DRAFT Module 4 Series and Parallel Circuits

Question 1

Name these symbols

Answer 1

Open switch and closed switch

Question 2

Name this symbol

Answer 2

Cell

Question 3

Name this symbol

Answer 3

Battery

Question 4

Name this symbol

Answer 4

Diode

Question 5

Name this symbol

Answer 5

Resistor (or Ohmic conductor)

Question 6

Symbol for a variable resistor

Answer 6

Question 7

Name this symbol

Answer 7

Thermistor

Question 8

Answer 8

LDR (light dependent resistor)

Question 9

Symbol for LED (light emitting diode)

Answer 9

Question 10

What is this?

Answer 10

symbol for a capacitor

Question 11

When identifying what kind of circuit is being used, how do you differentiate series and parallel?

Answer 11

where all current travels through at least one component, the circuit is series

Question 12

How is current shared in a series circuit?

Answer 12

current is same at every point in the circuit (at a particular time)

this also applies to one branch of a parallel circuit

Question 13

How is current shared in a parallel circuit?

Answer 13

current is shared between the branches depending on the resistance

Question 14

How is voltage shared in a series circuit?

Answer 14

voltage of power source is shared between components used depending on their resistance (Kirchhoff’s 2nd law)

applies to voltage on one branch of a parallel circuit

Question 15

How is voltage shared in a parallel circuit?

Answer 15

voltage is same across each branch of the circuit

Question 16

How is the power of a component in a series circuit related to its resistance?

Answer 16

P=I^2R - I is the same at a given point in time so P∝R, higher the resistance the higher the power (in bulbs the brighter the bulb)

Question 17

How is the power of a component in a parallel circuit related to its resistance?

Answer 17

P=V^2/R, V is the same across each branch so we can say that P is proportional to 1/R

Question 18

What is the total resistance of a series circuit?

Answer 18

the sum of individual resistances of all components

Question 19

Why does a voltmeter need to have very high resistance?

Answer 19

to minimise change in current over the component being measured. V=IR, V is same R greater so I must be smaller

Question 20

Why does an ammeter need to have a very low resistance?

Answer 20

so current and voltage remains unchanged. V is shared between all components in series according to resistance, V=IR, if R is small and I is same through all components at any point in time V will be small