IGCSE 0625 / Section 4.2.4 / Core

Holding back the current.

Push the same voltage through a thin wire and a thick wire and very different currents flow. The wire that lets less through has more resistance, and one tidy ratio captures exactly how much.

The key idea

Resistance is the ratio of the potential difference across a component to the current through it: R = V divided by I, measured in ohms. A longer wire has more resistance; a thicker wire has less.

Definition · learn the exact words

Resistance is the ratio of the potential difference across a component to the current through it.

R = V ÷ I  (so V = I R)

Unit: the ohm. A longer wire has more resistance; a thicker (wider) wire has less.

Section 01

Set the voltage, read the current.

Change the p.d. across a resistor and watch the current and the resistance ratio.

Stage 1 · Learn

Check resistance

Four quick checks. Each correct answer earns XP and lights this skill on your star map.

Quick check+10 XP

Resistance is defined as...

Quick check+10 XP

The unit of resistance is the...

Quick check+10 XP

Compared with a short wire of the same material and thickness, a longer wire has...

Quick check+10 XP

Compared with a thin wire, a thicker wire of the same length and material has...

Section 02

What changes a wire’s resistance.

Resistance depends on the dimensions of the wire as well as the material.

R = V ÷ I
Worked example

A potential difference of 12 V drives a current of 0.50 A through a resistor. Find its resistance.

Step 1 · Write the relationR = V ÷ I
Step 2 · SubstituteR = 12 ÷ 0.50
Step 3 · AnswerR = 24 Ω
Examiner trap

Resistance is voltage divided by current, R = V divided by I, not the other way round. A longer wire has more resistance, and a thicker (wider) wire has less.

Stage 2 · Exam

Exam-style questions

Unlocks once the four checks above are done. Worth more XP, written in the style of Paper 2.

Finish the four checks above to unlock the exam questions
Exam style+20 XP

A 12 V supply drives 0.50 A through a resistor. Its resistance is...

Exam style+20 XP

A current of 2.0 A flows through a 6.0 Ω resistor. The p.d. across it is...

Exam style+20 XP

A wire is replaced by one of the same material and thickness but twice the length. Its resistance...

Skill unlocked

Resistance, mastered.

Resistance is mapped. Keep the chain going.

-Rank -Level -Score -Topics
Go deeper · practice
Six original Cambridge-style questions
Resistance as R = V divided by I, the ohm, calculations with V = I R, and the effect of wire length and thickness. Attempt each, then reveal the worked solution.
Stage 3 · master the unit
Electricity and magnetism challenge
Mixed questions across the whole unit, each one worth XP. Start this only when you feel confident across every topic in the unit, not just resistance.
Start the unit challenge →