Battery
Most batteries contain three basic parts: two electrodes (cathode - positively charged, anode - negatively charged) of two different conductive materials and an electrolyte. Between these electrodes, is the electrolyte. This is a liquid or gel-like substance that contains electrically charged particles (ions). The ions combine with the materials that make up the electrodes, producing chemical reactions that allow a battery to generate an electric current. When a load completes the circuit between two terminals, electrical current leaves (or electrons enter) the cathode during discharge. The electrical current enters (or electrons leave) the anode of the battery. The battery will continue to produce electricity until one or both of the electrodes run out of the substance necessary for the reactions to occur.
DC (Direct Current)
It is the electricity flowing in constant direction. DC is the kind of electricity made by a battery due to chemical reaction (with definite positive and negative terminals). The intensity of the current can vary with time, but the general direction of movement stays the same at all times.
Application of DC
DC is used in almost all electronics equipment, telecommunication, mobile devices, hearing-aids and more.
DC Voltage
DC Voltage is a voltage associated with a constant (unchanging, unidirectional) current. Voltage can be thought of as the force that pushes electrons through a conductor and the greater the voltage the greater is its ability to “push” the electrons through a given circuit.
AC (Alternating Current)
AC Voltage
It is explained in AC (Alternating Current) section.
Resistor
The resistor limits the current flow through an electrical/electronics circuit. Resistance is measured in Ohms and its symbol is Ω. Resistors that are chained together in a single line are said to be connected in series. Resistors that have both ends tied together with the two ends of another resistor, are said to be connected in parallel. Resistor color codes are used to identify the resistance of small resistors.
Serial Resistors
Serial Resistor Equation
Rtotal = R1 + R2 + R3 + ….. Rn etc.
Parallel Resistors
Parallel Resistor Equation
Capacitor
A capacitor works like a tiny battery. It stores electrical energy. It is made up of two metal plates separated by a non-conducting material (dielectric - Teflon, Ceramic). In an electronic circuit the capacitor is shown like below.
A capacitor's storage potential, known as Capacitance, is measured in Farads. Capacitance can be determined from the dimensions or area of the plates and the properties of the dielectric material between the plates.
Capacitive Reactance is the measure of a capacitor's opposition to AC current. It is derived from the following formula.
For DC power supply, frequency will be zero and hence the reactance will be infinity. Which directly says that capacitor blocks DC currents.
Applications of the Capacitor
Timer: The higher the value of Capacitance in the circuit, the longer the Lamp will glow.
Convert AC to DC
Filters
High Pass Filter
Low Pass Filter
Inductor
Inductor is a coil of wire wound around a central core. The central core is made up of different types: Air Core, Iron Core, Ferrite Core. The inductor stores energy in the form of a magnetic field. In an electrical/electronics circuit, the inductor is shown as below.
An electric current through the coil creates a magnetic field around the coil. A changing current creates a changing magnetic field. The changing magnetic field creates a voltage which opposes the current that created it. Inductors resist or oppose changes of current but will easily pass a steady state DC current.The property of inductor to oppose the changing current is call inductance. It is measured in a unit called Henry. Inductance increases as the number of turns in the coil increases and it reduces as the number of turns in the coil reduces.
Inductive Reactance is the measure of a inductor's opposition to AC current. It is derived from the following formula.
For DC power supply, frequency will be zero and hence the reactance will be zero. Which directly says that inductor acts like "short" for DC current. In other words, inductors resist or oppose AC current but will easily pass a steady state DC current.
Transistors
Diodes
Breadboard
Soldering Iron
Potentiometer
IC
Switch
Logic Gates
Flip-Flops
MOS
CMOS
MOSFET
Microprocessor
Microcontroller
Rectifier - Full wave, Half wave rectifier
Filter
AC voltage, DC Voltage
AC Current, DC current
Direction of current
shunt capacitor
transformer
Diode bridge
Electrostatic and Electromotive force
Three phase supply
How windmill generates AC current
How does a square or triangular wave is generated?