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514371
Circuits
Description
GCSE Science (Physics Additional) Mind Map on Circuits, created by sian.allison on 29/01/2014.
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physics additional
science
science
physics additional
gcse
Mind Map by
sian.allison
, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by
sian.allison
almost 11 years ago
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Resource summary
Circuits
Circuit devices
Current only flows in one direction through a diode
Is a device made from a semiconductor such as silicon
It is used to regulate the potential difference of a circuit
Light emitting diodes are very useful
They emit light when a current flows through it in the forward direction
Indicate the presence of a current
Used in appliances to show they are switched on
Light Dependent Resistor or LDR
Its dependent on the intensity of the light
In bright light the resistance falls
In darkness the resistance is the highest
Used for burglar detectors
The resistance of a Thermistor as temperature increases
A temperature dependent resistor
In hot conditions the resistance drops
In cool conditions the resistance goes up
Used for temperature detectors e.g. thermostat
Series Circuit
In a series circuit the different components are connected in a line if you remove or disconnect one component the circuit is broken and they all stop
Potential difference is shared
In series circuits the total P.D. of the supply is shared between the various components. So the voltage always adds up to equal the source voltage
V = V1 + V2 ...
Current is the same everywhere
The same current flows through all parts of the circuit
A1 = A2
The size of the current is determined by the total P.D. of the cells and the total resistance of the circuit
I = V / R
Resistance adds up
The total resistance is the sum of all the resistances
R = R1 + R2 + R3..
Cell voltage adds up
There is a bigger potential difference when more cells are in series provided the cells are all connected
Parallel Circuit
Each component is separately connected to the supply. If you remove or disconnect one of them it will hardly affect the others. Used more
P.D is the same across all components
This means identical bulbs connected in parallel will all be at the same brightness
Current is shared between branches
In parallel circuits the total current flowing around the circuit is equal to the total of all the currents through the separate components
There are junctions where the circuit either splits or rejoins. The total current going into a junction has to equal the total leaving
Voltmeters and Ammeters are exceptions
Ammeters are always connected in series
Voltmeters are always connected in parallel with a component
Media attachments
three_readings.gif (image/gif)
Current-Parallel-Circuit.gif (image/gif)
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