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Electrical Circuits

An electrical circuit is anything that allows current to flow, from a bulb attached to a battery to a desktop calculator.

A simple circuit

The most basic circuit you can get is a power source and a load (something to use the current). For example a battery (power source) and a light bulb (load) with wire connecting them.

bulb circuit

A series circuit

When your circuit includes a few load you start to face choices on how to connect them. When you choose to connect them all up in a continuous row so current goes through one, then the other, the the other and so on this is know as a series circuit.

bulb series circuit

A parallel circuit

When you wire each load so current can flow through one load without having to flow through another load this is know as a parallel circuit - the load can run parallel to each other.

bulb parallel circuit

A series and parallel circuit

Of course you can also wire a combination of both into you circuit.

bulb series and parallel circuit


More

Other things so note in a circuit are:
  • Short circuit - When a conductor is placed from positive directly to negative, the flow of electron takes the easiest path and bypasses the load, going through the conductor. At best all your power will be drained away very quickly through the wire as there is no resistance to the flow. At normally they will destroy you components and wire burning them out. On the more negative side the insulation and other parts can catch fire due to the excess heat produced.
  • Ground - ground is the base voltage or 0 volt for a circuit. When you are using batteries this is the negative terminal. With mains power is is normally a metal rod that goes into the ground or earth.


Electrical Circuits

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Anonymous
172		Okay, I need the very basics explained (a picture would be great too)...I have no idea how to set up a simple circuit on the protoboard and I can't really find anywhere to give me a step by step description. And when I say simple, I mean simple...like two resistors connected in a circuit and that's it.
Anonymous
172		Aren't the Ammeter and Ohmeter backawards?
Anonymous
172		DC is electrons flowing in only one direction. AC is electrons flowing in two directions alternately.OK.
Then, how can a capacitor(just two plates separated by a small distance) block DC and allow AC?
i.e. block electrons moving in one direction and allow electrons moving in both directions.
Doesn't it sound weird?
Anonymous
172		Think of a capacity as a battery first of all. It charges up and discharges at times. With DC, it will charge to capacity then stop the current flow, this can be useful to keep dc out of parts of a circuit.
With AC current which is reversing polarity, current can always flow through a capacitor if it is large enough. Changing the size of the capacitor can be used to limit the flow of ac similiar to a resistor with DC.
Anonymous
172		i can not still understand the meaning of capacitance
Anonymous
172		It normally means that there is a break in the circuit where no curent can flow. If it's in A plan then it is probably a switch, if someone tells you you have one when you are testing it it is probably a fault that you need to fix.
Anonymous
172		What does open circuit mean?
Anonymous
172		You have resistors as a little box. I think you'll find it's a little zig-zag line.
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