Electronics…

And more practical uses of electricity

• Current types:– Alternating current (AC)– Direct current (DC)

Electrical Functions

• 1. Power supply: – Supplies energy to the circuit– Examples: Battery, power supply, photovoltaic cell

• 2. Conduction:– Ability to transfer electrons

Factors that affect conduction

• Length:– The shorter the wire the better the conductor

• Diameter– The wider the wire the better the conductor

• Temperature– The colder the wire the better the conductor

• Nature of the material– A metal is better than a metalloid (carbon) which

is better than a non-metal

• 3. Protection:– Element whose goal is to protect the circuit in

case of a surcharge

a) Fuse

b) Breaker

Electrical functions continued

• 4. Insulation: – Element whose function is to slow down the

electrical current

a) Resistors

p.468

Electrical Functions

• 5. Control– Component that has the ability to control the flow

of electricity in a circuit

– Flip flop switch, lever switch, push button, magnetic switch

Defining switches

• UniPolar vs. Bipolar • Unidirectional vs Bidirectional

Electrical Functions

• 6. Transformation of energy– Any component that has the ability to transform

electrical energy into another form of energy (heat, light, magnetism, vibration)

• 7. Relay– Function: Element that uses a small amount of

power to switch another circuit which requires a larger amount of power

• 8. Condenser (Capacitor)– Function: Stores energy• Allows to even out current fluctuations• Allows to discharge stored energy in one shot (e.g.

camera flash)

• 9. Diode– Allows the current to flow in only one direction• Has low resistance one way, incredibly high resistance

the other)• Converts Alernating current into direct current

• 10. Transistor– Function: Amplifies an electronic signal– Used in computers – binary code