AQA_2024: A-level Physics - Paper 3 Section A (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level Physics - Paper 3 Section A
(Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)


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I declare this is my own work.



A-level
PHYSICS
Paper 3
Section A

Monday 17 June 2024 Morning Time allowed: The total time for
Materials
both sections of this paper is
For this paper you must have: 2 hours. You are advised to
 a pencil and a ruler spend approximately
 a scientific calculator
 a Data and Formulae Booklet 70 minutes on this section.
 a protractor.
For Examiner’s Use
Instructions
Question Mark
 Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
 Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. 1
 Answer all questions. 2
3

TOTAL

, 2

 You must answer the questions in the spaces provided. Do not write outside the box around each Do not write
outside the
page or on blank pages. Section A box

 If you need extra space for your answer(s), use the lined pages at the end of this book. Write the question
number against your answer(s).
 Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
 Show all your working.

Information
 The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
 The maximum mark for this paper is 45.
 You are expected to use a scientific calculator where appropriate.
 A Data and Formulae Booklet is provided as a loose insert.




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7408/3A

For A-Level Physics Paper 3 Section A, focus on the following key areas:

1. Practical Skills:

 Experimental Design and Techniques: Be familiar with a range of practical experiments and their
methods, including setting up experiments, measuring, and analyzing data.
 Error Analysis: Know how to evaluate and minimize errors in experiments. Understand how to
calculate uncertainties, absolute and percentage errors, and how they propagate in calculations.
 Data Collection and Interpretation: Practice interpreting experimental data, drawing conclusions,
and comparing theoretical models with experimental results.
 Graphing: Be comfortable with plotting data on graphs, calculating gradients, determining the line of
best fit, and finding physical quantities from graph results.

2. Mechanics:

 Forces and Motion: Understand how to measure force, acceleration, and mass in practical setups,
and how to apply Newton's laws of motion in experimental contexts.
 Projectile Motion: Be able to design and carry out experiments involving projectile motion, including
measurements of time, height, and distance.
 Circular Motion: Know how to set up and conduct experiments to measure centripetal force and
acceleration in circular motion.

3. Electricity:

 Ohm's Law and Circuits: Be able to investigate the relationship between current, voltage, and
resistance in both series and parallel circuits.
 Capacitors: Understand the charging and discharging of capacitors, the use of RC circuits, and
how to measure time constants in practical experiments.
 Electric Fields: Know how to investigate electric fields and the forces acting on charged particles in
electric fields.

4. Waves:

 Wave Properties: Be able to measure wave properties, such as wavelength, frequency, and
amplitude, and perform experiments involving the speed of sound and light.


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, 2

 Interference and Diffraction: Understand how to set up experiments to investigate wave Do not write
outside the
interference and diffraction, including the double-slit
Section A experiment for light. box


5. Thermal Physics:

 Heat and Temperature: Understand how to measure specific heat capacity, latent heat, and
temperature changes in experiments involving materials.
 Thermodynamic Processes: Study experimental setups for heat engines and how to analyze their
efficiency.

6. Nuclear Physics:

 Radioactivity: Know how to measure the activity of radioactive materials and determine half-life using
experimental data.
 Gamma Radiation and Detection: Understand how to detect and measure gamma radiation using
scintillation counters or other detectors.

7. Practical Questions:

 Practice answering questions about experimental procedures, data analysis, and improvements or
modifications to experiments. Be able to suggest meth




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, 2

Answer all questions in this section. Do not write
outside the
Section A box


0 1 This question is based on a method to determine the resistivity of a wire (required
practical activity 5).

Figure 1 shows a micrometer screw gauge.

Figure 1




Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of the scales.

Figure 2




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