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AMG · 8% of the exam

Physics for Aviation practice questions

10 free Physics for Aviation questions for the Aviation Mechanic General (AMG) Knowledge Test exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question AMG quiz

What this domain covers

Physics applied to aviation: forces, energy, heat and fluids.

Exam weight
8%
On a real exam
≈ 5 questions
In our bank
48 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Force, work and power
  • Simple machines
  • Heat and temperature
  • Pressure and gas laws
  • Basic aerodynamics

How to study it

Learn the gas laws and simple-machine formulas; they turn many questions into short calculations.

Sample Physics for Aviation questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    How does velocity differ from speed?

    • AVelocity includes direction; speed does not
    • BSpeed includes direction; velocity does not
    • CThey are exactly the same in physics
    • DVelocity is always slower
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Velocity includes direction; speed does not

    • ACorrect. Velocity is a vector quantity.
    • BIncorrect. That reverses the definitions.
    • CIncorrect. Velocity includes direction.
    • DIncorrect. They have the same magnitude.

  2. Question 2

    Which force tends to pull a turning propeller's blades outward from the hub?

    • AGravity
    • BThrust bending force
    • CTorque bending force
    • DCentrifugal force
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Centrifugal force

    • AIncorrect. Gravity is small compared with rotational forces.
    • BIncorrect. Thrust bends blades forward, not outward.
    • CIncorrect. Torque bending acts opposite the direction of rotation.
    • DCorrect. Rotation creates a large outward pull on each blade.

  3. Question 3

    How does warm air compare with cold air in its capacity to hold water vapor?

    • AWarm air holds less water vapor
    • BWarm air can hold more water vapor
    • CBoth hold the same
    • DAir cannot hold water vapor
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Warm air can hold more water vapor

    • AIncorrect. Cold air holds less.
    • BCorrect. Capacity increases with temperature.
    • CIncorrect. Capacity depends on temperature.
    • DIncorrect. Air always holds some.

  4. Question 4

    A hydraulic actuator piston has an area of 2 square inches and the system pressure is 1,000 psi. What force does it produce?

    • A20,000 pounds
    • B500 pounds
    • C1,002 pounds
    • D2,000 pounds
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) 2,000 pounds

    • AIncorrect. This is ten times too high.
    • BIncorrect. This divides instead of multiplying.
    • CIncorrect. This adds the values.
    • DCorrect. Force = pressure × area = 1,000 × 2 = 2,000 lb.

  5. Question 5

    What is the Mach number?

    • AThe ratio of lift to drag
    • BThe speed of sound at sea level on a standard day
    • CIndicated airspeed in knots
    • DTrue airspeed divided by the local speed of sound
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) True airspeed divided by the local speed of sound

    • AIncorrect. That ratio is L/D.
    • BIncorrect. It is a ratio using local conditions.
    • CIncorrect. Mach is a dimensionless ratio.
    • DCorrect. Mach 1 equals the local speed of sound.

  6. Question 6

    If airspeed doubles with all else constant, what happens to lift?

    • AIt increases about four times
    • BIt doubles
    • CIt halves
    • DIt stays the same
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) It increases about four times

    • ACorrect. Lift is proportional to velocity squared.
    • BIncorrect. Lift varies with velocity squared.
    • CIncorrect. Lift increases with speed.
    • DIncorrect. Lift depends on airspeed.

  7. Question 7

    What is the dew point of an air mass?

    • AThe temperature at which air becomes saturated
    • BThe temperature at which water boils at that altitude
    • CThe pressure at which clouds form
    • DThe weight of water in one cubic foot of air
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) The temperature at which air becomes saturated

    • ACorrect. Cooling to the dew point brings relative humidity to 100%.
    • BIncorrect. That is the boiling point, not the dew point.
    • CIncorrect. Dew point is a temperature, not a pressure.
    • DIncorrect. That describes absolute humidity.

  8. Question 8

    Which gyroscopic property keeps the spin axis of a spinning gyro pointed in a fixed direction in space?

    • ARigidity in space
    • BPrecession
    • CApparent drift
    • DCentrifugal force
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Rigidity in space

    Rigidity in space is the property that makes a spinning gyro resist changes to its axis orientation. Attitude and heading indicators rely on it. Precession is the gyro's response to an applied force.

    • ACorrect. A spinning rotor resists any change in the orientation of its spin axis. This gyroscopic inertia grows with rotor speed and with how the rotor's mass is distributed.
    • BIncorrect. Precession is the gyro's tilting or turning response to an applied force, which shows up 90° ahead in the direction of rotation. It changes the axis rather than holding it fixed.
    • CIncorrect. Apparent drift is the gyro appearing to wander because the Earth rotates beneath it while the axis itself stays fixed in space. It is an effect of rigidity, not the property itself.
    • DIncorrect. Centrifugal force is the outward reaction on rotating mass. It is not the property that holds the spin axis fixed.

  9. Question 9

    Charles's law states that at constant pressure, a gas's volume changes how with temperature?

    • AIt never changes
    • BIt falls as temperature rises
    • CIt rises as temperature rises
    • DIt depends only on color
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) It rises as temperature rises

    • AIncorrect. Volume changes with temperature.
    • BIncorrect. Volume increases with temperature.
    • CCorrect. Volume is directly proportional to absolute temperature at constant pressure.
    • DIncorrect. This is irrelevant.

  10. Question 10

    What is 15°C on the Kelvin scale?

    • AAbout 258 K
    • BAbout 288 K
    • CAbout 59 K
    • DAbout 15 K
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) About 288 K

    • AIncorrect. Add 273, don't subtract.
    • BCorrect. Add 273: 15 + 273 = 288 K.
    • CIncorrect. 59 is the Fahrenheit equivalent.
    • DIncorrect. Celsius and kelvin differ by 273.

Physics for Aviation: FAQs

How much of the AMG exam is Physics for Aviation?

Physics for Aviation is 8% of the AMG exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 60-question form works out to roughly 5 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Physics for Aviation domain cover?

Physics applied to aviation: forces, energy, heat and fluids.

How should I study Physics for Aviation for AMG?

Learn the gas laws and simple-machine formulas; they turn many questions into short calculations.

Where can I practise more Physics for Aviation questions?

This page has 10 free Physics for Aviation questions with answers. The ExamWize AMG question bank has 48 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other AMG topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the AMG cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Physics for Aviation exam-ready

The full AMG bank has 48 Physics for Aviation questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full AMG practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with FAA; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.