Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to:
- draw circuit diagrams with power sources (cell, battery, d.c. supply or a.c. supply), switches, lamps, resistors (fixed and variable), variable potential divider (potentiometer), fuses, ammeters and voltmeters, bells, light-dependent resistors, thermistors and light-emitting diodes
- state that the current at every point in a series circuit is the same and apply the principle to new situations or to solve related problems
- state that the sum of the potential differences in a series circuit is equal to the potential difference across the whole circuit and apply the principle to new situations or to solve related problems
- state that the sum of the currents in the separate branches of a parallel circuit is equal to the current from the source and apply the principle to new situations or to solve related problems
- state that the potential difference across the separate branches of a parallel circuit is the same and apply the principle to new situations or to solve related problems
- recall and apply the formulae for the effective resistance of a number of resistors in series and in parallel to new situations or to solve related problems
- recall and apply the relevant relationships, including R = V / I and those for current, potential differences and resistors in series and in parallel circuits, in calculations involving a whole circuit
- describe the action of a variable potential divider (potentiometer)
- describe the action of negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors and light-dependent resistors and explain their use as input transducers in potential dividers
- solve simple circuit problems involving NTC thermistors and light-dependent resistors.