Energy Sources (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Physics)

Exam Questions

2 hours30 questions
13 marks

Here are some statements about energy and energy resources.

Some statements are correct. Put a tick (✓) in the box alongside each of these.

square Building hydroelectric power stations has an impact on the environment.

square Burning fossil fuels produces atmospheric pollution.

square Wind turbines are turned using gravitational potential energy.

square Coal and crude oil are sources of renewable energy.

square Geothermal energy is obtained from hot rocks below the ground.

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2a2 marks

Coal is a non-renewable source of energy.

(i) Explain what is meant by the term non-renewable.

[1]

(ii) There are other non-renewable sources of energy.

Place a tick in the box by each non-renewable source of energy.

  

square nuclear

square oil

square solar

square wave

square wind

[1]

2b4 marks

State two advantages and two disadvantages of using natural gas as an energy source.

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3a2 marks

Fig. 5.1 shows part of a solar farm. The solar panels tilt and rotate.

cie-2019-9

The solar farm converts energy from a source into a different, useful form of energy.

State the energy source and the useful form of energy.

3b3 marks

Solar farms have advantages and disadvantages.

(i) State two advantages of a solar farm.

[2]

(ii) State one disadvantage of a solar farm.

[1]

3c1 mark

Suggest why it is useful that the panels can tilt and rotate.

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4a2 marks

Complete the sentence below about energy sources.

Two methods of using energy from water are ____________ and _____________.

4b2 marks

State two advantages of one of the methods from part (a).

4c1 mark

A graph of the energy output of two renewable resources over time is shown in Fig. 1.1. One is a solar cell, the other is a wind turbine.

1-8-4c-e-graph-wind-solar

Fig. 1.1

State which line on the graph represents the energy output of a solar cell.

4d2 marks

Explain how you arrived at your answer to part (c).

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5a1 mark

Define the term "renewable resource".

5b4 marks

A list of resources is shown in the table below. 

Resource

Renewable

Non-renewable

Coal

 

Nuclear fuel

 

 

Biofuel

 

 

Solar energy

 

 

Oil

 

 

    Place a tick in the correct box for each resource.

5c2 marks

Fossil fuels are produced when living matter is compressed. They are continually produced. 

Explain why they are not a renewable resource. 

5d4 marks

Extended tier only

(i) Describe the process of nuclear fusion.

[2]

(ii) Explain why nuclear fusion is not currently used as an energy resource.

[2]

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1a3 marks

Fig.4.1 represents a hydroelectric system for generating electrical energy.

feb-march-2018-32-q4

Describe how the power station uses the water in the reservoir to generate electricity.

1b3 marks

State three advantages of generating electricity using a hydroelectric system compared with using a coal-fired power station.

1c2 marks

An electric drill is shown in Fig.4.2. 

Complete the sentences about the electric drill. Use words from the box. Each word may be used once, more than once, or not at all.

 

efficient

kinetic

potential

powerful

reliable

thermal

  

(i) Energy is transferred electrically from the mains supply to the ............................. store of the drill. 

[1]

 

(ii) A second electric drill transfers the same amount of energy per second as the first one. However, it wastes more of this energy.The second drill is less ......................................... than the first drill.[1]

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2a3 marks

Fig. 5.1 shows a wind turbine.

wind

Describe how the wind turbine produces electricity.

2b3 marks

Wind turbines are used in many countries to replace coal-fired power stations.

(i) State one disadvantage of using wind turbines compared to coal-fired power stations.

[1]

(ii) State two advantages of using wind turbines instead of coal-fired power stations.

[2]

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3a1 mark

A tidal barrage (dam) produces electricity using tides. Fig. 5.1 shows a diagram of a tidal barrage (simplified).

tidal-barrage

The water behind the barrage (dam) has most of its energy in one of its energy stores. State the name of this energy store.

3b3 marks

Explain how the tidal barrage (dam) produces electricity.

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4a3 marks

Fig. 5.1 shows a geothermal power station. It generates electricity.

q5

In a geothermal power station, the process of generating electricity includes seven stages.

Four of the stages are shown below.

P   steam turns a turbine

Q   hot underground rocks heat the cold water

R   the turbine spins a generator

S    hot water rises to the surface

 

The flow chart in Fig. 5.2 shows the seven stages, but it is incomplete. Complete the flow chart by adding the letters P, Q, R and S in the correct sequence.

 

q5-second
4b2 marks

The cost of electricity obtained from a geothermal power station is similar to the cost of electricity obtained from wind turbines.

  Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of using a geothermal power station to generate electricity compared with using wind turbines.

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5a3 marks

Nuclear fission is used in nuclear power stations to release energy.

Describe how the energy is used to generate electricity.

5b2 marks

Describe two environmental problems that arise from using nuclear power stations.

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1a4 marks

Extended tier only

A solar panel receives energy from the Sun at a rate of 5.0 kW.

Thermal energy is transferred from the solar panel to water with an efficiency of 20%.

Cold water of mass 15 kg enters the solar panel every hour.

 The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J / (kg°C).

 Calculate the temperature increase of the water.

 

temperature increase = .....................................................°C 

1b4 marks

State and explain one advantage and one disadvantage of heating the water in a solar panel compared with heating the water in a coal-burning boiler.

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2a1 mark

Energy sources used to generate electricity are shown in the box.

screenshot-2022-10-20-at-09-47-22

Which energy sources are non-renewable?

 Draw a ring around each energy source that is non-renewable.

2b4 marks

The diagram shows a geothermal power station.

screenshot-2022-10-20-at-09-50-37

Describe how the geothermal power station generates electricity.

2c4 marks

In America, it is estimated that tidal power costs $150 per MWh, whereas coal costs $60 per MWh. This is partly due to construction costs of the turbines for tidal power. 

Suggest why it is expensive to construct tidal turbines. 

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3a3 marks

Extended tier only

Fusion is occurring in the centre of a star. The region in which a certain type of fusion is occurring has a diameter of 150 000 km.

Calculate the surface area of this sphere. 

3b5 marks

The weight of the star around the core exerts a large force on the core. 

The core experiences a pressure of 26.5 × 1015 Pa.

(i) Calculate the size of the force due to gravity experienced by the core.

[3]  

(ii) The volume of the core is approximately constant, so pressure and temperature (in degrees Kelvin) can be approximated as directly proportional. They are related in the following equation:

P space equals space c T

c is a constant equal to 2.2 × 109 Pa/K

Calculate the temperature of the core of the star. 

[2]

3c4 marks

Extended tier only

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.

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4a2 marks

Calculate the number of joules in 1 GWh.

4b7 marks

Extended tier only

Tidal power electrically transfers energy in the kinetic store of moving water. 

When the tide is moving, a portion of sea water passes through the turbine. The turbine has a cylindrical shape as the turbine spins in a circular path. A turbine is shown in Fig. 1.1.

The cylinder is 24 m long and has a radius of 5.0 m. The tide is travelling at 6.0 m/s.

1-8-4b-h-turbine

(i) Calculate the kinetic energy of this cylinder of sea water.  

Density of sea water = 1020 kg/m3

[4]

 

(ii) Calculate the time taken for 24 m of water to pass through the turbine at 6.0 m/s.

[1]

 

(iii) Calculate the power transferred to the turbine.

[1]

 

(iv) The turbine's electrical power output is 7.0 MW. Calculate its efficiency.

[1]

4c2 marks

In America, it is estimated that tidal power would cost $150 per MWh produced, whereas coal only costs $60 per MWh produced. 

Suggest why tidal power is more expensive than power from fossil fuels.

4d2 marks

Some ocean environmental groups oppose the use of tidal power, stating that it can physically harm aquatic life, as well as impacting their ability to communicate. 

Suggest why these statements could be correct.

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5a4 marks

A coal power station has an average output of 400 MW. Explain how, in a power station, burning a fuel causes a generator to produce an alternating current.

5b2 marks

Extended tier only

The Sun has a total power output of 3.8 × 1026 W across its whole surface. The surface of the Earth receives 5.0 × 10−8 % of this power. 

Calculate the total power the surface of the Earth receives from the Sun.

5c4 marks

Extended tier only

The power that the Earth receives from the Sun is actually twice the percentage given in part (b).

(i) Suggest why the power at the Earth's surface is less than this value.

[1]

(ii) The Earth's radius is 6 370 000 m. Calculate the surface area of the Earth which is in sunlight at any one time. 

[3]

5d7 marks

Extended tier only

(i) Under the assumption that there are no clouds obscuring the Sun, calculate the power that each square metre of the Earth receives from the Sun.

[2]

 

(ii) A solar cell absorbs sunlight over a surface area of 2.5 m2. It has an efficiency of 0.6. Calculate its power output.

[3]

 

(iii) Determine the number of solar cells required to match the power output of the coal power station.

[2]

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