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Electric circuit: a system for transferring electrical energy

Electrical energy: provided by

 a power station (ac: alternating current – current that changes direction at
regular intervals) or
 a battery (dc: direct current – current that flows in one direction only)

Electric current definition: the rate of flow of electric charge.

Electric charge can be:
 electrons in metals, or
 ions in solutions (sea water or brine) or in plasma (TV screens)

For current to flow we must have:  a closed circuit

 a source of electrical energy

COMPONENTS OF AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT

A cell: One or more cells connected in a circuit is called a battery.

 contains chemicals that react when the terminals are connected in a circuit.
 chemical potential energy is converted into electrical potential energy
 electrical potential energy is converted into kinetic energy of moving charges

Circuit symbol:

Conventional current: is the flow of electric charge from the positive terminal of the battery to
the negative terminal of the battery.

Connecting leads: insulated (plastic) copper wire.

(Aluminium Aℓ in overhead powerlines because it has a much smaller mass
than copper)
Three types: croc-croc; banana-banana & croc-banana

These are drawn as a line in a circuit.

Switches: provide a means of controlling the flow of electric current.

Circuit symbol:
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Resistors: a device that opposes the flow of electric current

 some are heating elements that convert electrical energy into heat energy and are
made from a metal that has a HIGH melting point, eg: nichrome
 resistance is measured in ohms (Ω)

Circuit symbol:

Light bulb:  incandescent bulb has a tungsten (W) filament.

 filled with an inert (unreactive) gas such as argon (Ar) and not air containing
O2 because the filament will oxidise (react with the O2)
 converts 100% electrical energy into 10% light energy and 90% heat energy
 offers resistance to the flow of electric current

Circuit symbol:
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A SERIES CIRCUIT

A series circuit is one that provides only one path for the current to flow along. If any of the
components in a series circuit burns out, no current will flow as the circuit will be broken.

Bulb burns out, causing

a break in the circuit

An open switch in a series circuit will not permit the flow of current.

open switch –
closed switch – both bulbs do
both bulbs shine not shine

In a series circuit, the current is the same everywhere thus the current through each circuit
device is the same in the series combination.
Connecting additional resistors (like a bulb) into a series combination of resistors increases the
total resistance in the circuit and decreases the total current in the circuit.

BRIGHT LESS BRIGHT

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A PARALLEL CIRCUIT

A parallel circuit is one where an alternative path is provided for the current to flow through.

Current
splits

In a parallel circuit, the current in the main part of the circuit is the same everywhere but the current
will split in a parallel combination such that more current will flow through the path/branch of least
resistance. If each path/branch carries the same resistance, then the current will split equally.

Connecting additional resistors in a parallel combination of resistors, decreases the total

resistance in the circuit and increases the total current in the circuit.

1 2

The brightness of the bulbs in the above two pictures is the same.

A switch in a parallel combination allows us to switch bulbs on and off independently – meaning
that when we switch one bulb off, the other will remain on. The brightness of the bulbs does not
change when we switch on additional bulbs. This is how our lights are connected in our homes.
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If a bulb blows in a parallel combination, the other bulbs will remain on because the current is still
able to flow through them.

IN SUMMARY: COMPARING SERIES & PARALLEL CIRCUITS

More bulbs in series More bulbs in parallel

The brightness of the bulbs decreases The brightness of the bulbs remains the same

The total resistance increases The total resistance decreases

The total current decreases The total current increases

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CONDUCTIVITY
Different conductors offer a different amount of resistance to the flow of current or heat energy
through them. A simple circuit can be set up to compare the electrical conductivity of various
conductors as shown below.

INPUT & OUTPUT DEVICES

An input device captures data and send it to a computer system or processor.

Input devices convert physical movement (such as a touch pad) or environmental data (such as
temperature, sound, or light) into electrical signals.

Output devices convert electrical signals from the computer system or processor into sound (like
that of a buzzer), or light (like an LED) or images and text (like that displayed on a digital screen)

An example is a security light. It comes on at night if it detects anything moving in the vicinity. To do
this, it has two sensors: at the bottom is a movement detector, and in the top is a light detector. The
security light comes on if both the movement sensor and the light sensor tells it to.

Light Motor
Buzzer
emitting
diode
(LED)

circuit
symbol
circuit symbol
circuit
symbol