An electrical circuit is a closed loop formed by a power source, wires, a fuse, a load, and a switch. When the switch is turned on, the electrical circuit is complete and current flows from the negative terminal of the power source, through the wire to the load, to the positive terminal. Any device that consumes the energy flowing through a circuit and converts that energy into work is called a load. A light bulb is one example of a load; it consumes the electricity from a circuit and converts it into work — heat and light.

There are three types of circuits: series circuits, parallel circuits, and series-parallel circuits. A series circuit is the simplest because it has only one possible path that the electrical current may flow. If the electrical circuit is broken, none of the load devices will work. A parallel circuit has more than one path, so if one of the paths is broken, the other paths will continue to work.

A series-parallel circuit attaches some of the loads to a series circuit and others to parallel circuits. If the series circuit breaks, none of the loads will function. If one of the parallel circuits breaks, however, that parallel circuit and the series circuit will stop working, but the other parallel circuits will continue to work.

Many “laws” apply to electrical circuits, but Ohm’s Law is probably the most well known. To understand Ohm’s Law, it’s important to understand the concepts of current, voltage, and resistance. Current is the flow of an electric charge. Voltage, or electrical potential difference, is the force that drives the current in one direction. Resistance is the opposition of an object to having current pass through it.

Ohm’s Law states that an electrical circuit’s current is directly proportional to its voltage and inversely proportional to its resistance. So, if voltage increases, for example, the current will also increase, and if resistance increases, current decreases. The formula for Ohm’s Law is E = I x R, where E = voltage in volts, I = current in amperes, and R = resistance in ohms.

Source voltage is another important concept in electrical circuits. It refers to the amount of voltage that is applied to the circuit and is produced by the power source. Source voltage is affected by the amount of resistance within the electrical circuit and affects the amount of current. The current is affected by both voltage and resistance. Resistance is not affected by voltage or current, but it affects both voltage and current.

An electrical circuit is designed to carry electricity, regardless of the form. Static electricity can build up in a circuit through poor insulation and create a dangerous situation, where the circuit is overloaded with electricity. The electrical ground is the escape route for this additional energy and is built into most electric devices.