Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can list the kinds of element a circuit can contain and explain what a closed electrical loop is. (Guide: “What a circuit is”)
- I can define closed, open and short circuits and give an example of each. (Guide: “Closed, open and short circuits”; Practice Q6)
- I can explain why a shorted bulb carries no current, using the idea of zero potential difference. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q2)
- I can explain that a schematic shows connections, not physical layout, and that the arrangement of elements decides how a circuit behaves. (Guide: “Circuit schematics and symbols”)
Skills
- I can recognise and draw the symbols for a battery, bulb, switch, capacitor, resistor, inductor, ammeter and voltmeter. (Guide: Figure 1; Practice Q1, Q5)
- I can show that an element is variable by drawing a diagonal arrow through its symbol. (Practice Q5)
- I can turn a written description of a circuit into a schematic with junction dots in the right places. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5)
- I can list every closed loop in a circuit and name the elements in each. (Guide: Figure 2; Practice Q3, Q4)
- I can mark conventional current on a schematic, starting from the battery’s positive terminal. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q7)
Reasoning
- I can predict which bulbs are lit for different switch positions, and justify each answer using loops. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q4)
- I can explain why the current is the same at every point of a single loop. (Practice Q7)
- I can explain why a short circuit across a battery is a hazard. (Guide: “Closed, open and short circuits”)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 11.3, Resistance, Resistivity and Ohm’s Law.