ELECTRIC CIRCUITS

PART ONE
An electric circuit
An electric circuit is a path or line through which an electrical
current flows. The path may be closed (joined at both ends),
making a loop. A closed circuit makes electrical current flow.
flow.

It may also be an open circuit where the conductive elements

no longer form a complete path, and continuous charge flow
cannot occur in it .An open circuit does not allow current to
flow
Components of an electric circuit

Conducting wires
These are usually copper wires with no insulation. They make
the path through which the electricity flows. One piece of the
wire connects the current from the power source to the load.
The piece connects the load back to the power source. The
symbol for connecting wires in a circuit is:
Switch
The switch is simply a small gap in the conductor where you
can close or open the circuit. When the switch is closed, the
circuit is closed and electricity flows. The symbol for a switch is:
Battery
The power source is a cell. A battery is a source
of energy which provides a push -a voltage - of energy to get
the current flowing in a circuit. (Note that more than one cell
put together is known as a battery).
The Load
The external resistance in the circuit is referred to as the
load. An electrical consumes (active) electric power. electric
power circuits, examples of loads are light bulbs or resistors.
The symbol for a light bulb is:
Resistors
The resistor is a component that resists current.
The main function of resistors in a circuit is to control the flow
of current to other components. The symbol for a resistor is:

A variable resistor is one of which the resistance value can be

adjusted. Either mechanically or electronically. The symbol is:
Voltmeter
A voltmeter is an instrument used for measuring electric
potential difference between two points in an electric circuit.
The voltmeter is connected in parallel in a circuit. The symbol is:
Ammeter
An ammeter is a measuring instrument used to measure the
current in a circuit. Ammeters are always connected in series.
The symbol is:
Electric current
Electric current is defined as the charge flowing past a specific
point in one second.
In the diagram below, the current in a circuit can be
determined if the quantity of charge (symbol Q) passing
through a cross section of a wire in a time 𝑡 can be measured.
The current is simply the ratio of the quantity of charge and
time. The magnitude of the electric current is measured in
coulombs per second, the common unit for this being the
The formula for current is:
Ampere or Amps, which is designated by the letter ‘A’. The
symbol for current is the letter 𝑰. Q
I=
t
Where Q is the charge in Coulombs and 𝑡 is
the time in seconds.
Potential difference or voltage

Charge moving through a battery gains energy which is then

lost moving through the circuit.
Potential difference is defined as the work needed per unit of
charge to move a test charge between two points in a circuit
as shown in the diagram below.

The formula is:

W
V=
Q
Where V is the potential difference, W the work done by the
charge and Q the magnitude of the charge.
The magnitude of the potential difference is measured in joules
per coulomb, the common unit for this being the volt, which is
designated by the letter ‘V’.
Resistance
Resistance is a measure of the opposition to current flow in
an electrical circuit as shown below.

Resistance is measured in Ohms, symbolized by the Greek

letter omega (Ω). All materials resist current flow to some
degree. They fall into one of two broad categories:
 Conductors: Materials that offer very little resistance where
electrons can move easily. Examples: silver, copper, gold
and aluminium.
 Insulators: Materials that present high resistance and
restrict the flow of electrons. Examples: Rubber, paper,
glass, wood and plastic
In a circuit, a higher resistance will allow less charge to flow,
meaning the circuit with higher resistance has less current
flowing through it.
Resistance and current are inversely proportional.
The resistance of the conductor depends on the following
factors:
 The temperature of the conductor: the higher the
temperature, the greater the resistance

 The cross-sectional area of the conductor: the larger the

area, the smaller the resistance.

 Length of the conductor: longer materials have greater

resistance

 Nature of the material of the conductor: different

substances have different resistances, e.g. tungsten (W) has
a very high resistance but copper (Cu) has a very low
resistance.
Ohm’s Law Experiment

The relationship between the current flowing through a

circuit, voltage and resistance in a circuit is detailed in
Ohm's Law Experiment.
Investigative question
What is the relationship between the current passing through a resistor and the
voltage across the resistor?

Hypothesis
If current through a resistor increases/ decreases, the potential difference across
the resistor will increases/ decrease in the same ratio provided the temperature
remains constant.

Independent variable
The strength of the current is the independent variable. This can be changed by
increasing the number of cells. The ammeter gives the strength of the current.

Dependent variable
The voltage across the resistor is the dependent variable. The voltage values
change as the independent variable is changed.

Controlled variable
This is a factor that if not controlled it will influence the results. It must be kept
constant so that the outcome is fair and reliable. In this case the temperature is
kept constant.
Graphs of the results Note: The gradient or slope of the voltage vs
current graph is the resistance of the resistor.
The independent variable is on the 𝒙-axis and the dependent
variable is on the 𝒚-axis.

The graph shows a linear relationship between current and

voltage.
Conclusion
The amount of electric current through a
conductor in a circuit is directly proportional to
the voltage across it at constant temperature. Ohms Law equation
The equation shows the relationship between
current, resistance and voltage as shown below.

Ohms Law

It states that the potential difference across a

conductor is directly proportional to the current in the
conductor at constant temperature.
Ohmic and non Ohmic conductors

A conductor which obeys Ohm’s law is called an Ohmic

conductor. The ratio of current to voltage remains
constant. Nichrome wire, copper, silver are examples of an
Ohmic conductor.

A conductor which does not obey Ohm’s law is called an

non-ohmic conductor. The ratio of current to voltage does
not remain constant.

The resistance of non-ohmic conductors changes as their

temperature changes. A light bulb, silicon, light emitting
diode, transistors are common examples of a
non-ohmic conductors
Circuit Connections
There are two basic ways in which to connect more than two circuit components i.e. through series and parallel connection
 Series circuits
A series circuit is one that has more than one resistor, but only one path through which the current flows. From
one end of the cell or battery, charge moves along one path with no branches, through the resistor, to the other
end if the cell. All the components in a series circuit are connected end to end. The defining characteristic of a
series circuit is that there is only one path for current to flow as shown in the diagram below.

 The voltage decreases through the resistors. The sum of all

the separate voltage drops in each resistor is equal to the
voltage supplied by the battery or cell i.e. VT . Series
arrangements are known as potential difference dividers.
VT = VR1 + VR2 + VR3

 The total or effective or equivalent resistance R T is equal to

the sum of all individual resistors
Cardinal Rules for a Series Circuit
R T = R R1 + R R2 + R R3
• The current in all parts of a series circuit has the same
 Adding more resistors in series will increase the total
magnitude. The total current IT is equal to the current
resistance of the circuit.
flowing through in R1; R 2 ; R 3 i.e.
I T = I R1 = I R2 = I R 3  If one resistor burns out or the circuit is broken, current will
not flow.
Parallel Circuit
Cardinal Rules for a Parallel Circuit
All the components are connected across each other.
 The sum of the currents through each path is equal to the
A parallel circuit has two or more paths for current to
total current that flows from the source.
flow through i.e. charge can move from one end of the
cell through many branches to the other end of the
The total current IT is equal to the sum of the current flowing
cell.
through the individual resistors R1; R 2 ; R 3 . Parallel circuits are
The diagram below shows a battery connected to
known as current dividers.
resistors in parallel
IT = I1 + I2 + I3

The largest magnitude of current will flow through the path

with the smallest resistance

 Voltage is the same across each component of the parallel

circuit. Each resistor receives the total voltage. The voltage
supplied by the battery or cell i.e. VT is equal to the voltage
in the individual resistors.

VT = VR1 = VR2 = VR3

 The total or effective or equivalent resistance R T is equal to :

1 1 1 1
= + +
R T R R1 R R2 R R3

 Adding more resistors in parallel will decrease the total

resistance of the circuit.

 If one resistor burns out, current still flows through the other
resistors in the circuit
Electromotive Force (EMF)
This is the potential difference of a source of electricity when
no current is flowing i.e. when the cell is open. It is measured in
volts by a voltmeter connected in parallel with a battery or cell.
It is specifically defined as the total amount of electric energy
supplied by the cell per coulomb of charge. The electromotive
force symbol is ε.
Electromotive Force Potential Difference or Terminal Voltage

EMF is the maximum potential

difference between the two Potential difference is defined as the
electrodes of the cell when no energy which is dissipated as the unit
charge pass through the components
current is drawn from the cell i.e.
when the circuit is open
EMF remains constant Potential difference is not constant

EMF is independent of circuit The potential difference depends on the

resistance resistance between the two points during
the measurement

EMF exists when the circuit is not It exists only when the circuit is closed and
closed current is flowing
It is greater than the potential
difference between any two points It is always less than the EMF
in a circuit
It is represented by E It is represented by V
Internal resistance

In a closed or complete circuit, the potential difference

between the terminals of the battery is known as the terminal
potential difference of the battery. When the cell is delivering
current to a circuit (closed circuit), the terminal potential
difference is less than the emf; the difference is called ‘lost
volts’ or internal volts (V’).

The reason there is a difference between the emf and potential

difference across the terminals of a battery in a closed circuit, is
that there is an internal resistance (r) inside each cell.
Internal resistance refers to the opposition to the flow of
current offered by the cells and batteries themselves resulting
in the generation of heat. Cells or batteries are not just sources
of potential difference (voltage), but they also possess internal
resistance.
Power

When a current flows through a resistor, electrical energy is converted into heat energy. The heat generated
in the components of a circuit, all of which possess at least some resistance, is dissipated into the air around
the components.

Power (P) is the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred or dissipated. Work is measured in
joules (J) and time in seconds (s) so power will be Js commonly referred to as the watt (W).

Power is given by the following formulars:

P = VI

P = I2R

V2
P=
R
Electrical energy

If a certain amount of power is dissipated for a given time, then energy is dissipated. The work
done (W) is equal to the energy (E) transferred. Energy (Power × time) is measured in Joules
and by including time (t measured in seconds) in the power formulae, the energy dissipated by
a component or circuit can be calculated :

W = VIt

W = I 2 Rt

V2
W= 𝑡
R
Cost of electricity usage

Different appliances use different amounts of power, depending on their function. All electrical appliances have a sticker,
which indicates the power rating. Electricity supply companies charge for the electrical energy we used in homes and
industries. The charges are based on our energy consumption therefore the higher the electrical energy used to run electrical
appliances, the higher the charges.

The quantity used for energy consumption is the kilowatt-hour (kWh). The kilowatt-hour (kWh) refers to the use of
1 kilowatt of electricity for 1 hour. 1 kWh is the energy used if a 1000 W appliance is used for 1 hour.
1 kWh is an amount of electrical energy known as one unit of electricity.

The cost of electricity usage can be calculate if given the:

 power specifications of appliances used and the duration
 the cost of 1 kWh (one unit of e
The formula is:
Cost of electricity = Power × time × Price

or
Cost of electricity = kWh × Price per kWh

In this formula, power is measured in kilowatts, time is measured in hours.

PAST EXAM PRACTISE
QUESTIONS
2023 Eastern Cape November Paper 1 Q 10.5
 ELECTRIC CIRCUITS
PART 2
PAST EXAM PRACTISE
QUESTIONS ONLY
2015 November Paper 1 Q 11
CONTINUED…………….
2017 November Paper 1 Q 10
CONTINUED…………….
2022 Gauteng November Paper 1 Q 7
2021 Gauteng Exemplar Paper 1 Q 7
ELECTRIC CIRCUITS
PART THREE
HIGH LEVEL PAST
EXAM PAPERS
2019 KwaZulu Natal September Paper 1 Q 10
CONTINUED………
2019 November Paper 1 Q 10
CONTINUED……………