06 Electricity and magnetism
Using Fleming’s left hand rule, this will give a force
v into the page (note that the charge is positive so it
θ
q +
Figure 6.88 Helical path of a
charge in a non-perpendicular
B field.
To learn more about
the magnetic effects of
electric currents, go to the
hotlinks site, search for
the title or ISBN and click
on Chapter 6.
Practice questions
1. This question is about electrical energy and associated phenomena.
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M06_IBPS_SB_IBGLB_9083_CH06.indd 222
moves in the direction of current).
So considering the two components of the motion,
B
perpendicular to the field the particle will travel in a
circle whilst parallel to the field the velocity is uniform.
The resulting motion is helical as shown in Figure 6.88.
Exercises
(Electron charge e = 1.6 × 10−19 C)
40 Calculate the force experienced by an electron travelling through a B field of flux density 5 mT with
velocity 500 m s−1.
41 An electron is accelerated through a pd of 500 V then passed into a region of magnetic field
perpendicular to its motion causing it to travel in a circular path of radius 10 cm.
Calculate:
(a) the KE of the electron in joules.
(b) the velocity of the electron. v
(c) the flux density of the magnetic field.
30° B
42 A proton (same charge as an electron but positive) passes into a
region of B field of flux density 5 mT as shown in Figure 6.89 with q +
a velocity of 100 m s−1. Calculate the force experienced by the
proton.
Figure 6.89.
Current electricity E
r
A cell of electromotive force (emf) E and internal
resistance r is connected in series with a resistor
R, as shown in Figure 6.90.
R
Figure 6.90.
The cell supplies 8.1 × 103 J of energy when 5.8 × 103 C of charge moves completely round the
circuit. The current in the circuit is constant.
(i) Calculate the emf E of the cell. (2)
(ii) The resistor R has resistance 6.0 Ω. The potential difference between its terminals is 1.2  V.
Determine the internal resistance r of the cell. (3)
(iii) Calculate the total energy transfer in the resistor R.(2)
(iv) Describe, in terms of a simple model of electrical conduction, the mechanism by which the
energy transfer in the resistor R takes place.  (5)
(Total 12 marks)
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 2. This question is about a filament lamp. V

(a) Copy Figure 6.91 and on the axes

draw a sketch-graph to show the
variation with potential difference V of
the current I in a typical filament lamp
(the I–V characteristic). (Note: this is
a sketch-graph; you do not need to

add any values to the axes.)(1)

Figure 6.91. O I

(b) (i) Explain how the resistance of the filament is determined from the graph. (1)
(ii) Explain whether the graph you have sketched indicates ohmic behaviour or
non-ohmic behaviour. (1)
A filament lamp operates at maximum brightness when connected to a 6.0 V supply.
At maximum brightness, the current in the filament is 120 mA.
(c) (i) Calculate the resistance of the filament when it is operating at maximum brightness. (1)
(ii) You have available a 24  V supply and a collection of resistors of a suitable power rating
and with different values of resistance. Calculate the resistance of the resistor that is
required to be connected in series with the supply such that the voltage across the
filament lamp will be 6.0  V. (2)
(Total 6 marks)
3. This question is about electric A
circuits.
Susan sets up the circuit shown in 3.0 V
Figure 6.92 in order to measure the V
current–voltage (I–V ) characteristic
of a small filament lamp. S

Figure 6.92.

The supply is a battery that has an emf of 3.0 V, and the ammeter and voltmeter are considered
to be ideal. The lamp is labelled by the manufacturer as ‘3 volts, 0.6 watts’.
(a) (i) E xplain what information this labelling provides about the normal operation of the lamp.
(2)
(ii) Calculate the current in the filament of the lamp when it is operating at normal
brightness.(2)
Susan sets the variable resistor to its maximum value of resistance. She then closes the
switch S and records the following readings.

Ammeter reading = 0.18 A Voltmeter reading = 0.60 V

She then sets the variable resistor to its zero value of resistance and records the following
readings.

Ammeter reading = 0.20 A Voltmeter reading = 2.6 V

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 06 Electricity and magnetism

(b) (i) E xplain why, by changing the value of the resistance of the variable resistance,
the potential difference across the lamp cannot be reduced to zero or be increased
to 3.0 V. (2)
(ii) Determine the internal resistance of the battery. (3)
(c) Calculate the resistance of the filament when the reading on the voltmeter is
(i) 0.60 V. (1)
(ii) 2.6 V. (1)
(d) Explain why there is a difference between your answers to (c)(i) and (c)(ii). (2)
(e) Copy Figure 6.93 and on the axes, V
draw a sketch-graph of the I–V
characteristic of the filament of the
lamp. (Note: this is a sketch-graph;
you do not need to add any values to
the axis.)(1)

Figure 6.93.

O I

Figure 6.94 shows an alternative circuit for varying X

the potential difference across the lamp.
Figure 6.94. Y
3.0 V
Z

The potential divider XZ has a potential of 3.0 V across it. When the contact is at the position Y,
the resistance of XY equals the resistance of YZ which equals 12 Ω. The resistance of the
lamp is 4 Ω.
(f) Calculate the potential difference across the lamp. (4)
(Total 18 marks)
4. This question is about emf and internal resistance. V
A dry cell has an emf E and internal resistance r, and is
connected to an external circuit. There is a current I in the
circuit when the potential difference across the terminals of r

the cell is V (see Figure 6.95). I E

Figure 6.95.
(a) State expressions, in terms of E, V, r, and I where appropriate, for
(i) the total power supplied by the cell. (1)
(ii) the power dissipated in the cell. (1)
(iii) the power dissipated in the external circuit. (1)
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 (b) Use your answers to (a) to derive a relationship between V, E, I, and r.(2)
Figure 6.96 shows the variation of V with I for the dry cell.
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.0
0.90
V/V 0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.0
0.0 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90 1.0 1.2 1.3
I/A Figure 6.96.
(c) Copy and complete Figure 6.97 to show the circuit that could be V
used to obtain the data from which the graph in Figure 6.150
was plotted. (3)
r

Figure 6.97. E

(d) Use Figure 6.96, explaining your answers, to

(i) determine the emf E of the cell. (2)
(ii) determine the current in the external circuit when the resistance R of the external circuit
is very small. (2)
(iii) deduce that the internal resistance r of the cell is about 1.2 Ω.(3)
(e) The maximum power dissipated in the external circuit occurs when the resistance of the
external circuit has the same value as the internal resistance of the cell. Calculate the
maximum power dissipation in the external circuit. (3)
(Total 18 marks)

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 06 Electricity and magnetism

5. This question is about electric circuits. ε

(a) Define
I
(i) electromotive force (emf) of a battery. (1)
(ii) electrical resistance of a conductor. (1) R1 R2
(b) Figure 6.98 shows a battery of emf ε and negligible
V1 V2
internal resistance connected in series to two resistors.
The current in the circuit is I. Figure 6.98.

State an equation giving the total power delivered by the battery. (1)
(ii) The potential difference across resistor R1 is V1 and that across resistor R2 is V2.
Using the law of the conservation of energy, deduce the equation below.
ε = V1 + V2 (2)
(c) Figure 6.99 shows the I–V I/A 0.10
characteristics of two conductors, 0.8 Y
X and Y. 0.6
0.4 X
Copy Figure 6.100 and, on the axes,
sketch graphs to show the variation 0.2
with potential difference V of the 0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5
resistance of conductor X (label this V/V
graph X) and conductor Y (label this
graph Y). Figure 6.99.

You do not need to put any numbers on the vertical axis.

R/Ω

0 1 2 3 4 5
V/V Figure 6.100.  (3)
ε
(d) The conductors in (c) are connected in series to a
battery of emf ε and negligible internal resistance as
I
shown in Figure 6.101.
The power dissipated in each of the two resistors is the X Y
same.
Using the graph in Figure 6.99, Figure 6.101.

(i) determine the emf of the battery. (2)

(ii) calculate the total power dissipated in the circuit. (2)
(Total 12 marks)

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 6. This question is about electrical resistance.
(a) A resistor of resistance 1.5 Ω is made from copper wire of radius 0.18 mm. The resistivity of
–8
copper is 1.7 × 10 Ω m. Determine the length of copper wire used to make the resistor. (2)
(b) The manufacturer of the resistor in (a) guarantees that the resistance is within 10 % of
1.5 Ω, provided that the power dissipation in the resistor does not exceed 1.0 W.
(i) Suggest why the resistance of the resistor might be greater than 1.65 Ω if the power
dissipation in the resistor is greater than 1.0 W. (2)
(ii) Show that, for a power dissipation of 1.0 W, 6.0 Ω 1.8 Ω
the current in a resistor of resistance 1.5 Ω is
0.82 A. (1)
(iii) The 1.5 Ω resistor is connected in series with
a variable resistor and battery of emf 6.0 V R
and internal resistance 1.8 Ω (Figure 6.102).
1.5 Ω
Estimate the resistance R of the variable
resistor in Figure 6.102 that will limit the Figure 6.102.
current to 0.82 A. (3)
(Total 8 marks)

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