An electrical circuit is a closed loop that uses electricity to power devices. There are three types of circuits: series, parallel, and series-parallel. Ohm’s law and source voltage affect the efficiency of circuits.
An electrical circuit is a device that uses electricity to perform a task, such as running a vacuum cleaner or powering a lamp. The circuit is a closed loop formed by a power source, wires, a fuse, a load, and a switch. Electricity flows through the circuit and is delivered to the object it is powering, such as the vacuum motor or light bulb, after which the electricity is sent back to its original source; this return of electrical energy allows the circuit to keep the electrical current flowing. There are three types of electrical circuits: the series circuit, the parallel circuit, and the series-parallel circuit; depending on the type of circuit, it may be possible for electricity to continue flowing if one circuit fails. Two concepts, Ohm’s law and source voltage, can affect the amount of electricity flowing through a circuit and, therefore, the operation of an electrical circuit.
How does it work?
Most devices that run on electricity contain an electrical circuit; when connected to a power source, such as when plugged into an electrical outlet, electricity can flow through the electrical circuit inside the device and then back to the original power source, to continue the flow of electricity. In other words, when a power switch is turned on, the electrical circuit is complete and current flows from the positive terminal of the power source, through the wire to the load, and finally to the negative terminal. Any device that consumes energy flowing through a circuit and converts that energy into work is called a load. A light bulb is an example of a load; consumes electricity from a circuit and converts it into work: heat and light.
Types of circuits
A series circuit is the simplest because it has only one possible path for electric current to flow; if the electrical circuit is broken, none of the load devices will work. The difference with parallel circuits is that they contain more than one path for electricity to flow, so if one of the paths is disrupted, the other paths will continue to function. A series-parallel circuit, however, is a combination of the first two: it connects some of the loads to a series circuit and some to parallel circuits. If the series circuit breaks, none of the loads will operate, but if one of the parallel circuits fails, that parallel circuit and the series circuit will stop operating, while the other parallel circuits will continue to operate.
Ohm’s law
Many “laws” apply to electrical circuits, but Ohm’s law is probably the best known. Ohm’s law states that the current in an electrical circuit is directly proportional to its voltage and inversely proportional to its resistance. So if the voltage increases, for example, the current will also increase, and if the resistance increases, the current decreases; both situations directly affect the efficiency of the electrical circuits. To understand Ohm’s law, it’s important to understand the concepts of current, voltage, and resistance: current is the flow of an electric charge, voltage is the force that drives current in one direction, and resistance is the opposition of an object upon having current flow through it. The formula for Ohm’s law is E = I x R, where E = voltage in volts, I = current in amperes, and R = resistance in ohms; this formula can be used to analyze the voltage, current and resistance of electrical circuits.
Source voltage
Another important concept regarding electrical circuits, source voltage refers to the amount of voltage produced by the power source and applied to the circuit. In other words, the source voltage depends on how much electricity a circuit will receive. The source voltage is affected by the amount of resistance within the electrical circuit; it can also affect the amount of current, as current is typically affected by both voltage and resistance. However, resistance is not affected by voltage or current, but can reduce the amounts of voltage and current in an electrical circuit.
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