Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition, 4th Edition

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Electronics

Perhaps the most common predicament newcomers face when learning electronics is figuring out exactly what it is they must learn. What topics are worth covering, and in which general order should they be covered? A good starting point for answering these questions is the flowchart presented in Fig. 1.1. This chart provides an overview of the basic elements that go into designing practical electrical gadgets and represents the information you will find in this book. This chapter introduces these basic elements.

FIGURE 1.1

At the top of the chart comes the theory. This involves learning about voltage, ...