Science / Year 6 / Electricity / 5.1
Estimated time: 35 minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Ref: KS2-EL-1
Learning objective: Recall and build on understanding of simple circuits
Use the pathway to build a clear mental model. Open each node and answer the check question.
An electrical circuit is a complete pathway that allows electricity to flow. It must form a closed loop from the power source (like a battery), through the components (like bulbs or motors), and back to the power source.
Check: What happens if there is a gap in the circuit?
Every circuit needs: a power source (battery or cell), wires to carry the current, and a component that uses the electricity (lamp, buzzer, motor). A switch can control whether the circuit is on or off.
Check: Can you name four components you might find in a simple circuit?
Electric current flows from the positive terminal of the battery, through the circuit, and back to the negative terminal. Current is the movement of tiny particles called electrons. The current must have a complete pathway to flow.
Check: Why does a bulb not light if one wire is disconnected?
In Year 4, you learned to build simple circuits, identify whether a circuit would work, and recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit. This year, you'll build on this to understand more complex circuits.
Check: What is the difference between an open switch and a closed switch?
An electrical circuit is a complete loop through which electric current can flow. For electricity to flow, the circuit must be unbroken—there cannot be any gaps. This is why we say a working circuit is a "closed" circuit, and a circuit with a gap is an "open" circuit.
Electric current is the flow of tiny particles called electrons. These electrons flow from the negative terminal of the battery, through the wires and components, and back to the positive terminal. For the current to flow, it needs a complete pathway with no gaps.
In Year 4, you learned to:
In Year 6, you will learn about circuit symbols, voltage, how components affect brightness and volume, and the difference between series and parallel circuits.
Electricity powers almost everything in modern life—from the lights in your classroom to your phone, computer, and the National Grid that supplies electricity across the UK. Understanding circuits is the foundation for understanding how all these electrical devices work.
A torch is a simple circuit. It contains batteries (the power source), a bulb or LED (the component), a switch (the button you press), and wires connecting them all. When you press the button, you close the switch and complete the circuit—the bulb lights up. Release the button, and the circuit opens—the light goes off.
The lights in your classroom are part of a much larger circuit connected to the National Grid. When you flip the light switch, you're closing the circuit and allowing current to flow to the bulbs. The National Grid supplies electricity to 29 million homes and businesses across Great Britain—that's a lot of circuits!
A doorbell is a simple circuit with a buzzer instead of a lamp. The button by the door is the switch. When a visitor presses it, they complete the circuit, and current flows through the buzzer, making the ringing sound. Doorbells in British homes have used this same basic principle since the 1800s!
Michael Faraday was a British scientist who made groundbreaking discoveries about electricity in the early 1800s at the Royal Institution in London. He discovered electromagnetic induction—how to generate electricity using magnets—which led to the development of electric motors and generators. His work made modern electrical circuits possible!
Answer all questions, then check your answers. Your quiz result is saved on this device.
Wrong: "The electricity leaves the battery, goes through the bulb, and gets used up." Right: Current flows all the way around the circuit and back to the battery. The bulb uses some of the energy, but the current itself continues flowing in a complete loop.
Wrong: Calling a single AA cell a "battery." Right: A single unit (like an AA) is a cell. A battery is technically two or more cells joined together. However, in everyday language, people often use "battery" for both—just know the difference for exams!
Wrong: "When the switch is on, the circuit is open." Right: When a switch is ON, it is closed (completing the circuit, allowing current to flow). When a switch is OFF, it is open (breaking the circuit, stopping current flow).
Wrong: Connecting both wires to the positive terminal of the battery. Right: For a circuit to work, one wire must connect to the positive (+) terminal and another to the negative (−) terminal. This creates the complete pathway current needs to flow.