Lesson T1.3.2

T1.3.2 Describing energy changes in systems Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T1.3.2, Describing energy changes in systems: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 1: Energy, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. When describing a change in a system, what should you compare?

    • The starting and final conditions of the system
    • Only the final temperature reached by the objects at the very end of the change
    • Only the mass of the objects involved, since mass is the main thing that changes
    • The colour and shape of the objects, since these show how the energy has changed

  2. A hot bath cools down. Which energy store decreases?

    • Kinetic energy store of the water
    • Thermal energy store of the water
    • Gravitational potential store of the bath
    • Elastic potential store of the bath

  3. A ball is thrown upwards. Compared with its start, which description is correct at the top of its path?

    • Both kinetic and gravitational stores increase
    • Both kinetic and gravitational stores decrease
    • Kinetic store increases and gravitational store decreases
    • Kinetic store decreases and gravitational potential store increases

  4. A spring is squashed by a toy car pushing against it. Which store increases?

    • Nuclear energy store, which is filled by the reaction inside the toy motor
    • Elastic potential energy store
    • Chemical energy store, which is filled as the toy car's battery charges
    • Thermal energy store, which rises as the spring rubs against its casing

  5. A battery-powered toy car speeds up. Which store decreases?

    • Gravitational potential store of the car
    • Elastic potential store of the wheels
    • Chemical energy store of the battery
    • Kinetic energy store of the car

  6. Why is it useful to describe the intermediate processes in an energy change?

    • They replace the need for energy calculations with simple descriptions
    • They make the energy values disappear, so there is nothing left to count
    • They show the mass of each store, which is what the calculations need
    • They explain how energy moves between stores, such as by forces or heating

  7. A car rolls down a slope and comes to rest on flat ground because of friction. What is the overall change?

    • Thermal store decreases and kinetic store increases
    • Chemical store increases and kinetic store decreases
    • Gravitational potential store decreases and thermal stores increase
    • Gravitational potential store increases and kinetic store decreases

  8. A pan of water is heated on a stove until it boils. Which store increases the most?

    • Kinetic energy store of the water
    • Gravitational potential store of the pan
    • Elastic potential store of the pan
    • Thermal energy store of the water

  9. A stretched elastic band is released and flies across a room. Which describes the energy changes?

    • Thermal store decreases while kinetic store increases as the band is stretched further back
    • Elastic and kinetic stores both decrease as the band flies across the room and slows
    • Kinetic store decreases while elastic store increases as the band speeds up across the room
    • Elastic store decreases, kinetic store increases, then thermal stores increase through air resistance

  10. An object slides down a slope and stops on a flat surface. Which process explains the energy change on the flat surface?

    • Gravity transfers energy into an elastic store in the flat surface below
    • Air pressure converts kinetic energy into chemical energy in the object
    • Magnetism stores the energy in a chemical store within the surface itself
    • Friction transfers kinetic energy into the thermal stores of the object and surface

  11. A microwave heats a bowl of soup. Which store of the soup increases?

    • Gravitational potential energy store
    • Kinetic energy store
    • Thermal energy store
    • Elastic potential energy store

  12. A child is on a swing. At the bottom of the swing, which store is largest?

    • Gravitational potential energy store
    • Elastic potential energy store
    • Thermal energy store of the child
    • Kinetic energy store

  13. A hot metal ball is dropped into cold water. Which store decreases the most overall?

    • Gravitational potential store of the water
    • Kinetic energy store of the water
    • Thermal energy store of the metal ball
    • Elastic potential store of the ball

  14. A cyclist brakes to a stop on a flat road. Which description is correct?

    • Chemical store increases and elastic store decreases as the tyres are squashed
    • Kinetic store increases and thermal store decreases as the brakes are applied
    • Kinetic store decreases and thermal stores of the brakes, tyres and road increase
    • Gravitational store decreases and kinetic store increases as the cyclist slows

  15. A candle burns. Which store decreases?

    • Gravitational potential store of the candle
    • Nuclear energy store of the flame
    • Chemical energy store of the wax
    • Kinetic energy store of the air

  16. A 10 kg object falls from a height of 5 m. What change happens to its gravitational potential store?

    • A decrease of 50 J
    • A decrease of 500 J
    • An increase of 500 J
    • A decrease of 5000 J

  17. A hot object touches a cold object. Which intermediate process explains the change?

    • Kinetic energy transfers by friction between the two objects as they touch
    • Chemical energy is created in the cold object as its temperature rises
    • Thermal energy transfers by conduction from the hot object to the cold one
    • Elastic energy is absorbed by the hot object as it cools down in contact

  18. Which store decreases as a car accelerates from rest?

    • Kinetic energy store of the car
    • Gravitational potential store of the car
    • Elastic potential store of the tyres
    • Chemical energy store of the fuel

  19. A stone is dropped from a bridge into a river. Which description is correct?

    • All stores stay the same during the fall because the total energy is conserved at every point in the journey
    • Gravitational store increases and kinetic store decreases as the stone falls towards the water below the bridge
    • Kinetic store increases and thermal store decreases as the stone hits the water and the river cools down quickly
    • Gravitational store decreases, kinetic store increases, then thermal stores of the water increase on impact

  20. In a system, what does an increase in the thermal energy store of the surroundings tell you?

    • Energy has been transferred from the system to the surroundings
    • Energy has been created in the surroundings, which warms them up from within
    • Energy has been destroyed in the surroundings, which is why they warm up
    • The system has gained energy from nowhere, so the total energy has increased

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