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An electrical circuit is a path through which electrons from a voltage or current source can flow. The point where electrons enter is called the source, and where they exit is called the return or earth ground. A circuit's load is the part between the source and return point, and can be as simple as appliances or complex systems. Basic circuit diagrams use symbols to represent components like conductors, switches, loads, and cells or batteries.

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18 views4 pages

TOPIC 1 Eaz

An electrical circuit is a path through which electrons from a voltage or current source can flow. The point where electrons enter is called the source, and where they exit is called the return or earth ground. A circuit's load is the part between the source and return point, and can be as simple as appliances or complex systems. Basic circuit diagrams use symbols to represent components like conductors, switches, loads, and cells or batteries.

Uploaded by

44361brianmainaitl6j024
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

An electric circuit is a path in which electrons from a voltage or current source flow.
The point where those electrons enter an electrical circuit is called the “source” of electrons.

The point where the electrons leave an electrical circuit is called the "return" or "earth ground".

The exit point is called the "return" because electrons always end up at the source when they

complete the path of an electrical circuit.

The part of an electrical circuit that is between the electrons' starting point and the point where they
return to the source is called an electrical circuit's "load".

A load of an electrical circuit may be as simple as those that power home appliances like refrigerators,
televisions, or lamps or more complicated, such as the load on the output of a hydroelectric power
generating station. A simple, well-designed circuit, has a cell providing current along a path (wire), to a
load (resistor) and back to the other end of the cell as shown in diagram.

Electrical circuit depicting - load, conductor, cell


An electrical circuit is a path or line through which an electrical current flows.

The path may be closed (joined at both ends), making it a loop. A closed circuit makes electrical current

flow possible. It may also be an open circuit where the electron flow is cut short because the

path is broken. An open circuit does not allow electrical current to flow.
Below is a basic set of symbols that you may find on circuit diagrams:

It is very important to know the basic parts of a simple circuit and the symbols that relate to

them. A simple circuit has conductors, a switch, a load and a power source.

Here are the functions of each part:

Conductors:

These are usually copper wires with no insulation. They make the path through which the

electricity flows. One piece of the wire connects the current from the power source (cell) to

the load. The other piece connects the load back to the power source.

Switch:

The switch is simply a small gap in the conductor where you can close or open the circuit.

When the switch is closed, the circuit is closed and electricity flows.

The Load:

The load is a small light bulb or buzzer that lights when the circuit is turned on. The load is

also known as a resistor.

Cell:

The power source is a cell. (Note that more than one cell put together is known as a battery).

The diagram below shows how a basic circuit looks like.


It is important to draw circuits with clean straight lines, as shown in diagram B. Avoid

realistic sketches. It is important to know that a circuit can have more than the basic

components in the diagram. It can have two or more batteries or two or more bulbs.

Electrical Quantities & Units


Electromotive force, also called EMF (and measured in volts), refers to voltage generated

by a battery or by the magnetic force according to Faraday’s Law, which states that a time

varying magnetic field will induce an electric current.

Ampere or Amp (symbol: A) is the unit of electrical current. The Ampere unit is named after

Andre-Marie Ampere from France. One Ampere is defined as the current that flows with

electric charge of one Coulomb per second. 1 A = 1 C/s

The electric Power, P is equal to the energy consumption E divided by the consumption

time t:

P= E / t
P is the electric power in Watt (W).

E is the energy consumption in Joule (J).

t is the time in seconds (s).

Joule, unit of work or energy in the International System of Units (SI), is equal to the work

done by a force of one newton acting through one metre.

Resistance is a measure of the opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit. Resistance is

measured in Ohms, symbolized by the Greek letter Omega (Ω).

Ohm’s Law is V = IR, where V = voltage, I = current, and R = resistance.

Ohm’s Law allows you to determine characteristics of a circuit, such as how much current is

flowing through it, if you know the voltage of the battery in the circuit and how much

resistance is in the circuit.

Current
The continuous motion of free electrons by applying potential difference

is called current. OR

Electrical current is defined as the rate of flow of electrons in a conductive or


semi-conductive Material.

I = Q/t

Free electrons are available in all conductive and semi-conductive materials.


These electrons drift randomly in all directions, from atom to atom, within the
structure of the material. Now if a voltage is placed across. The conductive or
semi-conductive material, one end becomes positive and the other end negative
as indicated in figure. The repulsive force between the negative voltages at the
left end causes the free electrons (negative charges) to move toward the right.
The attractive force between the positive voltage at the right end pulls the free
electrons from the negative end of the material to the positive end, as shown in
figure.
The movement of the free electrons from the negative end of the material to
the positive end is the electrical current, symbolized by I

UNIT
The unit of current is Ampere symbolized by A it is named
after Andre Ampere AMPERE

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