2022 Past Paper (Higher)

Question 1

Suggest two reasons why wind power was not able to meet demands

Answer 1

• wind turbines don’t turn when
  the wind is too strong/weak
• there are not enough wind
  turbines (in the UK)

Question 2

Explain how oiling would affect the efficiency of the wind turbine.

Answer 2

the efficiency would increase
because the percentage /
proportion / amount of energy
usefully transferred would
increase

Question 3

Explain why people should be encouraged to use energy efficient electrical devices

Answer 3

more efficient devices waste
less energy
which would minimise the
electricity / energy demand

Question 4

Describe a method the student could use to determine the density of the rock

Answer 4

measure mass using a balance / scales
* part fill a measuring cylinder with water and measure initial
volume
* place rock in water and measure final volume
* volume of rock = final volume − initial volume
* fill a displacement / eureka can with water level with spout
* place rock in water and collect displaced water
* measuring cylinder used to determine volume of displaced water
* volume of rock = volume of displaced water
*
* use mass and volume to calculate density
● use of: density = mass/
volume

Question 5

Explain why taking the measurements more than once may improve the accuracy of
the density value.

Answer 5

a mean can be calculated
which reduces the effect of
random errors

Question 6

What equation links current (I), potential difference (V) and power (P)?

Answer 6

P = V × I

Question 7

What equation links efficiency, total power input and useful power output?

Answer 7

efficiency =
useful power output/
total power input

Question 8

Thermometer A (non digital) is more likely to be misread.
Give one reason why

Answer 8

viewing angle affects
measurement

Question 9

how does thermal conductivity relate to temp decrease and why?

Answer 9

temperature decrease in
a shorter time means a higher
thermal conductivity
(because) the rate of energy
transfer is higher

Question 10

A student rubbed a plastic rod with a cloth. box
The rod became negatively charged and the cloth became positively charged.
0 5 . 1 Explain why the cloth became positively charged.

Answer 10

electrons transferred from the cloth (to the rod)
electrons are negatively charged
(so) there are more positive
charges than negative charges
on the cloth

Question 11

Figure 6 shows the negatively charged rod on a balance.
Figure 7 shows another charged rod being held stationary above the rod on the
balance.
The rods do not touch each other
Explain why the reading on the balance increases.

Answer 11

there is an additional
(downwards) force on the
balance (increasing the mass
reading)
(because) the (held) rod is
negatively charged
(and rods with) like charges
repel

Question 12

A negatively charged rod is held near an earthed conductor.
Explain why a spark jumps between the negatively charged rod and the earthed
conductor.

Answer 12

the (large) potential difference

between the two objects
(causes negative) electrons /
charges to move

(from the rod) to the conductor

Question 13

Explain why transformer X is used in the National Grid

Answer 13

transformer X increases
potential difference
and decreases current
reducing (thermal) energy
transfer to surroundings

Question 14

Explain why transformer Y is used in the National Grid.

Answer 14

transformer Y decreases the
potential difference
to a safe / safer value

Question 15

What does an alpha particle consist of?

Answer 15

two protons and two neutrons

Question 16

Internal contamination of the human body means radioactive material is inside the
human body.
Explain how the risk from internal contamination is different to the risk from external
irradiation by a source of alpha radiation.

Answer 16

alpha radiation has a low
penetrating ability
(so externally) alpha radiation is
stopped by skin (so is low risk)
internally, alpha radiation is
absorbed by living tissue /
organs
(as) alpha radiation is highly
ionising
(internal) contamination will
cause greater (risk of) harm to
cells / tissues / organs / DNA/ genes

Question 17

Some thermal energy was transferred to the surroundings while the water was
being heated.
Explain how this affected the student’s value for the specific latent heat of vaporisation
of water.

Answer 17

less energy was
transferred to the water
(so) student’s value of L was too
high

Question 18

Some of the water evaporated before its temperature reached 100 °C.
Explain how this affected the student’s value for the specific latent heat of vaporisation
of water.

Answer 18

the measured change in mass is
too high (for the energy
supplied)
(so) student’s value of L is too
low

Question 19

why does the girl doing the potential energy experiment have less potential energy than calculated

Answer 19

girl increases her kinetic energy
(as well as increasing her
gravitational potential energy)
some energy is wasted in her
muscles

Question 20

As the toy (spring) aeroplane moves upwards through the air there is a decrease
in the__________ energy of the aeroplane.

Answer 20

kinetic

Question 21

Give one factor which would increase the distance a toy aeroplane (attached to spring) travels
horizontally before hitting the ground.

Answer 21

increasing the extension of the
spring

Question 22

second and third part of a parallel circuit are closed. Explain what happens to power output of power supply.

Answer 22

the total resistance of the circuit
decreases
so the current increases
which increases the power
output