An aerospace lightning-diversion system uses a sacrificial thermal link as a protective safety mechanism. The link is designed to absorb energy and melt rapidly when a critical electrical surge occurs.
State the equation that links charge flow (QQQ), current (III), and time (ttt).
During a test simulation, the sacrificial link melts when a transient charge of 2.52 C flows through the circuit over a duration of 0.70 s. Calculate the average current flowing through the link during this interval.
The active metal component of the sacrificial link has a mass of 0.0034 kg and a specific latent heat of fusion of 105 000 J/kg105\,000\text{ J/kg}105000 J/kg. Calculate the energy required to completely melt this metal component at its melting point, using the equation:
E=m×L E = m \times L E=m×L37 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Physics 3.2 Internal energy and energy transfers, covering 3.2.1 Internal energy, 3.2.2 Temperature changes in a system and specific heat capacity, and 3.2.3 Changes of state and specific latent heat. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.