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You might find a symbol when buying a bulb for a lamp - but do you know what symbol to expect?

Electricity - Electrical Circuits 03

Practise GCSE electricity questions on parallel circuits, current, voltage and resistance while you test your understanding of circuit rules used in real exam style questions.

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Fascinating Fact:

In parallel circuits, each branch has the same potential difference as the supply, but the total current is the sum of the branch currents.

In GCSE Physics, you learn how parallel circuits share the supply voltage across each branch while the current splits between them. This quiz helps you apply circuit rules, interpret diagrams, and solve calculation questions confidently.

Key Terms

Parallel circuit: A circuit where components are connected on separate branches, each with the same potential difference from the power supply.
Branch current: The current flowing through a single branch of a parallel circuit, which may differ from the current in other branches.
Total current: The sum of the currents in all branches of a parallel circuit, equal to the current leaving the power supply.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do current and voltage behave in a parallel circuit?

In a parallel circuit, each branch has the same potential difference as the supply. The total current from the supply is the sum of the currents in each separate branch.

Why are household circuits usually wired in parallel?

Household circuits use parallel wiring so each appliance receives the full supply voltage and can be switched on or off independently without affecting the rest of the circuit.

How do I calculate total current in a parallel circuit?

Calculate or measure the current in each branch, then add them together. The total current leaving the supply equals the sum of all branch currents in the circuit.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

What does this symbol depict?

Lamp

LED

Resistor

Diode

Converts electrical energy usefully into light but wastes a lot of energy as heat

2 .

What does this symbol depict?

Diode

LED

LDR

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Several cells joined together are called a battery

3 .

What does this symbol depict?

Diode

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This allows electricity to pass in only the forward direction

4 .

What does this symbol depict?

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5 .

What does this symbol depict?

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Converts electrical energy into light energy much more efficiently than a filament lamp

6 .

What component does this graph typically represent?

LDR

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Resistor

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A resistor has a constant resistance at a constant temperature regardless of the voltage or current applied to it and as such forms a straight line when values of current and voltage are plotted on graphs

7 .

What does this symbol depict?

Resistor

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Bulb

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These restrict the flow of charge in a circuit

8 .

What does this symbol depict?

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These are useful for controlling the speed of an electric motor or the brightness of a lamp

9 .

What component does this graph typically represent?

Diode

Filament bulb

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As the voltage across a filament bulb gets bigger, the filament gets hotter and as a consequence its internal resistance increases, causing the graph to become curved at a higher voltage. A filament bulb does not obey Ohm's law

10 .

What component does this graph typically represent?