Potential difference

• Physics
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Potential difference

What do we call the flow of electrons around a circuit?

1. Current
2. Potential difference
3. Resistance
4. Energy

What is potential difference?

1. The resistance in a circuit
2. The flow of current
3. The amount of charge
4. The work done per unit charge

Match the keyword to the definition.

Flow of electrons through a wire.

Components arranged in a loop, joined by wires.

Push that makes charge move (provided by a battery/cell).

Current 

Potential difference

Circuit 

How is potential difference measured?

1. In amperes (A)
2. In ohms (Ω)
3. In coulombs (C)
4. In volts (V)

Complete the circuit to show the symbols of the component used to measure potential difference and the component used to measure current.

V

A

What is the potential difference across a resistor with 2 ohms and a current of 3 amperes?

1. 9 volts
2. 7 volts
3. 5 volts
4. 6 volts

How does potential difference affect current in a circuit?

1. Potential difference only affects resistance
2. Potential difference has no effect on current
3. Higher potential difference leads to lower current
4. Higher potential difference leads to higher current

For an ohmic conductor, potential difference and current are directly proportional when

1. temperature increases
2. temperature decreases
3. temperature is constant
4. temperature does not matter

Complete the equation
potential difference =
Energy / _______

1. Current
2. Columb
3. Carbon
4. Charge

Drag the unit to the physical quantity:

charge

time

potential difference

current

resistance

energy

power

C

J

V

Ω

s

A

W

A battery creates a charge called a...

1. Circuit
2. Potential difference

A potential difference pushes .............. around a circuit.

1. Protons
2. Electrons

Potential difference is measured in...

1. Ohms
2. Volts

What is the formula for potential difference in a circuit?

1. Potential difference = Current × Resistance
2. Potential difference = Current ÷ Resistance
3. Potential difference = Resistance ÷ Current
4. Potential difference = Current + Resistance

What is the equation to work out potential difference?

Name the component used to measure potential difference.

What is the unit of potential difference?

Describe the relationship between current and potential difference for a fixed resistor.

no correct answer specified - I like to flip their answers on the board and discuss their answers - what's missing etc

Describe the relationship between current and potential difference for a diode.

Describe the relationship between current and potential difference for a filament lamp.

The energy transferred to a bulb is 320 J when 64 C of charge passes through it. Calculate the potential difference across the bulb. Give your answer in volts (V).

Calculate the current in a circuit when there is a potential difference of 230 V and a resistance of 55 Ω. Give your answer in amps (A) to 2 significant figures.

Calculate the resistance of a circuit when there is a potential difference of 1.5 kV and a current of 30 mA. Give your answer in ohms (Ω).

What are the units for potential difference?

Describe how current, potential difference and resistance are linked.

Compare contrast and explain the potential difference in the 2 circuits on the last slide

Calculate the current when the potential difference is 20V and resistance is 10ohms

Calculate the current when the potential difference is 10V and resistance is 20Ohms

Calculate the current when the potential difference is 20V and resistance is 10 ohms

Calculate the resistance when the current is 15.5A and the potential difference is 5.5V

The current in the circuit is 3.5mA when the potential difference across the thermistor is 4.2V.
Calculate the resistance of the thermistor.

Drag the units (blue) to the symbol(red)

m

Δp

v

u

F

p

a

m/s

m/s2

m/s

kgm/s

kgm/s

kg

N

Drag the symbol to its name:

ammeter

voltmeter

fuse

filament bulb

diode

thermistor

switch

variable resistor

cell

light dependent resistor

Link the symbol to the electric component

Match the hazard symbol to its meaning.

Flammable

Explosive

Health Hazard

Toxic

Irritant

Corrosive

How many oxygen atoms are there in each of these substances?

Substance	Oxygen Atoms
O
HNO
C H O
MgO
CO
MgCO

2

2

3

3

6

12

6

1

2

2

3

3

6

Smallest

Largest

Put these objects in order of size.

Sun

Earth

Moon

Solar system

Galaxy 

Universe

Human

Atom

Match the word to the definition.

The smallest part of an element to exist.

2 or more atoms strongly joined together.

A substance made from one type of atom. 

Atoms of 2 or more elements strongly joined together.

Compound

Atom

Molecule

Element

Sort the physical properties into metal or non-metal.

Metal

Non-metal

Shiny

Dull

Brittle

Malleable

Ductile

High melting point

Low melting point

Conducts electricity

Conducts heat

Doesn't conduct electricity

Conducts heat badly (insulates)

In a chemical reaction atoms are always _________________ to make new __________.

However the total number of atoms in the reactants must be _____________ the total number of ____________ in the products.

rearranged

reactants

atoms

less than

equal to 

products

more than

Are these physical changes or chemical reactions?

Physical change

Chemical reaction

Melting butter

Dissolving salt in water

Burning a bonfire

Freezing water

Adding Mentos to Coca Cola

Baking a cake

An explosion

Electron

Shells

Proton

Neutron

Nucleus

Put the circuits in order from dimmest to brightest.

Dim

Bright

Drag the item to whether it would be weighed in grams or kilograms.

Grams (g)

Kilograms (kg)