Grade 6 (age 11-12)

Using Electricity

A battery, wires, a bulb, and a switch in a closed loop let electricity flow and light the bulb. Series bulbs all go dark if one fails, but parallel ones stay lit alone, like home outlets. A coil on a nail becomes an electromagnet, stronger with more turns and off when current stops. Explore with batteries only, never mains.

Electric Circuits — Path of Electricity

💡 What is an Electric Circuit?

①The path electricity flows through is called a circuit

②Battery → wire → bulb → switch → battery

③If the path is broken, electricity stops

④The switch connects/disconnects the circuit

Series & Parallel Connections

🔌 Series Connection

①Bulbs in one line

②One off → all off

③More bulbs → dimmer

④Christmas lights are series

Making an Electromagnet

Coil turns5 turns

🧲 Electromagnet

①Wrap enameled wire (coil) around a nail and pass current — it becomes a magnet

②More turns → stronger

③Cut current → magnetism disappears

④Unlike permanent magnets, you can switch it on/off

Summary

Circuit Components

Battery → Wire → Bulb → Switch (closed loop)

Circuit must be unbroken for current to flow

Connection Comparison

Series: one line (any break stops all) / Parallel: side-by-side (independent)

Home wiring is parallel

Electromagnet Strength

More coil turns + more current → stronger

An electromagnet uses current to make a magnet

🎯 Key Points

①Circuit: battery → wire → bulb → switch (closed loop)

②Series: one line; any break stops all; more bulbs = dimmer

③Parallel: side by side; independent; same brightness

④Electromagnet: coil + current makes a magnet

⑤Convenient — can be turned on/off

Examples and Unit Test

Example 1

If one of two bulbs connected in series burns out, what happens to the other bulb?

A series connection links bulbs in one line, so current flows along a single path.

If one point breaks, the current path is blocked and the other bulb goes out too.

▸ The other bulb goes out as well

In a parallel connection, one bulb going out leaves the others lit. Home outlets are parallel.

Example 2

You make an electromagnet by winding a coil on a nail and passing current. How do you make it stronger, and how does it differ from a permanent magnet?

Winding more coils or using a stronger current makes the electromagnet stronger.

Cutting the current removes its magnetism, so it can be turned on and off, unlike a permanent magnet.

▸ More coil turns or stronger current / its magnetism disappears when the current stops

An electromagnet makes a magnet from current, so its strength and on/off can be controlled.

Unit-test style

Which statement about electric circuits is correct?

①In a parallel connection, all bulbs go out if one goes out

②An electromagnet loses its magnetism when the current stops

③Current flows even if the circuit is broken in the middle

④In a series connection, more bulbs make it brighter

⑤An electromagnet gets stronger with fewer coil turns

▸ ② An electromagnet loses its magnetism when the current stops

An electromagnet is magnetic only while current flows, so cutting the current removes its magnetism.

In parallel the others stay lit if one goes out (①), no current flows in a broken circuit (③), more bulbs in series make it dimmer (④), and more coil turns make the electromagnet stronger (⑤).

← Previous

Combustion & Fire Extinguishing

Energy Conversion