Schematic Diagrams and Circuits - (Physics 3)

Schematic diagram

A representation of a circuit that uses lines to represent wires and different symbols to represent components

Wire/Conductor

Wires that connect elements are conductors

Wires offer negligible resistance, they are represented by straight lines

Symbol for wires/conductors

Resistor/Circuit load

Resistors are shown having multiple bends, illustrating resistance to the movement of charges

Symbol for resistors/circuit loads

Bulb/Lamp

The multiple bends of the filament indicate that the light behaves as a resistor

Symbol for bulb/lamp

Plug

The emf between two prongs of a plug is symbolized by lines unequal length

Symbol for a plug

Battery

Differences in line length indicate a potential difference between positive and negative terminals of the battery

Symbol for a battery

Switch

Circles used to indicate two places where contact is made with wires

Most switches work by breaking only one of the contacts, not both

Symbol for switches

Capacitor

Parallel lines used to symbolize two parallel plates of equal length

A curves line can indicate the usage of only direct current sources with polarity

Symbol for a capacitor

Electric current

What is formed when combining a bulb, battery, switch, and wire

Circuit diagram

A schematic diagram for a circuit

Load

Any element or group of elements in a circuit that dissipates energy

Closed circuit

A closed-loop path for electrons to follow

Open circuit

An incomplete path, no charge flow and no current

Short circuit

Without a load, the circuit contains little resistance to the movement of charges

Without potential difference,

There is no charge flow and no current

Emf

Electromotive force (energy per unit charge supplied by a source of electric current)

Electromotive force (emf)

Any device that increases the potential energy of charge circulating in a circuit

Terminal voltage

When charges move conventionally in a battery / the potential difference across the battery’s terminals

Small internal resistance can be represented with

An emf source and an internal resistance beside each other

(a battery symbol and resistor/circuit load symbol beside each other)