EDEXCEL IGCSE PHYSICS

UNIT 2 – (c)

Current and Voltage in Circuits

 Edexcel IGCSE Specification
Section 2: Electricity

c) Energy and potential difference in circuits

2.7 Explain why a series or parallel circuit is more appropriate for particular applications,
including domestic lighting
2.8 Understand that the current in a series circuit depends on the applied voltage and the number
and nature of other components
2.14 Understand that current is the rate of flow of charge
2.15 Know and use the relationship:
charge = current × time Q = I × t
2.17 Know that electric current in solid metallic conductors is a flow of negatively charged
electrons
2.21 Know that:
• voltage is the energy transferred per unit charge passed
• the volt is a joule per coulomb.
Electrical conductors and insulators
An electrical conductor Complete the table below:
is a material through
which electric current copper conductor
flows easily.
rubber insulator
1
All metals are
conductors. steel conductor
2

mercury conductor
3
Electrical insulators
have a very high
paper insulator
resistance to the flow of plastic insulator
4
electric current.
diamond insulator
5

graphite conductor
6
 Electric charge
Electric charge can be either
positive or negative.

In an atom an electron has a

negative charge that is of the
same size as the positive
charge of a proton. Neutrons
have no electric charge.
As an atom has the same
number of electrons as protons
it is uncharged.
 Electric current
• An electric current is the rate of flow of
electric charge.

• An electric current of one ampere (A) flows

when a charge of one coulomb (C) passes
a point in an electric circuit in one second.

• In metallic conductors (e.g. copper wire)

electrons carry negative charge from the
negative side of a power supply, around a
circuit and back into the positive side.
The arrow shows the
direction of electron flow.
Charge-current equation
electric charge = current x time

Q=Ixt

also: I = Q ∕ t charge
and: t = Q ∕ I

current time
 Question 1
Calculate the charge passing through a
device when a current of 500mA flows for 3
minutes.
Q=Ixt

= 500 mA x 3 minutes
= 0.5A x 180s

charge = 90C
 Question 2
Calculate the current flowing when a charge of
240C flows through a device in 80s.

I=Q÷t

current = 240 C
80s

current = 3A
 Answers
Complete:
Q I t

60 C 2A 30 s
65 C 13 A 5s

960 C 3A 4 minutes

3C 50 mA 60 s
 Voltage
A battery gives electrical charge energy.

The voltage of a battery is equal to the energy in joules

provided when a charge of one coulomb passes
through the battery.

voltage = energy ÷ charge

1 volt is the same as 1 joule per coulomb

TRIPLE ONLY

Question
Calculate the voltage of a battery if it
supplies 300 joules of energy to 50C of
charge.

voltage = energy ÷ charge

= 300 J
50 C

battery voltage = 6V
 Answers
Complete:
Voltage Energy Charge

12V 480J 40C

20V 500J 25C

6V 120J 20C

230V 69kJ 300C

Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Electric current is the rate of flow of electric _______.
charge

Electric charge is measured in _________.

coulombs

A battery provides electrical _______

energy . The amount of energy
provided per _________
coulomb of electric charge passing is equal to
voltage
the ________ of the battery.
The _______
mains joules
supply gives 230 ________ to every coulomb of
charge.
WORD SELECTION:
coulombs charge mains joules
coulomb voltage energy
 Electric circuits
An electric current will only flow if there is a
complete, unbroken electric circuit, that
contains a power supply.

A circuit diagram uses a standard set of symbols to

show how electrical components are connected
together.
 Circuit symbols
cell a cell is required to push
electrons around a circuit

battery a battery consists of two or

more cells
wire wires should always been drawn
as straight lines
wire junction

switch a switch enables the current in

a circuit to be turned on or off
 indicator often a light bulb – this is used to
show whether or not a circuit is on

light bulb old symbol – the indicator symbol

is now used

A ammeter measures electric current in

amperes (A)
V voltmeter measures voltage in volts (V)
fixed a resistor is used to limit
resistor the current in a circuit

variable
resistor

thermistor a device whose resistance

decreases with temperature

light dependent a device whose

resistor (LDR) resistance decreases
with brightness
diode a diode only allows current to flow in
one direction (indicated by the arrow)

light emitting a diode that emits light when

diode (LED) it allows the flow of electric
current

fuse a fuse is designed to melt and so break

an electric circuit when too much
electric current flows
heater a device used to convert
electrical energy to heat
 Electric current flow
Electric current flows
from the POSITIVE
terminal of a power
supply around a circuit to
the NEGATIVE terminal.
In the circuit above the diode is
The longer thinner line of aligned so that it allows current
to flow through the radio.
the symbol for a cell is
the positive terminal.
 Complete
symbol component symbol component

A ammeter heater

diode resistor

indicator thermistor

cell LDR
 Question
Draw a circuit diagram
for the torch shown
below.
 Series circuits
Circuit components are said to be connected in
series if the same electric current passes through
each of them in turn.
3A 3A

3A 3A

3A 3A 3A

The cell and the two lamps are in series with each other and
so the same electric current passes through all of them.
In a series circuit all
of the components
can be controlled by
using just one
switch.

Each component
shares the voltage of
the power supply
and so adding more
bulbs in series will
cause each bulb to
become dimmer.
 Parallel circuits
The voltage across each component connected in
parallel is the same.

The voltmeter reading for

component X, V1 will be the
same as the voltmeter
reading for component Y, V2.
In a parallel circuit all
of the components
can be individually
controlled by using
separate switches.

If one light bulb

blows the other
bulbs will still carry
on working.
 Currents in parallel circuits
The total current
through the whole 5A 5A
circuit is the sum of
the currents through 3A 3A
the separate 2A 2A
components.
What are the advantages of connecting two lamps in parallel rather than in
series to a power supply?

When connected in parallel:

1. the lamps are brighter than when connected in series
2. the lamps can be controlled individually with switches
3. one lamp will continue working even if the other does not
Calculate the currents measured by ammeters A1,
A2 and A3 in the circuit below.

6A
A3
A1 = 2A
A2 = 4A
A1
2A
A3 = 6A
A2
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
When components are _________
connected together in series they will
all have the same _________
current flowing through each of them.

When components are connected in parallel to each other

they will each have the same _________.
voltage

parallel
Lamps are usually connected in __________ to each other as
switches
this allows them to be controlled individually by _________
blows the others can still continue to
and if one lamp _______
operate.
WORD SELECTION:

blows current switches parallel connected voltage

 13/02/25
Two simple components:
1) Light dependant 2) Thermistor –
resistor – resistance resistance DECREASES
DECREASES when light when temperature
intensity INCREASES INCREASES

Resistance Resistance

Amount of light Temperature

2.9 Describe how current varies with voltage in wires, resi
stors, metal filament lamps and diodes, and how this can
be investigated experimentally

WIRE:
• Current flowing through the wire
is directly proportional to the
voltage applied.
• That is if, voltage across the wire is
doubled, current is also doubled.
• OHMS LAW :
• The current that flows through a
conductor is directly proportional to
the potential difference across its
ends, provided its temperature
remains constant.
• The graph of wire on current and
voltage obeys ohm's law.
Resistance of wire
• The relationship between current and
voltage is a direct proportionality and the
wire has constant resistance (until the
point where it is levelled off.)
• The line of graph levels off because the
current flowing in the wire is large enough to
change its temperature. Therefore,
resistance of wire increases.
• Current increase, voltage increase.
(proportional)
• Voltage increase, more flow of electrons.
∴ More frequency of collisions.
∴ More kinetic energy.
∴ Conservation of energy ; heat waste.
• Temperature increase, resistance
increase.
The graph of the resistance of wire does not obey
Ohm's law.
• Changes with temperature.
• Increase of temperature, increase of
free electrons.
 Increase current.
Low resistance.
• Low temperature, resistance is high.
• High temperature, resistance is low.
• Little current flows through in the
cold, less free electrons.
 Less current.
 High resistance.
• Both graphs of the resistance of Light
Dependant Resistor and Temperature
Thermistors does not obey Ohm's law.
• Resistance is low when filament
bulb is turned on.
• As current increases, heating effect
of bulb increases.
 Temperature of bulb increases.
 Resistance of bulb increases.
• Current flowing through a filament
lamp is not directly proportional to
voltage because resistance isn’t
constant.
• Curve of the graph shows the
increase of resistance as flow of
current is large enough to change
temperature.
• Current increase, Resistance inc.
• This is because voltage isn’t
constant.
• The graph does not obey Ohm’s Law.
(iv) Diode
• Allows current to flow in one
direction only.
• When connected forward
direction, it gives low resistance.
• When connected in reverse
direction, it gives high
resistance.
• Graph shows that small voltage
must be applied before diode
will conduct.
• Increase of voltage, increase of
current.
• If voltage is applied in opposite
direction, almost no current
flows.
 2.11 Describe the qualitative effect of
changing resistance on the current in a circuit

• Resistance increase, Current decrease.

Achieved by adding more components.
• Resistance decrease, Current increase.
Achieved by removing components.
 2.11 Describe the qualitative variation of
resistance of LDRs with illumination and of
thermistors with temperature
LDR Illumination:
•When there is light, increase of electrons.
•More current flowing.
•Resistance decreases.
Thermistors temperature:
•When it is hot, ions/particles
vibrate.
•This causes current to flow more.
•Resistance decreases.