WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Physics 2027 Predicted Practice Paper — Component 1

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided. You must write down all the stages in your working.

Section A

Short-answer and structured questions. Answer ALL questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-A1 (5 marks)

  An electric kettle is connected to the 230 V mains supply. When switched on, a charge of 2100 C flows through the heating element in 300 s. (a) Calculate the current in the heating element. State the unit. [2] (b) Calculate the power of the kettle. [2] (c) The manufacturer states the kettle is 'more efficient than boiling water on a gas hob'. Give one reason, in terms of energy transfer, why an electric kettle may waste less energy when heating a fixed mass of water. [1]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A1 is 5 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-A2 (5 marks)

  A student investigates how the extension of a spring depends on the force applied. The spring obeys Hooke's law over the range tested. A force of 6.0 N produces an extension of 0.040 m. (a) State what is meant by 'the spring obeys Hooke's law'. [1] (b) Calculate the spring constant. State the unit. [2] (c) Calculate the energy stored in the spring when the extension is 0.040 m. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A2 is 5 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-A3 (4 marks)

  A radioactive source contains a nuclide that emits beta-minus particles. (a) Describe what happens inside the nucleus when a beta-minus particle is emitted. [2] (b) The count rate from a fresh sample is measured as 800 counts per minute above background. After 18 hours the count rate has fallen to 100 counts per minute above background. Show that the half-life of the source is 6 hours. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A3 is 4 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-A4 (6 marks)

  A car of total mass 1200 kg accelerates uniformly from rest to 24 m/s along a straight, level road in 12 s. (a) Calculate the acceleration of the car. [2] (b) Calculate the resultant force on the car during this acceleration. [2] (c) The car then travels at a steady 24 m/s. State the value of the resultant force now, and explain your answer using Newton's first law. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A4 is 6 marks)
• 5

  Question SECTION-A5 (4 marks)

  A household uses an electric shower rated at 9.0 kW. In one week the shower is used for a total of 3.5 hours. (a) Calculate the energy transferred by the shower in that week, in kilowatt-hours. [2] (b) One kilowatt-hour of electricity costs 28 pence. Calculate the cost of using the shower for that week. Give your answer in GBP. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A5 is 4 marks)
• 6

  Question SECTION-A6 (5 marks)

  A transverse water wave travels across a ripple tank. The waves have a wavelength of 0.025 m and 12 complete waves pass a fixed point every 4.0 s. (a) Calculate the frequency of the waves. [2] (b) Calculate the speed of the waves. [2] (c) State one difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave. [1]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A6 is 5 marks)
• 7

  Question SECTION-A7 (5 marks)

  A resistor and a filament lamp are each connected in turn to a variable power supply and the current through each is recorded for a range of potential differences. (a) State Ohm's law. [1] (b) Sketch, describing in words, the shape of the current-potential difference graph for (i) the fixed resistor and (ii) the filament lamp. [2] (c) Explain, in terms of the behaviour of the metal, why the graph for the filament lamp has the shape you described. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A7 is 5 marks)
• 8

  Question SECTION-A8 (4 marks)

  A crane lifts a steel beam of mass 350 kg vertically upwards at a steady speed through a height of 8.0 m. (gravitational field strength g = 9.8 N/kg) (a) Calculate the weight of the beam. [2] (b) Calculate the gain in gravitational potential energy of the beam. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A8 is 4 marks)
• 9

  Question SECTION-A9 (6 marks)

  The National Grid uses transformers to transmit electrical power efficiently over long distances. (a) State whether a step-up transformer increases or decreases the potential difference, and state what happens to the current. [2] (b) Explain why transmitting electrical power at a very high potential difference reduces energy wasted in the transmission cables. [2] (c) A step-down transformer has 8000 turns on its primary coil and an input pd of 25000 V. Calculate the number of turns needed on the secondary coil to give an output pd of 250 V. Assume the transformer is ideal. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A9 is 6 marks)
• 10

  Question SECTION-A10 (5 marks)

  A ball of mass 0.20 kg is dropped from rest from a height of 1.8 m above the ground. Air resistance is negligible. (g = 9.8 N/kg) (a) Calculate the speed of the ball just before it hits the ground, using energy transfer. [3] (b) State the energy transfer that takes place as the ball falls. [1] (c) In practice, air resistance is not negligible. State how this would affect the speed at which the ball actually hits the ground compared with your answer to part (a). [1]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A10 is 5 marks)
• 11

  Question SECTION-A11 (5 marks)

  A sample of gas is trapped in a sealed, rigid container. The gas is heated so that its temperature increases. (a) In terms of particles, explain why the pressure of the gas increases when it is heated at constant volume. [3] (b) State one other change (not heating) that could be made to increase the pressure of this fixed mass of gas. [1] (c) Explain your answer to part (b) in terms of particle collisions. [1]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A11 is 5 marks)
• 12

  Question SECTION-A12 (4 marks)

  A distant star is observed from Earth. Light from the star shows redshift. (a) State what is meant by redshift of light from a galaxy or star. [2] (b) Astronomers find that more distant galaxies show a greater redshift. State what this observation suggests about the Universe. [1] (c) Name the theory about the origin of the Universe that this evidence supports. [1]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A12 is 4 marks)

Section B

Extended response questions. Answer ALL questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-B1 (8 marks)

  A wind turbine is installed on a hillside to generate electricity. The turbine transfers kinetic energy from the moving air to electrical energy in a generator. On a typical day the turbine has an electrical power output of 1.5 MW. (a) Calculate the electrical energy, in joules, transferred by the turbine when it operates at this output for 6.0 hours. [3] (b) The turbine is only 40% efficient. Calculate the kinetic energy per second (input power) supplied by the wind when the electrical output is 1.5 MW. [2] (c) Evaluate the use of wind turbines, compared with a gas-fired power station, as a means of generating electricity. In your answer you should refer to at least one advantage and one disadvantage of wind power. [3]

  (Total for Question SECTION-B1 is 8 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-B2 (7 marks)

  A designer is testing the braking of an electric bicycle and rider. The combined mass of the bicycle and rider is 90 kg. When travelling at 8.0 m/s along a level road, the brakes are applied and the bicycle comes to rest in a distance of 10 m. (a) Calculate the kinetic energy of the bicycle and rider at 8.0 m/s. [2] (b) Assuming all this kinetic energy is transferred by the braking force acting over the 10 m stopping distance, calculate the average braking force. [3] (c) Explain, in terms of thinking distance and braking distance, two factors that would increase the total stopping distance of the bicycle, and state which part of the stopping distance each factor affects. [2]

  (Total for Question SECTION-B2 is 7 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-B3 (7 marks)

  The diagram (described) shows the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. A hospital uses several different regions of the EM spectrum for medical purposes. (a) Name the region of the EM spectrum that has (i) the longest wavelength and (ii) the highest frequency. [2] (b) All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum, 3.0 x 10^8 m/s. An X-ray used in imaging has a frequency of 6.0 x 10^18 Hz. Calculate its wavelength. [2] (c) Explain, referring to the properties of the waves, why gamma rays and X-rays can be hazardous to the human body, and describe one safety precaution taken when they are used in hospitals. [3]

  (Total for Question SECTION-B3 is 7 marks)