AQA A level Physics Paper 2 2026 Question Paper
[VERIFIED] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED A+
LATEST UPDATE 2026
List the fundamental base units - answer - Mass, time, length, electric current,
temperature, amount of substance. (Light intensity not included for AQA)
What unit is mass measured in? - answer - kilograms (kg)
What unit is time measured in? - answer - Seconds (s)
What unit is length measured in? - answer - Metres (m)
What unit is electric current measured in? - answer - Amperes (A)
What unit is temperature measured in? - answer - Kelvin (K)
What unit is amount of substance measured in? - answer - Moles (mol)
What are base units? - answer - Units that do not change throughout the universe. Whilst
force depends on gravitational field strength, the SI units are the same anywhere in the
universe. All other units are derived from the base units.
,Write the unit for force in terms of the base units. - answer - N = kgms^-2
Write the unit for pressure in terms of its base units. - answer - Pa = m^-1kgs^-2
Write the unit for frequency in terms of its base units. - answer - Hz = s^-1
Write the unit for energy in terms of its base units. - answer - J = m^2kgs^-2
Write the unit for voltage in terms of its base units. - answer - V = m^2kgs^-3A^-1
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix T? - answer - 12
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix G? - answer - 9
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix M? - answer - 6
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix k? - answer - 3
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix c? - answer - -2
,What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix m? - answer - -3
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix µ? - answer - -6
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix n? - answer - -9
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix p? - answer - -12
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix f? - answer - -15
What do the prefixes T, G, M, k, c, m, µ, n, p, f mean? - answer - Terra, giga, mega, kilo,
centi, milli, micro, nano, pico, femto.
Define uncertainty - answer - The interval that a value is said to lie within, with a given
level of confidence. The uncertainty of a reading from a measuring instrument is half the
smallest interval multiplied by the number of points read from.
Explain why the uncertainty of a ruler graduated in mm is ±1mm. - answer - Half the
smallest increment is 0.5mm, but there are uncertainties both when aligning the start and
end of the ruler, so it is multiplied by 2.
Explain why the uncertainties of a voltmeter and ammeter are not calculated in the same
way. - answer - An ammeter measures the rate of flow of charge at one point, so its
, uncertainty is half the smallest division. Since voltmeters measure potential difference,
the uncertainty has to be doubled due to two points being measured, so the uncertainty is
the smallest division.
What is the uncertainty of a thermometer graduated in degrees celsius? - answer - 0.5°C
as only one point is being measured.
What is the uncertainty of an electronic mass balance? - answer - The smallest division,
as there is also uncertainty in its calibration to 0.
Define the uncertainty for a list of data. - answer - Half the range
How many repeats should you perform in an experiment? - answer - 7
Describe the method for calculating the uncertainty of the volume of a cylinder, given the
uncertainties of its radius and height. - answer - Calculate the percentage uncertainties of
the radius and height by dividing the absolute uncertainty by the quantities. Since
V=πr^2h, add the percentage uncertainty of the height to 2 X the percentage uncertainty
of the radius. Multiply this by the volume to get the absolute uncertainty of the volume.
Describe the difference between random and systematic error - answer - Systematic
errors affect each result in the same way, by the same amount. Random errors affect each
result by different amounts.
What effects do random errors have on accuracy and precision? - answer - Random errors
decrease accuracy and precision
[VERIFIED] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED A+
LATEST UPDATE 2026
List the fundamental base units - answer - Mass, time, length, electric current,
temperature, amount of substance. (Light intensity not included for AQA)
What unit is mass measured in? - answer - kilograms (kg)
What unit is time measured in? - answer - Seconds (s)
What unit is length measured in? - answer - Metres (m)
What unit is electric current measured in? - answer - Amperes (A)
What unit is temperature measured in? - answer - Kelvin (K)
What unit is amount of substance measured in? - answer - Moles (mol)
What are base units? - answer - Units that do not change throughout the universe. Whilst
force depends on gravitational field strength, the SI units are the same anywhere in the
universe. All other units are derived from the base units.
,Write the unit for force in terms of the base units. - answer - N = kgms^-2
Write the unit for pressure in terms of its base units. - answer - Pa = m^-1kgs^-2
Write the unit for frequency in terms of its base units. - answer - Hz = s^-1
Write the unit for energy in terms of its base units. - answer - J = m^2kgs^-2
Write the unit for voltage in terms of its base units. - answer - V = m^2kgs^-3A^-1
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix T? - answer - 12
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix G? - answer - 9
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix M? - answer - 6
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix k? - answer - 3
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix c? - answer - -2
,What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix m? - answer - -3
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix µ? - answer - -6
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix n? - answer - -9
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix p? - answer - -12
What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix f? - answer - -15
What do the prefixes T, G, M, k, c, m, µ, n, p, f mean? - answer - Terra, giga, mega, kilo,
centi, milli, micro, nano, pico, femto.
Define uncertainty - answer - The interval that a value is said to lie within, with a given
level of confidence. The uncertainty of a reading from a measuring instrument is half the
smallest interval multiplied by the number of points read from.
Explain why the uncertainty of a ruler graduated in mm is ±1mm. - answer - Half the
smallest increment is 0.5mm, but there are uncertainties both when aligning the start and
end of the ruler, so it is multiplied by 2.
Explain why the uncertainties of a voltmeter and ammeter are not calculated in the same
way. - answer - An ammeter measures the rate of flow of charge at one point, so its
, uncertainty is half the smallest division. Since voltmeters measure potential difference,
the uncertainty has to be doubled due to two points being measured, so the uncertainty is
the smallest division.
What is the uncertainty of a thermometer graduated in degrees celsius? - answer - 0.5°C
as only one point is being measured.
What is the uncertainty of an electronic mass balance? - answer - The smallest division,
as there is also uncertainty in its calibration to 0.
Define the uncertainty for a list of data. - answer - Half the range
How many repeats should you perform in an experiment? - answer - 7
Describe the method for calculating the uncertainty of the volume of a cylinder, given the
uncertainties of its radius and height. - answer - Calculate the percentage uncertainties of
the radius and height by dividing the absolute uncertainty by the quantities. Since
V=πr^2h, add the percentage uncertainty of the height to 2 X the percentage uncertainty
of the radius. Multiply this by the volume to get the absolute uncertainty of the volume.
Describe the difference between random and systematic error - answer - Systematic
errors affect each result in the same way, by the same amount. Random errors affect each
result by different amounts.
What effects do random errors have on accuracy and precision? - answer - Random errors
decrease accuracy and precision
