Photodiode: AQA A‑Level Physics questions

AQA A-Level Physics past-paper questions on 3.13.1.3 Photodiode, 2008–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.

All 13 questions on Photodiode, as a list

June 2025, Paper 3 Electronics, Q03.1 (1 mark): A photodiode can be used in either photovoltaic mode or photoconductive mode. State one advantage of using a photodiode in photoconductive mode. [1 mark]
June 2025, Paper 3 Electronics, Q03.4 (3 marks): Stage 3 uses an operational amplifier as a comparator to determine whether the irradiance detected by the photodiode in stage 1 exceeds a critical value. Figure
June 2024, Paper 3 Electronics, Q04.1 (2 marks): Figure 11 shows the response of a photodiode for different values of reverse-bias voltage VR. Figure 11 The photodiode is used as the input for a light-intensit
June 2024, Paper 3 Electronics, Q04.2 (2 marks): Describe how a photodiode is used in a particle detector to detect sub-atomic particles. [2 marks]
November 2021, Paper 3 Electronics, Q03.1 (1 mark): State the mode in which the photodiode is being used in Figure 10. [1 mark]
November 2021, Paper 3 Electronics, Q03.2 (1 mark): In the circuit shown in Figure 10, there is a current in the photodiode even when there is no light incident on it. This current is called the dark current. In
November 2021, Paper 3 Electronics, Q03.3 (3 marks): Monochromatic radiation of wavelength 850 nm and power 4.0 µW is incident on the photodiode in Figure 10. Calculate the output voltage of the detector circuit.
November 2020, Paper 3 Electronics, Q04.2 (3 marks): Figure 7 shows the variation of photocurrent with intensity for the monochromatic radiation incident on the photodiode. Figure 7 Radiation of intensity 3.0 W m−
June 2017, Paper 3 Electronics, Q04.1 (1 mark): State the mode in which the photodiode is being used in Figure 10. [1 mark]
June 2017, Paper 3 Electronics, Q04.3 (1 mark): Figure 11 shows an extract from a data sheet of the characteristics for a photodiode under different light levels measured in lux. For a particular lighting con
June 2017, Paper 3 Electronics, Q04.4 (1 mark): Calculate the voltage at point X in the circuit shown in Figure 10 for the light level in question 04.3. [1 mark] voltage = V
June 2017, Paper 3 Electronics, Q04.5 (2 marks): The 10 kΩ linear potential divider shown in Figure 10 is set to give 1.75 V at point Y. Assume that the operational amplifier has ideal characteristics. Deduce
June 2008, PHA9W (2008 spec), Q2(d) (3 marks): 2 (d) A student attempts to set up a half-wave rectification circuit, but uses a wrong component, X as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 68 Ω 3.0 V peak 50 Hz oscillo

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