HSC Physics: the exam, the modules and practice questions with answers

Each daily paper has 8 original questions worth 25 to 35 marks. The Year 12 Physics paper fits Modules 5, 6 and 8 in its circular motion, orbits, electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic induction, radioactivity and binding energy questions; skip capacitors, ideal gases and simple harmonic motion. The Year 11 Physics paper revises the Year 11 modules, which the HSC treats as assumed knowledge, and its projectile, photoelectric effect, diffraction and particle questions are Year 12 content. Skip its Young modulus questions.

The HSC Physics exam

That is NESA's exam specification, where you can also download the formulae sheet: practise with it, so you know which equations are given and which you must remember. The 2027 HSC written exams run from Wednesday 13 October to Friday 5 November 2027; the timetable comes out on Friday 30 April 2027.

Your HSC mark is a 50:50 combination of the exam and your moderated school assessment, which weights skills in working scientifically at 60% and knowledge and understanding at 40%. Band 6 is 90 to 100. NESA's new Physics 11 to 12 Syllabus (2025) is taught to Year 11 from 2027 and first examined in the 2028 HSC.

HSC Physics modules

HSC Physics practice questions with answers

We wrote these for this page, at least one per Year 12 module. Use g = 9.8 m/s².

1. Projectile motion. A ball is kicked from level ground at 20 m/s, 30° above the horizontal. Find its time of flight, range and maximum height. Answer: the vertical velocity is 20 sin 30° = 10 m/s, so the time of flight is 2 × 10 ÷ 9.8 = 2.04 s. The horizontal velocity is 20 cos 30° = 17.3 m/s, so the range is 17.3 × 2.04 = 35.3 m. The maximum height is 10² ÷ (2 × 9.8) = 5.10 m. Check it in the Projectile Motion Calculator, then try a projectile question from our Laws of Motion course and press Mark.

2. Satellite orbits. A satellite orbits 400 km above Earth's surface. Take Earth's radius as 6.37 × 10⁶ m, its mass as 6.0 × 10²⁴ kg and G = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ N m² kg⁻². Find its orbital speed and period. Answer: r = 6.37 × 10⁶ + 4.0 × 10⁵ = 6.77 × 10⁶ m. Gravity provides the centripetal force, so v = √(GM ÷ r) = 7.69 × 10³ m/s, and T = 2πr ÷ v = 5.53 × 10³ s, about 92 minutes.

3. Electromagnetism. A 0.25 m wire carrying 3.0 A sits at right angles to a 0.40 T magnetic field. What force acts on it? Then: an ideal transformer has 400 primary turns and 20 secondary turns on a 240 V supply. What is the output voltage? Answer: F = lIB sin θ = 0.25 × 3.0 × 0.40 × sin 90° = 0.30 N. For the transformer, V_s ÷ V_p = N_s ÷ N_p, so V_s = 240 × 20 ÷ 400 = 12 V: a step-down transformer.

4. The photoelectric effect. Light of frequency 1.2 × 10¹⁵ Hz falls on a metal with a work function of 4.3 eV. How much kinetic energy can the fastest photoelectrons have? Use h = 6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J s and 1 eV = 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ J. Answer: E = hf = 7.95 × 10⁻¹⁹ J = 4.96 eV, so K_max = 4.96 − 4.3 = 0.66 eV. A brighter source of the same frequency gives more electrons, not faster ones: evidence that light comes in photons.

5. Radioactive decay. A sample contains 80 mg of an isotope with a half-life of 6.0 hours. How much is left after 18 hours? Answer: 18 hours is 3 half-lives, so 80 → 40 → 20 → 10 mg. Try other values in the Half-life Calculator.

Use the daily papers as an HSC Physics trial

1. Open today's Year 12 Physics paper and work to the suggested time, 35 to 45 minutes, with the formulae sheet beside you.
2. Skip the capacitor, ideal gas and simple harmonic motion questions.
3. For Module 7, sit the photoelectric and diffraction questions on the Year 11 Physics paper; special relativity isn't on either paper, so use NESA's past HSC papers for it.
4. Mark each paper and sort every lost mark by module.

Common HSC Physics mistakes

• Using altitude instead of orbital radius. Add Earth's radius before you use r in an orbit equation.
• Carrying the horizontal velocity into the vertical equations in projectile questions. Split the motion first.
• Mixing joules and electronvolts in photoelectric calculations.
• Saying a brighter light gives faster photoelectrons. Intensity changes the number of electrons; frequency sets their energy.
• Forgetting sin θ when the wire or charge isn't at right angles to the field.

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