AQA GCSE Physics Paper 1 Higher November 2020 question paper 8463/1H

A student investigated how the current in a filament lamp varied with the potential difference across the filament lamp. Figure 1 shows part of the circuit used.

Figure 1

Complete Figure 1 by adding an ammeter and a voltmeter. Use the correct circuit symbols.

Figure 2 shows some of the results.

The student reversed the connections to the power supply and obtained negative values for the current and potential difference. Draw a line on Figure 2 to show the relationship between the negative values of current and potential difference.

Write down the equation which links current (I), potential difference (V) and resistance (R).

Determine the resistance of the filament lamp when the potential difference across it is 1.0 V. Use data from Figure 2.

A second student did the same investigation. The ammeter used had a zero error. What is meant by a zero error?

Figure 3 shows an LED torch.

The torch contains one LED, one switch and three cells. Which diagram shows the correct circuit for the torch? Tick (✓) one box.

Write down the equation which links charge flow (Q), current (I) and time (t).

The torch worked for 14 400 seconds before the cells needed replacing. The current in the LED was 50 mA. Calculate the total charge flow through the cells.

When replaced, the cells were put into the torch the wrong way around. Explain why the torch did not work.

Write down the equation which links efficiency, total power input and useful power output.

The total power input to the LED was 0.24 W. The efficiency of the LED was 0.75 Calculate the useful power output of the LED.

Figure 4 shows a hydroelectric power station.

Electricity is generated when water from the reservoir flows through the turbines.

Write down the equation which links density (ρ), mass (m) and volume (V).

The reservoir stores 6 500 000 m³ of water.

Calculate the mass of water in the reservoir. Give your answer in standard form.

Write down the equation which links energy transferred (E), power (P) and time (t).

The electrical generators can provide 1.5 × 10⁹ W of power for a maximum of 5 hours. Calculate the maximum energy that can be transferred by the electrical generators.

Figure 5 shows how the UK demand for electricity increases and decreases during

The hydroelectric power station in Figure 4 can provide 1.5 × 10⁹ W of power for a maximum of 5 hours. Give two reasons why this hydroelectric power station is not able to meet the increase in demand shown between 04:00 and 16:00 in Figure 5.

Figure 6 shows how much electricity was generated using coal-fired and gas-fired power stations in January for 5 years in the UK.

Determine the percentage increase in electricity generated using gas-fired power stations from 2014 to 2018.

Give two environmental advantages of using a gas-fired power station to generate electricity compared with using a coal-fired power station.

The mean surface temperature of the sea changes throughout the year.

A change in the mean surface temperature from year to year indicates climate change. Figure 7 shows how the mean surface temperature changed between 1988 and 2016.

A student does not believe that climate change is occurring. Explain how the data in Figure 7 suggests the student is wrong.

A thermistor can be used to measure temperature. Figure 8 shows how the resistance of four different thermistors A, B, C and D, varies with temperature.

Which of the four thermistors would be the most suitable to measure the surface temperature of the sea? Tick (✓) one box. Explain your answer.

Radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is a man-made source of background radiation.

Give one other man-made source of background radiation.

Nuclear power stations use the energy released by nuclear fission to generate electricity.

Give the name of one nuclear fuel.

Nuclear fission releases energy. Describe the process of nuclear fission inside a nuclear reactor.

A new type of power station is being developed that will generate electricity using nuclear fusion. Explain how the process of nuclear fusion leads to the release of energy.

Nuclear fusion power stations will produce radioactive waste. This waste will have a much shorter half-life than the radioactive waste from a nuclear fission power station. Explain the advantage of the radioactive waste having a shorter half-life.

Figure 9 shows a theme park ride called AquaShute. Riders of the AquaShute sit on a sled and move down a slide.

A light gate and data logger can be used to determine the speed of each rider and sled. What two measurements are needed to determine the speed of a rider and sled?

The decrease in gravitational potential energy of one rider on the slide was 8.33 kJ. The rider moved through a vertical height of 17.0 m. gravitational field strength = 9.8 N/kg Calculate the mass of the rider.

At the bottom of the slide, all riders and their sleds have approximately the same speed. Explain why.

An electric kettle was switched on. Figure 10 shows how the temperature of the water inside the kettle changed.

When the kettle was switched on the temperature of the water did not immediately start to increase. Suggest one reason why.

The energy transferred to the water in 100 seconds was 155 000 J. specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J/kg °C Determine the mass of water in the kettle. Use Figure 10. Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

The straight section of the line in Figure 10 can be used to calculate the useful power output of the kettle. Explain how.

A student investigated how the total resistance of identical resistors connected in parallel varied with the number of resistors. The student used an ohmmeter to measure the total resistance of the resistors. Figure 11 shows the student’s circuit with 3 resistors.

The student repeated each reading of resistance three times. Table 1 shows some of the results for 3 resistors in parallel.

Calculate value X in Table 1.

The student thought that taking a fourth reading would improve the precision of the results. The fourth reading was 16.2 Ω. Explain why the student was wrong.

Figure 12 shows the results from the investigation.

The student concluded that the number of resistors in parallel was inversely proportional to the mean total resistance. Explain why the student was correct. Use data from Figure 12 in your answer.

Explain why adding resistors in parallel decreases the total resistance.

Figure 13 shows part of a mains electricity lighting circuit in a house.

A fault in the switch caused a householder to receive a mild electric shock before a safety device switched the circuit off. The mean power transfer to the person was 5.75 W. The potential difference across the person was 230 V. Calculate the resistance of the person.

An electrician replaced the switch. The electrician would have received an electric shock unless the circuit was disconnected from the mains supply. Explain why.

The current from an electric shock causes a person’s muscles to contract. The person cannot let go of the electrical circuit if the current is too high. Figure 14 shows how the maximum current at which a person can let go depends on the frequency of the electricity supply.

The UK mains frequency is 50 Hz. Explain why it would be safer if the UK mains frequency was not 50 Hz.

Figure 15 shows a balloon filled with helium gas.

Which statements describe the movement of the gas particles in the balloon? Tick (✓) two boxes.

The pressure of the helium in the balloon is 100 000 Pa.

The balloon is compressed at a constant temperature causing the volume to decrease

No helium leaves the balloon. Calculate the new pressure in the balloon.

The temperature of the helium in the balloon was increased. The mass and volume of helium in the balloon remained constant. Explain why the pressure exerted by the helium inside the balloon would increase.