Essential Electronic components and their uses

 When you see a big building of attraction like the Great Wall of China and the pyramid of Egypt, you see a big and beautiful structure that is beautiful enough to take pictures to keep as memories. What you must also know is that these historical structures were made from scratch until they became one big structure. The same applies to electronic components. An electronic device or instrument is made of different electronic components

What are Electronic components?

Electronic components are the elements of a circuit that helps in its functioning. They can be classified into two types i.e. Active Components and Passive Components. Active elements are those which possess gain. They can give energy to the circuit. On the contrary, passive elements do not possess gain and they cannot give energy continuously to the circuit.

Passive components cannot amplify or energize the energy of the signal associated with them, they can only attenuate it, while active components can energize or amplify the signal.

Electronic gadgets have become an integral part of our lives. They have made our lives more comfortable and convenient. From aviation to medical, technical and,  healthcare industries, electronic gadgets have a wide range of applications in the modern world. To work with electronic components, you need to know about the basic electrical components and how they work together to create wonderful, modern electrical systems.

                              COMMON ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND THEIR USES

1.   1. Resistors

A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical device that resists the flow of current. It is probably the simplest element in an electronic circuit. It is also one of the most common components as resistance is an inherent element of nearly all electronic circuits. They are usually color-coded. The measurement is done in units known as ohms. The electronic symbol of the unit is O.

2.     Capacitors: Next to resistors, capacitors are probably the second most commonly used component in electronic circuits. A capacitor is a device that can temporarily store an electric charge. The component comes in different varieties, with the common ones being electrolytic and ceramic disk. The capacity of a component is usually measured in microfarads.

3.      Diodes: Diodes allow Electric current to flow in a single direction only. Each diode has two terminals known as the anode and cathode. When the anode is charged with positive voltage and the cathode with a negative one, Electric current can flow. Reversing these voltages will prevent the current from flowing.

4.      Transistors: These components are easy to identify through their three terminals. For the components to work, voltage has to be applied to one of them; the base terminal. The base can then control current flow in the other two terminals. (The emitter and the collector)

5.     Inductors: These are passive components that store energy in form of a magnetic field. An inductor simply consists of a coil wire wound around a core. The core could be magnetic or air. When current passes through the inductor, a magnetic field is created around it. The magnetic field is stronger if a magnet is used as the core.

6.      LEDS:  are used to indicate the state of current at any point in a circuit. An important task like checking the output voltage or current on a circuit becomes simpler with these light-based indicators.

7.      Integrated circuits: An integrated circuit refers to a special device that has all the components required in an electric circuit. The component has Diodes transistors and other devices, which are etched on a tiny piece of silicon. They are used in many electronic devices such as computers and watches.

8.      Transformers: They are built with two coils of wire, transformers are commonly used to step up or step down power

9.      Microcontrollers: Microcontrollers are small computers used to control a multitude of devices such as power tools, remote controls, medical equipment, and some office machines.

10.  Switches: Switches interrupt current. The four types of switches include: the single pole single throw (SPST), the single pole double throw (SPDT), double pole single throw (DPST), and the double pole double throw (DPDT).

11. Motors: Motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. The key components of a motor includes: the rotor, the stator, bearings, conduit box, enclosure and eye bolt.

12. Batteries: Batteries convert chemical energy to electrical energy. A battery has two cells which are the anode (+) and the cathode (-).

13. Circuit Breakers: As a protective device, a circuit breaker can be controlled with a remote switch. It is designed to protect the circuit from overloading or a short circuit.

14. Fuses: A fuse helps to preserve components from overloading with excessive current. A fuse consists of a connection body, support, contacts, and metal-fuse material such as zinc and copper.

15. Relays: Relays are electromechanical switches that shut power on or off. A relay consists of an electromagnet, an armature, a series of electrical contacts and, a spring.

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