A Beginner's Guide To Basic Electronics Circuits

Having some knowledge about basic electronics circuits is a practical choice. To begin with, all of our appliance and consumer electronics run on electrical power. Basic electronic circuits can help you understand simple problems such as why a light switch does not work at all. Besides, there are cases when an electrician is not available; thus, instead of waiting, you can apply what you learned in basic electronics circuits. In the same manner, you save money by doing it yourself.

A good understanding of basic electronic circuits requires familiarizing one's self with terms and concepts. You must be aware of the fact that electricity can also harm you if not properly handled. In order to learn safely and effectively, familiarize yourself with the following concepts:

Circuits - This concept has similarity to a circle in terms of flow of energy. The circuit is the path where electrons go through beginning from one terminal and reaching another end. The terminal can either be positive or negative. The flow happens using a single direction- negative to positive. Keep in mind that negative electrons are attracted to positive electrons; indeed, opposites attract.

Conductor - This is made up of a material where electrons can pass through. Usually, copper is used because it has high conductivity. Transmission between terminals is enhanced due to high-conductivity.

Insulator- From the term itself, it protects the conductor ( copper wire ) by wrapping it with a material such as rubber. No doubt, live wires are dangerous which is why they are insulated. Insulation coats the conductor.

You must also understand that there are two types of circuits: series and parallel. A series circuit is much simpler than a parallel one because electricity can only flow in one direction. A good example of this are light bulbs that stop working as soon as one bulb gets busted. This illustrates how a series circuits work. Conversely, electricity can possibly flow in two or more paths in parallel circuits. Thus, you would see some of your Christmas light bulbs working even if some of the bulbs are busted. A basic series circuit is often used for wiring the lights in our home. A lot of complex consumer appliances use parallel circuits because it's more stable. Nevertheless, consult an electronics repairman or electrician in case the trouble is complicated.