Skip to content

basic-electronic-components.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
86 lines (55 loc) · 2.72 KB

basic-electronic-components.md

File metadata and controls

86 lines (55 loc) · 2.72 KB

Basic Electronic Components

This document covers four fundamental electronic components: Resistors, Capacitors, Buttons, and Switches, including common values, formulas, and types.

1. Resistors (R)

Resistors limit the flow of electrical current and dissipate energy as heat.

Common Formulas

  • Ohm's Law: $V = I \times R$ (Voltage = Current $\times$ Resistance)
  • Series Resistance: $R_{total} = R_1 + R_2 + ... + R_n$
  • Parallel Resistance: $\frac{1}{R_{total}} = \frac{1}{R_1} + \frac{1}{R_2} + ... + \frac{1}{R_n}$

Common Values (E12/E24 Series - 5% Tolerance)

Values are multiplied by powers of 10 (e.g., 10$\Omega$, 100$\Omega$, 1k$\Omega$, 10k$\Omega$, 100k$\Omega$, 1M$\Omega$): 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.6, 3.9, 4.3, 4.7, 5.1, 5.6, 6.2, 6.8, 7.5, 8.2, 9.1

2. Capacitors (C)

Capacitors store electrical charge in an electric field.

Common Formulas

  • Capacitance: $C = \frac{Q}{V}$ (Charge / Voltage)
  • Current: $i = C \frac{dV}{dt}$
  • Parallel Capacitance: $C_{total} = C_1 + C_2 + ... + C_n$
  • Series Capacitance: $\frac{1}{C_{total}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + ... + \frac{1}{C_n}$
  • Energy Stored: $W = \frac{1}{2} C V^2$

Common Values

  • Ceramic (picoFarads/nanoFarads): 10pF, 22pF, 100pF, 1nF, 10nF, 100nF (often labeled "104")
  • Electrolytic (microFarads): 1µF, 10µF, 22µF, 47µF, 100µF, 220µF, 470µF, 1000µF

3. Buttons (Push Button)

A momentary switch that completes a circuit only when pressed.

Common Types

  • Normally Open (NO): Circuit is open (off) until pushed.
  • Normally Closed (NC): Circuit is closed (on) until pushed.
  • Tactile Switch: Small, standard button for PCB mounting.

4. Switches (SW)

An electromechanical device that breaks or connects a circuit, staying in position until flipped.

Common Types

  • SPST: Single Pole, Single Throw (On/Off)
  • SPDT: Single Pole, Double Throw (Toggle between two paths)
  • DPST/DPDT: Double Pole variants (controls two independent circuits simultaneously)
  • DIP Switch: Small array of switches for circuit boards.

Quick Reference Summary Table

Component Symbol (Ref) Key Formula Common Use
Resistor Zigzag / Box $V=IR$ Current limiting, voltage divider
Capacitor Two Parallel Lines $i=C \frac{dV}{dt}$ Filtering, timing, coupling
Button Momentary N/A User input (momentary)
Switch Toggle/Lever N/A Power control, signal routing

Common Suffixes

  • k = kilo ($10^3$)
  • M = Mega ($10^6$)
  • m = milli ($10^{-3}$)
  • µ = micro ($10^{-6}$)
  • n = nano ($10^{-9}$)
  • p = pico ($10^{-12}$)