METHODIST ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOL

A Programme of Bangladesh Methodist Church Trust

Handout-12: Topic-5.02 Circuits and currents

Name: ___________ _______ . Class: ___ VII __ _ . Roll: _________
Teacher's Name: _James Bastob Mondol . Subject: ____Physics______ Date: _________

Series circuit: In a series circuit all electrical components are joined together in one pathway; there
are no junctions or branches. This type of circuit is called a series circuit.

Diagram showing two bulbs connected in series

Parallel circuit: Circuit that have junctions where the electrical pathway divides or have branches is
called a parallel circuits.

Diagram showing two bulbs connected in parallel

Diagrams below showing the behaviour of current in series and parallel circuits:

 Current in a series circuit is same everywhere because the same current flows through each
part of the circuit. Voltage in a series circuit is divided.

 The current in the parallel circuit is the sum of the currents in the different branches.
Voltage in a parallel circuit is same in each branch.

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Current
 Know that current is the rate of flow of charge.

 Current (measured in amperes, A) is a flow of charge (measured in coulombs, C).

 By definition, current always goes from positive terminal to negative terminal, even though
the charged particles (usually electrons) go the other way that is from negative terminal to
positive terminal.

By definition, current always goes from positive to negative terminal

The measurement of current: An electric current is a measurement of the rate of flow of electric
charge, through a given cross section of a conductor.

Formula:
Current =

Or, Charge = current time

In symbol,

Where,
I=
I = Current
Q = Charge
Or, Q=I×t t = Time

Units:
 The SI unit of current is Ampere (A).
 The SI unit of charge is Coulomb (C).
 The SI unit of time is Second (S).

Problems:
1. A charge of 10 coulombs flows through a motor in 30 seconds. What is the current flowing through
the motor?
2. The current in a lamp is 0.2 A. If the lamp is switched on for 2 hours, what is the electric charge
passing through the lamp?

3. If 30 C of electric charge flows past a point in a wire in 2 minutes, what is the current in the wire?

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