Intro to Electronics
Activity 3.0
Understanding Electricity
What is ELECTRICITY?
The flow of tiny particles, called electrons, through a conductor
Insulators
Conductors
vs
materials that allow electricity to flow easily
ex. copper, aluminum
materials that block the flow of electricity
ex. plastic, rubber
Building Blocks of Electronics
Path
Source
Load
The "starting point" or "power station" in a circuit.
They are the place where energy is introduced in the circuit.
Power sources can be storage units like batteries or even plugs like wall outlets or USB outlets.
The "highway" or "route" electricity travels on.
The channel energy flows.
The path is made using conductive materials like copper wires to connect various components together.
The "receiver" of electricity or "gadget" in a circuit.
The thing that needs electricity to function like light bulbs, motors, and other output tools.
Examples of Output Devices:
Building Blocks of Electronics...
Devices or gadgets that return instructions and information to a computer or processor (aka the brain of the circuit).
Input Devices
Current
Voltage
the pressure or force that pushes electrons through a circuit
measured in
volts (V)
the amount of electron flow in a circuit
amperes or amps (A)
Examples of Electronics?
Ground
Ground : provides a conductive path for excess electricity to escape the circuit
or
on Arduinos ground closes the circuit (i.e. neutral)
Safety in Electronics
Beware of: