GCSE Combined Science Energy supplies & resources questions by topic

This question is about sorting energy resources.

1. (a)State what makes a resource renewable.[1]
2. (b)Name two renewable resources.[1]
3. (c)Name two non-renewable resources.[1]
4. (d)State which resource group is still used most for transport.[1]

This question is about matching resources to uses.

1. (a)Name the resource most used for heating UK homes.[1]
2. (b)Name one resource used for cooking.[1]
3. (c)Name one renewable resource used to generate electricity in the UK on a large scale.[1]
4. (d)Name one use of energy resources in the home other than cooking or heating.[1]

This question is about kilowatt-hours.

1. (a)State what 1 kWh represents.[1]
2. (b)Write the equation for energy transferred in kWh.[1]
3. (c)A 100 W television runs for 10 hours. Show that it uses 1 kWh.[1]
4. (d)How is the number of kWh turned into a bill?[1]

This question is about the environmental effects of energy resources.

1. (a)Name the greenhouse gas released by burning fossil fuels.[1]
2. (b)Name the gas family (from coal and engines) that causes acid rain.[1]
3. (c)State one landscape or wildlife problem caused by wind farms.[1]
4. (d)State the long-term waste problem of nuclear power.[1]

A household uses 12 kWh of electricity each day. Electricity costs 30 p per kWh.

1. (a)Calculate the household's yearly electricity use in kWh.[2]
2. (b)Calculate the yearly cost.[2]
3. (c)The family cuts usage by 10%. State the saving per year.[1]

A coal-fired power station and a wind farm both feed the same grid.

1. (a)Describe the energy chain in the coal-fired station.[2]
2. (b)State two advantages of the coal station over the wind farm.[2]
3. (c)State one advantage of the wind farm over the coal station.[1]

A remote town currently runs a diesel generator. The council considers a wind turbine with battery storage.

1. (a)State two drawbacks of the diesel generator.[2]
2. (b)State two benefits of switching to wind with storage.[2]
3. (c)State one challenge the council must plan for.[1]

A 9 kW electric shower runs for 10 minutes. Electricity costs 30 p per kWh.

1. (a)Calculate the energy transferred in kWh.[2]
2. (b)Calculate the cost of one shower.[1]
3. (c)The family takes 300 showers a year at this rate. Calculate the yearly cost.[2]

A grid operator must match demand on a still, overcast winter evening when household demand peaks.

1. (a)State the output problem for wind and solar at that moment.[2]
2. (b)Describe two ways the operator can cover the peak.[2]
3. (c)Explain why pumped-storage stations, not ordinary batteries, were historically chosen for large-scale storage.[2]

This question is about the changing UK electricity mix.

1. (a)Describe the change in coal's share and in renewables' share since 2010.[2]
2. (b)Give two reasons for the change.[2]
3. (c)Name one environmental benefit and one new challenge this shift creates.[2]

A driver compares a petrol car with an electric car. The EV consumes 60 kWh to cover 300 km; charging costs 30 p per kWh. The petrol car covers 15 km per litre with fuel at £1.50 per litre.

1. (a)Calculate the charging cost for the EV's 300 km trip.[2]
2. (b)Calculate the fuel cost for the petrol car over the same 300 km.[2]
3. (c)Give one advantage of the petrol car that might still matter to the driver.[1]
4. (d)State one environmental caveat of calling the EV "zero emission".[1]

A farmer considers growing a biofuel crop to heat the farmhouses.

1. (a)State two advantages of the biofuel plan.[2]
2. (b)State two drawbacks the farmer should weigh.[2]