Electric Circuits
Discover how electricity flows through a circuit and what makes a circuit open or closed.
What conditions are needed for electricity to flow and power a device?
Key Vocabulary
Circuit
A closed loop through which electric current can flow.
Current
The flow of electric charge through a conductor.
Conductor
A material that allows electricity to flow through it easily.
Insulator
A material that resists the flow of electricity.
Series Circuit
A circuit where components are connected in a single path.
Parallel Circuit
A circuit where components are connected in multiple paths.
Key Concepts
- 1
Electricity flows in a closed loop — if the loop is broken anywhere, current stops flowing.
- 2
A circuit needs a power source (battery), conductors (wires), and a load (like a bulb).
- 3
In a series circuit, all components share one path — if one fails, all fail.
- 4
In a parallel circuit, each component has its own path — one failure doesn't stop the others.