AQA A LEVEL PHYSICS PAPER 3 FINAL PAPER
2026 TESTED QUESTIONS WITH FULL
SOLUTION GRADED A+
◉ Resistance in negative temperature coefficient thermistors.
Answer: Normally resistance increases as temperature increases,
however in negative temperature coefficient thermistors it
decreases as although the heat adds extra resistance it also moves
more electrons into the conduction band and so as there are more
electrons available to carry charge resistance decreases.
◉ Superconductivity. Answer: If you cool a metal enough, it has 0
resistance and is called a superconductor. This is used when the
current used is so large that the heat produced would melt the
equipment or waste too much energy.
◉ Fundamental rules in circuits. Answer: -conservation of charge
-conservation of energy
◉ Hooke's Law. Answer: ∆F = k∆x
where k is the stiffness of the object
◉ Stress. Answer: σ=F/A
,where F is force and A is cross sectional area
◉ Strain. Answer: ε=∆x/x
where x is the original length of the material and ∆x is the extension
◉ Young Modulus. Answer: Stress/Strain
◉ Tensile stress/strain. Answer: Causes the length of the material to
increase, the forces act away from the center
◉ Compressive stress/strain. Answer: Causes the length of the
material to decrease, the forces act towards the center
◉ Force Extension graph. Answer:
◉ Stress strain graph. Answer:
◉ Stress Strain Graphs for Different Materials. Answer: Stiffer
materials have a steeper gradient.
Stronger materials have a large breaking stress
Brittle materials have a very small plastic regions
,◉ Stress Strain Graph for Rubber. Answer:
◉ Limit of Proportionality. Answer: *The point until which force and
extension (or stress and strain) are directly proportional. After this
point it may behave elastically, but they will no longer be
proportional*
◉ Elastic Limit. Answer: *The point beyond which the material is
permanently deformed, it won't return to it's original shape*
◉ Yield Point. Answer: *Beyond this point the material suddenly
undergoes a large increase in extension (it 'gives') as the atomic
substructure is rearranged*
◉ Breaking stress. Answer: *The value of stress in a material when it
breaks*
◉ Elastic Deformation. Answer: *Region where the material will
return to its original shape when the stress is removed*
◉ Plastic Deformation. Answer: *Permanent deformation caused by
strain when stress exceeds a certain value. The material won't
return to it's original shape.*
, ◉ Elastic Strain Energy. Answer: ∆E(el) = F∆x
As this is the area under a force extension graph.
◉ What does it mean for a material to be hard?. Answer: *It is
resistant to indentation or scratching*
◉ What does it mean for a material to be stiff?. Answer: *It has a
large young modulus and so can withstand a large load with just a
small extension*
◉ What does it mean for a material to have a high tensile stress?.
Answer: *It can withstand a large force under tension before
breaking*
◉ What does it mean for a material to be ductile?. Answer: *Can be
drawn out into wires as it undergoes a lot of plastic deformation*
◉ What does it mean for a material to be brittle?. Answer: *Shatters
under a sudden force as it cracks with little or no plastic
deformation just beyond the elastic limit due to the propagation of
the cracks*
◉ Density. Answer: Density = Mass/volume
2026 TESTED QUESTIONS WITH FULL
SOLUTION GRADED A+
◉ Resistance in negative temperature coefficient thermistors.
Answer: Normally resistance increases as temperature increases,
however in negative temperature coefficient thermistors it
decreases as although the heat adds extra resistance it also moves
more electrons into the conduction band and so as there are more
electrons available to carry charge resistance decreases.
◉ Superconductivity. Answer: If you cool a metal enough, it has 0
resistance and is called a superconductor. This is used when the
current used is so large that the heat produced would melt the
equipment or waste too much energy.
◉ Fundamental rules in circuits. Answer: -conservation of charge
-conservation of energy
◉ Hooke's Law. Answer: ∆F = k∆x
where k is the stiffness of the object
◉ Stress. Answer: σ=F/A
,where F is force and A is cross sectional area
◉ Strain. Answer: ε=∆x/x
where x is the original length of the material and ∆x is the extension
◉ Young Modulus. Answer: Stress/Strain
◉ Tensile stress/strain. Answer: Causes the length of the material to
increase, the forces act away from the center
◉ Compressive stress/strain. Answer: Causes the length of the
material to decrease, the forces act towards the center
◉ Force Extension graph. Answer:
◉ Stress strain graph. Answer:
◉ Stress Strain Graphs for Different Materials. Answer: Stiffer
materials have a steeper gradient.
Stronger materials have a large breaking stress
Brittle materials have a very small plastic regions
,◉ Stress Strain Graph for Rubber. Answer:
◉ Limit of Proportionality. Answer: *The point until which force and
extension (or stress and strain) are directly proportional. After this
point it may behave elastically, but they will no longer be
proportional*
◉ Elastic Limit. Answer: *The point beyond which the material is
permanently deformed, it won't return to it's original shape*
◉ Yield Point. Answer: *Beyond this point the material suddenly
undergoes a large increase in extension (it 'gives') as the atomic
substructure is rearranged*
◉ Breaking stress. Answer: *The value of stress in a material when it
breaks*
◉ Elastic Deformation. Answer: *Region where the material will
return to its original shape when the stress is removed*
◉ Plastic Deformation. Answer: *Permanent deformation caused by
strain when stress exceeds a certain value. The material won't
return to it's original shape.*
, ◉ Elastic Strain Energy. Answer: ∆E(el) = F∆x
As this is the area under a force extension graph.
◉ What does it mean for a material to be hard?. Answer: *It is
resistant to indentation or scratching*
◉ What does it mean for a material to be stiff?. Answer: *It has a
large young modulus and so can withstand a large load with just a
small extension*
◉ What does it mean for a material to have a high tensile stress?.
Answer: *It can withstand a large force under tension before
breaking*
◉ What does it mean for a material to be ductile?. Answer: *Can be
drawn out into wires as it undergoes a lot of plastic deformation*
◉ What does it mean for a material to be brittle?. Answer: *Shatters
under a sudden force as it cracks with little or no plastic
deformation just beyond the elastic limit due to the propagation of
the cracks*
◉ Density. Answer: Density = Mass/volume
