HS-PS3-6 | Ohm's Law and Circuits

Analyze data to support the claim that Ohm’s Law describes the mathematical relationship among the potential difference, current, and resistance of an electric circuit.

Clarification statement: Emphasis should be on arrangements of series circuits and parallel circuits using conventional current.

Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to direct current (DC) circuits.

Note: this is a NYSED-specific performance expectation that is different from the Next Generation Science Standards.

Assessment

What assessment of HS-PS3-6 might look like on a NY state exam.

Exam	Cluster	Question
June 2026	Flashlight Physics	Question 32
	Flashlight Physics	Question 33
	Flashlight Physics	Question 34

Performance Level Descriptions

PLDs communicate the knowledge and skills expected of students to demonstrate proficiency in each Learning Standard. NYS assessments classify student performance into one of five levels.

☐

Level 1: Given a description and/or schematic diagram of a circuit, identify the direction of the conventional current in the circuit, or given a description and/or data of a circuit, identify the corresponding schematic diagram for the circuit, or given a description of, schematic diagram of, and/or data for a series or parallel circuit, use evidence to support the identification of the circuit, or given a schematic diagram, description of information about, and/or data for a simple circuit, determine the potential difference, current, resistance, power, or energy of the circuit.

☐

Level 2: Given a schematic diagram, description of, and/or data for a circuit (simple, series, or parallel), identify a pattern among the potential difference, current, resistance, power, or energy of the circuit or an individual circuit component, or apply a pattern to determine the potential difference, current, resistance, power, or energy of the circuit or an individual circuit component.

☐

Level 3: Given a description, information, and/or data for an unspecified series or parallel circuit, draw the corresponding schematic diagram, or given a schematic diagram, description of, and/or data for a series or parallel circuit, use mathematical relationship(s) to describe the potential difference, current, resistance, power, and/or energy of the circuit or an individual circuit component, or given a schematic diagram, description of, and/or data for a series or parallel circuit, use mathematical relationship(s) to describe what happens to the potential difference, current, resistance, power, and/or energy of the circuit or an individual circuit component when change(s) are made to the circuit.

☐

Level 4: Analyze data to support the claim that Ohm’s Law describes the mathematical relationship among the potential difference, current, and resistance of an electric circuit.

☐

Level 5: Perform statistical analysis on multiple data sets in order to make and support a claim about Ohm’s Law and the mathematical relationship among the potential difference, current, and resistance of an electric circuit.

Vocabulary

Terms from the Physics Glossary that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it.

From this standard

circuit component
claim
conventional current
current
design solution
direct current (DC)
direction
electric circuit
electrical power
energy
evidence
field
mathematical representation
object
Ohm's Law
parallel circuit
potential difference
power
resistance
scale (of a model)
schematic diagram
series circuit
simple circuit
statistical analysis
support (a claim)
system

From released exam questions

brightness – June 2026
computer simulation – June 2026
constant resistance – June 2026
cost – June 2026
draws more current – June 2026
electrical energy – June 2026
equivalent resistance – June 2026
justification – June 2026
light – June 2026
light output – June 2026
proportional – June 2026
refute – June 2026
scientific reasoning – June 2026
total current – June 2026
voltage – June 2026

Resources

Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of HS-PS3-6.

This section could be expanded upon. You can help out by adding to this section.

NGSS Dimensions

Performance expectation HS-PS3-6 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:

Science and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and interpreting data: analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Electrical power and energy can be determined for electric circuits.

Crosscutting Concepts

Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena.
Mathematical representations can be used to identify certain patterns.
Energy can be transferred between once place and another place, between objects and/or fields, or between systems.

Page contributors: Caroline Leonard, Conrad Richman

Physics | HS. Energy