1 Read the text and label the plcture with the name of each part.

An electric circuit or network is o pothwoy

through which the electric curren! con flow. A light bulbs
simple circuit consists of o power source, two
conducting wires, eoch one ottoched to o
terminal of the source ond o device through
which electricity con flow. This device is
colled a load ond it's ollached lo the wires. lf
oll the peris ore properly connected, lhe
curren! flows ond the lomp lights up. This kind
EJ............,..
switch. _� fuses

of circuit is colled 'closed'.

On the controry, if the wires ore disconnected
the circvit is colled 'open' or 'broken'. The
circuit con be opened ond closed by o device
colled o switch.
Loods con tum electricol energy into o more
useful form. Sorne exomples ore:
■ light bulbs, which chonge electricol energy
conducting wires
into light energy;
power source
■ electric motors, which chonge electrice!
energy into mechonicol energy; When en obnormolly high omount of curren!
■ speakers, which chonge energy into sound. posses through o network, you get o short
circuit. This moy occur when there is o drop in
The source provides the eleciricol energy used the resistance or o broken insulolion. In arder
by the load. lt can be o storoge bottery or a lo prevent short circuils, it is best to use fuses,
generotor. The switch interrupts the curren! which melt when loo much curren! flows
delivered lo the load by the source ond ollows through them, interrupting in lhis woy the
us lo control the flow. circvil.

2 Match the words with their definitions.

1 load a O2 a devicc which interrupts the circuit
2 switch b O6 a clrcult In whlch wires are disconnecled
3 source e O3 a device which provides power
4 fuse d O 5 a complete circuit with no breaks al ali
5 closed circuit e O a device which consumes electric power
1
6 broken circuit f O 4 a protective device

3 Read the text again and answer the following questions.

1 What does a simple circuí! consist of? 5 What is the funclion of a switch?
2 What happens to the lamp in a closed circult? 6 When does a shorl circuit occur?
3 Can you name sorne examples of loads? 7 What can we use to prevent short circuits?
4 What is a generator? 8 How does a fuse work?
1- Is a pathway through which the electric current can flow 5- open and close the circuit
2-the current flows and the lamp lights up 6-When an abnormally high amount of
current passes through a network
3- light 14bulbs, electric motors,speakers. 7- it is best to use fuses
8-which melt when too much current flows
4- proporciona la energía eléctrica utilizada por la carga through them
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4 (¡ 6 Complete the texts with the words in the box. Then listen and check.

_compornmts current turn on brnnch amount

posltivc appliances continue burns out path

The ( 1) componen Is of a circuit can be wired in two diffcrcm ways:

series or parallel. lf componcnts are arranged one after another to form
a single (2) ____

circuit, the (3)

path _

current
between che tcrminals and the
components, che circuit is known as a series circuit. In this type of
____ flows from the negative terminal to
- t
positive
the (4) ____ _ terminal, passing through all the othcr
components ofthe circuit. This mea ns that thc (S) _____ amount of energy passing chrough all the components
in the series is thc same. Toe main disadvantagc of a series circuit is that whcn a single component in che path
(6) ___
burns out _ _, the entire circuic stops operating (e.g. Christmas tree lights).

A par.illel circuit consim of several paths connecting the

difTerent components. Each separa te path is called a
(7 )_____ ofthe circuir. Current from che
branch

- - -
+
t t
source divides and Aows through the different branches.
R, Unlike series circuits, if one of thc components in the
parallel circuit bums out, the other paths
(8) ____
continue _ to operate. Parallel circuits are
commonly used to connect (9) appliances at
home, so that each socket can funcrion independently.
For example, you don't have to ( 1O) __turn
__ on __ _ the light in your room for the TV socket to work.

5 Read the text and find synonyms for the words below.

A fusc can be :1dded toan ekclric circuir to protect it from thc cffcc1s ofundue power. This snfcty device. which
is madc of a hcat-sensitivc alloy. is conncctcd in series with thc drcui1 it has 10 pro1cc1. lf an cxcessive amouni uf
currclll flows lhrough the circuit. thc alloy will liqucfy 11ml open lhe _
circuil. /\ circui1 breakcr is fundamental in a housc 10 prnlcct circuils
ag.iinst ovcrloading. ovcrhca1ing and shon circuits. l11c mlvan1age of
a circuil brcaker is that it cnn be rcscl aíter the ovcrloading by
replacing the fusc. A profcssional clectrician should ;ilways
pmvide his cus1omcrs wi1h a map of the electric circuiG in the
house so lh:11 it will be casicr lo work on it in cnsc of faull�.

l excessive: undue__ __ overloading

4 loading up: _ _____
overheating
2 reacting to high temperatures: __ _ 5 adjusted: reset
3 to melt: the alloy will liquefy 6 clients: customers

MYGLOSSARY
arreglar
to .irrnngc /rn: .>'R:md31 __________ _ pmver source /pa1kl(rl s��, _ fuente
_ de alimentación
brJncl1 /hm:n1J/ _ ramification
____________ 10 prt•ve111 /1-:i pn·vcm/__para _ prevenir
to bum out ft;, ln:n aut/ ____ quemarse_______ seriC's cin:uit /s1:iri:z 's'l:kn/ circuito en serie
dispositivo
device /dl'\·m�/_____________ _ short circuil /J:1:1 ·s3:k11 cortocircuito
culpa
f.:tull /fnh/ ______ _________ sockct /sokn/__ enchufe
fusible
íuse /lju:71 _______ ________ speaker /spi:kz>Cr)/ ____ altavoces_____ _____
light bulb /lan b,\lb/ _ bombilla
_ switch /swuJ/ interruptor
carga
load /l�-------------- convertirse en
to 1urn in10 /1:, l'.l:11 '1111u:/ __________ _
10 mclt /1;, meh/ para fundir undue /,\n'dju:/ undue
p.1r,1llel circuit /p:c_r:,Jel ·s'.l:kn / _circuito
____ paralelo
___

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