Lesson 3.5.1

3.5.1 Resistance changes with temperature and illumination Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.5.1, Resistance changes with temperature and illumination: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 3: Electric Circuits, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Why does the electrical resistance of a metal conductor increase when it is heated?

    • Decreased electron density
    • Increased charge carriers
    • Increased electron scattering
    • Decreased ion vibrations

  2. Why does the resistance of an NTC thermistor decrease as its temperature increases?

    • More conduction electrons
    • Increased lattice resistance
    • Fewer charge carriers
    • More ion scattering

  3. What happens to the resistance of a light-dependent resistor as light intensity increases?

    • It remains constant
    • It increases
    • It decreases
    • It reaches zero

  4. Which property remains constant for an ohmic conductor held at a constant temperature?

    • Power output
    • Current
    • Potential difference
    • Resistance

  5. What is the shape of a resistance against temperature graph for a pure metal?

    • Horizontal straight line
    • Decreasing curve
    • Linear negative gradient
    • Linear positive gradient

  6. Why does semiconductor resistance decrease as temperature rises, unlike in metals?

    • More charge carriers
    • Fewer lattice vibrations
    • Decreased carrier speed
    • Lower electron energy

  7. How does the resistance of a negative temperature coefficient thermistor change when heated?

    • Decreases with temperature
    • Remains constant
    • Fluctuates randomly
    • Increases with temperature

  8. An NTC thermistor of resistance 3.0 kohm is in series with a fixed 1.0 kohm resistor across 8.0 V. What is the p.d. across the fixed resistor?

    • 0.67 V
    • 4.0 V
    • 6.0 V
    • 2.0 V

  9. A 1.0 kohm fixed resistor is in series with a thermistor across 8.0 V. If the thermistor resistance falls to 1.0 kohm, what is the p.d. across the fixed resistor?

    • 1.0 V
    • 4.0 V
    • 6.0 V
    • 2.0 V

  10. A metal wire has resistance 5.0 ohm at 20 C and 6.0 ohm at 80 C. Assuming a linear change, what is its resistance at 50 C?

    • 5.8 ohm
    • 6.0 ohm
    • 5.2 ohm
    • 5.5 ohm

  11. A non-ohmic component has current 0.020 A at 4.0 V and current 0.030 A at 8.0 V. What is its resistance at 8.0 V?

    • About 270 ohm
    • About 130 ohm
    • About 200 ohm
    • About 400 ohm

  12. Why does the gradient of a filament lamp's I-V graph decrease at higher voltages?

    • Current decreases
    • Resistance increases
    • Resistance decreases
    • Voltage decreases

  13. An LDR in a divider with a fixed 10 kohm resistor across 5.0 V has resistance 2.0 kohm when bright. What is the p.d. across the fixed resistor?

    • 2.5 V
    • 1.0 V
    • 4.2 V
    • 0.83 V

  14. A thermistor of resistance 1.5 kohm is in series with a fixed 1.5 kohm resistor across 6.0 V. What current flows?

    • 0.50 mA
    • 4.0 mA
    • 8.0 mA
    • 2.0 mA

  15. The resistance of a metal filament rises from 10 ohm to 12 ohm as its temperature rises. What is the percentage increase?

    • 83%
    • 2%
    • 10%
    • 20%

  16. An NTC thermistor and fixed resistor form a potential divider. What happens to thermistor voltage as temperature rises?

    • Remains constant
    • Increases
    • Decreases
    • Becomes zero

  17. An NTC thermistor has resistance 5.0 kohm at 25 C and 1.0 kohm at 60 C. It is in series with a fixed 2.0 kohm resistor across 12 V. What is the p.d. across the fixed resistor at 60 C?

    • 2.0 V
    • 6.0 V
    • 8.0 V
    • 4.8 V

  18. For which type of material does electrical resistance increase as temperature rises?

    • NTC thermistor
    • Pure metal
    • Semiconductor
    • Light-dependent resistor

  19. A point P on the I-V graph of a filament lamp has V = 6.0 V and I = 0.40 A. What is the resistance of the lamp at P?

    • 2.4 ohm
    • 15 ohm
    • 0.067 ohm
    • 6.4 ohm

  20. What type of mathematical relationship exists between an LDR's resistance and light intensity?

    • Inversely proportional
    • Non-linear
    • Constant
    • Directly proportional

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