Circuits

These ants have built a

bridge to cross a gap so that
they can attack a wasp nest.
Some ants form the
“bridge” while other ants
cross the bridge with the
wasp eggs.
What would happen to the
whole structure if one
section of the ants were
destroyed?
 Date:
LI: To understand how series circuits work and be able
to draw them using circuit symbols.

Success Criteria
1. Knowledge: I can recognize and draw common circuit
symbols.
2. Understanding: I can describe how the current changes in
a series circuit.
3. Creating: I can create a simple series circuit for some
common everyday situations.
 Fact of the Day
The longest interval between twins being born is 87 days. The
mother went into labour four months early with the first
child, but did not give birth to the second one until 3 months
later. The average interval however is 17 minutes.
 Recap Questions
1. Identify two electrically charged subatomic particles.
2. Describe how static electricity can form.
 Answers
1. Protons and electrons
2. Static electricity can form when friction causes the
electrons from one surface to transfer to another surface,
causing an imbalance of charges.
 Cells
A cell stores chemical energy which can be changed to
electrical energy in a circuit.
A battery contains two or more cells joined together.
 Terminals
All cells, batteries and power supplies have two terminals –
positive and negative. The terminals have a + sign for
positive and a – sign for negative. The longer of the two lines
is positive, the shorter one is negative.
 Current
When connected to a circuit the negative terminal of a power
supply, such as a cell, pushes electrons around in wires.
The flow of electrons in the circuit is called current.
 Free Electrons
Electrons in metals are free to move. They are negatively charged and
move randomly in all directions.
When a metal (such as a wire) is placed into a circuit, all electrons
become attracted to the positive terminal and repelled by the negative
terminal. This makes them all move in the same direction.
 Broken Circuits
If there is a break in the circuit (you cannot make a complete loop),
then the current stops flowing. Electrons can only flow in a complete
circuit.
 Checkpoint Questions
1. Name the particles that move around a circuit when
current flows.
2. Fill in the blanks for the sentences below:
• Current in a circuit is the movement of _________
• These particles have a ___________ charge
• These particles are ______________ by the positive terminal of
a battery and _________________ by the negative terminal of a
battery.
 Answers
1. Electrons
2.

• Current in a circuit is the movement of electrons.

• These particles have a negative charge
• These particles are attracted by the positive terminal of
a battery and repelled by the negative terminal of a
battery.
 Circuits
An electrical circuit shows how all the different components
(parts) of a circuit connect together. We can represent circuits
by drawing circuit diagrams.
Circuit Symbols
 Advanced Circuit Symbols
There are lots of other circuit symbols, but we won’t need them until we
start studying GCSE physics. Here are some examples of them.
 Circuits
Different circuits are needed for different jobs. The circuit
below could be for a doorbell. Pushing the doorbell closes the
switch, allowing current to flow through the buzzer and make
a noise.
 Measuring Current
Current is measured in units called amperes, or amps (A). It
is measured using a device called an ammeter. The higher the
current, the faster the flow of electrons.
 Practice Problem
Look at this circuit diagram and list as many possible
different uses for this circuit as you can. What could it be
used for?
 Ammeters
In a circuit, the red terminal of the ammeter should be connected to the
positive terminal of the battery, and the black to the negative.
Ammeters are always connected in series with other components in a
circuit (end-to-end, with no branches).
Series Circuit
 Broken Components
If one of the components in a series circuit becomes broken,
then the whole circuit will stop working. This is because there
is only one possible pathway for the current to flow.
 Checkpoint Questions
1. Name the unit used to measure current.
2. The greater the current in a circuit, the ______ the
flow of _______
3. Draw a circuit with the following components:
cell, lamp, buzzer, ammeter.
 Answers
1. Amperes (Amps)
2. The greater the current in a circuit, the faster the flow of electrons.
3.
 Current in a Series Circuit
Electrons flow at the same speed in the wires of a series
circuit (one in, one out).
This means that the current is the same at every point in a
series circuit. Adding or removing components will affect the
current.
 Adding or Removing Cells
If you add more cells to a circuit, there is more chemical
energy which can be turned into more electrical energy
(higher current).
The higher the current flowing through a component (e.g.
lamp), then the brighter the lamp will be.
 Adding or Removing Lamps
When you add more lamps, each lamp is supplied with less
electrical energy (since it must be shared between more
lamps). This means that when you add more lamps, the lamps
become dimmer (less bright).
Remember that the total number of electrons is the same
everywhere in a series circuit, but the electrons travel more
slowly when there are more lamps, which causes the current
to decrease.
 PhET Simulation
Use the following link and build circuits to help you answer
the questions on the next slides:

https://
phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/circuit-construction-kit-dc
 Investigating Current and Components
Oldest Partner Youngest Partner
1. Wires 1. Switch
2. Battery or power supply 2. Ammeter
3. Lamps (bulbs) 3. Crocodile Clips
 Method
1. Connect a battery, switch, lamp, and ammeter in series to form a basic circuit.
2. Close the switch, note the brightness of the lamp and the current on the
ammeter.
3. Add another lamp in series, observe the change in brightness and ammeter
reading.
4. Continue adding lamps one by one, noting changes each time.
5. Remove lamps one by one, observing the reverse effect on brightness and
current.
6. Record observations and conclude the relationship between the number of
components in a series circuit and its current.
7. Plot a line graph showing the relationship between number of lamps and
current.
 Extension Task
Series circuits aren’t the only type of circuit, there are also parallel
circuits. How do these affect the current? What else is different about
them, and can you draw a parallel circuit which contains a cell,
switch(es), and two bulbs. Design your circuit so that both bulbs can
be switched on, off, or only one bulb on at a time.
 Summary Questions
1. Define what is meant by the term “current”.
2. Explain the effect of adding more lamps to a series circuit.
 Answers
1. "Current" refers to the flow of electric charge through a
circuit, measured in amperes (A).
2. Adding more lamps to a series circuit decreases the
brightness of each lamp because the total current is shared
among all components, reducing the amount of electrical
energy available to each lamp.
 Key Terms
Ampere: The unit used to measure how strong an electric current is.
Ammeter: A tool that shows how strong an electric current is in a circuit.
Battery: A device made of two or more cells that stores energy and provides
power to electrical devices.
Break: A gap or interruption in a circuit that stops the flow of electricity.
Cell: A single unit that can generate electrical energy from chemical
reactions.
Chemical Energy: Energy stored in substances that can be released during
chemical reactions.
Circuit: A path designed for electricity to flow through.
Component: A part of a circuit, like a bulb or a battery.
 Key Terms
Current: The flow of electric charge through a conductor.
Dimmer: A device used to adjust the brightness of a light.
Electrical Energy: Energy made available by the flow of electric
charge through a conductor.
Electron: A tiny particle with a negative charge that moves around
within atoms.
Repelled: Pushed away or forced apart.
Series: A type of circuit where all parts are connected in a single path.
Terminal: The positive or negative endpoint of a battery or a cell.
 “Mr Luke, I Wasn’t Here When We Did This”
GCSE Physics – Intro to Circuits [3:51]: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3hdaLpq2AA
Explaining Electrical Circuits [2:26]: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnnpLaKsqGU
Series and Parallel Circuits (Don’t need to worry about parallel circuits just yet, we’ll
learn about these soon) [4:55]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z0jhQeYDUE
GCSE Physics – Components (This goes into more detail than we need here, but all of
the circuit diagram symbols covered today are here) [3:15]: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQawCNla5Fg
Setting Up Simple Circuits [1:25]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4pdzG-DHnY
How To Use An Ammeter [1:54]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tCLLPnGnPg
 Test Your Knowledge
See how well you’ve mastered this lesson on series circuits
by using the link below:
https://www.gimkit.com/view/65fcdda577b56f002cce0574
 Success Criteria
Knowledge: I can recognize and draw common circuit
symbols.

Understanding: I can describe how the current changes

in a series circuit.

Creating: I can create a simple series circuit for some

common everyday situations.
Question
 Answer
Series
Ammeter
Current
Question
Answer
Question
 Answer
A – Negatively charged electrons
Question
Answer
Question
Answer
Question
Question
Question
Question
Question
Answers