plumiPower and efficiency: Edexcel International A Level Physics questions
Edexcel International A Level Physics past-paper questions on 1.3.6.4 Power and efficiency, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 50 questions on Power and efficiency, as a list
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q9 (1 mark): The driver of a car applies the brakes. The frictional force F between the tyres and the road is constant. The average power dissipated by F is 50 kW. The car m
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q14 (4 marks): The brakes in a car reduce the kinetic energy of the car. In an electric car, some of this energy is transferred to the battery in the car. An electric car of m
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q15(a) (5 marks): In one minute, each pipe transfers 1700 m 3 of water to the generator. The density of the water in the lake is 1100 kg m −3. Show that the power transferred by
- January 2025, AS Unit 1, Q15(b) (2 marks): Water travels from the lake to the generator through 4 identical pipes. As water moves through the 4 pipes to the generator, the total power wasted is 256 MW. C
- January 2025, AS Unit 3, Q3(b)(i) (4 marks): Calculate the missing values for Pout and % efficiency. (4) Pout = mW Efficiency = %
- October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q1 (1 mark): Which of the following units is equivalent to the watt? A N m B N m −1 C J s D J s −1
- October 2024, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): A person stands on a moving staircase. The moving staircase increases the gravitational potential energy of the person by 5000 J in a time of 42 s. The efficien
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q1 (1 mark): An engine is used to remove water from a mine. The engine transfers energy to the water at a rate of 180 kW and wastes energy at a rate of 60 kW. Which of the f
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q11(b) (3 marks): The train’s engine has an output power of 20 MW. The train takes a time of 35 s to move through the vertical height of 25 m. Calculate the work done by the engi
- June 2024, Unit 6, Q1(c)(iii) (3 marks): Determine the efficiency of the electric motor. maximum potential difference across capacitor = 6 V capacitance of capacitor = 4700 μF m = 20 g (3) Efficiency =
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q4 (1 mark): A cyclist moves along a horizontal road at a constant speed. She then moves at the same speed up a hill with a constant gradient. Which of the following graphs
- January 2024, AS Unit 3, Q2(c) (3 marks): Explain how the measurements made by the student should be used to determine the efficiency of the motor as it lifts the mass. (3)
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q7 (1 mark): A power station provides an electrical output power of 2.1 GW. The power station transfers thermal energy to the surroundings at a rate of 3.4 GW. Which of the
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q14(b) (3 marks): The cable is attached to a 150 N weight. Each time the person pulls the handle the weight moves up a vertical distance of 0.25 m. The weight returns to its orig
- October 2023, AS Unit 2, Q16(c) (4 marks): A solar cell array is placed on the roof of a house as shown. The area of the solar cell array is 8.7 m 2. The roof of the house slopes at an angle of 60° to th
- June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q13(b) (2 marks): The train accelerates for 180 s. The train has an input power of 16 MW while accelerating. Determine the work done against air resistance as the train accelerat
- June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q19(a) (4 marks): The crane has an electric motor with an efficiency of 47%. The crane lifts a load of 4.4 × 104 N. The load moves through a vertical distance of 15 m in a time o
- January 2023, AS Unit 1, Q8 (1 mark): A motor lifts a mass of 50 000 kg through a vertical height of 25 m. The motor has an output power of 700 kW. Which of the following gives the time in seconds t
- January 2023, AS Unit 2, Q16(a)(i) (4 marks): Calculate the minimum efficiency of the panel of solar cells that will operate the pump. intensity of sunlight on solar cells = 1040 W m –2 (4) Minimum efficien
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): An electric pump has an output power of 25 kW and an efficiency of 52%. Which of the following expressions gives the rate in kW at which energy is dissipated? A
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q11(c) (2 marks): The terminal velocity of the boat is 4.8 m s–1. Calculate the output power of the engine. (2) Output power =
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q1 (1 mark): A machine has a power of 750 W and transfers 150 kJ of energy during a time t. Which of the following expressions gives t in seconds? A 750 150 B 750 × 150 1000
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q14(a) (3 marks): A car travelling at 13.0 m s–1 decelerated to rest. The energy transferred to the car’s battery during the deceleration was 73.9 kJ. Calculate the efficiency of
- June 2022, AS Unit 1, Q14(b)(ii) (4 marks): The graph shows how the efficiency of the regenerative braking system depends upon the initial velocity of the car for initial velocities in the range 20 m s–1
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q12(b) (4 marks): The electric motor raises the lift through a height of 40.0 m in a time of 30.0 s. Show that the output power of the electric motor is about 12 kW. total mass o
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q12(c) (2 marks): The electric motor dissipates energy to the surroundings at a rate of 3 600 W. Determine the efficiency of the electric motor. (2) Efficiency =
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(a) (2 marks): Show that the total force that the team exerts on the block is about 14 kN. (2)
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q18(d) (2 marks): Determine the efficiency of the system. (2) Efficiency =
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q4 (1 mark): A hydroelectric power station has an efficiency of 32%. In one hour the useful energy output of the power station is 1.2 × 1013 J. Which of the following expres
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): A tractor pulls a trailer a distance s in time t. The useful power output of the tractor is P. Which of the following equations gives the force F of the tractor
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q16(c) (2 marks): The power from the car’s engine is constant. Explain how the force from the engine varies as the car accelerates. (2)
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q17(c) (2 marks): Assess whether the stretching of the rope has a significant effect on the efficiency of the pulley system. (2)
- June 2021, AS Unit 2, Q1 (1 mark): Which of the following derived units can be expressed in SI base units as kg m2 s–3 ? A coulomb B joule C volt D watt
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q10 (1 mark): A locomotive pulls a train at constant speed against a force of 8 400 kN. The output power of the locomotive is 70 MW. Which of the following gives the time in
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q12(a) (3 marks): A single passenger of mass 72 kg stands on the walkway. The speed of the walkway is 0.51 m s−1. Show that the rate at which the walkway does work on the passeng
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q12(b) (3 marks): The walkway system has an efficiency of 78%. Calculate the power input to the system when 15 passengers of average mass 72 kg are standing on the walkway. (3) P
- January 2021, AS Unit 2, Q1 (1 mark): The unit of power is the watt. Which of the following is included in the SI base units for power? A newton B kilogram C joule D ampere
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q6 (1 mark): A lamp with an efficiency of 0.68 usefully transfers 120 J of energy. Which of the following can be used to determine E, the energy supplied to the lamp? A E =
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q11(a) (2 marks): Show that the average power input to the engine was about 70 kW. (2)
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q11(b) (3 marks): The car travelled a total distance of 730 km during the journey. The average force of the engine was 2.1 kN. Show that the average power output of the engine wa
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q11(c) (2 marks): Determine the efficiency of the engine. (2) Efficiency of engine =
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q19(c)(i) (3 marks): The manufacturer claims that the microwave oven has an efficiency of 90%. Assess the validity of this claim. (3)
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q1 (1 mark): Which of the following quantities has the SI base units kg m2 s−3? A force B momentum C power D work done
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q8 (1 mark): A motor with an efficiency of 68% is used to raise a load of 350 N through a height of 25 m. Which of the following expressions gives the energy supplied to the
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(d) (2 marks): Determine the efficiency of the motor. (2) Efficiency =
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(e) (3 marks): The students repeated the experiment with a much larger mass and determined that the efficiency of the motor was decreased. Describe how they should collect and
- June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q7 (1 mark): A water pump causes 200 g of water to be ejected from the nozzle of a garden hose each second at a velocity of 3 m sí. Which of the following expressions could
- June 2019, AS Unit 1, Q12 (4 marks): Machines make work easier by changing the size or direction of a force. A student designed a simple machine to lift a box of mass 50 kg. The student claimed the
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q2 (1 mark): Which of the following is equivalent to 1 kilowatt-hour? A 0.28 J B 0.28 W C 3.6 × 106 J D 3.6 × 106 W
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q4 (1 mark): A force of 90 N is used to push a box along a ramp of length 10 m, up to a platform. The platform is 4 m above the ground. The weight of the box is 200 N. 90 N
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