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Pearson Edexcel International GCSE
Physics — Topic 2 Paper 1
Electricity · specification 2.1–2.21
Time allowed: 30 minutes
Total marks: 25
Candidate name:
Centre / class:
Answer all questions. You may use a calculator. Show your working. Standard fuse ratings are $3\,\text{A}$, $5\,\text{A}$ and $13\,\text{A}$.
1
A $12\,\text{V}$ battery is connected to resistor A of $4.0\,\Omega$ and resistor B of $8.0\,\Omega$ in series.
(a) Calculate the current in the circuit.
[2]
(b) Calculate the voltage across resistor B.
[2]
(c) The two resistors are now connected in parallel across the same $12\,\text{V}$ battery. State the voltage across resistor A and calculate the current through resistor A.
[2]
(Total for Question 1 = 6 marks)
2
A kitchen kettle is labelled $230\,\text{V}$, $1840\,\text{W}$.
(a) Calculate the current in the kettle when it is used on the mains.
[2]
(b) Choose the most appropriate fuse for the kettle. Explain your choice.
[2]
(c) The kettle is used for $3.0\,\text{minutes}$. Calculate the energy transferred.
[2]
(Total for Question 2 = 6 marks)
3
A student investigates how the current in a length of metal wire varies with the voltage across it.
(a) Describe a circuit the student should use. State where the ammeter and the voltmeter are placed.
[3]
(b) The table shows some of the student’s results.
Voltage / V
0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
Current / A
0
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
(i) Calculate the resistance of the wire when the voltage is $2.0\,\text{V}$.
[2]
(ii) State whether the wire is ohmic. Use the data to explain your answer.
[2]
(Total for Question 3 = 7 marks)
4
A light-dependent resistor (LDR) is connected in series with a fixed resistor and a $6.0\,\text{V}$ battery.
(a) State what happens to the resistance of the LDR when the light intensity on it increases.
[1]
(b) Explain what happens to the current in the circuit when the room becomes brighter. The battery voltage stays the same.
[2]
(c) A current of $40\,\text{mA}$ flows in the circuit for $25\,\text{s}$. Calculate the charge transferred.
[3]
(Total for Question 4 = 6 marks)
END OF PAPER 1
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE
Physics — Topic 2 Paper 2
Electricity · specification 2.1–2.21
Time allowed: 30 minutes
Total marks: 25
Candidate name:
Centre / class:
Answer all questions. You may use a calculator. Show your working. Standard fuse ratings are $3\,\text{A}$, $5\,\text{A}$ and $13\,\text{A}$.
1
A $6.0\,\text{V}$ battery is connected to resistor P of $3.0\,\Omega$ and resistor Q of $9.0\,\Omega$ in series.
(a) Calculate the current in the circuit.
[2]
(b) Calculate the voltage across resistor Q.
[2]
(c) The two resistors are now connected in parallel across the same $6.0\,\text{V}$ battery. State the voltage across resistor P and calculate the current through resistor P.
[2]
(Total for Question 1 = 6 marks)
2
A hairdryer is labelled $230\,\text{V}$, $920\,\text{W}$. It has a metal case and an earth wire.
(a) Calculate the current in the hairdryer when it is used on the mains.
[2]
(b) Choose the most appropriate fuse. Explain why a $13\,\text{A}$ fuse would be a poorer choice.
[2]
(c) The hairdryer is used for $8.0\,\text{minutes}$. Calculate the energy transferred.
[2]
(Total for Question 2 = 6 marks)
3
A student investigates the I–V characteristic of a filament lamp.
(a) Give one safety precaution for this practical and one reason for placing the voltmeter in parallel with the lamp.
[2]
(b) The table shows the student’s results.
Voltage / V
0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
Current / A
0
0.40
0.60
0.72
0.80
(i) Calculate the resistance of the lamp at $2.0\,\text{V}$ and at $8.0\,\text{V}$.
[3]
(ii) Explain why the resistance of the lamp is not constant.
[2]
(Total for Question 3 = 7 marks)
4
A thermistor is used in a simple series circuit with a $4.5\,\text{V}$ battery to monitor the temperature of a greenhouse.
(a) State what happens to the resistance of the thermistor when the temperature of the greenhouse increases.
[1]
(b) Explain what happens to the current in the circuit as the greenhouse warms up. The battery voltage stays the same.
[2]
(c) In one interval, $2.4\,\text{C}$ of charge passes through the thermistor. Calculate the energy transferred by this charge in the $4.5\,\text{V}$ supply.
[3]
(Total for Question 4 = 6 marks)
END OF PAPER 2
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE
Physics — Topic 2 Paper 3
Electricity · specification 2.1–2.21
Time allowed: 30 minutes
Total marks: 25
Candidate name:
Centre / class:
Answer all questions. You may use a calculator. Show your working. Standard fuse ratings are $3\,\text{A}$, $5\,\text{A}$ and $13\,\text{A}$.
1
An $8.0\,\text{V}$ battery is connected to resistor X of $5.0\,\Omega$ and resistor Y of $15\,\Omega$ in series. Two garden lamps in a house are later discussed as a parallel application.
(a) Calculate the current in the series circuit.
[2]
(b) Calculate the voltage across resistor Y.
[2]
(c) Explain one advantage of wiring two garden lamps in parallel rather than in series.
[2]
(Total for Question 1 = 6 marks)
2
A toaster is labelled $230\,\text{V}$, $805\,\text{W}$. It is double insulated.
(a) Calculate the current in the toaster when it is used on the mains.
[2]
(b) Choose the most appropriate fuse. Explain why the toaster does not need an earth wire.
[2]
(c) The toaster is used for $4.0\,\text{minutes}$. Calculate the energy transferred.
[2]
(Total for Question 2 = 6 marks)
3
A student compares the I–V characteristic of a fixed resistor with that of a diode.
(a) Describe how the student should change the voltage and record a set of results for each component.
[3]
(b) The table shows results for the diode.
Voltage / V
$-2.0$
$0$
$0.40$
$0.70$
$0.80$
Current / A
$0.00$
$0.00$
$0.00$
$0.12$
$0.28$
(i) Calculate the resistance of the diode at $0.70\,\text{V}$.
[2]
(ii) Use the table to explain why a diode is not an ohmic conductor.
[2]
(Total for Question 3 = 7 marks)
4
A security light uses an LDR. When it is dark the LDR has a high resistance.
(a) State what happens to the resistance of the LDR at dawn, as the garden becomes brighter.
[1]
(b) The LDR is in series with a $12\,\text{V}$ battery. Explain what happens to the current in this series circuit as dawn arrives.
[2]
(c) Later, $6.0\,\text{C}$ of charge passes through a lamp connected to the $12\,\text{V}$ battery. Calculate the energy transferred to the lamp.