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Summaries · Grade 6 Natural Sciences › Electric circuits
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Electric circuits

Series and parallel circuits, voltage and resistance, and safety at home. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Series and parallel

Series: one pathParallel: two paths
One path or two paths.

In a short circuit current flows with almost no resistance: dangerously hot. A stove uses thicker wires than a lamp, because it draws far more current. When a large appliance switches on, the light flickers: the voltage drops briefly.

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Protection at home

DeviceJob
Fuse or circuit breakerCuts off too much current
Earth leakage unitCuts power when current leaks
Earth wireCarries stray current safely away
The meerkat’s electrical safety at home.
The meerkat’s electrical safety at home.
  • An appliance smokes? Switch off at the wall and unplug.
  • Do not repair a cord with tape: the wire can still be exposed.
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Electromagnetism

An electric current produces a magnetic effect: electromagnetism. This is how a motor works. A battery’s voltage gradually falls as it runs down.

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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • Series: one bulb fails, they all go out; more bulbs = dimmer and more resistance.
  • Parallel: each bulb works on its own and gets the full voltage; a house is wired in parallel.
  • Voltage (volts) is the push; resistance is measured in ohms; a voltmeter measures voltage.
  • A battery is two or more cells; a motor turns electricity into movement.
  • Fuse/circuit breaker, earth leakage unit and earth wire protect us.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

House = parallel: each light its own path, so the kitchen stays on when the bathroom bulb burns out.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

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