A circuit consists of four basic types of components:
- source to add energy to the circuit e.g. battery
- load to use this energy e.g. lamp, heating coil, motor, resistor
- conductor to connect the source to the load e.g. wires
- control to restrict the connection when desired e.g. switch
A circuit diagram is a simplified graphical representation of an electrical circuit. These diagrams show how components in a circuit are connected relative to each other but not necessarily how the components are positioned in real life. For example, a DC voltage source can be drawn next to a bulb but in real life these components could be in different rooms of a building with confusing bends in the wires connecting the two. We use circuit symbols when constructing circuit diagrams. Below are the circuit symbols listed in the CSEC Physics syllabus.
Read more at: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/what-is-a-circuit/all
List of circuit components
Below is the list of circuit symbols provided in the CSEC Physics syllabus.
What is a series circuit?
A series circuit is a circuit in which the components are connected end-to-end, forming a single path for current flow. Because there is only one path, and charge must be conserved then the current entering a wire or component must be equal to the current leaving the wire or component. Thus if many components are present along a single wire/path, the same current flows through each component. We describe them as being ‘connected in series’. Each component can have different voltages depending on their resistances.
Credits: Falstad’s Circuit Applet
| Series | Parallel |
|---|---|
| Components are all arranged along a single path | Components are arranged on different branching paths |
| Same current flows through each component ($I_{T}=I_1=I_2=I_3=…=I_n$) | Components in the branches can have different currents; currents add up to give the total current leaving the power source ($I_{T}=I_1+I_2+I_3+…+I_n$) |
| Components can have differing voltages across their ends; voltages add up to give the total voltage of the power source ($V_{T}=V_1+V_2+V_3+…+V_n$) | Components have the same voltage across their ends ($V_{T}=V_1=V_2=V_3=…=V_n$) |
| If one component breaks then the (single) path is broken and the circuit stops working | If a component breaks then there is at least one other path through which the current can flow |
These ideas can be verified with the help of the simulation applet: Falstad’s Circuit Applet