AP Physics 1/2 · 15 min
A short conceptual check for current, voltage, and series/parallel reasoning.
Track charge flow, not brightness language.
Name which elements share nodes.
Use voltage drop for energy transfer per charge.
Question 1
Two resistors are in series. Is current smaller after the first resistor?
Charge cannot pile up in steady state.
No. The same current passes through both series elements.
Trap tested: Current is not used up.
Question 2
Two resistors are in parallel across a battery. What quantity is the same across both resistors?
They connect to the same two nodes.
The voltage across each resistor is the same. Currents can differ.
Trap tested: Confusing series and parallel invariants.
Question 3
An identical bulb is added in series to a one-bulb circuit. What happens to battery current?
Equivalent resistance increases.
Battery current decreases because total resistance increases.
Trap tested: Explaining dimming as current being consumed by the first bulb.
Question 4
A resistor gets warm. What is transferred: charge, current, or energy?
Current is the rate of charge flow.
Energy is transferred from the circuit to thermal energy in the resistor. Charge flows through; it is not consumed.
Trap tested: Using current as a substance instead of a rate.
score What it means
Move into quantitative circuit practice.
Redo series/parallel invariants and explain each in words.
Study current-not-used-up before equation-heavy circuits.
after Turn the mock into data
If you missed a question, do not just reread the solution. Open the linked lesson, redo one drill, then come back to the mock.