Electrical Components

A circuit is a path that electricity takes. Word box

An electrical appliance needs a complete bulb
circuit for it to work. It needs a source of buzzer
electricity such as a cell or battery (two or cell
more cells joined together). circuit
A component is a part of a circuit such as components
a bulb, buzzer or wires. There are many switch
different types of component. Each one wire
has a different use in a circuit.
These pictures show some
electrical components.

1 Identify the electrical

components in the
pictures with your
partner.

Lighting a bulb
You will need: bulb, bulb holders, wires, cell, sticky notes,
modelling material
1 Work with a partner. Light the bulb.

2 In your group discuss when you use switches.

3 Do all electrical appliances have switches?
4 Why are switches useful in circuits?

6
 Electricity

Making a buzzer buzz

You will need: bulb, buzzer, wires, cell, sticky notes, sticky
tape, scissors, card and recycled materials for model making,
including cardboard tubes, boxes
1 Work with a partner. Make the buzzer buzz.
2 What happens when you switch over the wires attached
to the buzzer?
3 Use the recycled materials, such as cardboard tubes and
boxes, to make a model that shows how you have built a
circuit and made the buzzer buzz.
Label the electrical components in
the model with sticky notes.

Electricity is only useful to us

when we can control it. One way
of controlling electricity is by These pictures show different
putting a switch into a circuit. types of switches used in circuits.

Lighting a bulb that switches on and off

You will need: bulb, bulb holders, wires, cell, a switch
1 Work with a partner. Construct a circuit that allows a bulb
to be switched on and off.
2 Draw a labelled diagram showing this circuit. Then
draw a labelled diagram showing how you think you
could turn a buzzer on and off using a switch.