What is electricity?
Electricity is a type of energy that powers things to work.
Electricity is very important as we use it in lots of everyday tasks such as turning a light on, playing on a games console or watching TV. Without electricity, lights, televisions and computers would not work as these each contain an electrical circuit.
Electricity is often generated by burning coal and fossil fuels which are non-renewable. It can also be generated using renewable sources of energy, such as wind, solar and hydropower.
Watch: FrankenCircuit
DOCTOR: ‘’Hahahaha, we have power. Igor there’s no time for rest, turn on the machine and give my creation life! Open the circuit!’’
IGOR: ‘’Erm, Doctor,’’
DOCTOR: ‘’What is it?’’
IGOR: ‘’The circuit is already open, which means the machine is off.’’
DOCTOR: ‘’Pfft, nonsense, everyone knows open means on! No one’s shouting 'open sesame' expecting a door to close. If you take the middle two letters out of 'open' you literally get 'on'. Now open the circuit and bring my creation to life! Hahaha!’’
IGOR: ‘’Yeah, but look electricity can only travel around a circuit if all the parts are connected. When you open the switch it creates a gap between the wires and that’s why when the machines off it’s called an open circuit and when we close the circuit like so.’’
DOCTOR: ‘Blah, blah, blah‘‘
IGOR: ‘The electricity flows and your creation comes to life, bing.’’
DOCTOR: ‘’Stop talking nonsense and open the circuit!’’
IGOR: ‘’But Doctor-’’
DOCTOR: ‘’Do it! The monster isn’t moving. You’ve clearly built the circuit wrong!’’
IGOR: ‘’Ugh, I haven’t look what happens when I close the circuit.’’
DOCTOR: "You’re jealous of the monster, you don’t want him to come alive!’
IGOR: "But he is alive!’’
DOCTOR: ‘’No he’s not.‘‘
IGOR: "Ugh it’s your fault, every time I close the circuit he's comes alive and every time I open it he collapses again. Look, open, closed, open, closed, open, closed.’’
DOCTOR: ‘’Igor I command you to leave the weird science to the weird scientists!’’
MONSTER: ‘"HELLO.’’
DOCTOR: ‘’Ah, it’s alive speak to me my beautiful monster! Tell me of your hopes and dreams! Speak!’’
MONSTER: ‘’Can you stop messing with the switch, it’s giving me a headache.’’
DOCTOR: ‘’Oh um Igor if you could.‘‘
IGOR: ‘Yeah.‘‘
MONSTER: "Thank you very much.’’
DOCTOR: ‘’So you were saying closed circuit is on. Hmm.’’
How does an electrical circuit work?
An electrical circuit needs all components to be connected in order for the electrical energy to flow around. If there is a gap in the circuit, the energy can't flow.
A switch is an important component because it connects the circuit together.
When the switch is open, the electrical current is unable to flow around the circuit because there is a gap.
When the switch is closed, the electrical current is able to flow around the circuit as the circuit is completed.
Horrible Science fact
There are special symbols that are used whenever you draw an electrical circuit, so that they can always be recognised.
You can learn more about electrical symbols and circuits here.
Quiz: Take the FrankenCircuit test!
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