Arduino For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 5

A Primer on Electricity and Circuitry

IN THIS CHAPTER

Coming to grips with electricity

Understanding a few useful equations

Finding your way around circuit diagrams

Realizing the importance of color coding

In this chapter, you look at the fundamentals of electricity. In later chapters, you delve deeper into electronics, so it’s important that you have a basic understanding of how electricity behaves in your circuit.

The great thing about Arduino is that you don’t need to study electronics for years to use it. That said, it’s a good idea to know a bit of the theory to back up the practical side of your project. In this chapter, you look at a few equations to help you build a balanced and efficient circuit, you look at circuit diagrams, which provide you with a roadmap of your circuit, and you learn a bit about color coding, which can make your life easier when building circuits.

Understanding Electricity

Most people take electricity for granted but find it difficult to define. Simply put, electricity is a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles ...