AFOQT Physical Science practice: free drill, formulas and facts

AFOQT Physical Science is 20 questions in 10 minutes on high-school physics, chemistry and earth and space science: motion, forces, energy, electricity, waves, matter, the periodic table, weather and the solar system. That is 30 seconds a question, so the formulas need to be instant. The free drill below is 12 original questions at the real pace.

20
items on the real test: 10 min
30 seconds each: No
calculator allowed: 12
items in the free drill

Last checked 22 October 2026 · Count and time from the Air Force AFOQT pamphlet

Free Physical Science drill: 12 original AFOQT-style questions at the real pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
6 min
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 22 October 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

What is on AFOQT Physical Science?

Physics (motion, forces, energy, electricity, waves, heat), chemistry (matter, atoms, the periodic table, acids and bases, reactions) and earth and space science (weather, the atmosphere, the solar system).

Roughly half our questions are calculations with one formula and friendly numbers, and half are facts. On both kinds, speed comes from recognition: seeing "volts and ohms" and writing I = V ÷ R at once, or seeing "seasons" and thinking of Earth's tilt.

Physical Science came onto the AFOQT with Form T, replacing older subtests, so study guides written for Form S may skip it. Make sure your material covers it.

Which formulas do I need for AFOQT Physical Science?

About a dozen: speed, acceleration, force, weight, work, power, kinetic and potential energy, density, pressure, Ohm's law, electrical power and wave speed.

The formulas our questions use, with units
Quantity	Formula	Unit
Speed	distance ÷ time	m/s
Acceleration	change in speed ÷ time	m/s²
Force	mass × acceleration	newton (N)
Weight	mass × g (9.8 m/s²)	N
Work	force × distance	joule (J)
Power	work ÷ time	watt (W)
Kinetic energy	½ × mass × speed²	J
Potential energy	mass × g × height	J
Density	mass ÷ volume	g/cm³ or kg/m³
Pressure	force ÷ area	pascal (Pa)
Ohm's law	voltage = current × resistance	volt (V), ampere (A), ohm (Ω)
Electrical power	voltage × current	W
Wave speed	frequency × wavelength	m/s

Which science facts come up most?

States of matter and phase changes, atomic structure, common element symbols, acids and bases, heat transfer, the layers of the atmosphere, the causes of seasons and tides, and the order of the planets.

Phase changes: melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, sublimation (solid straight to gas).
Atoms: protons and neutrons in the nucleus, electrons around it; the atomic number is the number of protons.
pH: below 7 is acidic, 7 neutral, above 7 basic.
Heat moves by conduction (contact), convection (fluids moving) and radiation (no medium needed).
Seasons come from the tilt of Earth's axis, not its distance from the Sun.
Tides come mainly from the Moon's gravity.
The atmosphere's lowest layer, where weather happens, is the troposphere.

What do AFOQT Physical Science questions look like?

Three examples follow: an acceleration calculation, a density calculation and a chemistry fact. The first is worked in full.

AFOQT-style question 1 · Acceleration
A car speeds up steadily from rest to 20 m/s in 4 seconds. What is its acceleration?
1. A4 m/s²
2. B5 m/s²
3. C16 m/s²
4. D24 m/s²
5. E80 m/s²
Worked answer
B: 5 m/s². Acceleration is the change in speed divided by time: (20 − 0) ÷ 4 = 5 m/s².
1. Change in speed: 20 − 0 = 20 m/s.
2. Time: 4 s.
3. a = 20 ÷ 4 = 5 m/s².
The trap: Multiplying (80) instead of dividing. Check the units: m/s divided by s gives m/s².
AFOQT-style question 2 · Density
A metal block has a mass of 200 g and a volume of 50 cm³. What is its density?
1. A0.25 g/cm³
2. B4 g/cm³
3. C150 g/cm³
4. D250 g/cm³
5. E10,000 g/cm³
Show the worked answer
B: 4 g/cm³. Density is mass divided by volume: 200 ÷ 50 = 4 g/cm³.
1. Density = mass ÷ volume.
2. 200 g ÷ 50 cm³.
3. = 4 g/cm³.
The trap: Dividing the other way (50 ÷ 200 = 0.25). The unit, grams per cubic centimeter, tells you mass goes on top.
AFOQT-style question 3 · Acids and bases
Which of these has the highest pH?
1. ALemon juice
2. BVinegar
3. CPure water
4. DBaking soda dissolved in water
5. EStomach acid
Show the worked answer
D: Baking soda dissolved in water. pH above 7 is basic. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) solution is mildly basic, about pH 8 to 9. Pure water is neutral (7), and the others are acids (below 7).
1. High pH means basic; low pH means acidic; 7 is neutral.
2. Lemon juice, vinegar and stomach acid are acids.
3. Baking soda solution is basic, so its pH is highest.
The trap: Choosing pure water because it is "neutral". Neutral is the middle of the scale, not the top.

Make the science points quick

Four Physical Science drills and eight full mocks, every answer explained.

The AFOQT Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 32 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The AFOQT Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the AFOQT Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 32
topic drills: 1
score predictor

How do I answer 20 science questions in 10 minutes?

Answer fact questions in under 15 seconds to bank time for the calculations, and use units to check every formula before you calculate.

A fact question you know takes a few seconds; a fact you do not know will not come back by staring at it. Guess and move on. Spend the saved time on calculations, and let the units guide you: if the answer must be in m/s², you divide a speed by a time.

No calculator is allowed, but the numbers are chosen to work out cleanly. If you are doing long division, check you used the right formula.

What are the most common AFOQT Physical Science mistakes?

Dividing the wrong way round, confusing mass with weight, mixing series and parallel circuits, and choosing an everyday answer for a science fact.

Wrong way round: density is mass ÷ volume, not volume ÷ mass. The unit tells you which goes on top.
Mass and weight: mass is in kilograms and does not change; weight is a force in newtons (mass × 9.8).
Circuits: resistors in series add up; in parallel the total resistance is smaller than the smallest one.
Speed squared: doubling speed makes kinetic energy four times as big, not twice.
Everyday answers: seasons are not caused by distance from the Sun, and heavier objects do not fall faster without air resistance.
Temperature scales: 0 °C is 32 °F and 273 K; water boils at 100 °C at sea level.

The wrong options in our questions are built from exactly these slips, so each explanation tells you which one you made. That is faster to fix than rereading a textbook chapter.

How should I study for AFOQT Physical Science?

Learn the formula table until you can write it from memory, review the fact list, then take the drill and add every missed fact to a card.

A week of 20 minutes a day is enough for most people with high-school science. Take the full AFOQT practice test to see Physical Science on its 10-minute clock among the other subtests. The mechanical aptitude test has more practice on forces, levers and pressure if you want it, and the AFOQT math page helps with the arithmetic.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on AFOQT Physical Science?

20 items in 10 minutes on Form T.

Which composites use Physical Science?

Sources differ: some list it in the CSO composite. Check the current AFOQT pamphlet for your form.

Is there a calculator for Physical Science?

No. The numbers are chosen to work out by hand.

What level of science is it?

High-school physical science, chemistry and earth science.

Do I need to memorize the periodic table?

No, but know the symbols of common elements (H, He, C, N, O, Na, Fe, Cu, Au, Ag) and what the atomic number means.

Is Physical Science on older AFOQT forms?

It came in with Form T. Study guides for Form S may not cover it, so check yours.

Bank the science points

Four Physical Science drills, eight full AFOQT-style mocks and every answer explained, in one payment.