Electrical Circuits: 

• Draw and interpret circuit diagrams, including all common circuit symbols
• Define electric current as the rate of flow of electrical charge around a closed circuit
• Calculate charge and current by recalling and applying the formula: [ Q = It ]
• Explain that current is caused by a source of potential difference and it has the same value at any point in a single closed loop of a circuit
• Describe and apply the idea that the greater the resistance of a component, the smaller the current for a given potential difference (p.d.) across the component
• Calculate current, potential difference or resistance by recalling and applying the equation: [ V = IR ]
• Required practical 3: Use circuit diagrams to set up and check circuits to investigate the factors affecting the resistance of electrical circuits
• Define an ohmic conductor
• Explain the resistance of components such as lamps, diodes, thermistors and LDRs and sketch/interpret IV graphs of their characteristic electrical behaviour
• Explain how to measure the resistance of a component by drawing an appropriate circuit diagram using correct circuit symbols
• Required practical 4: use circuit diagrams to construct appropriate circuits to investigate the I–V characteristics of a variety of circuit elements
• Show by calculation and explanation that components in series have the same current passing through them
• Show by calculation and explanation that components connected in parallel have the same the potential difference across each of them
• Calculate the total resistance of two components in series as the sum of the resistance of each component using the equation: [ R total = R1 + R2 ]
• Explain qualitatively why adding resistors in series increases the total resistance whilst adding resistors in parallel decreases the total resistance
• Solve problems for circuits which include resistors in series using the concept of equivalent resistance