In today’s vast technological world, it can be easy to forget where things started and how some of the simplest forms of technology still play an important role in even the most modern inventions. Such is the case with the electrical circuit.
Composed of wires carrying an electric current, or flow of electrons, circuits can be compared to the human circulatory system, in that one’s blood vessels, veins, and arteries are much like the wires carrying said current. Much like the heart pumping blood, a battery produces voltage; the driving force behind currents within the circuit.
The size of any given circuit can vary greatly. One can transmit megawatts of power to reach areas over 1,000 miles away, or they can be as small as a thumbnail, acting as transistors to power desktop computers. This has opened the door for the world nanoelectronics.
Two of the most basic forms of electric circuits include power circuits and electronic circuits themselves. Power circuits encompass larger amounts of power, used in such systems as power lines and wiring systems within entire buildings with the main components being generators and lighting systems. Electronic circuits, on the other hand, process and transfer information. Examples of these being televisions, computers, and smartphones.
Within all of these systems exist a number of smaller circuits that maintain electrical flow. Closed and open circuits, for example, determine whether or not a path is open for the current to consistently flow – closed circuits having a complete path, while open circuits do not. Series circuits allow for electricity to flow through all possible components, a prime example of these being Christmas lights.
With all of this said, how do circuits actually operate? The most important elements include diodes (small silicon chips acting as valves forcing the electronic current to flow in one direction), resistors, capacitors, and inductors – all of which regulate the flow. This is where alternating currents come into play. Because currents and voltages are constantly changing, the analogs are changing as well. Similarly, radio waves are high-frequency alternating currents.
Circuits as an entire concept are crucial in the technological advancements we’ve seen in the last century. What started as a lightbulb in 1879 has since grown into highly complex electronic systems capable of connecting billions of people from all over the world, condensed into one tiny silicon chip.