WJEC GCSE Physics
WJEC GCSE Physics 1.3 Making Use of Energy Exam Questions
Free WJEC GCSE Physics revision for 1.3 Making Use of Energy: what you need to know, common mistakes and exam-style questions with answers. Covers conduction, convection and radiation, density, particle explanations, home insulation, payback time and costs of heating and transport.
Practise 1.3 Making Use of Energy with past papers
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About WJEC GCSE Physics 1.3 Making Use of Energy
Making use of energy in Unit 1 explains how thermal energy is transferred and how we reduce wasted energy at home. You need to describe conduction, convection and radiation and explain them using particles, including why metals are good conductors. Density, calculated from mass and volume, is used to explain convection and the differences between solids, liquids and gases. The topic covers home insulation methods and their cost-effectiveness using payback time. Specified practicals cover investigating heat transfer methods and finding the density of regular and irregular solids and liquids. Examiners often ask for payback calculations and particle explanations of conduction and convection.
What you need to know
- Conduction Energy passes through solids as vibrating particles pass energy to neighbours. Metals conduct well because free (mobile) electrons carry energy quickly through the metal.
- Convection In liquids and gases, heated fluid expands, becomes less dense and rises, while cooler, denser fluid sinks to replace it, setting up a convection current.
- Radiation All objects emit infrared radiation, which needs no medium. Dark, matt surfaces are good emitters and absorbers; light, shiny surfaces are poor emitters and good reflectors.
- Density Density = mass / volume, in kg/m3 or g/cm3. Find the volume of a regular solid by measuring, and of an irregular solid by displacement of water. Determining density is a specified practical.
- Reducing heat loss Loft insulation and cavity wall insulation trap air (a poor conductor) and reduce convection; double glazing has a gap that reduces conduction; draught excluders reduce convection.
- Payback time Payback time = installation cost / annual saving. Compare methods by cost, saving and payback time, and consider environmental benefits.
Common mistakes in 1.3 Making Use of Energy
- Saying heat rises. Hot fluid rises because it is less dense than the cooler fluid around it.
- Explaining insulation by saying it stops heat getting in. Insulation reduces the rate of energy transfer out of the house, usually by trapping air.
- Forgetting that radiation can travel through a vacuum. Infrared radiation does not need particles, unlike conduction and convection.
- Using the wrong units for density, such as dividing grams by m3. Keep mass and volume units consistent, e.g. g and cm3 give g/cm3.
Try three 1.3 Making Use of Energy exam-style questions
1. A metal block has a mass of 270 g and a volume of 100 cm3. Calculate its density. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
270 / 100; = 2.7 g/cm3.
2. Cavity wall insulation costs £500 and saves £125 a year on heating bills. Calculate the payback time. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
500 / 125; = 4 years.
3. Explain how a convection current forms in a room heated by a radiator. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Air near the radiator is heated, expands and becomes less dense; it rises; cooler, denser air sinks and moves in to replace it, forming a current.
1.3 Making Use of Energy FAQs
What does WJEC GCSE Physics 1.3 Making Use of Energy cover?
It covers conduction, convection and radiation, density and its measurement, particle explanations of energy transfer, home insulation, payback time and the costs of energy for heating and transport.
Which unit is Making Use of Energy examined in?
It is examined in Unit 1: Electricity, Energy and Waves, a 1 hour 45 minute written paper worth 45% of the GCSE, sat at foundation or higher tier. The Unit 3 practical assessment draws on the same practical skills.
How do I measure the density of an irregular object?
Measure its mass on a balance, then lower it into a displacement can or measuring cylinder of water and measure the volume of water displaced. Divide mass by volume.
