Electricity: GCSE Combined Science
Circuit symbols, current, potential difference and resistance, series and parallel, I-V graphs, energy in circuits, mains electricity and static charge
The short version
Use Q = It and V = IR, compare series and parallel, sketch I-V graphs, calculate electrical power, and describe mains wiring and static electricity.
Key idea
Charge in C, current in A, time in s; PD in V, resistance in ohms
Grade 2–3: Current is a flow. A cell pushes it. A resistor slows it down.
Grade 5–6: I can use Q = It and V = IR and I put the ammeter in series.
Grade 9: PD is energy transferred per coulomb (a 12 V battery gives 12 J to each coulomb). Longer, thinner, warmer wires have more resistance. I never say PD is "the current pushing".
Go a bit deeper
Write the method in this order — examiners buy the sequence
Worked example
Worked example
Grade 2–3: Current is a flow. A cell pushes it. A resistor slows it down. Grade 5–6: I can use Q = It and V = IR and I put the ammeter in series. Grade 9: PD is energy transferred per coulomb (a 12 V battery gives 12 J to each coulomb). Longer, thinner, warmer wires have more resistance. I never say PD is "the current pushing".
Lessons in this topic
- Circuit symbols current pd resistance
- Series and parallel
- I-V graphs and Ohm
- Energy in circuits
- Domestic electricity mains
- Static electricity Combined depth
In the app each lesson is video (when we have a real YouTube id) then intro, learn and summary steps.
What the examiner wants
State current same in series and PD same in parallel. Show V = IR rearrangements. For mains: live, neutral, earth, fuse in the live wire. Electric fields are Higher.
Try these questions
Cover the answers and have a go first. Worked solutions are underneath.
An ammeter should be connected
Charge flow when 3.0 A passes for 8.0 s is
A 6.0 V PD across a 2.0 A current means the resistance is
In a series circuit the current is
Common mistakes
- PD is not "the current pushing". Current is the flow; PD is the energy difference that drives the flow. Time in Q = It must be seconds.
- Do not add parallel resistances like series. 4 ohms and 4 ohms in parallel is 2 ohms, not 8 ohms.
- Do not say the lamp uses more resistance to make light. Resistance increases because the metal is hotter.
- Do not leave time in minutes inside E = Pt if you want joules. 2 minutes = 120 s.
Answers and working
Frequently asked questions
Is GCSE Electricity on Combined Science and Triple?
Electricity is on Combined Science and on Triple Physics. Progress is shared in the ReviseEasy app.
Which exam board is this Electricity page for?
The ideas are board-agnostic for AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA. Paper lengths and question numbers differ — check your specification.
Is Electricity Foundation or Higher?
The core ideas appear on both tiers. Higher papers add extra application and some HT-only detail, marked in lessons with a Higher badge.
Learn, try, get feedback, fix the mistake
Open the stepped lesson, then the quiz with hints. Required-practical and calculation questions use the same method you will need in the paper.
Learn Electricity on ReviseEasy →Related revision
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