Download Electrical Current and Circuits

Where does it come from and where
does it go?
4 Basic Areas
1. Dry Cell Batteries
2. Wet Cell Batteries
3. Photocells
4. Power Plants

Electrical energy can be converted
into basically any other type of
energy
Heat
Chemical
Nuclear
Energy
Light
Electrical
Sound Mechanical

From ATOMS!!!!
The smallest particle a substance can be
broken down into
***the negatively
charged particles
found outside of
the nucleus

2 Main Players

Materials that negative charges
move easily through
• Charges are free to move
around
Good conductors:
metals such as silver,
aluminum, copper,
and mercury

A material in which negative
charges do not move well
Found on electrical wire to keep you
from shocks
Good Insulators:
Plastic, rubber, glass,
wood, and air

Every object begins as neutral. Meaning it has
no charge…we call this a 0 (zero charge).
• Then, in some
situations…they can
become
electron
neutron
proton
Objects become
charged because they
lose or gain electrons
Gain = becomes negative
Lose = becomes positive

Right, but also
wrong….hmmm
The buildup of
electric charges on
an object
Static = does not move
When the static
electricity in an
object leaves the
object
Examples: cracking noise, shock, flash of light

Objects that have opposite charges are
attracted to each other
Result = objects
are pulled
together

Objects that have the same charges are
repelled
Result = objects
repel each other
Power and control all rolled into one
fun filled adventure…

Current: the rate at which charges
pass a given point
Made by electrons moving in
a wire

AC/DC: explains how current gets moved
DC: Direct Current (one-direction)
AC: Alternating Current (bi-directional)
• Depends on Potential Energy

Voltage: the number
of electrons that are
in an energy source
Voltage can vary

Resistance: opposition
to the flow of charge
Expressed in ohms
Ώ
As resistance increases…current decreases!!!!

Amperes (A) = volts (V)
ohms (Ώ)
I = Current
V = Voltage
R = Resistance
I=V
R

The rate at which electrical energy is used to
do work
Expressed in Watts (W)
P=VxI
Power = voltage x current

Complete, closed path through which electric
charges flow
Closed
Open

1. Series: all parts are connected in one loop

2. Parallel: different loads are located
on separate branches