Figure 1 shows a circuit including a thermistor T in series with a variable resistor R.

The battery
1
has negligible internal resistance.

Figure 1

The resistance–temperature (R−θ) characteristic for T is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

(a) The resistor and thermistor in Figure 1 make up a potential divider.

Explain what is meant by a potential divider.

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(1)

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(b) State and explain what happens to the voltmeter reading when the resistance of R is
increased while the temperature is kept constant.

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(3)

(c) State and explain what happens to the ammeter reading when the temperature of the
thermistor increases.

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(2)

(d) The battery has an emf of 12.0 V. At a temperature of 0 °C the resistance of the thermistor
is 2.5 × 103 Ω.

The voltmeter is replaced by an alarm that sounds when the voltage across it exceeds
3.0 V.

Calculate the resistance of R that would cause the alarm to sound when the temperature of
the thermistor is lowered to 0 °C.

resistance = ............................... Ω
(2)

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 (e) State one change that you would make to the circuit so that instead of the alarm coming on
when the temperature falls, it comes on when the temperature rises above a certain value.

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(1)
(Total 9 marks)

In the circuit shown in Figure 1, the battery, of emf 6.0V, has negligible internal resistance.
2

Figure 1

(a) Calculate the current through the ammeter when the switch S is

(i) open,

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(ii) closed.

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(3)

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 (b) The switch S is now replaced with a voltmeter of infinite resistance.
Determine the reading on the voltmeter.

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(2)
(Total 5 marks)

The circuit in the diagram below contains four identical new cells, A, B, C and D, each of emf
3 1.5V and negligible internal resistance.

(a) The resistance of each resistor is 4.0 Ω.

(i) Calculate the total resistance of the circuit.

answer = ...................................... Ω
(1)

(ii) Calculate the total emf of the combination of cells.

answer = ....................................... V
(1)

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 (iii) Calculate the current passing through cell A.

answer = ....................................... A
(2)

(iv) Calculate the charge passing through cell A in five minutes, stating an appropriate
unit.

answer = ......................................
(2)

(b) Each of the cells can provide the same amount of electrical energy before going flat.
State and explain which two cells in this circuit you would expect to go flat first.

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(3)
(Total 9 marks)

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 The circuit diagram below shows a 6.0 V battery of negligible internal resistance connected in
4 series to a light dependent resistor (LDR), a variable resistor and a fixed resistor, R.

(a) For a particular light intensity the resistance of the LDR is 50 kΩ. The resistance of
R is 5.0 kΩ and the variable resistor is set to a value of 35 kΩ.

(i) Calculate the current in the circuit.

current...........................................A
(2)

(ii) Calculate the reading on the voltmeter.

voltmeter reading ...........................................V

(b) State and explain what happens to the reading on the voltmeter if the intensity of the light
incident on the LDR increases.

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(2)

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 (c) For a certain application at a particular light intensity the pd across R needs to be 0.75 V.
The resistance of the LDR at this intensity is 5.0 kΩ.

Calculate the required resistance of the variable resistor in this situation.

resistance ........................................... Ω
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

The circuit shown in the figure below shows an arrangement of resistors, W, X, Y, Z, connected
5 to a battery of negligible internal resistance.

The emf of the battery is 10V and the reading on the ammeter is 2.0 A.

(a) (i) Calculate the total resistance of the circuit.

answer = ..................................... Ω
(1)

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 (ii) The resistors W, X, Y, and Z all have the same resistance. Show that your answer to
part (a) (i) is consistent with the resistance of each resistor being 3.0 Ω.

answer = ..................................... Ω
(3)

(b) (i) Calculate the current through resistor Y.

answer = ...................................... A
(2)

(ii) Calculate the pd across resistor W.

answer = ...................................... V
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

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 A battery of negligible internal resistance is connected to lamp P in parallel with lamp Q as
6 shown in Figure 1. The emf of the battery is 12 V.

Figure 1

(a) Lamp P is rated at 12 V 36 W and lamp Q is rated at 12 V 6 W.

(i) Calculate the current in the battery.

answer = ...................................... A
(2)

(ii) Calculate the resistance of P.

answer = ...................................... Ω
(1)

(iii) Calculate the resistance of Q.

answer = ...................................... Ω
(1)

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(b) State and explain the effect on the brightness of the lamps in the circuit shown in Figure 1
if the battery has a significant internal resistance.

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(3)

(c) The lamps are now reconnected to the 12 V battery in series as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

(i) Explain why the lamps will not be at their normal brightness in this circuit.

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(2)

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 (ii) State and explain which of the lamps will be brighter assuming that the resistance of
the lamps does not change significantly with temperature.

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(3)
(Total 12 marks)

The circuit in Figure 1 has a thermistor connected in series to a 200 Ω resistor and a 12 V
7
battery of negligible internal resistance. Figure 2 shows how the resistance, Rth, of the thermistor
varies with temperature.

(a) (i) Calculate the current in the circuit when the temperature is 25°C.

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 (ii) Calculate the potential difference across the thermistor at 25°C.

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(3)

(b) Without further calculation, explain how you would expect the potential difference across
the thermistor to change as the temperature increases from 25°C.

You may be awarded marks for the quality of written communication in your answer.

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(3)

(c) The circuit in Figure 1 is modified by removing the 200 Ω resistance to give the circuit in
Figure 3.

The temperature of the thermistor is increased at a steady rate from 25°C to 45°C in 10
minutes.

(i) Calculate the power dissipated in the thermistor at

25°C ......................................................................................................

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45°C ......................................................................................................

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(ii) Use the mean value of the powers determined in part (c)(i) to calculate the energy
supplied by the battery during the period in which the temperature of the thermistor
increases.

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(iii) State why the energy value, determined in part (c)(ii) is not an accurate value.

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(6)
(Total 12 marks)

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