Husnen Rupani:
If we understand what makes a complete electrical circuit, we could make any equipment work and more importantly, keep ourselves safe by not becoming part of any circuit. So what makes a complete circuit?

There are at least four parts to every circuit, a power source, control mechanism, current path, and a load. If any of these are missing, you have an incomplete circuit. Let’s look at each part one by one with examples.

A power source. This is the part of the circuit that is responsible for supplying voltage and current to the load. Some examples of power sources are batteries, generators, and solar panels.

A control mechanism. This part of the circuit is responsible for controlling the current flow in the circuit. Some examples are switches, contacts and isolators.

A current path. This part of the circuit allows the current to flow through itself to make it travel between the power source and the load. Some examples are copper, cable, aluminum wires, and undistilled water.

Finally, a load. A load is the part of the circuit that uses electricity and converts the electrical energy into another form of energy. Some examples are lights, motors, and heating elements. These four parts, when connected together form a simple circuit.

One may argue that a control mechanism is not necessary. For example, when something is connected directly to the supply without a switch. In such a case, the wires connecting the terminal of the source and the load are control points. Try to think of it this way. What would you do to turn off the load or disconnect it from the circuit? That is the controlled mechanism. But where do fuses and circuit breakers fit into this, you ask. These are circuit protection devices and are additional circuit components that are not necessary for the circuit operation, but are very important for safety and longevity of the circuit. But that’s a topic for another video.

If you found this video informative, please like it and if you know someone who can benefit from it, please share it. Thanks for watching.