METHODIST ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOL

A Programme of Bangladesh Methodist Church Trust

Handout-11: Topic-5.01 Electricity in action

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

Current: The rate of flow of charge is called current. The SI unit of current is Ampere (A).

Direct Current: Current that flows only in one direction is called direct current.
Example: Current from a battery is direct current.

Conductors: Conductors are materials that have free electrons and are able to conduct electricity.
Good conductors of electricity are copper, silver, aluminium, carbon etc.
Poor conductors of electricity are water, human body, earth etc.

Semiconductor: A material that is neither a good conductor of electricity nor a good insulator, but has
properties of electrical conductivity somewhere between the two. Silicon and germanium are good
semiconductor materials.

Insulators: Insulators are materials that do not have free electrons, the electrons are fixed in their
positions and thus cannot conduct electricity. Example: plastic, polythene, rubber, glass, air etc.

Ammeter: An ammeter is a device which is used to measure the current in a circuit. Ammeter
always connected in series in a circuit.

Voltmeter: A voltmeter is a device which is used to measure the voltage in a circuit. Voltmeter is
connected in parallel in a circuit.

Circuit: An electrical circuit is a closed pathway in which charged particles move from negative
terminal to positive terminal.

Diagram of a simple electrical circuit:

Switch: A switch is a device which is used to control electrical circuits.

The electrical symbol of a switch:

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 Why metals are good conductors?

 Everything is made of atoms and all atoms contain electrons. In insulators, the electrons are
tightly held to their atoms. But in metals, some are only loosely held and are free to move
through the material. That is why metals are good conductors.

A simple circuit diagram for a torch light:

Some electrical circuit symbol:

a) Bulb or lamp b) Cell c) Battery

d) Fixed Resistor e) Variable Resistor f) Ammeter

g) Voltmeter h) Power Supply (DC) i) Power Supply (AC)

j) Diode k) Thermistor l) Light Emitting Diode (LED)

m) Fuse n) Earth or Ground o) Light Dependent Resistor

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