Chapter 3
Running Around in Circuits
IN THIS CHAPTER
Making the right connections with a circuit
Being positive about the direction of current flow
Shedding light on a circuit in action
Seeing how voltages and currents measure up
Finding out how much electrical energy is used
Electric current doesn’t flow just anywhere. (If it did, you’d be getting shocked all the time.) Electrons only flow if you provide a closed conductive path, known as an electrical circuit, or simply a circuit, for them to move through, and initiate the flow with a battery or other source of electrical energy.
In this chapter, you discover how electric current flows through a circuit and why conventional current can be thought of as electrons moving in reverse. You also explore the depths of a simple electronic circuit that you can build yourself. Finally, you find out how to measure voltages and currents in that circuit and how to figure out the amount of power supplied and used in a circuit.
Comparing Closed, ...
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