10 Work, energy, and power

AQA Physics Answers to practice questions

Question Answer Marks Guidance
1 (a) (i) Using power = force × speed, top speed Tests your ability to use the given
maximum output power 1 data to calculate the top speed of an
= driving force electric car and its range.
= 1200 W / 600 N
–1
= 20 m s
1
1 (a) (ii) Distance range = speed × time 1

= 20 × 90 × 60 m = 108 km 1
1 (b) The hybrid car is 1.8 times more fuel efficient 1 How Science Works features in part
than the equivalent petrol-only car. (b) which requires students to
compare data and other facts
Its carbon emission would be therefore be 1 supplied about a hybrid car’s
1.8 times less ie. 100 grams per km. efficiency and carbon emissions in
comparison with a ‘petrol car’.
This would cut the annual carbon emission 1
per vehicle by 20000 × 80 grams = 1600 kg Any general statements in the
or 16 % for the average UK household. answer (e.g. the braking distance is
less) needs to be backed up with a
If a significant number of UK motorists 1 relevant numerical comparison.
switched to hybrid vehicles, there would be
significant reduction in UK carbon emissions
(eg a 20 % switch would cut UK carbon
emissions by 3.2 % (= 20 % of 16 %)). 1
2 (a) (i) gravitational potential energy 1 You have to read this question
carefully. In (i) you are only asked
changes to kinetic energy 1 about the falling mass, whereas in (ii)
you are asked about the whole
system.
2 (a) (ii) both trolley and falling mass gain kinetic 1
energy
1
frictional forces cause energy to be
converted into thermal energy
2 (b) Required measurements: 2 To investigate conservation of
• masses of the trolley and of the falling energy, you need to calculate m g ∆h
mass 1 2
• distance (s) fallen by mass and time (t) and 2 m v for the whole system. In
taken to fall order to find v, you need distance
and time measurements.
2 (c) Relevant points include: 4 Your answer must give full details of
• calculate m g ∆h for the falling mass, how you would use all your
where ∆h = s measurements in order to check
• calculate speed of the mass as it hits the whether energy has been conserved.
1
floor by using s = 2 (u + v) t, where s and t For full credit it would not be sufficient
have been measured and u = 0 to give a vague answer such as
‘calculate the EP lost and the EK
1 2 gained’.
• calculate   2 m v for the trolley

1 2
• calculate   2 m v for the mass
• compare value of EP lost with total EK
gained

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www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
 10 Work, energy, and power
AQA Physics Answers to practice questions
Question Answer Marks Guidance
3 (a) use of EP = m g ∆h 1 A very straightforward application of
the potential energy equation, as it
gives EP = 1.0 × 9.81 × 4.8 = 47 J 1 applies to hydroelectric power.
3 (b) energy converted mg∆h 1 Alternatively, you could work this out
power = time taken = t from your answer in (a). The energy
7 7
6.7 × 10 × 9.81 × 4.8 1 available in 1 h would be (6.7 × 10 )
= 3600 times larger than 47 J. Power is
5
= 8.8 × 10 W 1 energy per second, and dividing by
3600 will give you the answer.
3 (c) Relevant points include: 2 Your response to this kind of
• locations for power stations are limited question may depend on your social
(e.g. by geographical and meteorological awareness and on your previous
factors) knowledge, as well as on your
• continuous generation may not be common sense. Even though
possible (e.g. times of drought) hydroelectric power is regarded as a
• environmental impact (e.g. population is classic ‘green’ energy resource, there
displaced when reservoir is built, damage to can still be a down side.
wildlife habitats, visual intrusion)
4 (a) the resultant force steadily decreases during 1 (a) is an exercise in interpreting the
the first 4 s velocity-time graph. The gradient
decreases over the first 4 s,
it is zero for the all times beyond 4 s 1 indicating a decreasing acceleration.
Beyond 4 s, the constant velocity
shows that there is no acceleration.
4 (b) maximum kinetic energy 1 When the car has its maximum
kinetic energy it has reached its
1 2 1 3 2 constant speed, which you read from
= 2 m v = 2 × 1.4 × 10 × 16 1 the graph. Take care when doing
5 −1
= 1.8 × 10 J this: it is not 15 m s .
4 (c) when at a constant speed, power P = F v 1 For this part of the question, the car
4
gives 2.0 × 10 = F × 30 is travelling at a higher constant
speed. Power is equal to the work
∴ driving force F = 670 N 1 done per second, which is (force) ×
(distance moved per second), or F ×
v.
5 (a) (i) use of ∆EP = m g ∆h gives 1 Part (ii) requires particular care,
because you cannot use
∆EP = 70 × 9.81 × 150 (EK gained) = (EP lost).
5
= 1.03 × 10 J 1 You may only become aware of this
when you first read through part (b).
The skydiver encounters significant
air resistance and therefore some of
the EP lost becomes thermal energy.
5 (a) (ii) 1 2 1
use of EK = 2 m v gives

1 2
EK = 2 × 70 × 45

= 7.09 × 10 J
4 1
5 (b) (i) work done against air resistance 1 The ‘missing’ energy must be equal
5 4
= (1.03 × 10 ) − (7.09 × 10 ) to the work done.
4
= 3.21 × 10 J

© Oxford University Press 2015 This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
 10 Work, energy, and power
AQA Physics Answers to practice questions
Question Answer Marks Guidance
5 (b) (ii) use of work done = F s gives 1 The resistive force will increase as
4
3.21 × 10 = F × 150 the speed of the skydiver increases.
∴ average resistive force = 210 N (to 2 1 This result is an average value.
significant figures)
6 (a) use of P = F v gives 1 You are asked to show that this value
4
1.8 × 10 = F × 10 and F = 1800 N is 1800 N, and so only one mark is
available.
6 (b) (i) 250 + FR = 1800 gives FR = 1550 N 1 You know from (a) that the total
resistive force is 1800 N when the
−1
speed is 10 m s .
6 (b) (ii) new air resistance force = 4 × FR = 6200 N 1 The force due to air resistance is
2
proportional to (speed) , and the
speed has doubled.
6 (b) (iii) total resistive force 1 You are told that the frictional force of
= 6200 + 250 = 6450 N 250 N is constant. Comparing the
use of P = F v gives P = 6450 × 20 1 values of power in (a) and (b)(ii), it is
5
= 1.3 × 10 W clear that this car requires its power
to be increased by more than 7 times
when the speed is doubled in this
way.
7 (a) (i) Relevant points include: 3 Because frictional forces are present,
• (gravitational) potential energy is lost some energy has to be used to
(∆EP) overcome them. Therefore only a part
• some of this becomes kinetic energy of of the potential energy lost is passed
ball bearing (∆EK) to the ball bearing as kinetic energy.
• some is converted into thermal energy (Q) Because we are used to objects that
• work is done against frictional forces fall in circumstances where friction is
• ∆EP = ∆EK + Q negligible, we are usually able to
write ‘∆EP lost = ∆EK gained’ – but it
does not apply here. Overall, energy
must be conserved however.
7 (a) (ii) Relevant points include: 3 Once the ball bearing reaches
• kinetic energy of ball bearing is constant terminal velocity its kinetic energy
• because its speed is constant does not change. Yet it still loses
• potential energy lost (∆EP) is converted potential energy as it falls. In this
into thermal energy (or work done against case all of the lost potential energy is
frictional forces) (Q) converted into thermal energy in
• ∆EP = Q overcoming the frictional forces.
7 (b) potential energy gained by object 1 This calculation has not been put into
= m g ∆h = 470 × 9.81 × 0.58 = 2670 J a structured format. Hence your first
task is to think through the steps you
work done per stroke of handle 1 will need to take to arrive at the
= F s = 150 × 0.42 = 63 J efficiency. The final answer would
normally be quoted as a percentage.
total work done = 52 × 63 = 3280 J 1 For any system, the efficiency can be
found
∆EP gained 2670 1 useful output energy (or power)
efficiency = work done = 3280 from input energy (or power)
= 0.814 (or 81.4 %) 1 .

© Oxford University Press 2015 This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements