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Understandable electric circuits

Basic concepts

Electric circuit: A closed loop of pathway with electric current flowing

through it.
Requirements of a basic circuit:

Power supply (power source): A device that supplies electrical energy

to a load.

Load: A device that is connected to the output terminal of a circuit,

and consumes electrical energy.

Wires: Wires connect the power supply unit and load together, and
carry current flowing through the circuit.
Schematic: A simplified circuit diagram that shows the interconnection of
circuit components, and is represented by circuit symbols.
Circuit symbols: The idealization and approximation of the actual circuit
components.
Electric current (I): A flow of electric charges through an electric circuit:
I Q/t (or I dq/dt).
Current direction:

Conventional current flow version: A flow of positive charge

(proton) from the positive terminal of a power supply to its negative
terminal.

Electron flow version: A flow of negative charge (electron) from the

negative terminal of a power supply unit to its positive terminal.
Ammeter: An instrument used for measuring current, represented by the
symbol A . It should be connected in series in the circuit.
Electromotive force (EMF): An electric pressure or force supplied by a
voltage source causing current to flow in a circuit.
Voltage (V) or potential difference: The amount of energy or work that would
be required to move electrons between two points: V W/Q (or v dw/dt).
Source voltage or applied voltage (E or VS): EMF can be called source
voltage or applied voltage. The EMF is supplied by a voltage source and
applied to the load in a circuit.
Load voltage (V): Voltage across two terminals of the load.
Voltage drop: Voltage across a component when current flows from a
higher potential point to a lower potential point in a circuit.
Voltage rise: Voltage across a component when current flows from a lower
point to a higher point in a circuit.
Voltmeter: An instrument used for measuring voltage. Its symbol is V
and it should be connected in parallel with the component.
Resistor (R): A two-terminal component of a circuit that limits the flow of
current.
Resistance (R): Measure of a materials opposition to the flow of current.
Factors affecting resistance: R r=A, where cross-sectional area (A),
length (), temperature (T) and resistivity (r).
Ohmmeter: An instrument used for measuring resistance. Its symbol is
and the resistor must be removed from the circuit to measure the resistance.