ENERGY STORES AND TRANSFERS

1 A tennis ball is dropped from rest one metre above the ground.

Which of the following rows describes how its gravitational potential energy and its
kinetic energy change as it falls towards the ground?
(1)

Gravitational potential energy Kinetic energy

X A Increases Increases

X B Increases Decreases

X C Decreases Increases

X D Decreases Decreases

2 Sam kicks a football vertically upwards. It reaches a maximum height (above his foot)
of 5 metres, as shown below.

At what velocity did the ball leave Sam’s foot? You may neglect the effects of air
resistance in answering this question, and take g = 10 N/kg.
(1)

X A 5 m/s

X B 25 m/s

X C 10 m/s

X D 100 m/s

X E Impossible to calculate

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ENERGY STORES AND TRANSFERS

3 A group of friends is doing some archery.

When Brian fully stretches the bow, it stores 10 J of energy.

(a) Describe the energy transfer that occurs as Brian stretches the bow.
(2)

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

(b) When Brian releases the bow, an arrow of mass 50 g is projected horizontally
towards the target.

Show that the arrow leaves the bow at a speed of 20 m/s.

(2)

(c) By using a slow-motion video system, Daniela measures the speed of the
arrow as it strikes the target to be approximately 18 m/s.

Calculate the decrease in the kinetic energy of the arrow as it travelled

between Brian and the target.
(3)

Decrease in kinetic energy = ................ J

(d) Explain why the speed at which the arrow struck the target was lower than the
speed at which it left the bow.
(2)

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

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ENERGY STORES AND TRANSFERS

4 A proton in the Large Hadron Collider has approximately 1 µJ (one microjoule) of energy.
How many joules of energy is this equal to?
(1)

-9
X A 10

X B 0.00001
-6
X C 10

X D 0.001

X E 0.1
3
X F 10
6
X G 10

5 A student connects the following circuit:

Which of the following rows correctly describes how the chemical energy store of the
cell and the thermal energy store of the bulb will change when the switch in the circuit is
closed?
(1)

Chemical energy store of cell Thermal energy store of bulb

X A Increases Increases
X B Increases Decreases

X C Decreases Increases

X D Decreases Decreases

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ENERGY STORES AND TRANSFERS

6 An empty rollercoaster car of mass 200 kg is travelling horizontally at a speed of 5 m/s

as it approaches a downwards section in the track, as shown below

(a) Calculate the initial kinetic energy of the car.

(2)

Kinetic energy = ................ J

(b) Calculate the amount of gravitational potential energy lost by the car as it
completes the downwards section of track. Take g = 10 N/kg.
(2)

Loss in gravitational potential energy = ................ J

(c) Hence, assuming the rollercoaster car to be a closed system, calculate its
speed at the bottom of the hill.
(3)

Speed at bottom of hill = ................ m/s

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