insulators definition and example
they do not allow electrons to flow and can leak charge slightly. These materials have a high resistance
eg: plastic and rubber
conductor definition and example
they allow electrons to flow easily. These materials have low resistance
- copper
- aluminium
series circuits are…
- Components connected one after another along a single conducting pathway
- if more globes are added the more resistance and there is not as much current so the lights dimmer
- Voltage will be shared in each globe
parallel circuits are…
- each circuit is separately connected
- only part of the current passes through each component
- current is split up into two with half going down each branch
- each branch has its own switch
- only one globe is affected if a globe “blows”
series circuits characteristics
- high resistance
- low current
- low brightness
parallel circuits characteristics
- equal resistance
- shared current
- same brightness
how is current measured?
it is measured using a ammeter and is measured in amperes (amps)
what is voltage?
Voltage is the amount of energy that is pushing electrons around a circuit. Therefore it is a measure of the amount of energy provided by the power supply.
Voltage is measured in: volts=v
ohms law is..
V= Voltage (v) I= Current (A) R= Resistance (Ω)
What is resistance measured in?
Ohms (Ω)
using a multimeter
What is a volometer
A voltmeter compares the energy or electrons before and after they travel through a load
For this reason voltmeters must be connected in PARALLEL
How to connect a ammeter
Electrons must flow through an ammeter for the charge to be detected.
An ammeter needs to be in line with the rest of the circuit components, must be connected in series
