Electronics · lesson 4 of 30 · free

Open and closed circuits — Electronics for kids

A simple circuit has a cell, wires, a bulb and a switch joined in a loop. Current flows only when the loop is complete — a closed circuit. Any break opens it: a loose wire, a switch that is OFF, a bulb that is unscrewed or has a broken filament, or a gap filled with an insulator. A used-up (dead) cell gives no push, so even a closed loop stays dark.

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Remember

Follow the loop — “current needs a complete path from + round to −”

  1. Closed circuit = complete loop = current flows; open circuit = a break = no current.
  2. Check every part: live cell, good bulb, switch ON, all wires joined, any gap bridged by a conductor.
  3. If even one check fails, the bulb does not glow.

Use it for: Science lessons on simple circuits, building a torch circuit with a battery kit, and finding why a toy does not work.

Worked example: 🔦 A circuit has a new cell, a good bulb and a switch that is OFF. All the wires are firmly joined. Does the bulb glow? → No

  1. The cell, bulb and wires are fine, but the switch is OFF.
  2. OFF opens the loop, so no current flows and the bulb does not glow.

Check: Turn the switch ON with everything else fine — then it glows ✓

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✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

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🏁 Lesson 4 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

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🖨️ Electronics Worksheet: Simple Circuit – Open and Closed

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