The National Grid ensures that the supply of electricity always meets the demand of the consumers - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 3 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 3
The National Grid ensures that the supply of electricity always meets the demand of the consumers.
Figure 2 shows how the output from fossil fuel power stations in ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The National Grid ensures that the supply of electricity always meets the demand of the consumers - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 3 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Suggest one reason for the shape of the graph between 15.00 and 18.00 on Monday.
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Answer
Between 15.00 and 18.00, the graph shows an increase in power output. This is likely due to higher demand as people return home from work, leading to more electrical appliances being used at that time.
Step 2
Suggest one time on Figure 2 when the demand for electricity was low.
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Answer
The demand for electricity was low around 00.00, as indicated by the lower power output in the graph.
Step 3
Suggest two reasons why fossil fuel power stations in the UK only produce about 33% of the total electricity they could produce when operating at a maximum output.
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Answer
Fossil fuel stations are designed to conserve fuel reserves, ensuring that they have enough fuel for peak demand times.
They provide spare capacity to compensate for unreliable renewable resources, allowing for a stable electricity supply even when renewable sources are not producing sufficient power.