1. ELECTRICITY

2. Electric Current  Currents are the rate that electricity flows thru a wire  2 types of currents:  Alternating Current (AC) electricity flows back-n-forth like in a house  Direct Current (DC) electricity flows in one direction like in a battery

3. Circuits  Circuits are paths for electricity to flow  Three parts: Energy source, wires, load

4. Circuits  Closed Circuits allow electricity to flow  Open Circuits have an opening in it and do not allow electricity to flow

5. Circuits  2 types:  Series Circuit: one path for electric flow  Parallel Circuit: several paths for electric flow

6. Series Circuits  Good for:  Battery operated devices  Burglar alarms  Operating one load

7. Parallel Circuit  Good for houses  Operating multiple loads  Varying energy needs (depends on what you plug in)

8. Safety  Fuses and Circuit Breakers:  If there is too much electricity going to one place, these automatically shut off the electricity  GFCI outlets: now required by law near any water source (circuit breaker)