Electric Circuit

My Pals are Here!
Science
International (2nd Edition)
GRADE 6
© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

UNIT 7
ELECTRIC CIRCUITS

7.1 What Is an Electric Circuit?
At the end of this section, you should be able to answer

the following questions:
What is an
electric circuit?
What are the

functions of the
different components
in an electric circuit?

What are the components that make up

an electric circuit?
• Battery
• Wires
• Switch
• Output device
battery
wire
switch
output
device

What are the functions of each of these

components?
• A battery is a power source that
provides energy for the output
device to work.
• Wires connect the different parts

of a circuit together.

air conditioner
• An output device converts

electrical energy to other
television set
forms of energy.
bulb
• There are different types
of output devices.

• A switch helps to turn an output

device on or off by opening or
closing an electric circuit.
• When the switch is

closed, electric current closed switch
can flow through the
circuit causing the bulb to
light up.

7.2 Which Materials Allow an Electric Current to Flow
Through?

the following questions:
What are electrical

conductors?
What are electrical

insulators?

Through?
What are electrical conductors?

• Electric conductors are materials that allow electric
current to flow through them easily.
• Examples are metals such as steel, copper, iron and
aluminium.
steel cutlery copper coins iron nails aluminium

foil

Through?
Some parts of an electric circuit are made of electrical

conductors to allow electric current to flow through them.
copper
The bulb lights up

because the steel
clip allows electric
current to flow
through it.
The insides of a wire is made

steel clip of copper to allow electric
current to flow through it.
7.2 Which Materials Allow an Electric Current to Flow Through?
Research
Who was Benjamin Franklin?
Find out how he contributed to the discovery of electricity.

Through?
What are electrical insulators?

• Electric insulators are materials that do not allow electric
current to flow through them easily.
• Examples are non-metals such as wood, rubber, glass
and plastic.
wooden ice rubber glass plastic

cream stick gloves spoon
Through?
Some parts of an electric circuit are made of electrical

insulators to prevent electric current to flow through them.
plastic
The bulb does not

light up because
the eraser does
not allow electric
current to flow
through it.
The covering of a wire is
made of plastic to protect the
eraser user from coming into contact
with the electric current.
7.3 How Do We Represent an Electric Circuit Using a
Diagram?
At the end of these sections, you should be able to

answer the following questions:
How do we represent
an electric circuit
using a diagram?
What are the

different types of
electric circuits?

Diagram?
How can an electric circuit be represented simply

in a diagram?
• Circuit diagrams are used to model actual drawings of
electric circuits.
Actual drawing of Circuit diagram showing

an electric circuit the same circuit
Diagram?
Standard symbols are used in

a circuit diagram to represent
the different components of
an electric circuit.

Diagram?
Why are circuit diagrams used to represent

electric circuits?
• Circuit diagrams are easier to draw and understand.
• How would you draw an electric

circuit that has
 three batteries;
 four bulbs — two in series to
each other and the other two
in parallel;
 three switches — one next to
Circuit diagram of the
the batteries, and each of the described electric circuit
other two next to a bulb?
7.4 What Are the Different Types of Electric Circuits?
What are the different types of electric circuits?

• The components in an electric circuit can be arranged
in series or in parallel.
Series circuit
Parallel circuit

What are the differences between a series circuit

and a parallel circuit?
• A series circuit
has only one path
for the electric
current to flow in.

• A parallel circuit has

more than one path
for electric current to
flow in.
Legend:
path 1
path 2

• In a series circuit, electric current passes through the

components one after another.
• If one bulb is not working, the other bulb will also not
light up because no current is flowing in the circuit.
fused bulb

• In a parallel circuit, the electric current splits up and

passes through different paths.
• If one bulb is not working, the other bulb can still light up
because electric current can still flow through it.
fused
bulb

Explore
At home, you probably have different electrical appliances

working at the same time.
Look around to see which appliances are connected in

series and which appliances are connected in parallel.
How can you tell?

7.5 What Affects the Brightness of a Bulb in a Circuit?

the following question:
What affects the

brightness of a
bulb in a circuit?

What are the factors that affect the brightness of

a bulb in a circuit?
• Number of bulbs
two bulbs in series one bulb
Connecting fewer bulbs in series makes the bulb brighter.

• Number of batteries
one battery three batteries in

series
Connecting more batteries in series makes each bulb brighter.

• Arrangement of bulbs
two bulbs in series
two bulbs in
parallel
Connecting bulbs in parallel makes each bulb brighter.

Language Connect
List some words that describe different levels of brightness of

a bulb.

7.6 How Is Electricity Produced From Different Sources
of Energy?
At the end of these sections, you should be able to

answer the following questions:
How is electricity
produced from
different sources of
energy?
What should we do
to save electricity?

of Energy?
How is electricity produced in a power station?

turbines
• Electricity is produced
by burning fossil fuels
such as coal or oil.
generator
• The electricity
produced is
distributed and
transmitted to our
homes using long boiler
transmission cables.

of Energy?
1. Boiler
• Coal or oil is burnt to heat
steam
water and produce steam.
• The moving steam has
kinetic energy.
coal or oil
burning

of Energy?
2. Turbines
• The turbines have many turning
blades to capture the turbines
kinetic energy from
steam, causing it to turn.
The turning turbines
have kinetic energy. condenser
• Steam from the turbine
is condensed back into
water in the condenser
and returned to the condensed
water
boiler.
of Energy?
3. Generator
• The generator converts the kinetic energy from
the turbines into electricity.
generator

of Energy?
Why do we need to have alternative sources of

energy to produce electricity?
• Fossil fuels are not sustainable and will run

out one day.
• We need to have alternative sources of
energy to produce electricity sustainably.
• We need to also save electricity to reduce
the demand for fossil fuels.

of Energy?
What are the possible alternative sources of energy?
Solar energy Wind energy Geothermal energy
Wave energy Hydroelectric energy Biomass energy

7.7 What Should We Do to Save Electricity?
What can we do to save electricity? Use electrical

appliances that save
energy, such as
Open the curtains to let natural energy-saving bulbs.
light into the house instead of
turning on the lights.
Dry clothes using

natural heat instead
of a dryer.
Turn off electrical

appliances such as Use a fan instead of the
lights and the television air conditioner as much
set when they are not as possible.
needed.
What We Have Learnt

Science Glossary
Alternative Electric circuit

Another possibility Path through which electric
current flows
Bulb Electric current
Component in an electric circuit Movement of charged particles
that lights up when an electric in an electric circuit
current flows through
Circuit diagram Electrical conductor

Simplified diagram of an electric Material that allows electric
circuit using symbols current to flow through it easily
Closed circuit Electrical insulator

Electric circuit where electric Material that does not allow
current electric current to flow through it
easily

Science Glossary
Open circuit Switch

Electric circuit where electric Component in an electric circuit
current cannot flow through that controls the flow of electric
current
Output device Symbol

Component in an electric circuit Sign or shape used to represent
that converts electrical energy to an electrical component
other forms of energy
Sustainable Wire
Able to be maintained at a Component used to connect the
certain level other components in an electric
circuit

Acknowledgements
• Slide 2, boy working with robot – ID 110477654 © Milkos | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 5, battery, © Oleksandr Kostiuchenko | 123rf.com
• Slide 5, wire © MCE
• Slide 6, living room © mihalis77 | 123rf.com
• Slide 6, air conditioner © belchonock | 123rf.com
• Slide 6, kudu on television screen – ID 143766120 © Andre Dias Duarte | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 7, knife switch – ID 29194030 © Ken Backer | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 9, cutlery © Aleksandr Matveev/123rf.com
• Slide 9, coins – ID 1306222 © Quentin Bargate | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 9, nails – ID 167195399 © Martin Keiler | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 9, aluminium foil © Aleksandr Belugin | 123rf.com
• Slide 12, popsicle stick © Oksana Tkachuk | 123rf.com
• Slide 12, gloves © Kitch Bain | 123rf.com
• Slide 12, glass © ILYA AKINSHIN | 123rf.com
• Slide 12, spoon – ID 54880999 © Baramee Thaweesombat | Dreamstime.com
Acknowledgements
• Slide 16, battery © Aleksandr Matveev | 123rf.com
• Slide 16, switches – ID 29194030 © Ken Backer | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 16, bulb – ID 162025599 © MUADZ BIN MOHD SOFI | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 34, solar panels © dmitrimaruta | 123rf.com
• Slide 36, living room © alexandre zveiger | 123rf.com
• Slide 36, drying rack – ID 135118607 © Evgeny Skripnichenko | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 36, bulb – ID 52645561 © Bestvc | Dreamstime.com
• Slide 36, fan – ID 43704671 © Milkovasa | Dreamstime.com

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My Pals are Here!

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

At the end of this section, you should be able to answer

What are the

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

What are the components that make up

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

What are the functions of each of these

• Wires connect the different parts

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

• An output device converts

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

• A switch helps to turn an output

• When the switch is

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

At the end of this section, you should be able to answer

What are electrical

What are electrical

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

What are electrical conductors?

steel cutlery copper coins iron nails aluminium

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

Some parts of an electric circuit are made of electrical

The bulb lights up

The insides of a wire is made

Who was Benjamin Franklin?

Find out how he contributed to the discovery of electricity.

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

What are electrical insulators?

wooden ice rubber glass plastic

Some parts of an electric circuit are made of electrical

The bulb does not

At the end of these sections, you should be able to

What are the

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

How can an electric circuit be represented simply

Actual drawing of Circuit diagram showing

Standard symbols are used in

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

Why are circuit diagrams used to represent

• How would you draw an electric

What are the different types of electric circuits?

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

What are the differences between a series circuit

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

• A parallel circuit has

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

• In a series circuit, electric current passes through the

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

• In a parallel circuit, the electric current splits up and

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

At home, you probably have different electrical appliances

Look around to see which appliances are connected in

How can you tell?

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

At the end of this section, you should be able to answer

What affects the

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd

What are the factors that affect the brightness of

two bulbs in series one bulb

Connecting fewer bulbs in series makes the bulb brighter.

© 2020 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd