Chapter 9.
Electricity and circuits
We use electricity for many purposes to make our tasks easier.
For example, we use electricity to operate pumps that lift water
from wells or from ground level to the roof top tank. What are
other purposes for which you use electricity? List some of them
in your notebook. Does your list include the use of electricity for
lighting? Electricity makes it possible to light our homes, roads,
offices, markets and factories even after sunset. This helps us to
continue working at night. A power station provides us with
electricity. However, the supply of electricity may fail or it may
not be available at some places. In such situations, a torch is
sometimes used for providing light. A torch has a bulb that lights
up when it is switched on. Where does the torch get electricity
from?
ELECTRIC CELL: Electricity to the bulb in a torch is provided by the
electric cell. Electric cells are also used in alarm clocks, wristwatches,
transistor radios, cameras and many other devices.
Have you ever carefully looked at an electric cell? You might have
noticed that it has a small metal cap on one side and a metal disc on
the other side . Did you notice a positive (+) sign and a negative (–)
sign marked on the electric cell?
An Electric Cell metal cap is the positive terminal of the electric cell.
The metal disc is the negative terminal.
An electric cell produces electricity from the chemicals stored inside it.
When the chemicals in the electric cell are used up, the electric cell
stops producing electricity.
• You might have seen the danger sign displayed on poles,
electric substations and many other places. It is to warn
people that electricity can be dangerous if not handled
properly.
• Carelessness in handling electricity and electric devices can
cause severe injuries and sometimes even death. Hence, you
should never attempt to experiment with the electric wires
and sockets. Also remember that the electricity generated by
portable generators is equally dangerous.
Life Without Electricity – Can you imagine?
• Electricity is an integral part of the modern lifestyle. We are
completely dependent on uninterrupted power supply to power our
gadgets, appliances, healthcare, education, you name it and that
requires electricity.
• The basic requirements for human survival used to be food, clothing
and shelter but today electricity and internet have been added to that
survival list. Our everyday life is powered by electricity.
• Imagine the few hours that the local power grid has a shut down – the
effect is restlessness, stress, anxiety, worry and the moment the power
is restored the first sound is “Ah”, a big sigh of relief.
• From a surgeon in the operation theatre, to an engineer in a factory, to
a motor-mechanic in the garage, to an officer in a company, to
passengers on a railway platform, all are enjoying the interrupted
service rendered by electricity. Modern transportation nowadays is
moving towards electrical energy.
9.1: Charge flow in circuits
A circuit is the path that an electric current travels on, and a simple
circuit contains three components namely
• 1.a source of voltage-A voltage source is connected in a circuit and
provide a continuous electric current in the circuit. The common
practical examples of voltage sources are cells, batteries, generators,
• 2.a conductive path-this is the route the current follows through the
circuit. It must be made of conductive materials in order to allow
electricity to flow.
• 3. a resistor -A resistor is an electrical component that limits or
regulates and limits the amount of current present in a circuit.
Example for this is filament in the bulb. Tungsten is used to
make the filament of an electric bulb because it has the highest
melting point, lowest vapour pressure, and greatest tensile
• [Link]
Simple Circuit diagram
[Link]
Flow of electricity from
positive negative.
Flow of electrons from
negative to positive.
Modelling electric current
• [Link] - rope loop model
• How does filament of a bulb produce light and heat?
• A filament has a lot of resistance to electricity. Therefore, because of
this, the filament heats up and become red hot and starts glowing,
converting electrical energy to light energy.
Conductors and Insulators
A conductor allows current to flow easily through it. An Insulator doesn't allow
current to flow through it. The tiny particles which carry electric charge round
the circuits are called electrons
[Link]
Conductors: Some materials have electrons which can move freely through the
material. This makes it easy for current to flow through the material. Materials
with free electrons are good conductors of electricity.
• Examples: Silver, Gold, Copper, Aluminum, Mercury, Steel, Iron, Seawater.
Insulators: Inside insulators, electrons cannot move freely through the
materials. This means current cannot flow and the material is called insulator.
Examples: Glass, Plastic, Rubber, Air, and Wood.
• How does the bub glow? How the machines work? It is due to electricity. Electricity is the
flow of electrons.
• Electrical conductivity is ability of material to conduct electricity. Materials conduct
electricity only when free electrons are available. Free electrons can travel across the
material.
• Examples of conductors are iron, and copper
• Some materials conduct electricity. Such materials known as conductors. Some
materials cannot conduct electricity. These are known as insulators. Examples of
insulators are plastic and woods.
• Making a circuit and test which material conduct electricity or not?
• Electric cell produces electricity from chemicals inside it. We can make bulb glow by
connecting the wires from cell to terminals of bulb. Electricity from electric cell reaches
to bulb by copper wires. So, copper wires conduct electricity. We can test conductivity of
different materials by cutting a part of copper wires and connecting them to different
materials.
Our body is the conductor of electricity. So, we should be careful when we handle
electrical appliances. wearing rubber shoes while we are working with electrical
appliances will break the circuit at our foot and hence, we will be safe.
• Wires are coated with plastic or rubber covering. This is to avoid electrical shocks.
answers to 9.1activity([Link].165) and 9.2 activity(page no.167)
• Activity 9.1: Lighting a lamp
• A2 The lamp lights.
• A3 When the switch is closed there is a complete circuit
• so current can flow and the lamp lights.
• A4 The cell might go flat and so the lamp would go out.
• Activity 9.2:
• A5 Metals are conductors, non-metals are insulators.
• A6 Carbon is a non-metal which is a conductor.
9.2: circuit diagrams
• Circuit symbols: symbols are used to represent the components of circuit.
Using symbols makes it easier to draw and understand circuit diagrams.
• Series circuit: all components are connected end-to-end, forming a single
path or just one loop for current flow.
• Parallel circuit: an electrical circuit made up of more than one loop.
• Q1
• In which type of circuit connection, the same amount of current flows
through all the components?
• Series Connection.
• Q2
• What are the two types of circuit connections?
• The two types of circuit connections are:
• Series connection
• Parallel connection
• Q3
• What is a parallel circuit?
• A circuit is said to be parallel when the electric current has multiple paths to
flow through.
[Link]
How to draw a circuit diagram.
Is a domestic circuit parallel or series?
For Domestic circuits parallel
arrangement is always used because: In
parallel circuits, all other appliances
keep working normally even if one
electrical appliance stops working
Comparing circuits:
• Changing the numbers of lamps and cells in a circuit affects how bright
the lamps [Link] are brightest when the current is highest.
• Increasing the number of bulbs in a series circuit decreases the
brightness of the bulbs. Because, In a series circuit, the voltage is equally
distributed among all the bulbs. [Link]
• In a parallel circuit, as more bulbs are added, the brightness of each bulb
remains unchanged – each bulb acts independently of the other bulbs in
this . Because, In a parallel circuit the voltage for each bulb is the same as
the voltage in the circuit. [Link]
• What happens if you add more cells in a circuit?
• Answer. Explanation: if we connect more cells in a circuit , more amount
of electricity flows through it. This will cause the lamps to shine brighter.
• [Link]
answers for 9.2 questions and activity-9.3
9.3: currents in series circuits
• Measuring current:
• Measuring electricity is done through volts, amps and watts .
• Amp is the unit of current, it indicates the flow rate of electrons, while
volt is the unit of the force that brings the electrons to flow via the
conductor. Watts are a measurement of the amount of energy used .
• Electric current is the flow of charge round the circuit. This current is
measured in amperes(amps), often written as A, it is measured using a
device called an ammeter.
• Ammeter has +ve terminal(red) and –ve terminal(black). This
shows which way the current should flow. The current in the
circuit flows from the positive to the negative terminal.
• Why is it necessary to have an ammeter in the circuit?
• Ammeters typically provide users with the measured current
value through digital display. These measurements provide
essential information about the operating condition, safety,
and performance of electrical circuits.
• Activity 9.4: Measuring the current in a series circuit
• A6 The current is the same all the way round a series circuit.
• Comparing models: in the rope loop model, current is represented
by the amount of rope passing a fixed point per second.
Whereas In an electric circuit ,we measure how much charge is
passing to a fixed point per second. Hence, the amount of charge
passing any point in the circuit each second is a measurement of
electric current.
• When more energy is applied to the rope loop model by pulling the
rope harder, rope will move faster. Whereas In the actual circuit,
when more energy is applied by adding more cells , more
current/charge will flow . But not the speed of flow.
• Comparing current in circuits:
Changing components in the circuit will cause changes in the current.
Adding more cells means there is more energy supplied and so more
current flows.
Adding Extra cells don’t have much effect after the lamp becomes hot
because it is already receiving enough electricity.
Refer to the graph 9.14(pg no. 173)
• Why household lighting always uses parallel circuits?
• The lamps in a household circuit are connected in
parallel because even if one lamp fails the others
remain lit.
• In case of series circuit connection, when one bulb
fails, the circuit is broken and none of the bulbs work.
Activity 9.5: Changing the number of lamps in a circuit
• A1 The number of lamps.
• A2 The current.
• A3 The number of cells.
End of the chapter questions-answers