Physical Layer

1. The OSI layer is implemented mainly by hardware.

a. Application
b. Session
c. Presentation
d. Physical
Answer: d. Physical
2. As the data packet moves from the _ layer down to the _ layer, headers and a
trailer are added.
a. Application; Physical
b. Physical; Application
c. Network; Application
d. Data Link; Application
Answer: a. Application; Physical
(Explanation: Headers are added as data moves down from the Application Layer
to the Physical Layer, with a trailer typically added at the Data Link Layer.)
3. At the _ layer, the data unit is transformed into the corresponding
electromagnetic signal.
a. Application
b. Session
c. Presentation
d. Physical
Answer: d. Physical
4. The _ layer defines the characteristics of the interface between the devices
and the transmission medium.
a. Application
b. Physical
c. Network
d. Data Link
Answer: b. Physical
5. Which transmission media provides the highest transmission speed in a
network?
a. Twisted pair cables
b. Coaxial cables
c. Optical fiber cables
d. Wireless connections
Answer: c. Optical fiber cables
6. The physical layer is concerned with
a. Bit-by-bit delivery
b. Process to process delivery
c. Application to application delivery
d. Port to port delivery
Answer: a. Bit-by-bit delivery
7. The primary function of the physical layer is to
a. Manage error correction
b. Route packets
 c. Transmit raw bit streams over a physical medium
d. Encrypt data
Answer: c. Transmit raw bit streams over a physical medium
8. Which of the following devices operates at the Physical Layer?
a. Switch
b. Router
c. Hub
d. Firewall
Answer: c. Hub
9. What does the physical layer translate?
a. Application requests to network protocols
b. Data link frames to packets
c. Logical communication requests into hardware-specific operations
d. Session information to transport protocols
Answer: c. Logical communication requests into hardware-specific operations
10. Which of these is NOT a function of the physical layer?
a. Bit synchronization
b. Encoding and signaling
c. Data compression
d. Transmission medium definition
Answer: c. Data compression
(Explanation: Data compression occurs at higher layers, like the Presentation
Layer, not the Physical Layer.)
11. Which of these statements about the Physical Layer is true?
a. It provides error detection and correction mechanisms
b. It manages logical addressing for devices on a network
c. It specifies electrical and mechanical characteristics for devices and media
d. It handles routing of packets across networks
Answer: c. It specifies electrical and mechanical characteristics for devices and
media
12. Which protocol works only at the physical layer?
a. Ethernet
b. HTTP
c. SMTP
d. PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol)
Answer: None (see note)
(Note: The answer key says "d. PPP," but this is incorrect. PPP operates at both
the Physical and Data Link Layers. No protocol listed works exclusively at the
Physical Layer; Ethernet, for example, spans Physical and Data Link Layers. A
more accurate answer would be a physical signaling standard like RS-232, not
listed here.)
13. Which of these is a measure of how much information can be transmitted in a
channel?
a. Bandwidth
b. Noise
c. Propagation delay
 d. Latency
Answer: a. Bandwidth
14. Which of the following is used to boost signal strength in long-distance
transmission?
a. Router
b. Hub
c. Repeater
d. Gateway
Answer: c. Repeater
15. Which physical topology uses a central device to connect all nodes?
a. Bus topology
b. Ring topology
c. Star topology
d. Mesh topology
Answer: c. Star topology
16. What is the standard connector type for twisted pair cables in Ethernet?
a. RJ45
b. SC
c. BNC
d. RS232
Answer: a. RJ45
17. Which of the following is an example of a bounded (guided) transmission
medium?
a. Radio waves
b. Coaxial cable
c. Microwave
d. Infrared
Answer: b. Coaxial cable
18. The physical layer provides services to the
a. Data Link Layer
b. Network Layer
c. Transport Layer
d. Application Layer
Answer: a. Data Link Layer
19. In fiber-optic communication, data is transmitted as
a. Electromagnetic waves
b. Light pulses
c. Radio signals
d. Electrical signals
Answer: b. Light pulses
20. Which is NOT a type of physical media?
a. Coaxial cable
b. Fiber-optic cable
c. Bluetooth
d. IP address
Answer: d. IP address
 (Explanation: IP address is a logical address, not a physical medium.)
21. Which of the following is a physical layer transmission medium?
a. TCP/IP
b. Ethernet
c. Fiber-optic cable
d. IP address
Answer: c. Fiber-optic cable
22. The data unit transmitted at the physical layer is called a
a. Packet
b. Frame
c. Segment
d. Bit
Answer: d. Bit
23. What does the physical layer deal with?
a. Addressing
b. Flow control
c. Media, signal, and binary transmission
d. Error correction
Answer: c. Media, signal, and binary transmission
24. A business needs a temporary network connection for a trade show booth.
Which physical layer solution is the fastest to deploy?
a. Ethernet cables
b. Fiber-optic cables
c. Wireless access points
d. Powerline adapters
Answer: c. Wireless access points
25. Your team observes that a data signal on a long transmission line weakens
due to distance. Which action can resolve this?
a. Install a router
b. Use a repeater
c. Replace with shielded cables
d. Increase bandwidth
Answer: b. Use a repeater
26. A technician notices that one device on a LAN cannot communicate, while
others work fine. What is the likely cause at the physical layer?
a. Incorrect IP address configuration
b. Damaged network cable
c. Software driver issue
d. Application-layer error
Answer: b. Damaged network cable
27. You are setting up a local area network (LAN) in an office building. Which of
the following components would you use to physically connect the devices?
a. IP addresses
b. Ethernet cables
c. Firewall
d. Subnet masks
 Answer: b. Ethernet cables
28. During an audit, it was found that the cabling infrastructure does not
support the bandwidth requirements of 10 Gbps. What type of cable upgrade
is needed?
a. Cat5
b. Cat5e
c. Cat6
Answer: c. Cat6
(Explanation: Cat6 supports 10 Gbps up to 55 meters, while Cat5 and Cat5e do
not meet this requirement.)