Year 12 Physics Unit Test:

Electricity
Name_____________
Date_____________
Time allow: 100 minutes
You are allowed to use a
calculator
Questio Topic You Tot
n r al
mar
mar
k
k
1 Current, p.d and
resistance 15
2 Current, p.d and
(internal) 6
resistance

3 Current, p.d and

(internal) 10
resistance
E.M.F and
4 resistivity 5
5 Power 10
6 Power 7
7 Thermist 8
or
 8
E.M.F and
internal resistance 11
9 Resistivit 8
y
10 Resistivity and
experiment 12
Percentage:
Total 92

The diagram shows the circuit diagram for a two-slice electric toaster that is
1
operated at a mains voltage of 230 V.

The toaster has four identical heating elements and has two settings: normal
and low. On the normal setting both sides of the bread are toasted. On the
low setting, only one side of the bread is toasted. The setting is controlled by
switches S1 and S2.

The table shows the position of each switch and the power for each setting.

Setting S1 S2 Power / W

Low closed open 400

Normal closed closed 800

(a) Calculate the current in S2 when the normal setting is selected.

current A
(2)

(b) (i) Show that the resistance of one heating element is approximately 260 Ω
when the
toaster is operating at its working temperature.
(2)

(ii) Calculate the total resistance when the normal setting is selected.

resistance

Ω (2)

(iii) Each heating element is made of nichrome wire of

diameter 0.15 mm. The nichrome wire is wrapped
around an insulating board.

Determine the length of nichrome wire needed to provide a resistance of

260 Ω.

resistivity of nichrome at the working temperature = 1.1 × 10−6 Ω m

length of wire m
(3)

(c) Explain why the resistivity of the nichrome wire changes with temperature.
(3)
 (d) The nichrome wire has an equilibrium temperature of 174°C when the toaster
is operating.

Calculate the peak wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation

emitted by the wire. Give your answer to an appropriate number of

significant figures.

peak wavelength m
(3)
(Total 15 marks)

A cordless phone handset contains two rechargeable cells connected in

2
series. Each cell has an emf of 2.0 V and, when fully charged, the
combination stores energy sufficient to provide 850 mA for 1 hour.

(a) Calculate the total energy stored by the two cells when fully charged.

energy stored J
(3)

(b) The internal resistance of each cell is 0.60 Ω.

Calculate the potential difference across the two cells when they are
connected in series
across a 20.0 Ω load.

potential difference V
 (3)
(Total 6 marks)
 A battery of emf 9.0 V and internal resistance, r, is connected in the circuit
3
shown in the figure below.

(a) The current in the battery is 1.0 A.

(i) Calculate the pd between points A and B in the circuit.

answer = V
(2)

(ii) Calculate the internal resistance, r.

answer = Ω
(2)

(iii) Calculate the total energy transformed by the battery in 5.0 minutes.

answer = J
(2)
 (iv) Calculate the percentage of the energy calculated in part (iii) that
is dissipated in the battery in 5.0 minutes.

answer = %
(2)

(b) State and explain one reason why it is an advantage for a rechargeable
battery to have a low internal resistance.

(2)
(Total 10 marks)

4 A car battery has an emf of 12 V and an internal resistance of 9.5 × 10–3 Ω. When
the battery is
used to start a car the current through the battery is 420 A.

(a) Calculate the voltage across the terminals of the battery, when the
current through the battery is 420 A.

answer V
(2)
(b) The copper cable connecting the starter motor to the battery has a
length of 0.75 m and cross-sectional area of 7.9 × 10–5 m2. The
resistance of the cable is 1.6 × 10–3 Ω.

Calculate the resistivity of the copper giving an appropriate unit.

answer
(3)
(Total 5 marks)
 Figure 1 shows data for the variation of the power output of a photovoltaic
5
cell with load resistance. The data were obtained by placing the cell in
sunlight. The intensity of the energy from the Sun incident on the surface of
the cell was constant.

Figure 1

Load resistance / Ω

(a) Use data from Figure 1 to calculate the current in the load at the peak power.

(3)
(b) The intensity of the Sun’s radiation incident on the cell is 730 W m –2.
The active area of the cell has dimensions of 60 mm × 60 mm.

Calculate, at the peak power, the ratio

(3)

(c) The average wavelength of the light incident on the cell is 500 nm.
Estimate the number of photons incident on the active area of the cell
every second.

(2)
 (d) The measurements of the data in Figure 1 were carried out when the
rays from the sun were incident at 90° to the surface of the panel. A
householder wants to generate electrical energy using a number of solar
panels to produce a particular power output.

Identify two pieces of information scientists could provide to inform the

production of a suitable system.

(2)
(Total 10 marks)

In each of the following circuits the battery has negligible internal resistance
6
and the bulbs are identical.

Figure 1 Figure 2

(a) For the circuit shown in Figure 1 calculate

(i) the current flowing through each bulb,

(ii) the power dissipated in each bulb.

(2)
 (b) In the circuit shown in Figure 2 calculate the current flowing through each bulb.

(3)

(c) Explain how the brightness of the bulbs in Figure 1 compares with the
brightness of the bulbs in Figure 2.

(2)
(Total 7 marks)

The circuit shown in the diagram below can be used as an electronic

7
thermometer. The battery has negligible internal resistance.

The reading on the digital voltmeter can be converted to give the

temperature of the thermistor T which is used as a temperature sensor.

(a) Explain why the reading on the voltmeter increases as the

temperature of the thermistor increases.
(2)
(b) When the thermistor is at 80.0 °C the voltmeter reading is 5.0 V. Show that
the resistance
of the thermistor at this temperature is 4.0 Ω.

(1)

(c) When the thermistor is at 20.0 °C its resistance is 24.5 Ω. Calculate the
reading on the
voltmeter.

Voltmeter reading
(2)

(d) The battery is replaced with another having the same emf but an internal
resistance of
3.0 Ω.

(i) Calculate the new voltmeter reading when the thermistor temperature is
80.0 °C.

Voltmeter reading
(2)

(ii) State and explain the effect, if any, on the measured temperature
when the thermistor is at 20.0 °C.
 (1)
(Total 8 marks)
 A ‘potato cell’ is formed by inserting a copper plate and a zinc plate into a
8
potato. The circuit shown in Figure 1 is used in an investigation to determine
the electromotive force and internal resistance of the potato cell.

Figure 1

(a) State what is meant by electromotive force.

(2)
(b) The plotted points on Figure 2 show the data for current and voltage
that were obtained in the investigation.

Figure 2

(i) Suggest what was done to obtain the data for the plotted points.
(1)
 (ii) The electromotive force (emf) of the potato cell is 0.89 V. Explain
why the voltages plotted on Figure 2 are always less than this and
why the difference between the emf and the plotted voltage
becomes larger with increasing current.

(3)

(iii) Use Figure 2 to determine the internal resistance of the potato cell.

internal resistance =

Ω (3)

(c) A student decides to use two potato cells in series as a power supply
for a light emitting diode (LED). In order for the LED to work as
required, it needs a voltage of at least 1.6 V and a current of 20 mA.

Explain whether the LED will work as required.

 (2)
(Total 11 marks)
 (a) Show that the unit of resistivity is Ω m.
9

(1)

(b) A cable consists of seven straight strands of copper wire each of

diameter 1.35 mm as shown in the diagram.

Calculate

(i) the cross-sectional area of one strand of copper wire,

(ii) the resistance of a 100 m length of the cable, given that the resistivity of
copper is 1.6
× 10–8 Ωm.

(4)

(c) (i) If the cable in part (b) carries a current of 20 A, what is the
potential difference between the ends of the cable?
(ii) If a single strand of the copper wire in part (b) carried a current of
20 A, what would be the potential difference between its ends?

(2)
 (d) State one advantage of using a stranded rather than a solid core cable
with copper of the same total cross-sectional area.

(1)
(Total 8 marks)

10 (a) A sample of conducting putty is rolled into a cylinder which is 6.0 × 10–
2
m long and has a radius of 1.2 × 10–2 m.

resistivity of the putty = 4.0 × 10–3 Ωm.

Calculate the resistance between the ends of the cylinder of

conducting putty. Your answer should be given to an appropriate
number of significant figures.

answer =

Ω (4)
(b) Given the original cylinder of the conducting putty described in part
(a), describe how you would use a voltmeter, ammeter and other
standard laboratory equipment to determine a value for the resistivity
of the putty.

Your description should include

• a labelled circuit diagram,

• details of the measurements you would make,
• an account of how you would use your measurements to determine the
result,
• details of how to improve the precision of your measurements.

The quality of your written communication will be assessed in this question.

 (8)
(Total 12 marks)