Circuits

Tuesday 28 February 2012

 Electronics - Circuits:

Component's & there terms:

1. Conductor
Material that forms a path for the flow of current

2. Insulator
Material that will not readily conduct electricity

3. Negative Charge
Electron

4. Semi Conductor
Materials that act as conductors or insulators depending on temperature, physical or electrical conditions


5. Positive Charge
Proton


6. Electron Current Flow
The flow of current from negative to positive


7. Conventional Current Flow
The flow of current from positive to negative


8. Watts
Practical power unit

Units and definition:

1. Volts
Practical unit of electromotive force and potential difference


2. Ampere
Unit of current


3. Ohm
Unit of resistance


4. Watt
Practical unit of power


5. Farad
Unit of capacitance


6. Hertz
Unit of frequency 

Four different types of circuits:

1. Series
When the components of the circuit are link one after the other & there is only one voltage supply through out the circuit. If each component has different resistance then there will be voltage drop, So the more resistance one component has to the others the more voltage that will use. Giving voltage drop after that component.

2. Parallel
 When the components in the circuit run directly across form one another & the voltage remains the same across the circuit. The current draw will be higher in this circuit.


3. Compound
Also known as Parallel/ Series circuit, This has both circuits within the one. When calculations are carried out with this circuit, the parallel circuit needs to be calculated first.

Series Circuit

• Here we have set up a basic Series Circuit.  

• In a series circuit the current will drop.   

• This not giving the circuit enough current flow to make each bulb glow. 

 Parallel Circuit

• On the right is a Parallel Circuit.

• With Parallel there shouldn't be any drop in Voltage.

• This giving the circuit enough current to make the bulbs glow.

• Parallel & Series can be used together, this making a more complex circuit.

The disadvantage or advantages of a Series circuit is that when the circuit is broken or open the current flow stops all together. 

With a Parallel circuit each component has it's own circuit, this means, if the circuit is broken or open at any point of the over all circuit the current will keep it's flow through each individual circuit.