Name:

Date:

P1
ENERGY
TEST 1

GCSE Mark Score (%)

PHYSICS
AQA - COMBINED SCIENCE
Materials
For this paper  you must have:
Ruler
Pencil, Rubber, Protractor and Compass
Scientific calculator, which you are expected to use when appropriate

Instructions
Answer all questions
Answer questions in the space provided
All working must be shown
Do all rough work in this book. Cross out any rough work you don't want to be marked

Information
The marks for the questions are shown in brackets

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 The picture shows a temporary road traffic information board.
1

The batteries power the LEDs used in the information board.

The solar cells keep the batteries charged.

(a) Use words from the box to complete each of the following sentences.

chemical electrical light sound

The solar cells transfer light energy to ______________________________ energy.

The batteries transfer ___________________________ energy to electrical energy.

The LEDs transfer electrical energy to ______________________________ energy.

(3)

(b) When the total energy input to the solar cells is 200 joules, the useful energy output from
the solar cells to the batteries is 50 joules.

Calculate the efficiency of the solar cells.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Efficiency = ___________________________
(2)

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 (c) Which one of the following statements gives the reason for using solar cells to charge the
batteries?

Tick ( ) one box.

Solar cells will charge the batteries day and night.

The information board can be used anywhere it is needed.

A small number of solar cells produce a lot of electricity.

(1)
(Total 6 marks)

Three energy sources used to generate electricity are given in List A.

2 Statements about the energy sources used to generate electricity are given in List B.

Draw one line from each energy source in List A to the statement about the energy source in
List B.

List A List B
Energy source Statement about energy source

Uses energy from falling water

Geothermal

Uses energy from inside the Earth

Hydroelectric

Is unpredictable

Nuclear

Produces dangerous waste

(Total 3 marks)

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 (a) A student investigated how the number of blades on a wind turbine affects the output
3 voltage of the turbine.

The student used the apparatus shown in the diagram.

The fan was used to turn the wind turbine.

(i) The fan was always the same distance from the wind turbine.

Why?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) After switching the fan on, the student waited 20 seconds before taking the voltmeter
reading.

Suggest why.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

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(iii) The student changed the number of blades on the wind turbine.

The student’s results are shown in the scatter graph.

Number of blades

What conclusion can be made from the results in the scatter graph?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

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 (b) The amount of electricity generated using wind turbines is increasing.

Which graph, A, B or C, is most likely to show the electrical power output from a wind
turbine over one day?

Time Time Time

Write the correct answer, A, B or C, in the box.

Give a reason for your answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

The image shows a girl riding a self-balancing scooter.

4

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(a) The scooter has an electric motor powered by a battery.

During the ride the battery transfers 15 000 C of charge.

The potential difference across the battery is 36 V

Calculate the energy transferred by the battery.

Use the equation:

energy transferred = charge flow × potential difference

Give your answer in kJ

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Energy transferred = ____________________ kJ

(3)

The table gives data for two scooters with different motors.

Both motors have the same efficiency.

Power of motor in
Mass in kg
W

Scooter A 500 10.5

Scooter B 700 14.0

(b) Explain why scooter B has a higher maximum speed.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

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(c) Both scooters can be ridden for 20 minutes before the battery needs recharging.

Compare the amount of chemical energy stored in the batteries of each scooter.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(d) Write the equation that links energy transferred, power and time.

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(e) Calculate the energy transferred by the motor in scooter B in 20 minutes.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Energy transferred = ____________________ J

(3)
(Total 10 marks)

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 (a) A student used the apparatus drawn below to investigate the heating effect of an electric
5 heater.

(i) Before starting the experiment, the student drew Graph A.

Graph A shows how the student expected the temperature of the metal block to
change after the heater was switched on.

Describe the pattern shown in Graph A.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

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(ii) The student measured the room temperature. He then switched the heater on and
measured the temperature of the metal block every 50 seconds.

The student calculated the increase in temperature of the metal block and plotted
Graph B.

After 300 seconds, Graph B shows the increase in temperature of the metal block is
lower than the increase in temperature expected from Graph A.

Suggest one reason why.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(iii) The power of the electric heater is 50 watts.

Calculate the energy transferred to the heater from the electricity supply in
300 seconds.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Energy transferred = ______________________ J

(2)

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(b) The student uses the same heater to heat blocks of different metals. Each time the heater
is switched on for 300 seconds.

Each block of metal has the same mass but a different specific heat capacity.

Metal Specific heat capacity in J/kg°C

Aluminium 900

Iron 450

Lead 130

Which one of the metals will heat up the most?

Draw a ring around the correct answer.

aluminium iron lead

Give, in terms of the amount of energy needed to heat the metal blocks, a reason for your
answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

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 The figure below shows a car with an electric motor.
6
The car is moving along a flat road.

(a) (i) Use the correct answers from the box to complete each sentence.

light electrical kinetic potential sound

The car’s motor transfers _______________________ energy

into useful _______________________ energy as the car moves.

Some energy is wasted as _______________________ energy.

(3)

(ii) What happens to the wasted energy?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) The electric motor has an input energy of 50 000 joules each second.

The motor transfers 35 000 joules of useful energy each second.

Calculate the efficiency of the electric motor.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Efficiency = ________________________________
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

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 An energy input of 1.3 × 1018 J is supplied each year by power stations to the National Grid.
7
Not all of this energy is supplied to consumers. Some of the energy is wasted in the distribution
process.

(a)  Write the equation which links efficiency, total input energy transfer and useful output
energy transfer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b)  The energy supplied each year to consumers is 1.2 × 1018 J

Calculate the efficiency of the distribution process.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Efficiency = _______________________
(2)

(c)  How is electrical power transmitted across the National Grid to make the process as
efficient as possible?

Tick one box.

At a high potential difference and a high current

At a high potential difference and a low current

At a low potential difference and a high current

At a low potential difference and a low current

(1)

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(d)  Write the equation which links energy transferred, power and time.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(e)  A wind turbine supplies a power output of 8000 kW for 1200 seconds.

Calculate the energy transferred by the wind turbine in kJ

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Energy transferred = ___________________________ kJ

(3)

(f)  Describe the environmental advantages and disadvantages of using wind turbines to

generate electricity in the UK.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(4)
(Total 12 marks)

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 A student finds some information about energy-saving light bulbs.
8
(a) A 30W light bulb uses 600J of electrical energy in a certain period of time. In that time, it
produces 450 J of light energy. The rest of the energy is wasted.

(i) Calculate the energy wasted by the light bulb in this period of time.

______________________________________________________________

Wasted energy = _________________ J

(1)

(ii) What happens to the energy wasted by the light bulb?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(iii) Calculate the efficiency of this light bulb.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Efficiency = ______________________________
(2)

(iv) Calculate the period of time, in seconds, during which the 600 J is provided to the
30 W light bulb.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Time = _____________ s
(2)

(b) A company that makes light bulbs provides information about some of their products.

The table shows some of this information.

Power in watts Lifetime in hours Cost of bulb in £

Filament bulb 60 1250 2.00

LED bulb 12 50 000 16.00

(i) Suggest why it is important to confirm this information independently.

______________________________________________________________
(1)
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 (ii) A homeowner is thinking about replacing his filament bulbs with LED bulbs.

A 12 W LED bulb gives the same light output as a 60 W filament bulb.

Suggest reasons why the homeowner is likely to choose LED bulbs.

Use the information given in the table.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(iii) State one factor, other than efficiency, that is important when considering the choice
of a bulb for lighting in the home.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)
(Total 10 marks)

An electric immersion heater is used to heat the water in a domestic hot water tank.
9 When the immersion heater is switched on the water at the bottom of the tank gets hot.

(a) Complete the following sentence.

The main way the energy is transferred through the copper wall of the water tank is

by the process of ________________________________________ .

(1)

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(b) The immersion heater has a thermostat to control the water temperature.

When the temperature of the water inside the tank reaches 58°C the thermostat switches
the heater off. The thermostat switches the heater back on when the temperature of the
water falls to 50°C.

Graph A shows how the temperature of the water inside a hot water tank changes with
time. The tank is not insulated.

Time in hours

(i) The temperature of the water falls at the fastest rate just after the heater switches off.

Explain why.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(ii) To heat the water in the tank from 50°C to 58°C the immersion heater transfers
4032 kJ of energy to the water.

Calculate the mass of water in the tank.

Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J/kg°C

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Mass = _______________________________ kg
(3)

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(iii) An insulating jacket is fitted to the hot water tank.

Graph B shows how the temperature of the water inside the insulated hot water tank
changes with time.

Time in hours

An insulating jacket only costs £12.

By comparing Graph A with Graph B, explain why fitting an insulating jacket to a hot
water tank saves money.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

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 All European Union countries are expected to generate 20% of their electricity using renewable
10 energy sources by 2020.

The estimated cost of generating electricity in the year 2020 using different energy sources is
shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Energy source Estimated cost (in the year 2020)

in pence per kWh

Nuclear 7.8

Solar 25.3

Tidal 18.8

Wind 10.0

France generated 542 billion kWh of electricity using nuclear power stations in 2011.
France used 478 billion kWh of electricity and sold the rest of the electricity to other countries in
2011.

(a) France may continue generating large amounts of electricity using nuclear power stations
instead of using renewable energy resources.

Suggest two reasons why.

1. _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) Give two disadvantages of generating electricity using nuclear power stations.

1. _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

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(c) A panel of solar cells has an efficiency of 0.15.

The total power input to the panel of solar cells is 3.2 kW.

Calculate the useful power output of this panel of solar cells in kW.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Useful power output = _______________ kW

(2)

(d) Table 2 shows the manufacturing cost and efficiency of different types of panels of solar
cells.

Table 2

Type of Solar Panel Cost to manufacture a 1 m2

Efficiency in %
solar panel in £

A 40.00 20

B 22.50 15

C 5.00 10

Some scientists think that having a low manufacturing cost is more important than
improving the efficiency of solar cells.

Use information from Table 2 to suggest why.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

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