Targeted lessons
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Year 11
Electric Circuits & Electrical Safety
Build on Year 10 electricity with potential dividers, relays, diodes, circuit characteristics, and electrical safety.
Part of Year 11 CIE Physics 0625.
Topic Overview
What students will cover
This topic extends Year 10 circuit work into more useful circuit components and control systems. You will see how potential dividers, relays, and diodes are used in real circuits and why safe electrical design matters.
Keep asking what each component does in a circuit, not just what it is called.
Revision
Topic revision route
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Recall vocabulary
potential divider
A definition has not been added for this term yet. Use the lesson sequence below to review where it appears.
variable resistor
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thermistor
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LDR
A definition has not been added for this term yet. Use the lesson sequence below to review where it appears.
relay
A definition has not been added for this term yet. Use the lesson sequence below to review where it appears.
Diode
a component that conducts current in only one direction.
Fuse
a thin wire that melts and breaks the circuit if the current is too high.
earthing
A definition has not been added for this term yet. Use the lesson sequence below to review where it appears.
double insulation
A definition has not been added for this term yet. Use the lesson sequence below to review where it appears.
Analogue signal
a continuously varying signal.
Digital signal
a signal with only two states, high and low.
Conductor
a material in which charge is free to move; in metals this is due to free electrons.
Insulator
a material in which charge is not free to move.
Potential difference
the work done by a unit charge passing through a component.
resistor
A definition has not been added for this term yet. Use the lesson sequence below to review where it appears.
output voltage
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series circuit
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ratio
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Resource bank
- Lesson resources
- 6
- Topic resources
- 0
Open the relevant lesson first, then use its linked slides, worksheets, simulations, or practice tasks.
Syllabus CIE 0625 coverage in this topic
10 points across 4 lessons
Show details
CIE 0625 coverage in this topic
10 points across 4 lessons
4.2.4.4
Sketch and explain the current–voltage graphs for a resistor of constant resistance, a filament lamp and a diode
4.3.1.1
Draw and interpret circuit diagrams containing cells, batteries, power supplies, generators, potential dividers, switches, resistors (fixed and variable), heaters, thermistors (NTC only), light- dependent resistors (LDRs), lamps, motors, bells, ammeters, voltmeters, magnetising coils, transformers, fuses and relays and know how these components behave in the circuit
4.3.3.1
Know that the p.d. across an electrical conductor increases as its resistance increases for a constant current
4.3.3.2
Describe the action of a variable potential divider
4.3.3.3
Recall and use the equation for two resistors used as a potential divider R1 V = 1 R2 V2
4.4.1
State the hazards of: (a) damaged insulation (b) overheating cables (c) damp conditions (d) excess current from overloading of plugs, extension leads, single and multiple sockets when using a mains supply
4.4.2
Know that a mains circuit consists of a live wire (line wire), a neutral wire and an earth wire and explain why a switch must be connected to the live wire for the circuit to be switched off safely
4.4.3
Explain the use and operation of trip switches and fuses and choose appropriate fuse ratings and trip switch settings
4.4.4
Explain why the outer casing of an electrical appliance must be either non-conducting (double-insulated) or earthed
4.4.5
State that a fuse without an earth wire protects the circuit and the cabling for a double- insulated appliance
Lessons
Lesson sequence
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Lesson
01Potential Divider
Learn how a potential divider shares potential difference across two resistors and how that output can be calculated.
Lesson
02Variable Potential Divider
Use variable potential divider circuits to explain how changing a resistance changes the output p.d.
Lesson
03Relays and Diodes
Learn what relays and diodes do in circuits and how diode current-voltage graphs differ from other components.
Lesson
04Characteristics and Electrical Safety
Understand the main hazards of mains electricity and how circuit design reduces those risks.