Electricity: Key Terms (Form 5 SPM Physics)

Terms and definitions

• Electric current, The rate of flow of electric charge through a conductor (current = charge ÷ time); measured in amperes (A).
• Potential difference, The work done to move one coulomb of charge between two points in a circuit; measured in volts (V).
• Resistance, The opposition of a component to the flow of electric current, equal to potential difference divided by current; measured in ohms (Ω).
• Ohm's law, The current through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across it, provided its temperature stays constant.
• Series circuit, A circuit in which components are connected end to end in a single path, so the same current flows through each.
• Parallel circuit, A circuit in which components are connected across common points, providing more than one path for the current, with the same potential difference across each branch.
• Electromotive force, The energy supplied by a source to move one coulomb of charge around a complete circuit; measured in volts (V).
• Internal resistance, The resistance within a source of electromotive force, such as a cell, which causes some energy to be lost inside the source.
• Electrical energy, The energy transferred by an electric current, equal to power multiplied by time; measured in joules (J).
• Electrical power, The rate at which electrical energy is transferred or used (power = potential difference × current); measured in watts (W).
• Resistivity, A property of a material that measures how strongly it opposes the flow of current, independent of the size or shape of the sample; measured in ohm metres (Ω m).
• Electric charge, A basic property of matter that causes it to experience a force in an electric field; measured in coulombs (C).
• Resolution of forces, The process of splitting a single force into two components, usually perpendicular to each other. (related term from another chapter)
• Forces in equilibrium, The condition in which the resultant of all forces acting on an object is zero, so it stays at rest or moves with constant velocity. (related term from another chapter)
• Free body diagram, A diagram that shows all the forces acting on a single object, drawn as arrows from the object. (related term from another chapter)

Content standards these terms come from

• 3.1 Current and Potential Difference
• 3.2 Resistance
• 3.3 Electromotive Force (e.m.f.) and Internal Resistance
• 3.4 Electrical Energy and Power

How to learn them

1. Cover the definition, say it aloud, then check the unit.
2. Pair each term with a formula or experiment from the chapter.
3. Write the Malay term alongside the English one, SPM papers are bilingual.

More Electricity resources

• Chapter overview: Electricity
• Revision Notes
• Common Mistakes
• Practice Questions
• Paper 2 Answering Guide
• Paper 3 Guide
• Calculation practice sets

Source: DSKP KSSM Physics Form 4 and 5 (Versi English), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia: Format Pentaksiran mulai 2021, Fizik (4531) (Bahagian Pembangunan Kurikulum (BPK), KPM)