Circuits can produce electrical energy (light bulbs, etc.), sound energy (radios, etc.), and thermal energy (electrical stove, hot plates, etc.).

Insulator = Material that slows down or stops electric current from flowing. (The coating on the wires)

Also known as thermal energy

Examples of Closed Circuits (everything is connected, bulbs light up)

Examples of Open Circuits (switch is open, or something is not connected – energy cannot flow, so bulb will not light up)

You do NOT have to know the names series vs. parallel, but if you see a diagram, you need to know which bulbs will light.

In a series circuit, if a lamp breaks or a component is disconnected, the circuit is broken and all the components stop working.

Parallel circuits are useful if you want everything to work, even if one component has failed. This is why our homes are wired up with parallel circuits.

SERIES vs. PARALLEL CIRCUITS

Summary:

Electric currentWhen electric charges move in a wire, we say that an electric current flows in the wire. It's like the way a current of water flows in a river.

For an electric current to flow, we need two things:

something to make the electricity flow, such as a battery or power pack a complete path for the current to flow in. This is called an electric circuit.

Electric circuitsAn electric current will not flow if we do not have a power source (a cell, battery or power pack). It also won't flow if the circuit is not complete. One end of the power source must be joined to the other end by the wires and components of the circuit.

The simplest complete circuit is a piece of wire from one end of a battery to the other. An electric current can flow in the wire from one end of the battery to the other, but nothing useful happens. The wire just gets hot and the battery goes flat.

To do something useful with the electric current, we need to put an electrical component into the circuit, such as a lamp or motor, that can use the current to make something happen.

The bulb will only light if there is a battery and a complete circuit

We usually add in a switch to the circuit, so that we can break the circuit and stop the electric current when we want to.

CONDUCTORS vs. INSULATORS of ELECTRICAL ENERGY:

Electrical conductors, such as this copper wire, allow electrical energy to flow. They will LIGHT up the bulb. Copper is considered to be a conductor because it “conducts” the electron current or flow of electrons fairly easily. Most metals are considered to be good conductors of electrical current. Copper is just one of the more popular materials that is used for conductors. Other materials that are sometimes used as conductors are silver, gold, and aluminum. Copper is still the most popular material used for wires because it is a very good conductor of electrical current and it is fairly inexpensive when compared to gold and silver.

Insulators are materials that have just the opposite effect on the flow of electrons. They do not let electrons flow very easily from one atom to another.

Some common insulator materials are glass, plastic, rubber, air, and wood.

Insulators are used to protect us from the dangerous effects of electricity flowing through conductors. Sometimes the voltage in an electrical circuit can be quite high and dangerous. The rubbery coating on wires is an insulating material that shields us from the conductor inside. Look at any lamp cord and you will see the insulator. If you see the conductor, it is probably time to replace the cord.