IEEESVUSB

BASIC
ELECTRONICS
AN INTRODUCTION

Hazem M. Hashim
Electrical technical team
 It’s a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles (such
as electrons or protons), either statically as an accumulation of charge, or
dynamically as a current.

So, we can summarize electricity as:

• Electricity is the presence or flow of charged particles.
• An electric current is the flow of electrons around a circuit.
• Static electricity is the build-up of electrons on an insulator.

How do we use electricity?

Everything is made up of tiny particles. These particles may have positive or

negative charges. Electricity is the presence or flow of these charged particles.

All materials contain negatively-charged particles called electrons. In metals

the electrons are free to move, which means they are good conductors of
electricity. If there is a complete circuit a battery can push electrons all around
the circuit. This is an electric current. We use electric currents to control and
operate devices, including phones, computers and light bulbs.

Some materials do not conduct electricity – they are insulators. Imagine

rubbing a balloon on your jumper. The balloon and jumper are each made of
different insulating materials. As you rub, electrons move from the jumper to the
balloon, so negative charge builds up on the balloon. If you touch the balloon, you
may feel a shock as the charge travels through you to the ground.

What are the two types of electric current?

In electrical engineering, current is often described as being either
alternating current, or direct current. These two terms refer to how the current
varies in time. In simple terms, direct current (DC) is the type of current that’s
often produced by a battery, and it operates most electronic applications. While
alternating current (AC) is the type of current that “alternates” its direction
constantly, it always takes the shape of a sine wave in a graph. In other words,

1|Page
 AC is a current that pulses back and forth without the charge moving any distance
over time.

I. Direct Current:
DC current is defined as the current that flows in
only one direction. In this type, the electrons move
from an area of negative charge, to an area of positive
charge, while not changing direction over time.

The best example of a DC source is a battery,

when a battery is connected to a circuit, it provides a
constant flow of charge from the negative terminal to
the positive terminal of the battery.

II. Alternating Current:

An alternating current can be defined as a current that changes its magnitude
and polarity at regular intervals of time. It can also be defined as an electrical
current that repeatedly changes or reverses its direction.
An AC may have four different forms of waves:

Perhaps the most famous one from the previous is the sinusoidal (or
sinewave).

2|Page
 III. The difference between AC and DC:

AC DC

The direction of When an alternating current When a direct current

current flowing through a circuit, it flowing through the circuit, it
reverses its direction. will not change the direction.

Frequency The frequency of alternating The frequency of the direct

current decides how many times it
reverses its direction. If the
frequency is 50 Hz, it means the
current changes direction 50
times.
current is always zero.
Because it never changes its
direction.

Movement of Electrons keep changes its Electrons move only in a

electrons direction from forward to forward direction.
backward

Current The magnitude of the The magnitude is constant at

magnitude instantaneous current is varying each instant of time for pure
with time. DC. But it is variable for
pulsating DC.

Types Sinusoidal, Trapezoidal, Square, Pure DC, and Pulsating DC.

and Triangular.

Conversion It can be converted from DC It can be converted from AC

supply with the help of Inverter. supply with the help of a
rectifier.

Types of loads It can connect with the resistive, It can connect only with the
inductive and capacitive type of resistive type of load.
load.

Source AC Generator DC Generator and battery

3|Page
 Waveform

Application Most of the household, industrial Cell phones, Electric Vehicle,

and commercial equipment. Electroplating, Flashlight, etc.

A battery can be defined as an electrochemical

device which can be charged with an electric current,
and discharged whenever required.

I. Main components of a battery:

• Anode (-)
• Cathode (+)
• An electrolyte (the substance that allows
electrical current to flow between the anode and
the cathode.)

II. How do batteries work?

1. The battery is activated when both the anode and cathode connect
to a circuit, therefore causing the electrolyte and anode to form a
chemical reaction.
2. The reaction turns around and flows in a path back where another
chemical reaction occurs in the cathode.
3. Eventually, with use, the electrolyte compound will dissipate, and
that is when the battery is considered "dead" or no longer capable
of producing electricity.

4|Page
 III. Types of batteries and where you can find them:
1. Alkaline – clocks, remotes.
2. Zinc-carbon – clocks, remotes.
3. Lithium primary – toys, radios, cameras.
4. Mercury oxide – medical equipment, cameras.
5. Zinc-air – watches, hearing aids.
6. Silver oxide – watches, hearing aids.
7. Lithium-ion – cell phones, laptops, cameras.
8. Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) – cellphones, laptops, Bluetooth
equipment.
9. Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) – power tools, handheld games.
10.Lead-acid – vacuum cleaners, alarm systems.

IV. Sizes of batteries:

1. AA
2. AAA
3. AAAA
4. C
5. D
6. 9V
7. CR123A
8. 23A
9. button batteries

5|Page
 A breadboard is a simple component designed to let
you create circuits without the need for soldering.

If we divide the breadboard into different sections,

we can see that it’s split into two different sections:
• The first, and last two horizontal dots are all
connected together in a Horizontal line. (They are often indicated by
the “+” and “-” symbols on the board.
• All the dots in lines “a, b, c, d, e” & “f, g, h, i, j” are connected together
in a Vertical line.

6|Page
 Resistor is defined as a passive electrical component with two terminals that
are used for either limiting or regulating the flow of electric current in electrical
circuits.

What are resistors used for?

The main purpose of resistor is to reduce the current flow and to lower the
voltage in any particular portion of the circuit. It is made of copper wires which are
coiled around a ceramic rod and the outer part of the resistor is coated with an
insulating paint. The SI unit of resistor is Ohm.

Types of resistors:
There are two basic types of resistors:
1. Linear resistors.
2. Non-linear resistors.

1. Linear resistors:

These are the types of resistors that proportionally change with the change
in applied voltage and temperature.

They are classified into two types:

1. Fixed resistors: These resistors have a specific value that does not change.
The main types of fixed resistors are:
• Carbon composition resistors: They are made out of fine
carbon particles mixed with a binder (for example
clay). After baking, it has a solid form.
• Wire wound resistors: Wire wound resistors are constructed
using a conductive wire. The conductive wire is then wound
around a non-conductive core. The conductive wire can be made
of varying alloys and thickness to control the resistance value. They
are typically used in high-power applications.

7|Page
 • Thin film resistors: Thin film resistors are a type of
resistor that possess a thin resistive layer sat on top of
a ceramic base.
• Thick film resistors: Thick film resistors are produced by
applying a resistive film or paste, a mixture of glass
and conductive materials, to a substrate. Thick film
technology allows high resistance values to be printed on a
cylindrical or flat substrate either covered entirely or in various
patterns.

2. Variable resistors: These resistors do not have a specific value and the
values can be changed with the help of dial, knob, and screw. These
resistors find applications in radio receivers for controlling volume and
tone.
The main types of variable resistors:
• Potentiometers: It is a 3 terminal variable resistor in which
the resistance is manually varied to control the flow of
electric current. A potentiometer acts as an adjustable
voltage divider.
As shown in the picture, potentiometers have three
terminals, the one in the middle is used when you want
the variable value of this resistors, as it’s connected to
the rheostat. If you connect the two on the sides, it is
then used as a fixed resistor.
• Rheostats: Rheostats are very similar to
potentiometer; they’re used as variable resistors and
their value is changed by controlling the slider on top of the wire
wounds.
• Trimmers: A trimmer resistor is a variable resistor that is
designed to be infrequently adjusted, usually just at the
point of manufacture or when the unit is being
recalibrated. They are placed along the circuit at critical points that

8|Page
 need to be carefully tuned for optimal functionality. The value of
trimmers is adjusted by a small screw placed on top.

2. Non-linear resistors:

The resistor values change according to the temperature and voltage applied
and is not dependent on Ohm’s law.

The different types of non-linear resistors are:

• Thermistors: A thermistor is a resistance thermometer, or a

resistor whose resistance is dependent on temperature. The
term is a combination of “thermal” and “resistor”. It is
made of metallic oxides, pressed into a bead, disk, or
cylindrical shape, and then encapsulated with an
impermeable material such as epoxy or glass.
• Varistors: A varistor is a voltage dependent resistor (VDR).
The resistance of a varistor is variable and depends on the
voltage applied. The word is composed of parts of the words
“variable resistor. Their resistance decreases when the voltage
increases. In case of excessive voltage increases, their
resistance drops dramatically.
• Photoresistors: Photoresistors, also known as light dependent
resistors (LDR), are light sensitive devices most often
used to indicate the presence or absence of light, or to
measure the light intensity. In the dark, their resistance is
very high, but when the LDR sensor is exposed to light, the
resistance drops dramatically, even down to a few ohms,
depending on the light intensity. LDRs have a sensitivity that varies
with the wavelength of the light applied and are nonlinear devices.

How to know the value of a fixed resistor?

Most fixed resistors do not have their values written on them, instead, they
are often color-coded. With the help of the color-code table, you can easily tell the
value of almost any fixed resistor around.

9|Page
 Exercise: Let’s guess the value of the following resistors:

10 | P a g e
 Ohm’s law: 𝑽 = 𝑰𝑹
Ohm’s law states that the voltage across a conductor is directly proportional
to the current flowing through it, provided all physical conditions and temperatures
remain constant.
Ohm’s Law describes the current flow through a resistance when different
electric potentials are applied at each end of the resistance. Since we can’t see
electrons, the water-pipe analogy helps us understand the electric circuits better.

Here, the voltage is analogous to water pressure, the current is the amount
of water flowing through the pipe, and the resistance is the size of the pipe. More
water will flow through the pipe (current) when more pressure is applied (voltage)
and the bigger the pipe (lower the resistance).

Resistors in series:
Resistors are said to be in series when the current flowing through all the
resistors is the same. When these resistors are connected in series, the overall
resistance of the circuit is equal to the sum of individual resistance values.
𝑅𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 + ⋯ + 𝑅𝑛

11 | P a g e
 Resistors in parallel:
Resistors are said to be in parallel when the terminals of resistors are
connected to the same two nodes. Resistors in parallel share the same voltage at
their terminals.
1 1 1 1 1
= + + + ⋯+
𝑅𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝑅𝑛

Exercise: Can you calculate the equivalent resistance, and current in this circuit?

12 | P a g e
 An Avometer is a measurement tool absolutely necessary
in electronics. It combines three essential features: a voltmeter,
ohmmeter, and ammeter.
How to use an Avometer?
A multimeter is composed by four essential sections:
• Display: this is where the measurements are displayed.
• Selection knob: this selects what you want to measure.
• Ports: this is where you plug in the probes.
• Probes: a multimeter comes with two probes. Generally, one is red and the
other is black.
the black probe is always connected to the COM port.
the red probe is connected to one of the other ports depending on what you
want to measure.
To measure voltage:
1. Set the mode to V with a wavy line if you’re measuring AC voltage, or to
the V with a straight line if you’re measuring DC voltage.
2. Make sure the red probe is connected to the port with a V next to it.
3. Connect the red probe to the positive side of your component, which is
where the current is coming from.
4. Connect the COM probe to the other side of your component.
5. Read the value on the display.

13 | P a g e
 In an electrical circuit, a switch is a component that’s used to control the
current path by connecting, or disconnecting that path, it’s the simplest form of
control in electrical circuits.
Switches are basically classified into several types depending on the number
of poles & throws:
Pole: A switch pole refers to the number of electrical circuits controlled by
the switch. The two most common types are single-pole, and double-pole.
Throw: The number of throws indicates how many different output
connections each switch pole can connect its input to. The two most common types
are single-throw, and double-throw.

1. Single-Pole, Single-Throw (SPST):

This type is basically an on/off switch, as it only controls one
circuit, and can connect to only one output circuit.
This switch has two terminals, one for the input, and the other for the
output.

14 | P a g e
 2. Single-Pole, Double-Throw (SPDT):
This type is used to control one input circuit, and one of two
output circuits. This type is also called an A/B switch. It has three
terminals, one for the input circuit, and two for the output circuits (A and
B outputs).

3. Double-Pole, Single-Throw (DPST):

This switch controls two different circuits on and off. It has four
terminals, two for the input circuits, and the other two are for the output
circuits.

4. Double-Pole, Double-Throw (DPDT):

A DPDT switch routes two separate circuits, connecting each of
two inputs to one of two outputs. A DPDT switch has six terminals: two
for the inputs, two for the A outputs, and two for the B outputs.

Pushbutton switches are switches that are actuated when

pressed, just as the name suggests. Whenever they’re released, they
return to their “unpressed” state.
They are also classified as NO, or NC switches just like toggle switches.

15 | P a g e