Grade 6 Electric Circuits: Simple Circuits

Electric Charge
We get electricity because all matter has positive and negative particles and has electric
charges with the same charge repel each other meaning that they push away from each other.
Like charges repel each other while opposite charges will attract each other. A positive
particle will attract a negative particle.

Electric Current
When electric charges move through a conductor, we have an electrical current. The electric
charges come from an energy source such as a battery. When the charges move in a closed
loop, we call the path an electric circuit.

A system for transferring energy

A system is made up of lots of parts which work together to perform a special function, such
as a kettle, heating water but it must be a continuous path to flow. We call this kind of path an
electrical circuit. The role of a circuit is to send electricity from the source to the device. The
device then changes the electricity (or electrical energy) into useful output energy, such as
light. All electrical systems have an input source, a device and an output. A system will not
work without these three stages.

Example: Batteries = Source Lamp = Device Light bulb = Output Device

Components of a Simple Circuit

An electrical circuit is always made up of the following components:
• A source of energy
• Conducting material
• Device

Source of Energy
The source is where the device gets its energy. The source of energy for electrical devices
can be the mains electricity or a cell (or many cells, such as a battery).

Conducting Material
Many materials conduct electricity. Most electrical cables use copper wires.

Devices
There are many types of different devices that change electrical energy into useful output
energy such as heat, sound or movement.

An Unbroken Pathway of Electricity

When you connect all the different components (source, conductor or device) you make a
system, which allows electricity to flow throughout a closed pathway also called a circuit.

Vocabulary
Source – where a thing comes from or starts
Device – something that changes one type of energy into a different type of energy.
Output energy – energy after it has gone through a device
Components – different parts of something
A Broken Pathway of Electricity
Many things stop or break the flow of electricity through a circuit. A switch is one such thing
which we can deliberately stop the flow of electricity when not needed.
When switches are on (closed), they allow the electricity to flow.
When switches are off (open) they stop the flow of electricity.

Switches
A torch contains a switch. When you switch the torch on the electricity starts to flow around
the torch circuit. We say it breaks the circuit. When we turn the switch on, the circuit is
complete and electricity flows again.

Summary
An electric circuit is made up of different circuit components. A battery provides electrical
energy to a circuit. Wires connect the circuit components so that the circuit forms a closed
loop. Bulbs change electrical energy to light energy. Switches are used to control the flow of
electric current in a circuit.

Activity 1: Investigate Electrical Pathways

Aim – In this activity you will make a simple pathway. Hypothesis – Write your own hypothesis
for this experiment

You will need:

- A 1,5 V light bulb
- A 1,5 V light bulb holder
- A 1,5 cell holder
- Masking tape
- Copper wire

1 – Place the light bulb on the holder.

2 – Cut the wire into two equal lengths.
3 – If the wire is insulated, expose 1 cm of the copper wire at each end.
4 – Predict what will happen to the light bulb after you attach the ends of the first wire to the
battery and the light bulb holder.
5 – Attach the ends of the first wire to the battery and the light bulb holder with masking tape.
6 – Attach the ends of the second wire to the light bulb holder and the battery.
Questions

1. Explain why the light bulb did not shine after step 5.
2. Explain why the bulb lit up after step 7.
3. Draw your simple circuit.
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Electrical Circuits: Circuit Diagrams
Circuit Diagram
Electricians use simple diagrams to show electrical circuits. Instead of drawing a cell or a bulb
on their diagram, they use symbols. This is far easier than drawing the actual circuit.
Electrical Circuit Symbols
Electrical circuits are made up of the following components:
Electricity source (cell or battery)
Copper wire
Device (light bulb)
Switch, that can be open or closed.
Each component has a simple symbol. The symbol represents that component in a circuit
diagram.

List of Symbols

Component Picture Symbol

Cell or a battery – the short
lines show negative terminals.
The long lines show positive
terminals.

Insulated Copper Wire – we

use arrows to show the
direction of electricity flow. The
electricity flows from the source
(input energy) to the device.

Light Bulb - (lamp)

Switch

Vocabulary
Diagram – simple drawing or sketch
Symbol – simple sign which represents something else
Insulated – covered in protective substance such as plastic

Summary
We can draw an electric circuit diagram so that anybody can understand or use it. This is
because the same symbols are used all around the world.
Electrical Conductors
Materials that conduct Electricity
If an electric current can pass through a material, the material is an electrical conductor.
Metals are good electrical conductors. That is why parts of electrical objects are made of
metal eg: we use copper wire in electrical circuits to conduct the electrical energy.

Copper as a Conductor
Copper, silver, gold and aluminium all conduct electricity. We use copper as a conductor of
electricity because it is: 1. Good conductor 2. Not expensive. Gold and silver are very
expensive, do not use them. Aluminium is cheaper but not a good conductor.

Summary
Conductors make it possible for us to use electricity.
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Electrical Insulators
Materials that are electrical insulators do not allow electricity to pass through them. Plastic,
wood, glass and rubber are good electrical insulators. They are used to cover materials that
carry electricity to prevent a shock.

Non-metals as Insulators
Insulators are used to protect us from getting an electrical shock. Our bodies conduct
electricity, so we need materials that do not allow electricity to flow through them act like
shields for us when we work with electricity. Some examples include: glass, plastic, rubber,
wood and ceramic.

Plastic as an Insulator
Electric wires are always covered in plastic or other insulators that do not allow electricity to
flow through them. We say these wires are insulated.

People use materials that insulate electricity in many different situations.

Examples:
• Rubber gloves
• Ceramic insulators
• Plastic-coated pliers
• Plastic-covered adaptors
• Glass insulators

Vocabulary
Insulator – materials that do not allow heat/electricity to
pass through them.
Live wire – wire with electricity running through it.
Porcelain – a type of pottery clay
Activity 4
Topic Revision
Choose the correct word from the box to complete each sentence
Charge Current Output Bulbs Circuit Diagram Symbols Conductor Insulator

1. A drawing of an electric circuit using _______ is known as a circuit _______.

2. An electric _______ results when an electric charge flows through matter.
3. When a body’s electric particles are unbalanced, it has an electric ________.
4. When a material allows electricity to flow through it, it is a _______ of electricity.
5. When a material does not allow electricity to flow through it, it is an electrical
________.
6. ________ convert electrical energy into light energy.
7. Bulbs are an example of _______ devices.

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System to Solve Problems: Using Electrical

Circuits
A system is something that is made of two or more parts that work together like an electric
circuit which is made up of electrical components. Each component does something
different but they all work together. Complicated circuits have been designed to solve
problems that require energy.

Summary
If some components were removed from a system, it would fail or stop working. Energy is
transferred in an electrical system for the battery to other components in the system.
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Mains Electricity: Fossil Fuels and Electricity
- The energy in plants comes from the Sun.
- This energy is transferred from the sun to plants.

Fossil fuels are fuels that come from ancient plant and animal matter. That means that we
burn things like, oil, petrol, diesel or coal to obtain the energy that is released from them.

How Fossil Fuels were formed

Fossil fuels were formed in the Earth’s crust millions of years ago. They are a source of
energy that comes from plants and animals that once lived. When the sand, rocks and
mud hardened, they compressed the dead plants and animals changing the once living
plants and animals into fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas.

These fossil fuels are found all over the world under the sea. When microscopic plants and
animals died, they fell to the ocean floor, forming a rich mud. These layers of mud
compress and turned into oil and natural gas. The oil and natural gas moves upwards
through the cracks in the Earth’s crust and are easily collected and used. Mines are used
to dig for the fossil fuels. Sometimes fossil fuels, mainly oil and natural gas, are found
buried deep beneath the ocean floor. Huge structures called oil rigs are used to drill oil and
natural gas.
Activity 6
Explain how fossil fuels are made
Draw a flow diagram of how fossil fuels are made. Make sure to include the following steps:
Plants and animals die
Soil, rocks and water compress.
Pressure and heat build-up.
Millions of years pass.
Fossil fuels.

Coal in South Africa

South Africa has large deposits of coal, mainly in Mpumalanga. Coal is the main source of
fuel for our power stations. Eighty percent of all our coal is used to make electricity.

From Coal to Electricity

How can the energy in coal be used to provide electricity for us?
Power stations burn the coal. This heat is used to generate electricity for us to use. The
steps in the following diagram explain how the Sun’s energy is used to turn on our
televisions.

Step 1 Energy from the Sun gets absorbed by plants.

Step 2 Plants die and turn into coal over millions of years.
Step 3 Coal is mined and then burnt in a boiler at a power plant to heat water into steam.
Step 4 The steam pushes a fan inside the wheels of a turbine.
Step 5 The turbine wheels power a generator, which changes the movement energy into
electricity.
Step 6 The electricity is then sent to a step up transformer, which increases the power of
electricity to send it over long distances.
Step 7 The step-down sub-stations receive the electricity, which decrease the power of
the electricity to make it safe in our homes.
Step 8 Electricity runs from one plug through a wire into the television, which changes it
into sound and light energy.

Fossil Fuels are non-renewable sources

Fossil fuels take millions of years to make. Once they have been used they cannot be
replaced quickly or easily. We are not able to renew them in a short period of time. We say
fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy
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Mains Electricity: Cost of Electricity
Vocabulary
Boiler – device for heating water.
Turbine – machine with a large wheel, which turns because of steam and water.
Generator – a machine that produces electricity.
Non-renewable - something that cannot be made again very quickly.

Most of our power stations use coal as a source of heat to generate electricity. It costs
money to produce and supply electricity as it is very expensive due to the systems to make
and deliver it.

The Cost of Coal Mines

Running coal mines is expensive because money is needed to:
Pay mine workers
Buy mining equipment
Fix the current equipment

The Cost of Transport

Although most of our coal-fired power stations are near coal mines, transporting coal to the
power stations is expensive.

The Cost of Power Stations

Building a new power station will cost billions of Rands. The biggest power stations,
Medupi (in Limpopo) and Kusile (in Mpumalanga), will cost between R116 and R158 billion.
By 2026 ESKOM will spend about a trillion rand on electricity in South Africa.

The Cost of Pylons, Substations and Wiring

To get the electricity to our homes, pylons, substations and wires criss-cross our country
from the one end to the other. This grid system costs money, not only to construct but also
to maintain.

The Cost of Running Electrical Appliances

Electricity power is measured in watts. Different appliances use different amounts of power.
For example, a fridge uses more power than a television. The more electricity an appliance
uses, the more you pay for electricity every month.

Activity 7
Copy the table into your workbook.

Appliances Power use (watts)

Kettle 2000 watts

1.Examine the labels on appliances you have at home and record how many watts of
electricity the appliance needs in order to run.
2.State which appliance uses the most power.
3.Name the appliance that uses the least amount of power.

Saving Energy
The more power we use; the more coal our power stations have to burn. Coal is a valuable
and limited resource because it is non-renewable. We need to be using less electricity.

Solar Water Heaters

Geysers use a lot of electricity to heat water. To save electricity you can either turn the
heating element on the geyser down or install a solar water heater. A solar water heater
uses the energy of the Sun to heat up the water.
Energy Saving Light-bulbs
Fluorescent light-bulbs, convert 80% of their electricity into light and only 20% into heat.
These bulbs cost more than other traditional lights but last longer and they use less energy.

Heat Insulation
You already know that insulators stop the flow of heat. If a home is well-insulated it will not
lose heat and you will pay less in electricity bills during winter seasons.

Energy-saving Hints
≈ Use less hot water. Shower instead of bathing.
≈ Switch off appliances when not using them.
≈ Cover pots when cooking.
≈ Use a kettle to boil water instead of a pot and only use as much water as you need.
≈ Do not use the oven or stove to heat the home. Use a gas heater.
≈ Turn off lights when no one is in the room.
≈ Use a geyser blanket to stop the geyser from losing heat.
≈ Turn off the geyser when not using it.

Unit 8 – Mains Electricity: Illegal Connections

An illegal connection is when people make their own connections to a source of electricity
which is unsafe, “electricity theft”. Electricity theft injures and kills many innocent children
as the connections are not insulated.

Dangers of Illegal Connections

Illegal connections are dangerous because they connect to the mains lines, sometimes
before they have been stepped down by the sub-station.

Exposed wires can:

• Kill someone if they are touched.
• Burn and scar someone because of an electric shock.
Case Study: The Sol Plaatje hydroelectric power plant
The photograph shows the Sol Plaatje hydroelectric plant near Bethlehem in the Free
State. It cannot produce large amounts of electricity because the “As River” is not large
enough. Even a small amount of electricity produced from hydroelectric power is good,
because this method produces almost no pollution. After the cost of building the plant have
been paid for, electricity from a hydroelectric plan costs very little to generate. The energy
that generates the electricity is flowing water, which is free and renewable. Hydroelectric
power plants can damage the environment during construction and can prevent fish from
moving freely after the power plants have been constructed.

Activity 8
1. Why is it a concern to use coal to generate electricity?
2. Write down two benefits of using hydroelectric power to generate electricity.
3. What is the energy source that hydroelectric power uses?

Renewable ways to Generate Electricity

Electricity is generated by power plants using coal. We get energy from many different
sources that are divided into two groups: non-renewable energy sources and renewable
energy sources.
Non-renewable Energy Sources
Fossil fuel is a non-renewable energy resource. Coal, oil and natural gas take millions of
years to make and cannot be remade. We cannot recycle them in any way causing
pollution. People use them because they are cheap.

Renewable Energy Sources

The Sun, wind and water are examples of renewable energy resources. Wind turbines use
the wind to generate electricity. Solar panels use the energy from the Sun, while
hydroelectric power stations use the energy in water to generate electricity. These forms of
energy will not run out and are free to use. There is also no risk of pollution but is
expensive and not reliable.

Wind Energy
Huge blades called wind turbines use the energy of the wind and convert it to electricity.
When there are many of these wind turbines placed together on large pieces of land it is
called a wind farm. When the wind blows it turns the blades. These blades then turn the
turbines (which are like large wheels). The turbines then give energy to machines called
generating, which generate electricity.

Solar Panels
A solar panel is a device that uses the energy of the Sun. it collects the energy of the Sun.
it collects the energy of the Sun and transfers (converts) the energy of the Sun into
electricity or heat. This energy is then sent to our homes through conduction wires.

Hydro-Electric Power
The energy in the water is used to generate electricity at hydroelectric power plants.

Activity 10
1. Research one of the following renewable energy resources:
Wind energy, solar panels or hydroelectric power.
2. List the advantages and disadvantages of generating power using this method.
3. Explain how energy is generated using this method.

What are renewable resources?

When its source cannot run out (like the sun) or can easily be replaced (like wood, as we
can plant trees to use for energy).When their sources are carbon neutral. This means they
do not produce Carbon compounds (such as other greenhouse gases).When they do not
pollute the environment (air, land or water).