Electricity in the home

Question 1

National grid voltage

Answer 1

Has to be really high to minimise energy loss

Question 2

Where do we get most of our energy from?

Answer 2

Power stations that generate a lot of heat and converting thermal energy into electrical energy

Question 3

What does the nation grid contain

Answer 3

• step up/down transformers
• pylons
• wires

Question 4

What is the UK main supply

Answer 4

• 50 hz
• 240 V

Question 5

AC produced by???

Answer 5

Alternating pd

Question 6

DC produced by??

Answer 6

direct potential difference

Question 7

brown wire

Answer 7

live wire

Question 8

Blue wire

Answer 8

neutral wire

Question 9

Green and yellow wire

Answer 9

earth wire

Question 10

live wire

Answer 10

provides the alternating potential difference from main supply

Question 11

neutral wire

Answer 11

Complete the circuit by carrying away current

Question 12

Earth wire

Answer 12

stop the applicance casing from becoming live

Question 13

How does an electric shock happen?

Answer 13

our body is at 0V so if you touch something with a large potential difference, a current flows through you causing an electric shock

Question 14

How does earth wire prevent an electric shock?

Answer 14

provides a alternative pathway for the current to flow away

Question 15

surges

Answer 15

sudden increase in current

Question 16

how do fuses work?

Answer 16

• a very thin piece of wire connected to live wire and if there’s a surge the wire will heat up and melt
• break circuit

Question 17

benefits of fuses

Answer 17

• simple
• cheap

Question 18

downsides of fuses

Answer 18

• permanently broken after single surge
• have to be replaced each time

Question 19

Circuit breakers

Answer 19

• they get tripped when a surge flows
• turns off the circuit
• can be resetted

Question 20

double insulate

Answer 20

where the appliance is covered in a plastic casing so there’s no exposed metal parts

Question 21

static electricity

Answer 21

Build up of charge on insulating materials and causes spark when discharged

Question 22

Why does conducting material never has charge?

Answer 22

The electrons are able to flow back again

Question 23

polythene rod

Answer 23

electrons move from the insulating material to the rod

Question 24

Acetate rod

Answer 24

electrons moves from the rod to the duster