GCSE Science Quiz - Physics - Costing Electricity (AQA) (Questions)

In GCSE Science students will spend some time looking at electrical energy. This is the second of six quizzes on that topic and it focusses on costing electricity and
calculating energy transfers.

We often use electrical appliances because they transfer energy at the flick of a switch. The amount of energy transferred by the appliance depends on the power of the
appliance and how long it is switched on. We can calculate how much energy is transferred by any appliance using a simple equation linking the power and the time it
was switched on for:

energy transferred = power x time

You need to watch the units - if you need the energy transferred in kilowatt-hours, the power needs to be in kilowatts and the time in hours. If the power is given in watts
and the time in seconds, the energy transferred will be in joules. Take care not to mix the units.

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In the exams the examiners check who really understands about the correct units by perhaps giving a time in minutes. This would need converting to either a fraction of
an hour or seconds, depending on what the question is asking you for. The same goes for the power. It may be given in watts but you are asked for an answer in
kilowatt-hours in which case it will need converting from watts to kilowatts by dividing by 1,000 and vice versa.

From this, you can then work out how much the appliance will cost to run for the time it was on. Generally speaking, you pay for electricity measured in kilowatt-hours so
questions involving cost calculations will be often be in the right units. To calculate the cost, you multiply the number of kilowatt-hours by the cost per kilowatt-hour and
that is the answer. You will not be asked to convert between kilowatt-hours and joules.

We recommend that you have pen, paper and a calculator handy before starting this quiz.

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1. A consumer was told by an electricity supplier that a unit of electricity costs 10 2. What does the amount of energy transferred by a television depend on?
pence. What exactly is a 'unit'? [ ] Its power only
[ ] A kilowatt-hour [ ] Its power and the length of time it is
[ ] A kilowatt switched on
[ ] A joule [ ] The length of time that it is switched on
[ ] 100 joules only
[ ] The programme that is being shown

3. How many units of electricity would be used by a 2 kW electric fire switched on 4. If an appliance consumes (transfers) electrical energy at a rate of 8 kWh and
for 30 minutes? electricity costs 8 pence per unit. What is the cost of running it for 3 hours?
[ ] 1 [ ] 8p
[ ] 2 [ ] 19p
[ ] 10 [ ] 64p
[ ] 60 [ ] £1.92

5. A particular kettle has a power rating of 5 kW. It takes 3 minutes to boil enough 6. What is the power in watts of an electric drill that transferred 6 kWh of energy
water for a cup of tea. How much would it cost if electricity costs 10p per unit? in 36 minutes?
[ ] 0.25p [ ] 100
[ ] 2.5p [ ] 1,000
[ ] 25p [ ] 5,000
[ ] 75p [ ] 10,000

7. How long could you run a 2 kW hairdryer on 50p if electricity costs 7.5p per 8. How much energy would be transferred by a computer of power 50 W running
unit? for 8 hours?
[ ] Just over 3 hours [ ] 400 J
[ ] Just under 3 hours [ ] 400 kWh
[ ] 2 1/2 hours [ ] 40 J
[ ] 2 hours [ ] 0.4 kWh

9. A home owner reads their electricity meter on January 1st and again on the last 10. In order to reduce their electricity bill, a home owner changed their electricity
day of the month. The first value was 4,792 kWh, the second reading was 5,381 supplier who gave them a cheaper rate for any electricity they used between
kWh. If their electricity cost 12p per unit, what was their January bill? midnight and 6 a.m. This electricity cost only 8p per unit compared to 12p per
[ ] £7.68 unit at other times. How much would they have saved if from a total of 589
units 289 had been used at the cheaper price?
[ ] £60.00
[ ] £11.56
[ ] £70.68
[ ] £59.12
[ ] £76.80
[ ] £23.12
[ ] £36.00

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GCSE Science Quiz - Physics - Costing Electricity (AQA) (Answers)
1. A consumer was told by an electricity supplier that a unit of electricity costs 10 2. What does the amount of energy transferred by a television depend on?
pence. What exactly is a 'unit'? [ ] Its power only
[ x ] A kilowatt-hour [ x ] Its power and the length of time it is
[ ] A kilowatt switched on
[ ] A joule [ ] The length of time that it is switched on
[ ] 100 joules only
When paying for electricity, you are charged for the number of kilowatt-hours you use [ ] The programme that is being shown
The power consumption is often given on a label attached to the appliance

3. How many units of electricity would be used by a 2 kW electric fire switched on 4. If an appliance consumes (transfers) electrical energy at a rate of 8 kWh and
for 30 minutes? electricity costs 8 pence per unit. What is the cost of running it for 3 hours?
[x] 1 [ ] 8p
[ ] 2 [ ] 19p
[ ] 10 [ ] 64p
[ ] 60 [ x ] £1.92
The time in minutes needs converting to hours then you can use the equation E = P x t 8 kWh x 3 hours x 8p gives the answer

5. A particular kettle has a power rating of 5 kW. It takes 3 minutes to boil enough 6. What is the power in watts of an electric drill that transferred 6 kWh of energy
water for a cup of tea. How much would it cost if electricity costs 10p per unit? in 36 minutes?
[ ] 0.25p [ ] 100
[ x ] 2.5p [ ] 1,000
[ ] 25p [ ] 5,000
[ ] 75p [ x ] 10,000
You need to first convert the 3 minutes to a fraction of an hour (3 ÷ 60 = 0.05) before you Did you remember that 6 kW is 6,000 W?
can work out how many units were used

7. How long could you run a 2 kW hairdryer on 50p if electricity costs 7.5p per 8. How much energy would be transferred by a computer of power 50 W running
unit? for 8 hours?
[ x ] Just over 3 hours [ ] 400 J
[ ] Just under 3 hours [ ] 400 kWh
[ ] 2 1/2 hours [ ] 40 J
[ ] 2 hours [ x ] 0.4 kWh
The time is worked out by dividing the energy transferred by the power. Before you do Straightforward use of the equation, but did you remember to convert the power into
that, you need to work out the energy transferred in units then divide the amount of kilowatts (50 W = 0.05 kW)? There is no point converting the hours into seconds as a
money to be spent by the cost per unit which tells you how many kWh your 50p would rough calculation would quickly show you that the answers in joules are nowhere near
buy being right. If you get into the habit of doing a rough calculation in your head first, it can
save errors later
9. A home owner reads their electricity meter on January 1st and again on the last 10. In order to reduce their electricity bill, a home owner changed their electricity
day of the month. The first value was 4,792 kWh, the second reading was 5,381 supplier who gave them a cheaper rate for any electricity they used between
kWh. If their electricity cost 12p per unit, what was their January bill? midnight and 6 a.m. This electricity cost only 8p per unit compared to 12p per
[ ] £7.68 unit at other times. How much would they have saved if from a total of 589
units 289 had been used at the cheaper price?
[ ] £60.00
[ x ] £11.56
[ x ] £70.68
[ ] £59.12
[ ] £76.80
[ ] £23.12
Take the difference between the two readings and multiply by 0.12 to get the answer in
[ ] £36.00
pounds
The total cost works out at £59.12 with the new supplier (£23.12 for the electricity on the
cheaper rate and £36.00 for the other 300 units at the full rate)

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