Basic

Components
Electronics 2015

Batteries & Cells

Chemical devices that provide DC voltage
A cell is an electrochemical device made of 2 electrodes of
different materials and an electrolyte.
A battery is 2 or more cells connected

Lamps
Commonly indicator lights and
illumination in cars, planes,

Indicator Lamp

appliances, flashlights

Uses tungsten filament wire to

emit light when heated by

electric current

Illumination Lamp

LED
Light-emitting diode
Small, low powered and reliable
Polarity of leads need to be
determined before connected

Needs about 1.5 V and operates on 5-40 mA of current

Resistors
Most common and reliable components
Major purpose is to control current and divide voltage
Four categories:
1. Fixed
2. Variable
3. Adjustable
4. Tapped
Resistors can vary from 1 to over 100 M

Resistor: Fixed
Power rating indicates the power a resistor
can dissipate without being destroyed, this

is determined by physical size and material

Squared off resistors are carbon-composition

Rounded off resistors are metal-film resistors

Rule of Thumb! Use a power rating twice as

great as the calculated value

Power Rating = Voltage2 Resistance

Resistor: Variable
Rheostat

Potentiometer
A potentiometer
can become a
rheostat by not
using one of
the end
terminals

Potentiometer has 3 terminals, and rotation changes resistance between

the middle and end terminals
Rheostat has 2 terminals, adjusts current to a specified value

Resistor: Adjustable
Similar to potentiometers and rheostats
These are commonly used in high-power circuits (over 2 Watts)
Only for infrequent resistance changes
30 Watt
10K

Not adjustable when the circuit is in operation

Resistor: Tapped
Just like the adjustable resistors
Commonly used in high-power circuits (over 2 Watts)

70 Watt
500

Not adjustable when the circuit is in operation

Resistor: Surface Mount

Surface Mount Devices or chip components

They do not have leads, soldered to traces

on circuit board by their terminal pads

Power ratings dont normally exceed Watt

Switches
All perform the same operation, to open and close a circuit

Can only exist in 2 states: Open or Closed

Push Button, Rocker, Slide and Magnetic

Switch: Momentary
Active if they are pressed or actuated

Push buttons, joystick, keyboard

PBNO = Push Button

Normally Open

PBNC = Push Button

Normally Closed

Switch: Maintained
Stays on or off until it is switched
SlideSimple on/off selector switch

ToggleLong lever with rocking motion

DIPNot commonly used in modern

electronics (arcade games and video cards)

Switch: Symbols
Polesdefines the #of circuits the switch can control
Throwdefines the #of positions the poles can
connect to

Capacitor
https://youtu.be/ZYH9dGl4gUE

Bust A Cap!
https://youtu.be/sW0a9d_vWoc

References
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/switchbasics?_ga=1.162470527.233046002.1431043005#switch-applications