Home / iGCSE Physics (0625) 4.4 Electrical safety Paper 3 -Exam Style Questions- New Syllabus

iGCSE Physics (0625) 4.4 Electrical safety Paper 3 -Exam Style Questions- New Syllabus

Question

(a) Fig. 8.1 shows an arrangement for transmitting electricity generated by a power station.
The step-up transformer has 500 turns on the primary coil.
Calculate the number of turns on the secondary coil of the step-up transformer. Use the information given in Fig. 8.1.
(b) State two benefits of using high voltages for transmitting electricity.

Most-appropriate topic codes (Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625):

• Topic 4.5 — Electromagnetic effects (Parts (a), (b))

▶️ Answer/Explanation

(a)
For the correct answer:
7200

To find the secondary turns, we apply the transformer ratio formula: V s ​ V p ​ ​ = N s ​ N p ​ ​ . From the diagram, the primary voltage V p ​ is 25 kV and the secondary voltage V s ​ is 360 kV. Substituting the known values (N p ​ =500) into the rearranged formula N s ​ =N p ​ ×( V p ​ V s ​ ​ ) gives 500×( 25 360 ​ ), resulting in 7200 turns on the secondary coil.

(b)
For the correct answer:
Reduced power loss AND improved efficiency

Transmitting electricity at high voltages significantly reduces the current flowing through the cables for a given power level (P=IV). Since power loss in transmission lines is proportional to the square of the current (P=I 2 R), a lower current minimizes heat dissipation in the wires. This makes the overall distribution system much more efficient and cost-effective over long distances.

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