ELECTRICITY

Circuit is any arrangement of a source of energy (battery), connecting wires, and a load e.g. Bulbs).
-complete or closed circuit provides a path for electrical charges to flow.
ELECTRIC CURRENT is a measure of the number of electrical charges passing through a cross-section
of a conductor in a given time.
The direction of conventional current or simply current is from the positive terminal of the battery to
the negative terminal.
The symbol for current is capital letter I.
The unit, ampere (A), is named after Andre-Marie Ampere, a French physicist who made important
contributions to the theory of electricity and magnetism.
An ammeter measures electric current.
Figure 1 shows how the ammeter is connected in a circuit. The positive terminal of an ammeter is
connected to the positive terminal of the energy source (e.g. battery) while the negative terminal is
connected to the negative terminal of the energy source as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Ammeter connected in a circuit

Voltage
What makes the charges move in a closed circuit? In Module 2, you learned that when work is done on an
object, energy is transferred which can become energy of motion of the object. In a circuit, work must be done
on the charges to make them move. The battery supplies the energy in electric circuits. The chemical energy in
the battery is transformed to electrical energy. This electrical energy moves the charges in a circuit.
A battery consists of several dry cells or wet cells. Both dry and wet cells contain a conducting medium called
electrolyte. The batteries we use in flashlights and watches are dry cells.
The symbol for voltage is capital letter V. The unit, volts (V), is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro
Volta who invented the voltaic pile, the forerunner of what we now call the dry cell.
A voltmeter measures voltage. Figure 2 shows how the voltmeter is connected in a circuit. The voltmeter
should be connected across the load being tested. The positive terminal of a voltmeter is connected to the
positive terminal of the bulb while the negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the bulb as
shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Voltmeter connected across the load

If voltage is needed for charges to flow, how does the amount of voltage affect current? Find out in Activity 1.