This week in science, we are learning about Circuits and the different types of circuits: A circuit is a complete loop of electricity flowing around ending & starting at a power source. There are two main types of circuits; a parallel circuit and a series circuit.
Example of a parallel circuit and a series circuit involving 2 batteries, 2 bulbs, and a switch:
Parallel circuit-
Series circuit-
What is voltage?
- A volt is the amount of energy in the circuit. The volts can be measured using a voltmeter. In a series, the volts are shared with all the components, but in a parallel circuit, the voltage is the same everywhere.
An example of voltage in a series-
An example of a voltage in a parallel circuit-
What is current?
- Energy is measured in amps. A current shows how many amps are flowing in a circuit. We can measure the number of amps in a circuit by using an ammeter. The current in a series is the same everywhere but in a parallel circuit, the current is divided between the components.
Example with a series-
Example with a parallel circuit-
