Electricity - Currents in Electrical Circuits

Electricity is a major topic in GCSE Physics. In this quiz we look specifically.

at currents formed by the flow of electrons in electrical circuits.
From your studies of static electricity, you should by now be familiar with the
idea that electricity is something to do with electrons. It seems that the ancie
nt Greeks knew about static electricity - rubbing a substance called amber creat
ed a small force that could attract small objects. That was about the limit of k
nowledge until the scientific revolution in Europe during the Seventeenth Centur
y. The physician to Elizabeth I, William Gilbert, experimented and described sta
tic electricity in many substances.
The origin of the word electricity is uncertain but it is thought to originate f
rom the ancient Greek word for amber, elektron, in honour of the Greek discovery
2,000 years earlier. Amber is the fossilised resin of trees that is found in ma
ny places around the world. The largest source of amber is around the shores of
the Baltic Sea and it is this amber that is used for jewellery. Occasionally amb
er contains beautifully preserved fossils of insects.
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If the voltage in a circuit is increased whilst the resistance remains const
ant, what will happen to the current in the circuit?
Current decreases
Current increases
Current remains the same
Values for the voltage and resistance are required to answer this
If the voltage in a circuit remains constant but the resistance is increased
, what will happen to the current?
Current decreases
Current increases
Current remains the same
Values for the voltage and resistance are required to answer this
Why does a 60 W equivalent fluorescent bulb use less energy than a 60 W fila
ment bulb?
The electrons flow through the fluorescent bulb at a smaller voltage whi
ch reduces the energy used
The electrons flow through the fluorescent bulb with a smaller current,
thus reducing the energy used
The fluorescent bulb has a smaller resistance than the filament bulb
They use the same amount of energy
Calculate the current in a circuit when the voltage of the circuit is 5 V an
d the circuit has a total resistance of 5 O.
1A
2A
10A
25A
What is the total resistance in a circuit if the potential difference is 12
V and the current flowing through the circuit is 3 A?
2 O
3 O
4 O
5 O
Two 2 O resistors are placed in parallel in a circuit. If the potential diff
erence supplied to the circuit is 10 V, what size is the current which passes th
rough each resistor?
5 A
10 A
20 A

40 A
What is the current through a circuit which contains three resistors of size
3 O, 5 O and 7 O respectively which are placed in series when a potential diffe
rence of 12 V is applied?
0.8 A
1 A
2 A
10 A
If two components are connected in parallel, how is the potential difference
across each split?
It is dependent on which components are used
It is dependent on the resistance of the components used
One component gets twice as much voltage as the other
They are the same
What is the definition of current?
Flow of atoms through a circuit
Flow of electrons through a circuit
The amount of resistance an electron experiences when travelling through
a circuit
The energy which each electron has when flowing through a circuit