Lesson 1 – Electrons, Current, Voltage and Power
Paper Circuits track I is designed to introduce you to various fundamental concepts related to electronics. Electronics is the study of how to control the flow of electrons (sub atomic particles responsible for moving energy around as we know it). Electronics essentially deals with circuits made up of components that control the flow of electricity. Electronics as a branch of science, is a part of physics and electrical engineering.
In this tutorial we will explore some of the fundamental electronics concepts. A good understanding of these concepts will help us when we start working with the different electronics components part of the Paper Circuit Track I. Let us now start out by taking a look at what are the electrons and what makes them such fascinating objects. We’ll then dive into the basics of electricity and explore concepts of voltage, current and power. We will close off by looking at the definition of resistance and how it impacts the flow of electricity in any circuit.
Video – Let’s start out by understanding what is an electron ?
Video – Now that we’ve understood what an electron is let’s explore the concept of electricity and how we define an Amp (or Ampere)?
Interested in learning more about electricity, head over to What Is Electricity // learn.sparkfun.com.
Video – Now that we’ve understood what electricity is and what an Amp stands for let’s learn about Voltage and how its related to current?
Interested in learning more about the relationship between Voltage, Current and Ohms law, head over to Voltage, Current, Ohms Law // learn.sparkfun.com.
Video – In this video let’s explore the concept of resistance and how we would define Ohms?
Interested in learning more about resistors, head over to Resistors // learn.sparkfun.com.
Video – Having understood basics of electricity, voltage, current lets explore the concept of power including definition of a Watt?
Interested in learning more about Power, head over to Power // learn.sparkfun.com.
Optional learning –
If you are interested in diving into the basics of electronics a bit further and keen to explore commonly used electronic components, terminology, concepts then this section is for you –
- What is a battery // learn.sparkfun.com
- What is polarity // learn.sparkfun.com
- Alternating Current (AC) v/s Direct Current (DC) // learn.sparkfun.com
- Battery technologies // learn.sparkfun.com
Not all the concepts introduced in this Optional Learning section are relevant to the work you will be doing in this tutorial. However the concepts, electronic components and terminology covered in this section will go a long way to helping you strengthen your understanding of the basics of electronics.
About Paper Circuits Track I –
Paper circuits are a great way to get started with the fundamentals of electronics. Simply speaking paper circuits are low voltage electronics circuits that one creates using a combination of paper, conductive copper tape, passive or active electronic components (resistors, LED’s, etc.) including an easy to access power source like a coin cell battery. Educators and parents alike are able to make use of paper circuits to help kids learn relevant fundamentals of electronics by engaging them in hands on activities. Kids create these circuits using the various components provided and through the making learn key concepts. Our paper circuits kits enables kids of all ages with the opportunity to explore fundamentals of electronics without having to worry about damaging expensive electronic boards or components or getting hurt. Paper circuits are a combination of electronics and art bringing together a blend of creativity, learning and experimentation.
Prerequisites –
- This development track is based on the “Paper Circuit Kit – I” available from OzToyLib
- Check out the “Paper Circuit Kit – I” and pick one up from – OzToyLib
