Basic Electrical Theory

Basic Electricity

● It’s invisible
● It can hurt you
● We can control it
● We can predict it
○ Until recently nobody agreed which way it flowed (+ to -) or (- to +) and did it even flow at all?
Current Flow Theories

- Electron Theory (- to +)
- Conventional Theory (+ to -)
Conductors

● A conductor supports the flow of electricity through it

● Examples of good conductors:
○ Copper
○ Gold
○ Aluminum
○ Steel
Insulators

● An insulator is not capable of supporting the flow of electricity

● Examples of good insulators:
○ Rubber
○ Wood
○ Ceramics
○ Most plastics
○ Glass
Semiconductors

● A semiconductor is neither a good conductor nor a good insulator

● Examples of semiconductors:
○ Silicon
○ Germanium
○ Carbon
● Semiconductors won’t protect you from currents
Terms to Know

● Voltage
○ Pressure in a hose
● Current
○ Flow of water in that hose
● Resistance
○ Kink in the hose restricting the water
Voltage

● The higher the voltage, the more current flow it can create.
● To keep current flowing, it is necessary to maintain electrical pressure. (Voltage)
Current

● Electrical Current is the movement (intensity) of electrons through a conductor, such as a wire.
● Electrical current may be compared to water current flowing through a pipe.
● The amount of current flow is measured in amperes.
Resistance

● Resistance to current flow

○ (The kink in the water hose)
● It is a resistance to load
○ Load is anything that can do work for you
● Resistance is measured in ohms
The Five Basic Characteristics That Determine
Resistance
1. The material
2. The length of the conductor
3. The diameter of the conductor
4. Temperature
5. The physical condition of the conductor
AC

With alternating current, the direction electricity flows throughout the circuit is constantly reversing.
You may even say that it is alternating direction. The rate of reversal is measured in Hertz, which is the
number of reversals per second. So, when they say that the US power supply is 60 Hz, what they mean is
the power is reversing 60 times per second.
DC

With Direct Current, electricity flows in one direction between power and ground. In this arrangement
there is always a positive source of voltage and ground (0V) source of voltage.
Components and Symbols

There are two types of electrical signals, those being alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). DC
has polarity.
Resistors

Resistors add resistance to the circuit and reduces the flow of electrical current.
Capacitors

A capacitor is a component that stores electricity and then discharges it into the circuit when there is a
drop in electricity. The long side of a capacitor is positive and the short side is negative.
Diodes

Diodes are components which are polarized. They only allow electrical current to pass through them in
one direction. This is useful in that it can be placed in a circuit to prevent electricity from flowing in the
wrong direction.
LED

Light Emitting Diode

The longer leg on the LED is called an anode (+ side), it will connect to power. The shorter leg is a cathode
(- side) and will connect to ground. When voltage is applied in the proper direction, the LED emits light.
Fuse
Transistors
Integrated Circuit

An integrated circuit is an entire specialized circuit that has been miniaturized and fit onto one small chip
with each leg of the chip connecting to a point within the circuit.
Potentiometer

Potentiometers are variable resistors. In plain English, they have some sort of knob or slider that you
turn or push to change resistance in a circuit.
Switches

A switch is a mechanical device that creates a break in a circuit. When you activate the switch, it opens or
closes the circuit. This is dependent on the type of switch it is.
Series Circuit

Green LED: 1.87 V

Red LED: 1.69 V

Yellow LED: 1.80 V

Parallel Circuit

Green LED: 2.36 V

Red LED: 1.74 V

Yellow LED: 1.93 V