BASIC ELECTRONICS I Dielectrics: materials such as - In conductors - free

glass, rubber, or plastics – they electrons can be forced

can store charges to move with relative
Electricity can be broken down - Used in components like ease, since they require
into: capacitors which must little work to be moved.
store electric charges - So current is charge in
 Electric Charge motion.
 Voltage Semi-Conductors - The more electrons in
 Current - 4 valence electrons motion the greater the
 Resistances - Niether conductors nor current.
insulators
Electrons – smallest amount of - Ex: carbon, germanium Amperes
electrical charge – called : and silicon - Current indicates the
negative polarity - Used in components like intensity of the
- It orbit the center of transistors electricity in motion
atoms - Symbol for current:
I = Q/T
Protons – basic particle with The symbol for charge : - (where I is current in
positive polarity Q = quantity amperes Q is charge in
- Located in the nucleus coulombs, and T is time
of atoms along with Coulomb (C) – practical unit of in seconds)
neutrons – neutral charge
polarity Resistance
1 coulomb = 6.25x10 18 - Opposition to the flow
electrons or protons stored in a of current is termed
ELECTRICALLY, ALL dielectric resistance
MATERIALS FALL INTO 1 OF 3 - Evidence: A wire can
CLASSIFICATIONS: become hot from the
Voltage flow of current
 Conductors - Possibility of doing work - Conductors have very
 Insulators - Any charge has the little resistance
 Semi-Conductors potential to do the work - Insulators have large
of attracting a similar amount of resistance
Conductors charge or repulsing an
- 1 valence electron opposite charge. Closed Circuits
- Electrons can move - Symbol for potentical - In applications requiring
freely from atom to atom difference is E (for the use of current,
- All metals are good electromotive force) electrical components
conductors - Practical unit of potential are arranged in the form
- Purpose: allow difference is the volt (V) of a circuit.
electrical current to flow - 1 colt is a measure of - A circuit is defined as a
with minimum the amount of work path for current flow.
resistance required to move 1C of
charge Open Circuits
Insulators - Current can only exist
- 8 valence electrons Current where there is a
- Use: prevent the flow - When a charge is forced conductive path (e.g. A
of electricity to move because of a length of wire). In the
potential difference circuit shown in Figure.,
(voltage) current is I = 0 since there is no
produced. conductor between
points a & b. We
referred to this is an
open circuit. AC
- An alternating voltage
source periodically
alternates or reverses in
polarity.
- The resulting current,
therefore, periodically
reverses in direction.
- The power outlet in your
home is 60 cycle ac -
meaning the voltage
polarity and current
DIRECTION OF ELECTRON direction go through 60
FLOW cycles of reversal per
second.
- The direction of electron - All audio signals are AC
flow in our circuit is from also.
the negative side of the
battery, through the load
resistance, back to the
positive side of the
battery.
- Inside the battery,
electrons move to the
negative terminal due to
chemical action,
maintaining the potential
across the leads.

DC
- Circuits that are Ohm's Law
powered by battery - The amount of current in
sources are termed a circuit is dependent on
direct current circuits. its resistance and the
- This is because the applied voltage.
battery maintains the Specifically I = V/R
same polarity of output - If you know any two of
voltage. The plus and the factors V, I, and R
minus sides remain you can calculate the
constant. third.
Current I = V/R
Characteristics of DC Voltage V = = IR
- It is the flow of charges Resistance R = V/I
in just one direction
and...
- The fixed polarity of
the applied voltage
which are
characteristics of DC
circuits