Lesson 3.3.1

3.3.1 Resistivity and drift velocity of charge carriers Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.3.1, Resistivity and drift velocity of charge carriers: 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. The resistance of a uniform wire is given by R = rho l/A. Which quantities does this relate?

    • Resistivity, voltage, area and time
    • Resistance, resistivity, length and cross-sectional area
    • Resistance, power, length and density
    • Resistance, current, length and temperature

  2. The SI unit of resistivity is:

    • Ohm square metre (ohm m^2)
    • Ohm per metre (ohm/m)
    • Ohm (ohm)
    • Ohm metre (ohm m)

  3. In the equation I = n A v q, what does n represent?

    • The total number of charge carriers in the wire.
    • The number of atoms per mole.
    • The number density of charge carriers, per cubic metre.
    • The number of coulombs per second.

  4. If the length of a uniform wire is doubled, with its cross-sectional area and resistivity unchanged, its resistance:

    • Quadruples
    • Halves
    • Doubles
    • Stays the same

  5. A wire of length 2.0 m and cross-sectional area 1.0 x 10^-6 m^2 is made of material of resistivity 1.7 x 10^-8 ohm m. What is its resistance?

    • 0.0085 ohm
    • 3.4 ohm
    • 0.17 ohm
    • 0.034 ohm

  6. A copper conductor carries a current of 2.0 A, has a cross-sectional area of 1.0 x 10^-6 m^2, a charge carrier density of 8.5 x 10^28 m^-3, and carriers of charge 1.6 x 10^-19 C. What is the drift velocity?

    • 6.8 x 10^-5 m s^-1
    • 1.5 x 10^-4 m s^-1
    • 1.5 x 10^-7 m s^-1
    • 1.5 m s^-1

  7. Compared with a thin wire carrying the same current, a thick wire has a drift velocity that is:

    • Larger, because it has more resistance.
    • Larger, because the cross-sectional area is larger.
    • The same, because the current is the same.
    • Smaller, because the cross-sectional area is larger.

  8. The diameter of a uniform wire is doubled, with length and material unchanged. What happens to its resistance?

    • It falls to a quarter of its original value.
    • It quadruples.
    • It falls to half of its original value.
    • It doubles.

  9. Which property of a material is independent of the dimensions of a sample?

    • Length
    • Resistivity
    • Cross-sectional area
    • Resistance

  10. A wire of length 10 m and diameter 0.50 mm is made of material with resistivity 1.7 x 10^-8 ohm m. What is its resistance?

    • 0.087 ohm
    • 0.87 ohm
    • 0.43 ohm
    • 8.7 ohm

  11. Wire B has twice the length and half the diameter of wire A, and both are made of the same material. What is R_B/R_A?

    • 4
    • 2
    • 8
    • 16

  12. In I = n A v q, the current stays constant when n is doubled and v is halved, with A and q fixed. Which statement is correct?

    • The current halves, because v is halved.
    • The current quadruples.
    • The current is unchanged, because the product nv is unchanged.
    • The current doubles, because n is doubled.

  13. Electric current appears to respond almost instantly in a long wire, even though drift velocities are small. What explains this?

    • Drift velocity is close to the speed of light.
    • The resistance of the wire is zero.
    • The electric field propagates through the wire at a speed close to that of light.
    • Electrons are stored in the wire and released at once.

  14. A copper wire carries 3.0 A, has a cross-sectional area of 2.0 x 10^-6 m^2, and has n = 8.5 x 10^28 m^-3. What is the drift velocity, taking q = 1.6 x 10^-19 C?

    • 2.2 x 10^-4 m s^-1
    • 1.1 x 10^-2 m s^-1
    • 3.7 x 10^-5 m s^-1
    • 1.1 x 10^-4 m s^-1

  15. A graph of R against l for a uniform wire is a straight line through the origin. What does its gradient represent?

    • 1/(rho A)
    • rho/A
    • A/rho
    • rho x A

  16. Which factor does not change the resistance of a wire of given material and length?

    • The resistivity
    • The cross-sectional area
    • The temperature
    • The current flowing through it

  17. A wire of resistivity 2.0 x 10^-7 ohm m and length 5.0 m has resistance 0.50 ohm. What is its cross-sectional area?

    • 4.0 x 10^-6 m^2
    • 1.0 x 10^-6 m^2
    • 5.0 x 10^-6 m^2
    • 2.0 x 10^-6 m^2

  18. A cylindrical wire of length 4.0 m has a resistance of 0.40 ohm and a cross-sectional area of 2.5 x 10^-6 m^2. What is its resistivity?

    • 2.5 x 10^-8 ohm m
    • 4.0 x 10^-7 ohm m
    • 2.5 x 10^-7 ohm m
    • 1.6 x 10^-7 ohm m

  19. A uniform wire of resistance 8.0 ohm is cut into two equal halves, which are connected in parallel. What is the combined resistance?

    • 4.0 ohm
    • 2.0 ohm
    • 16 ohm
    • 0.50 ohm

  20. Which change would increase the drift velocity of charge carriers in a wire carrying a fixed current?

    • Reducing the cross-sectional area of the wire
    • Increasing the cross-sectional area of the wire
    • Increasing the charge on each carrier
    • Increasing the number density of charge carriers

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