10.3.1
What is a Circuit?
Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
Circuits
A circuit is a loop of conducting material. Circuits are usually made of copper wire. There are a few things a circuit needs to allow electricity to flow around the circuit.

Power supply
- A circuit requires a power supply to move the electricity around the circuit.
- The power supply in a circuit is called a cell.
- A power supply is called a battery if it has more that one cell.

Cells
- The cells have both positive and negative ends.
- The positive and negative ends are called terminals.

Other parts of the circuit
- Other parts can be added to the circuit.
- Each part of a circuit is called a component.

Buzzers
- Components can be added to make the circuit do something.
- Buzzers are components that convert electrical energy into sound.
- Buzzers would be useful in the circuit that controls your doorbell.

Lamps
- Components can be added to make the circuit do something.
- Lamps are components that convert the electrical energy into light.
- Lamps would be useful in the circuit that controls the lights in your home.
1Year 3: Plants
2Year 3: Animals (Including Humans)
3Year 3: Rocks
3.1Rocks on Earth
4Year 3: Light
4.1What is Light?
5Year 3: Forces & Magnets
6Year 4: Living Things & Their Habitats
6.1Grouping Animals
6.4Grouping Plants
6.5Classification Keys
7Year 4: Animals, Including Humans
7.1Teeth
7.2Digestion
8Year 4: States of Matter
8.1The 3 States of Matter
8.2The Water Cycle
9Year 4: Sound
9.1How Do I Hear?
9.2Pitch
10Year 4: Electricity
10.1Uses of Electricity
10.2Conductors & Insulators
10.3Making Circuits
Jump to other topics
1Year 3: Plants
2Year 3: Animals (Including Humans)
3Year 3: Rocks
3.1Rocks on Earth
4Year 3: Light
4.1What is Light?
5Year 3: Forces & Magnets
6Year 4: Living Things & Their Habitats
6.1Grouping Animals
6.4Grouping Plants
6.5Classification Keys
7Year 4: Animals, Including Humans
7.1Teeth
7.2Digestion
8Year 4: States of Matter
8.1The 3 States of Matter
8.2The Water Cycle
9Year 4: Sound
9.1How Do I Hear?
9.2Pitch
10Year 4: Electricity
10.1Uses of Electricity
10.2Conductors & Insulators
10.3Making Circuits
Practice questions on What is a Circuit?
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1Which of these is true about circuits?Multiple choice
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