CHAPTER 5

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential

 Previously in the Lower Block...

Can you give an

example of a man-made
system?

My toy car is a man-made

system. The parts of my
toy car work together so
the toy car can move and
give off sound and light.

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 2

 Previously in the Lower Block...

A system is made up of several

parts working together. If one
part is missing or does not work
properly, the system will not be
able to function well.

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 3

Electric circuit
• A simple electric circuit is
made up of electrical parts
such as a battery and wires.
• When the electrical parts in an
electric circuit are properly bulb
connected, the bulb in the
circuit will light up.
• This shows that an electric
wire
current is flowing through the battery
circuit.
• The different parts of the circuit
perform different functions.

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 4

Parts of an electric circuit
positive terminal
Battery
• A battery is a source of energy.

• It has two terminals – a positive

terminal and a negative terminal.

negative terminal

Batteries

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 5

Parts of an electric circuit
Wires
• Wires help to connect the two
terminals of the battery to other
electrical parts so that electric
current can flow through the
circuit.

• They are usually made of copper.

Wire

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 6

Parts of an electric circuit

glass bulb Bulb

• When the metal casing
filament and metal tip of the
bulb are connected
properly in a circuit,
electric current flows
through the filament in
the bulb and the bulb
lights up.
metal casing

metal tip
Bulb
© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 7
Electrical systems
• Electrical appliances have electrical systems in them.

• An electrical system consists of at least one electric

circuit.

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 8

Types of circuit
Closed circuit
• When the battery and bulb are connected properly with
wires and there are no gaps between the parts in a
circuit, the bulb lights up.
• Electric current can flow through a closed circuit.

battery

lit bulb

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 9

Types of circuit
Open circuit
• When the battery and bulb are not connected properly, or
when there is a gap between the parts in a circuit, the bulb
will not light up.
• Electric current cannot flow through an open circuit.

battery

gap in the
circuit

unlit bulb
© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 10
Closing or opening a switch
• We can control the electric current flowing through a circuit
by adding a switch to the circuit.
• When we close a switch, a closed circuit is formed.
• Electric current flows in a complete path to light up the bulb.

battery

closed switch
lit bulb

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 11

Closing or opening a switch
• When we open the switch, an open circuit is formed.
• Electric current cannot flow in a complete path due to the
gap in the circuit.
• Hence, the bulb does not light up.

gap in the circuit battery

open switch
unlit bulb

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 12

Electrical conductors
• Electrical conductors allow electric
current to flow through them.

• Metals are electrical conductors.

Hence, metals such as copper and
steel are used in wires, bulbs and
batteries.

• Electric current can flow through a

circuit because the parts of the circuit
stainless
are partly made of materials that are steel wire
electrical conductors.

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 13

Electrical insulators
• Electrical insulators do not
allow electric current to flow
through them.
rubber
• Rubber and plastic are
electrical insulators. Wire

• Wires and plugs are partly

made of these materials which
help to prevent us from getting
electric shocks.
plastic Plug

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 14

 Think about it…

glass bulb

Why is the bulb made of glass? Can clear plastic be

used?

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 15

Circuit diagrams
• Symbols can be used to represent electrical parts in an
electric circuit.

Which of the above is easier to draw?

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 16

 Circuit diagrams
Symbols
Actual circuit Symbol

battery

wire

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 17

Circuit diagrams
Symbols
Actual circuit Circuit diagram

bulb

open
switch

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 18

 Circuit diagrams
• A circuit diagram makes use of symbols to represent an
electric circuit.

Actual circuit Circuit diagram

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 19

 Let’s recap...

• A electric circuit is a system

that can be made up of a
battery, wires and a bulb.
• A closed circuit is formed
when the parts of the circuit are
connected properly and there
are no gaps in the circuit.
• Electric current flows through
a closed circuit but not an open
circuit.

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 20

 Let’s recap...

• Electrical conductors such as

metals, allow electric current to
flow through the circuit.
• Electrical insulators such as
plastic and rubber, do not allow
electric current to flow through
the circuit.
• A circuit diagram makes use
of symbols to represent an
electric circuit.

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 21

Acknowledgements
(slide 5) batteries © Revital Salomon | Wikimedia Commons |
CC BY-SA 4.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

(slides 6, 14, 17) wire © Stefan Riepl | Wikimedia Commons |

GFDL 1.2
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Doc
umentation_License,_version_1.2)

(slides 7, 15, 18) bulb © KMJ | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-

SA 3.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 22

Acknowledgements
(slide 8) electric system © Dilshan Jayakody | Wikimedia
Commons | CC BY-SA 2.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en)

(slide 13) wire © ArnoldReinhold | Wikimedia Commons | CC

BY-SA 3.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

(slide 14) plug © Maddin the brain at the German language

Wikipedia | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 23

Acknowledgements
(slide 17) battery © Mr. Ja | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA
3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

(slide 18) switch © AYL | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 24

 THE END

© 2016 Marshall Cavendish Education | Confidential 25