AQA A-level Physics Paper 1 and Paper 2 Complete
Question and Answer (2026/2027) | Real Recently
Tested Questions | A+ Verified
• List the fundamental base units -✓✓ Mass, time, length, electric current,
temperature, amount of substance. (Light intensity not included for AQA)
• What unit is mass measured in? -✓✓ kilograms (kg)
• What unit is time measured in? -✓✓ Seconds (s)
• What unit is length measured in? -✓✓ Metres (m)
• What unit is electric current measured in? -✓✓ Amperes (A)
• What unit is temperature measured in? -✓✓ Kelvin (K)
• What unit is amount of substance measured in? -✓✓ Moles (mol)
• What are base units? -✓✓ 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. -✓✓ N = kgms^-2
• Write the unit for pressure in terms of its base units. -✓✓ Pa = m^-1kgs^-2
,• Write the unit for frequency in terms of its base units. -✓✓ Hz = s^-1
• Write the unit for energy in terms of its base units. -✓✓ J = m^2kgs^-2
• Write the unit for voltage in terms of its base units. -✓✓ V = m^2kgs^-3A^-1
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix T? -✓✓ 12
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix G? -✓✓ 9
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix M? -✓✓ 6
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix k? -✓✓ 3
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix c? -✓✓ -2
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix m? -✓✓ -3
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix µ? -✓✓ -6
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix n? -✓✓ -9
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix p? -✓✓ -12
,• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix f? -✓✓ -15
• What do the prefixes T, G, M, k, c, m, µ, n, p, f mean? -✓✓ Terra, giga, mega,
kilo, centi, milli, micro, nano, pico, femto.
• Define uncertainty -✓✓ 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. -✓✓ 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. -✓✓ 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? -✓✓
0.5°C as only one point is being measured.
• What is the uncertainty of an electronic mass balance? -✓✓ The smallest
division, as there is also uncertainty in its calibration to 0.
, • Define the uncertainty for a list of data. -✓✓ Half the range
• How many repeats should you perform in an experiment? -✓✓ 7
• Describe the method for calculating the uncertainty of the volume of a cylinder,
given the uncertainties of its radius and height. -✓✓ 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 -✓✓ 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? -✓✓ Random
errors decrease accuracy and precision
• What effects do systematic errors have on accuracy and precision? -✓✓
Systematic errors decrease accuracy but do not affect precision
• Define accuracy -✓✓ A measure of how close a measurement is to the true
value
• Define precision -✓✓ A measure of how close a measurement is to the mean
value of a list of repeats of data.
Question and Answer (2026/2027) | Real Recently
Tested Questions | A+ Verified
• List the fundamental base units -✓✓ Mass, time, length, electric current,
temperature, amount of substance. (Light intensity not included for AQA)
• What unit is mass measured in? -✓✓ kilograms (kg)
• What unit is time measured in? -✓✓ Seconds (s)
• What unit is length measured in? -✓✓ Metres (m)
• What unit is electric current measured in? -✓✓ Amperes (A)
• What unit is temperature measured in? -✓✓ Kelvin (K)
• What unit is amount of substance measured in? -✓✓ Moles (mol)
• What are base units? -✓✓ 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. -✓✓ N = kgms^-2
• Write the unit for pressure in terms of its base units. -✓✓ Pa = m^-1kgs^-2
,• Write the unit for frequency in terms of its base units. -✓✓ Hz = s^-1
• Write the unit for energy in terms of its base units. -✓✓ J = m^2kgs^-2
• Write the unit for voltage in terms of its base units. -✓✓ V = m^2kgs^-3A^-1
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix T? -✓✓ 12
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix G? -✓✓ 9
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix M? -✓✓ 6
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix k? -✓✓ 3
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix c? -✓✓ -2
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix m? -✓✓ -3
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix µ? -✓✓ -6
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix n? -✓✓ -9
• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix p? -✓✓ -12
,• What power of 10 is indicated by the prefix f? -✓✓ -15
• What do the prefixes T, G, M, k, c, m, µ, n, p, f mean? -✓✓ Terra, giga, mega,
kilo, centi, milli, micro, nano, pico, femto.
• Define uncertainty -✓✓ 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. -✓✓ 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. -✓✓ 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? -✓✓
0.5°C as only one point is being measured.
• What is the uncertainty of an electronic mass balance? -✓✓ The smallest
division, as there is also uncertainty in its calibration to 0.
, • Define the uncertainty for a list of data. -✓✓ Half the range
• How many repeats should you perform in an experiment? -✓✓ 7
• Describe the method for calculating the uncertainty of the volume of a cylinder,
given the uncertainties of its radius and height. -✓✓ 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 -✓✓ 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? -✓✓ Random
errors decrease accuracy and precision
• What effects do systematic errors have on accuracy and precision? -✓✓
Systematic errors decrease accuracy but do not affect precision
• Define accuracy -✓✓ A measure of how close a measurement is to the true
value
• Define precision -✓✓ A measure of how close a measurement is to the mean
value of a list of repeats of data.
