Fundamentals of Electricity

Basic Electronic Skills and Understanding

Electronics vs Electricity

Static Electricity

Welcome to this guide that's all about the basics you need to know before diving into electronics. It's like getting the backstage pass to understand how electronic stuff works.

We'll cover the ABCs: electricity (you know, the power that runs your gadgets), electronics (how all those cool devices around you function), Ohm's Law (a handy rule for understanding electricity), power (how much juice your gadgets use), and frequency (how fast things happen in the electronic world).

Whether you're just starting out or want to boost your knowledge, this guide will give you the lowdown on the essential stuff you'll need to know. Get ready to uncover the secrets behind the tech that surrounds us!

Electronics vs Electricity

These two concepts are not the same. So, what is the difference?

You have to be able to:

Describe electricity and where it is used
Describe electronics and name examples
Explain what the difference is between electricity and electronics

Electricity is the flow of electrons, while electronics is the use of electricity to control devices. Electricity is the fundamental energy source that powers electronic devices. Electricity is a natural phenomenon. Electronics deals with the design, construction, and operation of electronic circuits and devices.

Here is a table that summarises the key differences between electricity and electronics:

Electronics is a subset of electricity, and it relies on the fundamental principles of electricity to operate. For example, electronic devices use transistors to control the flow of current, and they use resistors, capacitors, and inductors to store and release energy.

Electronics is a rapidly growing field with many applications in our everyday lives. As technology continues to advance, electronics will play an even greater role in our society.

Here are some specific examples of how electricity and electronics are used in the real world:

Electricity: Powering homes and businesses, lighting cities, and transmitting data over long distances.
Electronics: Computers, smartphones, TVs, cars, medical devices, and industrial control systems.

Static Electricity

Static electricity is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. These charges can build up on the surface of an object until they find a way to be released or discharged. One way to discharge them is through a circuit. ... The electrons cling to your body until they can be released. - https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/how-does-static-electricity-work/

Science made Simple is a website that explains how it works

AC vs DC

There two types of current and voltages: AC and DC. It is important to understand how these influence the functionality of an electronic circuit.

You have to be able to:

Describe what AC is?
Describe what DC is?
Explain the difference between AC and DC?
Explain why AC and DC exist?
Describe the different applications of AC and DC current

Ohm's law

Ohm's Law is a formula used to calculate the relationship between voltage, current and resistance in an electronic circuit.

You have to be able to:

Describe voltage and the units of voltage
Describe current and the units of current
Describe resistance and the units of resistance
Understand the relationship between voltage, current and resistance
Know Ohm's law and how to use it to do simple calculations

To really understand Ohm's Law we have to dig deeper into what voltage, current and resistance is.

Electric Current

An electric current is a stream of charged particles, such as electrons or ions, moving through an electrical conductor or space. ... The SI unit of electric current is the ampere, or amp, which is the flow of electric charge across a surface at the rate of one coulomb per second. -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_current

Power

Power is the rate which work is done. In electronics that is really important as the power rating of components will determine if the circuit will function reliable and components are not destroyed because their power rating is too low.

You have to be able to:

Describe what power is
Understand the relations between power, voltage, current and resistance
Know how to identify the units of power

Frequency

Frequency describes the number of waves that pass a fixed place in a given amount of time. So if the time it takes for a wave to pass is is 1/2 second, the frequency is 2 cycles per second or 2Hz.

You have to be able to:

Describe what frequency is
Describe how do you determine the frequency of a signal
Know what the unit of frequency is

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