Electronic Components

Electronic Components

Now its time to talk about the different components that make your electronic projects come to life.  Below is a quick breakdown of the most common components and functions they perform.

Resistor

Resistors are used to resist the flow of current or to control the voltage in a circuit.  The amount of resistance that a resistor offers is measured in Ohms.  Most resistors have colored stripes on the outside and this code will tell you it’s value of resistance.  You can use a multimeter or Digikey’s resistor color code calculator to determine the value of a resistor.



Capacitor

Capacitors store electricity and then discharges it back into the circuit when there is a drop in voltage.  A capacitor is like a rechargeable battery and can be charged and then discharged.  The value is measured in F (Farad), nano Farad (nF) or pico Farad (pF) range.



Light-Emitting Diode (LED)

A light-emitting diode is like a standard diode in the fact that electrical current only flows in one direction.  The main difference is an LED will emit light when electricity flows through it.  Inside an LED there is an anode and cathode.  Current always flows from the anode (+) to the cathode (-) and never in the opposite direction.  The longer leg of the LED is the positive (anode) side.



Switch

Switches can come in many forms such as push button, rocker, momentary and others.  Their basic function is to interrupt electric current by turning a circuit on or off.



Variable Resistor (Potentiometer)

A variable resistor is also known as a potentiometer.  These components can be found in devices such as a light dimmer or volume control for a radio.   When you turn the shaft of a potentiometer the resistance changes in the circuit.



Integrated Circuit (IC)

An integrated circuit is a circuit that’s been reduced in size to fit inside a tiny chip.  This circuit contains electronic components like resistors and capacitors but on a much smaller scale.  Integrated circuits come in different variations such as 555 timers, voltage regulators, microcontrollers and many more.  Each pin on an IC is unique in terms of it’s function.



Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR)

A light-dependent resistor is also a variable resistor but is controlled by the light versus turning a knob.  The resistance in the circuit changes with the intensity of the light.  These are often found in exterior lights that automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn.



Transistor

Transistor are tiny switches that turn a current on or off when triggered by an electric signal.  In addition to being a switch, it can also be used to amplify electronic signals.  A transistor is similar to a relay except with no moving parts.



Diode

A diode allows electricity to flow in one direction and blocks it from flowing the opposite way.  The diode’s primary role is to route electricity from taking an unwanted path within the circuit.



Relay

A relay is an electrically operated switch that opens or closes when power is applied.  Inside a relay is an electromagnet which controls a mechanical switch.

what are the types of resistor???

Resistor is a passive two -terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element.

what are the types of capasitor???

who invented the capacitor???

Layden jar is the first capacitor, it is consisted of a glass jar, half filled with water and lined inside and out with metal foil.

2 types of switch
1. Single Pole Single Throw(SPST)- This is for a single circuit and it can either make (ON) or break (OFF) the load
2. Single Pole Double Throw(SPDT)- A switch connects a common terminal to one or the other two terminals

Variable Resistor is an electronic components that is used to vary the amount of current that flows through a circuit

I just included the basic components and did not further discuss the types of it but thank you for adding that up denden. I appreciate it. That can surely be helpful.

How can you tell what to electronic components to use in a single task?

denden wrote:what are the  types of resistor???

Hi denden as far as I know there are two main types of resistor. The fixed and variable resistor.

denden wrote:what are the  types of resistor???

Fixed & variable resistor types

Fixed resistors :Fixed resistors are by far the most widely used type of resistor. They are used in electronics circuits to set the right conditions in a circuit. Their values are determined during the design phase of the circuit, and they should never need to be changed to "adjust" the circuit. There are many different types of resistor which can be used in different circumstances and these different types of resistor are described in further detail below.

(Carbon composition, Carbon film, Metal oxide film, Metal film, Wire wound, Thin film)

Variable resistors: These resistors consist of a fixed resistor element and a slider which taps onto the main resistor element. This gives three connections to the component: two connected to the fixed element, and the third is the slider. In this way the component acts as a variable potential divider if all three connections are used. It is possible to connect to the slider and one end to provide a resistor with variable resistance.
(Wirewound variable resistors, Cermet variable resistors, Carbon composition variable resistors, Conductive plastic variable resistors)

Jaymark23 wrote:How can you tell what to electronic components to use in a single task?

For that one jaymark you'll need to specify first what kind of a task you are trying to do. So we can check for an appropriate components to use.

denden wrote:what are the types of capasitor???

Ceramic capacitor: The ceramic capacitor is a type of capacitor that is used in many applications from audio to RF.
Electrolytic capacitor: Electrolytic capacitors are a type of capacitor that is polarised.
Tantalum capacitor: Like electrolytic capacitors, tantalum capacitors are also polarised and offer a very high capacitance level for their volume.
Silver Mica Capacitor: Silver mica capacitors are not as widely used these days, but they still offer very high levels of stability, low loss and accuracy where space is not an issue.
Polystyrene Film Capacitor: Polystyrene capacitors are a relatively cheap form of capacitor but offer a close tolerance capacitor where needed.
Polyester Film Capacitor: Polyester film capacitors are used where cost is a consideration as they do not offer a high tolerance.
Metallised Polyester Film Capacitor: This type of capacitor is a essentially a form of polyester film capacitor where the polyester films themselves are metallised.
Polycarbonate capacitor: The polycarbonate capacitors has been used in applications where reliability and performance are critical.
Polypropylene Capacitor: The polypropylene capacitor is sometimes used when a higher tolerance type of capacitor is necessary than polyester capacitors offer.
Glass capacitors: As the name implies, this capacitor type uses glass as the dielectric.
Supercap: Also known as a supercapacitor or ultracapacitor, as the name implies these capacitors have very large values of capacitance, of up to several thousand Farads.

denden wrote:who invented the capacitor???

Ewald Georg von Kleist of Pomerania, Germany and he Dutch physicist Pieter van Musschenbroek .

Resistors can also be used to provide a specific voltage for an active device such as a transistor.

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a two-lead semiconductor light source.

Switch is alsa a device that regulate the flow of electricity by interrupting or diverting the current from one conductor to another.

Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume controls on audio equipment.

A transistor is used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power.

A relay is an electromagnetic switch operated by a relatively small electric current that can turn on or off a much larger electric current.

The insertion of the resistor on a circuit is in parallel or series?

What are the different between capacitor and battery?

What are different also in diode IN4001 and Zener Dion IN5223?

Why micro farrad of polarized capacitor is higher than micro farrad of non polarized capacitor?