Content Benchmark P.12.C.6
Students know electricity is transferred from generating sources for consumption and practical
uses. I/S
Sample Test Questions
1st Item Specification: Describe various methods for generating electricity.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which of the following correctly describes how water is used to generate electricity?
A. Moving water turns a turbine which turns a generator.
B. A turbine moves water which turns a generator.
C. A generator moves water to turn a turbine.
D. Still water enters a turbine which turns a generator.
2. Which of the following is NOT a method for generating electricity?
A. Creating a chemical reaction.
B. Wires moving relative to a magnetic field.
C. Sunlight on a photovoltaic cell.
D. Pumping water from a reservoir to a field.
3. Use the diagram of a waterfall to answer the question below.
1
2
3
4
Where would placing a generator produce the largest amount of energy?
A. Arrow 1
B. Arrow 2
C. Arrow 3
D. Arrow 4
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
4. Which of the following describes how a dam creates electricity?
A. Water is heated up and creates steam to turn the generator to create electricity.
B. Gravitational potential energy transfers to kinetic energy which turns a generator.
C. Electrons are removed from the water as it passes and creates electricity.
D. Water flows over wires in the dam which creates current from the water.
5. How does natural gas create electricity?
A. Chemical reactions within the gas transfers directly into electricity.
B. Electrons from the bonds within the gas are transferred through wires which creates
electricity.
C. Chemical reactions within the gas transfers into thermal energy which creates steam
to turn the turbine.
D. Electrons are stored in batteries transfers directly into the electricity.
2nd Item Specification: Identify the processes by which various forms of energy (e.g.,
chemical, mechanical, and electromagnetic) are converted to electricity.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
6. An electrical load is generally used to
A. Generate a voltage to create charges that will be used in the circuit.
B. Transform electrical energy in the circuit to a useful form.
C. Control the direction of the electrical current within the circuit.
D. Provide an electromotive force that resists charge in the circuit.
7. What role do electrical generators or batteries have in circuits?
A. They are the source of potential energy in a circuit.
B. They are the source of electrons that moves through the circuit.
C. They control how hard it is for the electricity to pass through a circuit.
D. They regulate the electrical current by storing then releasing charge.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
8. Which of the following BEST describes how chemical energy is converted into electrical
energy?
A. Coal is burned which creates heat which is then used to ionize electrons.
B. Coal is crushed and then directly used to create electrical current.
C. Coal is burned which creates steam which then causes a turbine generator to turn.
D. Coal is melted and then is used to turn a turbine used for electricity.
9. Which of the following BEST explains how electromagnetic energy is converted to electrical
energy?
A. Photons from the Sun hit the photovoltaic cell and create voltage via the photoelectric
effect.
B. Electromagnetic waves heat up the photovoltaic cell which frees electrons to move
through the wires.
C. Electromagnetic waves from the Sun create a chemical reaction within the
photovoltaic cell and then used to create steam.
D. Vibrations from the electromagnetic waves cause electricity to flow through the wires
as alternating current.
3rd Item Specification: Use a diagram to trace the transfer of electricity from generating
sources to end uses by consumers.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
10. What function does a circuit serve in your home?
A. It protects your home against lightning strikes
B. It increases the voltage from the power lines outside your house.
C. It provides a complete path through which electrical energy can flow.
D. It provides a barrier against electromagnetic radiation from the outside.
11. What type of electrical current is most commonly used to transfer electrical energy from
commercial electrical generating stations to your home?
A. Intermittent current
B. Impulse current
C. Direct current
D. Alternating current
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
12. In an electrical circuit,
A. energy in the form of an electric signal moves very rapidly through the circuit, but
electrons move relatively slowly.
B. electrons move from the generator or battery through circuit at nearly the speed of
light.
C. electrons jump from atom to atom in the wire very rapidly to create a voltage.
D. electrons are created in the generator or battery and converted to energy in the
electrical load.
13. In an alternating current (AC) circuit,
A. voltages can be easily increased and decreased within the circuit allowing for lower
energy losses during transmission.
B. voltages change direction several times a second to generate electrical charge more
rapidly.
C. rapid current changes regulate the ease at which electricity passes through the circuit.
D. current most often is high to prevent energy losses during transmission, but can be
low to decrease the voltage in the circuit.
Content Benchmark P.12.C.6
Students know electricity is transferred from generating sources for consumption and practical
uses. I/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. A, DOK Level 1
2. D, DOK Level 1
3. D, DOK Level 1
4. B, DOK Level 2
5. C, DOK Level 2
6. B, DOK Level 1
7. A, DOK Level 1
8. C, DOK Level 2
9. A, DOK Level 2
10. C, DOK Level 1
11. D, DOK Level 1
12. A, DOK Level 2
13. A, DOK Level 2