New specifications
Continuing specifications
GCSE PhysicsUnit 1
Overview
Energy can be transferred from one place to another by
work or by heating processes. We need to know how this
energy is transferred and which heating processes are
most important in a particular situation.
Candidates should use their skills, knowledge and understanding to:
- compare ways in which energy is transferred in
and out of objects by heating and ways in which
the rates of these transfers can be varied
- Examples should include the design of a vacuum flask, how to reduce the energy transfer from a building and how humans and animals cope with low temperatures.
- evaluate the design of everyday appliances
that transfer energy by heating, including
economic considerations
- Examples include radiators and heat sinks.
- evaluate the effectiveness of different types
of material used for insulation, including U-values and economic factors including payback time
- Examples include loft insulation and cavity wall insulation.
- evaluate different materials according to
their specific heat capacities.
- Examples include the use of water, which has a very high specific heat capacity, oil filled radiators and electric storage heaters containing concrete or bricks.
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Overview
Appliances transfer energy but they rarely transfer
all of the energy to the place we want. We need to
know the efficiency of appliances so that we can
choose between them, including how cost effective they
are, and try to improve them.
Candidates should use their skills, knowledge and understanding to:
- compare the efficiency and cost effectiveness
of methods used to reduce 'energy consumption'
- The term 'pay-back time' should be understood.
- Given relevant data, candidates should
be able to make judgements about the cost
effectiveness of different methods of
reducing energy consumption over a set
period of time. This is not
restricted to a consideration of
building insulation but may include:
- low energy light bulbs and LED lighting
- replacing old appliances with energy efficient ones
- ways in which 'waste' energy can be useful, eg heat exchangers.
- describe the energy transfers and the main
energy wastages that occur with a range of
appliances
- Common electrical appliances found in the home will be examined. Examples will not be limited to electrical appliances; however, in this case all the information would be given in the question.
- interpret and draw a Sankey diagram.
- Candidates should be able to use a Sankey diagram to calculate the efficiency of an appliance.
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P1.3 The usefulness of electrical appliances
Overview
We often use electrical appliances because they
transfer energy at the flick of a switch. We can
calculate how much energy is transferred by an
appliance and how much the appliance costs to run.
Candidates should use their skills, knowledge and understanding to:
- compare the advantages and disadvantages of
using different electrical appliances for a
particular application
- Candidates will be required to compare different electrical appliances, using data provided.
- consider the implications of instances when electricity is not available.
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P1.4 Methods we use to generate electricity
Overview
Various energy sources can be used to generate the
electricity we need. We must carefully consider the
advantages and disadvantages of using each energy
source before deciding which energy source(s) it would
be best to use in any particular situation.
Electricity is distributed via the National Grid.
Candidates should use their skills, knowledge and understanding to:
- evaluate different methods of generating
electricity
- Candidates should be able to evaluate different methods of generating electricity given data including start-up times, costs of electricity generation and the total cost of generating electricity when factors such as building and decommissioning are taken into account. The reliability of different methods should also be understood.
- Knowledge of the actual values of start-up times and why they are different is not needed, but the implications of such differences are important.
- evaluate ways of matching supply with demand,
either by increasing supply or decreasing demand
- Candidates should be aware of the fact that, of the fossil fuel power stations, gas-fired have the shortest start-up time. They should also be aware of the advantages of pumped storage systems in order to meet peak demand, and as a means of storing energy for later use.
- compare the advantages and disadvantages of overhead power lines and underground cables.
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P1.5 The use of waves for communication and to provide evidence that the universe is expanding
Overview
Electromagnetic radiations travel as waves and move energy from one place to another. They can all
travel through a vacuum and do so
at the same speed. The waves cover a continuous range of wavelengths called the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Sound waves and some mechanical waves are longitudinal, and cannot travel through a vacuum. Current evidence suggests that the universe is expanding and that matter and space expanded violently and rapidly from a very small initial 'point', ie the universe began with a 'big bang'.
Candidates should use their skills, knowledge and understanding to:
- compare the use of different types of waves
for communication
- Knowledge and understanding of waves used for communication is limited to sound, light, microwaves, radio waves and infrared waves.
- evaluate the possible risks involving the use of mobile phones
- consider the limitations of the model that scientists use to explain how the universe began and why the universe continues to expand.
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