Electronics // Area

Circuits

3 topics for ages 8 to 15, ordered by the age each one starts. Read from top to bottom to follow the progression.

Age coverage

Ages 8 to 15

  1. Starts at age 8 // 1 topic

    Starting at age 8

    • Complete circuits

      Electricity flows only around an unbroken loop from one side of a power source, through components, and back to the other side. A switch works by opening and…

      Ages 8 to 11Concept

  2. Starts at age 11 // 1 topic

    Starting at age 11

    • Current, voltage and resistance

      Voltage is the push from the source, current is how much charge flows each second, and resistance is how strongly a component limits that flow. Turning up the…

      Ages 11 to 14Concept

  3. Starts at age 12 // 1 topic

    Starting at age 12

    • Ohm's law

      For a resistor, voltage equals current times resistance (V = I × R). Rearranging it gives the current a circuit will draw or the resistor a part needs.

      Ages 12 to 15Method