How Do Electrical Circuits Work?

The Basics of Electrical Circuits

An electrical circuit is simply the path a bundle of electrons will travel from one point to another. This path is a closed loop, meaning the current will return to its source. If you have ever wondered why a battery has a positive and a negative symbol on different ends, it is to form a loop. Electrons are pushed from the negative end using voltage, which is the force that pushes the electrons, through a conductor, usually a wire.

These moving electrons carry energy with them that can be used to give power to something, such as a light bulb. This light bulb would be called the load, which is any device connected to the output of a circuit. The electrons will travel along and pass through the light bulb, generating heat that creates light. The electrons will continue to move along the electrical circuit and into the positive end of the battery.

Switches are used to break or complete circuits. When you flip a light switch on, a piece of conducting material drops down to close the gap and complete the electrical circuit. When the light switch is in the “off” position, that piece creates a gap, breaking the path and stopping the electrons from completing their loop.

Remember that the basic parts of an electrical circuit are a power source, a conducting material to create a path, and a load, which would be something that uses the electrical charge.

Now, there are two basic types of electrical circuits and these are serial circuits and parallel circuits. What’s the difference? A series circuit features components that are connected end-to-end, which forms a single path. In a parallel circuit, these same components are connected across each other, along common electrical points.

These types of circuits have varying uses and each has their advantages and disadvantages. We’ll learn more about these in our next article.

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