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Year 12
Side B4b: D.C. Circuits
Complete the electricity sequence with emf, internal resistance, Kirchhoff's laws, and potential dividers.
Part of Year 12 CIE Physics 9702.
Topic Overview
What students will cover
This topic moves from individual electrical quantities into full d.c. circuit reasoning. You should be able to explain what a source supplies, where energy is transferred, and why terminal potential difference can change when current changes.
Circuit laws and source behaviour need to stay connected to clear diagrams and practical interpretation. Use Kirchhoff’s laws to track charge and energy, then use potential dividers to see how the same principles become useful control circuits.
Revision
Topic revision route
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Recall vocabulary
emf
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terminal potential difference
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internal resistance
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lost volts
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Kirchhoff's first law
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Kirchhoff's second law
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potential divider
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series circuit
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parallel circuit
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e.m.f.
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cell
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circuit symbols
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energy per unit charge
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complete circuit
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conservation of charge
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conservation of energy
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series resistance
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parallel resistance
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Resource bank
- Lesson resources
- 3
- Topic resources
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Syllabus CIE 9702 coverage in this topic
16 points across 3 lessons
Show details
CIE 9702 coverage in this topic
16 points across 3 lessons
10.1.1
recall and use the circuit symbols shown in section 6 of this syllabus
10.1.2
draw and interpret circuit diagrams containing the circuit symbols shown in section 6 of this syllabus
10.1.3
define and use the electromotive force (e.m.f.) of a source as energy transferred per unit charge in driving charge around a complete circuit
10.1.4
distinguish between e.m.f. and potential difference (p.d.) in terms of energy considerations
10.1.5
understand the effects of the internal resistance of a source of e.m.f. on the terminal potential difference
10.2.1
recall Kirchhoff’s first law and understand that it is a consequence of conservation of charge
10.2.2
recall Kirchhoff’s second law and understand that it is a consequence of conservation of energy
10.2.3
derive, using Kirchhoff’s laws, a formula for the combined resistance of two or more resistors in series
10.2.4
use the formula for the combined resistance of two or more resistors in series
10.2.5
derive, using Kirchhoff’s laws, a formula for the combined resistance of two or more resistors in parallel
10.2.6
use the formula for the combined resistance of two or more resistors in parallel
10.2.7
use Kirchhoff’s laws to solve simple circuit problems
10.3.1
understand the principle of a potential divider circuit
10.3.2
recall and use the principle of the potentiometer as a means of comparing potential differences
10.3.3
understand the use of a galvanometer in null methods
10.3.4
explain the use of thermistors and light-dependent resistors in potential dividers to provide a potential difference that is dependent on temperature and light intensity
Lessons
Lesson sequence
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