Electricity Concepts
11 concepts · Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 · 24 prerequisite connections
Electricity is the study of electric charge in motion. Starting from the basic idea that charges attract and repel, students build up to current (flowing charge), voltage (energy per charge), and resistance (how materials oppose flow). Ohm's law ties these together, and circuits — series and parallel — show how components combine in real devices like flashlights, phone chargers, and household wiring. Circuit diagrams provide the visual language for analyzing any electrical system.
This family view narrows the full physics map to one connected cluster. Read it from left to right: earlier nodes support later ones, and dense middle sections usually mark the concepts that hold the largest share of future work together.
Use the graph to plan review, then use the full concept list below to open precise pages for definitions, examples, formulas, and related guides.
Concept Dependency Graph
Concepts flow left to right, from foundational to advanced. Hover to highlight connections. Click any concept to learn more.
Connected Families
Electricity concepts have 4 connections to other families.
All Electricity Concepts
Electric Charge
A fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force in an electromagnetic field. Measured in coulombs (C).
Electric Current
Electric current is the rate at which electric charge flows past a point in a circuit or conductor.
Voltage
The difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points. Measured in volts (V).
Resistance
A measure of how strongly a material opposes electric current, measured in ohms ($\Omega$) — higher resistance means less current for a given voltage.
Ohm's Law
The fundamental relationship stating that the voltage ($V$) across an ohmic conductor equals the current ($I$) flowing through it multiplied by its resistance ($R$).
Circuit
An electrical circuit is a closed path through which electric current flows from a power source, through components, and back to the source.
Series Circuit
A circuit arrangement in which components are connected end-to-end along a single path, so exactly the same current flows through every component.
Parallel Circuit
A parallel circuit connects components in separate branches between two common nodes, so each component gets the full source voltage.
Circuit Diagram
A simplified drawing of an electrical circuit using standardized symbols for components like batteries, resistors, switches, and bulbs.
Kirchhoff's Laws
Kirchhoff's laws are two rules for analyzing circuits. Kirchhoff's current law says current is conserved at a junction, and Kirchhoff's voltage law says the total.
Electrical Power
The rate at which electrical energy is converted to other forms of energy (heat, light, motion). Measured in watts (W).