Lesson 3.5.1.3

3.5.1.3 Resistivity Quiz: AQA Physics, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.5.1.3, Resistivity: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Physics (7408), Unit 5: Electricity, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Resistivity rho of a material is given by which expression?

    • rho = L / (R A)
    • rho = R / (L A)
    • rho = R A / L
    • rho = R L / A

  2. The SI unit of resistivity is:

    • ohm m
    • ohm m^2
    • ohm m^-1
    • ohm per second

  3. Why does the electrical resistance of a metal conductor increase as temperature rises?

    • Decreased ion vibrations
    • Decreased electron collisions
    • Increased ion vibrations
    • Increased electron density

  4. What happens to the resistance of an NTC thermistor as its temperature increases?

    • Increases
    • Stays the same
    • Decreases
    • Becomes zero

  5. At what temperature condition does a material become superconducting?

    • Below critical temperature
    • At room temperature
    • Above critical temperature
    • At absolute zero

  6. A copper wire has length 2.0 m, cross-sectional area 1.0 x 10^-6 m^2, and resistance 0.034 ohm. What is its resistivity?

    • 1.7 x 10^-8 ohm m
    • 3.4 x 10^-8 ohm m
    • 1.7 x 10^-6 ohm m
    • 8.5 x 10^-9 ohm m

  7. A copper wire of resistivity 1.7 x 10^-8 ohm m is 5.0 m long with area 2.0 x 10^-6 m^2. What is its resistance?

    • 0.0043 ohm
    • 4.3 ohm
    • 0.43 ohm
    • 0.043 ohm

  8. A 1.0 m wire of diameter 0.50 mm has resistance 0.80 ohm. What is the resistivity?

    • 6.3 x 10^-7 ohm m
    • 1.6 x 10^-7 ohm m
    • 1.6 x 10^-9 ohm m
    • 1.6 x 10^-5 ohm m

  9. A wire's length and cross-sectional area are both doubled. How does its resistance change?

    • Doubles
    • Halves
    • Remains unchanged
    • Quadruples

  10. A thermistor's resistance falls from 500 Ω to 100 Ω. By what factor has resistance changed?

    • Halved
    • Decreased fourfold
    • Increased fivefold
    • Decreased fivefold

  11. Why do superconductors eliminate electrical energy loss during power transmission?

    • Zero potential difference
    • Zero current
    • Zero resistance
    • High voltage

  12. Why can superconducting electromagnets carry huge currents without overheating?

    • Zero magnetic flux
    • High internal resistance
    • No resistive heating
    • Low critical current

  13. Which three measurements are needed to determine the resistivity of a wire?

    • Resistance, length, diameter
    • Mass, length, diameter
    • Resistance, density, length
    • Voltage, current, mass

  14. Which property of a wire depends on its material but not its length?

    • Total charge
    • Resistance
    • Resistivity
    • Mass

  15. A metal wire is cooled. Its resistivity:

    • decreases
    • stays the same
    • increases
    • becomes negative

  16. Nichrome has resistivity 1.1 x 10^-6 ohm m and copper 1.7 x 10^-8 ohm m. For wires of the same dimensions, how many times greater is nichrome's resistance?

    • about 6.5 times
    • about 650 times
    • about 65 times
    • about 0.015 times

  17. A 5.0 m wire of cross-sectional area 0.40 mm^2 has resistivity 5.0 x 10^-7 ohm m. What is its resistance?

    • 3.1 ohm
    • 6.3 ohm
    • 0.63 ohm
    • 63 ohm

  18. A thermistor's resistance decreases from 2.0 kΩ to 0.5 kΩ at constant voltage. How does current change?

    • Halves
    • Is quartered
    • Quadruples
    • Doubles

  19. Why does the resistance of an NTC thermistor fall as its temperature rises?

    • Charge carriers released
    • Ions vibrate more
    • Area increases
    • Electrons slow down

  20. Below which threshold temperature does a superconductor exhibit zero electrical resistivity?

    • Critical temperature
    • Absolute zero
    • Melting point
    • Curie temperature

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