About me and why I created this physics website.

Circuits - For Kids

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Circuit.JPG. Author: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mamun2a

An electrical circuit is any connection of electronic components such as batteries, capacitors, resistors, etc. which in combination produce a certain function. To utilize electrical energy and do something "useful" with it, a circuit is needed. Electrical energy is the most important form of energy used on earth. It is what powers most of the devices in the world, from the blender in your home to the computers all over the world. Circuits are needed to produce the desired functions in all of these devices. The electrical energy source to power these devices may be a set of batteries or the electrical grid (for devices in homes and buildings which require a large amount of electrical energy).

Circuits are everywhere. One of the most simple circuits is a light connected to a battery. More complicated circuits are found in things like televisions and computers. The average home is full of circuits used for different purposes, such as for turning on lights, opening garage doors, and for wall outlets into which you plug in electrical devices such as vacuum cleaners.

To gain a practical understanding of circuits one must play with circuits, and there are kits available for which to do just that. The video below shows such a kit.





Return to Physics For Kids page


Return to Real World Physics Problems home page