Name: …………………………………………...……
Date: ………………………
GCSE Physics
Progress Check
Electrical circuits
‘H’
Maximum Marks: 30
Time Allowed: 35
minutes
Question
Marks
available
1
2
3
4
12
7
6
5
Total
Strengths
Improvements
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Response
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Q1.
(a)
Complete the sentence below to name the instrument used to measure electrical
current.
The instrument used to measure electrical current is called ___________________
(1)
(b)
In the diagram below each box contains an electrical component or a circuit symbol.
Draw straight lines to link each electrical component to its circuit symbol. The first
one has been done for you.
(4)
(Total 5 marks)
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Q2.
Components can be connected in electrical circuits in different ways.
(a)
Draw one line from each circuit symbol to the name of the component it represents.
Circuit symbol
Name of
component
cell
diode
fuse
lamp
variable resistor
(2)
(b)
Complete the sentence.
Choose the answer from the box.
charge
energy
potential difference
resistance
Electric current is the rate of flow of ____________________.
(1)
Figure 1 shows a parallel circuit.
Figure 1
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(c)
Calculate the current measured by ammeter A2.
Current = ____________________ A
(1)
(d)
The circuit is connected for 300 s
The total current in the circuit stays at 0.56 A
Calculate the total charge flow.
Use the equation:
charge flow = current × time
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Charge flow = ____________________ C
(2)
(e)
The potential difference supplied by the battery is 4.5 V
Calculate the total energy transferred in 300 s
Use the equation:
energy transferred = charge flow × potential difference
Use your answer to part (d).
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Energy transferred = ____________________ J
(2)
(f)
Figure 2 shows a series circuit.
Figure 2
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Resistor R2 breaks.
What happens to the reading on the ammeter?
___________________________________________________________________
(1)
(g)
Figure 3 shows a parallel circuit.
Figure 3
Resistor R3 breaks.
What happens to the readings on the ammeter?
Ammeter A1 _________________________________________________________
Ammeter A2 _________________________________________________________
(2)
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Figure 4 shows how the resistance of a component varies with temperature.
Figure 4
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(h)
What is the name of the component?
Tick one box.
LED
LDR
Resistor
Thermistor
(1)
(i)
What is the resistance of the component at a temperature of 50 °C?
Resistance = ____________________ Ω
(1)
(Total 13 marks)
Q3.
(a)
Draw one line from each circuit symbol to its correct name.
Circuit symbol
Name
Diode
Light-dependent
resistor (LDR)
Lamp
Light-emitting
diode (LED)
(3)
(b)
Figure 1 shows three circuits.
The resistors in the circuits are identical.
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Each of the cells has a potential difference of 1.5 volts.
Figure 1
Circuit 1
(i)
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Use the correct answer from the box to complete the sentence.
half
twice
the same as
The resistance of circuit 1 is _________________ the resistance of circuit 3.
(1)
(ii)
Calculate the reading on voltmeter V2.
______________________________________________________________
Voltmeter reading V2 = _______________ V
(1)
(iii)
Which voltmeter, V1, V2 or V3, will give the lowest reading?
Draw a ring around the correct answer.
V1
V2
V3
(1)
(c)
A student wanted to find out how the number of resistors affects the current in a
series circuit.
Figure 2 shows the circuit used by the student.
Figure 2
The student started with one resistor and then added more identical resistors to the
circuit.
Each time a resistor was added, the student closed the switch and took the ammeter
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reading.
The student used a total of 4 resistors.
Figure 3 shows three of the results obtained by the student.
Figure 3
Number of resistors in series
(i)
To get valid results, the student kept one variable the same throughout the
experiment.
Which variable did the student keep the same?
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(ii)
The bar chart in Figure 3 is not complete. The result using 4 resistors is not
shown.
Complete the bar chart to show the current in the circuit when 4 resistors were
used.
(2)
(iii)
What conclusion should the student make from the bar chart?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(Total 10 marks)
Q4.
Figure 1 shows a circuit diagram containing two identical lamps arranged in parallel.
The reading on the ammeter is 186 mA.
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Figure 1
(a)
Which statement about the current through the lamps is true?
Tick one box.
The current through both lamp P and lamp Q is
0.093 A
The current through both lamp P and lamp Q is
0.186 A
The current through both lamp P and lamp Q is
0.93 A
The current through both lamp P and lamp Q is
1.86 A
(1)
(b)
One of the lamps breaks and is not replaced.
Which statement about the current in the other lamp is true?
Tick one box.
The current through the lamp is 0.093 A
The current through the lamp is 0.186 A
The current through the lamp is 0.93 A
The current through the lamp is 1.86 A
(1)
(c)
Figure 2 shows a circuit that can be used to alter the brightness of a lamp.
Figure 2
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The resistance of the variable resistor is increased.
What effect will this have on the brightness of the lamp?
Explain your answer.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(d)
When the potential difference across the lamp is 3.3 V, the current is 0.15 A.
Write down the equation that links current, potential difference and resistance.
Equation ___________________________________________________________
(1)
(e)
Calculate the resistance of the lamp.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Resistance = __________________ Ω
(3)
(f)
Sketch a current–potential difference graph for a filament lamp.
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(1)
(Total 9 marks)
Q5.
(a)
The diagram shows the voltage-current graphs for three different electrical
components.
Which one of the components A, B or C could be a 3 volt filament lamp? Explain the
reason for your choice.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(3)
(b)
Using the correct symbols draw a circuit diagram to show how a battery, ammeter
and voltmeter can be used to find the resistance of the wire shown.
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(3)
(c)
When correctly connected to a 9 volt battery the wire has a current of 0.30 amperes
flowing through it.
(i)
Give the equation that links current, resistance and voltage.
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(ii)
Calculate the resistance of the wire. Show clearly how you work out your
answer and give the unit.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Resistance = _____________________________
(3)
(iii)
When the wire is heated, the current goes down to 0.26 amperes. State how
the resistance of the wire has changed.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(Total 11 marks)
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Mark schemes
Q1.
(a)
... ammeter
for 1 mark
1
(b)
5 right
gains 4 marks
4 right
gains 3 marks
3 right
gains 2 marks
2 right
gains 1 mark
4
[5]
Q2.
(a)
extra lines from circuit symbols negate the mark
1
1
(b)
charge
1
(c)
0.13 (A)
1
(d)
0.56 × 300
1
168 (C)
an answer of 168 (C) scores 2 marks
1
(e)
168 × 4.5
1
756 (J)
an answer of 756 (J) scores 2 marks
allow ecf from part (d)
1
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(f)
decreases to zero
allow reads zero
1
(g)
(A1) decreases to zero
allow reads zero
1
(A2) decreases
do not accept ‘to zero’ for A2
1
(h)
thermistor
1
(i)
answer in range 160–165 (Ω)
1
[13]
Q3.
(a)
allow 1 mark for each correct line if more than one line is
drawn from any symbol then all of those lines are wrong
3
(b)
(i)
half
1
(ii)
3(V)
1
(iii)
V1
1
(c)
(i)
potential difference / voltage of the power supply
accept the power supply
accept the voltage / volts
accept number of cells / batteries
accept (same) cells / batteries
do not accept same ammeter / switch / wires
1
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(ii)
bar drawn – height 1.(00)A
ignore width of bar
allow 1 mark for bar shorter than 3rd bar
2
(iii)
as the number of resistors increases the current decreases
1
[10]
Q4.
(a)
0.093 A
1
(b)
0.093 A
1
(c)
(increasing the resistance) decreases the current
1
therefore (the lamp will be) dimmer
1
(d)
potential difference = current × resistance
accept correct rearrangement with R as subject
1
(e)
3.3 = 0.15 × R
1
R = 3.3 / 0.15 (Ω)
1
R = 22 (Ω)
1
allow 22 (Ω) without working shown for 3 marks
(f)
line drawn from the origin with a decreasing gradient.
1
[9]
Q5.
(a)
C
award mark if A and B identified as not filament lamp
1
resistance increases
negated by wrong statement e.g. current goes down
1
as the lamp gets hot
accept as current (through lamp) or voltage (across lamp)
increases
do not accept non-ohmic reason independent of choice of
component
1
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(b)
ammeter wire and battery only in series
non standard symbols acceptable if correctly identified
(labelled) for ammeter, voltmeter and battery
1
voltmeter only in parallel with wire or battery
all in series or ammeter in parallel neither of these two
marks awarded
1
all symbols correct
ignore lines drawn through centres of symbols
1
(c)
(i)
voltage = current × resistance
accept V = I × R
accept volts = amps × ohms
do not accept V = C × R
accept
if subsequent method correct
1
(ii)
30
accept correct substitution for 1 mark (9/0.3)
2
ohms
accept correct symbol Ω
1
(iii)
goes up
must be a comparison
accept calculation if answer is larger than c (ii)
1
[11]
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