Series and parallel circuits and powerAQA A-Level Physics: Flashcards

What these 13 flashcards ask

State the formula for resistors in series.
State the formula for resistors in parallel.
Why is the total resistance of resistors in parallel less than the smallest?
What is the same for every component in a series circuit?
What is the same for every branch of a parallel circuit?
What does conservation of charge say about a junction?
What does conservation of energy say about a circuit loop?
What is the emf of n identical cells in series?
What is the advantage of identical cells in parallel?
Give the equation for electrical energy transferred.
Give three equivalent equations for power.
Which of two series resistors dissipates more power?
Which of two parallel resistors dissipates more power?

Exam questions on Series and parallel circuits and power

A 12 V battery of negligible internal resistance is connected across two resistors joined in parallel. One resistor has resistance 4.0 Ω and the other has resistance 12 Ω.
Explain why the combined resistance of the pair is less than 4.0 Ω.2 marks
A mains heater is connected to a 230 V supply and is rated at 1.8 kW when operating normally. Assume its resistance is constant.
Calculate the energy transferred by the heater when it operates normally for 5.0 minutes.2 marks
A 9.0 V supply of negligible internal resistance is connected to a 6.0 Ω resistor in series with a parallel pair of resistors. Each resistor in the parallel pair has resistance 12 Ω.
Calculate the total resistance of the circuit and the current drawn from the supply.3 marks

Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).