Electricity Physics

One ampere is the amount of current that exists when ____ flows by a certain point in a conductor in ____.

• one watt; one second

• one electron; one second

• one volt; one second

• one coulomb; one second

• one joule; one hour

If 6 coulombs of charge flow past point 'A' in a circuit in 4 seconds, then ____ coulombs of charge will flow past point 'A' in 8 seconds.

• 1.5

• 2

• 3

• 12

A simple circuit containing a battery and a light bulb is shown in the diagram. The current through the battery is ___.

• greater than that through the light bulb

• less than that through the light bulb

• greater than that through each wire

• the same as that through the light bulb

Answer explanation

Charge is a conserved quantity; it is never gained nor lost. In an electric circuit, the charge present in the wires and conducting elements is what moves through the circuit.

The role or purpose of the battery in this circuit is to ____.

• supply electric charge so that a current can exist

• supply energy to the charge

• replenish the charge which is lost in the light bulb

• offer resistance to the flow of charge so that the light bulb can get hot

If an electric circuit was analogous to a water park, then the positive terminal of the battery would be analogous to the ____.

• pipes which carry the water through the water circuit

• pump which supplies energy to move the water from the ground to a high elevation

• the change in potential energy of the riders

• the top of the water slide

• the bottom of the water slide

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

If an electric circuit was analogous to a water park, then the electric current would be analogous to the ____.

• pipes which carry the water through the water circuit

• pump which supplies energy to move the water from the ground to a high elevation

• the people which flow from the top of the water ride to the bottom of the water ride

• the rate at which water is pumped onto the slide

The charges that flow through the wires in your home ____.

• are stored in the outlets at your home

• are created when an appliance is turned on

• originate at the power (energy) company

• originate in the wires between your home and the power company

• already exist in the wires at your home

Answer explanation

This question targets a common misconception about electric circuits. The misconception presumes that the role of the electric outlet, the battery, or the power company is to provide the charge required to move through the home. But the power company is only the source of the energy required to set the charge in motion by the establishment of an electric potential difference. The charge itself is present in the wires and conducting elements of your home in the form of mobile electrons.

Electrical energy travels through ________ wire.

Which of these options would give a total resistance of 10 Ω (ohms)?

• A 2 ohm resistor and a 5 ohm resistor in series

• A 2 ohm resistor and a 5 ohm resistor in parallel

• Two 5 ohm resistors in series

• Two 5 ohm resistors in parallel

What equipment do you need to measure the resistance of a component?

Choose from an ammeter, a voltmeter and a power supply.

• Just an ammeter

• Just a voltmeter

• Just a power supply

• All three