UNIT 9:

ELECTRICITY
9.1 FLOW OF ELECTRICITY:
CURRENT:

 Cell: a component that changes chemical energy to electrical energy in a circuit.

 Battery: a component that changes chemical energy to electrical energy in a circuit; made
from two or more cells in a series

 Cells have two connections called terminals.

 Terminals are labelled with a positive (+) and negative (-) symbols.
 When connected in a circuit, the negative terminal of a cell, battery or power supply pushes
electrons around in the wires.
 Current: the flow of electrons in the circuit

SCIENCE NOTES Unit 9

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MORE ABOUT ELECTRONS:

 Some of the electrons in metals are free to move

 Electrons are negatively charged so they move towards the positive terminal in a circuit.
 Positive and negative charges attract each other.
 Positive charges repel each other.
 Negative charges repel each other.
(You can remember this by saying “opposites attract”)

9.2 ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS:

 Circuits can be shown in a drawing or a circuit diagram

SCIENCE NOTES Unit 9

ADVANTAGES OF CIRCUIT DIAGRAMS COMPARED WITH PICTURES:

 Circuit diagrams are easier to draw

 The components have standard symbols
 Wires are drawn with straight lines, which is easier to interpret

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CIRCUIT SYMBOLS:

 Standard circuit symbols are used in circuit diagrams so there is no confusion

 The same symbols are used in all countries.

9.3 MEASURING THE FLOW OF CURRENT:

 When electron move more quickly, the current increases.
 When electrons move more slowly, the current decreases.
 An ammeter is an instrument used to measure current.

SCIENCE NOTES Unit 9

 Current is measured in units called amps the symbol for amps is A

 Ammeters are always connected in series with other components
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  If the components are connected in series, they are all connected end-to-end, one after
another, and there are no branches in the circuit.

9.4 CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS:

CONDUCTORS:

 Conductors are materials that conduct electricity.

 That means that conductors allow current to flow. Therefore, conductors allow electrons to
flow.
 All metals are metals, and wires that carry electric current are made from metal.
 Most wires in houses and schools are made from copper and have a plastic coating
 Wires that cover long distances are usually made from aluminium or steel because they are
cheaper than copper.
 Circuits such as those on phones and laptops use copper tracts instead of wires.

INSULATORS:

 Electrical insulators are materials that do not allow electrons to flow through e.g. plastic, wood,
rubber, air and cotton
 The electrons are not free to move so current cannot flow. Insulators inhibit electron flow
 Insulators keep us safe rom electricity
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9.5 ADDING OR REMOVING
COMPONENTS:
 In a series connection, the current is the same all the way around circuit.
 That means if you put an ammeter at any position in a series circuit, it will give the same
result.
 It also means that you can put the same components of the series circuit in a different order
and the current will be the same.
 Adding components or removing components will affect the current. The effect depends on
what components are changed.

ADDING OR REMOVING CELLS:

 If you add more cells in a series circuit, the current will also increase, removing cells will
decrease the current.
 Two cells in a circuit will make a brighter lamp
 The reading on an ammeter with two cells will also double the reading

 Adding or removing components will increase or decrease the current when the other
components are kept the same.

SCIENCE NOTES Unit 9

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ADDING OR REMOVING LAMPS:

 Adding more lamps decreases the current when the other components are kept the same.
 Removing lamps increases the current when the other components are kept the same.

SCIENCE NOTES Unit 9