BASIC ELECTRONICS - OD1633 - LESSON 1/TASK 1
these devices work on electrical principles, you should possess a thorough
knowledge of the principles of electricity and electronics. The purpose of
this subcourse is to introduce the student to the principles of basic
electronics.
This task will discuss what electricity is, the safety
requirements and first aid for working around electricity, voltage, current,
In the succeeding task, we will cover the different types of circuits, the
means of measuring and computing voltage, and current of batteries,
2.
Electricity
a. Composition of Matter. Matter is defined as anything that occupies
space and has weight; that is, the weight and dimensions of all matter can
be measured. Examples of matter include air, water, automobiles, clothing,
and even our own bodies. Therefore, we can say that matter may be found in
any one of three states: solid, liquid, and gaseous.
All material substances, solids, liquids, and gases, are made up of tiny
particles known as atoms. Atoms combine in small groups of two or more to
form molecules.
Atoms can be further subdivided into smaller particles,
some of which have positive electrical charges and others which have
negative electrical charges. The atoms of different material substances are
discussed in the following paragraphs.
(1) There are over 100 different basic materials in the universe.
These basic materials are called elements.
Iron is one element, copper,
aluminum, oxygen, hydrogen, and mercury are other elements. An element gets
its name from the fact that it cannot be broken down easily into simpler (or
more elemental) substances.
In other words, these 100 basic elements are
the building materials from which the universe is made. Close study of any
one of these elements reveals that it is made up of those same basic
particles, having a positive or a negative electrical charge.
(2) The basic particles that make up all the elements, and thus the
universe, are called protons, electrons, and neutrons. A proton is a basic
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