an electrical property; it can either be positive or negative

a circuit with separate branches connected to the battery

the invisible field around a charged object that causes other charges to experience a force

the voltage or a measure of the ‘push’ on electrons in a circuit

a measure of the amount of charge passing a given point in one second

Adding components to a parallel circuit

Combined science

Moving electric charge

Linking current, potential difference and resistance

Resistance of a wire at a constant temperature

Analysing series circuits: including complex calculations

Analysing parallel circuits: including complex calculations

In the Circuit components unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn how the resistance of filament lamps and diodes change with current and about the properties and applications of light dependent resistors and thermistors.

In the Resistance and parallel circuits unit, pupils learnt about electrical resistance and parallel electric circuits.

This unit covers static electricity, electric fields, and current flow in series and parallel circuits. It explains current, resistance, and potential difference relationships and explores diodes, thermistors, and LDRs. The focus is on calculations, experiments, and accurate measurements.

Electric fields and circuit calculations

Physical activity and equipment requiring safe use

The p.d. is higher across branches with lower resistance.

The p.d. is higher across branches with higher resistance.

The sum of p.d.s across all the components equals the p.d. across the battery.

The circuit diagram shows a circuit with parallel branches. The branches have different resistances. Which of the following statements is correct?

The current is the same in each branch of the circuit.

The current in the battery equals the sum of the currents in the branches.

The current in the battery equals the average of the currents in the branches.

The resistance of the whole circuit increases.

The potential difference across the branch increases.

A parallel circuit has two branches. A resistor is added to one of the branches. Which of the following statements is correct?

A new branch, containing components, is added to a parallel circuit. Which of the following statements are correct?

The brightness of the first lamp does not change.

A series circuit contains a battery and one lamp. A second, identical lamp is added, in parallel with the first lamp. Which of the following statements is correct?

The battery lasts for the same length of time.

A series circuit contains a battery and one lamp.
A second, identical lamp is added, in parallel with the first lamp. Which of the following statements is correct?

Electric current at a point in a circuit is the amount of charge passing that point…

P.d. is a shorter way of writing the electrical quantity {{}}.

There is an electric field around a battery.

The ends of a battery have opposite electric charges.

Two or more batteries connected in series are called a cell.

Which of the following statements about batteries are correct?

A cell has a fixed current but not a fixed p.d.

A cell has a fixed p.d. but not a fixed current.

A cell has both a fixed current and a fixed p.d.

A cell has neither a fixed current nor a fixed p.d.

Which of the following statements is correct?

A cell and a lamp are connected in series. A second, identical lamp is then connected in series with the first lamp. Which of the following statements describes what happens to the first lamp?

The current is the same in every resistor.

The current is different in each resistor.

The p.d. is the same across every resistor.

The p.d. is different across each resistor.

A series circuit contains a battery and three different resistors. Which of the following statements about the circuit are correct?

Adding components to a parallel circuit

Lesson outcome

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