Lesson T5.1.2

T5.1.2 Potential difference and resistance Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T5.1.2, Potential difference and resistance: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 5: Electricity and magnetism, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is potential difference, measured in volts?

    • The rate of flow of charge around a circuit, which is the same thing as the current in the wires
    • The energy transferred per unit charge between two points in a circuit
    • The power produced by a battery, which is the energy that it gives out in each second
    • The resistance of a component to the flow of current, which changes with its temperature

  2. What unit is potential difference measured in?

    • Volts (V)
    • Newtons (N), which is the unit of force used when a force acts on a spring or a load
    • Amperes (A), which is the unit of current, the rate at which charge flows in the circuit
    • Ohms (Ω), which is the unit of resistance, the ratio of potential difference to current

  3. What is resistance, measured in ohms?

    • The ratio of potential difference to current
    • The total charge flowing per second, which is the same as the current flowing in the circuit
    • The ratio of current to potential difference, which is the reciprocal of the true resistance
    • The product of current and potential difference, which gives the power used by the component

  4. A component has a potential difference of 6 V across it and a current of 2 A through it. What is its resistance?

    • 12 Ω, which is found by multiplying the potential difference by the current instead of dividing
    • 3 Ω
    • 8 Ω, which is found by adding the potential difference and the current together before dividing
    • 0.33 Ω, which is found by dividing the current by the potential difference instead of the reverse

  5. A resistor has a resistance of 4 Ω and a current of 3 A through it. What is the potential difference across it?

    • 1.33 V, which is found by dividing the resistance by the current instead of multiplying them
    • 12 V
    • 7 V, which is found by adding the resistance and the current together to get the answer
    • 0.75 V, which is found by dividing the current by the resistance instead of the other way round

  6. How should a voltmeter be connected in a circuit?

    • In series with the battery only, which lets the meter read the energy stored in the cell
    • In series with the component being measured, so that the current passes through the meter
    • In parallel across the component being measured
    • Directly through the component's current path, so that it sits in the middle of the loop

  7. What is the approximate voltage of a standard household mains supply in the UK?

    • 12 V, which is the voltage of a typical car battery used to start a vehicle engine
    • 1.5 V, which is the voltage of a single ordinary cell used in a torch or remote control
    • 230 V
    • 5000 V, which is the voltage used on high-voltage power lines that cross the countryside

  8. Which of these is a unit of resistance?

    • Ohm
    • Volt, which is the unit of potential difference, the energy given to each unit of charge
    • Coulomb, which is the unit of charge, the quantity of electricity that passes a point
    • Amp, which is the unit of current, the rate at which charge flows around the circuit

  9. Why do two lamps in series share the battery voltage?

    • The total p.d. across the lamps adds up to the battery voltage, shared between them.
    • Each lamp stores some voltage for later use, which is then released when the lamp is switched off.
    • Each lamp gets the full battery voltage separately, so the voltage is not shared at all.
    • The lamps cancel out the voltage between them, which is why the battery voltage drops to zero.

  10. In a parallel circuit, what is the potential difference across each branch compared with the battery?

    • It is double the battery's potential difference, because each branch adds its own voltage to the supply.
    • It is equal to the battery's potential difference.
    • It is half the battery's potential difference, because the battery voltage is shared by the branches.
    • It is zero across every branch, because the current flowing in each branch uses up the voltage.

  11. A bulb is rated 6 V, 0.5 A. What is its resistance when it works at its rating?

    • 12 Ω
    • 6.5 Ω, which is found by adding the voltage and the current together before dividing
    • 3 Ω, which is found by dividing the current by the voltage and then doubling the answer
    • 0.08 Ω, which is found by dividing the current by the voltage instead of the other way round

  12. What does a battery's voltage tell you about the battery?

    • The energy given to each coulomb of charge passing through it.
    • The total charge the battery can store forever, which is why it does not run out over time.
    • The speed of the charge around the circuit, which is set by the voltage of the battery itself.
    • The resistance of the wires connected to it, which the battery measures before the circuit runs.

  13. What happens to the current in a circuit if the resistance is doubled and the voltage stays the same?

    • The current doubles, because a larger resistance pushes the charge through with more force.
    • The current stays the same, because the voltage of the supply controls the current completely.
    • The current halves.
    • The current becomes zero, because the resistance is so large that no charge can pass through.

  14. Which statement about resistance is correct?

    • Resistance is how much a component opposes the flow of current.
    • Resistance is the energy stored in the component, which is released when the current flows.
    • Resistance is the voltage applied across the component, which is set by the battery in the circuit.
    • Resistance is the total charge that passes through the component each second, which is its flow rate.

  15. A current of 0.2 A flows through a resistor with a p.d. of 10 V. What is the resistance?

    • 0.02 Ω, which is found by multiplying the current by the potential difference and then by 0.1
    • 2 Ω, which is found by multiplying the current by the potential difference and then dividing by ten
    • 500 Ω, which is found by dividing the potential difference by the current and then by two
    • 50 Ω

  16. In a series circuit, how is the battery voltage shared between two identical resistors?

    • Equally, so each resistor has half the battery voltage.
    • The first resistor gets all of it and the second none, because the first one always takes the full voltage.
    • Each resistor gets the full battery voltage, which is why the total voltage in series doubles around the loop.
    • The second resistor gets all of it and the first none, because the last component in the loop takes all the voltage.

  17. What is the potential difference across a 2 Ω resistor when a current of 0.5 A flows through it?

    • 1 V
    • 2.5 V, which is found by adding the resistance to the current and then multiplying by one-half
    • 4 V, which is found by dividing the resistance by the current and then doubling the result
    • 0.25 V, which is found by multiplying the current by the resistance and then halving the result

  18. Which type of wire has a higher resistance: a thin wire or a thick wire of the same material?

    • The thick wire, because thick wires always hold more charge, which increases their resistance.
    • The thin wire, because it offers less space for charge to flow through.
    • The thick wire, because it has more material to resist the flow of charge through the wire.
    • They have the same resistance, whatever their thickness, because the material is the same.

  19. A student measures a potential difference of 9 V and a current of 3 A. Which statement about the component is correct?

    • Its resistance is 0.33 Ω, which is found by dividing the current by the voltage.
    • Its resistance is 3 Ω.
    • Its resistance is 27 Ω, which is found by multiplying the voltage by the current.
    • Its resistance is 12 Ω, which is found by adding the voltage and the current together.

  20. A bulb works at 12 V and draws a current of 2 A. What is its power in watts?

    • 24 W
    • 6 W, which is found by dividing the voltage by the current instead of multiplying them
    • 14 W, which is found by adding the voltage and the current together before the calculation
    • 0.17 W, which is found by dividing the current by the voltage instead of the other way round

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