HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Electronic Devices
(EEE3107)

1
Basic Devices

2
Atomic Structure

3
 Atomic structure
• An atom is the smallest particle of a basic substance
(element) that can take part in a chemical reaction.
• An atom is made up of three different particles:
proton, neutron & electron.
– The mass of a proton is 1 AMU (atomic mass unit). Each
proton has one unit of positive charge.
– The mass of a neutron is the same as the proton, i.e. 1
AMU. But neutron has no charge.
– The mass of an electron is about 1/2000 AMU. Each
electron has one unit of negative charge.

(1 g = 6.02×1023 amu)

4
 A Model of the Atom

nucleus

N +
N
N

proton
+ +
+
N

neutron N

electron

An atom of lithium, which contains 3 protons, 3 electrons and 4 neutrons.

5
 Three Basic Particles of Atom
• Protons and neutrons are bound together in the
nucleus by a strong force in the nucleus.
• Electrons orbit the nucleus at certain fixed levels
(shells).
• The number of electrons is the same as that of
protons. As electrons and protons carry equal but
opposite charges, the atom becomes electrically
neutral.

6
 Electrical Charge
• Electron exhibits negative electrical charge
• Proton exhibits positive electrical charge
• Opposite charges attract
• Same charges repel
• Symbol for electrical charge is Q

7
 The unit of charge
• Electrical charge is measured in Coulombs,
symbolized by C.
• One coulomb (1 C) is the total charge
possessed by 6.25×1018 electrons.
• A single electron has a charge of
- = -1.6×10-19 C
• A single proton has a charge of
+ = +1.6×10-19 C
8
 Example
How many coulombs (C) do 93.8×1016 electrons
represent?

Solution

C=0.15 C

9
 Voltage
• Voltage is the driving force which move the
charges (electrons) a given distance.
• the unit of voltage is volt, symbolized by V.
• Sources of voltage : e.g. batteries, solar cell…

10
 Current
• The movement of electrons is the electrical
current (current).
• Current is the rate of flow of charge.
• The unit of current is ampere, symbolized by
A.
• Direction of conventional electric current (I)
flow is in the opposite direction of electron
flow (e). Conventional current flow
“I”
Electron flow “e”
11
 Example
If the current of 5A is flowing through a copper wire,
(a) calculate the number of charge Q; and (b) the
number of electrons flowing through the copper
wire per second.
Solution
(a)
Q=
(b) 5 C =5 .25 1018 electrons = 3.125 1019 electrons

12
Battery

13
 Battery
• Battery is a collection of cells, being connected
together.

14
 Electric cell

conventional current

electron flow
positive negative
electrode electrode

electrolyte

• An Electric cell produce electricity from a chemical

reaction.
15
 Electric cell
• Electric cells produce electricity from a chemical
reaction.
• A cell consists of two plates of different substances
placed in a fluid.
• The plates are called electrodes (positive electrode
and negative electrode).
• The fluid is called an electrolyte.
• A wet cell battery has a liquid electrolyte.

• Symbol of electric cell:

16
 Electric cell

• The chemical reaction causes negative

electrode electron rich and positive electrode
electron short. Potential (voltage) difference
is then exists between the two electrodes.
• When the two electrodes are connected by a
piece of conducting (metal) wire, electrons
flow from the negative electrode to the
positive electrode.

17
 Electric cell
• Electric cells are divided into two types: primary cells
and secondary cells.
• Primary cells—cannot be recharged. The chemical
reaction, which produces current, is irreversible in
these cells.
• Secondary cells—can be recharged. The chemical
reaction can be reversed in these cells, by passing a
current through the cell in the opposite direction.

18
 Primary cell
• Construction of a Primary Cell
light bulb

positive terminal negative terminal

copper plate zinc plate

dilute
bubbles
sulphuric acid
(polarization)

19
 Primary cell

• Chemical reaction takes place as the zinc

dissolves, making the zinc plate electron
rich, and hydrogen is given off at the
copper plate making it electron short.
• The blanket of bubbles builds up on the copper
plate reduces the current flow.

20
 Wet cell and Dry cell
A wet cell battery has a liquid electrolyte.
A dry cell uses a paste electrolyte, with only enough moisture to allow current to flow.
Unlike a wet cell, a dry cell can operate in any orientation without spilling, as it contains no
free liquid, making it suitable for portable equipment.

brass cap (positive terminal)

plastic seal

positive carbon electrode

powdered carbon and manganese dioxide

depolarizer

ammonium chloride paste electrolyte

zinc case and negative electrode

(negative terminal)

• The powdered carbon and manganese dioxide surrounding the positive carbon
electrode prevents polarization.

21
 Secondary cell

• Common types of secondary cells are:

– Lead-acid cell
– Nickel-cadmium cell
– Nickel-metal hydride cell
– Lithium-ion cell, lithium polymer cell

22
 Lead-acid Cell (Battery)

 Nominal cell voltage: 2.1V per cell

 Typical 12.6V (6-cell)
23
 Nickel-metal Hydride Cell

 Nominal cell voltage: 1.2V per cell

24
Lithium-ion cell, lithium polymer cell

 Nominal cell voltage: 3.6 V per cell

25
Conductors, insulators and semiconductors

26
 Conductors, insulators and
semiconductors

• According to their abilities in conducting electric

current, all materials may be classified into one of
three major categories - conductors, insulators and
semiconductors.
• Conductors have many free electrons which will be
drifting in a random manner within the material.
• Insulators have very few free electrons (ideally none).
• Semiconductors falls somewhere between these two
extremes. (details will be further discussed in later
chapters)

27
Resistor

28
Resistor

29
 Types of Resistor
Common Types of Resistors
1. Wire Wound Resistor
• Construction:
– High resistance wire
wound around a ceramic
tube.
2. Film Type Resistor
• Construction:
– A spiral cut resistive or metal
film around a ceramic tube.

Symbol of Resistor
30
 Resistance
• Resistors offer certain amount of resistance to
the flow of electrons (current).
• Unit of resistance is ohm ().
• e.g. of resistances : 10 , 56 , 1k  etc.
• A 10  resistor has less resistance to the
current flow than a 1k  resistor.

31
 Voltage Difference
• Whenever electric current
flows through a resistor,
there will be a voltage
difference developed across
it.
• The unit of is volts (V) and is
measured as the difference
in voltage levels between
two points in a circuit.
32
 Ohm's Law

• Ohm's law states that the voltage

difference developed between the two
ends of a resistor is directly proportional to
the value of current flowing through it,
provided that all other factors (e.g.
temperature) remain constant.
• Writing this in mathematical form we have:
VI

33
 Ohm's Law
• The proportional constant is the value of
resistance of the resistor.

V  IR I

V
R V

I
V
I
R V Slope = R

34
 Example
Calculate the current flowing
through the resistor in the
circuit.

Solution:
Use the formula :
I = V / R = 100V / 30Ω
= 3.33 A
35
 Example
How many amperes of current
are in the circuit?
Solution:
• Calculate the voltage
difference between the two
ends (a, b) of the resistor
Vab = 100V – 40V = 60V
• Apply Ohm’s Law
I = Vab/R = 60V/30Ω
= 2A
36
 Resistance of a resister
• Resistance of a resister is related to its
dimensions and properties of its material.
• The resistance value can be determined by:

l
R
A
– R is the resistance of a resistor in ohm()
– l is the length of the resistor in meter(m)
– A is cross-sectional area of the resistor in (m2)
–  is the resistivity of the material in (-m)
37
 Resistivity of some materials
• Material  (-m) at 0oC
• Aluminium 2.7 x 10-8
• Brass 7.2 x 10-8
• Copper 1.59 x 10-8
• Carbon 6500 x 10-8
• Zinc 5.57 x 10-8

38
 Example
Find the resistance of a 100 meter copper wire
with cross-sectional area of 0.4 cm2.
Solution:
The resistivity (ρ) of copper = 1.59×10-8 Ω-m.
Area A = 0.4 cm2 = 0.4×10-4m2
Resistance R = 1.59×10-8 Ω-m ×
= 0.03975 Ω

39
 Fixed resistors and variable resistors
• Resistors can be classified as fixed resistors or
variable resistors.
• Fixed resistor has fixed value of resistance.
• For variable resistor; its value can be adjusted.

40
 Fixed resistor
• It has only two terminals: the start of the
winding and the end of the winding.
• Symbol

41
 Variable resistor
• The bare resistance wire is space-wound on a
circular form, with moveable contact.

1 2

42
 Colour code of resistors
4-band color-coded resistor
• Resistance and tolerance of a fixed resistor are
presented in form of color code:
0----- Black
1----- Brown
2----- Red orange
purple silver
3----- Orange yellow
4----- Yellow
5----- Green
6----- Blue
7----- Purple 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
8----- Gray
R = 47 x 10^3 Ω (first 3 bands)
9----- White
Tolerance = ±10% (4th band)

43
 Percent tolerance of resisters
• Presented by the 4th band of resistors:
– Gold band-----if the actual value is within +5% of
the nominal value.
– Silver band----if the actual value is +10% of the
nominal value.

44
 Example
Find the resistance value in ohms and the percent
tolerance for each of the 4-band color-coded resistors.
(1) Black, Brown, Red, Gold
(2) Brown, Yellow, Yellow, Silver
(3) Yellow, Orange, Black, Gold
Solution:
(4) R=01×102 Ω ±5% = 100 Ω ±5%
(5) R=14×104 Ω ±10% = 140000 Ω ±10%=140 k Ω ±10%
(6) R=43×100 Ω ±5% = 43 Ω ±5%
45
SI Units

46
 SI Units
• In science and engineering the International
System of Units (SI units) form the basis of
all units used.

47
SI Units commonly used in Electricity

Electrical Quantity Electrical Symbol Unit Unit symbol

Voltage V volts V
Current I ampere A
Time t second s
Power P Watt W
Joule/Watt
Energy W hour J/Wh
Resistance R Ohm Ω
Frequency f Hertz Hz
48
 Common Prefixes
• In the real world, we are required to work
with extremely large and extremely small
quantities, a system of prefixed was used to
handle the problems.

49
 Common Metric Prefixes
Multiplying factor Prefix name Symbol
1012 tera T
109 giga G
106 mega M
103 kilo k
10-3 milli m
10-6 micro μ
10-9 nano n
10-12 pico p

50
 Example
Express each quantity using an appropriate
metric prefix:
(a) 30,000 V (b) 12,000,000 Ω (c) 0.000024 A
Solution:
(b) 30,000 V =30×103 V =30 kV
(c) 12,000,000 Ω =12×106 Ω = 12 M Ω
(d) 0.000024 A =24×10-6 A= 24 uA

51
Capacitor

52
Capacitor

53
 Capacitor
• Capacitor is an electronic component
designed to store electrical charge Q (unit for
charge is coulomb).
• Capacitor has the electrical quantity of
capacitance.
• A capacitor with a large capacitance holds
more electric charge than one with low
capacitance.

54
 Construction
of a parallel capacitor
• A capacitor consists of two metal plates
separated by an insulator called a dielectric.
• The dielectric may be air, oil, mica, plastic,
ceramic, or paper etc.

55
 Construction
of a parallel capacitor

Symbol

56
 Factors affecting capacitance
A
C   ( farads , F )
d
𝐴
𝐶 =𝜀 𝑟 𝜀𝑜
𝑑
– A is the area of a metal plate, in square meters
– d is the distance between the parallel plates, in meters
– ε is the dielectric between the plates, in F/m
Note:ε = εr εo
– where εr is the relative dielectric constant of
insulating material
– εo is the dielectric constant of free space.
– εo = 8.85 x 10-12 F/m
57
 Relative dielectric constants of some
materials
• Material εr
• Vacuum 1
• Air 1.0006
• Ceramic 30-7500
• Mica 5.5
• Oil 4
• Paper ( dry ) 2.2
• Polystyrene 2.6

58
 Example
Determine the capacitance of a parallel plate
capacitor having a plate area A of 0.01 m2 and a
plate separation d of 0.02 m. The dielectric is
ceramic, which has a dielectric constant of 30.
Solution:

=132.75×10-12 F
=132.75 pF
59
 Charging of Capacitors

electron flow
+
A
E
B
-
current flow

• when a dc voltage is placed across the two plates

of a capacitor, a certain number of electrons are
drawn from one plate, and flow into the positive
terminal of the voltage source.
60
 Charging of Capacitors
• At the same time, the same number of electrons
flow out of the negative terminal of the voltage
source and are pushed into the other plate of the
capacitor.
• This process continues until the capacitor is
charged to the same potential as the source.
• When the full charge is completed, all charging
current ceases.
• As a result, plate A becomes positively charged,
and plate B negatively charged.

61
 Charging of Capacitors
• When the source is disconnected, charges are
trapped between plates.
• If the capacitor is fully charged, the voltage
+ across
capacitor (V) will be equal to the source voltage (E).
• If the capacitor is perfect, without leakage, the
charges will be held forever, and the voltage V will
remain constant.
• The capacitor has a charge of Q means that the
amount of charges to be held is Q coulombs.

62
 Charge and energy stored in capacitor
• Charge Q stored in a capacitor C is given by the
formula:

Q = CV
Where C is in Farad (F), Q is in coulomb (C) and V is in
Volt (V).
(Note that the unit symbol for coulomb is also C. Do not confuse
this with capacitance C.)
• Energy stored in capacitor is given by the formula :

J (joules)
63
 Discharging of Capacitors

current flow

electron flow

• During discharge, electrons return to the top plate.

• This action restores the charge balance, and reduces the
capacitor voltage to zero.

64
 Example
A capacitor having a capacitance of 5 uF is
connected across a battery with voltage of 10 V.
(a) Find the amount of electric charge stored in
the capacitor.
(b) Find the energy stored in the capacitor.
Solution:
(a) Q=CV=5 uF×10 V = 50 uC (uCoulomb)
(b) = J
= 2.5
65
Inductor

66
 Inductor
• Inductor is a circuit component designed to
have the property of self-inductance (usually
just called inductance).
• The basic inductor is just a coil of metal wire.

67
 Construction
Basic construction
• An inductor is always arranged as a coil
of wire.
• The core for the inductor may be
simply air, magnetic dust or ferrite, and
laminated iron. Solenoid

Two forms of Inductor

• Solenoid is long wire wound in form of
helix.
• Toroid is a hollow circular ring on which
a large number of turns of a wire are
wound.
Toroid
68
 Construction
• The core for the inductor may be simply air,
magnetic dust or ferrite, and laminated iron.
Coil

Ferrite core

Solenoid

69
 Symbol for inductors
Circuit Symbol

air-cored iron-cored variable

inductor inductor inductor

Unit Symbol : L

Unit : Henry (H)

70
 Induced voltage ( induced emf )
• A current flowing through the
conductor of a coil (inductor) creates
magnetic field (B); and this magnetic
field is the cause of the existence of
self-inductance.
• Inductance has the effect of opposing
any change in current (e.g. AC
current). Induced voltage is produced
when current is changing.
• There is no induced voltage for DC
current.
• Induced voltage

71
 Example
If the rate of change of current flowing through
an inductor is 80A /s, the inductance of the
inductor is 15 mH. Find the voltage induced in
the inductor.
Solution:
Induced voltage

72
 Inductance of Solenoid
2
𝑁 𝐴
𝐿=𝜇 𝑟 𝜇 𝑜
𝑙
Where:
L is in Henries (H) Solenoid
μo is the Permeability of Free Space (4π×10-7 H/m)
μr is the Relative Permeability of material other than air
N is the Number of turns
A is the Inner Core Area in m2
l is the length of Coil in meters

73
 Energy stored in an Inductor
Assume the current of an inductor increases
from zero to I, then

Energy stored,

W = ½ L I2
Unit : Joule, Unit symbol : J

74
 Example
Calculate the energy stored in an inductance of
8H when the current flowing through it is
increased from 0 to 2A.
Solution:
Energy stored, W = ½ L I2
= ½ ×8 ×22
= 16 J

75
Relative permeability of some materials

Material Relative Permeability μr

Vacuum 1
Air 1.00000037
Wood 1.00000043
Copper 0.999994
Aluminium 1.000022
Iron 5000
Cobalt-Iron 18000

76
 Example
Calculate the inductance of a solenoid having 100 turns of
copper wire wound around an air core with diameter of 5 cm
and the coil length of 20cm.
Solution:
ur = 1, uo = 4π×10-7, N=100,
=2
l=20cm =0.2m
Inductance
Inductance
×10-4 H
= 123.3 uH (u = 10-6)

77