Basic Electronic Components and What They Do

circuits

an electrical loop with a starting point and an ending point, with any number of components in between.

resistor

component that resists the flow of current, act to reduce the flow of current and lower voltage levels within circuits

capacitor

device that can temporarily store an electric charge

definition of a terminal

device that enables you communicate with a computer

diode

device that lets current flow in only one direction

what are the building blocks of modern electronic devices such as computers and cellphones?

integrated circuits

integrated circuit

special component that contains an entire electronic circuit, complete with transistors, diodes, and other elements, all photographically etched onto a tiny piece of silicon

light-emitting diode

special type of diode that emits light when current passes through it

what are the two terminals of a diode? how do they work?

the two terminals are anode and cathode- current will only flow through the device when the positive voltage is applied to the anode and the negative voltage is applied to the cathode

what is a transistor and what are its three terminals?

three-terminal device in which a voltage applied to one of the terminals (called base) can control current that flows across the other two terminals (called the collector and emitter)

definition of voltage

way of using numbers to describe an electric field -> force that produces an electric current expressed in volts