Electricity and Magnetism
MYP Sciences Year 2 — Electricity and Magnetism unit
Everything in this unit is really one idea in different costumes: moving charge. Current electricity is charge moving continuously round a loop; static electricity is charge stuck in one place until it suddenly isn't; magnetism from an electromagnet is just what a moving charge does to the space around it. Once you see that link, series vs parallel, conductors vs insulators, and bar magnets vs solenoids stop being six separate topics to memorise.
Overview — the shape of this unit
Why these six topics sit in one unit
Circuits describe the path charge takes (series = one path, parallel = many). Conductors and insulators describe which materials let it take that path at all. Static electricity is charge with nowhere to go — a build-up, not a flow. Magnets and electromagnets show that a moving charge (a current) creates a magnetic field, which is exactly why a solenoid can be switched on and off like a temporary magnet.
- Almost every exam question on this unit gives you data (a table, a graph, or an ammeter reading) and asks you to spot the pattern — series stays constant, parallel splits and recombines.
- Command words matter more here than in most units: 'state' wants one fact, 'explain' wants the mechanism behind that fact.
- Diagrams are marked literally — correct symbol, correct position (ammeter in series, voltmeter in parallel), correct direction of field lines.
The shape of the chapter
Command words this unit tests hardest
| Command term | What it demands | AO | Mark-earning move |
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Give a specific fact, name, or value — no reasoning needed. | AO1 | One correct word/value earns the mark; a paragraph earns no more than one word would. |
| Describe | Give a detailed account of what happens, including direction or trend. | AO1/AO2 | For a 1-mark 'describe both cases' question, both cases must appear or the mark is capped at zero. |
| Explain | Give reasons — the mechanism causing the effect, not just the effect itself. | AO2 | Restating the observation without saying why it happens scores zero on explain questions. |
| Identify | Select and name the correct answer from the given context. | AO1 | Vague answers ('a metal', 'a plastic') lose the mark — name the actual material or component. |
| Calculate | Produce a numerical answer using a method. | AO2 | Method mark is awarded for correct substitution even if the final number is wrong — always show the equation first. |
| Compare | Identify similarities and differences between two things explicitly. | AO3 | Describing only one circuit/material and ignoring the other loses half the marks even if that description is perfect. |
Key point
Overview