Physics Paper 1 > P4+ > Flashcards

P4+ Flashcards

Electrical Circuits (59 cards)

Study These Flashcards
1
Q

What is a charge?

A

Positive or negative property of an atom.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a component?

A

A device in an electric circuit e.g. battery.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a circuit diagram?

A

Shows how components are connected.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does a battery consist of?

A

2 or more cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is current?

A

The flow of electron/electric charge. Measured in amps (A).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is a resistor?

A

Prevents the current from moving as fast as possible. (RESISTANCE)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is a variable resistor?

A

Varies in resistance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a LDR (light dependent resistor)?

A

Variation of resistance due to light.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is a thermistor?

A

Variation of resistance due to temperature.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is a diode?

A

A component that allows current too flow in one direction.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is a LED?

A

A componet that emits light when a current goes through it.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is potential difference?

A

The “push” of force behind the current. Measured in volts (V)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Why is a voltmeter have to be in parallel circuit?

A

To Measure voltage around components.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is a voltmeter?

A

Component that measures volts.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is ammeter?

A

Measures current or amps

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the unit of resistance?

A

Ohms (search symbol)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is Ohm’s Law?

A

The current through a resistor ,at a constant temp, and the PD through a resistor is directly proportional.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What does directly proportional mean?

A

When one variable changes the other variables changes too e.g. one increases the other one does aswell.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What happens to current in a series component?

A

Same in each component

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the total p.d shared between?

A

Components

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How is the total resistance calculated?

A

Adding resistance in each component

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is a series circuit?

A

Circuit with one loop/pathway

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Where does the p.d come from?

A

Battery

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is a parallel circuit?

Study These Flashcards
A

A circuit with multiple loop/pathway.

25
What is an electric field?
The electric field around a charged object that causes other changes to feel electrostatic force.
26
What component has the same amount of p.d in each branch of a PC?
The battery
27
What does adding a component do in a new branch, in a parallel circuit?
Reduces resistance
28
What does adding a component in an existing branch, of a parallel circuit?
Increases resistance
29
What happens to the p.d when adding components in a parallel circuit?
P.d across the battery doesn’t change
30
In a parallel circuit, what is the total resistance smaller than?
TOTAL RESISTANCE IS SMALLER THAN THE SMALLEST RESISTOR!
31
What does current like to do when it is in a parallel circuit?
It likes to go through he easiest pathway (this could mean going through an area that has low resistance).
32
What do you call a component that doesn’t follow Ohm’s Law?
Non-ohmic conductor
33
What is an I-V graph?
A graph that shows the relationship between voltage and current when a component is added to a circuit (the graph only shows results when he component is with a battery and nothing else)
34
What does the I-V graph of a filament bulb look like?
A fancy ‘f’
35
Is an I-V graph of a filament bulb directly proportional?
No because it would have been a straight line.
36
Why does the resistance increase when a filament bulb is added?
Current increases, resitance incease, filament bulb's temp increase (non-ohmic conducor)
37
Why does p.d increase with a filament bulb is in a circuit?
To push the increasing current
38
Why does a filament bulbs temperature increases?
Metal vibrates so electrons find it more difficult to pass.
39
What does reversing the component do to an I-V graph of a filament bulb?
Changes nothing of the shape of the graph
40
What does the shape of a LED I-V graph look like?
Search it up
40
Is an LED I-V graph directly proportional?
No
41
Why does current change in a LED?
If resistance changes so does current, but doesn’t obey Ohm’s law.
42
What happens if we reverse the LED?
Current is virtually zero because pf high resistance , meaning it has negative p.d. (Include when describing I-V graph)
43
What does the I-V graph of an LDR and Thermistor look like?
Search it up, they are the same.
44
What is the rule of LI ad R in a LDR I-V graph?
High LI- low R. Low LI-high RI
45
What is LDR used for?
Detect light levels e.g. automated security lights.
46
Wha are the rules of temp and R, in a thermistor I-V graph?
High temp- low R Low temp- high R
47
What are thermistors used for?
Temp sensor e.g. fire alarms
48
What does the current through each branch add up to (parallel circuits) ?
the current through a battery.
49
Why is the total resistance smaller than the smallest resistor (PC)?
because adding more resistors makes more pathways for the current to go through, high current= low resistance.
50
What is the aim of the resistance practical?
To investigate how the length of a wire affects its resistance.
51
What equipment is needed for the resistance practical?
Ammeter, voltmeter, power supply, crocodile clips, nichrome wire on a ruler, connecting leads.
52
What is the method for measuring resistance of a wire?
Attach crocodile clips to a chosen length of wire. Measure current with an ammeter and voltage with a voltmeter. Calculate resistance using R = V ÷ I. Repeat for different lengths.
53
What are the variables in the resistance practical?
Independent: Length of wire. Dependent: Resistance (R). Control: Wire thickness, material, temperature.
54
Why must the wire’s temperature be kept low?
Heating increases resistance, so it would make results unreliable.
55
What graph do you plot in the resistance practical?
Plot Resistance (R) on the y‑axis against Length (cm) on the x‑axis. You should get a straight line through the origin.
56
What conclusion should you get , from the resistance practical?
Resistance is directly proportional to the length of the wire.
57
Why does a longer wire have more resistance?
Electrons collide with more atoms in a longer wire, so resistance increases.
58
During the resistance practical, what common mistakes should be avoided?
Wire not straight or tight Poor contact with crocodile clips Wire heating up Not zeroing the ruler at the clip
Physics Paper 1
flashcards
Decks in class (7)
# Cards
Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2026 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions