5.

2 Heating effects of Electric Currents [70 marks]

1. [Maximum mark: 1] 16N.1.SL.TZ0.19

An electrical circuit is shown with loop X and junction Y.

What is the correct expression of Kirchhoff’s circuit laws for loop X and
junction Y?

[1]
2. [Maximum mark: 1] 16N.1.SL.TZ0.20
A cell of emf 4V and negligible internal resistance is connected to three
resistors as shown. Two resistors of resistance 2Ω are connected in parallel
and are in series with a resistor of resistance 1Ω.

What power is dissipated in one of the 2Ω resistors and in the whole circuit?

[1]
3. [Maximum mark: 1] 17N.1.SL.TZ0.17
In the circuit shown, the fixed resistor has a value of 3 Ω and the variable
resistor can be varied between 0 Ω and 9 Ω.

The power supply has an emf of 12 V and negligible internal resistance.

What is the difference between the maximum and minimum values of
voltage V across the 3 Ω resistor?

A. 3 V

B. 6 V

C. 9 V

D. 12 V [1]
4. [Maximum mark: 1] 17N.1.SL.TZ0.18
Kirchhoff’s laws are applied to the circuit shown.

What is the equation for the dotted loop?

A. 0 = 3I2 + 4I3

B. 0 = 4I3 − 3I2

C. 6 = 2I1 + 3I2 + 4I3

D. 6 = 3I2 + 4I3 [1]

5. [Maximum mark: 1] 18M.1.SL.TZ1.18
Three resistors are connected as shown. What is the value of the total
resistance between X and Y?

                                                    

A.     1.5 Ω

B.     1.9 Ω

C.     6.0 Ω

D.     8.0 Ω [1]
6. [Maximum mark: 1] 18M.1.SL.TZ1.21
Two resistors X and Y are made of uniform cylinders of the same material. X
and Y are connected in series. X and Y are of equal length and the diameter
of Y is twice the diameter of X.

                                                            

The resistance of Y is R.

What is the resistance of this series combination?

A.      5R

B.      3R

C.     3R

D.     5R [1]

7. [Maximum mark: 1] 18M.1.SL.TZ2.19
A cell with negligible internal resistance is connected as shown. The
ammeter and the voltmeter are both ideal. 

                                                    

What changes occur in the ammeter reading and in the voltmeter reading
when the resistance of the variable resistor is increased?

[1]
8. [Maximum mark: 1] 18N.1.SL.TZ0.19
A wire of length L is used in an electric heater. When the potential difference
across the wire is 200 V, the power dissipated in the wire is 1000 W. The same
potential difference is applied across a second similar wire of length 2L.
What is the power dissipated in the second wire?

A.   250 W

B.   500 W

C.   2000 W

D.   4000 W [1]

9. [Maximum mark: 1] 18N.1.SL.TZ0.20
A combination of four identical resistors each of resistance R are connected
to a source of emf ε of negligible internal resistance. What is the current in
the resistor X?

A.    ε

5R

B.    3ε

10R

C.    2ε

5R

D.    3ε

5R
[1]
10. [Maximum mark: 1] 19M.1.SL.TZ2.19
The resistance of component X decreases when the intensity of light
incident on it increases. X is connected in series with a cell of negligible
internal resistance and a resistor of fixed resistance. The ammeter and
voltmeter are ideal.

What is the change in the reading on the ammeter and the change in the
reading on the voltmeter when the light incident on X is increased?

[1]
11. [Maximum mark: 1] 19M.1.SL.TZ2.20
Three resistors of resistance 1.0 Ω, 6.0 Ω and 6.0 Ω are connected as shown.
The voltmeter is ideal and the cell has an emf of 12 V with negligible
internal resistance.

What is the reading on the voltmeter?

A. 3.0 V

B. 4.0 V

C. 8.0 V

D. 9.0 V [1]
12. [Maximum mark: 1] 19N.1.SL.TZ0.19
The diagram shows a resistor network. The potential difference between X
and Y is 8.0 V.

What is the current in the 5Ω resistor?

A. 1.0A

B. 1.6A

C. 2.0A

D. 3.0A [1]
13. [Maximum mark: 1] 18M.1.HL.TZ2.16
A cell of emf 6.0 V and negligible internal resistance is connected to three
resistors as shown.

The resistors have resistance of 3.0 Ω and 6.0 Ω as shown.

                           

What is the current in resistor X?

A.     0.40 A

B.     0.50 A

C.     1.0 A

D.     2.0 A [1]

14. [Maximum mark: 1] 19M.1.HL.TZ1.17
A resistor of resistance R is connected to a fully charged cell of negligible
internal resistance. A constant power P is dissipated in the resistor and the
cell discharges in time t. An identical cell is connected in series with two
identical resistors each of resistance R.

What is the power dissipated in each resistor and the time taken to
discharge the cell?

[1]
15. [Maximum mark: 1] 19M.1.HL.TZ2.24
In an experiment to determine the resistivity of a material, a student
measures the resistance of several wires made from the pure material. The
wires have the same length but different diameters.

Which quantities should the student plot on the x-axis and the y -axis of a
graph to obtain a straight line?

[1]
16. [Maximum mark: 1] 19N.1.HL.TZ0.16
Two power supplies, one of constant emf 24 V and the other of variable emf
P, are connected to two resistors as shown. Both power supplies have
negligible internal resistances.

What is the magnitude of P for the reading on the ammeter to be zero?

A. Zero

B. 6 V

C. 8 V

D. 18 V [1]
17. [Maximum mark: 1] 20N.1.HL.TZ0.15
A cell of electromotive force (emf ) E and zero internal resistance is in the
circuit shown.

What is correct for loop WXYUW?

A.  E = 3I 1 R − I 3 R

B.  E = I3 R − I2 R

C.  E = I3 R

D.  E = 2I 2 R − I 3 R [1]
18. [Maximum mark: 1] 20N.1.HL.TZ0.16
What is the relationship between the resistivity ρ of a uniform wire, the
radius r of the wire and the length l of the wire when its resistance is
constant?

A.  ρ ∝ r l
2

B.  ρ ∝ rl
2

C.  ρ
l
∝
r2

D.  ρ ∝
r

l
[1]
19. [Maximum mark: 6] 16N.2.SL.TZ0.7
The graph shows how current I varies with potential difference V for a resistor R
and a non-ohmic component T.

(a) (i) State how the resistance of T varies with the current going
through T.

(ii) Deduce, without a numerical calculation, whether R or T has the

greater resistance at I=0.40 A. [3]

(b) Components R and T are placed in a circuit. Both meters are ideal.
Slider Z of the potentiometer is moved from Y to X.

(i) State what happens to the magnitude of the current in the

ammeter.

(ii) Estimate, with an explanation, the voltmeter reading when the [3]
ammeter reads 0.20 A.
20. [Maximum mark: 10] 17M.2.SL.TZ1.4
A heater in an electric shower has a power of 8.5 kW when connected to a 240 V
electrical supply. It is connected to the electrical supply by a copper cable.

The following data are available:

Length of cable = 10 m
Cross-sectional area of cable = 6.0 mm2
Resistivity of copper = 1.7 × 10–8 Ω m

(a.i) Calculate the current in the copper cable. [1]

(a.ii) Calculate the resistance of the cable. [2]

(b) Explain, in terms of electrons, what happens to the resistance of the

cable as the temperature of the cable increases. [3]
(c) The heater changes the temperature of the water by 35 K. The
specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J kg–1 K–1.

Determine the rate at which water flows through the shower. State
an appropriate unit for your answer. [4]
21. [Maximum mark: 9] 17M.2.SL.TZ2.5
A cable consisting of many copper wires is used to transfer electrical energy from
a generator to an electrical load. The copper wires are protected by an insulator.

The cable consists of 32 copper wires each of length 35 km. Each wire has
a resistance of 64 Ω. The resistivity of copper is 1.7 x 10–8 Ω m.

(a) The copper wires and insulator are both exposed to an electric field.
Discuss, with reference to charge carriers, why there is a significant
electric current only in the copper wires. [3]

(b.i) Calculate the radius of each wire. [2]

(b.ii) There is a current of 730 A in the cable. Show that the power loss in 1
m of the cable is about 30 W. [2]

(b.iii) When the current is switched on in the cable the initial rate of rise of
temperature of the cable is 35 mK s–1. The specific heat capacity of
copper is 390 J kg–1 K–1. Determine the mass of a length of one metre
of the cable. [2]
22. [Maximum mark: 8] 17N.2.SL.TZ0.3
Electrical resistors can be made by forming a thin film of carbon on a layer of an
insulating material.

A carbon film resistor is made from a film of width 8.0 mm and of thickness 2.0
μm. The diagram shows the direction of charge flow through the resistor.

(a.i) The resistance of the carbon film is 82 Ω. The resistivity of carbon

is 4.1 x 10–5 Ω m. Calculate the length l of the film. [1]

(a.ii) The film must dissipate a power less than 1500 W from each square
metre of its surface to avoid damage. Calculate the maximum
allowable current for the resistor. [2]
(a.iii) State why knowledge of quantities such as resistivity is useful to
scientists. [1]

(b) The current direction is now changed so that charge flows vertically
through the film.

Deduce, without calculation, the change in the resistance. [2]

(c) Draw a circuit diagram to show how you could measure the
resistance of the carbon-film resistor using a potential divider
arrangement to limit the potential difference across the resistor.
[2]
23. [Maximum mark: 5] 18M.2.SL.TZ1.4
An ohmic conductor is connected to an ideal ammeter and to a power supply of
output voltage V.

The following data are available for the conductor:

                    density of free electrons     = 8.5 × 1022 cm−3

                    resistivity                          ρ = 1.7 × 10−8 Ωm

                    dimensions           w × h × l = 0.020 cm × 0.020 cm × 10 cm.

The ammeter reading is 2.0 A.

(a) Calculate the resistance of the conductor. [2]

(b) Calculate the drift speed v of the electrons in the conductor in cm s–1.
State your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures. [3]
24. [Maximum mark: 6] 18M.2.SL.TZ2.4
The diagram shows a potential divider circuit used to measure the emf E of a cell
X. Both cells have negligible internal resistance.

AB is a wire of uniform cross-section and length 1.0 m. The resistance of wire

AB is 80 Ω. When the length of AC is 0.35 m the current in cell X is zero.

(a) State what is meant by the emf of a cell. [2]

(b.i) Show that the resistance of the wire AC is 28 Ω. [2]

(b.ii) Determine E. [2]

25. [Maximum mark: 6] 18N.2.SL.TZ0.2
A lighting system consists of two long metal rods with a potential difference
maintained between them. Identical lamps can be connected between the rods
as required.

The following data are available for the lamps when at their working
temperature.

Lamp specifications                      24 V, 5.0 W

Power supply emf                         24 V

Power supply maximum current   8.0 A

Length of each rod                       12.5 m

Resistivity of rod metal                 7.2 × 10–7 Ω m

(a) Each rod is to have a resistance no greater than 0.10 Ω. Calculate, in

m, the minimum radius of each rod. Give your answer to an
appropriate number of significant figures. [3]
(b) Calculate the maximum number of lamps that can be connected
between the rods. Neglect the resistance of the rods. [2]

(c) One advantage of this system is that if one lamp fails then the other
lamps in the circuit remain lit. Outline one other electrical advantage
of this system compared to one in which the lamps are connected in
series. [1]
26. [Maximum mark: 2] 17M.2.HL.TZ1.4
A heater in an electric shower has a power of 8.5 kW when connected to a 240 V
electrical supply. It is connected to the electrical supply by a copper cable.

The following data are available:

Length of cable = 10 m
Cross-sectional area of cable = 6.0 mm2
Resistivity of copper = 1.7 × 10–8 Ω m

(a.iii) Calculate the power dissipated in the cable. [2]

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