Chapter 6: Electricity

1 a Label the diagram of a plug. Colour in the live, neutral and earth wires using the colours they
would be in a real plug.

b A fuse is a device used to protect the user from electric shock or to prevent an electrical fire.
Why must the fuse be attached to the live wire?

c The plug is said to have ‘double insulation’ to protect the user. Explain what this term means.

d Label the cable grip on the diagram above.

e Why are cable grips used as a safety feature in a plug?

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2 a Samira is doing her school work on a laptop. The power rating on the laptop is 10 W and it is
connected to the 230 V mains supply. Calculate the current passing through the wires in the
laptop.

b Calculate the total energy supplied to the laptop if she works on it for 1 hour.

c Samira is working on her laptop for over an hour. She notices that the laptop has become
warm to the touch. Explain why some electrical devices feel warm to the touch when they
have been on for a long time.

3 Paul orders a new 2.2 kW oven for his home. He notices that it has a different fuse to all the
other electrical items in his home.

a Calculate the current supplied to the oven when connected to the 230 V mains.

b What fuse should Paul select to ensure that the oven works effectively?

c Paul is looking at the energy he uses in his home. He calculates that to cook a potato in the
oven for 30 minutes he will require 66 kJ of energy. Is he correct?

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4 Jenny is doing her ironing ready for school. She is using a 230 V, 1 kW iron.

a Calculate the current required for the iron to work.

b She uses the iron for 15 minutes. Calculate the total energy used by the iron during this time.

c Whilst ironing, Jenny shouts up to her brother to say that the fuse in the plug has blown and
the iron has stopped working. Explain what has happened to the fuse.

d Jenny fixes the plug by placing in a 3 A amp fuse. What will happen when she turns the iron
on?

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