A Level Cambridge (CIE) Physics 1 hour 8 questions

Structured Questions

Potential Dividers
Potential Dividers / Potentiometer / Galvanometer / Potential Divider Components

Easy (3 questions) /27 Scan here to return to the course

Hard (2 questions) /25

Total Marks /79

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Easy Questions
1 (a) Sketch the circuits symbols for

(i) the potentiometer

[1]

(ii) the galvanometer

[1]

(2 marks)

(b) Fig. 1.1 shows a circuit with a potentiometer.

Fig. 1.1

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 Fixed ends AC are connected across the battery so that there is a full battery voltage
across the whole resistor.

State the voltage output, Vout when the sliding connect is at

(i) A

[1]

(ii) B

[1]

(iii) C

[1]

(3 marks)

(c) The resistor is now replaced with a uniform resistance wire connected between ends AC,

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as shown in Fig. 1.2a. The 28 V cell is replaced with a cell of unknown e.m.f.

Fig. 1.2a

Sketch a graph of Fig 1.2b to show the voltmeter reading V against length l as the jockey
is moved from point A to point C.

Fig 1.2b

(2 marks)

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(d) A potentiometer can be used to compare e.m.fs of cells or potential differences.

A test cell is added to the circuit in Fig. 1.2a. A student sets up the circuit shown in Fig.
1.3.

Fig. 1.3

(i) State why the student will not be able to find a point where the current is zero.

[1]

(ii) The student fixes the issue from (a)(i) and achieves a balance point when the length
of the wire AB is 25.6 cm.

They repeat the experiment with a standard cell of e.m.f 1.545 V. The balance point using
this cell is 37.2 cm.

Calculate the e.m.f of the test cell.

[3]

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 (4 marks)

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2 (a) Fig 1.1 shows a potential divider circuit containing a fixed resistor and thermistor.

Fig 1.1

Explains what happens as the temperature increases.

(2 marks)

(b) The thermistor is now replaced with an LDR and the output voltage is now taken from

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the LDR, as shown in Fig. 1.2a.

Fig. 1.2a

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 Using Fig. 1.2b, determine the resistance of the LDR when the light intensity is 120 lux.

Fig. 1.2b

(1 mark)

(c) Using your answer to part (b), calculate Vout when the light intensity is 120 lux.

(3 marks)

(d) Using your answer to part (c), determine the voltage across the 6.0 kΩ resistor at a light
intensity of 120 lux.

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 (2 marks)

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3 (a) A variable resistor is used to control the circuit shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 1.1

The variable resistor is connected in series with a 16 V power supply of negligible internal
resistance, an ammeter and an 8.0 Ω resistor.

The resistance R of the variable resistor can be varied between 0 to 12 Ω.

Calculate

(i) the minimum possible current

[2]

(ii) the maximum possible current

[2]

(4 marks)

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(b) On Fig 1.2, sketch the variation with R of current I in the circuit.

Fig. 1.2

(2 marks)

(c) Galvanometers are used in null methods.

Explain how a galvanometer is used in null methods.

(2 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 (a) A battery is connected in series with resistors P and Q, as shown in Fig 1.1.

The resistance of P is 7.5 Ω. The resistance of Q is constant. A variable resistor of

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 The current I from the battery is changed by varying R from 5 Ω to 20 Ω. The variation
with R of I is shown in Fig 1.2.

Use Fig 1.2 to state and explain the variation of the p.d. across resistor P as R is
decreased. Numerical values are not required.

(2 marks)

(b) For R = 7.0 Ω, calculate the p.d. between points Y and Z.

(2 marks)

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(c) Show that the resistance of Q is 95 Ω.

(3 marks)

(d) State and explain qualitatively how the power provided by the battery changes as the
resistance R is decreased.

(1 mark)

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2 (a) Fig 1.1 shows a potential divider circuit with a battery of electromotive force (e.m.f.) 24.0
V connected to two resistors R1 and R2.

Fig 1.1

When the resistance of R1 is 6.5 Ω, the voltage across it is 7.0 V.

Show that the resistance of R2 is 16 Ω.

(2 marks)

(b) The resistors are replaced with identical filament lamps A and B and the battery is

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connected in parallel to a linear potentiometer XY, as shown in Fig 1.2.

Fig 1.2

The lamps each have the same I–V characteristic shown in Fig. 1.3.

Fig 1.3

When the slider of the potentiometer is at its midpoint, as shown in Fig. 1.2, the current I
in the battery is 4.12 A.

Determine the current in lamp B.

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 (1 mark)

(c) Calculate the total resistance in the circuit.

(3 marks)

(d) The slider of the potentiometer in (c) is moved to end X. State and explain the effect on
the current of lamps A and B.

(2 marks)

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3 (a) A battery of negligible internal resistance is connected to a thermistor, a switch X and
two fixed resistors, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig 1.1

Resistor R1 has resistance 8.0 kΩ and resistor R2 has resistance 12.0 kΩ. When switch X is
open, the potential difference across R2 is 18 V.

Show that the e.m.f of the battery is 30 V.

(2 marks)

(b) Switch X is now closed. The current in the battery is 1.94 A.

Calculate the resistance of the LDR.

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 (3 marks)

(c) The switch X in the circuit in (a) remains closed. The light intensity on the LDR increases.

By reference to the current in the battery, state and explain the effect, if any, of the
increase in light intensity on the power produced by the battery.

(3 marks)

(d) The light intensity on the LDR decreases.

State and explain what happens to the potential difference across R1.

(3 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 (a) A circuit is set up as shown in Fig. 1.1 below:

Fig. 1.1

The cells in Fig. 1.1 have negligible internal resistance. The cell at the top has an e.m.f. of
5 V and the cell at the bottom has an e.m.f. of 6 V.

R 1 is a variable resistor with a resistance that varies between 0 and 10 Ω, and R 2 and
R3 are fixed resistors with a resistance of 10 Ω and 30 Ω respectively.

Initially, R1 is set such that its resistance is 0 Ω.

By labelling the direction of current on Fig. 1.1, write down the relationship between
three currents I1 , I2 and I
3
at the junction between R and
1
R2 .

(3 marks)

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(b) Determine the current through the resistor R2 .

(3 marks)

(c) State and explain what happens to the potential difference across R2 as the resistance
of R is gradually increased from zero.
1

(4 marks)

(d) Calculate the current flowing through each resistor when R1 is set to a resistance of 10 Ω.

(6 marks)

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2 (a) Fig. 1.1 shows a potentiometer in action. The wire in the potentiometer is represented by
a fixed resistor of resistance 10 Ω and the sliding contact C can move from one end of
the wire (at position P) to the other end of the wire (position Q). This allows the output
potential difference (p.d.) to be varied. The potentiometer is in series with another fixed
resistor of 5 Ω.

Fig. 1.1

This circuit is powered by a 9 V power supply and is used to supply a variable potential
difference to another circuit.

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 Sketch a graph on the axes provided in Fig. 1.2 to show how the supplied potential
difference V varies as the moving contact C is moved from position P to position Q.

Fig. 1.2

Sketch a graph on the axes provided in Fig. 1.2 to show how the supplied potential
difference V varies as the moving contact C is moved from position P to position Q.

(2 marks)

(b) Potential divider circuits generally comprise of two or more resistors in series with each
other.

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 Some potential divider circuits have multiple branches connected in parallel, such as that
shown in Fig. 1.3:

Fig. 1.3

Show that the potential difference between X and Y, VOUT , is 1 V.

(4 marks)

(c) Fig. 1.4 shows another potential divider circuit which includes a thermistor with

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resistance R.

Fig. 1.4

The battery has an EMF of 12 V, with negligible internal resistance. At room temperature,
the resistance of the thermistor is 5 kΩ.

Calculate the current in the battery at room temperature.

(3 marks)

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