MR.

WALSH
 Topic: Electrical Circuits
Lesson Objectives:
1. Use symbols to construct circuit diagrams.
2. Explain the concept of resistance, power, current, charge,
energy and voltage.
3. State and apply Ohm’s law.
4. Differentiate between series and parallel circuits.
5. State the characteristics of series and parallel circuits.
6. Calculate V, I and R in series and parallel circuits.
7. Explain why it is necessary for an ammeter to have a very low
resistance and a voltmeter to have a very high resistance.
What is electricity?
Electricity is the movement or flow of tiny electrical particles (charges) called electrons through a
closed loop or electrical circuit. Electricity is a secondary energy source, which means that we get
it from the conversion of other sources of energy such as coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear power,
wind, biomass, the sun etc., which are called primary sources. The energy sources we use to make
electricity can be renewable (e.g. wind) or non-renewable (e.g. oil), but electricity itself is neither
renewable or non-renewable.
CIRCUIT SYMBOLS
Common electrical circuit symbols
Circuit component Function
Supplies the electrical energy to the circuit. The larger/longer
Cell
terminal on the left is the positive (+) terminal.

Battery A battery is more than one cell.

Made from a metallic conductor so current can easily pass

Connecting wire
from one part of the circuit to another.

Voltmeter Instrument used to measure potential difference.

Ammeter Instrument used to measure electrical current.

Fixed resistor Provides an unchangeable resistance within a circuit.

Variable resistor Provides a resistance that can be altered within a circuit.

….continued
Circuit component Function
On/Off switch – in closed position the circuit is complete and
Closed switch
current flows.
On/Off switch – in open position the circuit is broken so no
Open switch
current flows.
Used to convert electrical energy into light. E.g. a household
Lighting lamp
lightbulb.
Used to convert electrical energy into light. The best example is
Indicator lamp
the warning light on a car dashboard.
A safety device which melts to break the circuit if the electrical
Fuse
current flowing through it exceeds a specified value.

Semiconductor diode A device which only allows current to flow in one direction.
….continued
Circuit component Function

Alternating supply (a.c.) Provides an alternating current or voltage to a circuit.

Ground/Earth Connects the circuit to the earth.

Motor Converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

Direct Supply (d.c.) Provides an direct current or voltage to a circuit.

ELECTRICAL QUANTITIES
Electric charge, Q
Electrical energy is transferred around the circuit by the movement of electric charges. The basic
unit of charge is the Coulomb (C). One Coulomb is the amount of charge that passes a point in a
circuit when a current of 1 Ampere (1 A) flows for 1 second.

NB: 1C = 1As

From the definition of charge (the coulomb), we can see that the quantity of charge, Q, that flows
in a time t is equal to the current, I, multiplied by the time: that is,

Q = It

Where Q is charge in coulomb/C, I is current in ampere/A and t is time in second/s)

Current, I
The current, I, in the circuit is measured in amperes (A). The current is equal to the rate of flow of
electrical charge, I = Q ÷ t. Typical currents in domestic electrical appliances range from a few
milliamperes (thousandths of an ampere) or less in calculators and clocks, to a few tens of
amperes in cookers and heaters. The current flowing in a circuit can be measured with an
Ammeter.
Voltage, V
Potential difference, often referred to as simply ‘voltage’, is the work done (energy converted from
electrical energy to other forms of energy) in moving unit positive charge from one point to
another in a circuit. The voltage across a resistor can be calculated using the following formula:

𝑾
𝑽= (where V is voltage/V, W is work/energy in joule/J and Q is charge in coulomb/C)
𝑸

The unit for voltage is the volt (V). 1 Volt is the potential difference between two points in a circuit
when 1 Joule of energy is converted when 1 Coulomb of charge flows between the two points.

NB: 1V = 1JC-1.
Resistance, R
Resistance is the opposition to the movement or flow of electrons or electrical current. Resistance
(R) can also be defined as the ratio of the potential difference (V) across the conductor/circuit to
the current (I) flowing through it. Electrical resistance is measured in Ohm, with its symbol being
the Greek letter Omega (Ω).

𝑹 = 𝑽Τ𝑰
Where R is resistance in ohm/Ω, V is voltage in volt/V and I is current in ampere/A
Electric Energy, E
Electrical energy is a form of energy resulting from the flow of electric charge. Energy is the ability
to do work or apply force to move an object. In the case of electrical energy, the force is electrical
attraction or repulsion between charged particles. Electrical energy may be either potential
energy or kinetic energy, but it's usually encountered as potential energy, which is energy stored
due to the relative positions of charged particles or electric fields. Electrical energy is measured in
Joule (J).

Energy, E = P × t

Where E is energy in joule/J, P is power in watt/W and t is time in second/s

Electric Power, P
The rate at which the work is being done in an electrical circuit is called electric power (P). In other
words, electric power is the rate of transfer of energy, which is usually produced by a generator,
but can also be supplied by cells and batteries.

Electrical power is measured in Watt (W).

𝑾
NB: 𝑷= (Power, Work, time) 1W = 1Js-1
𝒕

Power can also be calculated using any of the following formulas:

P = IV ; P = I2R ; P = V2 ÷ R
Ohm’s law states that the voltage or potential difference across a conductor is directly
proportional to the current flowing through it, provided that temperature and all other physical
conditions are kept constant.

NB: V = IR
TYPES OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS
In order for electrons to flow they need a closed circuit; an electrical circuit provides a complete,
closed path for electricity. The main parts of a circuit includes the load or resistor, wires and a
switch. The source of energy can be a battery, photocell or a generator. The load is the part of the
circuit that uses the power, and it always offers some resistance to the flow of electrons. The
switch in an electrical circuit is used to prevent or allow the flow of electrons.

There are two main types of electrical circuits: series and parallel circuits.

NB: Series and parallel circuits can combine to give “combinational” circuits or “series-parallel”
circuits.
Series Circuit
In a series circuit there is only one path for the electrons to flow. The main disadvantage of a series
circuit is that if there is a break in the circuit the entire circuit is open and no current will flow. An
example of a series circuit would be the lights on many inexpensive Christmas trees. If one light
goes out, all of them will.
Parallel Circuit
In a parallel circuit, the different parts of the circuit are on several different branches. There are
several different paths that electrons can flow. If there is a break in one branch of the circuit,
electrons can still flow in the other branches. Your home is wired in a parallel circuit, so if one light
bulb goes out the others will stay on.
Characteristics of electric circuits
Characteristics of series circuits:
1. The current is the same at all points throughout the circuit.
2. The total voltage is shared among the resistors according to their resistance value.
3. The total resistance is equal to the sum of the individual resistances.

Characteristics of a parallel circuit:

1. The total current is shared among the resistors according to their resistance value
2. The voltage (p.d.) is the same across each branch in the circuit.
3. The total resistance is always less than the smallest value resistance.
Calculating Total/Equivalent Resistance

❑Total/Equivalent resistance in series:

RT = R1 + R2 + R3 ….. + Rn

❑Total/Equivalent resistance in parallel:

1 1 1 1 1
= + + …+
𝑅𝑇 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝑅n
 Series Circuit Calculations
For the circuit below, calculate:
a) The total resistance RT
b) The total current IT
c) The total power PT
d) The total charge QT, assuming the circuit was left on for 10 minutes.
e) The voltage across R1, R2 and R3
 Parallel Circuit Calculations
For the circuit below, calculate:
a) The total resistance RT
b) The total current IT
c) The total power PT
d) The total charge QT, assuming the circuit was left on for 10 minutes.
e) The current through R1, R2 and R3
ELECTRIC METERS
 Voltmeters & Ammeters
An ammeter is placed in series in a circuit and must have a low resistance compared with the rest
of the circuit, otherwise it changes the current to be measured.

A voltmeter is placed in parallel with the part of the circuit across which the p.d./voltage is to be
measured. It should have a high resistance compared with the resistance across the component
which it is connected. Otherwise, the total resistance of the whole circuit is reduced; hence,
changing the current and p.d. required.
ACTIVITIES
activity
1. Five resistors are connected in parallel (10 Ω, 20 Ω, 30 Ω, 40 Ω and 50 Ω
respectively). The circuit is powered by a battery with a voltage rating of
12 V.
a. Draw a circuit diagram to represent the above information..
b. Assuming that the circuit is left on for 0.67 day, calculate:
i. The equivalent resistance
ii. The total current
iii. The total power dissipated across the circuit.
iv. The total charge that flowed through the circuit in the period
of time.
v. The current flowing through the 40 Ω and 50 Ω resistors.
activity 2.0
A p.d. of 24 V from a battery is applied to the
network of resistors in the figure on the left.

a. What is the combined resistance of the 6 Ω

and 12 Ω resistors in parallel?
b. What is the current in the 8 Ω resistor?
c. What is the p.d. across the parallel
network?
d. What is the current in the 6 Ω resistor?
THE END