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ScotlandPhysics

Area 3: Electricity

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How does a capacitor store charge and energy, and how does it charge and discharge?

Capacitance and the charge stored, the energy stored in a capacitor, and the charging and discharging of a capacitor through a resistor.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on capacitors, covering capacitance and the charge stored, the energy stored in a capacitor, and how a capacitor charges and discharges through a resistor.
11 min answer →

How are current, voltage, power and resistance related in series and parallel circuits?

Ohm's law, electrical power relationships, resistors in series and parallel, and the potential divider rule.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on current, voltage, power and resistance, covering Ohm's law, the power relationships, combining resistors in series and parallel, and the potential divider rule.
11 min answer →

Why does the terminal voltage of a source fall when it supplies a larger current?

Electromotive force, internal resistance, terminal potential difference and lost volts, and finding emf and internal resistance from experimental data.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on electrical sources and internal resistance, covering electromotive force, internal resistance, terminal potential difference and lost volts, and how to find emf and internal resistance from experimental data.
11 min answer →

How do we measure an alternating current and relate its peak and root-mean-square values?

Alternating current and voltage, measuring frequency and peak values from an oscilloscope, and the relationship between peak and root-mean-square values.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on monitoring and measuring alternating current, covering AC current and voltage, finding the frequency and peak values from an oscilloscope, and the relationship between peak and root-mean-square values.
11 min answer →

How does doping create p-type and n-type semiconductors, and how does a p-n junction work in a diode or LED?

Conductors, insulators and semiconductors, n-type and p-type doping, the p-n junction diode, and the operation of LEDs and photodiodes.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on semiconductors and p-n junctions, covering conductors, insulators and semiconductors, n-type and p-type doping, the p-n junction diode, and the operation of LEDs and photodiodes.
11 min answer →