INTRODUCTION TO BASIC COMPONENTS
Welcome to the exciting world of Electronics! Before starting the first experiment, let’s learn about some of the basic
electronic components. Electricity is a flow of sub-atomic (very, very, very, small) particles, called electrons. The
electrons move from atom to atom when an electrical charge is applied across the material. Electronics will be easier to
understand if you think of the flow of electricity through circuits as water flowing through pipes (this will be referred to as
the water pipe analogy).
Wires:
Wires can be thought of as large, smooth pipes that allow water to pass through easily. Wires are made of metals,
usually copper, that offer very low resistance to the flow of electricity. When wires from different parts of a circuit connect
accidentally we have a short circuit or simply a short. You probably know from the movies that this usually means trouble.
You must always make sure that the metal from different wires never touches except at springs where the wires are
connecting to each other
.
The electric current, expressed in amperes (A, named after Andre Ampere who studied the
relationship between electricity and magnetism) or milliamps (mA, 1/1000 of an ampere), is a measure of how fast
electrons are flowing in a wire just as a water current describes how fast water is flowing in a pipe.
Batteries and Generators:
To make water flow through a pipe we need a pump. To make electricity flow through wires,
we use a battery or a generator to create an electrical charge across the wires. A battery does this by using a chemical
reaction and has the advantage of being simple, small, and portable. If you move a magnet near a wire then electricity will
flow in the wire. This is done in a generator. The electric power companies have enormous generators driven by steam or
water pressure to produce electricity for your home.
The voltage, expressed in volts (V, and named after Alessandro Volta who invented the battery in 1800), is a measure of
how strong the electric charge from your battery or generator is, similar to the water pressure. Your PK-101 may be used
with either a 9V battery or the adjustable power supply that is part of the XK-150, XK-550, and XK-700 Trainers. A power
supply converts the electricity from your electric company into a simple form that can be used in your PK-101. If using the
power supply, then adjust it for 9V. (This manual will usually refer to the battery, this is also meant to refer to the 9V power
supply if you are using that instead). Notice the “+” and “–” signs on the battery. These indicate which direction the battery
will “pump” the electricity, similarly to how a water pump can only pump water in one direction. The 0V or “–” side of the
battery is often referred to as “ground”. Notice that just to the right of the battery pictured below is a symbol, the same
symbol you see next to the battery holder. Engineers are not very good at drawing pictures of their parts, so when
engineers draw pictures of their circuits they use symbols like this to represent them. It also takes less time to draw and
takes up less space on the page. Note that wires are represented simply by lines on the page.
The Switch:
Since you don’t want to waste water when you are not using it, you have a faucet or valve to turn the water
on and off. Similarly, you use a switch to turn the electricity on and off in your circuit. A switch connects (the “closed” or
“on” position) or disconnects (the “open” or “off” position) the wires in your circuit. As with the battery, the switch is
represented by a symbol, shown below on the right.
4
PIPE WIRE
9V
BATTERYWATER PUMP
VALV E SWITCH
Symbol for BATTERY
Symbol for SWITCH
You have been given one of the two above switches.