13 Direct current circuits

AQA Physics Answers to practice questions

Question Answer Marks Guidance
1 (a) three resistors drawn in series 1 The largest resistance is when
the resistors are all connected in
series.
1 (b) R = 3.0 + 4.0 + 6.0 = 13 Ω 1
1 (c) three resistors drawn in parallel 1 Adding resistors in parallel
creates extra paths for the current
and thus lowers the total
resistance.
1 (d) 1 1 1 1 9 1 Don’t forget to invert (1/R) in
R = 3.0 + 4.0 + 6.0 = 12 parallel circuit calculations.

gives R = 1.3 Ω 1
2 (a) circuit resistance is now only 30 Ω 1 Connecting a wire of negligible
resistance in parallel with a
V 6.0 1 component provides the easiest
current I = R = 30 = 0.20 A possible path for the current. All
of the current is now in the short
circuit and none in the 60 Ω
resistor (which is therefore
effectively missing from the
circuit).
2 (b) two resistors in parallel give 1 The 60 Ω resistor and the new 30
Ω resistor now form a parallel
1 1 1 1 combination. Find the resistance
R = 60 + 30 = 20 of this combination and add it to
1 the original 30 Ω (which is
and R = 20 Ω connected in series) to find the
1 total resistance of the circuit.
total resistance = 20 + 30 = 50 Ω

V 6.0 1
current I = R = 50 = 0.12 A
3 (a) resistance is defined by 2 If you stated the equation R = (V /
I) without giving the meaning of
potential difference R, V and I you would be awarded
R= current 1 mark only.
V
or R = I , with all three symbols defined
3 (b) two resistors in parallel give 1 Find the resistance of the parallel
combination first. You then know
1 1 1 1 that it is equivalent to a single 2.0
R = 6.0 + 3.0 = 2 Ω resistor that is connected in
series with the 9.0 Ω resistor.
and R = 2.0 Ω 1

total resistance = 2.0 + 9.0 = 11 Ω 1

3 (c) (i) pd across parallel resistors 1 The total current in the two
V = I R = 2.4 × 2.0 = 4.8 V parallel resistors must be equal to
that in the 9.0 Ω resistor. The pd
current in 3.0 Ω resistor across them is this current
1 multiplied by their effective
V 4.8 resistance, which you calculated
I = R = 3.0 = 1.6 A at the start of (b).

© Oxford University Press 2015 This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
 13 Direct current circuits
AQA Physics Answers to practice questions
Question Answer Marks Guidance
3 (c) (ii) This is the power dissipated in all
2
total power P = I R = 2.42 × 11 1 the resistors, so the resistance
= 63 W 1 required is that of the complete
arrangement. From part (b) this is
11 Ω. The current in the 9.0 Ω
resistor, and in the parallel
combination of 2.0 Ω, is 2.4 A.
4 (a) first two parallel resistors give In this instance you are expected
1 to do all of the calculation for
1 1 -1 each of the parallel combinations
(30 + 60 ) = 20 Ω before being given the marks for
them. The parallel combinations
second two parallel resistors give are connected in series, so
1 simple addition leads to the third
1 1 -1 mark.
(90 + (15 + 30) ) = 30 Ω

total resistance = 20 + 30 = 50 Ω 1
−3
4 (b) (i) charge ∆Q = I ∆t = 50 ×10 × 4 × 60 1 The current in resistor R is the
same as that in the ammeter,
= 12 C 1 because they are connected in
series.
4 (b) (ii) W 18 1 Potential difference is the work
pd across R, V = Q = 12 done (or energy transferred) per
unit charge.
= 1.5 V 1 Alternative approach:
From W = I V t,
W 18
V = It = (50 × 10–3 × 4 × 60) =
1.5 V
4 (b) (iii) 1.5 1 You calculated the pd across R in
resistance R = 50 × 10–3 = 30 Ω (ii) above, and (in effect) you
were told the current in it in (i).
–3
4 (b) (iv) emf ε = I × Rtotal = 50 × 10 × (50 + 30) 1 When its internal resistance is
negligible, the emf of a battery is
= 4.0 V equal to the total pd across the
external resistors.
5 (i) ε 12 1 Resistors A and B are in series,
I = R + r = 60 + 2 so the total external resistance is
30 + 30 = 60 Ω.
= 0.194 A 1
5 (ii) pd across PQ 1 You could do this part by other
= pd across total external resistance means, such as subtracting the
= I R = 0.194 × 60 ‘lost volts’ from the emf of the
= 11.6 V 1 battery.
2
5 (iii) power P = I R = 0.1942 × 30 1 The resistance of resistor A is 30
Ω and the current in it is that
= 1.13 W 1 calculated in (i).
5 (iv) energy dissipated = Pt = 1.13 × 20 1 Once you have found the power
in (iii), multiplying it by the time
= 23 J 1 will give the energy dissipated.

© Oxford University Press 2015 This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements
 13 Direct current circuits
AQA Physics Answers to practice questions
Question Answer Marks Guidance
6 (a) (i) zero (0 V), or negligibly small 1 Apply V = I R to the shorting lead,
for which R ≈ 0, and V ≈ 0
(whatever the current). However
the current can only ever be
small, because it is limited by the
2 MΩ resistor inside the supply
unit.
6 (a) (ii) ε 5000 −3 1 The only resistance in the circuit
I=R = 2 × 106 = 2.5 × 10 A is that of the 2 MΩ internal
total
= 2.5 mA resistor. Remember that 1 MΩ =
6
10 Ω.
2
6 (a) (iii) minimum power rating = I R 1 The resistor must be capable of
−3 6
= (2.5 × 10 ) 2 × 2 × 10 withstanding the heating
= 13 W 1 produced when the EHT supply
unit is short circuited and there is
a current of 2.5 mA in it.
6 (b) so that the current supplied by the unit is 1 An unprotected EHT supply unit
restricted to a value below danger level could present a lethal danger to a
person using it, since the emf of
5000 V could cause a fatal
current if its terminals were
inadvertently touched. The size of
the current presents danger to
the human body, rather than the
voltage alone. It has been said
that ‘It’s volts that jolts but it’s
mills that kills’. (mills = mA)

© Oxford University Press 2015 This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements