1. ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS
All you need to be an inventor is a good imagination and a pile of junk.
-Thomas Edison

2. What is it?

3. The movement of electrons through a conductive material
Electrons bump into other electrons in adjacent shells (called valence shells) and continue down the path
What is it?

4. Electrons will only flow if there is a complete circuit for them to flow around
Electrons, which are negatively charged, emerge from the negative terminal of the power supply
Conventional notation, however, is to refer to the electricity as emitting from the positive terminal of the power supply

5. VOLTAGE RESISTANCE CURRENT
How you should be thinking about electric circuits:
Voltage
the “speed”, and subsequent force, that pushes the current through the circuit
Water analogy
The higher the water fall the more “voltage”

6. VOLTAGE RESISTANCE CURRENT
How you should be thinking about electric circuits:
Resistance
friction that impedes flow of current through the circuit
Water analogy
rocks in the river

7. VOLTAGE RESISTANCE CURRENT
How you should be thinking about electric circuits:
Current
The actual “substance” that is flowing through the wires of the circuit (electrons!)
Water analogy
The water molecules

8. Understanding Electricity
Air is conductive…if you have enough voltage to push the electrons through it (i.e. – lightening)
10,000 volts might not hut you…but if it pushes just 1 amp of current through your heart it can be fatal
If the circuit has no resistance, it’s called a short circuit and infinite current will flow until the circuit fails (i.e. – melts or depletes)

9. V = I x R Ohm’s Law I = Current (Amperes) (amps) V = Voltage (Volts)
R = Resistance (ohms)
Georg Simon Ohm ( )

10. V = I x R Ohm’s Law So more voltage will provide you more current
And more resistance will provide you less current
Georg Simon Ohm ( )

11. Simple Circuits Parallel circuit Series circuit
Many paths for electricity
1 light goes out and the others stay on
Series circuit
All in a row
1 path for electricity
1 light goes out and the circuit is broken