Chapter 4.1 - 'Series and parallel circuits'

Question 1

What is an ‘EMF’?

Answer 1

Electromotive force.

Commonly assigned to a power supply e.g battery.

Question 2

State the equation for total resistance in a parallel circuit.

Answer 2

1/Rt = 1/R1 + 1/R2

Where Rt is the equivalent effective resistance and R1 and R2 are the individual resistances.

Question 3

When resistors are connected in series, the:

i) current through each resistor is…
ii) sum of the potential differences is…
iii) equivalent effective resistance Rt is equal to the sum of the…

Answer 3

i) the same
ii) equal to the potential difference provided
iii) individual resistors

Question 4

When resistors are connected in parallel, the:

i) voltage across each resistor is…
ii) current is…
iii) equivalent resistance is given by the equation…

Answer 4

i) the same
ii) shared between the resistors
iii) 1/Rt = 1/R1 + 1/R2