Electrical Circuits
Think about your favorite electronic devices: iPhone, iPad, laptop, TV, All of these things ore
powered by electricity that flows through electrical circuits. Electric& circuits are closed paths through
which electricity flows. These circuits are created to complete a task, such as giving light energy to a
lamp to light a room or giving sound energy to turn on a TV. Even though you are not able to see
electricity flowing because the particles are so small, it is really powerful stuff!
Think of a circuit as a trail or a path that is made for electricity to travel through. The circuit
needs to be a closed circle that connects from one end to the other in order for the electricity to be
able to travel all the way through it. If there are no gaps or open spaces in a circuit, it is called a
closed circuit. Some circuits have a switch in them, which allows you to turn the flow of energy within
the circuit on and off, When the switch is turned on, the circuit is closed and energy can flow
completely through it. When the switch is turned off, the circuit has a gap in it and energy is not able
to flow through. Did you know that all of this was happening behind the walls when you turn on the
light switches in your house?
Certain substances within circuits allow electricity to flow through the circuit very easily. These
substances are called conductors. Conductors help energy travel through the circuit. Wires are great
conductors! Circuits are typically made using wires that allow the flow of electricity to travel
completely through the circuit without being slowed down. Some substances do not let electrical
energy pass through them very easily. These substances are called insulators. Insulators block energy
from traveling through the circuit. Insulators may sound like the bad guys, but they can actually be
helpful in some circumstances. Wrapping metal wires in an insulator (like plastic), ensures that the
energy will only flow through the wire. The plastic wrapping on the outside of the wire prevents
electrical energy from getting out of the circuit. Conductors and insulators are both important parts of
a circuit.
A circuit is like a race track, It is round, connects at both ends, and has an important start and
finish. Electrical energy moves along the path of the track continuously. The starting point of the circuit
is always the battery. The battery is the power source that pushes the electric current around the
circuit. The finish line of the circuit is the light bulb, TV, or whatever the object is that is being powered.
As soon as electricity reaches the finish line of the circuit, it can be changed into another form of
energy.
Some of the other forms of energy that electrical energy can be transformed into include heat,
light, sound, and motion. Think about how quickly the energy passed through a circuit in order to
power your device the next time you flip on a light switch or turn on the TV. It all takes olace in less
than a second you cant even see it happeni
FAST FACT: Sometimes there is more than one finish line on the
track of an electrical circuit. In this case, if the flow of electricity is
broken at any one of the finish lines within the circuit, electricity
will not be able to make it to any of the other devices in the
circuit. For example, think about the Christmas lights that you
wrap about your tree. If one light bulb goes out, the entire string
of lights goes out because the light bulb that isnt working breaks
the continuous path of the circuit. Remember that there cannot
be any gaps in the circuit in order for it to work! Electrical energy
will not flow through the circuit until the broken light is fixed and
the gap in the track is closed back up.
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