AQA AS PHYSICS 7407/1 PAPER 1 2026
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT SCRIPT
SOLVED QUESTIONS ANSWERS UPDATED
REVIEW SET
◉ Tidal Power
Answer: Renewable
Reliable
Doesn't cause acid rain
Doesn't cause global warming
No pollution
Free - initial costs are moderately high
Spoils the view
Alters the habitats of wildlife
◉ Bio-fuels
Answer: Renewable
Reliable
Doesn't cause acid rain
Carbon neutral
Free
,Can cause global warming
Loss of natural habitat from destruction of forests
Cannot respond to immediate energy demands
◉ Nuclear Power (Uranium or Plutonium)
Answer: Doesn't cause acid rain
Doesn't cause global warming
Reliable currently - finite
Non-renewable
High decommissioning costs
Produces radioactive waste - no other pollution
Nuclear waste is dangerous and hard to dispose of
◉ Investigating Specific Heat Capacities - Method
Answer: 1) Measure the mass of a block with two holes in it, then
wrap it in an insulating layer (e.g. newspaper) to reduce the energy
transferred from the block to the surroundings. Insert the
thermometer into one hole and the heater into another
2) Measure the initial temperature of the block & set the potential
difference of the power supply to be 10V. Turn on the power supply
& start a stopwatch
3) When you turn on the power, the current in the circuit does work
on the heater, transferring energy electrically from the power supply
to the heater's thermal energy stores - this energy is then
,transferred to the material's thermal energy store by heating,
causing its temperature to increase
4) As the block heats up, take readings of the temperature and
current every minute for 10 minutes - the current shouldn't change
5) Turn off the power supply. Use the measurements of the current
& the p.d. to calculate the power supplied to the heater, thus
calculating how much energy has been transferred to the heater at
the time of each temperature reading
6) If you assume all the energy supplied to the heater has been
transferred to the block, you can plot a graph of energy transferred
to the thermal energy store of the block against temperature
◉ Investigating the Effectiveness of Materials as Thermal Insulators
- Method
Answer: 1) Boil water in a kettle. Pour some of the water into a
sealable container to a safe level. Measure the mass of water in the
container
2) Use a thermometer to measure the initial temperature of the
water
3) Seal the container & leave it for 5 minutes. Measure this time
using a stopwatch
4) Remove the lid & measure the final temperature of the water
5) Pour away the water & allow the container to cool to room
temperature
, 6) Repeat this experiment, but wrap the container in a different
material once it has been sealed. Ensure the mass of water is the
same and so is the initial temperature each time
◉ What is a closed system?
Answer: A system where neither matter nor energy can enter or
leave
◉ Why did electricity use in the 20th century increase?
Answer: 1) The population grew
2) People began to use electricity for more & more things
◉ Why did electricity use in the 21st century decrease?
Answer: 1) Appliances are becoming more efficient
2) We're more careful with energy use in our homes
◉ Why are we trying to increase our use of renewable energy
resources?
Answer: 1) Burning fossil fuels is damaging to the environment
2) Non-renewables will run out one day
3) Pressure from other countries & the public has led to targets
being set e.g the UK aims to use renewable resources to provide
15% of the total yearly energy by 2020
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT SCRIPT
SOLVED QUESTIONS ANSWERS UPDATED
REVIEW SET
◉ Tidal Power
Answer: Renewable
Reliable
Doesn't cause acid rain
Doesn't cause global warming
No pollution
Free - initial costs are moderately high
Spoils the view
Alters the habitats of wildlife
◉ Bio-fuels
Answer: Renewable
Reliable
Doesn't cause acid rain
Carbon neutral
Free
,Can cause global warming
Loss of natural habitat from destruction of forests
Cannot respond to immediate energy demands
◉ Nuclear Power (Uranium or Plutonium)
Answer: Doesn't cause acid rain
Doesn't cause global warming
Reliable currently - finite
Non-renewable
High decommissioning costs
Produces radioactive waste - no other pollution
Nuclear waste is dangerous and hard to dispose of
◉ Investigating Specific Heat Capacities - Method
Answer: 1) Measure the mass of a block with two holes in it, then
wrap it in an insulating layer (e.g. newspaper) to reduce the energy
transferred from the block to the surroundings. Insert the
thermometer into one hole and the heater into another
2) Measure the initial temperature of the block & set the potential
difference of the power supply to be 10V. Turn on the power supply
& start a stopwatch
3) When you turn on the power, the current in the circuit does work
on the heater, transferring energy electrically from the power supply
to the heater's thermal energy stores - this energy is then
,transferred to the material's thermal energy store by heating,
causing its temperature to increase
4) As the block heats up, take readings of the temperature and
current every minute for 10 minutes - the current shouldn't change
5) Turn off the power supply. Use the measurements of the current
& the p.d. to calculate the power supplied to the heater, thus
calculating how much energy has been transferred to the heater at
the time of each temperature reading
6) If you assume all the energy supplied to the heater has been
transferred to the block, you can plot a graph of energy transferred
to the thermal energy store of the block against temperature
◉ Investigating the Effectiveness of Materials as Thermal Insulators
- Method
Answer: 1) Boil water in a kettle. Pour some of the water into a
sealable container to a safe level. Measure the mass of water in the
container
2) Use a thermometer to measure the initial temperature of the
water
3) Seal the container & leave it for 5 minutes. Measure this time
using a stopwatch
4) Remove the lid & measure the final temperature of the water
5) Pour away the water & allow the container to cool to room
temperature
, 6) Repeat this experiment, but wrap the container in a different
material once it has been sealed. Ensure the mass of water is the
same and so is the initial temperature each time
◉ What is a closed system?
Answer: A system where neither matter nor energy can enter or
leave
◉ Why did electricity use in the 20th century increase?
Answer: 1) The population grew
2) People began to use electricity for more & more things
◉ Why did electricity use in the 21st century decrease?
Answer: 1) Appliances are becoming more efficient
2) We're more careful with energy use in our homes
◉ Why are we trying to increase our use of renewable energy
resources?
Answer: 1) Burning fossil fuels is damaging to the environment
2) Non-renewables will run out one day
3) Pressure from other countries & the public has led to targets
being set e.g the UK aims to use renewable resources to provide
15% of the total yearly energy by 2020
