Circuits
- Created by: Clare
- Created on: 26-03-13 16:16
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- Circuits
- Conductors
- Metals are good conductors because they have free electrons
- This means they are not bound to a particular atom and move at random throughout the metal
- Metals are good conductors because they have free electrons
- Currrent
- Rate of flow of electric charge through a conductor
- Measured in amps
- Current is the same throughout the circuit
- Measured using an ammeter with low resistance so it doesn't affect the circuit's current
- Measures how many coulombs of charge pass through the lamp per second
- Charge
- Measured in Coulombs (C)
- Charge= current x time
- Voltage
- Strength of current flow around a circuit
- Tells us how much energy is transferred per coulomb of charge
- Measured on a voltmeter in PARALLEL
- Goes opposite component (light) in it's own section
- Voltmeters have a very high resistance and measure how many joules of energy are converted
- Circuit symbols
- Switch
- Fuse
- LED
- Lamp/ Bulb
- Variable resistor
- Diode
- Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)
- Cell
- Series
- The same current flows through all components
- Circuit connected in series
- E.g.: Fairy lights so replacing a bulb is safer as all lights have gone out
- Any break stops everything, all components get an EQUAL share of battery voltage (same brightness) but are less bright overall
- Parallel
- At certain points the current is split and can take 2 or more routes, after the 2 currents join together
- If components are identical the current will divide equally
- E.g.: Main sockets and lights in a house- they all receive full voltage and don't stop working if one fuse blows
- Advantages: Brighter, individual control, whole circuit doesn't break
- Total current= sum of all currents on seprate
- Conductors
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