why is every electronic course start by teaching resistors first

by Itzel Herman 3 min read

What electronics should I learn first?

Then start to learn electronics.Step 1: Learn the Closed Loop. ... Step 2: Get a Basic Understanding of Voltage, Current and Resistance. ... Step 3: Learn Electronics By Building Circuits From Circuit Diagrams. ... Step 4: Get a Basic Understanding of These Components. ... Step 5: Get Experience Using the Transistor as a Switch.More items...•

What is the importance of resistors in electronic devices?

It's counter-intuitive, but even though energy is dissipated with resistance, resistors are absolutely essential to the proper functioning of electronics. They function to ensure that other components aren't provided with too much voltage or electric current.

How can I learn electronics on my own?

Read books to learn the fundamentals of electronics. Visit your local library or a bookstore to begin reading about electronics. Even older books have a lot of information about electrical circuits and how they work. Use it to study the basics before you begin building your own circuits.

Why are resistors used in circuit boards?

Resistors Resistors are one of the most commonly used components in PCBs and are probably the simplest to understand. Their function is to resist the flow of current by dissipating electric power as heat.

What's the purpose of a resistor?

A resistor is an electrical component that limits or regulates the flow of electrical current in an electronic circuit. Resistors can also be used to provide a specific voltage for an active device such as a transistor.

What will happen if we will not use a resistor in an electrical circuit?

Limiting the Flow of Current If you don't add resistors to a circuit, the current will flow at dangerously high levels. It can overheat other components and possibly damage them. For example, if you connect an LED directly to a battery, it would still work. However, after some time the LED will heat up like a fireball.

What are basics of electronics?

Electrical current, voltage, resistance, capacitance, and inductance are a few of the basic elements of electronics and radio. Apart from current, voltage, resistance, capacitance, and inductance, there are many other interesting elements to basic electronics technology.

How many types of electronics are there?

2 Types of Electronics - Analog and Digital.

What are the 3 requirements of a circuit?

Every circuit is comprised of three major components:a conductive "path," such as wire, or printed etches on a circuit board;a "source" of electrical power, such as a battery or household wall outlet, and,a "load" that needs electrical power to operate, such as a lamp.

What is resistor in simple words?

Definition of resistor : a device that has electrical resistance and that is used in an electric circuit for protection, operation, or current control.

Does resistor reduce voltage?

Yes it is true ,i.e Voltage drop across a resistor increases,say if you connect a 1k and 10k resistor in series Voltage drop across 10k will be more when compared to 1k resistor. " If I add in a resistor to a circuit, the voltage decreases."

How does a resistor affect voltage?

Voltage applied to a series circuit is equal to the sum of the individual voltage drops. The voltage drop across a resistor in a series circuit is directly proportional to the size of the resistor. If the circuit is broken at any point, no current will flow.

Why do we need resistors in the electronic circuits in Arduino?

A resistor would be used in an Arduino output pin to limit current, maybe into an LED or a transistor or other component that has a low impedance.

What are some real life applications of resistors?

Let's discuss some examples of resistors in real life.Street Lighting. ... Laptop and Mobile Chargers. ... Temperature Control. ... Fan Speed Controller. ... Measuring Electrical Current. ... Temperature Sensor. ... In-Circuit Functioning. ... Dividing Voltage.More items...

How does a resistor work in an electrical circuit?

2:547:13How do resistors work? (Animated) | Basic Electronics - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo the basis of a resistor is that as the resistors put into the circuit the electrons go to it andMoreSo the basis of a resistor is that as the resistors put into the circuit the electrons go to it and it slows that flow of the electrons it resists the flow of electrons.

Why are resistors placed in series?

Resistors can be placed in series to make voltage dividers. These voltage values are in proportion to the values of each resistor. The resistance value of the two resistors is less important in determining the voltage than the ratio of values between the resistors. Circuit design Voltage Divider | Tinkercad.

What is a resistor in electronics?

Resistors are ubiquitous in electronics and arguably the first "real" electronic component we will be dealing with. They are the little pill-shaped stripe-y things found on most circuit boards. These parts in and of themselves don't do anything remarkably complex, but are vital in purpose. Over the course of this lesson we will learn ...

What does the center pin on a potentiometer look like?

In a schematic, a potentiometer looks like a resistor with an arrow pointing towards the center.

How to tell how much resistance a resistor offers?

Determining how much resistance a resistor offers is a little trickier and can be established by deciphering the colored stripes from left to right towards the tolerance marking. You will typically see four stripes, but you may also encounter resistors with five. Resistors with four stripes are the most common.

What is the most common variable resistor?

Most importantly, there is the potentiometer. This is the most common variable resistor and utterly ubiquitous in your day-to-day life.

What is the number of stripes on a resistor?

Resistors with four stripes are the most common. These will likely be the type you are working with most. When reading a resistor with four stripes, the first two stripes are combined together to form a number between 1 and 99. The third marking is the multiplier.

How to measure ohms with a multimeter?

To measure ohms with a multimeter, turn the dial to the Ω symbol and selecting the proper range (unless you splurged on an auto-ranging multimeter). To determine the correct range, you will need to be able to 'read' the resistor, which we are going to get to in a moment.

What is the purpose of a resistor?

A resistor is a passive electrical and electronic component, whose main purpose is to ‘resist’ the flow of current in a circuit. Also, rather than having an ambiguous resistance value, resistors are created with a set resistance value.

What happens to the resistors when they get too hot?

In any electrical and electronic circuit, components and devices getting too hot is not wanted. The same is true for resistors.

Why do resistors get hot?

But, why do resistors get hot? Resistors get hot when their power rating is exceeded (which is usually due to an increase in current). Higher currents result in more electrons which leads to more collisions (of electrons with each other) within the resistor causing it to get hot.

Why does a smaller resistor get hotter?

A smaller resistor will get hotter faster due to its lower power rating. However, the temperature might be lower also due to its power rating and physical size.

How to stop a resistor from heating up?

One of the easiest ways of stopping a resistor heating up is by limiting the amount of power it is subject to.

Why do electrons bump into each other?

This happens due to friction as electrons bump into each other, as well as the conductor resulting in heat.

What is the unit of measurement for current?

The unit of measurement for current is known as Ampere or Amp (A) which tells us the exact number of electrons that are passing a given point.

What are resistors made of?

These resistors are made from small rods of ceramic coated with metal such as a nickel alloy or a metal oxide such as tin oxide. The value of resistance is controlled firstly by the thickness of the coating layer; the thicker the layer, the lower the value of resistance. Also by a fine spiral groove cut along the rod using a laser or diamond cutter to cut the carbon or metal coating effectively into a long spiral strip, which forms the resistor. Metal film resistors can be obtained in a wide range of resistance values from a few Ohms to tens of millions of Ohms with a very small TOLERANCE. For example a typical value might be 100KΩ ±1% or less i.e. for a stated value of 100KΩ the actual value will be between 99KΩ and 101KΩ. Note that although the body colour (the colour of the laquer coating) on metal film resistors is often grey, this is not a reliable guide. Small carbon, metal and oxide resistors may be made in various body colours such as dark red, brown, blue, green, grey, cream or white.

How does a fusible resistor work?

In this fusible resistor, the current flowing through the resistor first flows through a spring-loaded connection that is positioned close to the body of the resistor. The heat generated by the wirewound resistor under normal conditions would not be sufficient to melt the blob of solder holding a spring wire in place. If too much current flows through the resistor it overheats, the solder melts and the wire springs up, opening the connection and stopping the current. This then requires a service technician to find the cause of the over-current before re-soldering the spring connection to restore normal operation. It is important to use the correct type of solder (usually stated in the service manual for the equipment) when re-soldering, since this will affect the temperature at which the spring opens.

What happens when voltage is too high for a resistor?

The voltage developed across a resistor as current flows through it places an electrical stress on the materials from which the resistor is made. If this voltage exceeds the permitted maximum there is a likelihood of a sudden breakdown of the resistor and a voltage flash over. The maximum voltage varies greatly between different types of resistor from just a few volts for some surface mount types to several thousand volts for some specialist high voltage resistors.

What is tolerance of resistor?

Instead Resistors are made in a restricted range of values and each value is quoted as a specific number of ohms plus or minus a percentage of the quoted value, this range of possible values is called the tolerance of the resistor.

What is the resistance of a wirewound resistor?

Wirewound resistors usually have a resistance range from around 1Ω to about 50KΩ. Because they use a coil of wire as their resistive element they tend to act as inductors to some degree. This limits their use to low frequency circuits up to around a few tens of kilo Hertz (kHz). This example, available in power ratings up to 25W, is for mounting on a printed circuit board and to prevent heat damage to the board, the specially shaped legs ensure an air gap between the resistor and the board. The whole resistor is enclosed in a flameproof ceramic layer.

What is a potentiometer?

Two independent potentiometers operated by concentric spindles. Used as volume and tone controls in old mains radios; the rear (tone) control has a linear track and the front (volume) control, a logarithmic track. The volume control also operates a double pole mains switch at the rear.

How to determine resistor value?

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.

How to keep electronics organized?

Storage. Electronic components can be small and it’s a good idea to keep everything organized. The most popular option is to use clear plastic storage boxes for storing parts. In addition, you could use plastic storage bins that hang from a rack or fit on a shelf.

What Is A Circuit?

Before you design an electronic project, you need to know what a circuit is and how to create one properly.

What is a digital multimeter?

Digital Multimeter. A multimeter is a device that’s used to measure electric current (amps), voltage (volts) and resistance (ohms). It’s a great for troubleshooting circuits and is capable of measuring both AC and DC voltage. Check out this post for more info on how to use a multimeter.

Why is a voltage source needed in a circuit?

The voltage source, such as a battery, is needed in order to cause the current to flow through the circuit. In addition, there needs to be a conductive path that provides a route for the electricity to flow. Finally, a proper circuit needs a load that consumes the power. The load in the above circuit is the light bulb.

How do capacitors work?

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.

Why is a closed circuit like a circle?

A closed circuit is like a circle because it starts and ends at the same point forming a complete loop. Furthermore, a closed circuit allows electricity to flow from the (+) power to the (-) ground uninterrupted. In contrast, if there is any break in the flow of electricity, this is known as an open circuit.

What is electronics fundamentals lab?

The electronics fundamentals lab includes a manual and all the parts necessary to complete fifty different instructional exercises. A solderless circuit board is provided and makes experimentation easy, even for those who have never touched a soldering iron. Students learn electronics theory and the nature of electronic components.

What is Cleveland Institute of Electronics?

Cleveland Institute of Electronics is an electronics school that offers Diplomas in electronics technology and troubleshooting. You could transfer any completed lessons from this course over to CIE's Electronics Diploma and get full tuition and academic credit. Electronics Lab:

What is the essence of engineering?

The implementation of ideas through new products, systems and services is the essence of engineering. The rapid changes in electrical, electronics and computer technology and the diversity of applications require a broad educational background and a lifelong commitment to learning new and specialized information.

What are the topics covered in circuit analysis?

Topics covered include: resistive elements and networks; circuit analysis methods including KVL, KCL and the node method; independent and dependent sources; linearity, superposition, Thevenin & Norton methods; digital abstraction, combinational gates; and MOSFET switches and small signal analysis. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners residing in one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Description

"I love this course. It truly is an amazing subject and the instructor gives great explanations on how electronics works. It amazes me how electronics are used every day and most people have no clue as to how they work." Joseph C.

Instructor

For the past decade, Idan Gabrieli has been working in various engineering positions at the heart of Israel's high-tech industry, also called the start-up nation.

Student feedback

So far, it's all very clear and understandable. Excellent graphics and easy pace.