Kirchhoff’s laws: past paper questions

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• Question 35May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  In the diagrams shown, the cells have negligible internal resistance and the wires have negligible resistance. Which diagram demonstrates Kirchhoff's second law?

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• Question 34Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a circuit containing a battery and cells with negligible internal resistance. Some values of current, electromotive force (e.m.f.) and resistance are shown. One resistor is labelled P. What is the resistance of resistor P?

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• Question 31Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Kirchhoff's second law is a consequence of a basic principle. What is this principle?

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• Question 35Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Kirchhoff’s first and second laws are a consequence of the conservation of which quantities?

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• Question 36May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Kirchhoff’s first and second laws are a consequence of the conservation of different quantities. What are those quantities?

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• Question 37Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows the currents in part of an electric circuit. The resistors are identical. Which equation is not correct?

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• Question 36Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Each of Kirchhoff's laws is a statement based on the conservation of a physical quantity. Which quantity is conserved in each law?

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• Question 34Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Some resistors and a battery of electromotive force (e.m.f.) $E$ and negligible internal resistance are connected in series, as shown. Which statement is correct?

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• Question 37Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The principles of conservation of which two quantities are associated with Kirchhoff's first and second laws?

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• Question 35Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Kirchhoff's first law is a consequence of the conservation of which physical quantity?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Structured12 marksHas a diagram

  Define electric potential difference (p.d.).

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• Question 35Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Three resistors, $R_1$, $R_2$ and $R_3$, are connected in parallel to a cell. The currents in the resistors are $I_1$, $I_2$ and $I_3$. The potential differences across the resistors are $V_1$, $V_2$ and $V_3$.

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• Question 34May/June 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which description of Kirchhoff's first law is correct?

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• Question 35May/June 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Kirchhoff’s first law is a consequence of the conservation of which quantity?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  State Kirchhoff’s first law.

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• Question 36May/June 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a circuit consisting of a cell and three resistors ${\text{R}}_1$, ${\text{R}}_2$ and ${\text{R}}_3$. The cell has electromotive force (e.m.f.) $1.60\text{ V}$ and negligible internal resistance. The current in the cell is $0.64\text{ A}$.

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• Question 36May/June 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Three identical cells each have electromotive force (e.m.f.) $E$ and negligible internal resistance. The cells are connected to three identical resistors, each of resistance $R$, as shown. What is the potential difference across one of the resistors?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 22Structured11 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 5.1 shows a circuit containing a battery, two fixed resistors X and Y, and a light-dependent resistor (LDR) Z. The battery has electromotive force (e.m.f.) $5.0\text{ V}$ and internal resistance $4.7\mathrm{\Omega }$. The current in X is $I_1$ and the current in Y is $I_2$.

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• Question 35May/June 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Kirchhoff’s first law states that the sum of the currents entering a junction in a circuit is equal to the sum of the currents leaving it. The law is based on the conservation of a physical quantity. What is this physical quantity?

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• Question 5May/June 2024, paper 22Structured9 marksHas a diagram

  State Kirchhoff’s second law.

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• Question 36May/June 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows a four-terminal box connected to a battery and two ammeters. The currents in the two ammeters are identical. Which circuit, within the box, gives this result?

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• Question 37May/June 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Each of Kirchhoff’s two laws presumes that some quantity is conserved. Which row states Kirchhoff’s first law and names the quantity that is conserved?

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• Question 6May/June 2025, paper 22Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  Define electric potential difference across a component.

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