Protons and electrons work together to create an electrical charge. It can either be a positive or a negative charge. Current electricity is a continuous flow of an electrical charge.An electric current is the amount of charge that moves past a certain point each second. It is measured in amperes or amps (A). Conductors are materials that are especially good at carrying currents because of the structure of their atoms. For example, metals such as copper and aluminum are great conductors. Insulators are materials that are not good at carrying currents. Some examples are rubber, glass, wood, and air. There are two types of circuits: direct and alternating.
Direct currents move in one direction (like a battery). It is also used to charge batteries, so rechargeable devices like laptops and cell phones come with an alternating current that converts alternating currents to direct currents.
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Alternating currents flow in one direction, but then in the reverse direction over and over again. The power in your home is considered an alternating current.
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Circuits
Main parts of the circuits
Main parts of the circuits
- The main parts of a circuit are the energy source, the load, and the wires.
- The energy source attracts and repels the electric charges to provide the push that keeps the electric charge moving in the circuit.
- For example, batteries have voltage which is a positive and negative terminal that keeps the attraction and repulsion going.
- These circuits deliver electrical energy to a device (for example, a light bulb). This device is called the load.
- Wires connect the energy source to the load. Generally, the wires are made of copper because copper is a good conductor.
- If you need multiple loads in a circuit, there are two ways to connect them.
The first way is called a series circuit. In a series circuit, all of the loads are connected in a line, or series, so that the current flows from one load to the next in a single path.
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The second way is called a parallel circuit. In a parallel circuit, the current is divided among the different devices. A parallel circuit has an advantage over a series circuit because if one bulb (load) goes out, the rest will stay.
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