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Year 7 Physics: Unit 7J

Page 1 Circuits

Page 2 Electrical Symbols

Page 3 Series Circuits Page 4 Parallel Circuits Homework

 

Series Circuits

Electrical circuits can be either series or parallel. In a series circuit the current is the same everywhere. Think of an electrical circuit being like a pipe containing water. What is flowing at the start will be flowing at the end.

  • If one of the bulbs blows in a series circuit, this will break the circuit (the bulb's filament forms part of the circuit). All of the other bulbs in the circuit will also go off.
  • The current in the circuit will be the same everywhere.
  • As you add more bulbs to the circuit they will become dimmer as it is harder for the cell to push the current around the circuit. The resistance of the circuit is higher.
  • The voltage from the power pack is divided between the bulbs. (The first bulb will convert some of the electrical energy into light and heat; the second bulb in the circuit above will convert the remaining electrical energy into light and heat).

 

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