P3 Energy

resources
Exam-style questions
Name...................................................................... Class................... Date......................

0 1 Figure 1 shows that the demand for electricity in a house varies

during a summer day. Air conditioning is used in the house and
cheap electricity is available at night for washing clothes and
other appliances.

Figure 1

Suggest reasons for the increase in demand during the following times.

0 1 . 1 2100 –0100 hrs

(1 mark)

0 1 . 2 0700–0900 hrs

(1 mark)

1800–2000 hrs

0 1 . 3
(1 mark)

Table 1 shows the start-up times for different types of power stations.

© Oxford University Press 2016 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 1
 P3 Energy
resources
Exam-style questions
Name...................................................................... Class................... Date......................

Type of power station Start-up time in hours

nuclear 48.0
gas 0.5
coal 24.0
oil 1.5

Table 1

0 1 . 4 The base load is the constant power supplied throughout the day.
Suggest one type of power station that can be used for the base load.

(1 mark)

0 1 . 5 Suggest one type of power station that can be used when demand
increases.

(1 mark)

0 1 . 6 Hydroelectric pumped storage systems can also be used to supply

energy when the demand increases.
Give two advantages of using a hydroelectric system rather than
an oil fired system.

(2 marks)

© Oxford University Press 2016 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 2
 P3 Energy
resources
Exam-style questions
Name...................................................................... Class................... Date......................

Table 2 shows the power produced by the wind farm during one day, during which the wind speed varies as shown.

0 2
Wind speed in m/s Power in Watts
3 0
6 3800
9 7600
12 13 600

Table 2

0 2 . 1 A student concludes that the power produced is directly

proportional to the wind speed.
Do you agree with the conclusion – Yes or No? Give reasons for
your answer.

(2 marks)

0 2 . 2 Suggest one reason why there is no power generated when the

wind speed is 3 m/s.

(1 mark)

0 2 . 3 The wind farm consists of 8 wind turbines.

Calculate the mean power produced by one wind turbine in the
wind farm during this day.

Mean of 1 wind turbine: W (2 marks)

0 2 . 4 The wind farm is used to power machinery and lights in a factory in

a remote hilly area.
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using solar panels
as a back-up energy resource.

(2 marks)
A farmer plans to generate all the electricity needed on her farm, using either a biogas generator or a small wind turbine.

0 3

© Oxford University Press 2016 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 3
 P3 Energy
resources
Exam-style questions
Name...................................................................... Class................... Date......................

The biogas generator would burn methane gas. The methane gas
would come from rotting the animal waste produced on the farm.
When burnt, methane produces carbon dioxide.
The biogas generator would cost £18 000 to buy and install. The
wind turbine would cost £25 000 to buy and install.
The average power output from the wind turbine would be the
same as the continuous output from the biogas generator.
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods
of generating electricity.
Conclude, with a reason, which system would be better for the
farmer to buy and install.

(6 marks)

0 4 A student investigates how the amount of light received by a solar

cell affects the output voltage of the solar cell.

© Oxford University Press 2016 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 4
 P3 Energy
resources
Exam-style questions
Name...................................................................... Class................... Date......................

The distance from the light source to the solar cell is a control variable.

0 4 . 1
Identify two other control variables.

(1 mark)

0 4 . 2 Suggest one way of changing the intensity of light used during the
investigation.

(1 mark)

0 4 . 3 The results from the investigation are given in Table 3.

Intensity of light in Output voltage in mV

lumens
150 33
200 45
250 56
300 82
350 80

Table 3

Identify the anomalous result in the results. Suggest a possible

reason for the anomaly.

(2 marks)

0 4 . 4 A student suggests that a solar panel will have a bigger output if it

is situated on the roof of a tall building rather than in the garden.
Is the student correct? Explain your answer.

(2 marks)

© Oxford University Press 2016 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 5
 P3 Energy
resources
Exam-style questions
Name...................................................................... Class................... Date......................

Nuclear power stations are being built to replace coal fired power stations.

0 5

0 5 . 1 Give two advantages of using nuclear power to supply energy

rather than coal.

(2 marks)

0 5 . 2 Explain what is meant by the term carbon capture and storage (CCS).

(2 marks)

© Oxford University Press 2016 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original. 6