Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · PHYSICS · Chapter
Energy Resources and Electricity Generation
71 practice questions
Topics covered
Practice questions
31–37 of 37 · Normal
Question 31
3 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Nuclear power stations are used to supply a large proportion of electricity in some countries.
Explain two reasons why nuclear power stations are not suitable for meeting sudden changes in electricity demand.
Question 32
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Electricity demand is higher in winter than summer.
(a)[1 mark]State one reason why electricity demand is higher in winter.
(b)[3 marks]Explain how the national grid ensures there is enough electricity to supply everyone during periods of high demand.
Question 33
6 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →Wind farms and nuclear power stations are both used to generate electricity in different countries.
(a)[2 marks]Describe the energy transfers involved in generating electricity using a wind turbine.
(b)[2 marks]Nuclear power stations can provide 'clean' energy but have some disadvantages.
State two disadvantages of nuclear power stations when compared to wind farms.
(c)[2 marks]Explain, with reference to supply and demand, why a country cannot rely entirely on wind power to meet its electricity needs.
Question 34
5 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A city is deciding between building a tidal power station and a new gas-fired power station.
(a)[2 marks]Describe the energy transfers that occur in generating electricity using a tidal scheme.
(b)[2 marks]State two disadvantages of tidal power stations.
(c)[1 mark]Explain one reason why a gas-fired power station can quickly respond to sudden demand, but a tidal power station cannot.
Question 35
7 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →The government of a country is deciding between building a geothermal power station and a gas-fired power station to supply electricity to a new city. The city is also encouraging the use of solar heating panels for domestic water heating.
(a)[2 marks]Describe the main energy transfers involved in generating electricity using geothermal energy.
(b)[2 marks]Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using a gas-fired power station compared to geothermal power for the city.
(c)[3 marks]Explain how a solar heating panel works to heat water for a house.
Question 36
6 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A large country currently relies mostly on coal-fired and hydroelectric power stations. It is considering increasing its use of wind turbines. The graph below shows a typical day's changes in national electricity demand.
Electricity demand (GW) throughout a day (a)[1 mark]At what time of day is electricity demand at its highest? Give your answer in hours.
(b)[2 marks]Which type of power station (coal-fired, hydroelectric, or wind turbine) is best suited to deal with sudden increases in demand shown on the graph? Explain your answer.
(c)[2 marks]Describe one environmental disadvantage of relying on coal-fired power stations and one disadvantage of relying on wind turbines.
(d)[1 mark]Suggest one reason why hydroelectric or wind power alone cannot always meet all the demand shown in the graph.
Question 37
7 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →A village uses two main sources for its electricity supply: a local river is used for hydroelectric power, and a diesel generator provides backup power when needed. Many houses also have solar heating panels for water heating.
(a)[2 marks]Describe the energy transfers that occur when generating electricity using the local hydroelectric power station.
(b)[1 mark]Give one environmental disadvantage of using the diesel generator.
(c)[1 mark]Suggest one reason why the diesel generator is only used as a backup and not as the main supplier.
(d)[3 marks]Explain how the design of a solar heating panel makes it efficient at heating water. Refer to specific features.