Resistance, series and parallel circuits: Edexcel GCSE Combined Science questions

Every Edexcel GCSE Combined Science exam question on Resistance, series and parallel circuits (specification points 10.12–10.21), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

All 69 questions on Resistance, series and parallel circuits, as a list

June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the resistance of the resistor. (2) resistance = Ω
June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a)(ii) (2 marks): Describe how an additional component could be used to vary the current in the resistor. (2)
June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(c) (6 marks): The table in Figure 14 gives some information about series and parallel circuits. series and parallel circuits A battery can be connected to two equal value res
June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the total resistance of the lamps in the circuit. (1) total resistance of lamps = Ω
June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): The current in a lamp in Figure 1 is 0.50 A. The resistance of the lamp is 12 Ω. Calculate the voltage across this lamp. Use the equation V = I × R (2) voltage
June 2025, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): The resistance of the circuit is increased by adding one resistor to the circuit. State how increasing the resistance changes the current in the circuit. (1)
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(i) (1 mark): On Figure 2, draw a voltmeter connected to measure the voltage (p.d.) across the resistors. (1) The students remove one resistor and measure the current and vo
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Using data from the table in Figure 3, predict the current from the power supply when there are 4 resistors in the circuit. (1) current = mA
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(iii) (3 marks): Using data from the table in Figure 3, calculate the resistance of only 1 resistor. (3) resistance = Ω
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(iv) (3 marks): Using data from the table in Figure 3, explain what happens to the total resistance of the circuit as the number of resistors in parallel decreases. (3)
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(a) (3 marks): A student investigates how current varies with potential difference across a filament lamp. The student uses a power supply, a variable resistor, the filament l
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): Suggest one advantage of using a data logger instead of meters in this investigation. (1)
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(ii) (2 marks): Describe how current varies with potential difference in the graph in Figure 11. (2)
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(iii) (2 marks): Use data from the graph in Figure 11 to show how the resistance changes with potential difference for the filament lamp. (2)
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): On Figure 11, draw a voltmeter connected to measure the voltage (p.d.) across the resistors. (1) The students remove one resistor and measure the current and v
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(ii) (1 mark): Using data from the table in Figure 12, predict the current from the power supply when there are 4 resistors in the circuit. (1) current = mA
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(iii) (3 marks): Using data from the table in Figure 12, calculate the resistance of only 1 resistor. (3) resistance = Ω
June 2024, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(iv) (3 marks): Using data from the table in Figure 12, explain what happens to the total resistance of the circuit as the number of resistors in parallel decreases. (3)
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a) (2 marks): Figure 1 shows some of the apparatus that students use to determine the resistance of a piece of iron wire. connector iron wire connector variable resistor batt
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(i) (1 mark): Give the name of one additional piece of apparatus the students would need. (1)
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Figure 2 shows a graph of the results. 4.00 3.50 3.00 2.50 resistance 2.00 in Ω 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 length in cm Figure 2 Draw a straight
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(iii) (1 mark): Use Figure 2 to estimate the resistance of a 100 cm length of the iron wire. (1) resistance = Ω
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(iv) (2 marks): The variable resistor shown in Figure 1 is used to prevent the iron wire from becoming too hot. Explain how the variable resistor is used to prevent the iron wi
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(c) (2 marks): The potential difference (voltage) across another piece of wire is 1.56 V. The current in the wire is 0.45 A. Calculate the resistance of this piece of wire. Us
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b) (2 marks): Figure 12 shows some of the apparatus that students use to determine the resistance of a piece of iron wire. connector iron wire connector variable resistor bat
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(i) (1 mark): Give the name of one additional piece of apparatus the students would need. (1)
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(ii) (1 mark): Figure 13 shows a graph of the results. 4.00 3.50 3.00 2.50 resistance 2.00 in Ω 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 length in cm Figure 13 Draw a straigh
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(iii) (1 mark): Use Figure 13 to estimate the resistance of a 100 cm length of the iron wire. (1) resistance = Ω
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(iv) (2 marks): The variable resistor shown in Figure 12 is used to prevent the iron wire from becoming too hot. Explain how the variable resistor is used to prevent the iron w
June 2023, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(d) (2 marks): The potential difference (voltage) across another piece of wire is 1.56 V. The current in the wire is 0.45 A. Calculate the resistance of this piece of wire. Us
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the resistance of the lamp. Use the equation R = V I (1) resistance = Ω
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b) (3 marks): Another identical lamp is added to the circuit, as shown in Figure 2. d.c. power supply Figure 2 The power supply provides the same potential difference as it p
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(c) (3 marks): A student is given a low voltage power supply and 1 m of resistance wire. The student uses these and other pieces of equipment to measure the resistance of just
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the resistance of this thermistor varies with temperature. (2)
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(ii) (3 marks): Draw the tangent to the curve at a temperature of 30 °C, to find the rate of change of resistance with temperature at 30 °C. State the unit. (3) rate of change
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(c)(i) (2 marks): Explain one improvement in measurement that the student could make in the investigation. (2) In this investigation, the resistance can be measured in two ways.
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(c)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why method 2 gives more precise results than method 1. (2)
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the resistance of the lamp. Use the equation R = V I (1) resistance = Ω
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b) (3 marks): Another identical lamp is added to the circuit, as shown in Figure 10. d.c. power supply Figure 10 The power supply provides the same potential difference as it
June 2022, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c) (3 marks): A student is given a low voltage power supply and 1 m of resistance wire. The student uses these and other pieces of equipment to measure the resistance of just
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe the relationship between the current and the voltage as shown in the graph in Figure 1. (2)
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): Use the values of the voltage and current at point P and at point Q on the graph in Figure 1 to complete the table in Figure 2. (2) voltage in V current in mA p
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(iii) (2 marks): Calculate the resistance of the filament lamp when the voltage is 4.5 V and the current is 51 mA. Use the equation R = V I (2) resistance = Ω
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(iv) (3 marks): Explain why the resistance of the filament lamp changes as the voltage across it increases. (3)
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the current in the wires to the battery when all the devices are switched on. (1) current = A
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(ii) (1 mark): State how the overall resistance of the circuit changes when any one of the devices is switched off. (1)
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(b) (2 marks): When the current in a lamp is 0.15 A, the resistance of the lamp is 40 Ω. Calculate the voltage across the lamp. Use the equation V = I × R (2) voltage = V
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(i) (2 marks): Describe the relationship between the current and the voltage as shown in the graph in Figure 11. (2)
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(ii) (2 marks): Use the values of the voltage and current at point P and at point Q on the graph in Figure 11 to complete the table in Figure 12. (2) voltage in V current in mA
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(iii) (2 marks): Calculate the resistance of the filament lamp when the voltage is 4.5 V and the current is 51 mA. Use the equation R = V I (2) resistance = Ω
November 2021, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(c)(iv) (3 marks): Explain why the resistance of the filament lamp changes as the voltage across it increases. (3)
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(a)(i) (2 marks): Add to Figure 10:  a voltmeter to find the potential difference across resistor R  another resistor in parallel with resistor R. (2)
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): State the measurements that the student must take to find the overall resistance of the resistors in parallel. (2)
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(a)(iii) (1 mark): The student investigates how the overall resistance of the circuit changes when additional resistors are added in parallel to R. Each resistor has the same resi
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(a)(iv) (3 marks): Comment on the relationship between the overall resistance of the circuit and the number of resistors in parallel. Use information from Figure 11 to support you
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the potential difference across the 15 Ω resistor. (2) potential difference = V
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): State the value of the voltage across the 22 Ω resistor. (1) voltage across 22 Ω resistor = V
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): The current in resistor X is 0.041 A. The voltage across resistor X is 2.1 V. Show that the resistance of resistor X must be about 50 ohms. Use the equation V =
November 2020, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(b)(iv) (2 marks): Calculate the overall resistance of the 22 ohm resistor and resistor X. (2) overall resistance = Ω
June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q2(b)(i) (3 marks): One value of resistance is missing from the table in Figure 2. Calculate the value of resistance that is missing from the table. (3) missing resistance = Ω
June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q2(b)(ii) (3 marks): The student writes this conclusion: ‘The resistance of the lamp is directly proportional to the potential difference.’ Comment on the student’s conclusion. Use
June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q2(b)(iii) (2 marks): The student used a power supply that had fixed output voltage settings. Each of these outputs was a whole number of volts. Describe how the student could add a
June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(b)(i) (3 marks): One value of resistance is missing from the table in Figure 9. Calculate the value of resistance that is missing from the table. (3) missing resistance = Ω
June 2019, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(b)(ii) (3 marks): The student writes this conclusion: ‘The resistance of the lamp is directly proportional to the potential difference.’ Comment on the student’s conclusion. Use
June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q5(c) (3 marks): Figure 7 shows a cardboard tube with a wire coming out from each end. P Q Figure 7 There are two 10 ohm resistors inside the cardboard tube. A potential differe
June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the potential difference across each lamp. (1) potential difference = V
June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Higher, Q6(b) (6 marks): Explain, with the aid of a circuit diagram, the method a student could use to investigate how the resistance of a single lamp changes with the potential differe
June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a) (1 mark): Figure 6 shows a graph of current against potential difference for an electrical component. current (A) 0 0 potential difference Figure 6 Which electrical compo
June 2018, Physics Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c) (3 marks): A student measures the current in the lamp for several values of potential difference across the lamp. Figure 7 shows the student’s results. potential differenc

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