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Auralith Learning

Year 8 · Science · Electricity and magnetism · Lesson 1

Current and circuits

What electric current is, circuit symbols, and how current behaves in series and parallel circuits, with ammeter readings.

Whiteboard video lesson: Current and circuits

25-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

  • Describe electric current and its unit
  • Recognise and draw circuit symbols
  • Find currents in series circuits
  • Find currents in parallel circuits
  • Compare series and parallel circuits

The method

  1. Current is a flow of charge, measured in amps (A) with an ammeter in series.
  2. Series circuit: one loop, and the current is the same everywhere.
  3. Parallel circuit: branches, and the branch currents add up to the total.
  4. A break in a series circuit stops all current; parallel branches work independently.

Key words: current, amp, ammeter, series, parallel, circuit symbol, cell, battery, electron.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

In this series circuit, ammeter A₁ reads 0.5 A. What do ammeters A₂ and A₃ read?

  1. Step 1: Look at the circuit
  2. Step 2: Series: the current is the same everywhere
  3. Step 3: A₂ = 0.5 A, A₃ = 0.5 A

Answer: Both read 0.5 A

Question 2

In this series circuit, ammeter A₁ reads 0.2 A. What do ammeters A₂ and A₃ read?

  1. Step 1: Look at the circuit
  2. Step 2: Series: the current is the same everywhere
  3. Step 3: A₂ = 0.2 A, A₃ = 0.2 A

Answer: Both read 0.2 A

Question 3

In this parallel circuit, A₁ reads 0.3 A and A₂ reads 0.3 A. What does A₃ read?

  1. Step 1: Look at the circuit
  2. Step 2: Parallel: branch currents add up to the total
  3. Step 3: A₃ = 0.3 + 0.3 = 0.6 A

Answer: 0.6 A