Physical World — Class 11 MCQs with Answers
Class 11 CBSE Physics · Chapter 1
66 practice questions · 22 Easy · 22 Medium · 22 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 11 CBSE Physics questions from Chapter 1, "Physical World". You get 6 timed quizzes made from 66 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 22 Easy, 22 Medium and 22 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that set top scorers in CBSE & Maharashtra HSC Board exams, JEE Main, MHT-CET, JEE Advanced and NEET UG apart.
To score well in "Physical World", focus on numericals, derivations and applying concepts. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This trains you to stay accurate under time pressure, as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on Physical World, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 11 Physics mastery score. 13 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Key concepts: Physical World (Class 11 Physics)
Physical World is a qualitative orientation to physics itself: the enormous range of scales it studies, its two great strategies of unification and reduction, the four fundamental forces that underlie every interaction in nature, and the conservation laws and symmetries that any acceptable physical theory must respect.
- Scope of physics
- Physics studies matter, energy and their interactions across an enormous span — from nuclei at about 10⁻¹⁴ m to the observable universe at about 10²⁶ m — the widest reach of any science.
- Macroscopic domain
- Classical physics — mechanics, thermodynamics and electromagnetism — describes laboratory, terrestrial and astronomical phenomena where quantum effects are negligible.
- Microscopic domain
- Quantum theory governs atomic, molecular and nuclear phenomena, where energy and other quantities come in discrete packets rather than continuous amounts.
- Unification
- A principal thrust of physics: explaining diverse phenomena with a few universal laws, as when electricity, magnetism and optics were merged into electromagnetism.
Physical World — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 11 Physics)
13 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation. The other 53 are timed and scored when you sign in.
- Q1Easy
Physics is the study of:
A.Living organisms onlyB.LanguagesC.Numbers onlyD.Matter, energy and their interactions✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Matter, energy and their interactions
Explanation: Physics is the science of matter, energy and their interactions, from atoms to galaxies. 'Numbers only' is mathematics, and 'living organisms only' is biology, not physics.
- Q2Easy
Number of fundamental forces in nature:
A.2B.3C.4✓ CorrectD.5Answer: C. 4
Explanation: Physics counts four fundamental forces: gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear and strong nuclear. Forgetting the weak force and stopping at 3 is the usual undercount.
- Q3Easy
Force responsible for planetary motion is:
A.Gravitational✓ CorrectB.ElectromagneticC.Strong nuclearD.Weak nuclearAnswer: A. Gravitational
Explanation: Planetary orbits are governed by gravitational force, following Newton's law F = Gm₁m₂/r². Electromagnetic force is irrelevant here since planets carry no net charge.
- Q4Easy
Newton is associated with:
A.Quantum theoryB.Laws of motion and gravitation✓ CorrectC.RelativityD.ElectromagnetismAnswer: B. Laws of motion and gravitation
Explanation: Isaac Newton formulated the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation, F = Gm₁m₂/r², the foundation of classical mechanics — not relativity, which is Einstein's contribution.
- Q5Easy
Physics is the study of:
A.LanguagesB.Living organismsC.Chemical reactionsD.Matter, energy and their interactions✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Matter, energy and their interactions
Explanation: Physics is defined as the study of matter, energy and their mutual interactions. Chemical reactions belong to chemistry, a related but distinct discipline that borrows physics' laws.
- Q6Medium
Physics is divided into classical and modern. Modern physics deals with:
A.Only large objectsB.Phenomena at very small or very high speeds✓ CorrectC.Plant biologyD.CookingAnswer: B. Phenomena at very small or very high speeds
Explanation: Modern physics covers regimes where classical mechanics fails: quantum mechanics at atomic scales (~10⁻¹⁰ m) and relativity at speeds approaching c = 3×10⁸ m/s, not only large objects.
- Q7Medium
Strongest fundamental force at nuclear distances:
A.Strong nuclear✓ CorrectB.ElectromagneticC.GravitationalD.Weak nuclearAnswer: A. Strong nuclear
Explanation: At nuclear separations of ~10⁻¹⁵ m, the strong nuclear force dominates, roughly 100× the electromagnetic force there, which is why it binds protons despite their mutual EM repulsion.
- Q8Medium
Ratio of electrostatic to gravitational force between electron and proton is approximately:
A.10⁻³⁹B.10¹C.1D.10³⁹ (electrostatic vastly stronger)✓ CorrectAnswer: D. 10³⁹ (electrostatic vastly stronger)
Explanation: For an electron-proton pair, the Coulomb force e²/(4πε₀r²) exceeds the gravitational force Gm_em_p/r² by a factor of about 10³⁹, since gravity is by far the weakest fundamental force.
- Q9Medium
Nobel Prize-winning Indian scientist for Raman scattering:
A.C. V. Raman (1930)✓ CorrectB.BoseC.ChandrasekharD.SahaAnswer: A. C. V. Raman (1930)
Explanation: C. V. Raman won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for the Raman effect — light changing wavelength when it inelastically scatters off molecules — the first Indian Nobel laureate in science.
- Q10Medium
Experimental physics relies on:
A.StoriesB.Pure theoryC.ImaginationD.Measurement and observation✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Measurement and observation
Explanation: Experimental physics is grounded in measurement and observation of physical phenomena, which are then used to test and refine theories — pure theory alone belongs to theoretical physics.
- Q11Hard
Maxwell unified:
A.Sound and lightB.Gravity and heatC.Electricity, magnetism and optics✓ CorrectD.NoneAnswer: C. Electricity, magnetism and optics
Explanation: Maxwell's equations showed electricity, magnetism and optics are one phenomenon — light itself is an oscillating EM wave. That differs from Newton's unifying gravity across Earth and the planets.
- Q12Hard
Weak nuclear force is responsible for:
A.MagnetismB.Beta decay✓ CorrectC.FrictionD.Surface tensionAnswer: B. Beta decay
Explanation: Beta decay, where a neutron converts to a proton emitting an electron and antineutrino, is driven by the weak nuclear force — not the strong force, which instead holds the nucleus together.
- Q13Hard
Electroweak unification was a theoretical achievement that combined:
A.Strong and weakB.All four forcesC.Gravity and EMD.EM and weak forces into one theory✓ CorrectAnswer: D. EM and weak forces into one theory
Explanation: Glashow, Weinberg and Salam's electroweak theory unified the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces into a single framework, showing both emerge from one interaction at high energy.
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Start this chapter free →Physical World — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 11 Physics Physical World?+
Physical World is a qualitative orientation to physics itself: the enormous range of scales it studies, its two great strategies of unification and reduction, the four fundamental forces that underlie every interaction in nature, and the conservation laws and symmetries that any acceptable physical theory must respect. Key ideas include Scope of physics, Macroscopic domain, Microscopic domain, Unification.
What does Class 11 Physics Chapter 1 (Physical World) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 66 NCERT-based MCQs on "Physical World": 22 Easy, 22 Medium and 22 Hard. Together they make 6 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE & Maharashtra HSC Board exams, JEE Main, MHT-CET, JEE Advanced and NEET UG.
Are these "Physical World" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Physical World" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year on a launch offer until 1 December 2026. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "Physical World" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 6 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "Physical World" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 13 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "Physical World" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip, the same negative marking as JEE Main, JEE Advanced and NEET UG. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from Physical World (Class 11 Physics)?+
The questions that matter most test Scope of physics, Macroscopic domain, Microscopic domain, Unification. This page shows 13 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations; all 66 questions on the chapter are available as timed quizzes once you sign in.
Is there an online quiz for Physical World?+
Yes — Class 11 Physics Physical World has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.