Practise 21 real questions on Energy from 2021 to 2026. See the answer and explanation as soon as you answer.
Energy is one of the 14 main topics in our O Level Physics (Cambridge (CAIE) 5054) question bank, and about 3% of its real questions come from it. Tayyari Karo has 21 real questions on this topic from 2021 to 2026, from Paper 1, Paper 2; 15 are multiple choice and marked instantly, and the rest are structured questions with a model answer. By difficulty: 15 medium, 6 easy.
Work through the questions below, then open the explanation for each one. Redo the ones you missed a few days later.
These are real past-paper questions. Think of your answer first, then open the explanation.
A microwave oven has an efficiency of 60%. The useful power output of the microwave oven is 800 W.
What is the total power input to the microwave oven?
Answer: C. 1300 W
Efficiency = useful output ÷ total input, so input = 800 ÷ 0.60 = 1333 W, about 1300 W.
A student of mass 60 kg climbs some steps, travelling a horizontal distance of 2.0 m and a vertical distance of 1.5 m. What is the work done against the force of gravity?
Answer: C. 880 J
Work done against gravity = mgh = 60 × 9.8 × 1.5 = 882 J ≈ 880 J; the horizontal distance does not contribute.
As a cyclist uses the brakes on a bicycle, energy is transferred from the kinetic store to the thermal store.
What causes the transfer of energy?
Answer: A. friction
Friction between the brake pads and the wheel converts kinetic energy into thermal (heat) energy.
A wind-up radio is used in areas where mains electricity is not available. A person winds a spring in the radio using a handle. When the spring unwinds, it makes a small coil rotate in a magnetic field.
Which energy transfer is not useful for this radio?
Answer: B. kinetic energy → thermal energy
Kinetic energy converted to thermal energy through friction in the winding mechanism is wasted energy, not a useful transfer for the radio's operation.
A candle is burning.
Which energy store is associated with the burning candle?
Answer: A. chemical
Burning is a chemical reaction between the wax and oxygen, so the energy released comes from the chemical store of the fuel.
A stone falls at terminal velocity in air.
What is equal to the change in gravitational potential energy of the stone?
Answer: D. the thermal energy produced
At terminal velocity the stone's speed, and so its kinetic energy, stays constant, so all of the gravitational potential energy lost is transferred by friction with the air into thermal energy.
Work is done to transfer energy between energy stores as the ball moves from A to B. Name the force involved in the work done and describe the energy transfer.
Force: gravity (the weight of the ball). Energy transfer: energy is transferred from the gravitational potential energy store to the kinetic energy store of the ball as it falls from A to B.
As the ball descends, its height (and so its gravitational potential energy) decreases while its speed (and so its kinetic energy) increases; the force doing this work is the ball's weight.
| Session | Paper 1 | Paper 2 |
|---|---|---|
| May/June 2026 | 1 | 1 |
| Oct/Nov 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| May/June 2024 | 3 | 1 |
| Oct/Nov 2024 | 4 | 1 |
| May/June 2023 | 1 | – |
| Oct/Nov 2023 | 2 | – |
| May/June 2022 | 2 | 1 |
| Oct/Nov 2022 | – | 1 |
| May/June 2021 | 1 | – |
21 real O Level Physics (5054) questions on Energy from 2021 to 2026, from Paper 1, Paper 2. Each one shows the year, session and paper it came from.
Yes. Every question shows the correct answer and a short explanation the moment you answer.
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