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Study Notes: Electricity & Circuits

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Electric Cell

A Bulb Connected to an Electric Cell Bulb

An Electric Circuit We get light from a thin tiny wire inside the glass cover.
This is called a filament. It is supported by two thicker
Electric Switch
wires, as shown in Fig. One of these thick wires is
Electric Conductors and Insulators connected to the metal casing around the base of the bulb.
The other is connected to the metal tip of the base. The

Electric Cell base of the bulb and the metal tip of the base are the two
terminals of the bulb. These two terminals are fixed in such
A device that is used to generate an electric current
a way that they do not touch each other.
through a series of chemical reactions is called the Electric
The inside portion of the bulb is filled up with inert gases,
cell.
like argon.

Try yourself: Filament of a bulb is made up of

a. aluminium

b. chromium

c. platinum
Torch Bulb

d. tungsten

View Solution
 When a cell is connected to a device, the strength of the
A Bulb Connected to an Electric
chemical decreases. Finally, when the entire energy of the
Cell chemical is spent, the device connected to the cell stops
An electric cell is a device that supplies electrical energy to functioning. A rechargeable cell or a storage battery can be
devices that function using electricity. Thus, an electric cell recharged
produces electricity for a torch to glow. In fact, not only a
torch, an electric cell provides electricity to a number of
devices, such as toys, alarm clocks, pocket radios and
cameras.

An electric cell has a cap, just under which there is a plus

sign. This is the positive terminal of the cell. At the other
end of the cell, there is a flat metal disc with a minus sign
just above the disc. This metallic disc is the negative A torch bulb is made up of spherical glass which is attached
terminal of the cell. These terminals of the cell can be used to a metallic base. The bulb inside a torch has a filament.
to connect it to various devices. Inside a cell, there is dark This filament is supported by two thick wires at its ends.
powdery stuff, which is the chemical. This chemical helps When the positive and the negative terminals of an electric
the cell to provide electricity to the device it is connected cell are connected to the two terminals of a bulb,
to.

electricity passes through the filament and it starts A closed path through which the electric current flows is
glowing. The terminals of the bulb are fixed in such a way called an electric circuit. The direction of electric current
that they do not touch each other. in an electric circuit is from the positive terminal to the
negative terminal.
The bulbs that we use in our homes all look the same. In
recent years, a different type of bulb has become popular - For example, a bulb glows only when the positive terminal
the compact fluorescent lamp, generally referred to as a and the negative terminal of an electric cell are connected
CFL. It is an energy-saving bulb, which has a longer life to the two terminals of the bulb.
than an ordinary bulb. If the wires from the bulb are connected to the same
terminal (either positive or negative), then the bulb doesn't
An Electric Circuit glow.
Sometimes, the bulb may not glow even though the
connections are properly made.
This is because the flow of electricity is incomplete as the
filament in the bulb is broken. A broken filament bulb is
said to be fused.

Electrical Circuit
 Some common types are:
Electric Switch
A device that is used to stop the flow of electricity Toggle switches, which are used in our houses.

by breaking the circuit is called a switch. Push-button switches, which are used in the starter

An electric switch is a simple device that either of a water pump.

breaks the circuit or completes it to stop or start Joystick switches, which are used in the remote

the flow of current. control unit of a toy car.

When the switch completes the circuit, it is

called closed switch.
When the switch breaks the circuit, it is called open
switch.

Closed Switch

Open Switch

Electric Conductors and Insulators

Try yourself: Bulb glows only in All materials do not allow electricity to pass
through them. Materials that allow electricity to

a. closed circuit pass through them are called conductors.

Conductors conduct electric current. Since metals
are good conductors of electricity, electric wires are
b. open circuit
made of metals. These electric wires act as
conducting materials. So they are used to make
c. in both circuits
electrical circuits.
Some common conductors that conduct electric
d. open circuit if bulb is not fused current are copper, silver, gold and
aluminium. Copper is the most popular material

View Solution used for wires.

Sometimes we receive electric shocks because our
bodies are also good conductors of electricity.
Materials that do not allow electricity to pass
through them are called insulators. Insulators
oppose electric current and so they are used as
 protection from the dangerous effects of
electricity. Science Class 6
Some common insulators are glass, air, plastic, (https://edurev.in/course…

cotton, thermocol, wood and rubber. (https://edurev.in/courses 85 videos | 174 docs | 35 tests
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Water is a good conductor of electricity, but in its
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insulator. Distilled water is, therefore, used in

batteries as an insulator.
We use various electrical appliances every day.
Without the help of insulators, the use of electrical
appliances is impossible. The parts of the electric
appliances that we touch are covered with
insulating material.
Example: Plugs and switches are covered with an
insulating material such as plastic, and the wire
attached to the plug is a metal wire, which is a
conductor. So conductors and insulators work hand
in hand.

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 4. What is an electric switch?
FAQs on Study Notes: Electricity & Circuits

1. What is an electric cell? 5. What are electric conductors and insulators?

An electric cell is a device that converts chemical energy

into electrical energy. It consists of two electrodes, a
positive electrode called the cathode and a negative
electrode called the anode, immersed in an electrolyte
solution. When a circuit is connected to the electrodes, a
chemical reaction occurs within the cell, generating an
electric current.

2. How does a bulb work when connected to an

electric cell?

3. What is an electric circuit?

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