Electrical Circuits Flashcards
what is a complete electrical circuit ?
a complete electrical circuit is made up of components, which allow electricity to flow through them .
what are the different components in a circuit ?
batteries , wires, bulbs , buzzers and motors
what supplies the power ?
a battery or cell
how does the power reach the other components ?
wires are connected to both positive and negative ends of the battery and are also connected to the components- which allows electricity to reach them .
will the circuit work if the switch is open ?
no, because there is a gap in the circuit, so the electricity cannot travel around the whole circuit- electricity can only flow through a complete circuit with no gaps .
what will happen if you add more batteries ?
it will increase the electrical energy, making the bulbs brighter .
what will happen if you add more bulbs ?
the electrical energy will reduce, making the bubs dimmer .
what will happen if you lengthen the wires ?
the electrical energy will reduce, as the current has a longer distance to travel, making the bulbs dimmer .
how does an electrical circuit work ?
the battery pushes electricity along the wires from the positive terminal through the bulb and back to the negative terminal. the bulb glows because electricity flows through the ‘filament’ .
what is a voltage ?
Voltage is a measure of the difference in electrical energy between two parts of a circuit and is measured with a voltmeter in a parallel circuit .
what is a series circuit ?
a series circuit has only one path for electrons to flow on.
what is a parallel circuit ?
a parallel circuit has more than one path for current to flow through and also has branches. if a component is disconnected from a parallel line then the other components on different branches keep working.
what is a current ?
a current is the electric charge that flows through he circuit and is measured with an ammeter- to measure the current you must place the ammeter in a series circuit.
