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Work done and energy transfer

Edexcel GCSE Physics

Topic questions Forces Work done and energy transfer

Work done and energy transfer

13 questions · 119 marks · about 2 hours

Work done and energy transfer questions

TopicWork done and energy transfer

Paper 1 June 2025 Foundation tier, Question 5 9 marks

(a)

Which of these is a typical human reaction time?

$Question 5, shown as an image$

[1]

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(b)

There are several factors that affect the overall stopping distance of a van.

State two factors that may affect the overall stopping distance of a van.

[2]

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(c)

Figure 7 is a velocity / time graph for a van braking from an initial velocity of 25 m / s.

(c)(i)

On Figure 7 draw a similar graph for the same van braking from an initial velocity of 15 m / s.

Assume the thinking time and the braking force remain the same.

[2]

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(c)(ii)

The van’s brakes are applied to stop a van in a distance of 21.5 m.

The work done by the brakes is 375 kJ.

Calculate the braking force in newtons.

Use the equation

$Question 5, shown as an image$

braking force =_........

[3]

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(c)(iii)

The van is travelling along a horizontal road when the brakes are applied.

Which of these will have the same value as the work done by the brakes?

$Question 5, shown as an image$

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Paper 2 June 2024 Foundation tier, Question 5 10 marks

Also involves Gravity and weight

(a)

Figure 11 shows a truck on a horizontal road.

(a)(i)

A force of 1200 N pulls the truck along the road for a distance of 8.0 m.

Calculate the work done by the 1200 N force.

Use the equation

work done = force maths symbol distance moved in the direction of the force

State the unit of work done.

work done =_........

[3]

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(a)(ii)

At 8.0 m the force is removed and the truck slows down until it stops.

Describe the energy transfers as the truck slows down.

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(b)

A box has a mass of 90 kg.

Which of these is the weight of the box?

$Question 5, shown as an image$

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(c)

Figure 12 shows a truck lifting a different box.

A student calculates the change in gravitational potential energy, ΔGPE, for the box at different heights.

Figure 13 shows the results of the student’s calculations.

(c)(i)

The student has made one incorrect calculation.

$Question 5, shown as an image$

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(c)(ii)

The truck lifts the box from the ground to a height of 2.0 m.

This takes a time of 5.0 s.

Using data from the graph in Figure 13, calculate the power needed to lift the box.

Use the equation

$Question 5, shown as an image$

power =_........

[3]

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Paper 2 June 2024 Higher tier, Question 7 10 marks

(a)

Figure 17 shows an athlete training with a push sled.

The athlete pushes the sled with a force of 645 N.

Calculate the distance the sled moves when the force of 645 N does 7440 J of work on the sled.

Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

distance moved =_........

[3]

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(b)

Figure 18 shows an electric motor lifting a set of masses.

(b)(i)

Describe an experiment, using the apparatus in Figure 18, to determine the gravitational potential energy gained by the masses as they are lifted.

Your description should include any measuring devices to be used.

You may add to the diagram in Figure 18 if it helps your answer.

[4]

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(b)(ii)

In one experiment, the change in gravitational potential energy of the masses was 5.8 J.

The total mass lifted was 320 g.

Calculate the vertical height the masses travelled through.

Use g = 10 N/kg.

height =_........

[2]

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(b)(iii)

The efficiency of the motor was 59%.

State one reason why the motor was not 100% efficient.

[1]

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Paper 2 June 2023 Higher tier, Question 9 11 marks

Also involves Gravity and weight

(a)

Figure 21 shows a pulley system that enables a person to lift a heavy barrel.

The person pulls down on the rope to make the barrel rise through 1.2 m.

The work done against gravity on the barrel is 1800 J.

(a)(i)

Calculate the weight of the barrel.

Use the equation

work done = force maths symbol distance moved in the direction of the force

weight of the barrel =_........

[2]

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(a)(ii)

The efficiency of the system is 64%.

Calculate the total work done by the person.

Use the equation

$Question 9, shown as an image$

work done =_........

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(a)(iii)

Some energy is wasted due to friction.

Suggest another reason why some energy is wasted in using this pulley system.

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(b)

*(b) A student has the equipment shown in Figure 22.

Devise an experiment to investigate how the efficiency of the pulley system varies with the weight of metal being lifted.

Your answer should include how you will use your measurements.

[6]

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Paper 2 June 2022 Foundation tier, Question 6 10 marks

Also involves Errors and uncertainties

Three students carry out an investigation to determine their powers when running up stairs.

(a)

Figure 14 shows a diagram of the stairs with four distances, A, B, C and D, marked.

The students need to calculate the work done against gravity.

Which distance should be used in the calculation?

$Question 6, shown as an image$

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(b)

They take turns to run up the stairs and use a stopwatch to measure the time taken.

The students estimate their own weight.

Figure 15 shows a table of their results.

The table is not complete.

(b)(i)

State the unit for work done.

unit for work done is_........

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(b)(ii)

Use the data for student B to calculate his estimated weight.

[2]

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(b)(iii)

Use the data for student C to calculate the time she takes.

$Question 6, shown as an image$

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(b)(iv)

Use the data for all three students to calculate the average power of the students.

average power =_........

[2]

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(c)

Identify a significant source of error in the investigation and state how this error can be reduced.

source of error

can be reduced by

[2]

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Paper 2 November 2021 Foundation tier, Question 6 9 marks

This question is about energy changes.

(a)

Figure 11 shows a water slide. A person travels from the top to the bottom of the water slide.

(a)(i)

The mass of the person, m = 72 kg. The change in vertical height, h = 7.0 m Gravitational field strength, g = 10 N / kg

Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy for the person.

Use the equation

change in gravitational potential energy = m × g × h

change in gravitational potential energy =_........

[2]

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(a)(ii)

The person comes to rest after the end of the water slide.

Explain what happens to the energy as the person comes to rest after the end of the water slide.

[2]

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(b)

Figure 12 shows a person pushing a box from the bottom of a slope to the top of the slope.

Explain which one of the three distances shown in Figure 12 should be used to calculate the work done against the force of friction between the box and the slope.

[2]

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(c)

Calculate the kinetic energy of a tennis ball travelling at 28 m/s. The mass of the tennis ball = 58 g.

Use the equation

$Question 6, shown as an image$

kinetic energy =_........

[3]

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Paper 2 November 2021 Higher tier, Question 7 11 marks

(a)

Two cyclists ride on a hilly road and go through points P, Q, R and S.

The diagram in Figure 16 shows how the vertical height of the road changes during the journey from P to S.

(a)(i)

The greatest overall change in gravitational potential energy for each cyclist is between which two points on the journey?

$Question 7, shown as an image$

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(a)(ii)

The total weight of one cyclist and bicycle is 700 N.

Calculate the total amount of work done against gravity when the cyclist travels from point P to point Q in the journey.

[2]

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(a)(iii)

The gravitational potential energy of the other cyclist changes by 11 250 J when travelling from point Q to point R.

Calculate the mass of this cyclist.

Gravitational field strength = 10 N / kg

Use the equation

∆ GPE = m × g × ∆ h

[2]

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(a)(iv)

Explain why the total amount of work done by a cyclist between points Q and R is different from the change in gravitational potential energy of the cyclist between points Q and R.

[2]

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(a)(v)

The cyclists lubricated the chains and the wheel bearings of their bicycles before setting off.

Lubricating the chains and wheel bearings helps to

$Question 7, shown as an image$

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(b)

The kinetic energy of another cyclist is 2800 J.

The mass of the cyclist is 85 kg.

Calculate the velocity of this cyclist.

Use the equation

$Question 7, shown as an image$

[3]

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Paper 2 November 2020 Higher tier, Question 3 7 marks

(a)

Figure 7 shows a drone.

The drone has four spinning blades.

The upward force produced enables the drone to rise in the air.

The speed at which the blades spin is measured in turns per minute.

Figure 8 shows how the upward force produced by the four blades depends on the speed at which the blades spin.

Describe the relationship between upward force and speed shown by this graph.

[2]

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(b)

A different drone has a mass of 4.5 kg.

This drone rises from the ground to a height of 20 m.

(b)(i)

Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy when the drone rises through a height of 20 m.

The gravitational field strength g = 10 N/kg.

[2]

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(b)(ii)

State the amount of useful work done by the blades as the drone rises through 20 m.

[1]

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(b)(iii)

It takes 4 s for the drone to rise through 20 m.

Calculate the useful power developed by the blades in this time of 4 s.

[2]

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Paper 1 June 2019 Higher tier, Question 1 6 marks

(a)

The work done to bring a car to rest is given by the equation

work done = braking force maths symbol braking distance

Which of these graphs is correct for the car if a constant braking force is applied?

$Question 1, shown as an image$

[1]

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(b)

Before the car brakes it has kinetic energy. The kinetic energy decreases as it brakes.

State what happens to the kinetic energy during braking.

[1]

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(c)

The graph in Figure 1 shows how the braking distance, d, of a car depends on the velocity, v, of the car when the brakes are first applied.

An equation relating braking distance, d, to velocity, v, is

$Question 1, shown as an image$

where C is a constant.

Use the equation and data from the graph in Figure 1 to calculate a value for C.

Give a unit for C.

[4]

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Paper 2 June 2019 Foundation tier, Question 8 11 marks

(a)

Which of these is the equation for work done?

$Question 8, shown as an image$

[1]

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(b)

A ball has a mass of 0.046 kg.

(b)(i)

Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy when the ball is lifted through a vertical height of 2.05 m.

Use the equation

Δ GPE = m × g × Δ h

[2]

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(b)(ii)

The ball is released.

Calculate the kinetic energy of the ball when the speed of the ball is 3.5 m/s.

[3]

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(b)(iii)

The ball bounces several times.

Figure 15 shows how the height of the ball above the floor changes with time.

Use Figure 15 to estimate the maximum height that the ball reaches after the first bounce.

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(b)(iv)

Explain why the ball does not bounce back to its starting height of 2.05 m.

[2]

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(c)

A student plots a graph showing the height at the start and the maximum height reached after each bounce.

Figure 16 shows the student’s graph.

Describe how the maximum height reached changes with the bounce number in Figure 16.

[2]

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Paper 2 June 2019 Higher tier, Question 2 9 marks

(a)

Which of these is the equation for work done?

$Question 2, shown as an image$

[1]

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(b)

A ball has a mass of 0.046 kg.

(b)(i)

Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy when the ball is lifted through a vertical height of 2.05 m.

Use the equation

Δ GPE = m × g × Δ h

[2]

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(b)(ii)

The ball is released.

Calculate the kinetic energy of the ball when the speed of the ball is 3.5 m/s.

[3]

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(b)(iii)

The ball bounces several times.

Figure 4 shows how the height of the ball above the floor changes with time.

Use Figure 4 to estimate the maximum height that the ball reaches after the first bounce.

[1]

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(b)(iv)

Explain why the ball does not bounce back to its starting height of 2.05 m.

[2]

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Paper 2 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 1 7 marks

(a)

Figure 1 shows air inside a cylinder with a movable piston.

The piston is pulled a little way in the direction of the arrow, but stays inside the cylinder.

Which of these increases?

$Question 1, shown as an image$

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(b)

Figure 2 shows a rubber tube that can be used inside a bicycle tyre.

The tube is inflated with a bicycle pump.

(b)(i)

The air inside the tube exerts an outward force on the wall of the tube.

State the angle that this outward force makes with the wall of the tube.

[1]

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(b)(ii)

It takes 4.8 litres of air from the atmosphere to inflate the empty tube to a pressure of 400 000 Pa.

Atmospheric pressure is 100 000 Pa.

Calculate the volume of air inside the tube.

Assume the temperature of the air inside the tube is the same as the temperature of the air outside the tube.

Use an equation selected from the list of equations at the end of this paper.

[3]

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(b)(iii)

When a bicycle pump is used to inflate the tube, the air in the bicycle pump gets warm.

You should ignore any effects of friction in the pump.

Explain why the air in the bicycle pump gets warm.

[2]

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Paper 2 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 3 9 marks

A cyclist is riding a bicycle at a steady velocity of 12 m/s.

The cyclist and bicycle have a total mass of 68 kg.

(a)

Calculate the kinetic energy of the cyclist and bicycle.

Use the equation

$Question 3, shown as an image$

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(b)

Describe the energy transfers that happen when the cyclist uses the brakes to stop.

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(c)

The cyclist starts to cycle again.

The cyclist does 1600 J of useful work to travel 28 m.

Calculate the average force the cyclist exerts.

[3]

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(d)

An athlete uses a training machine in a gym.

The display on the machine shows the time spent on the machine and the amount of energy transferred during a training session.

Figure 5 shows the displays for two different sessions by the same athlete.

Explain what the displays show about the average power of the athlete in each of these two sessions.

[2]

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Work done and energy transfer

Work done and energy transfer questions

Edexcel 1PH0 Work done and energy transfer 13 questions

Paper 1 June 2025 Foundation tier, Question 5 Foundation Paper 1 · June 2025 · Question 5 9 marks

Paper 2 June 2024 Foundation tier, Question 5 Foundation Paper 2 · June 2024 · Question 5 10 marks

Paper 2 June 2024 Higher tier, Question 7 Higher Paper 2 · June 2024 · Question 7 10 marks

Paper 2 June 2023 Higher tier, Question 9 Higher Paper 2 · June 2023 · Question 9 11 marks

Paper 2 June 2022 Foundation tier, Question 6 Foundation Paper 2 · June 2022 · Question 6 10 marks

Paper 2 November 2021 Foundation tier, Question 6 Foundation Paper 2 · November 2021 · Question 6 9 marks

Paper 2 November 2021 Higher tier, Question 7 Higher Paper 2 · November 2021 · Question 7 11 marks

Paper 2 November 2020 Higher tier, Question 3 Higher Paper 2 · November 2020 · Question 3 7 marks

Paper 1 June 2019 Higher tier, Question 1 Higher Paper 1 · June 2019 · Question 1 6 marks

Paper 2 June 2019 Foundation tier, Question 8 Foundation Paper 2 · June 2019 · Question 8 11 marks

Paper 2 June 2019 Higher tier, Question 2 Higher Paper 2 · June 2019 · Question 2 9 marks

Paper 2 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 1 Higher Paper 2 · June 2018 · Question 1 7 marks

Paper 2 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 3 Higher Paper 2 · June 2018 · Question 3 9 marks

Certified Physics memes. Peer-reviewed by nobody.

Paper 1 June 2025 Foundation tier, Question 5 9 marks

Paper 2 June 2024 Foundation tier, Question 5 10 marks

Paper 2 June 2024 Higher tier, Question 7 10 marks

Paper 2 June 2023 Higher tier, Question 9 11 marks

Paper 2 June 2022 Foundation tier, Question 6 10 marks

Paper 2 November 2021 Foundation tier, Question 6 9 marks

Paper 2 November 2021 Higher tier, Question 7 11 marks

Paper 2 November 2020 Higher tier, Question 3 7 marks

Paper 1 June 2019 Higher tier, Question 1 6 marks

Paper 2 June 2019 Foundation tier, Question 8 11 marks

Paper 2 June 2019 Higher tier, Question 2 9 marks

Paper 2 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 1 7 marks

Paper 2 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 3 9 marks