AQA AS Level Physics Paper 2, June 2024: Question 34

1 mark · Easy difficulty · Multiple Choice

Identify the row that shows SI prefixes in order of increasing magnitude.

Practise this question

Question

A multiple choice question asking which row shows SI prefixes in order of increasing magnitude, with columns labeled Smallest to Largest and rows A, B, C, D containing different combinations of the prefixes f, p, mu, and c.
Question text

34 Which row shows SI prefixes in order of increasing magnitude?

[1 mark]

Smallest Largest

A f p μ c

B f p c μ

C p f μ c

D p f c μ

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme The mark scheme indicates that the correct answer is row A, which lists the prefixes f, p, mu, and c in order of increasing magnitude.

34 A f p μ c

Total = 30 marks

How to answer it

Ordering SI Prefixes

What this question tests

This question assesses your recall and understanding of standard SI multipliers and prefixes used in A Level Physics. You are required to correctly order four prefixes (femto, pico, micro, and centi) by their numerical magnitudes from smallest to largest.

Question 3.4

Multiple Choice Question (1 Mark)

✅ Correct Answer

Row A is the correct option: f , p , μ , c

Award 1 mark for selecting A.

💡 Key Knowledge

  • f (femto): 10⁻¹⁵
  • p (pico): 10⁻¹²
  • μ (micro): 10⁻⁶
  • c (centi): 10⁻²

🧠 Exam Technique

Always convert unfamiliar or smaller prefix powers into standard index form (powers of 10) in your head or on your rough paper. Remember that negative numbers with larger absolute values are actually smaller quantities!

❌ Common Errors

Students often get confused by negative indices, incorrectly assuming that 10⁻¹⁵ is larger than 10⁻² because 15 is numerically larger than 2. Always remember: 10⁻¹⁵ < 10⁻¹² < 10⁻⁶ < 10⁻² .

Topics

Physics · 3.1 Measurements and their errors

Question and mark scheme from the AQA AS Level Physics examination, Paper 2, June 2024. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.