Electrical Current

​Electric current is the flow of electricity through a conductor.

​A conductor is a material through which electricity flows easily.

​In contrast, an insulator is a material that slows or stops the flow of energy, such as electricity and sound.

​​A circuit is a path through which electric current can flow. Circuits must also have a device to move electrically charged particles along. These devices, called voltage sources, increase the number of charged particles flowing in a circuit.

​A switch is a device that can open or close the path in a circuit. When the switch is closed, the electric current can flow around and around through the circuit. When the switch is open, the current cannot flow.

​An object in an electrical circuit that resists the flow of energy is called resistor. Electrically charged particles lose energy when flowing through a resistor.

​A series circuit has only one conductive path. In this type of circuit, the resistance increase with each resistor added. Electric charges travel through all of the resistors one after another. As resistors are added, the energy each resistor receives is decreased.

​A parallel circuit has more than one conductive path. The overall resistance in the circuit is smaller, so more current will flow. Electric charge flows through all paths in a parallel circuit at the same time.