Date post: | 14-Dec-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | myrtle-armstrong |
View: | 223 times |
Download: | 1 times |
A way of drawing an electric circuit using standard symbols
Some symbols require you to identify the positive and negative terminals
e.g. Dry cell, motor, and DC power supply
Fuse A device used to protect against excessive current
Lamp* A device that changes electrical energy into another form (light, heat, sound)
Resistor A device that resists the flow of current
Ammeter An instrument that measures the electric current (Flow of charge per unit time)Placed within the circuit
Voltmeter An instrument that measures the potential difference between 2 points Placed around a load/battery
Flow of electrons follows only one path
E.g. Plugging in a toaster and an electric kettle in the same outlet are loads on the same circuit
Electrons can flow more than one way Loads are on at least two different
branches of wires that connect to an energy source
After reaching a branch, the electron flow splits and then merge again before returning to the energy source
E.g. Most homes, buildings are connected in parallel
CIRCUIT Voltage (V)
Current (I)
Resistance (R)
SeriesIf one load off ALL loads off
Each load uses a portion of V supplied by the battery(brightness decreases as more loads added)
Current is the same throughout circuit
Current decreases when more resistors are added
ParallelIf one load off remaining loads stay on
Each load uses all the V from battery(brightness stays the same even as more loads added
Current divided between the pathways for loads
Adding resistors in parallel decreases total current of circuit