6.1Energy
6.1.1Energy changes in a system, and the ways energy is stored before and after such changes
02.1 — Describe how energy stores change as a battery-powered toy car moves
05.3 — Describe how different energy stores are changed by a gas boiler
04.3 — Describe the changes to the energy stores of the wood, pipe and water as a hot tub heats
03.1 — Describe the changes to the energy stores of the child, springs and surroundings on a trampoline
04.1 — Describe two other changes to the drone's energy stores as it rises at constant speed
01.1 — Describe how the energy stores change when fuel is burned in a car engine
02.2 — Write down the equation linking kinetic energy, mass and speed
02.3 — Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the toy car (800 g, 12 m/s)
07.1 — Explain why a kangaroo can jump higher as its speed increases (tendon length graph)
07.2 — Calculate the spring constant of a kangaroo tendon from 14% of 770 J and its extension
03.4 — Calculate the speed of a boat from its kinetic energy (81 kJ, 8000 kg)
03.5 — Calculate the change in height of a boat from its gain in gravitational potential energy
03.2 — Calculate the extension of a trampoline spring at position B from its elastic potential energy
05.1 — Explain how observing from position B affects the maximum height measurement
05.2 — Calculate the mass of the toy from its GPE and height, to 2 significant figures
04.2 — Calculate the drone's height above the ground when its motor was switched back on
04.3 — Calculate the maximum possible speed of the drone when the motor restarted, in km/s
02.1 — Describe how to determine the specific heat capacity of vegetable oil using the equipment shown
02.2 — Give one risk when using the heating equipment
06.3 — Name the property of air that lets a small energy change cause a large temperature rise
02.1 — Calculate the specific heat capacity of aluminium from Table 1
02.2 — Describe a method to obtain the specific heat capacity results for the aluminium block
05.3 — Calculate the average energy used by a 2.20 kW kettle to boil 1.75 kg of water
05.4 — Calculate the power of a boiler that transfers 15 MJ in 10 minutes
02.3 — Write down the equation linking energy transferred, power and time
02.4 — Calculate the time for a 50 W heater to transfer 4750 J
03.3 — Select what the work done by the bouncing child is equal to
01.2 — Write down the equation linking power, time and work done
01.3 — Calculate the time for a 92 W whisk to do 23 000 J of work
06.4 — Explain one change that would let the system store the same energy more quickly
6.1.2Conservation and dissipation of energy
05.1 — Explain how a cavity wall reduces unwanted energy transfers
05.2 — Determine the temperature inside the house after 30 minutes, using Table 4
04.4 — Explain why the hot tub water temperature stays constant while the fire keeps burning
05.3 — Explain why the different thermal conductivities of metal and plastic matter in an ice-cream bowl
05.3 — Explain why the spring toy on its own is not a closed system
06.2 — Explain why the bottom of the air chamber is made of metal rather than plastic
06.4 — Suggest one way to increase the speed at which the wheel turns
02.3 — Select two reasons why insulating the block makes the specific heat capacity more accurate
05.4 — Explain why a laptop takes longer to charge while it is being used
02.4 — Explain why a more efficient motor increases the car's top speed
06.5 — Give arguments in favour of condensing boilers compared with older non-condensing boilers
06.6 — Explain why an advert claiming a heat pump is 400% efficient is not correct
06.1 — Calculate the overall efficiency of a CAES system (0.72 and 0.86), to 2 significant figures
06.3 — Explain how the efficiency of the energy storage system could be determined
6.1.3National and global energy resources
02.5 — Use cost data (Table 1) to decide whether the electric or petrol car is more economic over 12 years
03.1 — State what is meant by a non-renewable energy resource
04.1 — Select what type of fuel wood is
04.2 — Give two environmental effects of using wood as an energy resource
03.1 — Name one other renewable energy resource that could generate electricity on a boat
03.2 — Give two reasons why having both a wind turbine and a fossil-fuel generator is useful
03.3 — Explain one environmental impact of using fossil fuels to generate electricity
01.1 — Determine the percentage of maximum power demand generated using gas at 6 pm (Figure 1)
01.2 — Select which energy resources need to be used less to reduce carbon emissions
01.1 — Select which energy resource is also renewable
01.2 — Select which value is the same as 36 gigajoules
01.3 — Explain the changes in UK solar and wind power output (2014–2019 and over a typical year)
06.4 — Explain why efficient energy storage helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions
01.2 — Name a fuel produced using plants
01.3 — Suggest how cars that do not burn a fuel are powered
01.4 — Select the correct conclusion from the UK electricity generation graph (Figure 1)
01.5 — Explain one reason why it will take many years to generate all electricity from renewables
01.6 — Give one negative environmental impact of hydro-electric power and of wind power
6.2Electricity
6.2.1Current, potential difference and resistance
04.3 — Draw the circuit symbol for a thermistor
01.4 — Draw the circuit symbol for a fuse
01.5 — Identify the component from its circuit symbol (Figure 2)
03.1 — Draw a circuit diagram to measure the resistance of a resistor
6.2.1.2 Electrical charge and current (not assessed in these 9 papers)
01.3 — Explain the effect on lamp brightness of increasing the variable resistor's resistance
01.4 — Write down the equation linking current, potential difference and resistance
01.5 — Calculate the resistance of the lamp (3.3 V, 0.15 A)
01.2 — State how increasing the variable-resistor resistance affected the current
01.5 — Write the equation linking current, potential difference and resistance
01.6 — Calculate the resistance of the resistor (0.12 A, 3.0 V)
03.1 — Explain why the variable resistor was adjusted each time the wire length was changed
03.2 — Calculate the missing p.d. reading X from the mean in Table 1
03.3 — Describe the relationship between the length and resistance of the wire (Figure 3)
03.4 — Determine the current in a blood sample at 0.90 V using the resistance–glucose graph (Figure 4)
03.5 — Explain why valid glucometer results need each tube to be identical
01.1 — Select the equation linking current, potential difference and resistance
01.2 — Calculate the resistance of a phone's circuit (0.12 A, 3.9 V)
02.1 — Complete the circuit diagram to show where the voltmeter should be connected
02.3 — Write down the equation linking current, resistance and potential difference
02.4 — Calculate the p.d. across the resistors (7.5 Ω, 480 mA)
02.5 — Complete the graph (Figure 5): label the axes, plot two points and draw a line of best fit
02.6 — Use the graph (Figure 5) to find the resistance of R that gives a total of 4.4 Ω
02.7 — Complete the sentence naming the type of error between two scale readings (64.8 kg and 64.1 kg)
02.8 — Evaluate whether the student has a healthy body water percentage (Figure 6)
03.2 — Calculate the resistance of the resistor (450 mA, 2.7 V)
01.6 — Sketch a current–potential difference graph for a filament lamp
06.1 — Sketch a current–potential difference graph for a filament lamp on Figure 9
06.4 — Explain how the ammeter and voltmeter readings change when light intensity on the LDR changes
01.1 — Select how the ammeter and voltmeter should be connected in the resistor circuit
01.3 — State how to change the circuit to get negative values of current and potential difference
01.4 — Name the relationship between current and p.d. for a resistor at constant temperature
04.4 — Explain how the current in the thermistor changed as its temperature increased
01.6 — Explain what happens to the current in a thermistor as its temperature increases at constant p.d.
05.3 — State the relationship shown by the current–p.d. graph for the resistor (Figure 11)
02.5 — Name the component used to monitor the temperature of the oil
02.6 — Determine the thermistor resistance when the fryer switched off, using Figures 3 and 4
05.1 — Explain how to change the circuit so that the LED emits light
03.4 — Explain what happens to the p.d. across resistor R as light intensity on the LDR decreases
03.1 — Complete the LED circuit diagram with a correctly connected voltmeter and ammeter
03.2 — Describe how to adjust the circuit to vary the p.d. across the LED from –2.6 V to +2.6 V
03.3 — Plot the remaining LED current–p.d. points and draw a line of best fit (Figure 4)
03.4 — Explain what happens to the current in the LED when the p.d. is negative
03.5 — Select the conclusion when a second student gets the same pattern with a blue LED
03.6 — Select which component always has a linear current–p.d. relationship
03.3 — Sketch the current–p.d. graph for a fixed resistor at constant temperature
6.2.2Series and parallel circuits
01.1 — Select the current through each of two identical lamps in parallel (ammeter reads 186 mA)
01.2 — Select the current in the remaining lamp after one lamp breaks
06.2 — Compare the currents I1, I2 and I3 in the circuit with two lamps in parallel
04.1 — Select the total resistance of a lamp in series with two 10 Ω resistors in parallel
04.2 — Explain the total-resistance answer for the lamp and parallel resistors
04.5 — Explain how the p.d. across the resistor and the lamp change when the switch is closed
05.4 — Compare the voltmeter and ammeter readings in circuits A and B
02.2 — Explain why a total resistance of 26 Ω for the two parallel resistors cannot be correct
03.3 — Select why the current in each street lamp is less than in the transformer's secondary coil
6.2.3Domestic uses and safety
03.3 — Explain the difference between direct and alternating potential difference
01.2 — Give the potential difference and frequency of the UK mains supply
05.2 — Explain how the p.d.–time graph (Figure 9) shows the p.d. is not alternating
05.1 — Give the potential difference and frequency of the UK mains supply
05.3 — Describe the difference between an alternating and a direct potential difference
01.1 — State what should be done to wire the plug correctly
01.3 — State the potential difference between the neutral wire and the earth wire
01.5 — Explain why touching the metal case is unsafe if the earth wire is not connected
01.6 — Explain why touching the metal case is safe once the earth wire is connected
01.6 — State the potential difference between the live and neutral wires
05.2 — Name each wire in a two-core charger cable and give its insulation colour
6.2.4Energy transfers
06.3 — Calculate the charge that flows through the cell in 1 minute, given lamp power and resistance, and give the unit
03.2 — Calculate the current used to charge a car battery (6.9 kW at 230 V)
03.4 — Explain why a low-resistance charging cable is better than a high-resistance one
05.1 — Calculate the maximum current from a TENS machine battery (240 mW, 2.5 V)
05.2 — Calculate the p.d. across an LED from its power and current, to 2 significant figures
03.5 — Calculate the resistance of R from its power (6.0 W) and current (20 mA)
01.4 — Select the equation linking current, power and resistance
01.5 — Calculate the power of the whisk (500 mA, 640 Ω)
01.7 — Complete the sentence explaining why the whisk current increases at faster beater speed
03.4 — Determine which resistors have a suitable power rating for a maximum current of 0.012 A
05.1 — Explain why the temperature of a kettle's heating element increases
05.2 — Give one variable that should be controlled in the kettle investigation
05.3 — Suggest why the time–mass line (Figure 5) does not go through the origin
05.4 — Suggest why the kettle results give a non-linear pattern
01.3 — Write down the equation linking energy, power and time
01.4 — Calculate the energy transferred by a phone battery discharging at 0.46 W for 2500 minutes
05.4 — Calculate the mean current in a camera flash from energy, p.d. and time
01.1 — Give two energy stores that increase when an electric whisk is switched on
05.5 — Calculate the time in hours to fully charge a laptop battery while it is in use
01.3 — Name the network of transformers and cables that transfers electrical power
01.4 — Explain how using step-up transformers makes the National Grid efficient
03.1 — Explain how transformer X increases the efficiency of the National Grid
03.2 — Calculate the current in the secondary coil of transformer Y
6.3Particle model of matter
6.3.1Changes of state and the particle model
02.1 — Plan an experiment to determine the density of an irregular shaped object
02.2 — Complete the bar chart of plastic densities (Figure 4): add the y-axis scale and draw three bars
02.3 — Determine the uncertainty in the student's three density results
05.1 — Select how the particles move in solid ice cream
04.1 — Name the type of error shown on the balance
04.2 — State how to get a correct mass reading from a balance with a zero error
04.3 — Complete the sentence about why the Vernier calliper and micrometer readings differ (Table 1)
04.4 — Give two changes to improve the accuracy of reading a measuring cylinder
04.5 — Describe a displacement method to find an accurate volume for a single coin
04.6 — Calculate the density of a new penny disc from Table 2, to 2 significant figures
04.5 — Explain how the density of steam changes as its particles spread out on release
06.1 — Determine the mass of the cube (5 m sides, Figure 6) from its density of 4200 kg/m³
06.2 — Explain why the energy-storage cube is made from a high-density material
02.3 — Use boiling and freezing points to give the state of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide at –190 °C
02.4 — Explain the changes in arrangement and movement of argon particles as it cools from gas to liquid to solid
06.3 — Select what happens to the mass of the coolant as it evaporates
02.7 — Select why water turning to steam is a physical change
6.3.2Internal energy and energy transfers
05.2 — Select how particle kinetic and potential energy change as a liquid is cooled and frozen
06.1 — Explain what happens to the internal energy of the coolant as its temperature increases
05.1 — Suggest how the student made the temperature change the same for each mass of water
05.2 — Calculate the uncertainty in the times to boil 1.75 kg of water
05.4 — Use Table 2 to calculate the change in temperature of the water
05.5 — Plot the four missing points and draw a line of best fit (Figure 7)
05.6 — Use the gradient of the graph to determine the mean specific heat capacity of water
05.7 — Suggest why the student's specific heat capacity was greater than the accepted value
05.8 — Suggest why measuring the kettle's power would improve the investigation
05.5 — Calculate the specific heat capacity of water from kettle data, to 2 significant figures
05.4 — Explain one other property the liquid coolant in the bowl should have
06.5 — Calculate the specific heat capacity of the air in a building heated by a heat pump (87.5% efficient), in standard form
06.5 — Calculate the final temperature of the coffee using density, volume and specific heat capacity
06.3 — Calculate the energy transferred to the compressed air using volume, density and specific heat capacity, in standard form
06.3 — Explain why steam at 100 °C contains more energy than the same mass of water at 100 °C
06.4 — Calculate the energy released when 2.5 × 10⁻⁵ m³ of water vapour condenses on a mirror
02.2 — Calculate the mass of ice produced, using specific latent heat of fusion
05.5 — Calculate the mass of ice-cream mixture from the energy removed, using specific heat capacity and latent heat (2 s.f.)
06.2 — Name the energy needed to change the state of the liquid coolant
6.3.3Particle model and pressure
06.1 — Describe the direction of motion of the particles in a gas
06.2 — Explain why heating a gas increases the average speed of its particles
03.1 — Select two sentences that describe the movement of air particles in a canister
03.2 — State what happens to the movement of the air particles when the temperature increases
03.3 — Explain why a large temperature increase of the air in the canister could be dangerous
03.4 — Estimate atmospheric pressure from the pressure–time graph (Figure 6)
03.5 — Determine the maximum time a diver can stay underwater, when pressure falls to 25% (Figure 6)
03.6 — State what happens to the volume of the air when it is released from the canister
02.1 — Explain how the motion of air molecules makes the pressure fall as the air is cooled
06.4 — Explain why the pressure in the pipe increases when the coolant is compressed
04.1 — Convert 1 atmosphere (10^5 Pa) into kilopascals
04.2 — Calculate the uncertainty in the mean of four pressure readings
04.3 — Give a better description of the pressure–temperature relationship (Figure 7)
04.4 — Explain why more steam at a higher temperature increases the pressure in a pressure cooker
06.1 — Explain how the pressure in the air chamber changes as the hot coffee heats the air
06.2 — Explain how particle motion in warmer air increases the power transferred to the turbine
6.4Atomic structure
6.4.1Atoms and isotopes
04.1 — Select approximately how many times smaller a nucleus is than an atom
04.2 — State what makes an electron move further from or closer to the nucleus
01.4 — Determine the radius of a magnesium atom using measurements from Figure 2
02.1 — Select how many times bigger a helium atom's radius is than an alpha particle's
05.3 — Select what happens when a xenon atom emits light
04.3 — Describe the difference between atomic number and mass number in terms of sub-atomic particles
01.2 — Explain why the total positive charge in every atom of an element is always the same
02.2 — Select two things that happen when an atom is ionised by an alpha particle
02.2 — State the number of neutrons in a gold-197 atom
01.1 — Write the labels on the two models of the atom in Figure 1, choosing from the box
01.3 — Calculate the speed of alpha particles fired at 7% of the speed of light
02.3 — Describe how the alpha scattering results led to the plum pudding model being replaced by the nuclear model
02.4 — Select which scientist provided the evidence that neutrons exist
6.4.2Atoms and nuclear radiation
03.1 — State what gamma radiation is
03.2 — Explain why a gamma emitter is used to image a fractured foot
04.1 — Select what an alpha particle is
04.2 — Select the true statement about beta radiation
04.3 — Select the true statement about gamma radiation
06.2 — Explain why it is difficult to detect gamma radiation
06.3 — Explain why the G-M tube count rate is less than the activity of the source
06.5 — Use Table 1 to explain why count rate is not inversely proportional to lead thickness
06.8 — Determine the activity of the cerium sample at 20 s by drawing a tangent (Figure 7)
02.4 — Select what gamma radiation consists of
02.5 — Explain the differences between the properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation
02.3 — Suggest why a spark detector cannot detect beta radiation
02.4 — Describe a method to show a source emits alpha, beta and gamma radiation
06.3 — Use absorber results (Table 2) to explain which radiation the source emits
04.2 — State the property of nuclear radiation that increases the risk of cancer
04.3 — State the unit of activity
04.4 — Explain why the measured count-rate is less than the activity of the sample
04.5 — Use count-rates at different distances (Table 2) to explain which radiation was emitted
02.1 — State what an alpha particle consists of
04.1 — Describe an alpha particle, a beta particle and a gamma ray
04.5 — Give two reasons why the gold-198 sample is implanted very near the cancer cells
04.4 — Explain and compare how alpha and beta decay cause transmutation
06.1 — Select what happens to the mass number and charge of a nucleus when it emits gamma radiation
06.6 — Complete the nuclear equation for beta decay of lanthanum-140 into cerium
02.1 — Select the mass number A in the polonium-210 alpha decay equation
02.2 — Select the atomic number Z in the polonium-210 alpha decay equation
02.3 — Give A and Z in the equation for strontium-89 beta decay to yttrium
06.2 — Determine A and Z in the equation for alpha decay of actinium
05.2 — Select the correct nuclear equation for beta decay of vanadium-52
04.2 — Complete the nuclear equation for the beta decay of gold-198
03.3 — Give the meaning of the term half-life
04.4 — Explain how the risk from caesium-137 and iodine-131 in Chernobyl soil has changed since 1986
04.5 — Determine the year when the caesium-137 activity will be 1/32 of its original value
06.7 — Determine the ratio of cerium-148 atoms at 100 s and 350 s using half-life (Figure 7)
06.1 — Explain why rolling dice is a suitable model for radioactive decay
06.2 — Calculate the most likely number of rolls for the number of dice to halve
06.3 — Explain how the half-life modelled by eight-sided dice differs from six-sided dice
06.4 — State what can be deduced about the nuclei in a source with a longer half-life
06.4 — Order isotopes A–D by stability from their activity–time graphs, and explain
04.6 — Calculate the count-rate X after 30 minutes, using a whole number of half-lives
04.7 — Select why two samples gave slightly different half-lives
05.3 — Explain how the activities of radon-222 and vanadium-52 change after 7.4 minutes (Table 2 half-lives)
04.3 — Determine the half-life of gold-198 from the activity–time graph (Figure 4)
04.4 — Determine the percentage decrease in activity after 5 days, to 2 significant figures
03.4 — Describe the hazard from technetium-99 contamination and how it changes over time
03.5 — Describe how hospital equipment becomes irradiated
03.6 — Explain why irradiated equipment is not hazardous
06.4 — Explain why the teacher stood as far away from the gamma source as possible
06.1 — Explain why a beta source in a smoke detector would be more hazardous than an alpha source
04.1 — Name the process of checking scientific work by other scientists
05.1 — Explain how irradiating and contaminating the water affected the hazard of drinking it
05.4 — Name the process of other scientists checking work before publication
04.6 — Suggest why the gold-198 sample is left in the patient after treatment
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