NATIONAL CERTIFICATE

ELECTROTECHNICS N4
(8080074)

25 March 2025 (X-paper)

09:00–12:00

Drawing instruments and non-programmable calculators may be used

This question paper consists of 5 pages and a formula sheet of 3 pages.

014Q1A2525
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DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE
ELECTROTECHNICS N4
TIME: 3 HOURS
MARKS: 100

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1. Answer all the questions.

2. Read all the questions carefully.

3. Number the answers according to the numbering system used in this question paper.

4. Questions may be answered in any order but subsections of questions must NOT
be separated.

5. Use only a black or blue pen.

6. Write neatly and legibly.

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QUESTION 1: PRINCIPLES OF ELECTRICITY

1.1 Define the following terms: 

1.1.1 Atom

1.1.2 Ampere

1.1.3 Resistance

1.1.4 Potential difference

1.1.5 Temperature coefficient of resistance

(2 × 5) (10)

1.2 A load, situated 100 m away from its supply, draws 20 A from a 240 V supply.
The maximum permissible voltage drops between the point of supply and the
load must not exceed 5% of the supply voltage. Calculate the diameter of the
conductor that must be used if the resistivity is 0,028 µΩ m.

HINT: There are two conductors between the supply and the load. (8)

1.3 A generator of EMF 120 V with an internal resistance of 0,4 Ω is connected in

parallel to a battery that has an EMF of 60 V with an internal resistance of

 0,2 Ω. This combination is used to supply the load that has a resistance of
20 Ω. Use Kirchhoff’s laws to determine the voltage drop across the load. (12)
[30]

QUESTION 2: DC MACHINES

2.1 What do you understand by the term commutation? (2)

2.2 State THREE reasons why a self-excited generator will fail to excite. (3)

2.3 A shunt-excited machine is connected to 240 V supply. The machine has six
poles and the flux per pole is 50 mWb. The resistance of the shunt winding is
30 Ω and the resistance of the armature is 0,1 Ω. The armature winding has
850 conductors that are lap-connected.

Calculate:

2.3.1 The speed of the machine when it supplies 50 A to the load (6)

2.3.2 The speed of the machine when it draws 50 A from the supply (5)

2.4 The armature resistance of a 230 V DC motor is 0,5 Ω. The safe value for
starting current is 25 A.


Determine the starting resistance. (4)
[20]

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QUESTION 3: AC THEORY

3.1 Name THREE types of power found in an AC circuit.

 (3)

3.2 Industrial consumers use power factor correction to keep their cost down.
Name THREE methods used to correct the power factor. (3)

3.3 A 240 V, 12,5 Kw, single-phase induction motor operates at a full-load

efficiency of 88%. Calculate the following for a power factor of 0,75 lagging:

3.3.1 The current drawn from the supply (2)

3.3.2 The active and reactive components of the current (3)

3.3.3 The apparent power and reactive power of the motor (2)

3.4 A circuit is connected to a 240 V, 50 Hz supply and it is operating at a leading

power factor. The circuit has a coil with a resistance of 12 Ω and an inductive
reactance of 27 Ω connected in series to a variable capacitor.

 Determine the capacitance of the capacitor when the circuit is drawing a power
factor of 1,3 Kw from the supply. (7)
[20]

QUESTION 4: TRANSFORMERS

4.1 Name the FOUR basic parts of an oil-immersed air-cooled transformer. (4)

4.2 The no-load current of a 8 880/400 V single-phase transformer is 10 A at a

power factor of 0,1. The primary winding has 40 turns and the supply frequency
is 50 Hz.

Calculate:

4.2.1 The maximum value of the flux in the core (2)


4.2.2 The value of the magnetizing current (4)
[10]

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QUESTION 5: AC MACHINES

FIGURE 1 below is the construction of a three-phase induction motor. Name all the parts

labelled from A to J. [10]

FIGURE 1

QUESTION 6: GENERATION AND SUPPLY OF AC POWER AND MEASURING

INSTRUMENTS

6.1 South Africa has several types of power stations, each with advantages and
disadvantages. Below are disadvantages of each. Give the type of the power
station described below, e.g. 6.1.6 Geothermal power station

 6.1.1 It’s always leaves behind harmful byproducts upon combustion, which
cause a lot of pollution and contribute to global warming.

6.1.2 Local thermal pollution from wastewater affects marine life.

6.1.3 In some cases, its turbines might fail to produce electricity at all.

6.1.4 They are very expensive to build and need a lot of maintenance.

6.1.5 These plants depend on the weather in order to generate electricity.

(1 × 5) (5)

6.2 A galvanometer with an internal resistance of 200 Ω gives full-scale deflection

when 20 mA flows through the meter. Calculate the values of the following:

6.2.1 A shunt resistor that needs to be used with the meter so that it will be
able to measure a current of 10 A. (3)

6.2.2 A series resistor that needs to be used with the meter so that the meter
can be used as a voltmeter to measure a voltage of 100 V. (2)
[10]

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 TOTAL: 100
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ELECTROTECHNICS N4

FORMULA SHEET

Any applicable formula may also be used.

1. PRINCIPLES OF ELECTRICITY

1. E V  I r 2. V  IR

3. RT  Rse  R1  R2  R3  ...Rn 4. 1 1 1 1 1 1
     ...
RT Rp R1 R2 R3 Rn

5. V2 6. P0
P  V I  I 2R    100
R Pin

7.
R
l 8. d2
A
A 4

9. R1 1   0T1 10. Rt  R [1   (t   )]

R2 1   0T2

11. 𝑅2 𝑥 𝑅3 12. 𝑅2
𝑅𝑇 = 𝑅1 + 𝐼𝑆𝐶 = 𝐼𝑁 = [ ]𝐼
𝑅2 + 𝑅3 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 𝑇

13. 𝑅1 𝑥 𝑅2 14. 𝑅𝑁
𝑅𝑆𝐶 = 𝑅𝑁 = 𝑅3 + 𝐼𝐿 = [ ]𝐼
𝑅1 + 𝑅2 𝑅𝑁 + 𝑅2 𝑁

15. mmf IN 16. IN

  H
S S l

17. F  BlI 18. E  Blv

19.  20. 
B E .N
a t

21. LI 22. 

E L .N
t l

23. Q  VC 24. Q
V
C

25. Qse  Q1  Q2  Q3...  Qn 26. Qp  Q1  Q2  ...Qn

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27. 1 28. C p  C1  C2  ...Cn

Cse 
1 1 1
  ...
C1 C2 Cn

2. DIRECT CURRENT MACHINES

29. 2ZNp 30. E  kN

E
60c

31. c  2a 32. I
E  I sh Rsh  L
t

33. (V  E ) 34. V
Rstart   Ra I astart 
Ia Ra  Rstart

35. Egen  V  I a Ra 36. Emot  V  I a Ra

3. ALTERNATING CURRENT THEORY

37. Em  2 BANn 38. e  Em sin(2 f .t.57,3)0

39. Erms orI rms  0,707EmorI m 40. EaveorI ave  0,637I morI m

41. 1 42. Np
T f 
f 60

43.   2 f 44. Z  R2  X 2

45. R 46. X
cos   tan  
Z R

47. Z L  R  j L 48. 1
ZC  R  j
C

49. P  V I Cos  I 2 R 50.

pf  Cos 
R
Z

51. S V I 52. Q  V I Sin

4. TRANSFORMERS

53. E  4, 44 f m N 54. N1 V1 E1 I 2
kt    
N 2 V2 E2 I1

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5. ALTERNATING CURRENT MACHINES

55. 𝑓 56. 𝑁𝑠 − 𝑁𝑟
Ns = 𝑠=
𝑝 𝑁𝑠

7. MEASURING INSTRUMENTS

57. I m Rm 58. V
Rsh  Rx   Ra
I sh I

59. Vt 60. V
Rse   Rm Rx 
It I  Iv

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