electrical system Flashcards
what is a simple electric circuit made up of
energy source (for example, battery)
wires
bulb
switch
wires
electric current normally flows through wires and are generally made of copper as copper allows electric current to pass through them easily
why are wires covered with materials such as plastic or rubber
to prevent electric current from leaking out of the circuit. such materials do not allow circuit to pass through them easily
switch
a switch is used to control the flow of an electric circuit.
what happens if the switch is open
there is a gap or break in the electric circuit and electrical current cannot flow through the gap in the circuit
what happens of the switch is closed
electric current can flow through the switch and the circuit is complete.
the bulb will not light up if
either the metal tip or the metal casing is not connected to the battery
the bulb blows (too much electric current flows through it and the filament metal)
series circuits
a series circuit is a circuit with only one path for electric current to flow through
parallel
a parallel circuit has more than one path for electric current to flow through.
electrical conductors
materials that allow electric current to flow through them are called good conductors of electricity
good electrical conductors
most metals , silver , copper
electrical insulators
materials that do not allow electricity to flow htorugh them
