Circuits

WHAT IS A CIRCUIT?

An electronic circuit is a complete course of conductors through which current can travel. Circuits provide a path for current to flow. To be a circuit, this path must start and end at the same point. In other words, a circuit must form a loop. An electronic circuit and an electrical circuit has the same definition, but electronic circuits tend to be low voltage circuits.

TYPES OF CIRCUIT:

Paralel circuit:  A parallel circuit is a closed circuit in which the current divides into two or more paths before recombining to complete the circuit. Each load connected in a separate path receives the full circuitvoltage, and the total circuit current is equal to the sum of the individual branch currents.

Series circuit:  A series circuit is a closed circuit in which the current follows one path, as opposed to a parallelcircuit where the circuit is divided into two or more paths. In a series circuit, the current through each load is the same and the total voltage across thecircuit is the sum of the voltages across each load.

Closed circuit: A closed circuit has a complete path for current to flow. An open circuit doesn't, which means that it's not functional. If this is your first exposure to circuits, you might think that when a circuit is open, it's like an open door or gate that current can flow through. And when it's closed, it's like a shut door that current can't flow through. Actually, it's just the opposite, so it might take awhile to get used to this concept. 

Short circuit:  A short circuit is a low-resistance path, usually made unintentionally, that bypasses part of a circuit. This can happen when two bare wires in a circuit touch each other. The part of the circuit bypassed by the short circuit ceases to function, and a large amount of current could start to flow. This can generate a lot of heat in the wires and cause a fire. As a safety measure, fuses and circuit brakers automatically open the circuit when there is an excessive current.