Chapter 2
Gearing Up to Explore Electronics
IN THIS CHAPTER
Appreciating the many different ways to control electric current
Acquiring the tools and components you need to start building circuits
Getting a briefing on how to use a solderless breadboard
Controlling electrical current is similar in many ways to controlling H2O current. How many different ways can you control the flow of water using various plumbing devices and other components? Some of the things you can do are restrict the flow, cut off the flow completely, adjust the pressure, allow water to flow in one direction only, and store water. (This water analogy may help but it isn’t 100% valid; you don’t need a closed system for water to flow — and you do need a closed system to make electric current flow.)
Many electronic components can help control the electrical energy in circuits. Among the most popular components are resistors, which restrict current flow, and capacitors, which store electrical energy. Inductors and transformers are devices that store electrical energy in magnetic fields. Diodes are used to restrict current flow in one direction, much like valves, while transistors are versatile components that ...
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