These worksheets will help students examine electric circuits and how the materials they consist of effects the efficiency and flow of electrons within it. Students will explore the concept of conductors, resistors, and insulators. We will learn how you can determine the potential of a material based on the physical properties of what it is made up of. We will finish off by looking at how magnetism and electricity relate. This is an awesome series of worksheet to help you understand the basic concepts of electricity and the nature of it.
Print Electric Circuits Worksheets
Click the buttons to print each worksheet and associated answer key.
What Are They?
The purpose of a schematic is to show how all the different components of an electric circuit connect together.
QUESTIONS: What Are They?
The different electronic components in a circuit are connected using a printed circuit board.
Electricity Explained
All matter is made up of atoms, which means that all matter contains electrons. The electricity that we harness and use every day comes from tapping into this source of subatomic energy.
QUESTIONS: Electricity Explained
Humans cause electricity to flow by creating an electric circuit. This is basically a path along which electricity can be started and stopped and the direction in which it travels.
Electric Current
Current means the flow of electric charge. A current flows through an electric circuit when a power source is connected to it.
Question Set: Electric Current
Electric current is used to create electromagnets, the technology that powers the motors in electric cars.
Ohm's Law
. The formula describes how a current moves through a resistance when there are different voltages present at each end of the resistance.
Question Set: Ohm's Law
Conversely, the Law says that a current is inversely proportional to resistance: I = V/R. If you know either of these two variables (I, V, *or R) you can calculate the other using Ohm's Law.
Basic Elements
The function of a resistor is to control the flow of current to other components in the circuit. Resistors are needed because too much electricity can destroy the object it is trying to power.
Question Set: Basic Elements
The function of a capacitor is to store energy in an electric circuit. It blocks direct current (DC) and allows alternating current (AC) to pass.
Resistors
Resistors have two ports and are connected to the circuit’s wire in each end so that the current flows through it.
Questions: Resistors
In a series configuration, resisters are connected end-to-end in the circuit. In a parallel configuration, resisters are connected across from each other in an electric circuit.
Conductors and Insulators
Conductors allow a freer flow of electricity because the electrons in the outer shells of the atoms making up that material are loosely bound, so they are freely able to move through the material in the presence of an electric charge.
Conductors and Insulators Question Series
An insulator is the opposite of a conductor. An insulator works against the flow of electricity. Insulators are used to protect us from electrocution when handling equipment that requires electricity in order to operate, like computers and televisions.
Question Set: Boolean Math
An electronic chip is a collection of electronic gates in a small area. An electronic chip can have millions of gates which together are capable of performing complex operations.
Types of Electric Circuits
A close (or closed) circuit is when current flows around a complete electrical connection from one end to the other. A circuit is considered open when there is a faulty wire or component in the circuit or if the circuit is switched off.
Types of Electric Circuits Questions
A short circuit is the opposite of an open circuit. Where an open circuit has unlimited resistance, a short circuit lets a current travel without or with very little resistance, so that excessive current flows through the circuit.
Magnetism and Electricity
The coil of wire used to create an electromagnet is called a solenoid. The diameter of a solenoid is much smaller than its length.
Magnetism and Electricity Questions
When magnetism and electricity interact, it is called electromagnetism. A magnetic field can be created by the flow of electricity.
What Are Electric Circuits?
Electric circuits are the heart of numerous electric products, including air-conditioners, refrigerators, and lighting systems. They are the easiest way to transport electric energy from the energy source to the load. But what exactly are they and how do they work?
Electric circuits are closed loops through which electric energy can flow. Energy is transported from the electrical source (usually a battery or electric generator) to the load (which receives the power). The source and load are connected with wires made of a conductive material.
The rest of this article will look at electric circuits in detail. We’ll look at all the elements that make it up and the different types of them out there so you can better understand this essential element of electricity that powers so much of our modern lives.
The path that electricity travels in a never-ending loop is called an electric circuit. They are very similar to the circulatory system of the human body. Just how blood continually flows around the body and coming back to where it originated, the electrons do the same thing in a circuit. Any circuit has four common components that make this possible. Conductors are the wire or metallic based substances that the electricity flows through. There is a small gap embedded in the conductor where you can close or open (turn on/off) the flow of electricity. The load is the object in the circuit that consumes the electric power, in most cases a light or electronic component. The power source that is making the follow of these electrons possible is called the cell which is often a battery.
Elements of an Electric Circuit
Here are the main elements you will find in most applications:
- The electric source or battery. This is where the electric energy delivered to the circuit comes from.
- Controlling devices. These give you control over the flow of electricity and include structures such as switches and resistors.
- Protective devices. These allow you to protect the circuit from unexpected conditions, such as an abnormal surge of electric energy that could overload the system. Protective structures in an electric circuit can include electric fuses and switchgear systems.
- Conductors. For simple circuits like those made in classrooms, this usually takes the form of non-insulated copper wires. These and similar conductors create the path through which the electric current is carried from one end to the other.
- Load. This is the device the electric energy is intended for – the device that consumes the power for some other end. For example, when a bulb acts as the load in an electric current, it consumes the electric energy provided to create an illumination source.
The two fundamental features of any electric circuit are electric current and voltage.
Electric current refers to the movement of a stream of charged particles through an electric conductor. Voltage is the pressure that forces the movement of the electric current through a circuit. It refers to the potential difference between two points in an electric field.
In terms of a basic electric circuit, voltage acts through the structure of the battery. The electric current is pushed from an area of high potential (the negative terminal of a battery, with greater positive electrons) to that of negative potential (the positive terminal of a battery, with lesser positive electrons). During this flow, the current also passes through the load – in this case, a lightbulb – causing it to light up.
What Are the Different Types of Circuits?
There are numerous types of electric circuits. Some of the most common types of circuits include:
Open
Open and closed circuits are the basic types of circuits depending on whether there is a flow of current through the circuit.
Open circuits are circuits that are broken, incomplete, or otherwise do not facilitate the flow of electric current from the electric source to the load. There is no current flow in an open circuit, and the switch is turned off.
Closed
Closed circuits are complete circuits with no break in the current’s path. There is no break in the conducting wires, no insulator hampering the flow of current from source to load, and the switch is turned on. A closed circuit is a “successful” circuit that achieves the aims it was made to achieve.
Series
There is only one path through which the current can flow in this type of circuit. Devices in the circuit are connected one after the other, end to end. Each device has a different voltage but receives the same amount of current. An example of a series circuit is Christmas lights.
Parallel
In parallel circuits, there are several paths through which the current can flow. The voltage drops across each component, and they may receive different amounts of current. Parallel circuits are designed so that if one path stops working, the other remains unaffected.
The wiring in your home is an example of parallel circuits. If one lightbulb or electrical outlet in your house stops working, this does not necessarily affect the rest of the electric devices in your home – because of the way the circuit is wired.
Final Thoughts
Electric circuits form the basis of most electric appliances today. Understanding how they work will give you a better understanding of critical parts of modern life, including how your home is wired.