 Explain the relationship between

voltage, resistance and current in an

electrical circuit—including units for
each
 Compare/contrast series and parallel
circuits in terms of structure,
function, and changes in each.
 Explain short circuit
 Know electrical safety precautions
is a form of energy produced
by the movement of electrons.
refers to the presence of
electric current in wires,
motors, light bulbs, and other
devices.
 “How can the light bulb be lit for a
longer period of time?”
 the movement or flow of electricity
 it is a measure of the number of electrical
charges passing through a cross-section
of a conductor in a given time.
Ampere (A) – the unit for current,
named after Andre-Marie Ampere, a
French physicist who made important
contributions to the theory of electricity
and magnetism.
I – the symbol for current
Ammeter measures electric current.
 are made up of charges that move
randomly. IF you connect a
conductor to a battery, there will
be a potential difference between
the ends of the conductor. The
potential difference creates an
electric field within the length of
the conductor.
Charges flow from negative
terminal of a voltage source,
through the circuit, and into
the source. Inside the source,
current flows from the
negative terminal to the
positive terminal.
The movement of
electrons from negative
to the positive
direction in a circuit.
Current can be
classified as
alternating or
direct.
is a type of current that
reverses direction
alternately many time per
second. The graph of AC
is represented by a
sinusoidal wave.
is a current that moves
in one direction. The
graph of direct current
is characterized by a
straight graph.
 Voltage – (V) is the measure of pressure
under which electricity flows; in this
case it is the measure of how much
energy or force “the battery” is giving.
 Volt – is the unit for voltage, named after the
Italian physicist Alessandro Volta who
invented the voltaic pile, the forerunner of what
we now call the dry cell.
 V - the symbol for voltage.
 Voltage is created by
 a chemical cell (battery) when it
changes chemical energy to electrical
energy

 by a generator when it changes

mechanical energy to electrical energy

 by a solar cell when it changes light

energy to electrical energy.
 Voltmeter - is a device that measures
the load or any electrical device. The
voltmeter should be connected parallel
to the load being tested.
 the tendency for a material to oppose the
flow of electrons
 the ability of the conductor to resist the
amount of current passing through.
 Changes electrical energy into thermal
energy and light
 Ex: lightbulb filament
 Resistance is measured in
Ohms (Ω)
 Resistance measures how difficult it is for
current to flow.
 The total amount of electrical resistance in a
circuit determines the amount of current
that in the circuit for a given voltage.
 The more resistance the circuit has, the less
current that flows.
Ohm’s Law – deals with the relationship
between voltage and current. This law states
that the current through a conductor is
directly proportional to the voltage.

Therefore:
An increase in voltage causes an
increase in current
 Circuit – is a closed path along
which electrical charges (electrons)
flow from an energy source.

 A simple circuit is composed of:

 Source - battery
 Path - wire
 Load - bulb
 Control - switch
I. Series Circuit: the current has only one loop
to flow through
 things are wired one right after the other
 If one thing (bulb) goes out every thing
goes out
 If the circuit is broken the entire flow of
current stops
 Current is the same at each point in
the circuit
 When another resistor (light bulb) is
added in series, the total resistance
increases.
 When resistance increases, current
will decrease.
 Decreased current means dimmer
light.
II. Parallel Circuit: contains two or more
branches for current to move through
 current splits up to flow through the
different branches
 because all branches connect the same
two points of the circuit – the voltage
difference is the same in each branch
 more current flows through the branches
that have the lower resistance
 When one bulb is unscrewed or removed,
the other bulb is still part of a complete
circuit and remains lighted.
 Series Circuits Parallel Circuits
 1 path for current  multiple paths for current
 Current is the same at  Current can be different in
every point each branch
 Voltage drops at each  Voltage same across each
resistor resistance
 Break in circuit stops all  Break in circuit does not
current affect other bulbs
 Adding resistance in  Adding resistance in
series decreases total parallel increases total
current (dimmer light current
bulbs)
 Series Connection Parallel Connection

Total Current Same as current in Equal to the sum of

individual load current in individual
load
Total Voltage Equal to the sum of Same anywhere across
the voltages across two points in the circuit
each load
Total Increases with Decreases with
Resistance increasing load increasing load
 is a representation which uses symbols
to present the different components in a
physical electric circuit.