Name: ________________________
KS3 Electricity
Question Paper Class: ________________________
Date: ________________________
Time: 41 minutes
Marks: 57 marks
Comments:
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1. Ben makes a series circuit using two
identical cells, a bulb and a switch to
turn the bulb on and off.
(a) Draw a circuit diagram of Ben’s circuit. Use the correct symbols.
The cells have been drawn for you.
3 marks
(b) Which part of the circuit supplies the energy?
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
(c) Ben adds another identical bulb to the circuit in series.
How does the brightness of the first bulb change?
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
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(d) How will the brightness of the bulbs change when the cells shown below are placed into
Ben’s circuit?
(i)
.............................................
1 mark
(ii)
.............................................
1 mark
maximum 7 marks
(a) Draw a line from each circuit symbol below to the correct name.
2. Draw only four lines.
circuit symbol name
3 marks
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(b) Fred made circuit 1 as shown below.
Give the name of the part that is the energy source for the circuit.
.........................................................
1 mark
(c) Fred then made circuit 2 as shown below.
In the table below, tick a box to show whether circuit 1 and circuit 2 are series or parallel
circuits.
Tick only two boxes.
series parallel
circuit 1
circuit 2
1 mark
(d) What metal is usually used for wires in electric circuits?
...........................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks
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(a) Draw a line from each electrical circuit to the correct circuit diagram.
3. Draw only four lines.
electrical circuit circuit diagram
2 marks
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(b) In each circuit below, bulb 1 breaks and goes off.
Under each circuit diagram below, tick the correct boxes to show if bulb 2 and
bulb 3 are on or off.
circuit A circuit B
2 marks
(c) Give the name of the part that provides energy for each circuit.
........................................................
1 mark
(d) Why is copper used for wires in a circuit?
Tick the correct box.
1 mark
maximum 6 marks
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Susan has a small fan to keep herself cool.
4. When she switches it on, a motor turns the blades to blow air.
(a) The diagrams below show the symbols for a battery, a motor and a switch.
In the space below, draw a series circuit diagram for the fan using these
symbols.
1 mark
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(b) (i) Which part provides energy for the circuit?
.........................................................
1 mark
(ii) Some of this energy is used to turn the blades.
The rest of the energy is wasted.
Complete the sentence below. Choose words from the list.
chemical heat light sound
1 mark
When the blades are turning, energy is wasted as
....................................... energy and ....................................... energy.
1 mark
(c) Susan built a circuit using a battery, a motor and a switch.
She closed the switch to turn the motor on.
(i) Susan added a bulb to the circuit.
The current in the circuit decreased.
How did this affect the motor?
................................................................................................................
1 mark
(ii) Susan removed the motor from the circuit.
The current in the circuit increased.
How did this affect the bulb?
................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks
(a) Max built circuit 1 as shown below.
5.
circuit 1
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He closed the switch, S, and all the bulbs came on.
One of the bulbs then broke and all the bulbs went off.
Which bulb must have broken?
Give the letter.
...............
1 mark
(b) Max built circuit 2 as shown below.
He connected a plastic comb and a metal key in different parts of the circuit.
circuit 2
Look carefully at circuit 2.
Complete the table below to show which bulbs in circuit 2 will be on or off when
different switches are open or closed.
Write on or off in the boxes below.
switch 1 switch 2 bulb P bulb Q bulb R
open open off off off
open closed
closed open
2 marks
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(c) Max built circuit 3 using a battery, two bulbs and three ammeters.
circuit 3
The current reading on ammeter A1 was 0.8 amps.
What would be the reading on ammeters A2 and A3?
Place one tick in the table by the correct pair of readings.
readingon reading on correct pair
ammeter A2 (amps) ammeter A3 (amps) of readings
0.8 0.8
0.8 0.4
0.4 0.8
0.4 0.4
1 mark
maximum 4 marks
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(a) The diagram below shows a circuit with a two-way switch, S.
6.
Rosie puts the switch in the position shown below.
Complete the table below to show if the bulbs are on or off.
Write on or off for each bulb.
bulb on or off
R
1 mark
(b) Give the name of the part that provides energy for the circuit.
.............................................................
1 mark
(c) The diagrams below show a light-bulb over a staircase of a model house.
There is a two-way switch at the bottom of the stairs and another two-way switch
at the top.
Under each diagram, tick one box to show if the bulb is on or off. The first one
has been done for you.
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2 marks
maximum 4 marks
Lorna built the circuit drawn below. All the bulbs are identical.
7.
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(a) Complete the table below by writing on or off for each bulb.
switch bulb
S1 S2 A B
open open off off
open closed
closed open
closed closed
3 marks
(b) Lorna then built a different circuit as shown below.
How could Lorna get both bulbs to light at the same time in this circuit?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 4 marks
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(a) The drawing below shows the parts of a torch.
8.
(i) Paul closed the switch.
Why did this turn on the torch?
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
1 mark
(ii) The diagrams below show symbols for a battery, a bulb and a switch.
Connect the symbols to make a series circuit for the torch.
1 mark
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(b) The drawings below show two other torches. In both torches, the bulbs will not light even
when Paul closes the switches.
Look carefully at the drawings.
(i) Why is the circuit of torch A not complete?
.............................................................................................................
1 mark
(ii) What could you do to torch B to get the bulb to light?
.............................................................................................................
1 mark
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(c) When Paul bought his torch there was a paper strip between the contacts of the switch as
shown below.
Paul had to remove the paper strip before he could turn the torch on.
Give the reason for this.
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 5 marks
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(a) Ahmed bought two sets of lights to put on a tree in his garden.
9. Circuit diagrams for the two sets of lights are shown below.
Choose words from the list below to fill the gaps in the sentences.
all none some parallel series short
(i) Circuit A is a ........................................ circuit.
If one of the bulbs breaks in circuit A ........................................ of the
other bulbs will go out.
1 mark
(ii) Circuit B is a ........................................ circuit.
If one of the bulbs breaks in circuit B ........................................ of the
other bulbs will go out.
1 mark
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(b) Light rays from the bulbs hit the mirror of Ahmed’s car.
What happened to the light rays when they hit the mirror?
.....................................................................................................................
1 mark
(c) The tree has root hairs.
What are the functions of root hairs?
Tick the two correct boxes.
They absorb water from
They absorb sunlight.
the soil.
They absorb minerals
They produce seeds.
from the soil.
They attract bees for
pollination.
2 marks
maximum 5 marks
The back window of this car contains a heating element.
10.
The heating element is part of an electrical circuit connected to the battery of the car.
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The diagrams below show two ways of connecting the circuit of a heating element.
(a) Give the name of each type of circuit:
circuit A ...................................................................
circuit B ...................................................................
1 mark
(b) A wire gets broken at point X on circuit A and at point Y on circuit B.
When the switch is closed, how does the broken wire affect the heating
element in:
(i) circuit A? ............................................................................................
...........................................................................................................
1 mark
(ii) circuit B? .............................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
1 mark
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(c) In very cold weather, ice may form on the back window of the car.
When the heating element is switched on, the ice will disappear and the surface of the
window will become clear and dry.
(i) Fill the gap below to show the energy transfer that takes place.
When the heater is switched on, ........................................ energy is transferred from
the wires to the ice.
1 mark
(ii) As the window becomes clear and dry, physical changes take place in the ice.
Fill the gaps below to show the physical changes which take place.
from ............................. to ............................. to .............................
1 mark
Maximum 5 marks
Pressure pads can be used to set off burglar alarms. The alarm is set off when someone steps
11. on the pad. The alarm works by sounding a buzzer or switching on a lamp or both.
The symbols for a pressure pad, a two way switch, a buzzer and a lamp are shown below.
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Here are five circuit diagrams.
Look carefully at the five circuit diagrams.
Tick the correct box to show what is happening in each circuit.
5 marks
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