Some common electric components can be represented by symbols. when an bulb has electric current passes it will glow.
The wire gets hot when an electric current passes through it. This is the heating effect of the electric current.
An electric room heater or an electric heater used for cooking. All these contain a coil of wire. This coil of wire is called an element. You may have noticed that when these appliances are switched on after connecting to the electric supply, their elements become red hot and give out heat.
Wires made from some special materials melt quickly and break when large electric currents are passed through them. These wires are used for making electric fuses.
When electric current passes through a wire, it behaves like a magnet. This is the magnetic effect of the electric current. In fact, an electric current can be used to make magnets.
When the electric current is switched off, the coil generally loses its magnetism. Such coils are called electromagnets. The electromagnets can be made very strong and can lift very heavy loads. The electromagnets are also used to separate magnetic material from the junk.
We are quite familiar with an electric bell. It has an electromagnet in it. It consists of a coil of wire wound on an iron piece. The coil acts as an electromagnet. An iron strip with a hammer at one end is kept close to the electromagnet.