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PHYSICS · STUDY STRATEGY

Can solve Physics PYQs, but get stuck on unfamiliar questions?

PrepArena · Published 8 September 2026 · Prepared with AI assistance

Solving a question you recognise and deciding how to start an unfamiliar one are different skills. If you can solve previous-year questions independently but freeze on a new problem, practise choosing the first step separately from doing the calculation.

First check what “I can solve it” means

Try a question without looking at the solution or your notes. Explain why the equation applies. Then change one condition: the direction, the time interval, or the quantity being asked. Can you still set it up?

If you remember the answer but cannot explain the setup, revisit the underlying idea before adding harder questions.

A motion example: distance is not displacement

A particle starts with velocity +10 m/s and has constant acceleration −2 m/s² for 8 seconds. Find its displacement and the total distance it travels.

Start by choosing a positive direction. The velocity is v = 10 − 2t, so it becomes zero at 5 seconds. The particle reverses direction during the interval. That is the clue that distance needs two parts.

Displacement over 8 seconds:

s = ut + ½at² = 10 × 8 + ½ × (−2) × 8² = 16 m

From 0 to 5 seconds, the particle travels 25 m in the positive direction. From 5 to 8 seconds, it travels 9 m back. Total distance is therefore 34 m.

A velocity–time graph gives the same result: signed area gives displacement; the sum of the magnitudes of the areas gives distance. The turning point matters more than memorising another formula.

A short practice routine

Choose five questions you could not start. For each one:

  1. Write the quantity being asked for and draw a simple diagram.
  2. List the conditions: constant acceleration, a change in direction, or separate stages of motion, for example.
  3. Write one sentence explaining your proposed first step before calculating.
  4. After checking the solution, record the clue you missed—not just the formula used.
  5. Retry the question a day later without the solution. Then try a different question testing the same idea.

If you cannot explain a solution after reading it, ask about that exact step. “Why do we split the interval here?” is more useful than “I am bad at Physics.”

What to track

Track how many questions you can set up and finish independently, and which errors repeat. A question you solve after seeing a hint is useful practice, but record it separately from an unaided solution.

Revisit the concepts in our Motion in a Straight Line study guide, then try chapter practice. Keep the revision focused on the gap you found.