How to use this practice test

Access the practice questions for free. When the bank contains published questions, a session presents up to 20 randomly selected items. Work each problem before checking the result, then use the session results to identify whether errors came from concept selection, vector direction, equation setup, unit conversion, or arithmetic.

Preparation tips

  • For mechanics problems, sketch forces and motion directions before calculating; resolve angled forces into components when displacement is not along the force.
  • Practice impulse and momentum calculations with explicit direction signs, and distinguish centripetal acceleration from changes in speed.
  • Use dimensional analysis to check work, energy, impulse, and specific-heat calculations, including conversions between liters, pascals, and temperature units where needed.
  • Compare constant-pressure and constant-temperature gas changes by writing the applicable proportional relationship before substituting values.
  • Draw incident and reflected rays or wave pulses at boundaries; mark the normal and identify whether a fixed end reverses a pulse or a refractive boundary changes a ray’s direction.
Official sourceOfficial exam page ↗