# A student has a battery connected to a buzzer and a lamp. The student first connects the buzzer and lamp in series, then reconnects them in parallel. Explain how the brightness of the lamp and the total current from the battery differ between the two arrangements.

> WJEC GCSE Physics (Wales) — 1.1 Electric circuits · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. In the series circuit the same current passes through both the buzzer and the lamp, so the voltage is shared (split) between them
2. In the parallel circuit each component receives the full battery voltage, so the lamp is brighter in parallel than in series
3. In the parallel circuit the current from the battery is greater because there are two separate paths for the current to flow through
4. In the series circuit the total current from the battery is lower because the buzzer and lamp together provide more resistance to the current than either component alone

## Key terms

- [current](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/current)

## Related

- [Revision notes for WJEC GCSE Physics (Wales)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-student-has-a-battery-connected-ae581467) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.